I watch as the sun slowly beings to climb above the trees of the forest. Sirius is still sleeping, but he was sleeping better now than he was at around two, when he started to twitch and freak out in his sleep and had to be calmed down. I bite my lip and settle into the chair a little better. Pomfrey had transfigured it into an armchair for me. As I lean back, my mind races through my state of being to find that everything is fine, except I can tell my magic core is really worn out from repeatedly disconnecting Orion from Sirius throughout the night.

Some sounds of movement alert me of Pomfrey's being awake and mobile. When she nears, I can see the disapproval in her eyes.

I smile, "It was either I stay up and keep him comfortable or go to sleep and allow Orion to connect with him again. I don't think that any of us want that."

"True. We may not want that, but I also do not need to bring you into care because you are depriving yourself of sleep."

I shrug, "I'm used to it."

Pomfrey frowns before gathering the potions bottles that she needs and setting them next to Sirius's bed.

"Should he wake, he's to take those right away."

Nodding, I turn back to watch him and frown when I see tension in his neck. I reconnect with the mark and can feel Orion trying to tap in again.

'Oh for fucking sake. Enough of this!' I think before grabbing onto Orion's signature and sending him my own personal message.

"Leave him alone you bloody bastard," I mutter, "Because if you don't. I will hurt you."

Slowly, Orion leaves. Checking again, I try to set up a simple ward, but cannot tell if it is going to take. I let go and sigh, wondering if Sirius will ever be free from his family. His cousin Andromeda had left the family and been disowned because she married Ted Tonks, a muggle born Hufflepuff she'd been dating on the sly for the past five years.

The door of the hospital wing opens, bringing me from my thoughts. Dumbledore comes walking in, his eyes worried and heads directly to Madam Pomfrey's office. I sit up and watch them exit the office and head in this direction.

"Has he woken up?" she asks.

I shake my head, "No. There was a close call, but it was stopped."

"Close call? Orion Black tried to attack again?"

I nod.

Dumbledore frowns and turns to face me, "Is there a way to prove that this was them?"

"Not that I know of. Granted, Orion was using the connection to hurt him, but it can't be proven in court, and Orion knows that," I sigh, "And add in that Sirius has quite the temper and has been quite vocal about hating his parents, it could be said that the other injuries caused by Orion were while defending against Sirius. It's crap, I know, but that's the way the wizarding world runs with old laws."

Dumbledore nods, a frown on his face and the usual twinkle severely dimmed. The headmaster nods to me and leaves. Pomfrey watches for a few minutes before going about her rounds.

~+~ Sirius's POV ~+~

It worries me at first, when all I see is black and I can't move my body. That's when I smell the indescribable, yet unmistakable smell of the Hospital wing. Going over events in my head, I can't figure out how I ended up here. Last I remember is collapsing on the tower with Ann worrying about something or another. She must have found someone to help. Deciding that I should alert the people who can't keep their voices down, I give a groan as I open my eyes, the light of the torches rather brighter than they normally are.

"Great! You're awake!" Remus says.

James smirks at him, "It's either that or he's sleep walking."

"Last I checked that was you. And only to try and get into the girls dorm."

"I do not!"

Remus grins and raises an eyebrow, "Feel like betting on that?"

"Guys…shut up." I groan, my throat sore. I feel around to the right, my hand coming into contact with various potions. By this time, I've learned to just take the potions given to me by Madam Pomfrey and not doubt her. So I grab each bottle and drink the potion before sitting up and looking at the guys. They look slightly worried as they watch me. "What? Have I sprouted antlers or something?"

James shakes his head, smirking slightly at the thought, "No, you've just been through hell, that's all."

Giving a slight chuckle, I shake my head, "Please, it wasn't that bad."

Remus frowns, "What happened? How did you end up so injured?"

"Mum and dad weren't so happy that I was trying to take their darling Regulus away from them," I shrug, "It's no big deal."

"If it's no big deal, then why did Ann stay here all night watching over you?"

"Ann was here?"

"Is here," James says, nodding to my right. I turn my head and find that Ann is curled up in a recliner with a blanket on top of her. There are shadows under her eyes, but she looks like she's completely out of it. It's odd that she would be so completely asleep because she's normally such a light sleeper that any noise around her will wake her up.

"Why-?"

Madam Pomfrey comes bustling in, "Good, you took your potions without complaint for once. Mister Lupin, Mister Potter, why didn't one of you alert me that Mister Black is awake?"

"I'm sorry Madam Pomfrey, we were excited that he was awake, but we were also alerting him about the potions that he had to take as well as information for what was going on," Remus says, "We were just about to alert you when you came walking out."

Pomfrey frowns, but gives a nod, "Mister Black, be honest, how are you feeling?"

"Overall? Like someone decided to allow a rogue hippogriff run me over. After a dragon used me as a chew toy that is," I say, "I can tell that nothing's broken, thank you for that by the way, but I also know that I'm pretty much magically exhausted right now."

"I expected as much. I should alert you that you have been through quite the ordeal. Other than the various injuries that you had last night, you were put under the Cruciartus curse multiple times last night," the Nurse says, "I want to ask if you know about something called the familiae mark?"

I nod.

"We, Miss Grimwood and myself, found this mark on your back last night. It is through this that Miss Grimwood believes that you were being attacked. I am not sure exactly what she did, but I know that she managed to keep you from being attacked once we found out what happened. Other than that, you have had bones broken, various cuts and burns, some internal injuries, along with various hex and curse damage," Pomfrey looks at me over her glasses, "You are quite lucky to be alive."

"Do you know how I got in here?" I ask.

Pomfrey glances at Ann, "I think that is something you need to ask her when she wakes. You should be getting some sleep yourself."

Grumbling, I take the sleeping potion that she thrusts at me and am asleep within moments.

Regulus looks at me with a sneer similar to one that father wears after I've done something wrong. I try to call out to him, and ask what's wrong, but he ends up shaking his head at me. Walking toward me, I notice that he's wearing dress robes with the Black family crest on them. He is carrying himself like before he came to Hogwarts, the same way that I did before talking more with Andromeda and Uncle Alphard.

"You left me. See what you've done? Now that you're gone I have no choice but to follow the family. I didn't get a chance, because you didn't give me one. It's all your fault."

Shooting up in bed, I glance around noticing that it's the middle of the night, and that light from the moon is shining through the windows. Calming my breathing down, I close my eyes and ignore the dread that Regulus really will turn into a mini copy of the family with me gone. It had been hard to get Regulus to see that even though we're in two different houses that I didn't care. It was harder for me to make myself not care. It doesn't help that I still think of him as my little brother that needs my protection. Now, I don't know if he'll end up crumbling to our parent's will.

"It's good to see you awake and not thrashing around on a bed."

I jump at the sound of Ann's voice, not thinking that anyone else was awake, "Merlin! Don't do that to me!"

She chuckles, "Terribly sorry."

"No you're not."

"Of course not. So, why did your father decide that it was a good idea to try and kill his heir?"

"I don't know, but I doubt that I'm the heir anymore."

"You have a familiae mark on your shoulder, I highly doubt that you are no longer the heir. After all, the Head only gives that mark once, and only to the heir of the family. This means that your mother could blast you off the family tree as much as she wants, but you'll still be in the family," Ann says.

"I keep forgetting that you know so much about the functions of pureblood society."

"It's a habit."

I give a short laugh, "So, are you going to tell me how I ended up here?"

"You flew to Hogwarts, remember?"

"I mean, how did I get to the Hospital wing?"

Ann sighs, "You were pretty much out of it. Kept saying that you left Regulus. I knew you were injured, but I didn't know how bad, and definitely didn't know how any magic would work with or against any of your injuries. I know that a lot of curses become more volatile when exposed to any spell that would help carry an injured person. So I carried you as best as I could."

I stare at her, my mouth hanging open, "You did what?"

"You heard me!" She snaps.

"Sorry! But it's hard to believe that you could carry me. I'm no feather you know."

"Yes, I'm well aware," she drawls, "However, you'd do the same thing if our roles were reversed."

I nod.

"You never did answer my question. Why was Orion so hell bent on completely destroying you?"

I shrug, and wince at the pain the movement causes, "I'd gotten tired of it. Dad hit me, which is the first time that either of them had ever laid a hand on us. I know it's probably irrational, but at that moment, I knew that no matter what I couldn't stay there. I tried to get Regulus to follow me, but by the time the two of us were about to get away, they had us. One of them charmed Reg's feet so that he couldn't move. Both of us tried to get it so that he could move, but nothing happened. Mum and Dad had decided that enough was enough and attacked. After a while, I had to leave. I knew that they weren't attacking Regulus, they were going after me. So I did the only thing I could think of and took off. Regulus was shouting for me not to leave him, and I did."

Ann sighs and places a hand on mine, "You did what you could. So long as you talk to Regulus the moment he steps foot in the castle, he'll understand. Just be sure to spend time where it's just the two of you, that way he doesn't get jealous of James."

"Why would he get jealous of James?"

"Well, you've never been, what's the word? Umm…subtle about how much you feel James is your brother. And as much as we all understand it, I think that Regulus gets confused and kind of envious once in a while. Unlike Regulus, James is in the same House as you, and you two spend so much time together. It makes sense," Ann says, "Just don't forget that your little brother wants some of your attention too."

I nod, and she squeezes my hand before letting go and snuggling back into the blanket.

"Go back to sleep, I can tell you're still tired," Ann says, "I'll keep watch Pads."

~*~ Ann's POV ~*~

Walking into the Great Hall I sigh. Ever since he came back from Grimmauld Place, Sirius hasn't been himself. It's understandable, after all he went through, for him to change. But I'd never thought that I would have to see his eyes dim in guilt and pain like they do so often now. I don't know what to do for him, nor do James or Remus.

I glance at the sky, frowning at the clouds. I was hoping to watch the stars without worrying about getting cold, but apparently Mother Nature has other ideas. Frowning, I glance around the room. I definitely don't want to go back to the common room. I close the door of the Great Hall so it's open just a crack before pulling out my wand.

I use a spell on the windows of the hall, causing the room to darken even more before putting my wand away. I've been practicing casting my wolves without a wand along with a couple of other spells, nothing that would be useful really, just some really flashy magic that looks cool.

Casting the charm for my wolves, they appear one by one, running through the hall and playing. I smile before concentrating. Holding out my hand, I conjure some multi-colored balls of light. After juggling them for a while, I throw them at the wall where they burst, decorating the wall in color and allowing me to control some of the colors, turning them into streams that fly through the air, twisting together and apart.

Throwing that spell off so it runs on its own, I then use a spell similar to the one I use for my wolves and conjure several birds. Birds of blue, red, yellow, green, orange and purple fly through the air, sparkly spell debris falling from their wings. I then start to create orbs of small colored lights, allowing them to float and fly around like lightning bugs.

At first, I giggle, and then it turns into full laughter. This is the kind of magic that I love to do. It may not actually do much, but it is fun and it's colorful. Smiling, I run with the wolves, jumping up and over the tables, or even along them, all the while creating more things to brighten the room. When I get tired of running, I sit on one of the tables and watch it all.

"You know, when I heard that you were going to find Sirius, I expected you to be coming into the Commons with him."

I smile, "Hey Remus."

"I thought Madam Pomfrey said not to use too much magic before school started again?"

"Yeah, but it's getting easier!" I say, excited, "Watch!"

Remus sits on the table next to me and watches as I create a dark purple shining box. When he looks like he's going to interrupt, I shake my head and nod for him to keep watching. Slowly, I open the box. Inside lie a whole bunch of small white lights. I pick up a few before giving them a gentle push to the ceiling. As they rise, they intertwine with the little fireflies floating around. Upon reaching the ceiling though, the lights take positions as the constellations before swirling around in different arrays of patterns and images. Yet, they always return to the positions of the stars before going to the next. I then break apart the box and it transforms into more beams of lights, and roams the room.

"You have gotten good at this," Remus smiles, "Hard to believe that you've been practicing this since your third year."

I shrug, "I knew all the other spells already. It was managing to get them wandless, and then to get them wandless and wordless that was the bugger."

Sighing with a smile, I feel the effects of using so much energy and rest my head on Remus's shoulder. He gives a light chuckle and places his arm around me. We watch as the spells keep working and intertwining as they slowly start to die. When the last star falls from the sky, we stand and slowly head toward the tower, me leaning on him rather heavily.

"So," Remus says as we hit the fifth floor, "Did you learn your lesson?"

"What lesson?"

"The lesson from what you pulled in the Great Hall just now."

I smile, "Yeah, practice wandless magic closer to the tower."

He sighs, shaking his head, "We'll never make it to the tower with you like this."

"So go on ahead. I'll get there in my own time."

"Don't think so Grimwood."

I puzzle over this statement for a moment before I feel my feet rushing away from the floor and my body turning so I'm horizontal rather than vertical. I look at Remus with wide eyes and he chuckles.

"You're bloody lucky I'm so tired," I mutter, placing my head against his shoulder and relaxing. "I hate being picked up and carried."

"I know, but this is easier than trying to convince you. After all, you have quite the thick head," Remus says.

"You know you love it," I murmur, my eyes slowly closing and a smile on my lips. Remus gives a chuckle and starts humming, lulling me into sleep.