Author's Note: I do not own Harry Potter, the Marauders or any piece of the magical world. The credit all goes to J.K. Rowling. Although, I do hope you enjoy my attempt to entertain you with an adaptation of her works anyway.

V stepped out onto the shadowy platform.

"Hello?" she breathed, "Is anyone there?"

A figure shifted in her peripheral vision, and she turned slowly. She searched, but saw nothing. She drew in a breath shakily. Her steps echoed much louder than she preferred as she crossed the platform.

She ran her hand along the partially illuminated metal of the rail lining the rough brick walls. V concentrated on finding the person in her midst.

"I don't intend any harm." she called, more bravely than she felt. Her heart beat rapidly in her chest, causing blood to pound loudly in her ears. A shadow moved quickly past her, and she spun to see a face she had come to dread.

"But I do." V's eyes began to water as the witch before her came into focus.

"Mama." V's voice came out small and hollow. The witch removed her hood, revealing waves of dark hair surrounding an angular face. Her pale skin stretched to cover her high cheekbones and sharp chin. Deep set dark eyes were overcast by the shading of the station. The woman reached a long fingered hand toward her daughter. This simple motion brought V to her knees in rib shaking sobs. Her mother met her, wrapping her thin, robe laden arms around V's shrinking frame.

"You can't be here." V whispered, wiping her eyes as fresh tears sprang against her will.

"You know that I am, Virginia. Do my arms not feel real?" V raised her head, looking into the face of her estranged mother. An angry fire grew in her stomach.

"If you're real, why aren't you here?" V croaked. Her throat burned. Her mother hesitated. V stood abruptly, shoving her mother away.

"Virginia. You must come to me." The witch's face took on an air of malice. V backed away a step, gaining a more advantageous position. V's face hardened. She noticed a rustle behind her.

"Virginia, you must come to me." Her voice came out more harshly. V shook her head, backing away further, paying mind to the rustling that had gained in proximity and number.

"You must come to me." It was a growl now. V forced herself to push her shoulders back, and raise her head. The anger she had felt was now accompanied by a small pond of fear. The rustling became louder still, and closer. V felt the breeze off the passing of someone behind her – someones behind her. Her eyes narrowed. How many bodies were there? They passed again, brushing against her shoulders. Someone caressed her hair.

"COME TO ME." She roared, and strong hands grabbed V's arms. She yanked against them. V let out a noise of frustration, and tried to see the faces of her assailants. She was met with only white skeletal masks beneath looming hoods. Suddenly her mother was directly in front of her. She leaned forward, brushing V's hair from her face. V could feel the heat from her mother's face on her own. She cringed, and shirked away.

"You will come." came the whisper, sending shudders down V's spine. Goosebumps prickled on her arms, and the hair raised on her neck. The image of the station spun around her, encompassing her in its cold embrace. The echoes of her mother's whisper rang in her ears, overpowering all other thoughts.

XX

Virginia Langston awoke with a start, panting and sweating. She leaned over the side of her bed, parting the curtains surrounding it just in time to lose her stomach on the floor of the dormitory.

"V?" Lily's groggy voice couldn't be heard over the warning of Hera Langston. Virginia retched again. She wiped weakly at the sweat that covered her face. The spinning room around her was slowly coming into focus.

"Virginia?" Lily sounded more awake this time. V could vaguely make out Lily's face as it softened at the sight of her curled over and heaving. She ran from the room, and returned with a wet rag and a glass of water. V felt the bed sink, as Lily sat beside her, causing another round of excretion. "Here. It'll be all right."

V felt the soft rag wipe across her forehead, decreasing the heat that had been building on it. She breathed deeply. Lily gently pulled V's long hair from her face, tying it into a loose braid that fell onto her back. She patted the rest of V's face before placing the wet rag on the back of her clammy neck.

"Thank you." V croaked, reaching carefully for the water. Lily just smiled, helping Virginia take a small drink.

"Better?" Lily asked, uncharacteristically unconcerned about the mess on the floor. V nodded, sitting up. The room was still, but the feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach was present. She thought back onto the recurring dream. Maybe Hera was back. Maybe she was still alive. V closed her eyes as a wave of nausea passed. She nodded.

"I'm fine. You go back to bed. I'll clean this up." Lily nodded, although V recognized the look of disbelief behind her eyes. She didn't want to lie to Lily. They'd become close, and Virginia considered them sisters even after the short span of time that had passed since they met. Lily could read Virginia's face easily. V knew that Lily was only ignoring the obvious discontent that laced her own face. Cleaning up the mess with the wave of a wand, V found she couldn't return to sleep. This dream had seemed stronger some how, and she had never been affected so adversely.

The tall girl wrapped herself in the large soft quilt that covered her bed, and headed down to the Common Room. There was no point in sitting up in the dark. She could use the warmth of the Gryffindor Common Room to help shake the cold that raked her. V padded softly down the stairs. Her head swam with disconcerting thoughts, and she groaned inwardly. This was supposed to pass with the aid of that ludicrous potion. She didn't even notice the long form of Sirius Black sitting before the fire.

"Virginia?" he quirked a brow, but didn't seem entirely surprised by her presence. She sat beside him on the floor, offering him part of her blanket.

"Couldn't sleep." she replied, and he wrapped his own shoulders with the handmade quilt. Their shoulders rested against each other. V was very aware of the warmth Sirius gave off. Her stomach clenched, and she reminded herself to take in a breath.

"Me either." V watched as Sirius stretched his legs out to warm his feet closer to the flames. She noticed his hands were busy tearing up small sheets of slate paper, charmed to create small bursts of colorful sparks as it was lit. Sirius fitfully tore the sheet, and tossed it into the fire, generating an explosion of angry red sparks.

"You wanna talk about it?" V asked, eager for any distraction from her own thoughts. Sirius sighed, and his shoulder rubbed against V's in a welcome contact. Sirius furrowed his dark brow. V offered her hand in encouragement. He laced his fingers through her, squeezing her hand reassuringly.

"Your hand is freezing." He looked at her, almost staring through her. She blinked, unsure. "I'd rather not talk about it."

Sirius was tired. That was all there was to it. He had been struggling this week, and with no relief he found himself endlessly tired. He had been the grimacing recipient of another letter from his family. It was short. There were no details of life at home, nor were there inquiries of his state at Hogwarts. It was only three lines, and they weren't worth reading. Sirius found that his mother's refusal to engage him angered him. It was as though he wasn't worth the time of writing a meaningful, or even polite letter. He did not want to talk about this. Not with V. He found he didn't want to make her worry about him.

"Are you all right?" he asked genuinely concerned. He had heard scuffling upstairs prior to her arrival.

"Bad dreams." A hesitant silence filled the air, and Sirius shifted. V was disappointed to find the contact between them was broken. The brooding boy ripped a piece of slate gilded paper in half, offering it to her. Virginia held the paper in her hands for a moment.

"Toss it in." Sirius encouraged, throwing his own into the dying flames. Pops of orange flew from the fire. "Try it." He glanced at her, nudging her with his elbow. She made a face at him before tossing her own piece into the fire. Gray and blue sparks burst forth, fizzling quietly creating a peaceful air about them. V grinned.

"Can I have another?" V asked eagerly. Sirius returned a crooked smile, handing her another piece.

They sat for a while, tossing papers into the fire and earning explosions of color. Virginia laughed quietly, leaning into Sirius' side. He was surprised, but his chest tightened at the proximity. Sirius brought his arm around Virginia, pulling her closer to him. She sighed contentedly. Sirius leaned closer, breathing in deeply. The gentle smell of honey enticed him, tempting him closer.

His stomach clenched, and his mind drifted to his dreams from before.

He had opened his door to find a quiet, and pleasantly scantily clad Virginia before him. She had asked to come in, and he had stepped aside to let her enter the dormitory.

"How did you get up here?" he had asked, his stomach in knots at the close proximity. She looked at him coolly through her thick dark lashes. She assessed him in the most soul bending gaze he had ever been subject to. His blood ran hot, and his palms began to sweat. He couldn't remember a time, when he had been so nervous.

"I'm here. What's it matter how I made it?" her voice was alluring, a sweeter, more harmonious version of its normal tingling tones. It made Sirius' body ache.

"It doesn't." he cleared his throat, willing himself not to appear flustered. He ran his eyes over her long limbs, thin torso and soft face that held a look that made his mouth dry. Her hair was messier than usual, unkempt in a way that made him wish that he had been the one to muss it. His hands twitched at the thought. Her perfectly sculpted lips turned up in a smile that could have brought the Dark Lord himself to his knees.

"Virginia, I-" she stepped closer to him, placing a soft warm hand on his bare shoulder. He inhaled sharply. His biceps flexed as he moved his larger hand on top of hers. He reveled in the feel of her tiny hand sheltered in his. His body twitched.

"Shh." she breathed into his ear, running the fingers from her other hand through his own messy hair. She sighed, a sound Sirius wished would never end. "I love your hair..."

Sirius watched as Virginia twisted her head, bringing her mouth sinfully close to his own. Her breath tickled his lips, urging him forward. She looked up at him again calling him to her. Sirius brought his jaw forward, licking his lips at the thought of her mouth. She closed her eyes, and her mouth was so close that when her tongue darted across her lips, moistening them, he could feel it on his own mouth. He groaned.

He cleared his throat loudly, considering the possibility of kissing the girl before him. He was going to. He had to. If he didn't, he would go mad. Sirius dwelled on the thought. He considered her face again. When she had walked down the stairs, she had looked so lost, so in pain. He wanted to take that all away. But, he couldn't take advantage of her. Not like this.

Sirius laid his forehead against the top of her head, breathing in her smell.

"Can I tell you something, Sirius?" the sound of his name from her lips, made his stomach churn happily. He nodded.

"I've been having nightmares. For a while now. I know I told you that I came here, because of my papa...but that's not the entire truth. He wanted me to be safe, Sirius. I've-" she hesitated, looking up at the boy. He met her eyes, willing her forward. She found comfort in the depths of gray. "I've been sick." she whispered. Sirius tensed, but pulled her closer. He rubbed his arm up and down her soft shoulder.

"How?" he asked calmly, giving V the solidity she needed to continue.

"For a while now, since my mama went missing." V continued. "It started with amnesia. I would forget where I was or how I got there, and then it just sort of...transformed...into this horrible sickness. I get really weak, Sirius. And I lose track of everything. But, the worst part is these dreams. I-I see her. And she's calling for me, but there's someone else there, too. Someone..evil." she shuddered, burrowing deeper into Sirius' side. "It's like she needs me...she keeps telling me she's here...but I have to come to her." Virginia turned and looked up at Sirius. Her eyes traced the hard planes of his face, the furrow of his brow. They lingered on his large mouth before returning to his eyes. "I'm scared, Sirius."

It was barely audible. And Sirius felt his heart ache. Virginia was scared. She was terrified, and she didn't know why, or how, or what to do. He pulled her against him suddenly, engulfing her in his arms. She buried her face into his shoulder, sniffling.

"You don't have to be." Sirius said into her hair, pulling her tighter against him. "We-we can figure it out."

"It's not that easy." she whispered, her lips moved against his hard shoulder in small brushing movements. "I'm going to die."

Sirius hardened.

"No, V, no. You're not going to die."

"I am, Sirius. I..keep getting weaker. Papa took me to St. Mungo's and they don't what it is. They said it looks like some sort of Bonding Spell gone wrong, but that's all they know. They have me taking these potions to manage it, but they can't save me, Sirius. They don't know how to save me."

Warm tears rolled down Sirius' shoulder, and he rubbed his hands in circles on the small of her back. They stayed like that for a long time, Virginia crying quietly into his shoulder and Sirius attempting to quell her sadness. When the fire flickered out, Virginia pulled away leaving Sirius colder than he had been before. He raised a large hand, wiping the streams of tears away from her hazel eyes. She closed them, finding peace in his touch.

"I'll save you." he whispered, his mouth barely moving. V barely heard him, or thought she heard him. The corners of her mouth turned up in a small smile. Sirius leaned forward, resting his forehead against hers. He eyed her mouth, hungrily. And V found herself recalling retching in the dormitory not but a few hours earlier. Nervous butterflies flapped noisily in her stomach. Sirius moved achingly closer, bringing his mouth only a few centimeters from hers. V licked her lips.

"I wish you could." she said, turning away. She stood, and gathered her blanket with her. "Good night, Sirius."

Sirius watched her walk back toward her dormitory. His heart ached for her. He would save her, if he could, if she wanted him to. There was never a challenge he hadn't met before. And he knew he wouldn't be able to live with himself, if he didn't meet this one.

"Sweet dreams." he called quietly after she had already closed the wooden door of the girls' dorm.

XX

"V, I don't see why we can't go to Hogsmeade some other weekend." Lily whined, pulling her brown jacket closer against her stomach. It was unusually chilly for early October, and Virginia had insisted that she and the Marauders join her for a trip to the small village.

"Lily, this isn't just any old trip to Hogsmeade!" Virginia scoffed, "This trip is special."

"Especially cold." James muttered, wishing he had brought his scarf and gloves instead of trying to appear more masculine for Lily by going without. He walked beside her wishing he could grab her hand as she tucked it into her pocket.

"Knock it off, Prongs. It is important that we come out today." Remus said from beside V, who grinned enthusiastically at the support. "Everyone could use a break from studying. Even me."

"Thank you, Remus, you always were my favorite." He blushed at the compliment. Virginia was always throwing offhand compliments his way. She had noticed he seemed less confident than the other boys, and she was working to remedy that.

"After all, Prongs, it's getting close to Halloween. Prime season, if you ask me." Sirius winked at the messy haired boy, speeding up to catch the group. He had been held over at the castle, getting stopped by Regulus and his charming attitude for a moment.

"Ah, yes! Time to restock." James agreed, gaining cheer. Lily shivered beside him, and he stepped closer. "Y'know, Evans, I'd be happy to give an arm to stop the cold."

Lily sighed and frowned at the boy, although she smiled inwardly pleased at the attention Potter always paid to her.

"Not in your lifetime, Potter."

"One day you'll be begging for me, and I won't be there." He teased.

"Please, James, you'll always be waiting for her." V snorted, leading the group toward the Three Broomsticks. "Coco time!"

The group spent the day roaming the breezy streets, and dodging between groups of mingling students. James and Sirius picked up copious amounts of concealed gags from Zonko's while Lily and Remus emptied the small book section of Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop. V followed along, content to be surrounded by the group while Peter latched on to James' side.

At the end of the month, the boys were planning a costume party in the Common Room, and V was ecstatic for a reason to find a costume. The importance of going on this Hogsmeade trip was primarily to get the guys out of Hogwarts. The gang had become bogged down with classwork, and its members were beginning to snap at each other in frustration. Virginia was hoping to cool them off by taking their minds off the upcoming due dates, and it seemed to be working.

"Fancy a stop at Hog's Head?" Sirius asked, stopping outside the rickety bar. Prongs grinned.

"You know we can't go in there, Sirius." Lily scolded, "We're not of age."

"Ah, but we have our ways." James removed the tail of a piece of glimmering fabric from the inside of his jacket, grinning cockily.

"Come on, Lil, have some fun." Remus' face settled into reluctant approval, and Peter nodded eagerly pleading with the redhead.

"I don't know..." she pondered, looking at V for back-up. She was disappointed to find V looking longingly at the bar. "Fine. Let's go."

The boys let out a victorious cry before James pulled the cloak over himself.

"How are we supposed to get in?" V asked, watching as James disappeared from view.

"I'll let you in the back once I get through." said the bodiless voice. The door opened with no visible prompting as the group of teens moved around the back of the building.

"He's not coming back, you know." Lily asserted after a few minutes of waiting. V and Sirius had begun a hand game of slaps that she was teaching him. He held his hands over hers nervously as she twitched hers beneath until he pulled his away. After a few instances of this, she successfully slapped his. Earning a look of faux hurt as they switched places. Peter had taken a seat on the ground leaning against the worn brick, while Remus was observing various plants that lined the wall.

"We've been waiting out here forever. That's just like him to abandon us for his own pleasure."

"Relax, Lil, I'm sure he's just waiting for the opportune moment-" V squeaked at the end as Sirius brought his hands down on her in a loud smack. She rubbed her hands together, sticking her pink tongue out at him. He grinned wolfishly.

"I'm sure V's right." Remus agreed, flipping over a hexagonal leaf with small white fluff along the edges. He ran it between his fingers. The texture was that of a cat's tongue. Lily huffed, folding her arms over her chest.

"It's too cold to be kept waiting. Besides, I have an essay for Transfiguration due on Monday. I don't have time for this." She turned looking toward the path to the castle.

"Give him five minutes." Sirius said, glancing toward the back door. If Prongs wasn't here yet, he was sure there was a good reason for it. Lily settled onto a large rock near the tan stone of the street.

"Five minutes." she agreed.

Twenty minutes later the door creaked open, revealing the toe of James red muggle shoes. The white toe cap nudged the door forward, and the glistening fabric of his cloak rustled around his ankles. Converse is what V remembered him calling them.

"It's about time, Prongs." Remus muttered. "We were about to leave you."

"I'm still leaving." Lily griped, angry at the snub of being kept waiting. James pulled the cloak off after shutting the door. His face was paler than usual and his eyes wide.

"We have to get back to Hogwarts." he said, the somberness in his voice catching everyone's attention. He ruffled his hair.

"What's going on?" Sirius asked seriously.

"He's back. And he's gathering followers." James replied, walking toward the path to the castle. "I don't think we should be here. There were students in there – Slytherins, mostly, I reckon – they were being recruited."

Sirius frowned. "Who was in there, Prongs? Who were they talking to?"

"Some witch." he looked at their faces, hesitating on V's. "She looked a bit like you actually."

V swallowed hard.

XX