A/N: Hey everybody, me again. I know you all love that I update so frequently, but it's going to start slowing down soon, as I've started my spring semester of college and the workload is going to get heavy. But I'll try to update as frequently as possible.

Chapter Dedications: CrazyMuggleborn44, mekio777, JediFanPadawan, XxLaureexX, and a very special dedication and thirty house points to Kat-2324 who reviewed five chapters in her first reading. Thank you to everyone who reviewed, favourited and added me and/or my story to their alerts page.

Chapter Fourteen

On Tuesday morning, Rain walked into the common room to find a very excited Regulus standing outside the passage to the girls' dormitories.

"Rain!" he blurted. "You won't believe this!"

"You made the team?" she asked.

"You bet I did," he replied with much enthusiasm as the headed up to the Great Hall for breakfast.

"Awesome! What position?"

"Seeker! Can you believe it, Rain? I'm Slytherin's Seeker!"

"Brilliant!"

"Do you fly at all?"

"Not really," said Rain sadly. "I just had a lesson with the first years yesterday. It was rubbish, so James Potter is going to teach me."

"Oh... Potter..." Regulus seemed disappointed.

"I would have asked you to teach me," said Rain. "But what with classes and stuff, and I didn't want to damage your reputation by hanging around a Muggleborn, and now you've got Quidditch practice to deal with..."

"I could manage it," he still seemed dejected.

"Tell you what," said Rain. "James and you can trade off, teaching me some stuff each. Maybe you could even teach me how to play Quidditch."

"I could do that!" said Regulus, brightening.

They arrived at the Great Hall, and stood just inside, torn.

"Hey, Rain?" Regulus asked.

"Yeah?"

"D'you wanna eat lunch with me? You know, instead of sitting at the Gryffindor table?"

"Umm, I dunno, Regulus," said Rain. "I'd love to sit with you, it's just, the rest of the house—"

"Are gits," Regulus interrupted. "Just sit with me, please?"

Rain looked warily at the Slytherin table.

"Alright," she said, and it was worth it just to see the smile light up Regulus' face. "But I'm having breakfast with the Gryffindors."

"Fair enough," he said. "I'll see you at lunch."

"I suppose I will."

Rain watched Regulus walk to the Slytherin table and wondered what on Earth just happened. Shaking her head to clear it, she walked over to the Gryffindor table.

"Hey, Rain," said James. "What was that all about?"

"What was what all about?" she asked, sitting down and grabbing a bagel.

"You and Regulus looked pretty cozy," he commented nonchalantly.

Sirius choked on his eggs. "What?" he spluttered.

"It was nothing," said Rain, turning red. "He just asked me to sit with him at lunch today."

"He obviously likes you," said Remus.

"When did this happen?" Sirius asked in bewilderment.

"Honestly, I don't know," said Rain. "I've only known him since Friday."

"That's how Prongs was with Evans our first year," said Remus.

"Love at first sight," said Peter with a mock doe-eyed expression, causing Remus to snort into his porridge.

"I don't think that's it," said Rain. "He just needed someone to help him in Charms and everyone else apparently has something better to do. He also offered to help teach me how to fly," she added looking at James.

"I thought I was going to teach you," he asked, affronted.

"Yeah, but you also promised to teach me how to cast a Patronus as well. I don't want to swamp you."

"It sounds like you're swamping yourself," commented Remus. "You've got tutoring with me and Evans twice a week, you tutor Regulus twice a week, now you're taking on Patronus lessons and flying lessons, too? That on top of catch up work and homework, don't forget Astronomy that you have at midnight once a week."

"I'll figure it all out," said Rain. "And I'll still get eight hours of sleep a night. I'll bet by Christmas, things won't be this hectic."

0-0-0

After Herbology, Rain quickly washed up and went to the Great Hall for lunch. She was very nervous about sitting with the other Slytherins today, as she hadn't done that since the Start of Term Feast and hadn't received a very welcoming reception. Hopefully it will be different this time.

As she walked in, Rain could see the other Marauders looking at her expectantly from the Gryffindor table. She looked to her left and saw Regulus sitting at the Slytherin table, with a slight smile on his face. Rain looked back at the Gryffindor table. Sirius was now scowling at his brother. She frowned, why did Regulus deserve that? She looked back at the Slytherin table, and Regulus now looked sad, staring at his food.

Rain sighed. Someone who had a smile as beautiful as his should never be sad, it was almost a crime. She took a deep breath and walked purposefully over to the seat next to Regulus. Rain could feel the eyes of the Marauders on her as she walked but she was determined not to look at their shocked faces.

"Is this seat taken?" Rain asked Regulus.

He looked up and beamed. Rain couldn't help but smile in return.

"Not at all," he said. "Go ahead. I thought you might have changed your mind."

Rain sat down and didn't even notice the angry glares sent her way from the other Slytherins.

"No, I promised I would sit with you today, so here I am."

There was an awkward silence for a little bit as they started eating.

"Aren't you afraid I'll ruin your reputation," Rain said finally.

"How?" Regulus asked, confused.

"Excessive company with a 'Mudblood'," she stated sarcastically. She was pleased to see him wrinkle his nose in distaste at the last word.

"Blood used to matter to me," he said slowly, carefully choosing his words. "But that was before I met you. You made me realize that anyone can be a good wizard or witch, no matter who their parents are. I mean, you're brilliant at Charms, and me... well, I'm rubbish. Blood has nothing to do with it."

Rain beamed, and she would have hugged him if she didn't think it would be awkward.

They spent the rest of the lunch hour just chatting about anything they could think of. Classes, Quidditch, and the upcoming Hogsmead trip. It was very nice, sitting there with Regulus, even the other Slytherins finally stopped glaring at Rain. It was nice to have a friend in the same house as her.

That afternoon, Rain joined Remus and Lily in the library for tutoring. About an hour in, James and Sirius showed up, interrupting Rain's Herbology catch-up.

"What do you want, Potter?" Lily said in irritation.

"We're here to help Rain with her studying," James said proudly.

Lily stared at him in disbelief. "Since when do you know something that Remus and I don't? I think Rainnina is just fine with two tutors. Four is far too many."

"I'm sorry, Evans," said James. "But I seem to recall that Sirius and I, both got better grades than you in Defense Against the Dark Arts."

Lily scowled. "By hardly a point, Potter. Besides, Remus is just as good, if not better, than the both of you in that class. We don't need any help. Now go away."

"But can you cast a Patronus?" James asked smugly, not going away.

Lily gaped.

"Didn't think so," he said smirking.

"Go away, Potter," Lily said again, heating up.

"Please, Evans," said Sirius, eyes wide. "We promised Rain we would teach her how to cast a Patronus."

Lily looked at Rain who looked back pleadingly. "Oh alright," she relented.

"Yay!" Rain cried happily.

Lily sighed, packed up her books and left, nose in the air.

All the Marauders, minus Peter, who was getting an early start on dinner, went out to the courtyard for Rain's Patronus lesson.

"Okay, Rain," said Sirius. "First thing's first, you have to think of a very happy memory, and just let it fill you up."

"Right," said James. "And just say the incantation, Expecto Patronum."

"It's not a very easy spell to master," said Remus. "And it's even more difficult to cast it against a Dementor."

"What's a Dementor?" Rain asked.

"Don't worry about that right now," said James. "We'll tell you later, just pick a really happy memory and concentrate on it."

"And when you have it, cast the spell," said Sirius.

Rain nodded. Closing her eyes, she thought back to her happiest memories and tried to come up with a good one. She remembered going to primary school in Canada, her friends there, how simple life was then, when she and her classmates took a field trip to a sledding park in the winter, the thrill of flying down that hill on her sled. Yeah that was a good one.

She let the memory fill her up and flicked the end of her wand. "Expecto Patronum!" she said forcefully, opening her eyes.

The Marauders gasped when they saw a burst of white light come out of the wand tip, but it was gone in seconds.

"Awe," said Rain, disappointed. "I almost had it."

"It's alright," said Sirius. "That usually happens the first try."

"Yeah, you'll get it, just keep trying," said James.

For the next half hour, Rain practiced, trying to produce a Patronus, but to no avail. By the time they called it quits, she had only managed to produce a small wisp of white light, and by the end, nothing at all. She had gotten so frustrated with the spell, that she could no longer think of a happy memory. It was then that Remus declared that he was hungry.

They sat down at the Gryffindor table next to Peter, who looked up as they entered.

"How did it go?" he asked as they sat down.

James and Sirius shook their heads to silence him, but Rain already heard the question.

"I couldn't do it," she muttered.

"That's alright," Peter said. "It's a hard spell, and you're brilliant at Charms, you'll get it in no time, I'm sure."

Rain smiled. "Thanks, Peter."

After that, conversation grew light. Rain kept glancing up from her food to look across the Great Hall at Regulus, who would catch her eye and smile. Once, when Rain smiled back and blushed a little, James noticed.

"What're you looking at, Rain?" he asked, glancing behind him.

"I think the question should be 'Who are you looking at'," corrected Remus. "Regulus has been staring at her non stop for the last twenty minutes."

Sirius suddenly snapped around to look at his brother, who hastily looked back down at his food. Sirius stared at Rain in disbelief.

"Do you fancy my brother?" he asked in total shock. The other Marauders looked at Rain with avid curiosity.

"No!" she said a little too quickly. Sirius raised an eyebrow. "I mean... I dunno..."

"It's okay if you do," he said. "It's just a little surprising."

"Why is it surprising? He's a nice boy," she said.

"Well he's usually spoon fed, mother's ideals, and if he fancies you back, then she would call him a blood traitor."

"But he said blood doesn't matter to him, that he'll be my friend anyway."

"Well, good for him," Sirius said proudly. "He has his own brains after all."

"Does that mean you'll start talking to him again," Rain asked happily.

"I might at that," said Sirius.

A/N: Keep up the reviews people, just keep 'em coming, I love it! R&R!