Disclaimer: Unfortunately, it still is not mine.

A few notes:

Firstly, I'm sorry for taking my dear time again...

Secondly, I apologise greatly for my sinful use of metaphor(s) and just the english language in general (you will understand this after the second paragraph.)

I'm a little disheartened by the lack of reviews (a.k.a, no reviews) But I suppose I deserve it for my lack of updateness. :( anywho, I'd lurrvvvve if you guys could spare a review for this chapter? I promise I'll update faster if I get a lot of reviews (really!)

Also, this is probably the only really important part of this author's note. I'm making this be a post HBP fic, sooo there will be spoilers. You've been warned.

Anywho, to the story... finally...

Alanna finally stepped into the shower, closing her eyes as she savored the lulling effect of the hot water. She had looked at the clock moments before and deducted that she could enjoy a short shower before going off to dinner.

What will I do when I get there? Suddenly the gravity of the situation hit her harder than a flying brick. Where are my parents and Dan? Oh God, what if they aren't around now... they must be... young, if they are. And Dan isn't born yet... Oh my God. I still have no family. And now I'm not going to see Dan ever again either. What am I doing here? She finished washing up, changed into her new clothes, and looked in the mirror as she brushed her dark shoulder length hair.

A few minutes later Alanna was making her way down several staircases. It didn't take long for her to figure out that she was dreadfully lost.

---

James, Sirius, Remus and Peter were ambling down the hallway, on their way to lunch from Transfiguration. They were laughing at something stupid that Peter had just said. Suddenly James stopped dead, causing Peter, who was still hysterical (though he hadn't the foggiest idea of what exactly they were laughing at), to run into him.

Sirius only laughed harder, "Prongs, mate, what are you doing?"

Slowly, a smile grew on James' face. "I've had an epiphany."

Sirius snorted and Remus rolled his eyes. "Oh?"

"Well.." He pulled the map out of his pocked and looked around before muttering, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good." As the map appeared before him, he said to the others. "Just a pre-dinner prank for dear snivelly. Where is that git..."

The three other marauders had gathered around him so as to get an equal look at the map. After a moment, Remus pointed. "There he is. Third floor, near the Charms classroom... who's that he's with? Your dear brother, Sirius, and... Alanna Reese? Is that another Slytherin?"

James shrugged. "Proba-- wait a second. Alanna Reese? She's that new Gryffindor in our year! Let's go before those slimy gits corrupt her..."

---

Alanna was still wandering around aimlessly when she heard a silky voice from behind her. "Oi, mudblood."

She breathed in sharply and spun around. "wh-who are you?" She was trying to regain her composure, and put her hand in her pocket to make sure that her wand was there, even though she couldn't use it. The boy stepped from the shadows, and another boy came from behind him. The first boy was a few inches taller than the second. He had greasy black hair that fell limply around his sallow face, but failed to cover his hooked nose. Behind him was a rather handsome boy with dark hair and eyes. They both wore Slytherin robes and pretentious smirks.

"So you're the new mudblood Potter's on about? How pathetic."

"Snape?" Alanna whispered in an undertone, and promptly bit her lip.

"What did you say?"

Alanna recovered quickly this time. "I said, you're lame. You don't scare me, ass hole." Actually, she thought, that comeback was lame... And after the Half Blood Prince, you might scare me a little...

Snape's hand flew to his pocket. He pointed his wand at Alanna and before she knew it she was flying backward until her head collided with the stone wall with a crack. She gasped for air for a moment, having had the wind knocked out of her, and groaning, put her hand on the back of her head to feel sticky blood.

She whipped her wand out of her pocket, hoping to heaven that she could use it, when the boy behind Snape put his hand on the older boy's shoulder. "Severus, forget about her. Do you really care that a mudblood called you an ass hole? I wouldn't even acknowledge her. Let's go."

Snape stayed frozen for a moment before pocketing his wand. He turned on his heel and strode purposefully away. The other boy lingered for a moment before following his friend. Alanna had half a mind to tear after them and seek vengeance, but her painfully throbbing head, dizziness and common sense told her that wasn't the most clever idea.

Instead she put her wand back in her pocket and sat down for a moment, closing her eyes. She took a few steadying breaths and stood up. I'm certainly not going that way, she thought, and began walking in the opposite direction that the two Slytherins had dissapeared to.

She hadn't been walking for long when she ran into the marauders. She looked to the floor and tried to pretend she didn't see them, but they saw her.

"Hey, Alanna!" James and who Alanna could only assume were the three other marauders were walking up to her. "These are my friends, Remus, Peter and Sirius," He motioned to each boy in turn, but Alanna didn't need an introduction, she knew who they were immediately. Wow, Sirius is hot She shook her head.

"Hi...er... nice to meet you guys..." Oh my gosh, they're all dead. All except Remus... How can I make friends with them knowing their fate?

"Pleasure to meet you, fair lady," Sirius said with an extravagent bow.

Remus knocked him on the top of the head. "Excuse him," he added in an undertone, "His mum dropped him as a baby, poor dear, I'm afraid he's never been quite right since then."

Alanna grinned, and sirius huffed, "You know, Remus, when my mum dropped me, I didn't lose my sense of hearing."

"Yeah," James added with a lop-sided grin, "It's sharp as a dog's, eh?" The Marauders all laughed (Peter a hair later than the rest) and Alanna bit her lip to hide a smile, having understood what James had meant by that comment.

"Soooo," James said in a failedattempt to be nonchalant. "Did you, er, perhaps, bump into our dear friend snivellus?"

Alanna blinked, her headache suddenly seared again, as if being brought on by the mention of Snape.

"Errrrrrr... I dunno," She said, remembering to play dumb. "Is he that right foul greasy-haired, hook nosed git I had the displeasure to meet a few moments ago?" She inquired, suddenly remembering her anger from before.

"Sounds like a fair accurate description," Sirius said with a slight smile. James nodded fervently and Peter's eyes widened as he supressed a girlish giggle.

Remus, however,furrowedhis brow in concern. "Did he do something to you?"

Alanna made a face and sighed, shaking her head and simultaneously causing a pang of sharp pain to shoot up the back of her head. "No, not really..."

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "Not really? What'd he do? We'll blast him to bits."

"No, I started it, really. I called him an ass hole and he just sort of cursed me is all. Oh yeah, and called me a mudblood," At the last moment, she remembered to add, "What's that?"

Sirius growled and James and Remus looked furious. "It means someone who's blood isn't purely magical. Not that his his. Don't listen to him, he's a complete arse. He cursed you?How? What'd he say? What'd it do?"

Alanna laughed, she felt like she knew these guys forever. "It was nothing, I just sort of flew back. I'm all right though... but, I could definately use some food. Do you guys know where the Great Hall is?" She blushed, "Well, I mean, of course you know where it is, what I mean is--"

"I thought you'd never ask!" Sirius grinned and began to flounce in the direction that she'd come from.

Again, sorry it took forever, but it's kinda longer than usual! And to those who read it before it was taken down, I know I've totally changed the plot... it's not completely changed later though.

you know what would be uber cool? You see that little 'review' button? Go press it and say something! I don't care if you just say, "hello!" or "Muffin," or you actually give me a review... (though the latter would be nice) :)