I have cheerleading, swimming, rhythmic gymnastics, piano and such taking up my time now, so I apologize if I don't update as much as I used to. This is a pretty short chapter, but I'm inspired for the next one, so it will hopefully be a good one.

I'm so happy that I've got another reviewer!!!! HUZZAH!!!!

He woke up to singing. Nice singing, but irritating all the same at seven in the morning, a time that he expected to still be asleep.

Then again, what did he expect from Rose in a shower?

Wait, a shower? He did hear right, the rushing water and echoing sound of pattering from the bathroom confirmed it.

He decided to block out the images as he made his was to the counter in her kitchen and stuffed a piece of bread into his mouth.

He could hear that she was singing the song from the ball, and then he wondered.

Where did she go after that? He thought.

She definitely couldn't be found after she sang, and nobody had gone to the common room that early.

He heard the water stop and only humming, and in a bit, Rose came out wearing a large shirt and small shorts, her hair in a towel-turban and looking more comfortable than she had ever been at school.

"Good morning. I expect you want breakfast." She said plainly, stepping over some other trunks that were only half unpacked and lying all over the floor.

Sirius shrugged and Rose went over to the counter, which was beside the stove and oven.

"Hey." Rose started, after a few minutes of silence.

Sirius raised his head from the table.

"Would you rather stay here or go with me to St. Mungo's? I think I might take a while." She continued, grabbing a plate.

Sirius didn't reply.

"Well, if you don't want-" "I'll go." Sirius said quickly.

"I'd rather not be cooped up for the next two weeks." He said, as though it provided an explanation.

"Right. I guess you shouldn't keep a dog in a cage all its life. No offense, but that's what my aunt told me a while back when-" She cut herself off quickly and sighed.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to bore you with life stories." She said cynically, starting to act like herself. (At least what Sirius was used to)

"I bet you don't get a lot of people to listen to you." Sirius said, trying to sound callous so she wouldn't think otherwise.

"No, in fact, I don't." She said in a monotone.

It sounded like he had struck a nerve, but couldn't muster up an apology.

"Hey, you'd better look decent if we're going later. Go take a bath after you eat." Rose said, making it sound strangely like an order.

"Yes ma'am." He said dully, and he distinctly heard her stifle a laugh, making it sound like a cough.

"Right. Bacon, eggs, or both?" She asked cheerfully, not even waiting for an answer as she emptied half a pan of bacon onto Sirius' plate.

"Right, thanks. Eggs too." He said, looking at the food smilingly.

While they both ate, Rose speared her bacon and muttered, "Happy present day."

"What?" Sirius asked.

"Nothing, just something I remembered from my parents. They always used to make me wait 'til the twenty-sixth before I could open any wrapped gifts I got for the holidays. As if. I'd usually get to one or two- or six boxes before they'd find out I did it early." Rose said, smiling at the memory.

"Hey, your hair is turning bright blue." Sirius pointed out.

"Right, right." She muttered, ruffling her hair as it changed back to its usual dark brown.

"How do you do that?" He asked.

"Oh, erm… My hair responds to my moods, but I think it's a spell or something, maybe some permanent potion damage. Don't know; it's been like that for as long as I can remember." Rose replied.

"Right." Sirius said warily, sipping coffee that she'd made.

"You'd better get to that bath soon, or I'll leave without you." Rose said seriously.

"She's staying at her apartment again. I sent her a letter to visit Destiny and Gerard's old place, but I'm not sure she got it yet." Frieda Eden told her husband Richard.

The man Richard looked up from his newspaper and said, "Spinner's End isn't a place of good memories, if I recall, Frieda. Rose isn't likely to go."

Rose's foster parents sat in their cozy house, as simple and ordinary as a couple could be.

At least, it seemed so.

"If not their old house, at least their graves. I'm sure she'll go." Frieda said.

"Maybe. If I remember right, the only good thing she got from there other than time with her parents was being able to play with that boy. Their old neighbor." Richard said, squinting through his thick glasses.

"Yes. His name eludes me, though. Ah well, I just hope Rose will see him too." Frieda said.

As they came down the stairs, Rose went to one of the boxes on the shelf on the wall and took some letters out.

"Is that muggle post?" Sirius asked.

"Usually, someone called the postman delivers the letters. Since this is an apartment, Linda separates them into our mail boxes." Rose explained, checking what she'd received.

"Oh, Frieda wrote." She said, smiling slightly.

"Who?" Sirius asked.

"My foster mother. She's actually my godmother too, but my foster father, Richard, isn't my godfather. Frieda and my mom were good friends, though I never understood why." Rose said.

Rose pocketed the letter and left the rest at the mailbox and the two stepped outside into a light snow.

Once again, they took the underground, which was way warmer, and Rose fell asleep along the way.

It was still a little way off when Sirius heard Rose muttering something.

"Mare… I am… I…" She said breathily, and Sirius snapped to attention, awaiting what she'd say next.

If it was about Mare, he just had to know.

Unfortunately, Rose's eyes fluttered and she awoke, listening for the conductor's voice on where they were headed.

The next stop was theirs, and the whole way, Sirius hid his disappointment for not finding out much else about Mare.

He DID try asking Rose, but she didn't seem to want to pursue the subject.

Soon they arrived in front of an old redbrick department store, with a sign reading 'Purge and Dowse Ltd', and a large sign that said, 'Close for Refurbishment'.

Sirius wondered if this indeed was the place they were supposed to go or if Rose wasn't yet fully awake from the train incident.

The dummies lined at the front, behind the glass windows, were looking odd in old faded Christmas clothing that looked about ten years too old.

She walked up to one of the dummies in line and said to it, "Here to see Destiny Harper."

The dummy, though, had a strange reaction.

It seemed to shake its head disappointedly but at the same time pointed out that they could enter.

Rose's expression darkened as she pulled Sirius by the hand and both of them stepped through the glass into St. Mungo's.

As cheery as the atmosphere was, with all the decorations, both magic and not, lined the corridors, Sirius couldn't relate.

Rose seemed to make the atmosphere a bit less 'Christmassy' for some reason, and Sirius wondered if it had something to do with her mother.

He followed her through the halls into a particularly deserted hall with few rooms.

Though some decorations did hang up around here, the place was probably the gloomiest in the whole building.

Walking to the end of the hall, they got to a room, one that hardly seemed like a ward, but more like an actual bedroom.

In there was a simple bed but with a curtain drawn around the whole thing, and even with the windows open, the place didn't seem that bright.

Sirius could see a figure sitting up on the bed, and after a few moments, the curtains were drawn.

There sat a pale-faced woman with silver hair, and with her eyes, she looked a lot like Mare. And though she was looking thin, her face remained round, like that of a kid.

But then, her eyes seemed blank.

"Mom?" Rose approached her, but the woman was looking past her.

It didn't take long for Sirius to realize that she was looking at him.

Rose sat beside her mother on the bed carefully, as though she didn't have permission to, and was pushing her luck by doing so.

Rose's mother then turned to her daughter and put her hand on Rose's head.

Then, she smiled. At once, it seemed that the atmosphere became much lighter.

Rose smiled as well, even with tears streaming from her eyes now.

Sirius felt as though he was seeing something historical.

"Didn't you want to talk with your mother more?" Sirius asked as they sat in the fifth floor.

"No. I'm visiting again tomorrow. I need to give it time." Rose mumbled.

"That, or do you need time?" Sirius said.

"You've got that right. Now…" Rose grimaced and stretched.

"Do you want to go around the place with me?" she continued.

Sirius looked at her questioningly.

"I mean, around the muggle area. It'll be new for you, I think. How about it? I'm not going back until later anyway." She said.

Sirius shrugged and looked away.

"Oh, well, I think I'll go out awhile. Oh, I know! I'll invite Mare to my apartment and you two can stay while I'm out."

As expected, Rose got Sirius' attention.

Then he looked suspicious.

"Why? Why are you being so nice?" He demanded.

"Oh, it's a crime now? It doesn't matter, okay?" Rose mused.

Somehow, that didn't satisfy Sirius, but he dropped it.

I never knew her name. Sometimes I wonder if she even remembers me anymore.

If she remembers when we played together when we were young.

If she knew how important all that was.

She was the only comfort I ever had.

Not my weak mother.

Not my abusive father.

Just her.

That girl…

A little dramatic. Anywee, the last bit were the thoughts of 'the little boy, their old neighbor' that Frieda talked about. Three guesses who. The truth or dare thing's still up, so if you peoples can suggest, I'd be a happy piece of cheese!

I think I might get flames, so just for safety, I'm hiding under my magical sheep.

Reviews are my pudding!!!!! R&R please, so that I may acquire pudding.