It would have been better if he'd shouted. It would have been better if he accused me of betraying everyone and going over to the dark side.

Instead, he sat behind that desk running a hand down the left side of his face.
"Well?" I ask, a little to sharply.
Dumbledore's eyes lift to meet mine, and they give nothing away.

"I do not know why they have decided to mark you, but we can assume that the reason behind it is not good."
"And the reason?"
Dumbledore stands and paces in front of his desk, his face set in a grave expression.
"I believe that they have marked you for death," My eyes widen, and my heart begins to pound. "or, that they want to recruit you into their ranks. We already know that your sister tried to recruit you. Maybe they decided to get creative."

He sighs, and leans against the side of his desk. "You can go now, Aria. Get some rest. You shouldn't up and walking around, give yourself some time to heal."

I leave, and when I emerge from Dumbledore's office, I find Sirius leaning against the wall next to the door.
He straightens when he sees me, and immediately starts asking questions.
"What did he say? What's he going to do about it?"
"I don't know what he's going to do."

"What did he say?"
"Basically that they're trying to get me to join them, again. Or that they're trying to kill me."
"What?" He shouts, and I immediately regret telling him that part.
"It can't come as a surprise! They're trying to kill us all. We're all in the Order, and we've all defied him, one way or another."

He tucks a loose strand of hair behind me ear, and he leans forward so our foreheads are touching.
"I don't like to thought of someone hurting you." He whispers, his eyes fixed to mine. A small smile tugs at my lips.
"Ditto." It was after I said it that I realised how stupid that sounded, and I my cheeks burn.

Sirius laughs, and he steps back, shaking his head. "Ditto? Really, Aria?"
I punch him in the shoulder. "Shut up!"
He continues to shake his head, but he doesn't laugh. Instead, he's grinning so widely that I'm reminded of the cheshire cat.
"Lets just go find the others."

-x-

Silence.

That was not the reaction I expected. I expected alot of shouting and plans to hunt down You-Know-Who. They were all, surprisingly, understanding. Which I would not have been if Lily or Marlene had told me what I just told them.

Marlene.

Guilt washes over me. I've been so focused on my problems that I hadn't even thought about Marlene. I have to think of her everyday. Everyday. To remind myself of what they can do. What pain they can cause. Not just to me, but to others too.

I toss and turn that night. When I sleep, all I dream about is Marlene. I see her being killed, over and over. It's always the same. I can never get to her in time. The last thing I see before I wake up are her eyes, glaring at me. Like it was my fault she was killed.

-x-

The stone tiles of the staircase are cold below my feet. I don't know where I'm going, just that I need to be alone. My feet carry me all the way to the forest, and then I realise I haven't changed into my animagi form for awhile.

It's harder than the other times. Mainly because I can't concentrate.
Then, I'm reminded of when Leah and I first tried to change. She was so frustrated that she couldn't change on her first try...

"I can't do it!"
Leah's arms are folded in front of her, and she pouts.
"Try again!"
She huffs, and unfolds her arms and straightens her spine. She closes her eyes, and takes deep breaths in. I'd already changed twice already, but Leah hadn't managed it yet. Then, just like that, she changed. Into a hawk.

A huge grin forms on my face, and a proud feeling washes over me.
"I told you! I said you could do it!"
She stretches her wings, and makes an attempt to fly. She hovers over the ground before falling to it, and I know that she will complain that she can't fly.

"Well, change back then! We have to get inside before mum and dad get back!"
She continues to look at me, her beady eyes blinking at me.
I throw my hands up in frustration. "Do it then!"

She stretches her wings again, and I'm sure that she just rolled her eyes at me.
"Leah..do you know how to change back?"
She gives a small shake of her head and I find it hard to stop laughing.

Tears fall from my eyes, and I angrily wipe them away. I shouldn't let Leah get to me. Even the memory of her, not after what she's done. Even now, I'm surprised by how easy it was to get to her. Especially Avery. She would never go near someone like him. Never.

But then, I guess I don't really know her. Not anymore.

Helllooo! I'm so sorry that I haven't updated in a while, and I have no excuse other than that I had writers block. So, if you're still reading this story, thank you! Please review!

Someone asked what Sirius did with the feathers, and all I can say is that all will be revealed! In time! ;D
But what do you think he did with them?