Disclaimer: I still own nothing from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, because I don't look like Joss Whedon. Haven't been successful in changing my name to JK Rowling, either, so alas I have no claim to the Harry Potter line. I don't even get to lay claim to the soundtrack for this chapter. 3AM by Matchbox Twenty comes from the pure beauty that is the mind of Rob Thomas, and Don't Cry (Guns N' Roses) is the product of the lyrical genius that is Axl Rose.

A/N: A certain someone expressed disappointment that I haven't bothered to name my chapters this fic, so I've reached a compromise. From now on, each chapter will have a 'soundtrack' of sorts. Each chapter will have a song specified at the beginning, and the chapter will either refect the song or contain lyrics from it at some point. Hopefully, both. If I come up with anything for previous chapters, I will make it known, but so far I'm only working on the soundtrack for Chapter 7 onwards.

Just some general notes in response to a few questions and comments from my favouritest people in cyberspace- my reviewers:

I don't know if I'll have Dawn becoming an Animagus kitten- that could get clichéd if I'm not careful. (Do like the idea, though!)

(M) if you know me you should know it's dangerous to piss off a westie chick...

As Dawn would say, assume would make you an ass outta me, or... something. But seriously, as I've said before, don't assume conventional time-frame parallels between the Buffy and Harry Potter universes. Just imagine it was at straight switch between dimensions and none of those icky time constraints I'm so stubbornly ignoring exist, ok?

Am sorry I don't have time to write you all personal notes again, I have my first exam in 2 days so I'm on a bit of a clock here. I just wanted to get this out there since I've finished the chapter (I think it's my longest yet by just a tad) and I'm working on Chapter 8 (spoiler which will have a bump in the road or two for our dear friends) in between studying as we speak. But within two weeks, I promise this fic will have my undivided attention so thank you all so much for your support and patience.

Cheers, Anoron

The honour roll of my fantastic reviewers. Big thanks! Sonofgloin (most creative review ever!), Kat, Hinomi, Lunawolf, Mademoiselle Morte, (M), Eleclya111, Nicki.Next, Allen Pitt, Ronneem, Christa, Kiara-Zzyopen, RoseWill, Akaalien, Kriss, Karin, Weaver, CL, Taco, Charlie, Gigglygurl, Danceforfreedom, Rogue-Angel82, Meilin Li, Smbassett

CHAPTER SEVEN

3AM/Must be lonely

Remus had awoken by the time they arrived in the boys' dorm, he was propped up against his pillows waiting for them. While James and Peter went to pick up a potion for him from Madam Pomfrey, and to get some food from the kitchens to save the werewolf the walk to the Great Hall, Dawn told Remus all about her realisation.

Remus let out a soft 'hmm' as he mulled Dawn's case over. There were a lot of things they needed to consider. First, they needed to find out exactly how great the differences were between Dawn's original dimension and the one they were living in. If they could figure that out, then logically they should be able to figure out if there potentially could be a Buffy Summers in this reality. Once they knew they had a Buffy, they could tackle the task of tracking down a muggle woman living on the other side of the world. Then what? They'd pop on over to California in a free period and just knock on her front door? Remus frowned. Maybe it wasn't going to be quite that simple. He glanced at Dawn's face, alight with childlike delight and anticipation, and immediately pushed his concerns aside. He'd just have to make damned sure he could work them out later for her.

"I'm sure we'll be able to work it out," he smiled.

"Knew I could count on you," Dawn said warmly.

Right then, James and Peter returned bearing potions and food, and the group settled down to a quiet dinner in the middle of the dorm room floor. They picked at the cold chicken and salad, Dawn still too worked up to really eat much. She didn't feel like doing much of anything other than tracking down her family.

"So where do you think I should start looking for information?" she asked the group at large.

"I thought maybe we should try the Library," Sirius suggested sarcastically, with a deliberate emphasis on the 'we' , just to be sure Dawn knew they were going to keep their word and help her.

"Really?" Dawn returned, eyebrow arched, her sarcasm by far outstripping Sirius'. "Under what section? Phone books for tracking down the alternate dimension versions of your family half way around the world?"

James, Remus and Peter snickered loudly at her comeback, Sirius just stuck his tongue out at her before reaching for more chicken.

"I don't know anything about the phone book part," Remus said, his voice betraying his lingering amusement. "But I think we should start with the alternative dimensions idea. We need to find out exactly what the differences are between here and there to figure out if it's even possible for there to be a Buffy here."

"Cool," Dawn grinned, passing the untouched food on her plate over to Peter, causing his eyes to light up. "I can't wait to get researching!"

Remus, however, was staring at something just beyond Dawn on the floor. "I just have one question- what the hell is that supposed to be?" he pointed to what had caught his eye.

Dawn turned to look. "Newman! C'mere my little teacup," she called happily, holding out her hand as her teacup waddled forwards at a snail's pace.

Remus raised his eyebrows, looking to Sirius for an explanation. 'Newman?' he mouthed.

Sirius just shook his head. 'Don't ask.'

Meanwhile, Newman was still struggling to close the foot-long gap between himself and Dawn's outstretched hand. James whipped out his wand.

"Accio!" Newman zoomed into his hand, and James passed the teacup to Dawn, who was looking at him oddly.

"Thought he could use a hand," James shrugged, which got Dawn giggling a little.

The next evening found the five Gryffindors huddled outside the Library doors well after curfew. Remus eased the door open, and he, Dawn and Peter slipped through immediately. James and Sirius stood on the other side of the threshold, looking apprehensive.

"Come on," Remus hissed.

They hesitated. "Promise you'll never tell anyone we set foot inside the Library?" James whispered.

"Oh for Merlin's sake," Remus whispered furiously. "Are you trying to get us caught?"

"Do you promise?" Sirius insisted.

"Oh alright," Remus sighed. Beside him, Peter and Dawn nodded their affirmation.

"Marauder's honour?" James pressed. Remus growled at him.

Dawn's nose crinkled in confusion. "Marauder's honour?" she asked.

"You put your hand on your left butt cheek and swear you won't betray our secret by Marauder's honour," Sirius explained.

Dawn rolled her eyes and let out a sigh that sounded oddly like 'boys'. When the three already inside the Library had sworn never, ever to tell anyone that James Potter and Sirius Black had willingly set foot inside a Library, the two boys took a deep breath, steeled themselves, and crossed the threshold.

They made their way through the shelves, heading for one of the back tables where their lantern wouldn't be spotted from the doorway. Dawn was smirking slightly at Sirius.

"Was that so hard?" she whispered teasingly as he gingerly picked up a book from the stack Remus had deposited on the table.

"I swear, if you weren't so bloody adorable," Sirius responded, shaking his head. Maybe what James had once said about him was right- he really would do just about anything for a pretty girl. Even read something beyond a dirty magazine.

"Would you two stop flirting and give us a hand, here?" James asked evenly, not even looking up from the page he was skimming. Dawn went very red and dived for cover behind the book lying closest to her. Sirius shot James a half-playful, half-serious glare.

"Must you always be cramping my style, Prongs?"

"Must you always be making be want to vomit, Padfoot?"

"Must you always be asking each other such asinine questions?" Remus threw into the mix drolly. A little giggle reached their ears from behind the book Dawn was still using as a shield for her still-red face.

They spent the next several nights in the same pattern. Dawn would be sure to let the other girls in her dorm see her go up to bed, she'd sometimes even talk to Isabel for a while. Then, the second she was sure they were all asleep, she'd go for the boys, and they'd stay in the Library til the early hours of the morning, researching alternate dimensions from every angle they could think of. They caught up on their sleep during History of Magic lessons.

"This is hopeless, we're not getting anywhere," Peter sighed, throwing what felt like his millionth book on the 'useless' pile.

"Sure we are," James said bracingly. "We know heaps!"

"Like what?"

James hesitated. That was actually a pretty good question.

"Well I think we can safely rule out the world without shrimp," Dawn piped up, tossing her own unhelpful book aside.

"Shrimp?" Remus asked, furrowing his brow.

"Unless this is the world without shrimp..." Dawn considered, her eyebrows raised at the thought.

Sirius shrugged. "Maybe it's one of those words that are American and we have a different word for the same thing in English," he suggested.

"Um..." Dawn thought it over a moment, Giles and Spike's voices running through her mind. "Prawns? We can safely rule out the world without prawns?"

"You mean like the little chess pieces?" Peter blurted.

James sniggered. "No, the little seafood things," he explained before turning to Dawn. "Yeah, we've got those, so it's not anything to do with the world without shrimp."

"Good to know."

"Only if you really like shrimp."


Two best friends prowled through the darkened halls of Hogwarts, their stealthy movements clearly showing they were on a mission. James shot a look out of the corner of his eye at Sirius as they inched around a corner on their way to the kitchens for a well-after-midnight snack.

"So how's it going with you and Dawn?" he asked casually.

Sirius shrugged. "Don't know what you're on about, Prongs," he said evasively.

James just laughed. "Oh come on. We all know you've got it bad for her. And anyone can see she likes you right back. You have noticed that, haven't you?"

Realising he wasn't about to get out of this little talk, Sirius just shot James a quick grin. "Well, I like to think so. But then it's easy to imagine a girl fancies you when every time you look at her, you picture her naked with her legs wrapped round you, moaning and screaming things like 'you're a God Sirius Black, touch me there again!'"

James shook his head firmly to dislodge the very disturbing images that had just cropped up there, replacing them with ones of himself and a certain fiery redheaded prefect. After several moments of contemplation, he turned back to Sirius. "Nope, doesn't work. I'm still pretty sure Evans hates me."

Sirius snorted and the two boys continued walking. "Look, just go for it mate. You've never worried about it before," James advised.

"I've never been worried about being turned down before," Sirius mumbled, so quietly James barely heard him.

"She's not going to turn you down, Padfoot. Trust me. Now let's go check out that passage to Honeydukes, I feel like chocolate," James blurted, changing their direction as abruptly as he changed the subject, pulling Sirius off down another hallway towards one of their newly discovered secret passages.


Dawn rubbed at her eyes tiredly and reached for yet another book. It had just gone 3AM, and the Library was silent, save for the gentle snores coming from Peter, who had fallen asleep on his open book beside her. Remus was canvassing the Restricted Section for more sources and James and Sirius had gone to the Kitchens for something to eat.

"And she said baby, it's 3AM I must be lonely," she sang under her breath.

"That's a rather interesting conclusion," a voice remarked.

Dawn shot to her feet, staring at the speaker in horror. Despite her sudden movements, Peter slept on peacefully, unaware of the huge problem of being discovered in the Library several hours after curfew that had just cropped up.

"Professor Dumbledore," Dawn gasped. Of all the Professors to get sprung by, she just had to cop the most powerful, didn't she?

"Miss Summers," the Headmaster returned courteously, as if it was a common occurrence for him to bump into one of his students in the Library at 3AM on a Friday morning. "May I ask, what was that rather interesting song you were singing just now?"

Dawn blinked. As far as punishments go, this was starting out in a fairly abstract way. "Um, 3AM by Matchbox Twenty," she answered slowly.

"I shall have to look into this Matchbox Twenty," Dumbledore mused, well on the way to losing himself in thought. The slight rustle of Dawn's clothing as she shifted uncomfortably refocused his attention, and he turned his penetrating stare onto the young girl. "I do not think it is class work that has brought you and your friends here every night for the past week and a half, Dawn."

It was a statement, not a question, but somehow Dawn just knew she was supposed to answer this one. "No, Professor. We've been looking at different dimensions... I wanted to see if... I mean, I just thought..." Dawn trailed off, starting to feel a little distressed. It had been so easy to find the words to share her hopes with her friends, but now the words had abandoned her. All she could think of was how selfish she'd been, so wrapped up in her own thing that she didn't even stop to consider the trouble it could land her friends in.

"It was only a matter of time before you became curious about any possible family ties you might be able to salvage in this world," Dumbledore said fairly, though Dawn barely had time to register the fact that he knew exactly what she was up to when she hadn't even told him before he continued. "I do not, however, believe that curiosity warrants five of my students repeatedly sneaking out of their dormitories after curfew, taking books from the Restricted Section without authorisation, and using their History of Magic lessons to catch up on all the sleep they've been missing though their nocturnal excursions to the Library."

Dawn's eyes welled with tears. "I'm sorry Professor. I know I'm in big trouble and I deserve it, but please don't punish my friends for this! They only wanted to help, it was all my idea. I just had to know if there was a Buffy in this world, I know it's stupid but please, please don't punish them. If you're going to give detentions, let me do them, I'll do it all for the five of us, Professor I swear!" Dawn babbled, while one of the very friends she was begging to be spared from punishment snored obliviously away behind her.

Dumbledore waited for the overpowering flow of Dawn's words to trickle down before he smiled gently at the near-distraught girl, his eyes twinkling just a little with his amusement. He had been dubious of her friendship with 'the Marauders', as they were lovingly known to a select few, when she had first settled at Hogwarts. He had half expected theirs to be a mere acquaintance of convenience, that Dawn would stick by the first people she'd met here for safety until she found a circle of friends more suited to her tastes. Friends of a much more subdued nature. But oh no, Dumbledore could see it now as clear as the dawn the girl was named after. A Marauder's spirit lurked deep in her soul, masked to most by that wondrously sweet countenance that seemed to temper her wild friends so beautifully. His smile deepened a notch.

"If I was here to punish you, Dawn, I would have done so a week and a half ago, and Messrs Potter and Black would have been spared the trauma of having to take their first steps into the Library," he informed her frankly.

Dawn's jaw dropped. He'd known all along? What exactly was going on? Why had he come tonight, if he wasn't there to punish them? Why did he have to keep smiling at her like that, as if he was enjoying some private joke with her, yet knew she wasn't quite in on it? That was quite annoying, actually. Dawn hated being kept in the dark, Buffy had never understood that secrecy led to things like Magic Box break-ins and slit wrists. Memories exploded into Dawn's mind with that thought. The Summers' kitchen blurry and out of focus, her vision sharpened only by the reassuring bite of cold metal dragging across her vein. Her own voice echoed from somewhere in the back of Dawn's mind.

'Is this blood?'

Dumbledore's amusement gave way to concern as he watched the girl before him retreat into herself just a little. "Dawn?"

Dawn blinked. 'This is blood, isn't it?' "Yes, Professor Dumbledore?"

"Are you alright?" the Headmaster pressed.

Dawn nodded, and he reached into his robes, extracting a small stack of parchment and placing it on the table. "I would not spend so much of your time in the Library if I were you, Miss Summers. Good night," he said pointedly.

'Can't be me- I'm not a key.' "Yes sir. Good night," Dawn whispered, barely noticing his departure which was as sudden as his arrival. A moment later, she heard his voice calling back to her.

"It does not do to dwell on the past, the present is not something to be forgotten."

It only took her a moment to realise what the papers he'd left were. It was all the research he'd done on both the Key and interdimensional travel when he'd been trying to get her back to Sunnydale. Dawn touched a hand to the topmost piece of parchment, just to be sure it was real. She was tracing a finger over the bumpy surface with her eyes closed when Remus came back from the Restricted Section.

"What's that?" he asked, seeing the parchment.

"I'm not a thing."

"Dawn- what?" Remus frowned. 'I'm not a thing.' Where would such a random statement have come from? James and Sirius materialised beside them then, James polishing off the last of a Honeydukes chocolate bar. Dawn opened her eyes, but her gaze seemed blurred, unfocused.

"What am I? Am I real? Am I anything?" she whispered, her voice breaking on the final word. Dawn's face contorted, trying to fight back the tears the rest of her didn't even realise were there.

Remus shook her gently. "Dawnie?"

She seemed to come back out of herself then with a little shiver. "What's going on?" she asked, unaware that her face was wet, streaked with tears. James and Remus exchanged looks of mutual concern as Sirius brushed the stray tears from Dawn's cheeks.

"You tell us, Kitten," he tried. "You were saying weird things- asking funny questions. 'What am I? Am I real? Am I anything?'" he quoted.

Dawn's face screwed up in confusion. "I said that?" she asked, a hint of fear in her voice.

"And just before it you said you weren't a thing," Remus added.

A flash of comprehension widened Dawn's eyes, smoothing the wrinkles that had been across her forehead only moments before. "I remember," she murmured. "I said that... when I found out about the Key." As she spoke, Dawn rubbed absently at the scar that interrupted the smoothness of her left wrist.

"Ok," said James, waving a hand in the air. "I'm officially lost."

"Maybe we should take this up to the Common Room," Remus suggested, clearing up the piles of books.

Dawn nodded distractedly, clutching Dumbledore's gift tightly in her hands. "Yeah. Dumbledore, uh, suggested we not hang out here so much after hours."

"Dumbledore?" Sirius asked sharply.

Dawn nodded as they began the stealthy trip back up to Gryffindor Tower. "Don't worry, we're not in trouble. Not this time, anyway. Next time... well, I don't think we should be having next times for a while."

They slid through Hogwarts like shadows, by now Dawn was almost as accustomed as her friends to moving about the castle undetected. After all, a true Marauder did not always need to rely on the luxury of an Invisibility Cloak. Once safely in the Common Room, James flopped onto a leather armchair, making himself comfortable.

"I'm still needing the explanations here," he reminded them.

The rest chose a seat before Dawn spoke. "What didn't you get, James?"

"Well I don't get why you're giving us live replays of scenes from Sunnydale out of the blue, Kitten. You're all right, aren't you? There's nothing the matter, is there?"

Dawn shook her head, hoping she was right. "No. No, I'm ok, James. I think it might just be stress, you know? I mean, we've barely slept in a week and a half, and every waking minute has been spent obsessing over home... guess it's only natural my brain would start smushing Sunnydale into the foreground eventually."

"If you're sure then," Remus said, frowning slightly. Strange, he couldn't recall her ever calling where she came from 'home' before. For some reason it didn't sit well with him, and he could see that James and Sirius didn't like the sound of it either. Didn't she know? Couldn't she feel that this was where she belonged?

Dawn nodded, yawning. "I'm sure. I think we could all just use a decent night's sleep."

"Mmm-hmm," James agreed, sinking back into his seat. The four of them were just about falling asleep right where they were when Dawn suddenly bolted upright.

"We left Peter in the Library!"

The three boys exchanged a glance. They shrugged. If he was asleep, then he was happy. And it wasn't as if he wouldn't know where to find them when he woke up. Dawn bit her lip as Sirius tugged her arm down until she was laying with him on the couch they'd been sharing.

"What about Peter?"


Two girls stood in the middle of the Gryffindor Common Room, watching four of their year-mates sleeping away on the couches, completely unaware that the rest of their house had sprung to life around them.

"Maybe we should wake them," Isabel suggested. She moved over to the couch where Dawn lay with Sirius, his arm slung loosely about her shoulders. Isabel couldn't help but smirk at the familiarity between the pair.

"Just leave them," Lily countered. "They've probably been out all night up to no good, anyway."

"Oh don't be like that Lily. I know it's only things to do with James Potter that get you all worked up like this, but please just wake him up for me. You know you wouldn't like it if we left you to sleep through class," Isabel lectured gently. She wasn't wrong, either. She knew the only topic that could cause Lily's legendary temper to flare was James, but she had a good heart deep down that wouldn't let her do anything truly cruel to another human being. Well, almost anything truly cruel.

"Fine," Lily sighed, stalking over to James' armchair while Isabel began shaking Dawn gently.

"Potter!" Lily screeched, giving him a swift forehead slap. "Get your lazy, arrogant backside up this instant! You're late!"

James was yanked roughly into consciousness with a stinging forehead and his ears ringing. He blinked the sleep out of his eyes and adjusted his glasses, only to find Lily Evans leaned over him, glaring and looking mightily put out.

"Well, well, waking up face to face with Evans. It's like all my wet dreams come true," he grinned.

Lily arched an eyebrow. "Funny, I was just about to say the same thing, only about my worst nightmares."

Remus was yawning and stretched to the sounds of Sirius' loud snickering at Lily's sharp comeback. "What time is it?" Remus asked.

"It's pretty late," Isabel told him. "You really should get a move on."

"Right. Thanks for waking us," Remus smiled as he stood. Isabel smiled shyly back at the male fifth-year prefect before she and Lily left for breakfast. They reached the portrait entrance just as it swung open, revealing a chubby boy with mussed-up hair and wrinkled clothing rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"Peter-?" Isabel began, but Lily just shook her head.

"Don't ask," she muttered, urging Isabel through the opening.

The group left behind hurried to dress and collect their bags for classes, barely having time for breakfast before racing down to the dungeons for potions.

"That was actually pretty close," James puffed, sliding into his seat.

"Yeah," Remus whispered back, careful not to be overheard as the lesson had just begun. "Only eight seconds instead of our usual thirty to spare, we should be a bit more careful of that."

They all set about creating the wit-sharpening potion from the instructions, as always, left on the board while the Professor busied herself in the store room.

"This potion should prove useful for you, cousin," Bellatrix snapped across the room at Sirius, her dark eyes glittering with malice as all the Slytherins laughed cruelly.

"No, Bella, you can't improve on perfection," Sirius replied smartly, drawing a few scattered laughs from the rest of the class.

"No," Bellatrix sneered. "I just thought you'd be brewing it by the gallon for your little mudblood girlfriend there."

Sirius shot to his feet, wand in hand. "Leave her alone," he growled dangerously.

Moving so fast she surprised herself, Dawn intercepted him. She skidded into his path as he stalked towards his cousin, ready to hex her big mouth closed permanently. Dawn's hand rested timidly on his chest in a weak attempt to keep Sirius at bay.

"Don't, Sirius. Just leave it," she murmured.

"No- I won't just sit there and let that cow call you that," Sirius snarled, his eyes snapping with so much pent up anger it was almost frightening.

"I know. Just ignore her. Please..." Dawn's eyes pleaded up with Sirius, her voice was gentle and soothing. Finally, Sirius nodded at Dawn and deflated a little. The pair made to turn back to their cauldrons when a high-pitched cackle froze them in their tracks.

"Ooh, a spineless little Gryff, led around by a stupid American mudblood," Bellatrix crowed, clearly trying to test how far she could push both Sirius and Dawn before they retaliated. Her cousin was so much more entertaining when he fought with her.

Dawn and Sirius had turned to glare at Bellatrix. Dawn watched the slightly bigger girl smirking at them and had to bite her tongue to keep from giving Bellatrix the satisfaction of seeing both Gryffindors lose their temper. The two girls stared each other down, Dawn feeling the stares of the entire class on her and trying desperately not to cringe under all the attention. Dawn did not take her eyes from Bellatrix's for one moment as she forced herself to speak slowly and evenly to Sirius.

"She's not worth it."

"What did you say?" Bellatrix snapped, her eyes narrowed.

"I said, you're not worth our time," Dawn said quietly, before she turned and walked calmly back to her cauldron. A moment later, Sirius had tossed a victorious smirk at his speechless cousin before he, too, turned his back on her. Remus found Dawn's hand under the table and gave it a quick squeeze. She stared at her parchment, shocked by her own boldness, and her jaw dropped just a little when fresh words appeared across the surface of her parchment of their own accord.

Good job, Kitten.

Dawn blinked. She was pretty sure that was James' handwriting, but how on earth had it managed to get onto her parchment? She looked over at James a couple of tables away, only to find him grinning back at her.

'How?' Dawn mouthed, gesturing to the message.

James held up a finger to indicate he needed a moment. He scribbled something on the scrap of parchment in front of him, touched it with his wand while he whispered something, and a moment later the ink was forming into words right before Dawn's eyes.

Touch the writing with your wand and think of the surface you want your note to appear on. The spell is 'scriptio displacus'.

Grinning, Dawn scribbled a note back to James, then touched her wand to the ink. "Scriptio displacus."

James smiled to himself as he read her words.

This is so cool! And thanks, though I think I'd better start sleeping with one eye open, you know?

Don't worry, Kitten. Nobody's gonna lay a hand on you while we're around.


Dawn didn't even have to think before she replied.

I know.

They made their way down to the borders of the Forbidden Forest to meet Professor Kettleburn for Care of Magical Creatures. When all of Gryffindor had assembled, Kettleburn led them a little ways into the Forest, along a narrow path. Almost as soon as they were out of sight of the edge of the Forest, completely surrounded by trees on every side, Peter fell over a protruding root.

Dawn winced sympathetically as the heavy boy thudded painfully to the ground, the contents of his bag spilling all over. She ran back to him and crouched by his side. "You go on," she said to the other boys. "We'll catch up."

"Ok. Don't be long," Remus advised as he, James and Sirius continued on with the rest of the class. When they were on their way, Dawn turned and laid a concerned hand on Peter's shoulder.

"Are you ok, Peter?"

"Yeah, thanks," Peter muttered. He was blushing a little as he brushed the dirt off his hands, which were now slightly grazed and scratched. He held his bag open while Dawn quickly scooped all his things back in, and the pair set off down the path after the others.

After ten minutes of following a dwindling path while the undergrowth got thicker and the canopy of trees darker around them, Dawn stopped. "Um, Peter? You sure this is the right way?"

Peter blinked. "What are you talking about? I was following you."

"But I was following you," Dawn returned, dread settling somewhere in the pit of her stomach.

Peter's eyes widened. "But... at least, we have been following a path, right?"

Dawn looked around, panic rising within her. The path that had been steadily dwindling seemed to have finally dwindled, to the point where they'd left it behind completely. "Oh God," she whimpered.

"Oh Merlin," Peter moaned, staring at Dawn in horror. They were completely lost. Sure, he'd been dragged into this place often enough by his friends over the years, but it didn't mean he liked it. How could he, with the multitude of nasty creatures likely to be lurking behind each and every tree? Peter hated to admit it, but he didn't know his way around in the least- he was always content just to follow wherever the other boys would lead.

"Ok," Dawn said slowly, when it became apparent that their problem wasn't going to disappear just because they really wanted it to. "If we just go back the way we came, then we'll have to get back to the path eventually, right?"

Peter nodded. "Sounds good. Which way did we come from?"

"Good question."

The pair stood around stupidly, looking forlornly at one another until Dawn timidly suggested they try the gap between the two trees to their right. They stumbled along through the undergrowth for what seemed like a lifetime before they practically fell into a new clearing, this one much bigger than the last.

"This is better," Peter commented, stretching out a little.

Dawn shook her head. "But it isn't the way we came. So now instead of still lost, we're even more lost. And there's something coming."

Sure enough, there was a rustling in the bushes to their left, and a moment later a creature sprang out into the clearing. Dawn and Peter let out identical gasps of fright as they cowered under the piercing stare of the black centaur.

"You stray from the safe part of the Forest, children of men," the centaur said sternly. Peter was opening and closing his mouth like a fish out of water. This was exactly what he was afraid would happen every time they set foot in the Forbidden Forest.

Dawn cringed, suddenly feeling a lot like a six year-old with her hand caught in the cookie jar. "We're sorry. We didn't mean to... stray. We got lost." Peter nodded furiously at her words, positioning himself half a step behind Dawn, so she was between him and the centaur.

"What are your names, children?"

Realising that this was so not the time for her 'I'm not a kid!' speech, Dawn quickly answered the question. "I'm Dawn Summers and this is my friend Peter. Peter Pettigrew. And you are?"

The centaur blinked at Dawn, as if he was trying to decide if she was being insolent or just friendly. "My name is Bane," he finally replied, and was a little taken aback as the girl offered him her brightest smile.

Bane studied Dawn, seemingly lost deep in thought. "Mars has been very bright of late," he mused.

Dawn glanced over her shoulder to Peter, who just shrugged. How was he supposed to know what Mars being bright had to do with them being lost in the woods? Suddenly, Bane's stare hardened, the calculating look in his eyes chilling Dawn to the bone.

"You have power, little one. Power which the corrupted would seek for their own gain, the Centaurs have long read it in the stars. He would have your blood to bend to his evil will, child," Bane warned cryptically.

That familiar sinking feeling that told Dawn her life was once again in danger returned to her in full force. Someone wanted the Key. Sooner or later, someone was coming for her.

"Who?" she whispered.

"The one they call Lord Voldemort, though they dare not speak his name," Bane replied, sparing a disdainful glance for Peter, who had whimpered in fright at the mention of Voldemort. A moment later, the centaur's stern gaze had refocused squarely on Dawn. "You shall not be welcomed so easily again. Return to your school, girl, and stray not again from the safety you think your castle offers. When foolish children wander into the Forbidden Forest, the Centaurs will not lower themselves to protect them from the many dangers within."

Dawn nodded. Never come back here? Really not an issue. "Ok, then. Um... how do I get out of here?"

Bane frowned at the girl who had the nerve to ask a centaur for directions. He slowly lifted a hand and pointed to a gap in the trees. "The path lies that way. Do not return to this place," Bane warned one final time.

Peter had already scurried between the trees by the time Dawn reached the edge of the clearing. Before slipping back into the thick of the Forest, Dawn turned to Bane. "It was nice to meet you," she grinned, before taking off after Peter.

They found the path fairly easily, and only had to follow it a little way before the shouts reached their ears. "Peter!? Dawn!?"

"Over here!" they yelled back, jogging towards the sounds of their friends' voices. They stopped abruptly as James, Remus and Sirius burst spectacularly through the trees right in front of them.

"What happened to you two?" Remus demanded. "You missed the entire lesson."

"The bag, then the path, and then no path... the clearing, and a centaur who said something about some Voldemort guy being after me... then the path again," Dawn explained lamely, her mind running at a mile a minute.

James looked at Peter as he recovered from his wince at hearing 'Voldemort' twice in a matter of minutes, but Peter just shrugged.

"What she said."


Dawn sat outside Dumbledore's office, waiting for the Headmaster to return. She was wringing her hands nervously as the minutes ticked by, and she looked to the boy next to her for reassurance.

"I'm doing the right thing, aren't I? Coming to Dumbledore over what Bane said, I mean."

Sirius nodded firmly. "Yes, he'd want to know right away if it's anything to do with V-Voldemort," he said, stumbling slightly over the name. "Besides, it is Divination we're missing out on right now!"

"Who is this Voldemort, anyway?" Dawn asked, curious. After all, it paid to know your enemies.

"I'll explain later," Sirius whispered, standing as the stone staircase began to revolve, carrying Dumbledore up to the landing.

"Ah, Mr Black, Miss Summers. Please, do come on in. I take it you have matters of great importance to discuss with me? Such a shame you felt it necessary to sacrifice your Divination lesson in order to speak with me," Dumbledore smiled, letting the two students into his office.

"Yes sir," Dawn began, perching on the edge of a chair. "See, Peter and I got lost in the Forbidden Forest a little while ago."

"Oh dear," the Headmaster looked mildly concerned. The number of times that boy had gone into the Forbidden Forest over the past five years, and still he managed to get himself lost? It was a worry.

"Anyway, I was helping Peter pick up everything he dropped when he fell over, and we ended up getting separated from the rest of the class and couldn't find our way back," Dawn explained. Dumbledore just nodded, motioning for her to continue with her story. "Well we met a centaur named Bane, he said that Lord Voldemort would have my blood to bend to his evil will."

Dumbledore was suddenly sitting up much straighter, his eyes had become hard and calculating. "What else did he say?"

Dawn frowned, thinking back. It wasn't easy- she'd mostly been focusing on the revelation that her life was once again in mortal peril and had not made any effort to remember the rest. "He said... I shouldn't go back into the Forest, can't say I disagree with him there, and... he said... oh! He said Mars has been very bright of late, whatever that means."

"Mars is after the God of War," Sirius offered, smiling sheepishly when Dawn gave him a funny look. "My family is kind of into the Astronomy thing."

"Really? I hadn't noticed," Dawn smiled.

Quickly controlling his smiled at the obvious chemistry between the pair before him, Dumbledore cleared his throat softly to refocus their attention. Dawn cringed a little when she noticed the sombre look trained on her. She knew that look well, it meant that she really should be worried for her safety. The only difference was it used to be Giles, not Dumbledore who looked at her that way.

"Dawn, I am afraid you may be in danger," he warned.

Dawn sighed, carefully schooling her features to allow only the same sort of reaction James would show to Professor Damus' weekly predictions of death and despair. After all, what else was new? Undeterred, and entirely unfooled by Dawn's carefully controlled mannerisms, Dumbledore pressed on.

"I am aware that he is no Goddess from an untold hell dimension, but do not pretend to take Lord Voldemort so lightly. His interest in the power you possess is most troubling, and I strongly recommend caution, Dawn. Voldemort is looking for the power within you, and although he does not yet know who you are, he will stop at nothing to find what he is after." Dumbledore's gaze then shifted to Sirius. "I trust your friends will be doing their best to keep you safe, but you must know that you will be watched closely by others."

Sirius smirked. "So you're saying I should put a hold on those plans to smuggle her out of the castle and into a sleazy bar so I can get her drunk and seduce her?"

Dumbledore's eyes were alight with laughter, but he maintained his straight face. "Need I truly answer that question, Sirius? Now I'm sure you will not wish to return to Divination so late and disrupt the rest of the class-"

Sirius snorted, Dawn elbowed him into silence.

"So perhaps you should return to your Common Room until dinner. Good day, and take care," Dumbledore concluded, extending a hand towards the door.

"Yes sir, thankyou sir," Dawn said, following Sirius out of the office. They made their way through the halls, but Dawn put a hand on Sirius' arm to stop him as they passed the girls' bathroom.

"Would you mind waiting? I won't be long."

When Sirius nodded, Dawn skipped off into the bathroom and he leaned against the wall to make himself comfortable for the wait. The words 'I won't be long' were NEVER true they were said by a female in relation to a bathroom. As most of the school was still in their last class of the week, the halls were quite deserted, and Sirius tensed when he heard the unexpected clatter of footsteps coming his way.

Suddenly, the figure that had just appeared at the top of the stairs to Sirius' left tripped, sending the too-heavy load of books and parchment in his arms into chaos. If it had been any other student in the school (aside from his friends, of course) Sirius would have been howling with laughter, but instead he just sighed. He walked over to his directionless little brother and dropped to his knees, gathering a few scattered pieces of loose parchment.

Regulus just watched him for a moment, before he seemed to remember himself and started helping. "Thanks," he said quietly.

"No problem, Reg," Sirius returned, loading the younger boy's arms carefully with his belongings. Neither Sirius nor Regulus noticed the door to the girls' bathroom a only few paces away swing open. Nor did they see Dawn come bounding out, stop dead in her tracks when she saw the two brothers, spin around and head straight back where she came from. And they certainly didn't notice the door left open just a crack, so a pair of big blue eyes could peer out on the scene.

Dawn had her first chance to really study Regulus as the two boys climbed to their feet, Sirius shooting a hand out to grab the topmost book as it slipped from Regulus' pile. She realised she'd been wrong in her original assessment of the younger Black; he was not an awkward carbon copy of his older brother. They were very similar, nobody could deny they were family, but Regulus was slightly skinnier, a little paler, and his dull grey eyes were no match for the lovely blue of Sirius' that reminded Dawn of clear, open skies. She listened raptly to every inconsequential word in the short conversation carried out in the hall.

"What're you doing out of class? Free period?" Sirius asked in a would-be casual voice.

"Yeah. You?" Regulus replied in much the same tone.

Sirius shook his head. "I just came from Dumbledore's office."

"Again?" Regulus couldn't hide his amused smirk, and Sirius let out a little chuckle.

"Well you know me."

Regulus changed the subject abruptly then, avoiding his older brother's gaze. "Bella told me you had another fight with her in potions this morning," he admitted, looking just a little upset. Sirius was the white sheep of the Black family, as it were, but that didn't mean Regulus didn't love him still, and he hated to think of him fighting with the cousin he most admired and adored.

Sirius sighed. "Look, Regulus, you don't need to worry about all that. It was just a stupid argument, she insulted one of my friends."

"That mud- girl you're always hanging out with now?"

"Dawn. And yes," Sirius replied shortly, shifting uncomfortably. Brother or not, if Regulus didn't learn to watch his mouth...

Sensing the danger of pushing his brother on this subject, Regulus dropped it. He looked up at Sirius, and his grey eyes seemed almost sad and lonely. "I really wish you wouldn't fight with Bella."

"I really wish I didn't have to."

Regulus nodded slowly, as if trying to accept that his brother wasn't going to change. Not even for him. "I've got to go. Bye, Sirius," he started briskly down the hallway.

"Regulus?" Sirius called after him. Regulus turned back. "Take care of yourself, ok?"

Regulus just smiled and left, leaving Sirius alone in the hall with a bittersweet little smile on his own face. The bathroom door swung open and Dawn walked up to him.

"Finally," Sirius groaned with a roll of his eyes. "What is it with chicks and bathrooms?"

Dawn just smiled and refused to answer. "So what did Peter and I actually miss in Care of Magical Creatures, anyway?" she asked as they continued towards Gryffindor Tower.

"Thestrals. I would probably find them a whole lot more interesting if I could actually see them," he mused, but Dawn shook her head as she followed him straight up to the boys' dorm.

"Trust me, you're better off not being able to see them."

After considering this for a moment, Sirius decided she wasn't wrong. Dawn was smiling up at him, though. "So how are we gonna kill the time while everybody else is in class?"

Sirius walked over until he was standing way too close to Dawn for comfort. "Oh I know exactly what I'd like to be doing with you right now," he whispered enticingly.

Dawn swallowed. Her heart was pounding, but she rose to the challenge, arching an eyebrow at him. "Oh?"

"Come on, let's do it," Sirius urged. "Let's play Wizard's Chess!"

Dawn looked up at the innocent, boyish grin plastered to his face and burst out laughing.

"What's so funny, Kitten?"

She just shook her head and plopped onto his bed, crossing her legs. He quickly set the board up, using magic to hold it steady on the unstable surface and took his place opposite. Dawn caught his eye after only a few moves each and grinned. "You're leading with your Knight."

"Yeah," Sirius shrugged. "I always do. Nobody else ever does."

Dawn's grin went up a notch as she gestured to the board. "I do."

Sirius stopped to smile back at her. Something new he's just learned about Dawn Summers, something else that made her feel perfect for him. By the time he'd torn his gaze from hers and refocused on the chessboard, he'd completely forgotten what he was up to. "Hey, whose turn is it?"

"It's your move," Dawn told him. Sirius, busy prodding one of his Rooks into place, missed the double meaning to her little declaration. They continued peacefully for a little while longer, Sirius smirking at Dawn's antics. Every time one of their pieces managed to be taken, Dawn would snatch it off the board and put it safely aside before the other piece could smash it into oblivion.

"Well it's just cruel," she said defensively, pouting as Sirius let out a little snicker at her for rescuing his captured pawn from the wrath of one of her own.

"You do realise we have charms to counteract the damage, right?" he asked. "Also, they're chess pieces."

Dawn pulled a face. "Charms? Me? Need I remind you of Newman? So, who is this Voldemort guy, anyway? You said you'd tell me after we saw Dumbledore," she reminded Sirius, noticing him flinch ever so slightly at the name.

"He's bad news, Dawnie. Dumbledore's right to be worried, if he's after the kind of power in you. Vol-Voldemort is so evil most witches and wizards can't even bring themselves to say his name out loud."

Dawn cocked her head to the side. "That explains why Peter nearly wets himself every time he hears it, and why you keep stuttering every time you go to say it," she blurted thoughtlessly, and Sirius blushed a little.

He looked down, going quiet as he separated two Bishops on the chessboard that had been brawling over a position. "You still don't know what it's like here," he mumbled.

Dawn shrugged, still not realising how dangerously close she'd been to insulting his manhood. "I know what it was like in Sunnydale, and I've never been afraid to say Glorificus, or Angelus. Not to go all Shakespeare on you, but what's in a name?"

"Shakespeare?"

Dawn blinked. "You don't know Shakespeare? Wow. I thought everybody knew of him. He was a writer, muggle I guess, about 400 years ago. Good stuff."

Sirius grinned, having successfully changed the subject. They looked back down at the chessboard to resume their game and froze. Somehow, without either of them realising it, a full-scale riot had broken out amongst the chess pieces and now only the scattered remains were left littering the board.

"Oh God, it's a massacre!" Dawn groaned. Even the pieces she'd rescued earlier had been decimated.

Sirius shrugged at her. "Maybe it's time I taught you the repairing charm," he suggested.

Soon after, the other boys came wandering in one by one from their different classes. They went to dinner, then spent the evening huddled in a quiet corner of the Common Room talking about what Dumbledore had said, and how bad Lord Voldemort really was.

It was rather early when Dawn departed for the girls' dorms with a little sigh. "Dawn's in trouble, must be Tuesday," she was mumbling.

"It's Friday, actually," Peter called out helpfully.

The Marauders slipped out to pull a quick prank on the Slytherins, inspired by a muggle saying James had heard: picture them all in their underwear. They retired relatively early themselves, relishing the opportunity to catch up on some sleep and thankful just to be away from the Library for a change. Three of them fell right to sleep, but one tossed and turned for a long while. Finally, with a frustrated noise, Sirius shoved his covers back to go to the bathroom.

When he opened the door to head back into the main room of the dorm a minute later, he had to stop and consider that it really was a beautiful night. The slight bite of cold air was crisp and refreshing against his skin. The way the moonlight shone through the window and pooled across the floor at his feet was just right. The girl of his dreams (literally) standing a few paces inside the door was perfect. The silent tears that glistened as they streamed down Dawn's cheeks, however, were not so perfect.

In less than a second, he had his arms full of her, her face buried into his neck. "I'm so scared. I wanna go home," she sobbed, clinging to him.

Ignoring the uneasy feeling he got at the thought of Dawn leaving him, Sirius stroked her hair. "Shh, honey, it's ok. I've got you. It's all right," he murmured to her over and over, letting her cry herself out in his arms.

Soon she was left sniffling and shaking, goose-bumps raised on her skin. Sirius disentangled himself from her just long enough to rummage through his drawers for a long-sleeved shirt. He helped Dawn slip it on before settling them silently together in his bed. Dawn buried herself as deep into Sirius as possible, forgetting everything but the need to feel his strong arms holding her tightly. His lips somehow found their way to her hair, the silking strands tickling his nose as the delicious scent of vanilla wound itself right through him.

"Is there anything I can do?" he whispered.

Dawn's eyes were closed, allowing nothing else in the world into her awareness beyond Sirius Black. She considered his offer for a moment. What did she want from him right now? "Sing for me?" she murmured.

Sirius raised an eyebrow. Sure, he knew the odds of getting the response he most wanted to hear: 'I want you to rip my clothes off and ravish me' were slim to none, but he definitely hadn't been expecting that. "Well... what do you want me to sing?"

"I don't care. Anything. Just sing to me," Dawn pleaded, shifting closer still to Sirius, who prayed his friends would sleep through the performance as he began to sing in Dawn's ear.

Talk to me softly there's something in your eyes

Don't hang your head in sorrow, and please don't cry.

I know how you feel inside I've, I've been there before-

Something is changing inside you, and don't you know?

Don't you cry tonight, I still love you baby,

Don't you cry tonight.

Don't you cry tonight, there's a heaven above you baby,

And don't you cry tonight.

Give me a whisper and give me a sigh,

Give me a kiss before you tell me goodbye.

Don't you take it so hard now, and please don't take it so bad,

I'll still be thinking of you and the times we had baby,

And don't you cry tonight, and don't you cry tonight.

Don't you cry tonight, there's a heaven above you baby,

And don't you cry tonight.

At some point during his song, Sirius' hand had slipped down to rest on Dawn's waist and for some reason it felt perfectly natural to her when that hand began moving, rubbing up and down over her hip, tangling in the shirt he'd given her.

"Don't stop," she sighed, not even realising the words that fell from her own lips.

Sirius smiled slightly, not realising what she truly meant, and kept singing quietly to her.

And please remember that I never lied,

And please remember how I felt inside now honey.

You gotta make it your own way, but you'll be alright now sugar,

You'll feel better tomorrow, come the morning light now baby.

And don't you cry tonight, and don't you cry tonight.

Don't you cry tonight, there's a heaven above you baby,

And don't you cry, don't you ever cry,

Don't you cry tonight, baby maybe someday.

Don't you cry, don't you ever cry,

Don't you cry tonight.

As his voice faded away, Sirius looked down at Dawn's face. Her head had rolled back a little against his shoulder, her eyes still closed, her face tilting up towards his. He smiled, running a finger down her cheek. "Dawn?"

"Mmm?" she breathed in response.

Sirius hesitated. Should he really? Was it time for this? Dawn was having a stressful enough time as it was, he was suddenly unsure if this was the best idea for him to choose this moment to make his big move. Then Dawn shifted slightly, her body brushing up against his, and Sirius' hormones made his mind up for him. He stared up at the ceiling, gathering his courage.

"I wanted to ask you something, actually," he whispered, determined to see it through now he'd started this. I think there's something between us, Dawnie, and I really thing you feel it too. You do, don't you? I- I really do like you, can't stop thinking about you, in fact. Merlin, this is never usually so difficult. I don't think I've ever actually had to ask a girl out after I've got her into bed... But I don't remember ever liking anybody as much as I like you, you're so amazing and new. I know you've got a lot to deal with right now, and I understand if you don't want to... if you don't want me... But I'd wait for you. You know that, don't you? So here goes- Dawn, will you go out with me?" After the words had poured out of his mouth at a staggering rate, Sirius held his breath and awaited Dawn's response.

Silence.

"Dawn? I'm sorry, should I not-?" Sirius muttered after a minute, a feeling of disappointment no girl had ever managed to cause him before crushing in on his chest.

Dawn let out a little sigh. Sirius forced himself to look at her. He looked at her peaceful, expressionless face, watched the measured rise and fall of her chest and wondered exactly how much of his big confession she'd slept through. Smiling at how beautiful and innocent she looked, Sirius leaned over and pressed a chaste kiss to the corner of Dawn's mouth before settling into sleep himself.


Aren't they just too cute? I think they need a shake-up. [evil grin] Anoron