Note: Watch the anime Mamotte! Lollipop, but the manga is better. The art is cute. The story line kinda reminds me of this fan fiction. OO_OO Also, I'm sorry about the unintentional use of italics, I dunno what's up with that. Oh well, on with the story!

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 ONE HUNDRED AND ONE

Say It Isn't Snow!

"You did alright," Lily was saying, as we made our way back up to the castle. "Mostly tens and nines, and one eight. I suppose they took points off for your shoulder." She added thoughtfully.

"Or for the fact that I nearly got barbequed." I pointed out.

"Well, the fact is that you came through it in the end, and that's what really counts." Remus said sensibly, as he walked close by my side but not as close to me as what Sirius was. Any closer, and Sirius would've been carrying me...he had his arm slung protectively around my shoulder, which had been healed in a second by Madam Pomfrey.

"My broomstick..." James moaned pitifully. "It's gone guys..."

"Oh quit your whinging, James," Lily snapped impatiently. "I'll get you a new one for Christmas!"

James sniffed. "Okay."

I looked around suddenly. "Hey, has anyone seen my egg?" The golden eggs had been entrusted to me, Brunilda and Apolline, and to me it seemed as if this whole entire year was running closer and closer to the books than ever before. I stuck my left hand in the pocket of my new robes, and shivered not from the cold.

"Oh, Wormtail has it," Lily dragged Wormtail to the front. "Here."

"Why don't you open it, White Fang?" Peter asked me.

Open it? I gazed at the golden egg warily.

I seemed to recall a horrible, high-pitched screeching sound emitting from the egg...unless it was opened underwater, that is...

I took the egg from Peter and was just about to reply, when Molly, Serilda and Alice appeared seemingly from nowhere, along with a bunch of other Gryffindor students.

"Party!" Molly exclaimed, grabbing me by the arm and dragging me (and Sirius) off towards the castle. "Gryffindor common room! Now!"

I glanced at Sirius. "Sounds like a plan, hey?" I managed to hand the egg to him. "Here. Let no one open it."

"I'll hide it in my trunk upstairs." Sirius promised me. "No one else will know where it is." He whispered.

Good. I didn't want to think about it until February.

***

The next morning came with a chilly cold breeze, but when I looked out the window I saw that the lake had frozen solid in a clear crystal blue, encouraging me to go ice-skating again. I bundled myself up in layers, making sure to tie my Gryffindor scarf around my neck, before heading outside into the winter morning. The sky above me was clouded with grey, but I felt relieved to till be alive after the First Task as I trekked toward the Black Lake, where I slid around on the ice wearing skates for awhile, before heading into the Great Hall for a warm breakfast. My skates were slung around my neck as I entered the hall, to find it scarcely occupied.

Well, on a cold winter morning when there weren't any classes, what did I expect to see?

I recognised the forms of Severus Snape and Bellatrix Lestrange over at the Slytherin table, but pointedly ignored them as I trekked past the deserted Ravenclaw table, on my way to the Gryffindor one.

"Wotcher, Emma!" Tonks stood up from her place at the Hufflepuff table, wearing two scarfs and sporting a mass of red curls today that made her look like another Weasley. "You passed the First Task with flying colours!" She grinned. "That's what everyone in Hufflepuff is saying, anyway," She went on, and I was reminded of what Hufflepuff people were like. Oh well. It was a nice change from the treatment Harry was supposed to get in his fourth year... "Oops, gotta go!" Tonks was waving to someone over my shoulder, and I turned and saw a group of bundled-up Hufflepuff first years waving back to her with mass enthusiasm. "Later, Ems!" She called, and I watched her leave the Great Hall, glad that she was making new friends. Suddenly, I noticed somebody hovering near the doorway.

"Oh, Regulus." I recognised him, and headed toward him.

When he saw me, his face broke into a smile, and he walked over to me. "Been ice-skating, have we?" His grey eyes zeroed in on the skates slung around my neck.

I nodded.

His eyes suddenly looked clouded. "You should be careful this time of year, Ems," He said quietly. "If you fell into the lake now, you might not be able to get back out. It's dangerous."

He...he's worried about me?

I stared at him incredously, unaware of things going on around us.

"The water gets to be below freezing around this time of year," Regulus went on, his eyes glued to a spot just above my right shoulder. "With that kind of change in temperature, your body would go into shock before you even knew what was happening. Not to mention the fact that you can't swim..."

Oh yeah, that's right. Regulus doesn't know I can swim now because his brother taught me. He wasn't there when we went back to Perth...hmm...come to think of it, the only times I see Regulus outside of school is when I'm in danger, or am about to go off to a situation that will surely end with me being in danger...

I smiled suddenly. "You don't have to worry about me, Reg! I can swim just fine now! In fact, I may be somewhat of a champion in the water now! So don't panic!" I glanced to the side then. "And don't worry so much about me...please." I said truthfully. The truth is, so many people seem to be worried about me right now...Tonks, Lily, Alice, Molly, Serilda, Remus, Sirius, James, Lily and Peter...Mr. and Mrs. Potter are worried about me too, because of the tournament....and even the teachers that I get along with seem concerned...I dunno, I guess...it'll be nice to spend some time with someone who's NOT concerned about my welfare 24/7. That gets a little...annoying. I smiled. "I can take care of myself, Reg."

***

I went ice-skating all that week, sneaking out in the cold mornings and sliding around on the ice happily. I don't know why I didn't tell anybody about it, it was just my special time to be by myself with nobody worrying about me, I guess.

The first task seemed to have awakened the need for me to not have people worrying about me so much. It was strange, but I didn't like the fact that they were worried. Maybe because Sirius' worry had made him act all distant to me.

Maybe...

I was so busy worrying about these facts, and whether or not they'd all still be worrying about me when the tournament was over, that I hardly even noticed the blue fire. Maybe because it blended in so much with the landscape around me, as the grounds had been blanketed in a cover of blueish-white snow for weeks now, but I didn't actually notice it until the ice under my feet melted away, leaving nothing standing between me and the water.

My scream was cut off by the choking sound of my own gasp as the icy-cold water gushed down my throat.

***

No One's P.O.V:

Regulus was not aware of how fast he was running, or even how he was running across the ice, but he dived into the hole that had been burned into the ice by his cousin's magic with surprising speed, and felt the icy cold water cover his body.

It chilled his lungs and stung his eyes, and the water was like a solid, stopping him from swimming as fast as he usually would have.

But all he was focused on was the black shape that was moving further and further away from him.

I told her! I told her to be careful! Emma... Damn you, Bella, now look what you've done!

Regulus focused all of his energy on reaching Emma, who seemed to be getting further and further away from him. in desperation, he pulled out his wand.

Accio, Emma!

He thought, pointing his wand at her.

Please say it worked!

That was when Regulus realised how his lungs were burning with cold, and that he had run out of time. He hadn't been able to save her...he couldn't even save himself...

No...I can't...not yet...please...

Suddenly, a hand closed around his, a grip that was suddenly warm in the freezing cold surrounding him.

Regulus opened his eyes, to see Emma staring not at him, but at the hole in the ice above their heads.

Her mouth opened, and bubbles streamed out as her lips formed the words, but she didn't need to speak the spell as she raised her wand, sending both of them flying towards the surface.

***

Both of us were gasping for breath, coughing into the snow on the lakeside.

"D-damn it!" Regulus coughed. "I told her...I...damn her!"

"R-Reg? I'm sorry..." I said, through chattering teeth. "I-I should have l-listened...I'm s-sorry..." Damn it, why can't I stop shaking!? I'm FREEZING, that's why!

He looked at me suddenly. His grey eyes were wide. "H-huh? No Ems, not you! I m-meant B-Bella! She burned the i-ice!" He shivered, and clenched at the snow with his hands.

"What?" Oh yeah, the Bluebell Flames... I shivered as well. "S-so c-cold..."

Regulus suddenly raised his wand, and conjured a jam jar out of nowhere, into which he put his own source of Bluebell Flames. "Here," He said, grabbing me by the shoulder suddenly and yanking me closer to him.

"Hey, what are you-!? Oh...I get it..." I realised, as the warmth of the flames washed over us, coupled with our own body heat. "If you were a muggle, you could probably be a scientist, Reg," He didn't say anything. "So tell me then, what did you need to take Remedial Potions for anyway?"

He sighed. "I didn't actually need to at all, I just made that part up."

"What?" Why would anyone make up something like that?

"I've actually been watching you for some time now, Emma," Regulus admitted.

"Because you have to?" I asked sharply.

"Yes," He said quietly. "But not for the reason that you're thinking...it's because...because I..." He was shaking again. "Emma I l-"

"Wotcher Emma!" Tonks was running toward us in the snow suddenly, her face bright red from the cold. "Huh? Hey, you two are...oh, never mind!" She grabbed my arm, yanking me up suddenly. "I was told to come find you, because Professor Dumbledore wants to see all of the champions, okay?"

She was dragging me off toward the castle at the speed of light, and I was hardly aware of the fact that I was now wearing Regulus scarf, and still soaking wet. Dumbledore needs to see us? Why? What happened this time?

***

I was standing in between Apolline and Brunilda, still soaking wet and feeling very uncomfortable. Apolline looked just as cold as I was, with a scarf tied around her face and a hat on.

"Eet is cold..." She complained, shivering.

On my other side, Brunilda had a different argument. "Do you have any idea vot time it is?" She asked Dumbledore, as he looked at us. With him were Apolline's head mistress, Brunilda's head master, Lyle, Sean and, for some reason, Umbridge.

I glared at Umbridge, who pretended not to notice me, and I continued to glare at her, that is until Dumbledore told us why we were here.

Then I snapped my attention back to him. "WHAT!!??" Brunilda, Apolline and I all shouted.