A/N this chapter isn't as good as I would like, but oh well. Btw, I know that Regulus is actually in his third year right now, but I'm bumping him up a year for my own purposes. Ta!

Adell nervelessly boarded the Hogwarts express. Keeping her head firmly down, she lugged her trunk into the train, trying to keep an eye out for an empty compartment. After what happened yesterday, she was really... confused. She had no idea what that was about. Snape wasn't supposed to care about anyone but himself. But he had helped her... why? Her head was spinning with unanswered questions. It was making her a bit dizzy. So she just wanted to sit. Sit and think. She only had herself. No owl or a cat, (her parents didn't think it was necessary,) and she definitely didn't have friends.

She planned on spending the train ride alone. Not that she minded. When she wasn't alone, it just led to being ignored or awkward silences. It really killed the conversation when she tried to explain to someone that,

"No, I'm in Slytherin... No, I'm in your year... I actually have three classes with you." But it didn't really matter. Suddenly Adell heard someone call her name. She looked up.

"Yeah, you. Adell, right?" she nodded wordlessly. It was Regulus Black; the well known Slytherin Seeker and the Black's youngest son. He was quite popular, and talking to her. Adell Sanctamonia, the little known transfigure-idiot and the doormat of the Marauders. What the hell was happening to reality as she knew it?

Regulus was outside a compartment, leaning on the edge of the door with ease and a devilishly handsome smile. Adell gulped. She didn't know what Regulus really thought about her, you know, if he actually thought about her at all. He was Sirius's brother, but it was well known that they didn't get along... at all. But still, where did they stand? Was he angry that she was on the Marauder hit list? Or pleased? Regulus's look softened a little.

"You can sit with us if you want." He said. Adell froze like a deer in the head lights before nodding slowly like a shy four year old, and dragging her trunk over to the sliding door. He gestured for her to go first and she stepped inside the well-lit compartment. In it, she found a few other Slytherins. Miranda Hathaway and Nathaniel Zambini. She froze up a bit. What in Merlin's name was she going to say to them? They all stared at her expectantly. She suddenly felt Regulus's presence behind her.

"Everyone, this is Adell. Adell, this is everyone." She tried her best to smile. But it was hard going. Mirada beamed at her.

"Of course we know who this is! Didn't the marauders hex you last night?" Adell blushed.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure it was her." Nathaniel Zambini spoke up. He had dark skin and slanted eyes. Regulus gently ushered her to sit next to Zambini. She sat, still wondering why she was aloud to sit with them. Nathaniel continued. "That must have been one nasty jinx. Painful, as well." Adell finally found her voice.

"I do believe it was actually a potion they found a way to slip me. They've done it before."

"Oh yeah!" Said Regulus. "Didn't you have babbling beverage? During the transfiguration final? That was bloody hilarius." He was sort of teasing her, but in a friendly way. No one had ever done that to her before. She slowly smiled.

"They've done plenty of things to me this last week."

"The Marauders sure are insistent with they're pranking." Miranda added in. Regulus suddenly snarled.

"My bloody brother and his friends. They fancy themselves heros. Stupid Gryffindors. Brave? More like cowardly vigilantes." Miranda and Nathaniel both nodded.

"Associating with mud-bloods and blood-traitors. They practically worship anarchy. I can politically see their point (filthy sympathizing mongrels) but their point of view is so paradoxical. They preach that everyone is equal, then immediately turn to torture an on-coming Slytherin. Bloody ridiculous. And what's wrong with a class divided society anyways?" Nathaniel spouted. Regulus bobbed his head in agreement and turned to Miranda who had begun to stare out they window.

"They're so hypocritical. Didn't they get you once Miranda?" Miranda looked back at him.

"Hmmm? Oh, yeah. Caught me coming out of the loo last year. Gave me antlers and waltzed away before I even noticed. That was actually the second time. They stink-bombed my train compartment on the train ride to Hogwarts second year."

"Yeah, we all get it." said Regulus. "And I've had to live with the git."

Adell was amazed. She was in a compartment full of sympathizers to her recent woes. She thought they were rather kind. She was actually having a conversation with people in her year! It was so exiting! The conversation shifted to cover school work and personal opinions on the exams. Professors, students, ghosts, politics (this new pro-pureblood wizard was causing quite a stir), food, hobbies, quidditch, especially annoying people that irked all of them (this topic lasted a while), books, music, money, and everything else. There were also occasional easy silences in which they could relax and be themselves. For Adell, it was dream come true. Here she was, sitting in a compartment with three fairly popular Slytherins, actually being included in the conversation, and not being pressured to do or say anything at all.

She wasn't an extremely active member of the dialect, but that was fine with everyone. When she did say something, they accepted it and responded. They weren't really probing for her personality, or history, but they were all very polite. She thought this was maybe, almost, like having friends. She started to notice things about them. The conversation was mostly between Regulus and Nathaniel. Nathaniel tended to go of in mini rants, while Regulus seemed to have an answer to everything. Miranda was pretty quite. But not in Adell's mouse-ish shy way. She seemed so cool and collected, so... sophisticated. In a way, she reminded Adell of some sort of fashion model. She looked out of the window and occasionally added something into the mix of words. And Adell just fit in. A bit of an outsider, but willingly accepted. She was given a glimpse of what a social life was like.

As the Hogwarts Express chugged merrily to Kings Cross, Adell, felt more at ease than she had most of her time at school. She didn't expect to start braiding Miranda's hair and gossiping about boys anytime soon, but she felt like she...

belonged.

A/N Hmm, that was pretty random.

Thanks To;

JainaZekk621

and Xami Howlett (whoot!)