Chapter Three

I woke up the next morning and got dressed at lightening speed before rushing downstairs. To my surprise I wasn't the only one that had the idea. When I walked into the common room Remus Lupin was sitting in front of the fire looking very tired and very pale.

"Oh hello Remus. You're up early?"

"Hey Riley, I could say the same thing about you. What are you doing up and ready for the day at," he checked his watch, "wow six thirty in the morning. Damn is it really that early?"

"I guess so," I said taking a seat next to him and checking the cover on the book that he had open on the coffee table.

"Dangerous Beast and how to tame them? What are you and your friends planning, nothing dangerous I hope."

"Oh its nothing," Remus said shutting the book before I could see what beast he was reading up on. "The others aren't even involved I was just doing a little extra credit work for uh…Professor Kettleburn."

"Oh right, well I'm going down to breakfast. I'll talk to you later Remus." Remus waved me out of the portrait hole. He wasn't even taking Care of Magical Creatures.

I made a detour down to the library to see if I could find the same book that Remus was looking at but Madame Pince shut me down rudely and informed me that the only way I could take that book out was with a teacher written permission. The old bat was making things incredibly difficult for me and I left helter skelter before any of her questioning started.

When I entered the Great Hall the only one sitting at the Gryffindor table was Sirius. He looked like he had been up for a while and he was playing with his tea spoon with dirty hands. I walked over and took a seat next to him.

"Oh hey Riles, what are you doing awake?"

"Had a couple things to do before our first day started. And what about you? What's with all the dirt?"

"My first detention, weeding out the venomous tentacula. Look what one of those things did to me." He raised his left arm and drew his cloak back to reveal a nasty and painful looking bite.

"Yikes Sirius let me see that." He tried to pull it away but I grabbed his arm back and checked the open wound. I waved my wand and a bowl of murtlap essence appeared on the table. I dipped one of the white napkins in it and gently patted his wound.

"This should help a little bit," I said dipping the napkin into the bowl again and applying the ointment. "Did James go with you or did you get separate detentions?"

"We got this one together. McGonagall knows we are fighting so I think that's why she felt it safe to put us together."

"Do you guys really think it's worth it to fight because of Lily? A girl is a stupid reason to break apart a friendship."

"You saw how he chose her over me Riley," Sirius said pushing my hand away from his cut and standing up. "He's the one that's willing to choose her over me." And with a swish of his black cloak he turned his back to me and exited the Great Hall. I knew better then to chase him and my first thought was to confront James but I knew the only person that could fix this was Lily. And that was the first subject I brought up the minute her and Stacey joined me for breakfast.

"Riley I really don't know what you expected me to do," she said with frustration as she added sugar to her tea. She always got flustered when the conversation was aimed at James Potter.

"Well Lily," I said anger growing along with frustration, "James is madly enough in love with you to listen to you so why don't you use that your advantage. Sirius and James are ruining a perfectly good friendship because of you and if you want that on your conscience then be my guest and let them fight."

I stood up and stormed out of the Great Hall. I heard Stacey ask Lily what my problem was.

I raced down the hall and up a number of stairs before realizing that I was lost. Six years at Hogwarts had taught me hardly anything about where things were in the castle and my complete lack of a sense of direction didn't help either.

I turned a corner and slammed in Bellatrix Black, her boyfriend Rodolphus Lestrange, and her cousin and Sirius' brother, Regulus Black. Bellatrix had crazy curly hair and heavy lidded eyes. Rodolphus was pug like and as big as he was stupid. Regulus could have been handsome if he didn't always have such a stuck up expression on his face. He had Sirius eyes but there was no kindness behind the.

"Aw hello ickle Riley lost her way," Bellatrix said in a cold and amused voice.

I dropped my head and went to move around them but Regulus got in my way when I tried to go around him he moved to continue to block my path.

"Please just let me go I haven't done anything to you have I?"

"Poor poor Riley. You were quite a victim of the Dark Lord this summer weren't you?" Bellatrix said in her cold high voice. "Good thing you have my cousin Sirius here to comfort you. Regulus told us how distraught he was when he found out what happened."

"I think that's enough Bella," came a cold voice from behind me. Bellatrix looked up and gave an evil grin and I spun around and saw Sirius. I had never seen such hatred on his handsome face and when he walked toward us I saw his fists were clenched.

"Oh hello cousin. I was just telling your little girlfriend how upset you were after the Dark Lord had fun with her family."

"I said that's enough," Sirius shot back through clenched teeth. "C'mon Riley." Sirius grabbed my hand and dragged me back around the corner in the direction I had just come from.

"Are you ok Riley," he asked once we were finally back outside the Great Hall.

"Yeah I am. Thank you Sirius."

"If they give you trouble again let me know. I can't stand being related to people like that but if I can't change them I'm gunna stop them."

"Oh Sirius, Riley, there you two arm," Professor McGonagall said coming out of the Great Hall with schedules which she handed to us. "I'll see you in five minutes for you double Transfiguration period," she said sternly. "And I expect you both to be there on time." She walked away her heels echoing even after she was out of sight.

"Can you believe I actually missed this?" Sirius said looking over the rest of his schedule.

"Aw Sirius just think we still have almost four months until the Christmas holidays."