Chapter 2

They didn't see Lily again until Dinner, which was equally as uneventful as the last year. Edith was proficient at looking extremely attentive while lost in delicious thoughts of treacle tart and chamomile tea. Dumbledore was being his usual merry self and the sorting hat was sang his little song and sorted nervous first years into their future houses. Edith remembered her first year vividly; she had been terrified. Sitting in front of all those people while the talking hat judged her had been as painful as death for eleven year old Edith Carson. In fact, it hadn't been until she had looked at the Gryffindor table and saw James and Sirius smiling at her that she had been reassured. Because they were in Gryffindor, she couldn't help but want to go there, too.

Her older brother, Oliver, had been in Ravenclaw, but he was a bit of a prick and that meant that all Ravenclaw house must be equally as bad. So she chose the house with the friendly faces. The hat did sort her into Gryffindor, after little deliberation, and now she became the friendly face; smiling at the petrified first years because she remembered that feeling. She had been made fun of for actually crying while she was sitting on that wretched stool, nobody understood why she was put in the house associated with bravery. In fact, she didn't either. She spent her entire first year feeling inadequate and friendless, and although James and Sirius did talk to her occasionally, they had other, more interesting friends, and it wasn't the for her same as having girl friends.

When Jolene came to Hogwarts in Ediths' second year, it was a great relief for both of them that she was sorted into the same house. They became inseparable, clinging to each other for a sense of camaraderie, protection, and love. Edith didn't become friends with Lily and Olivia until the middle of third year when she happened upon them in the girls lavatory on the third floor. Olivia was bawling quite loudly and Lily was wringing her hands and pacing on the pristine white tile floors.

"Are you alright?" Young Edith had asked nervously. Olivia looked over at her and shook her head. They had lived in the same dorm, but they didn't know each other at all. Both girls kept to themselves for the most part. Lily walked around a stall and looked between Edith and Olivia.

"Do you mind giving her a minute. Boy trouble, you know." She explained. No, Edith did not know. But, she had read enough books to know it wasn't going well. Lily nodded her head towards the door in an obvious attempt to get Edith to leave, but there are occasionally bouts of something predestined that forces individuals to do something completely contrary to their character. Such was an instance. Where normally a girl like Edith would have just nodded and left to find another loo, she was now struck with some flash of empathy and rushed to Olivias' side.

"Is everything alright? Do you need me to do anything?" She asked quickly while Lily gazed on. Olivia sniffled and looked up at her.

"No. Roger McGravins asked Patty Larsens out. I should've known he wouldn't want me. He's a fifth year; I'm just a second year." She sobbed, "What am I going to do?" Her watery eyes looked at Edith imploringly.

"Roger McGravins isn't worth your time, Olivia. If he can't see how wonderful you are and will settle for Patty Larsens then you're better off without him." Edith soothed. She'd read something like that somewhere and it seemed to soothe the heroine well enough.

"But I'd rather have him than be all alone!" Olivia wailed. Edith wasn't sure how to respond. She looked to Lily for help and realized something.

"You're not all alone, Olivia. Lily has been here with you through all this. She's never left you. She's going to be your friend no matter what. Do you know how wonderful that is? Friends are important. With them, you're never alone." That seemed to put things in perspective for Olivia; she straightened and wiped for nose and eyes, "And who needs some dumb boy? In twenty years he'll be fat and bald and his poor wife will have to do all the work while taking are of their twelve children."

They had all been best friends since that day, including Jolene, because Edith and Jolene were a package deal. You couldn't separate them. Edith looked across the table at Jolene, who was slouched over her plate, not really listening to the sorting. She never did pay attention to these things, instead relying on Edith to tell her the abridged version.

Soon, the sorting was over and dinner commenced. They all made small talk while they ate, being too tired from the journey to do much else. James only glanced in Lilys' direction three times and she ignored him completely. It was a touchy relationship they had, although nobody was allowed to call it a 'relationship' on pain of death. James made no effort to mask his infatuation with Lily and she, well, there was a line from 'Hamlet' a muggle play Edith enjoyed that summed up her opinion on Lilys' feelings.
"The Lady doth protest too much, methinks."

The next morning at breakfast, the girls went over their schedules. Since they were all, with the exception of Jolene, in their final year they had classes that were more useful for their chosen jobs. Olivia wanted to become a healer, so she had Potions, Charms, Herbology, and Transfiguration primarily. Lily and Edith were not decided thus far, so they were taking a general studies until Christmas Break when they were supposed to have their lives planned to a fault. Edith had History of Magic first, so she was looking forward to a much needed nap. She excelled in that class, mostly because she was able to learn on her own very well.

Professor Binns had died in his sleep, and woken up the next morning ready to teach as a ghost, to many students' dismay. He had a tendency to drone on. It was, naturally, Olivias' favorite class, so she was still taking it despite it being unnecessary. Edith tried passing her notes, but Olivia would never respond, so she was forced to write bad poetry on a parchment, and take sporadic naps until the end of class.

Edith had Defense Against the Dark Arts with Lily and 'The Marauders' as James, Remus, Peter, and Sirius called themselves. Their professor was a man by the name of Elliot Evenstar. Lily told Edith that he had trained to become an Auror, but failed the final test and was forced to search for a teaching position. He suggested that the students duel each other so he could observe what needed to be addressed in class. Edith was not thrilled with the idea of dueling Lily, but she knew it was either her friend or somebody she didn't even know.

"Lily, do you want to pair up?" She walked over to where her friend was standing with a the confident air she always tried to project. Lily turned to face her.

"Of Course! Hey, let's go over there, Professor Evenstar won't be able to see us as well." She pointed to the back of the room and Edith nodded. Once the class was situated, Professor Evenstar called above the din.

"Is everybody ready?" There was a general murmur of affirmation and he told them all to proceed.

"Expelliarmus!" Lily cried, wand pointed at Edith.

"Locomotor Mortis." Edith countered and dodged Lilys' spell.

"Rictumsempra." Edith cast and giggled.

"Protego!" Oh, not so funny if Edith got that charm. She stood square and murmured, "Salvio Hexia." A shield erupted from her wand as she formulated her next plan of action. It was a miracle she'd made it this far against Lily, she was planning on maybe getting one spell in before being disarmed. Edith was preparing to cast the Babbling Curse on Lily when a great pain struck her between the shoulder blades and quickly engulfed the whole of her back and arms. She looked to Lily in a panic and sent up sparks with her wand to garner Professor Evenstars' attention.

"What's wrong?" Lily demanded.

"I hurt. Oh Merlin, I hurt." Was all Edith could say.

"Where do you hurt, Miss Carson?" That was the Professors' voice, but Edith didn't look up, she was too fixed on her hand. There were angry red welts all the way up her arm, surrounded by inflammation. She could only guess it was on her back, too. How embarrassing. She was suddenly very aware of all the people looking at her disfigured skin.

Somebody offered to take her to the Hospital wing, and the Professor complied. Edith could only follow dumbly, trying not to let her jumper rub the infected skin.

"I cast that spell. It was meant for Remus. I knew he could block it, but I never thought it's stray to you. Forgive me Edith. That wasn't supposed to hit anybody, least of all you. I have a strict code against hexing girls, it makes 'em a bit mad." Edith really didn't care. She just wanted to see Madame Pomfrey, get this all sorted, and go back to class. It hurt too much for sentimental apologies. "Aren't you going to forgive me Edith?" It was more of a statement than a question and Edith couldn't help but feel that if he quit talking he's be able to walk faster.

"Yes, Thank you for escorting me." She spoke with finality, with the hope of dissuading him from further conversation.

"You're usually a great talker. That must really hurt." He turned around and glanced at her arms. As if there was anything he could do to fix it. But now she knew who it was. Sirius Black. Again. She had successfully avoided him for four years and now she's forced to talk to him twice in the past twenty-four hours? How unfortunate.

"Let's keep walking. I'd like to get to the Hospital Wing before Christmas." She walked ahead.

"Ah, your infamous sarcasm! Saved only for special occasions and funerals. If there were more people like you, the world would be a better place." His usual 'witty' demeanor was back, then.

"If there were more people like me in the world, you would wish there were more boring people like you, and neither of us want that." She shot back and walked faster. She didn't particularly like these feelings and memories he was invoking. They must be at least halfway to the Hospital Wing by now. Not much further.

Her blonde hair was coming loose of its braid, but her fingers were covered in welts so there wasn't much she could do about it. even if the short, curly tendrils did annoy her to no end. She tried to picture her sister in this situation and couldn't. Her sister wouldn't even be in this situation. She's of pretended nothing had happened until she fainted from the pain. Jolene had a fear of Hospitals; it was probably the sterile environment.

"So, Edith, what's your favorite color?" Sirius was walking beside her, hands in pockets, completely at ease.

"I like all the colors equally. That way none of them feel left out." She knew how ridiculous she always sounded, but sometimes she couldn't help it. She really liked blue, but she wasn't going to tell him that. "What's it matter anyway?" She asked curiously.

"If we're going to walk together we might as well talk." He shrugged.

"I actually don't find silence that awkward." She sniffed. Maybe he's take the hint.

"Yes you do." He corrected her automatically.

"What?" She looked at him intently as her legs continued walking of their own accord.

"Unless you've changes drastically, you always giggle if a silence lasts for more than a few seconds." He supplied. Of course, it was true. She didn't like that part of herself. She was just like every other girl who had some subconscious need to fill a lull with any stupid thought that pops into their empty head. But she giggles. It was rather embarrassing; more so because Sirius Black had noticed it.

There was the sound of whispering voices in the classroom to their right. Edith veered off in that direction and hugged the wall, she recognized the voice of Severus Snape and some small part of her wanted to see what he was up to these days. He had hurt Lily, yes, but Lily had hurt him, too. Edith couldn't hate him for that. Severus would forgive Lily anything.

Sirius looked at her questioningly and smiled when he realized she was spying. She inched forward on the wall and peeked her head around the door frame. There were two boys in the opposite corner, huddled. looking at something on one of their arms. It was Avery, Edith had never bothered to learn his first name, with Severus. They were staring at a tattoo on Averys' arm as though it were the greatest thing ever created. It was a menacing, terrible looking thing, but she couldn't quite make it out clearly.

"And every recruit gets one," Avery was saying,"It burns when he calls us to him. You should have heard him, Snape. He plans to make a new world, to change everything. We'll be much better off without the Mudbloods and Blood Traitors, believe me. He wants a perfect world, whole and complete." Edith was leaning in, listening intently, when someone grabbed her wrist violently. It took everything in her to not scream at the pain from the contact.

Sirius pulled her away and down the corridor. He looked angry and concerned, but when he noticed her looking at him he dropped her hand and schooled his features into that relaxed, careless smile he so often bore. Edith had many questions, but he apparently would rather not talk about it and she still needed medical attention. They were at the Hospital Wing now, and she turned to the boy beside her.

"Thank you, again, for escorting me." He seemed surprised she didn't mention what they just witnessed, but relieved also.

"It had to be done, and I enjoy playing Knight in Shining Armour to pretty damsels." He winked and was gone. Edith still needed answers, especially to the question of Sirius' reaction. He knew more about all this than she did, which was curious. She was the one that kept up with current events, reading The Daily Prophet cover to cover every morning. He always seemed more interested in his porridge and pumpkin juice.