She thought her life was over – but fate gave her another chance, in a world of magic. Now, running around Hogwarts with James Potter and his friends, she's about to make choices that will change the future in ways she never thought possible…

Marauder's Phase

CHAPTER EIGHTY-EIGHT

Pure Black

Needless to say, I got into heaps of trouble for what I'd done, but I didn't care. It was worth it to be able to stand up to Umbridge for my friends, and at least all I got was a lecture from Umbridge, Bob, the Minister and Maggie, although the latter seemed rather half-hearted, and it didn't help that even the nurse was smiling.

Sirius came to see me the following night.

I was watering the flowers on my bedside table when he came in, and shut the door behind him.

"How's the leg?" He asked, glancing at it wrapped up in all its bandages.

I shrugged. "Healing. The Healers here are really good…how's the side?" I asked him, glancing at his bandages and nearly over-flowing the vase.

He shrugged. "Same. Can I sit down?" He asked, pointing to the bed.

I was surprised. "Since when have you needed an invitation to sit?"

He sighed. "Since I don't believe it when you said you didn't hate me."

CRASH!! I dropped the water jug onto the floor and it broke, sending slivers of blue china everywhere. I leapt up onto the bed to avoid getting cut, and Sirius waved his wand, sending the slivers back to reform the water jug.

He looked at me. "Em?"

"Sit down." I said in a deadly quiet voice, pointing to the spot on the bed beside me. Sirius didn't move. "Sit!" I ordered him.

He sat.

"Now," I said, purposely gazing at a spot above Sirius' left shoulder. "When have I ever lied to you?"

"Never, but-"

"Then why would I say I didn't hate you if I did?" I asked.

"To spare my feelings?" Sirius guessed, a small smile playing at his lips.

"You don't have any feelings!" I informed him.

"And you have the emotional range of a tea spoon!" He shot back.

I pretended to be insulted. "Oh, is that how you feel then, is it!? Well, you know what the solution is then, don't you?"

"Why don't you tell me?"

I leaned toward him, staring into his dark eyes. "If a girl ever tries to kiss you again, push her down the stairs for all I care!"

Sirius looked back at me, our faces mere inches apart. "Well, if it bothers you that much…" He said.

I nodded. "It does. You are my boyfriend, until you grow tired of me, and I…"

"Never gonna happen." He said quickly.

"Never say never," I warned him. "I still don't understand what you see in me, though, and I…"

Sirius began ticking things off on his fingers. "You're smart – although not as smart as I am, you're fun to be around – although not so much the life of parties as what I am, you hate Slytherins – although not nearly as much as I do, you're the best looking girl on the face of this planet – although not the best looking person…that would be me…"

I rolled my eyes. "A tad conceited there, aren't we Sirius Black?"

"I have given up on modesty and chosen to shine in my own light." He said with a straight face, and I grinned.

Then a thought crossed my mind. "Say, Siri – what did you mean by the 'best looking girl on the planet'? Surely there are girls out there who are prettier than I…"

Sirius shook his head. "Have you looked at yourself lately, Emma Pax? You're…" He drew in a deep breath. "I can't actually explain it…I don't know why I'm attracted to you so much…just that I can't ever see myself being with somebody else…"

My heart was pounding. This was turning into a very deep conversation. With trepidation, I ventured: "Umm, did you by any chance…feel some kind of strange power the other night, when we used Stupefy on all of those Death Eaters?"

Sirius nodded, his dark eyes staring into my hazel ones. "Did you feel it too?"

"Yes," I replied quietly. "It was…like there was a power connecting us and…oh great, that sounds really weird, just forget I said that, okay?"

Sirius sighed. "Actually, it's impossible for me to forget anything you've ever told me, Em."

I frowned. "Like what?"

"Em…when we were in Perth…" Sirius said, and then trailed off, looking at the locket bearing the Black family crest on my bedside table.

"Yes?"

"I…you may have noticed that I was acting kind of…umm…"

"Distant?" I supplied.

He nodded. "Yeah, that's it. Well…the reason was…because…"

"Just spit it out, Padfoot!" I snapped.

"I was really worried about running into your family," He said quickly, not looking at me. "And what I would do if we did." He glanced at me then, to see my troubled expression. "I really hate the way they treated you, Em," Sirius said quietly, taking my uninjured hand in his. "I probably would have hurt them just as much as they hurt you…if we'd run into them…"

"Well, don't worry about that," I replied, thinking of the monument, and the fact that I didn't come from this world. "You won't ever meet them, Siri, so there's no chance of any of that happening…"

"Why not?" He asked quietly. "Are they…umm, dead?"

I nodded. "I think so." I hope so was more like it. "Umm…Sirius?"

"Yes?"

"About that locket…" I began, and Sirius' face clouded over.

"What about it?" He asked, somewhat shortly.

"Well…only that Regulus – you were aware that I got it from him, right?" I asked him, leaning back and laying down on my bed, with my feet swinging over the side.

Sirius nodded. "I had assumed…"

"Well, see, the thing is…Regulus told me it would've burned straight through my hand had I not been a pure-blood…and then it burned Avery…umm…did your mother really put the curse like that on all the Black family jewellery to make sure you and Regulus couldn't marry anyone who wasn't a pure-blood?"

Sirius nodded. "You know my mum enough by now to know how…"

"Insane she is?" I guessed.

Sirius laughed his bark-like laugh, and I couldn't help but laugh as well.

"Well," Sirius went on, still smiling. "See, the thing is, all the pure-bloods are somewhat related, though some are very distant…James and I are cousins, sort of…once removed or something like that…"

"My point exactly," I nodded. "Is if I am a pure-blood which, clearly, I seem to be (and when I get my hands on Regulus I'm gonna strangle him, I could've been burned the way Avery was), then…well, maybe my family was lying to me all these years, and…you and I might even be related…somehow…"

"The thought did cross my mind too," Sirius shrugged. "But, I don't think it really matters…"

"What, you want us to become as unstable as the Gaunts?" I blinked.

Sirius looked at me. "Uh, no. That's not what I meant. Only that inter-breeding is…somewhat common amongst pure-bloods…"

"Oh right, aren't your mum and dad cousins?" I remembered, and Sirius nodded. "Oh, well, you and Regulus sort of turned out alright…somewhat…"

"What do you mean somewhat!?" Sirius exclaimed and, I couldn't help it, I laughed. He smirked. "Oh, you're in trouble now." He said, and leaned over me, our faces inches apart again. "I missed you." He whispered.

"I missed you too." I replied, as he closed the distance between us.

***

Later that night, I was sitting up in bed, reading the book on Bonds again. I re-read the parts about Old Magic, and the power that flows between Bonded people, and tried to figure out how this applied to me with both Remus and Sirius. What if they were both Bonds of Love? Stupid things were supposed to be really rare, and here I was getting the most complicated one – twice.

I sighed in frustration, and looked forward to leaving the hospital tomorrow.

I scanned the book again, my eyes wandering over the paragraph on Worship Bonds, which sounded decidedly creepy to me, especially the 'one-sided romance' bit. But that would probably be a lot easier for me to handle than the Love Bond I was subjected to. I rolled my eyes. I was an Animagus, a Parsletongue, I came from another world, Voldemort wanted me for some reason, two of my hot best friends were in love with me, I was good at flying, I could use the Patronus Charm and dozens of other advanced spells, and – and – I was a pure-blood witch. Therefore, my life was full of mystery, and made me the epitome of a real-life Mary-Sue if ever I saw one.

Well, I couldn't very well help that now, could I?

I read the line that said that Power Bonds were often achieved through brutal and sometimes Dark means – whatever that meant – and sighed again.

Then, I happened to look up – and nearly shrieked.

Someone was standing in the doorway, framed by light from the brightly lit hall outside.

My heart pounding, I looked again, and realised, to my immense relief, that it was just Regulus. "Oh, it's just you Regulus…"

"Just?" He raised and eyebrow, and walked delicately into the room.

"Well, you know what I meant," I shrugged, as I bookmarked the book and slipped it under my pillow. "What are you doing here?" I wanted to know.

He held up the backpack. "Giving you back your stuff – I took care of it, like you asked me to."

"Well…good." I said finally, as I took the backpack from him. "Umm, and thanks. How've you been?"

Regulus looked at me surprised for a moment, but then sat down in the visitor's chair. "Fine, I guess," He replied, running a hand through his dark hair. "I had to lie to the others about why I didn't catch up with you…if they knew I was here…" He trailed off, his eyes guarded.

I suddenly realised just how much Regulus was risking by coming to see me. "Pretty brave, for a Slytherin." I commented.

Regulus' eyes flashed. "You've been hanging around with my brother for too long." He muttered.

"Uh, hullo?" I rolled my eyes. "Your cousin tried to kill me, and so did Sni-Snape." (I'd almost called Snape Snivellus, but didn't think that Regulus would appreciate that). "And half of you have probably already joined the Death Eaters, am I correct?"

Regulus sighed. "As usual, Emma, you are. Generally, so to speak, it's those whose parents are Death Eaters, or who support the Dark Lord…"

"You picked the wrong side, Regulus." I said quietly, and he looked at me. "What Voldemort," (Regulus did not wince). "Has done to make himself immortal…you have no idea…you have no idea what he's planning to do and how many people – even pure-bloods – who are going to die for it!!" My voice had risen considerably in that sentence, and Regulus stared at me in shock. "I've seen the future and you're not in it, because of Voldemort! And neither are any of the other people I care about!" Then I gasped. I had definitely said too much then, and not just the future part.

Regulus stood up, looking wary. "Emma..?" He was looking at me the way someone might when they've just stumbled upon a great and startling secret.

Well, I was definitely full to the brim with secrets.

"I…" I began, but just then we both heard a door creak open and close somewhere down the hall. "Go!" I hissed anxiously, and Regulus nodded, turning swiftly and exiting the room, his black robes swishing.

I leaned back against my pillows. "Oh God…what have I just done?"