Hey, hey, I'm risking my TV and computer privileges for you guys, so please R&R. Holy week, I'm not supposed to be here. I've got one more thing to add to my confession list. Okay...

"How can I do this? Okay, just concentrate on another form. Nobody from Hogwarts, just don't look like you." Rose whispered to herself as she stood in front of the mirror.

Her face started shifting again, though half the time, she was hoping she wouldn't turn into an animal face out of habit of being more used to animal forms.

To her surprise, though, she started to look like the younger version of her mother. "No." She muttered, changing again.

Then, she started to have some good features of her father that she never had.

"It's a start." She muttered.

Then, her hair changed to a beautiful silvery white, becoming longer and straight, much like a veela's.

"Okay… I guess that'll look fine." Fine was an understatement.

Her father's younger borrowed features along with her eyes she didn't know how to change, and her silver hair, she looked like a vision from heaven.

Or at least she looked like a beautiful veela, even in veela standards, but without the pale white skin. It was sun-kissed and light, like her father's was.

"I made myself look like a Mary-Sue. Just great. No time to change this, though." She muttered, holding her magic camera to her new looking face.

She snapped a picture and slipped it into her pocket, running down to the common room, only to find that someone was still there.

Peter Pettigrew was still up doing some homework, so as quietly as possible, she slipped past him to the portrait hole.

"Hey, where are you going, Rose?" Peter asked, just as Rose opened the portrait.

"I need to meet someone. Please, I know you're a nice person, Peter; don't tell ANYONE." Rose begged.

"Sure. I guess that's okay… If…" Peter started.

"If what?" Rose asked.

"If you can help me with a problem of mine later on. Well, not later on but when you have time to talk." Peter stuttered.

"Sure. Thanks." She replied, going out of the dormitory.

Her transforming into a cat had gotten her out, but Rose wondered if he was already there.

Heck, she doubted he'd be there at all.

But still, she returned to human form and took the picture out of her pocket, copying the features under the moonlight.

(A/N: I know I've been interrupting a lot, but forgive me. How the heck she kept the clothes with the pocket with the picture on when she turned into a cat, I have no clue)

She then made her way to her favorite spot, the place where they'd agreed to meet, and was surprised to find someone already there.

"Well, hello stranger." She said foxily in a different, slightly higher voice.

Sirius whipped around, and found himself face to face with Rose's alternate self.

"Mare?" He asked uncertainly.

"Yeah… You have no idea how long I wanted for you to see me." 'Mare' said.

But you aren't really seeing me. She thought miserably.

"Are you kidding? I got furred in the face because I was thinking of you too much to check what came in my mail." Sirius grinned.

"You're more beautiful than I imagined." He added sincerely.

"Thank you." She mumbled.

"I want to ask, though… Are you using some potion? It looks amazing."

"Umm… yeah…" Mare replied, letting him pull her into a tight embrace.

"Do you want to know a secret?" Sirius asked.

"What?" Mare wondered out loud.

"I love you." He grinned.

"That's no secret. Tell me a real one." She said playfully, finally feeling at ease.

"Alright. Something absolutely important that only my friends know. How about that?" Sirius suggested.

"Yes. I'd feel better knowing you trust me completely." Mare whispered in his ear.

"Well, okay. But you have to do the same. Trust me and tell me an important thing." Sirius said.

Mare nodded, and Sirius started…

"I am an unregistered animagus. I told you before that I couldn't write when full moon was out. It was PARTLY because of that." Sirius explained.

"That's… amazing, really. Truth be told, it isn't a potion." She took a deep breath and decisively said, "I'm a metamorphmagus. Nobody else knows but my best friend."

"There, then… We trust each other completely, don't we?" Sirius wondered, staring at the moon.

"Yes." Mare mumbled. But she knew she was breaking his trust. It hurt.

They sat together and Mare leaned on Sirius' chest, hoping that she'd never have to let go.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Sirius asked, sensing her worry.

"I… Nothing. How can you trust me if you don't even know who I really am?" She blurted out.

"But I do. It's your business if you want to hide your other identity, but I know you are Mare. My Mare." He whispered, smiling.

"That's corny. But sweet. Believe me, Padfoot, you'll know when the time comes." Mare promised.

"Okay, but before that time comes… Do you want to dance with me at the Christmas ball?" Sirius asked, changing the subject.

"You asked me that before." Mare said.

"For the same reason, I ask you again." Sirius said cheerfully, pulling her closer.

"I'll think about it." She smirked, giving him a peck on the cheek.

The night before gave way to a whole lot of daydreaming. Meaning a bit of trouble for both Gryffindors.

Of course, it would have, if the teachers had noticed it over their falling asleep during lessons.

"If I get proof that you've been sneaking out at night again, I'm reporting you to the headmaster." McGonagal warned Sirius.

"You really should stop drawing in the middle of the night, Rose. It's not healthy if you miss out on sleep." Slughorn told Rose when she was caught chopping nothing, thinking she had the roots in her hand.

"Oh, sorry Professor." Rose mumbled as James and Sirius snickered in the back.

"Why do you think Harper was as tired as you this morning?" James wondered.

"Dunno, she probably had her own dirty little secrets to worry about." Sirius muttered.

"Or maybe you know! Come on, where were you two last night?" James demanded mockingly.

"No way would I go anywhere with her! I was with someone else last night." Sirius said.

"Who?" Peter suddenly asked, a strangely knowing expression on his face.

"Mare, that's who. And she's a much better (looking) person than Harper." Sirius exclaimed proudly.

"Umm… Sirius?" Peter started, when he just remembered something.

FLASHBACK

"I need to meet someone. Please, I know you're a nice person, Peter; don't tell ANYONE." Rose begged.

"Sure. I guess that's okay… If…" Peter started.

"If what?" Rose asked.

"If you can help me with a problem of mine later on. Well, not later on but when you have time to talk." Peter stuttered.

END FLASHBACK

"Yeah, what is it, Wormtail?" Sirius snapped to attention.

"Oh, umm… Nothing, sorry…" Peter sighed, getting up.

"Where are you going?" James asked as Peter made his way out the portrait hole.

"I'm going to settle a debt." He replied.

"Oh, hello Peter." Rose greeted.

"Umm… You said you'd help me with my problem." Peter stuttered.

"Okay, what is it and how can I help?" Rose asked readily.

"Umm, well… You see, it's about… Erm… Someone I like…" Peter mumbled.

"Hmm? Then why are you asking me? Don't your friends give you dating advice and what not?" Rose wondered.

"Well, you see, I thought it would be your area of expertise because… I like… YOUR best friend, and I thought…" Peter started…

"OH. Well, okay, umm… I said I'd help but why don't you just tell her you like her? It won't kill you." Rose said.

"She'll laugh if I just do that." Peter said in a sure voice.

"No, of course not. Not at you. If she laughs, it doesn't mean she thinks you're pathetic, she'll think it's sweet." Rose encouraged.

"Are you sure? Because I don't think…" Peter mumbled.

"Of course I'm sure. As sure as I am giving you the worst pep talk ever… I'm sorry, but encouragement isn't my strong point." Rose sighed.

"No, I mean, thank you. You did help, really." Peter smiled sincerely.

"Oh, okay Peter… yawn I was glad to…" She hardly finished her sentence when she fell asleep on the chair's armrest.

The common room fire was lulling indeed, though nobody even noticed that Rose had fallen asleep, and one by one, the Gryffindors went up to their dormitories to rest.

Then, as the fire of the common room flickered, in entered Sirius Black.

This being one of the rare times Sirius and James got separate detentions, he was the only one to spot Rose left in that soft armchair, head buried in her folded arms.

Sirius was definitely tempted to play her in some way, but looking at her sleeping form felt unfair to trick her in that state. (A/N: NO, I don't mean THAT)

"Oi, Harper, are you planning to stay there the whole night?" Sirius shook the girl awake.

"Huh, what? Oh, just you, and no, I wasn't planning to." She said groggily.

"Then you'd better go, don't you think?" Sirius smirked.

"Since when were you so concerned about my welfare?" Rose mused, climbing the dorm stairs.

Sirius watched her 'til she was out of sight, but was surprised that she came back down grumbling.

"What?" Sirius wondered.

"They locked me out. Probably the fact that they're keeping you boys who know how to get up there away. God knows how you found some way across the spells." Rose sighed, sitting back down on the armchair.

"We have our ways. But you're just going to stay here all night?" Sirius said incredulously.

"No choice. You've got a nice bed up there, and I, in current circumstances, don't." She said smugly, though contemplating on her own loss.

"If you want to change your mind about that…" Sirius started.

"What?" Rose snapped.

"If you want, you can come up and stay in my bed for tonight." Sirius mumbled.

"And let you take advantage of me? No thanks." Rose said coldly.

But as she curled up in the downy chair, she felt terrible for antagonizing him after he had offered to help her.

"Sorry." She called after him, but received no reply from atop the staircase.

Rose felt like crying her heart out, but settled for silent tears, hiding them by curling up tightly.

Soon, she cried herself to sleep.

In the middle of the night, Rose shivered in her sleep, but soon stopped before she woke up. Something warmed her.

Then she woke up.

"Darn it Rose, it's still only four in the morning." She muttered to herself, trying to shift into a better position, but surprisingly found what was preventing her from doing so.

She was no longer in the armchair, but on the couch, where Sirius Black had one arm wrapped around her and a blanket wrapped around both of them.

It had already started snowing outside, the first sign of Christmas, so that's why she had been cold.

And Sirius was why she slept soundly for a bit.

Rose decided to keep still and enjoyed his warmth, and thought, Not until morning.

Fluffy? Good? Bad? Truth or Dare will come around sometime if you guys suggest. Happy Holy Week. Pray that I'll update soon.