"I had another dream last night, Sirius," Rose said calmly. They were sitting next to each other in Potions. Professor Slughorn had started them off, and they were now brewing a Tranquility Potion. Sirius' head twisted to face hers now. She shied away from him in embarrassment, but then knew that she had initiated the conversation, so that it must continue. She regretted it. But then she didn't.

"What happened?" His tone matched hers. His voice was low. She shivered.

"I was on a picnic with Ron and Harry. We were talking about someone writing something mean and horrid. It was fun." She paused for a moment. "I miss them."

Sirius stopped plucking jasmine petals. "Do you remember them?"

"Hardly. It's as if... they were only a dream." She couldn't help but laugh. "And they are! Except that they're not. And Hermione certainly isn't either. I feel homesick, but I don't even know what I'm missing."

There. She had said it. Homesick. Why was that word just so disagreeable? The simple action of thinking it made her stomach ache without hunger, and her limbs tremble without the cold. She had set the ball in motion now. There was no stopping.

"And then I think about my parents. They must be so worried right now, while I sit in a warm castle learning magic I already know technically, eating three meals a day with friends and enjoying myself. I- I guess I feel guilty too."

"There's no reason for you to feel guilty," Sirius stated instantly. Rose laughed.

"There isn't? Their lives are worry and fear that I inflicted, yet I feel not a fraction of their pain as I enjoy the privelege of education."

"But you aren't exactly indifferent to the situation," Sirius pointed out. Rose stumbled.

"Well- that's-"

"True? Rosie, you know that you are probably in as crazy a situation right now as they are. With these dreams of yours, and not knowing who you are or who your family is; that's probably just as bad as what they're going through. And even more, you are actually thinking of what they are experiencing right now. That's just... wow."

Rose smiled. "Thanks, Sirius. That really made me feel better. But..." she trailed off mischeviously. Sirius' eyes widened, and his limbs froze. Cautiously, and without looking at her, he responded.

"What?"

"Well, it's just that you have a nickname for me, but I don't have one for you."

"Oh, no. No one calls me Siri! I won't stand for it!" His fist collided with the table as if he meant serious buisness. Rose laughed at his strange outburst.

"I wasn't planning on calling you 'Siri'. But for my mercy, you must reveal the experience that has led you to cringe at this name."

Sirius scoffed unconvicingly, "There was no exper-"

"Yes there was! It's painfully obvious. So confess, or I shall be forced to brew Veritaserum and discover this secret among others at a later time." Her threat was not real, but she actually did intend to make some Veritaserum for practice... and any other personal needs that ever came alomg.

"Fine, fine. Well, my girlfriend-" He was interrupted by Rose, who in a loud and strange voice asked "You have a girlfriend?"

"Yes, but we're pretty off and on. She's sitting up in the very front row. Her name is Emmeline. See her? With the long black hair?"

Rose nodded. "Are you off or on right now?"

"Unfortunately, on. But that's not the point. Anyway, in fourth year when we first started dating, she was very into the cutesy boyfriend-girlfriend thing. She started calling me 'Siri'. It was my childhood nightmare relived. My aunt used to call me that, and in a very strangely affectionate manner. As if she were looking at something delicous. I hate being talked about as if I were food."

Rose giggled. "So- does she still call you 'Siri'?"

Sirius' face darkened and turned hard. "Yes."

Rose laughed again. "If you could see the look on your face!" She paused for a moment to laugh and then continued on in a more serious (ha ha) vein. She wanted to know more about this girlfriend who had been around for so many years.

"So, why aren't you sitting with her then, if you're on at the moment?"

"Because I wanted to sit with you," Sirius explained as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Yeah, but doesn't she have a problem with that?"

"Why should she?" Sirius asked dumbly.

Rose stared at him in disbelief. She spoke slowly now. "Well, most girls I know wouldn't want their boyfriend to sit with someone else. They would be jealous."

Sirius laughed. "I know what you mean now! Well, Emmeline and I, you must understand, aren't very conventional. Whenever there's a dance or what not, she counts on me as her date, and if she feels like a snog in a cupboard, then I'm there. To be perfectly honest, I haven't spoken with her since two months before school ended last year except for an owl in the summer she sent me to tell me how much she missed me." He scoffed at the end of his speech.

"So, why don't you just break up with her?"

"Why don't I? I like the way you think, Rosie. I just might after now. I mean, now that you-" he seemed to catch himself and redirect his conversation in the way he meant it, "well, now that you've kinda pointed out to me the worthlessness of the relationship, I might just, you know- break it off permanately."

Rose heard his stumble, and saw the expression on his face. She flushed. Does he like me? Or was it just a mistake that he said it like that? But why did he look that way then? Oh, he's just so confusing. Why can't Sirius be easier to read?

"You didn't see how worthless and non-existant the relationship was before I pointed it out?" she asked to cover her confusion.

"Well," he responded as he sliced the stem of an orchid, "it's complicated to explain. Remember, we were never conventional or, I expect, exclusive. I kind of knew it was never going anywhere, but then it was kind of a "for-the-heck-of-it" as the Americans would say."

"Weren't there other girls you liked though? Weren't there girls that liked you?" she asked. Sirius examined her face. Her eyes looked as though they dreaded the answer; her mouth curved in a frown that stated sadness. Thoughts raced through his mind. Why would she care if other girls like(d) him? Did she have feelings for him?

He answered now in a would-be casual voice if his expression did not betray him, "Well, yeah. A lot of girls fancied, or fancy me. But, I don't think they really like me. They like my hair." His grin was impish.

"Please tell me you don't do anything to it but wash and comb it," Rose mock-pleaded. Sirius laughed. She listened to it carefully. It was funny in itself. It was almost as if he were barking- it was not normal. It was unique. She liked it.

"I swear that I do nothing to it besides that. James has tried to do things to his hair before, but all attempts were a failure, so he now lives with it, and on occasion, makes it messier."

Rose laughed, (she had done much of that today) as she filled her flask for Professor Slughorn. When she returned to get her things, Emmeline was there whispering something into Sirius' ear. Rose held her breath in a jealous frenzy. That- that brazen -! She wouldn't even think names like that. Instead she whisked her bag onto her shoulder, and was about to say something to Sirius when she saw him pull away from the black-haired girl and shake his head. He picked up his own things and walked away from her and over to Rose. As they were walking out the door, Rose risked a glance at the raven beauty. She wished she hadn't. Her eyes were vicious and bitter, and her mouth was wide with shock. Apparently, she had been dumped before- but never for another girl! Her brows settled back into a serene state and her face became calm again. Emmeline glided back over to her desk, and picked up her own things. That was the last Rose saw of her the rest of the day.

She and Sirius walked in strange silence for awhile. They weren't awkward, but tension seperated them.

"We never came up with a nickname for you," Rose said softly. Sirius smiled at her.

"You could just call me Sirius," he suggested.

"No, that's what everyone calls you. Besides, you have a nickname for me, so I should have one for you. And don't worry, you're safe from being devoured by me," she joked. Sirius laughed, but Rose wasn't. Inside she had just wondered if he really was safe from being devoured by her.

"Well, there is something you could call me, even if my friends would kill me for allowing it."

"Then I won't call you that around them. What is it?"

"Padfoot."

"Oh, because you were named after Canis Major! And a dog has padded feet!" she exclaimed. He looked at her in wonder.

"How did you figure it out so quickly?"

"It's a curse. I figure everything out too quickly, and my tongue is too fast to let it out. I don't know how, but that's just how I am. It's strange. I know so many things, but I don't know who I am."

"You'll discover it some day. Dumbledore's helping you now, and if he doesn't figure it out, then I'll help you!"

"Really?" She seemed stunned. Sirius was her friend, (or maybe more than friend) but that was just incredibly generous.

"Of course! Why wouldn't I?"

"Well, it could take years!" Suddenly, a hard cold fact hit her. "It could take years," she whispered again.

"Don't cry! At least not here! I'll- let's skip dinner in the great hall. I'll take you somewhere else," Sirius pleaded with her. Tears were already sliding down her nose. She nodded as she dabbed at her face delicately with a handkerchief.

"But where else is there to go?" she asked in a watery voice. Sirius smiled at her widely.

"The Kitchens."

AN: Hey! Well, I wanted to clear something up. The reason that I named her Emmeline, (not Vance) was because the name means "rival". She's a rival to Rose/Hermione for Sirius, so I thought the name appropriate. Thanks for your dream suggestions!!! I'll definately use them! Thanks for all your support!!! I really appreciate all of you. You've made this story so far a great experience, and it's only gonna get better!!!