Sirius Black did his very best not to glare at Remus Lupin when he ended up being paired with Amelia Malfoy during one of their Herbology classes about three weeks into the school year. Moony gave him a teasing smirk as he moved across the greenhouse to stand next to Malfoy who gave the werewolf her dazzling smile. Sirius grumbled as he took his seat next to his stupid partner, Prongs.

"What are you so upset about you?" James asks.

Sirius doesn't respond, instead he glares at Remus and Amelia who are talking to each other happily as they put on their protection gear, the duo preparing to extract the pod from the snargaluff plant before them.

"Are you jealous that Moony is partnered with Malfoy?"

Sirius huffs.

"Okay; one with your MacDonald, two you hardly ever talk to the bird, and three why are you wasting your time? You avoid the Sacred Twenty Eight like the plague."

"Okay, Prongs Okay. Okay Prongs. One, you know MacDonald and I aren't any more than a fling, two I talk to her, and three I don't know Prongs, there is something about her. Look at how excited and happy she and Moony are together. Probably planning their bloody wedding."

"Aren't you two taking Care of Magical Creatures together?"

"Well yes, but aside from the funny comment or occasional bump into each other-she's always with Diggory, death eaters in training, or my god awful cousins. I swear, Prongs, she has friends in every house."

"You two always smile and waves in the hallways."

"Oh bugger off."

The two turn their attention to the gnarled stump on the table before them. "This is it?" Sirius finds himself asking.

"Bloody hell!" he looks over to see Amelia and Remus wrestling with the tentacles that escaped from the stump. Remus holding two of the tentacles while Amelia has one wrapped around her wrist. With her free hand she reaches into the stump and grabs one of the pods. The plant instantly releases the two students and the prickly vines shoot back into the gnarled stump.

All around them, the rest of his classmates are attempting to do the same thing. Sirius looks over a Prongs, then at Remus who is gently wrapping gauze around Amelia's bleeding wrist, where tentacles had managed to to wrap above the dragon skin gloves

"Let's do this."

Sirius is embarrassed to admit that his and Prongs's attempt to grab the pod from the plant was not nearly as graceful as that of Remus's and Amelia's- in fact it almost killed the two marauders. By the time they finally grabbed the pod, both of them were covered in scratches and Professor Sprout even had to stun a couple of tentacles.

"Bloody hell." Prongs pants.

After class, Sirius and James catch up with Peter, Remus and Amelia. "I see your attempt went well." Remus teases. Amelia's eyes light up with laughter.

"Better than Wormtail's." James counters.

"Actually Wormtail and Diggory finished with no need for intervention from Sprout." Remus points out.

"You and Malfoy here had an injury." Sirius upholds.

Amelia laughs. "Still did better than you and Potter. And Amos and Peter. I'd call us the winners." she says exchanging a high five with Remus. Moony hesitates for just a second before his hand collides with hers in a perfect sounding high five.

"Sirius!" an all too familiar voice calls from behind.

"Oh no." he winces

The group turns around to see Mary MacDonald walking quickly towards the crowd. She hesitates for a second, eyeing Amelia suspiciously. Sirius realizes that he is standing next to the Malfoy girl. Amelia seems to notice as well because she quickly steps away.

"Hey Mary." he says with forced happiness. He sees Prongs lean over and whisper something in Amelia's ear. She looks at him with a slight widening of her eyes, but from Prongs's look of confirmation purses her lips together trying to hide her laughter.

"Sirius, come on we have a free period, let's go." she grabs his hand with both of hers and tugs him away from the group.

"Mary, I don't think." he turns pleading eyes to the rest of the Marauders and even Amelia.

All four of them take a step back, each one of them smiling, even Amelia.

"No no no. Don't let us keep you." Amelia says breaking the silence with laughter in her voice.

"Definitely. We will see you back at the dorms, Padfoot." Wormtail agrees.

"Have a great time you two." Prongs says no longer able to contain his laughter.

Remus just gives him a knowing smile and waves.

Mary has the courtesy to blush, Sirius turns away and gives all four of them his best death glare.


The Hufflepuffs have Defense Against the Dark Arts with the Slytherins, and Amelia feels slightly torn between wanting to sit in the forest of green and silver or the field of yellow and black. House Pride gets the best of her and she instead sits between Amos and Helena.

"Class, we are going to spend the next week learning defensive charms. Now I am sure those of you know some of the basics "Expelliarmus, Petrificus Totalus, Reddikulus, to name a few. However, there are other charms that are essential for witches and wizards to learn." Professor Anderson explains from the front of the class.

Amelia notices that a majority of the pureblood students sit at attention Death Eater wannabes she thinks to herself. She isn't necessarily interested in duels, however given her new profession, she decides that she too should pay rapt attention to Professor Anderson's words.

Professor Anderson writes the words Stupefy on the board. "Can anyone tell me what this particular charm can do?"

Bellatrix Black is the first to raise her hand. "Stupefies an opponent, or knocks them insensible temporarily"

"Five points for Slytherin."

"Of course she would know that." Helena whispers to Amelia.

Amelia can't help but nod in agreement.

The class is spent discussing defense charms as a whole as well as going over the proper pronunciation and wand movements for the spell. Amelia takes notes as furiously as she can, this is her chance to actually learn something useful for her new cause in life.

"I've never seen you take such diligent notes in this class." Amos whispers to her.

"With the way that the world is going right now. I need to pay attention." Amelia replies. And it's true, the world is currently falling to pieces. Random attacks, muggles and non-pure witches and wizards being killed, and of course more and more sightings of the Dark Mark glaring from the sky.

Amos and Helena both grow silent, obviously agreeing with her, because they too begin to scribble more deligent notes.

Bellatrix and Amycus Carrow both corner her at the door way. "Amelia." Carrow greets.

Amos and Helena stop just outside the doorway. Bellatrix makes it a point to give both students a scowl, unfortunately Amos and Helena are so used to being on the receiving end of said scowl that they just ignore her. Being friends with Amelia has it's ups and downs.

"Alright Amelia?" Amos asks.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'll meet you in the Great Hall." she replies with a smile and a wave.

"Best move along, blood traitors." Bellatrix says giving them a mocking wave.

Helena turns preparing to give Ballatrix a rude gesture, but Amos catches her hand, wrapping her arm around his, the two disappear around the corner.

Carrow turns his attention to Amelia "Why are you still spending time with blood traitors?" he demands.

Amelia narrows her eyes at her classmate. "You have no right to tell me who I can and cannot be friends with, Carrow."

"I'm just looking out for you." he defends.

Bellatrix places a placating hand on the rusty haired boy's shoulder; she stands on tiptoe her lips brushing his ear and says in a whisper just loud enough for Amelia to hear. "She doesn't have much of a choice."

Amelia bristles at the comment. "If we're done here?" She turns and walks away, not caring if the two Slytherins follow or not. It's not that she doesn't like the two, it's that ever since Voldemort's rise to power, they have become more and more fanatical.

"You are from one of the purest bloodlines. Why are you allowing yourself to mingle with so many lesser bloodlines and blood traitors?" Carrow demands.

Amelia sighs, this is a conversation that she has been having with her friends, family, and every other pureblood for years. She gives him her textbook answer, the only one that can get everyone off her back. "It's like Bellatrix said, I don't have a choice."

"Keep telling yourself that and one day you might believe it." Carrow sneers.

Amelia sends him a sneer of her own and turns on her heel, making her way towards the Great Hall.


Voldemort stayed at the Malfoy Manor for 10 days. During which Death Eaters came and went and meetings were held. At first Amelia wasn't allowed to join, being too young and not a Death Eater.

Amelia finds herself unable to sleep one night and drags one of the ottomans in front of the fireplace trying to fight off the oppressing cold of the Malfoy mansion-it almost seems to have increased since Voldemort and his followers visited. She turns so her back is facing the fire, not sure if it's to warm her back or be on the defensive.

The immense snake, Nagani, slithers across the living room floor her scales reflecting the light from the fire. The immense snake doesn't pause, wrapping herself around Amelia's legs and slowly ascending her body as if she is a tree. Eventually the snake comes to a stop, her head and upper body draped around her shoulders. The lower part of her body is loosely looped around the Malfoy girl's torso and lap.

"She never approaches, unless commanded." Voldemort seems to materialize from the surrounding shadows. His eyes shine like her mother's ruby necklace, the slit pupils not terrifying, but fascinating. Amelia wants to stare into his eyes just to see them- the way they shimmer in in the firelight.

"Nagani to me." Voldemort says.

The snake flickers her tongue against Amelia's cheek before slithering off of her frame and to her master.

Amelia sighs in relief and rolls her shoulders, now free of Nagani's immense weight. She quickly stands, doing her best not to offend the powerful man.

"You are Lucius's sister." he states more than asks.

Amelia nods and looks at the face of arguably the most powerful wizard in the world. His skin is pale as a corpse, he is tall with long limbs and long fingers, his face is still handsome despite the rumors of his appearance turning more and more serpentine as he splits his soul.

"Your loyalty and love for your brother is admirable. Stepping forward to receive your own dark mark, despite your age."

He studies her, moving closer and circling her appraisingly, as if she is a statue of art. She finds herself shivering in both anticipation and attraction to the amount of power that seems to leak from him.

"Tell me, have you always had an affinity to plants and animals?" he pauses before her.

"They seem to just take to me, sir." she answers.

"Would you like to receive your Dark Mark? Remain loyal to your brother, loyal to me. You would be of great use to me, despite your age."

"You mean you'd give it to me now? As opposed to when I graduate?"

"I will give it to you right now, that this very moment, if you would like. You are an intelligent girl, I am sure you would be able to hide it during your enrollment at Hogwarts. I want you to remain enrolled, an education is a valuable tool. Recruitment is always a bonus."

"Yes. I want the Dark Mark." she surprises herself with her answer; she is friends with Muggle-borns, Halfbloods, and Bloodtraitors. Is she really willing to give all of that up? To completely change her own beliefs and throw away so many of her friends, to become their enemies? But the power and the ability to redeem herself, they instantly overtake her emotions.

Voldemort smiles, the two of them kneel down before the fire. When a lone tear rolls down her face, a long finger wipes it away.


Amelia shoots up in bed, her Dark Mark tingling with delight- the memory of receiving her Dark Mark has once again invaded her dreams. She doesn't realize that her figure is shaking until she attempts to untangle herself from her bedsheets. She looks at her watch, it's 2:00 in the morning.

With a reluctant sigh she climbs out of bed, she needed a cup of something warm to remove that cold that is sweeping through her bloodstream. Uncaring of her appearance, Amelia slips a jumper over her pajama top and pads out of the girls dorm, across the common room, and out into the hallway. It only takes her a few moments to reach the kitchens.

So lost in her own thoughts, Amelia doesn't notice Sirius Black sitting in the kitchens until his greets her. She jumps, letting out a gasp, her hand on her chest.

"Sorry Malfoy, I didn't mean to scare you." Sirius apologizes.

"Its alright, I'm a bit jumpy tonight." Amelia sighs as she walks into the kitchen, she can feels his eyes on her as she moves, taking in her messy blonde hair, plain purple pajama pants and her house jumper. Self consciously she attempts to run a hand through her curls as it hangs almost to her waist in a rat's nest. Ignoring her appearance in favor of something warm, she boldly take a seat a courteous amount of space away from him.

"Bad dream? You look pale as a ghost."

"Something like that." she twirls the ring around her thumb nervously.

A House elf appears before them, turning his attention to Amelia with a smile of recognition.

"She'll have a hot chocolate." Sirius answers before she can make her request for tea.

The House elf nods and scuttles away.

"I want a hot chocolate?"

"You've never had the Sirius Black hot chocolate."

Amelia cocks her head to the side. "Is this a prank, Black?"

Sirius grabs his heart in mock hurt. "I'm hurt you would assume that all I do is play pranks.

Amelia gives him a mocking look.

"Okay. That's fair enough, but this time I am completely harmless."

"I don't think there is anything harmless about you."

Sirius opens his mouth to argue, but the House elf returns with a steaming mug of hot chocolate. As Amelia is reaching for the hot chocolate, Sirius intercepts.

She watches as Sirius removes a flask from his pocket and pours a generous amount of fire whiskey into the mug, almost causing it to overflow.

"The Sirius Black special." he replies, carefully handing the mug back to her, his fingers covering her own to make sure that she has a grip on the drink. Amelia feels her fingers sandwiched between his hands and the cup of hot chocolate. "Bloody hell your hands are cold."

Amelia gives him a half smile back and for a moment just sits, holding the mug in her hands to warm them. A silence overtakes them as he adds firewhiskey to his own mug.

"So, what was the dream about?" he asks hiding the flask back in his pocket and leaning back. They are sitting on one of the counters in the corner of the kitchen doing their best to be out of the way of the House Elves that are obviously already beginning to prepare breakfast for the student body.

"More of a nightmare." she answers as she takes a sip of the hot chocolate. She has to admit that it is a pleasant flavor, the firewhiskey tasting more like cinnamon and warming her body even more than the hot chocolate, she takes another sip.

"I know we aren't exactly close, but I'm a good listener." he offers taking his own sip.

She lets out a bitter laugh, and takes another drink of her hot chocolate.

"That bad, huh?"

She look at him, sakura meeting liquid mercury. "Something like that."

A silence falls between them, both sipping their hot chocolate, lost in thought and watching the house elves bustle about.

Sirius removes his flask and pours more firewhiskey in her half full mug. "Sometimes we need a distraction to forget." he says softly.

"You sound like you're speaking from experience." she takes another sip, this one tasting more like firewhiskey and less like chocolate. She wonders if Sirius knows she is a bit on the lightweight side of alcohol.

"Something like that." he replies using his own words against her.

Amelia smirks into her cocoa, her hair falling into her face, focusing on the sienna color that it has changed to with the amount of firewhiskey that has been added. She is grateful for the tangles of curls that cover her face, she can feel his eyes on her.

Fingers push a chunk of hair out of her face, and she turns to him. "For someone who manages to charm everyone she meets, you're awfully quiet, Malfoy."

"Not a whole lot to say tonight."

"And yet you still manage to charm." he whispers so softly that she isn't sure if she heard him.

She chooses to ignore the comment. Instead she focuses on the warmth that is spreading through her body and the slight buzz that is going to her head. She feels Sirius's eyes on her, she quickly finishes her hot chocolate and slides off the counter.

"Thanks, Black. I really appreciate it." she says with a smile. Realizing that she really means it.

Sirius drops from the counter as well and gives her his own smile. "Anytime, love."

As she is about to walk out the door, he calls behind her "Let's do this again some time."

She turns around and smiles at him once again "Maybe under better circumstances."