It was the first day of classes. I woke up and walked down to the Great Hall to have some breakfast. I hoped that after a few weeks at Hogwarts, I would begin to not look so sickly.

As I entered the Great Hall, I heard someone calling my name and turned to see Severus sitting towards the center of the long Slytherin table.

"Emmeline! Over here!" He called put his hand on the spot next to him. Zander Avery and Anthony Mulcibur were sitting across from him.

I took the seat next to Severus and the three of them were discussing something very quietly that I did not understand.

"He's going to be at the Hog's Head on our first Hogsmeade visit." Avery said.

Severus nodded. "Who does he want?"

"He wants the three of us and Lestrange. As of now." He said. "He's the one who knows. He wants us to recruit some others. Lestrange is working on Black and Rosier but he may need help to convince them." Avery then jerked his head towards me. "You could bring her, too."

Severus shook his head. "I'm not involving Em in this."

I gave him a questioning look. I wanted to know what the three of them were talking about.

"Don't worry." Severus whispered to me. "I'll talk to you about it later."

"Alright, well we need to be off Runes, Snape." Anthony said as he and Zander stood up.

Severus nodded and stood up also. "What do you have this morning?" He asked me.

"Transfiguration." I said.

"Alright. Well, I'll see you tonight."

"Bye Sev."

I sat alone and continued to finish my breakfast wondering what in the world my brother was involved in and knowing that it couldn't be good.

I noticed that a few feet away from me was Regulus Black, Evan Rosier, and Rabastan Lestrange. Abelinda Rookwood was sitting next to Regulus and across from Evan Rosier. I could here bits and pieces of their conversation.

"Come on, Abby. One date?" Evan asked.

She shook her head. "I'm not interested, Evan. I'm sorry." She said and got up to go sit with her friends.

Evan picked up a spoon to us it as a mirror. "It can't be my looks. She cannot possibly be rejecting me because I'm not handsome enough."

Regulus and Rabastan just exchanged looks and rolled their eyes. I couldn't help but smile a bit to myself and wish that I could be their friend.

I looked up at the large clock and realized that it was time for me to go to Transfiguration and I was going to be late.

I got up rather quickly and started rushing to try to get there on time. I was rushing down the hallway and I didn't notice Remus Lupin and Sirius Black picking up what had fallen out of Lupin's bag as the bottom had fallen out. The next thing I knew, I was on the ground and laying in a puddle of ink.

I could hear laughter surrounding me in the hallway just outside of the Transfiguration classroom.

"What in the world is going on out here?" I heard the voice of Professor McGonagall ask.

"Snape just fell in a puddle ink, Professor." Sirius said snickering.

I felt so embarrassed. I knew I was covered in black ink and I wanted to get up. I really did, but I just didn't have the strength and I was pretty sure I had sprained my ankle. There I was just laying in the middle of the hall, people laughing at me.

"All of you get to class." Professor McGonagall said and came over to me and cleaned up the ink with her wand. "Are you alright, Ms. Snape?"

I tried to get up, but I couldn't. My back hurt so bad from where my father had hit me just a week ago and the fall had just made it worse and then there was the matter of my ankle.

"I can't get up, Professor." I said fighting back tears.

"Mr. Lupin, come back here." She called. "Not you Mr. Black. Get to class."

I heard Lupin's footsteps coming towards me. "Do you have class, now Mr. Lupin?"

"No. I was just walking with Sirius to Runes on the way back to the Common Room." He said.

"Wonderful. You will accompany Ms. Snape to the Hospital Wing. I believe she has been injured quite badly." McGonagall said.

"Of course, Professor."

I groaned inwardly. I did not want one of them taking me up to the Hospital Wing so they could make fun of me later. However, I figured Lupin would be the best option of the four of them if I had no other choice.

"Professor, I can't miss class." I said quietly, still laying on the ground.

"Come and see me later this evening if you can and I'll catch you up." She said.

I nodded. "Thank you."

"Now off to the Hospital Wing with you." She said and went back into her classroom.

Lupin was now standing over me. "Can you get up?" he asked timidly.

"I don't know. I hurt my back." I said quietly. "And my ankle I think is sprained or something."

He nodded. "Okay give me your hand." He said and put his hand out in front of me.

I lifted my arm (which was quite painful from my other bruise) and put my hand in Lupin's. When our hands touched I felt some kind of energy rush through my body and I felt very warm.

Remus stretched out his hand to help Emmeline up. Emmeline put her tiny hand in his and he felt something. He wasn't quite sure what it was but he was almost positive she may have felt it, too as a light blush has risen in her typically very pale cheeks. She looked so helpless and so small, on the ground there. There was something tragically beautiful about Emmeline Snape with her pale skin and jet black hair, that currently was pulled into a tight plait, and her eyes- they were dark, almost black, but they were purple. Her eyes showed a girl who had dealt with a lot of pain in her life. And this was why Remus Lupin could never bring himself to taunt Emmeline Snape like his friends did.

He helped her sit up and figured that she probably couldn't walk.

"I think I'm going to have to carry you." He said and she nodded averting her eyes from his.

He picked her up off the ground and couldn't believe how light she was. She couldn't weigh more than 80 pounds and that probably was more than she weighed.

As Lupin picked me up, I tried my hardest to not look at him. I felt so weak and helpless and I was worried he was going to notice something, my bruises or my scars on my arms. I didn't want him to ask questions.

"Are you okay? I'm not hurting you am I?" He asked, kindly.

I shook my head. "No, I'm fine."

"You're very light." he said.

"Thank you?" I said not sure what he meant by that.

"I don't really know if that was a compliment either." He said chuckling a bit.

I gave him a small smile and looked at him. He had very warm honey-brown eyes and his light brown fell into them slightly. And I noticed he had a large scar above his right eye. I wondered if he had a secret like I did.

"Okay, well here we are." Lupin said as we walked into the Hospital Wing.

"Ms. Snape! Are you okay?" Madame Pomfrey asked as Lupin set me down on the bed.

"I just fell. I hurt my back and my ankle." I said praying that she wouldn't make me talk off any clothing to get a better look.

"You can go now, Mr. Lupin." She said turning to Remus. "Please remove your robe and sweater Ms. Snape so I can look at your back." She said turning back to me.

"Thanks." I mouthed to Lupin as he turned to walk away. After he had turned around I removed my robes. Thankfully Madame Pomfrey asked no questions.

Remus turned to look at back at her one last time as he walked out the door. She had removed her robes and sweater and was just in a tank top. He was horrified by what he saw. Her shoulders, upper back, and arms had dark, very dark, patches. She covered in bruises. He knew those had not come from the fall. Apparently he was right. Emmeline Snape had had pain in her life. Maybe she had a secret just like he did.