A/N: Very, very sorry for this late, late, late update! I'm also going to warn you beforehand that the space between updates will likely increase, now that I'm in high school. GATE program, IPP program, IB program and high school life in general takes up quite a bit of time. SO, apologies ahead of time! Enjoy this long-awaited chapter!

CHAPTER FIFTEEN:

When the Prankster Becomes the Pranked (Well, Kinda…)

"I love you!" Leona screamed, "I tried to make you see it, but when you didn't, I had no choice!"

Sirius should have run, he should have bolted for the door the moment he regained control of his brain, but he didn't. He remained rooted to the spot as Leona let out a cry of anguish.

"Ever since first-year, when I first saw you," said Leona quietly, sitting on the couch. She placed her hands on her lap, as though she were about to be scolded. "I knew I loved you. And I knew that when I first saw you smile at me during the Sorting Feast in our first-year, I knew I couldn't live without you. But then I saw her," she hissed, speaking as if 'she' was a hideous beast, "and I knew I would never have you."

"Her?" said Sirius weakly, "Who's her?"

"Don't talk as if you don't know, dumbass!" Leona screamed, suddenly wild, "Her! It was all her fault! If it hadn't been for her, you'd be mine! Mine! I love you more than she could ever!"

"What the bloody hell are you talking about?" said Sirius, backing away two steps. Part of him would very much like to punch the daylights out of her (even though he wasn't one who usually hit girls), and another part of him wanted to hear her confession. In the end, the latter won.

Leona rubbed her jaw tenderly, sore and bruised from where Natalia had punched her minutes before. She seemed to ignore what Sirius had said. "So I started to follow her, learn how she behaved," she continued softly, "I wanted to know everything she did. I even," she said with a twisted smile, "Managed to get her look. But her smile, her damned smile!" she shrieked, again, throwing Sirius off guard. Again.

She was a raving mad lunatic.

"The smile took me years! Years!" she said hysterically, "God! Do you know how many times I stood over her bed at night, wanting to strangle her with my bare arms? Do you know? But no..." she said, her voice dropping into a whisper, "That would bring my dear Sirius sorrow, and I couldn't do that to him, oh no... especially, when he finally asked me out. It seemed as though all my work had paid off... except..."

Sirius had officially classified the girl as a nutcase. "What the hell are you talking about?" he demanded, "Who's this girl you keep talking about?"

Leona locked eyes with him; blue against gray.

"Don't try and tell me you don't know," she whispered, "Of course you know who I'm talking about. Tell me, Sirius, who do I look like?"

Sirius' answer was instant. "Nat." The resemblance between her and Leona was uncanny, except for a few deliberate features. He had always assumed it was coicidental genes, but with Leona's question... "But... you couldn't have used Polyjuice Potion... you don't look exactly like her..."

Leona laughed a hollow laugh.

"Oh, that'd be too easy... everyone would know," she said, "But I was gifted. I was gifted so I'd never have to use Polyjuice Potion... of anything of that kind, for that matter." She stood up, a twisted smile on her face. Slowly, her face began changing shape, and her hair took on a different color.
Sirius couldn't believe what he was seeing.

He was looking at the real Leona Park for the first time. And she looked nothing like herself.

"Professor McGonagall's what?"

"I'm sorry, Lily, but I'm afraid she is," squeaked Professor Flitwick apologetically, "Apparently Professor Dumbledore had something to talk to her about in his office. Now, whatever you need to talk about, I'm sure it can wait until tomorrow. You'd better be off on your Head Duties now." With a farewell wave, he skittered away.

"But..." said Lily, watching Professor Flitwick, "It can't wait." Her emerald eyes flashed with determination as she marched up into the direction that she knew was Professor Dumbledore's office. She found herself staring at an ugly gargoyle that was blocking her way.

Password. I need a password... How am I supposed to know what the blooming password is? Lily thought incredulously herself, glaring at the gargoyle.

"Headmaster?" she guessed, "Gryffindor?"

The gargoyle remained stationary.

"Phoenix," said Lily, recalling a rumor that Dumbledore owned such a bird, "Albus? God, I don't have time for this!" She kicked the gargoyle uselessly, wincing when she unwisely stubbed her toe. "Let me in! Reducto!"

The spell bounced off the gargoyle and Lily had to duck in order to prevent herself from being blasted away. She was still kneeled on the floor when the walls slowly split open.

"My, my, visitors at this time of night?" said Dumbledore pleasantly, "Minerva was just leaving."

Professor McGonagall stood at his right, looking appropriately puzzled.

"Professor!" Lily leapt to her feet, grasping both of them by the hands, "You've got to come with me! Leona Park, she - she's got Sirius drugged with Love Potion! Here!" she thrust a bottle of perfume at the two professors. Dumbledore's face went grave as he carefully inspected the perfume bottle.

"You are sure this came from Miss Park's possession?" asked Dumbledore quietly.

Lily nodded furiously. "I swear to God! She's got bottles and bottles of these, each with different concentration levels! She's been drugging Sirius to the point where he's completely lost his sanity!"
Professor McGonagall's face went hard and her fists were clenched. "Show us the way, Miss Evans," she said, "Show us where Park is!"

Almost immediately, Lily's face went pale. She had no idea where the two were. "Erm, I don't really know..."

"I know where they are," said Natalia suddenly, popping beside Lily.

Lily nearly fell over from fright. "Where did you come from?" she demanded, trying to catch her breath, "What are you doing here?"

"Questions later, Miss Evans," said Dumbledore gently, "Now, Natalia, you say you know where Leona Park is...?"

(A/N: Little does Lily know, that her own son would stub his toe trying to get to the office of his headmaster over ten years later... I love subtle irony.)

"You would have never noticed me if I looked like this, would you?" said Leona, smiling like a senile feline. Sirius could only stand there, gaped-mouth.

Leona's black, shiny hair had turned into thin strands of light brown that hung limply a few inches below her ears. Her face was thin and long, with large, bulging brown eyes and an unhealthy complexion. Blemishes and pimples littered across her face, and there was an unsightly mole right below her left eye.

"How... how did you..."

Leona smiled placidly. "I'm a Metamorphmagus," she admitted, "I can change my appearance to anything I please. Of course, I had to change what Lynx looked like," she reverted back to her previous, faux faade, "for obvious reasons."

"But... I don't like Nat..." protested Sirius, starting to get dizzy from this entire situation. Leona's look was one of fury.

"To hell you don't!" she shrieked, "You've never seen the way you look at her like I have! It kills me, Sirius, it kills me! I wasn't good enough for you, I wasn't, so I had to do more. Slughorn worships my potion-making skills, he didn't even question when I wanted to borrow his classroom for extra work! Amortentia was the key; the only way I could ensure you were mine! But - but she had to get in the way! Sirius, am I not pretty enough for you?" she cried, "I can change! I can change!" A mirror image of Lily Evans stood in her place.

"Shit! I'm getting out of here!" Sirius shouted, finally bolting for the door.

"No!" Leona shouted, her almond-shaped, green eyes shining with tears, "Come back! I love you! Sirius, I need you! I'll - I'll even control you if I have to, as long as you'll love me! Imperio!" The spell narrowly missed him as she ran after Sirius. But something made her stop halfway to the door.

"I think," said Albus Dumbledore quietly, stepping into the room, "This has gone far enough."

"Oh my God... is that me?" said Lily, looking stunned, staring at Leona, "What the..."

"Minerva," said Dumbledore, turning to the stony woman, whose face had taken on a disgusted expression, "I believe you can take it from here. I must call the parents of Leona and inform them of her doings."

"You can't!" said Leona, recovering from her shock. She threw her head back and laughed wildly.

"They died a year ago! I'm an orphan! Who are you going to call this time? I have no parents!"

"Nat!" Sirius found a familiar dark-haired girl with blue eyes, "There you are!"

"No!" Leona gnashed her teeth, "Not her!"

Dumbledore turned around. "In that case, I will call the orphanage of where you have been staying during the holidays. Minerva," he nodded at her, and Professor McGonagall regained her composure. She glared at Leona and in seconds, had her bound by ropes.

"We will take Sirius to the Hospital Wing, goodness knows what he's been through," she said authoritatively, "As for you," she turned to Leona, "I can guarantee your expulsion from this school, Miss Park." She observed the large, swollen bruise on Leona's cheek, and looked at Sirius.

"I can see how angry you must have been with Leona, Sirius, but I never knew you were one to hit girls," she said, looking slightly disapproving.

Sirius stared in shock. "What? No - I didn't - I mean, I wanted to, but -"

"I did, Professor," said Natalia evenly as she stepped forward, "But it felt good, after what she's done to Sirius for the past seven months."

"Oh, Nat," Lily sighed, "Why?"

"Unfortunately, Lynx," said McGonagall, looking at Park with the greatest dislike, "I cannot go by your word, as I was not there to witness it. Therefore, there's no proof that you did it, and nothing I can do about it."

Natalia widened her eyes in pleasant surprise, but Leona screeched from her ropes.

"WHAT? She bloody punched me! Damn you, Lynx!" she glared at Natalia, "I swear, I'll get you for this! You took Sirius away from me! Just watch yourself, because when I find you, I'm going to slit your throat and -"

She fell suddenly unconscious.

"Nat!" Lily gasped.

Natalia uncurled her fist and stared at the unconscious Leona. "Bad reflex," she said, shrugging.

"You'd better get some ice on that hand, Natalia," said McGonagall coolly, "And you're lucky I didn't see anything, otherwise you'd be in deep trouble as well. You and Lily may accompany Mr. Black to the Hospital Wing while I take care of Leona."

Natalia stared at her in disbelief, before nodding her head slowly. Professor McGonagall began walking away.

"Wait!" Sirius suddenly called. McGonagall turned around, with Leona hovering gently in the air.

"What is it?" she asked, sounding impatient.

"Can I punch her too?" asked Sirius hopefully.

Natalia disguised her snort as a sudden cough.

"She's not a punching bag!" Lily snapped, "Let's just go to the Hospital Wing!" She grabbed Sirius' arm and dragged him down the corridor, with Natalia following behind, a grin on her face.
It was nice to have him back.

"He's going to be okay, isn't he?" asked Malia as Sirius rose from the hospital bed, "I mean, he's not going to like, die, right?" Two days later, everyone cluttered around his bed, waiting for Madam Pomfrey's diagnosis.

"Goodness, no," said Madam Pomfrey, "He has just been under the effects of Amortentia for a very long time, and it will take some time for him to recover. Normally, I would keep him in the Hospital Wing until he fully healed, but it is too near exams. He oughtn't succumb to his old symptoms, unless he's exposed to the scent of Amortentia. But that could be anything."

"Well, whatever you smelled, Padfoot, you're avoiding it like a flatulent troll," said James, laughing, "It's really good to have you back to normal."

"As touching as this reunion is," said Madam Pomfrey, gently cutting in, "I have patients. The Amortentia has not been completely flushed out of Sirius' system, so you be careful now," she directed her gaze to Sirius, "Don't go falling for anymore of those kinds of girls."

James snorted as Madam Pomfrey ushered them all out of the Hospital Wing.

Natalia grinned at Sirius. "Good to have you back as well, mate," she said, laughing.

"Thanks," he said weakly, "I'm - I'm sorry again for punching you, Nat."

"Not a problem," she said, scrutinizing him carefully, "Just... you've got something on your face there..."

"What, where?"

"Oh, let me get it off," she grinned, pulling her arm back. By the time Sirius saw that her fist was clenched and it was hurtling towards his face, it was too late. He landed on the ground, with Natalia grinning at him and the others in stunned shock.

"Now we're even," she winked as Sirius groaned in pain. "Oh, stop being such a wimp," she scolded, "I doubt that's even going to bruise your face."

It was wise that Sirius didn't comment on this.

"So... what happened while I was out?" said Sirius as Remus pulled him up and they made their way back to the common room, "What did I miss?"

"You missed Slug Club," said Lily grimly, "It was an Easter party. Professor Slughorn wanted us to go around the grounds and find some ridiculously colored eggs."

"They were chocolate!" James added, grinning, "And I Summoned them and ate them all. Which was against the rules, by the way," he remarked thoughtfully.

"Aside from that, you missed one Quidditch game, two full moons and several near-death accidents because me," said Natalia plainly, grinning at Remus, who was demanding James as to why he didn't share any of the chocolate eggs with him.

Sirius immediately looked shocked. "Natalia! Malia, she -"

"Don't worry, don't worry, I got her under control," said Malia, rolling her eyes, "Geez, no need to get so uptight."

"What?"

"Yeah," said Remus sheepishly as he put his arm around Malia's shoulder, "She Stunned James and everything."

Sirius stared at Malia, then at Remus, before turning to his friends in utter confusion.

"See what happens when you're too busy snogging a mentally unstable Metamorphmagus?" Natalia laughed as she punched Sirius lightly on the shoulder.

"But -"

"I know!" said James excitedly, "Slytherin won that Quidditch game! Gryffindor still has a chance!"

Lily laughed. "I don't think that's what Sirius was getting at, James."

James shrugged. "Just thought he had to know, anyhow," he said, grinning.

Chapter End Notes: In case you're wondering whatever happens to Leona, she's been diagnosed with a severe mental disorder. Professor Dumbledore managed to talk St. Mungo's into accepting her and putting her on high security, special treatment ward instead of sending her to a normal Muggle hospital. This was because Leona was a Metamorphmagus, and could easily escape from the Muggle hospital, where she could very well bring harm to others and to herself.
You know... maybe.