A/N: Thanks for patiently waiting! Work is a lot, but I'm glad I took the time on this chapter, as I'm really happy with how it turned out. As usual, thank you so much to everyone who has been reading, favoriting, following and reviewing! I really hope you'll like this chapter!

1977 was over in a blink. It had been the most eventful year in Aurelia's life, for better or worse, and there was no simple way to summarize everything that had come to pass. She wondered if next year would be different, if it would be better – if perhaps it would be worse. She was probably being optimistic, hoping for things to get better when there was a war approaching; a war in which her closest family and friends were involved.

Aurelia spent New Year's Eve in the Room of Requirement with Regulus, arguing about Sirius – their second most recurring topic, second only to methods on destroying horcruxes. She was supposed to have spent the evening with the eldest Black-brother, because Merlin forbid those two put their differences aside for one night, but naturally, one couldn't simply spend New Year's Eve with Sirius without getting James Potter, too. And so, Aurelia Fawley stayed as far away from Gryffindor Tower as possible that evening.

"Out of the question! He's a complete twat, Fawley, and I don't see why you would even suggest that I should forgive him in the first place, when he won't even bloody apologize!" the boy exclaimed heatedly, falling back on the sofa and dragging his hands across his face.

"He is not! Sure, leaving you there was wrong, but that was years ago – you were both kids, Regulus. He's different now. He came back to Hogwarts so that I wouldn't have to spend Christmas alone," the blonde defended, taking a sip from her butterbeer before pulling her legs up under her chin where she sat on the opposite end of the sofa.

"That's because he has ulterior motives, Fawley. He's tryingto charm you, and clearly, seeing as you're taking his side, it's working."

"Oh please, Reg. What would you know about charming girls?"

"That is so far beside the point, you might need a map to find your way back to it."

"No but really, don't you have anywhere better to be tonight? I've seen the way you look at Nott…"

"Well, he isn't interested. Besides, I wouldn't leave you alone like that – I'm not my brother," the boy muttered bitterly and reached for his butterbeer on the table.

"Well, I'm perfectly capable of being alone, thank you very much. And if you'd rather be with your Ravenclaw bloke, you should," Aurelia dictated, grinning at her friend.

"And if you'd rather be with your Gryffindor bloke, you should," he shot back, eyebrows raised so high she was certain he was daring her.

"For the hundredth time! There is nothing going on between Sirius and I!"

"Who said anything about Sirius?" the boy grinned, clearly taking her assumption as evidence of his suspicions. Either way, he was profoundly fond of teasing her, especially about Sirius, and always took every opportunity of doing so.

"You know what, Reg? If you feel so terribly sorry for your brother for being deprived of my company, I'll just put you out of your misery and go comfort him. Is that what you want?"

"Ah yes, poor Sirius who has to endure living with those plain awful Potters and his upgrade of a brother. Poor Sirius, who'll never get to experience our mother's love again. Poor Sirius, who has never been graced with the pleasant company of the Dark Lord."

"Regulus, don't."

"Don't what? I'm tired of you always taking his side. He's a terrible brother, and I'm sure he won't make much of a friend either. But suit yourself. I'm going to bed."

Just like that, he was gone, and the odd pair had had their first argument since they first became friends. Aurelia hated it, she realized; Regulus being upset with her. Quite frankly, being friends with both Black-brothers was proving to be quite the challenge, and getting them to talk to each other seemed impossible. But she had to. While neither of them wanted to admit it, they were miserable, and they needed each other. They needed more than a broken Hufflepuff of a friend, who could only help them so much.

Regulus needed someone strong and brave, someone on the right side of the war, who could help him figure out a solution to his situation. And Sirius, well, Sirius needed someone to talk to. Someone who wasn't James. Someone who wasn't Aurelia.

And Aurelia… Aurelia needed them both, and she needed them to get along. She couldn't bear being torn between them, always feeling guilty for letting one of them down. And she couldn't bear being alone. Especially on New Year's Eve, knowing that all her Gryffindor friends were likely laughing together at another one of James & Sirius' pranks, or playing whiskey gobstones without her.

And so, the blonde left the room of requirement, slowly making her way up to the Gryffindor tower, sitting down on the cold stone floor next to the sleeping fat lady in the portrait. Surely there couldn't be a party going on in there if the portrait was asleep? Perhaps they were in the Shrieking Shack, or in James' common room.

Either way, it was quite the gamble, waiting there for whomever would find her first. Eventually, someone would come. Perhaps a prefect stuck with patrolling duty, or worse; Filch. Somehow, she was hoping that one of the boys would look at the map, see her, and put an end to her loneliness. She found herself desperately hoping it would be James. That he would waltz around the corner with his ridiculously confident grin and pull her up from the floor and into his arms.

"Are you alright?"

She was pulled back to reality, as a raven-haired boy sat down next to her, and she hadn't noticed the tears rolling down her cheeks until then. Silently, she wiped them off her cheeks, as the familiar scent of firewhiskey and muggle cigarettes calmed her senses.

"I had an argument with your brother," she replied, voice low but collected.

"What did that prat do this time?" Sirius inquired, not quite as calm at the mention of his brother.

"He was blaming you for all his problems."

"And you defended me? I'm honoured, Fawley. Although, I don't understand why you were spending time with him in the first place. Everyone knows that I'm the better, and far more handsome brother."

"Can we not do this now? I'm tired of being caught up in your childish row, and you should probably get back to your party before someone starts missing you."

"Is that why you're sitting here, outside the entrance to the Gryffindor common room? Because you don't want to see me?"

"You're right, it was stupid. I'll just go to bed," she mumbled, rubbing her eyes before getting back up on her feet.

"You will do no such thing. It's New Year's Eve, and I'm quite certain it's prohibited to go to bed before seeing the fireworks. Besides, there's a Pink Floyd record up there just waiting for you to hear it. I promise, no more talking about the lesser Black-brother," he smiled, flinging to his feet to intercept her path to the stairs.

"What about… the boys?" she asked hesitantly, not able to bring herself to say James' name. She couldn't bare facing him like this, she realized. Not accidentally, not if he didn't want to see her. Not if he didn't choose her.

"They're in the Heads' common room. They won't be back for long. And Prongs, he's got his own dorm now. Far more luxurious than ours. Don't worry about it, Fawley."

"I don't know, Sirius."

"Come on, Fawley. It's the best view in the castle, and it comes with complimentary firewhiskey."

"What fool could ever say no to complimentary firewhiskey?" she grinned, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Alright, but after the fireworks, I'm going back downstairs," she added determinedly.

"And I'll walk you," he promised, turning around to face the portrait and clear his throat to wake the fat lady up.

About an hour later, the sky lit up to the tones of Pink Floyd and the taste of Odgen's Olde Firewhiskey. And at that moment, Aurelia Fawley could not imagine a better way of spending the night. Not with Regulus in the room of requirement, not even with James, wherever he might be.

"Fawley?" the boy asked, hesitantly, after they had sat in silence for what seemed like forever, watching the colourful skies outside the window.

"Mhm?"

"Are you okay? Like, really?"

"I will be," she mumbled in response, not sure if she was trying to fool Sirius or herself. Perhaps it was both. Yet, in that moment, however bittersweet being in that dorm without James was, she honestly felt like she would be alright. There was a calm in her, being with him, a sense of being safe. Something she could only describe as home. Although it carried a different meaning than with James, different than with Reg, different than with her family. There was a kind of silence between them that was comfortable, one where you didn't have to speak to say what you meant. It was as though that feeling alone was what she had waited for all her life – without even knowing it.

"Good," the eighteen-year-old stated, stretching his arms over his head as he yawned, revealing a thin strip of butterscotch skin between his jumper and the rim of his trousers, that the blonde tried her hardest to ignore. His yawn was infectious, and soon she too was stretching, only to end up wrapping her robe tighter around herself that cold December - or was it January? – night.

"I should get going," she mumbled, turning her gaze to the floor as to keep it from gluing to him for too long.

"It's late, you should stay. It's not like you haven't slept here before. I'll just take the floor," he mumbled, softly, before transfiguring a jumper into a pillow and placing it on the floor next to his bed, as though it had already been decided.

"Don't be stupid, Sirius. I'm not taking your bed. I'll just go back to my dorm."

"Well, I can't let you walk all the way down there alone, and to be honest, I'm quite tired. You'd be doing me a favour, really."

"Fine," she conceded, getting into the bed that smelled like cigarettes, musk, and dog fur, certain that she would never be able to fall asleep, however relaxing those scents might be.

"Fawley?" a soft voice asked, from the darkness next to the bed.

"Yes?"

"Do you ever think of the war?"

"Every day," she quietly admitted into the night, her mind instantly wandering to Augustus and Lucius, to Regulus; hoping that they would be alright, pleading that they wouldn't lose themselves. She couldn't bear the thought of losing either of them, but the thought of losing them to the darkness - that was worse.

"Sometimes, I just feel so powerless. Like being here doesn't make any sense, you know? Studying divination, when I could be out there making a real difference," he confessed with a sigh, and she could hear him roll over on the floor.

"It's not in vain, Sirius. You're still learning. And I don't know what I'd do if you weren't here. Besides, you can make a real difference here, at Hogwarts. You could start by making things right with your brother."

"Clever."

"I'm serious!"

"No, I'm Sirius. You're-"

"I'm Aurelia, yes I know. But at least think about it, will you?"

"Whatever you say, Kitten."

"Goodnight, Sirius," the sixteen-year-old muttered, rolling her eyes at the new pet-name she innerly hoped would be forgotten by morning.

"Goodnight, Fawley."

Minutes later, a soft black dog leapt up into the bed and snuggled up beside her; its thick, black fur tickling against her arm.

"You are one sly dog, Snuffles. And you're only getting away with this because it's cold. Don't get any ideas."

Whenever a lone firework lit up the sky that night, the shaggy dog whimpered softly and crept closer to the pale girl under the covers, as she scratched his back rhythmically along with the all too befitting lyrics sounding from the record player:

You know that I care what happens to you.

And I know that you care for me, too.

So I don't feel alone,

or the weight of the stone.

Now that I've found somewhere safe,

to bury my bone.

And any fool knows a dog needs a home;

a shelter from pigs on the wing.

A/N: That's a wrap on Aurelia's first year being friends with the Marauders! (But don't worry, there's more to come).. What did you guys think? Is she going to manage in her attempts to get the Black-brothers to make up? And is James ever going to make things up to her? Who is Regulus' crush? And what is going on between Aurelia and Sirius? (PS: The song is 'Pigs on the wing part two', from Pink Floyd's album Animals - which Aurelia got Sirius for his eighteenth birthday).

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