Note: This chapter is really short and hardly up to par in my opinion, butttt I've hit a huge motivation slump and can't seem to think of how to fill in the blanks between here and where the story is going. i just wanted you all to have something to read. So please do not judge this one too harshly. It is not my best work. But enjoy anyways!

XxXxX

Aly left the hospital wing two days later. Sirius had offered to assist her in this endeavor, since she hadn't walked any further than about 30 feet away from her bed, but her father insisted on walking her back to the Gryffindor tower. She walked much faster than the headmaster had anticipated or would have liked. This was mostly due to the fact that he spent the entire walk pressing that she should venture out and meet new people. It took all of Aly's will to bite her tongue and say nothing.

As they turned the corner, they saw Remus standing awkwardly outside of the portrait hole.

"Hey!" Aly nearly yelled. She hugged his more tightly then he had anticipated and he gasped.

"Let me breathe, Aly," Remus mumbled.

"Sorry," she said releasing him. "I just haven't seen you in years."

"It's only been like 10 days," Remus said.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Lupin," Dumbledore greeted. He clearly relieved to see that it was Remus standing there and not someone else.

"Hello, sir," Remus greeted.

"Well, I'll see you 'round," Aly said happily to her father, grabbing Remus and pulling him into the tower.

"Alyson," Dumbledore called.

She stopped and turned around to face him. "Yes?" she asked in an overly sweet voice.

"Please take into consideration what I said. Alright?"

Aly curled in her lips and nodded.

A loud noise came around the corner followed by the appearance of James and Sirius.

"ALY!" they both yelled in happy unison.

They made their way towards them, stiffening up and mumbling, "Hello, Headmaster," as they passed him.

"You look great!" Sirius exclaimed.

"Yeah. You should fall down a flight of stairs more often," James offered.

Dumbledore did not look as amused as the two boys and Aly did. Remus frowned at the remark as well.

As the two boys ushered her through the portrait hole, Remus turned to Dumbledore. "I'll make sure they don't roughhouse her, sir," Remus promised a deeply disturbed looking headmaster.

He nodded, not looking a bit reassured.

XxXxX

"What's wrong?" Remus asked Aly.

She had sighed loudly from a nearby couch. She had started spend almost of all of her time with the Marauders, but she refused to align herself in any of their pranks.

"I miss Lily," she mumbled honestly. She had learned rather quickly that at least one, if not all of them, would see through her lies.

"Where is she?" James asked perking up at the sound of her name as usual.

"I dunno. Hufflepuff house probably," Aly shrugged.

She hadn't talked to Lily since she had left the hospital wing. There was never a clear line drawn in the sand, but it was clear which side Lily had taken. She was never far from Amos' side and Aly was never far from the Marauders.

Logan had taken to following her around, but not in a menacing way. He was clearly working for her father. The teachers seemed to be keeping a really close eye on her as well.

The first time she had taken the stairs to dinner had been quite an adventure for her. Luckily, she had managed to put on a brave face for all of those watching. She was pretty sure only Sirius knew just how terrified she had been, and that was only because she had told him.

She had done just as Sirius predicted and caught up on all of her work. She had little physical damage left on her body. There were a few minor bruises that stubbornly remained on her ribs and legs and one nasty one on the side of her face. The psychological damage had yet to take its toll. Sirius and Remus pushed her to open up and talk about it, but they always got the same answer. "There's nothing to tell. It's in the past." Still, they brought it up every day.

"I'm gonna go for a walk," Aly announced and stood. This was to avoid the inevitable integration that followed her trying to leave the tower unescorted. The boys shared a glance as Aly stood waiting to see who would be the lucky winner and it appeared to be Sirius. He stood and said, "I think I'll go for a walk too. Much too stiff from sitting. Care if I join you?"

"It wouldn't make a difference if I said I did, would it?"

"Nope," he said heading to the portrait.

Aly sighed heavily and followed him.

"Where too?" he asked.

"I dunno," Aly mumbled.

They walked around aimlessly. Aly with her head down, feeling slightly miserable, and Sirius with his hands in his pockets and his head pointed up towards the ceiling.

"Don't you get tired of this?" Aly asked.

"Tired of what?" he replied, looking at her.

"This charade we put on."

"Charade?" His brow furrowed.

"All of you acting like your not following me around-- you, the teachers, Logan, the portraits---"

"Wait." He had stopped walking with her.

"What?" She turned to look at him. There was a good 20 feet gap between them.

"Logan's watching you?" he asked. Aly could tell he was trying to stay collected.

"Yeah. I'm almost a 100% positive he's doing it for my dad," Aly told him. "You didn't know?"

"Why would I know?"

"Well, Remus, James, and Peter have seen him watching us. I just figured they passed word onto you." Aly tilted her head to study him. "Are you alright?"

He seemed to be struggling with himself. He bit down on one of his cheeks and took a deep breathe. "I'm fine. I just didn't know," he said.

"It's not a big deal, Sirius. He's just looking out for me too. You have nothing to worry abo--"

He had moved so quickly she didn't see him move until he was in her face. He starred down at her. She felt herself slip into his brown eyes. "I had nothing to worry about before remember. Then I found you at the bottom of the stairs."

"You?" she whispered, too afraid to speak much louder.

He merely nodded. "I never want to see you like that again. Ever." He breathed. She closed her eyes and took in his scent.

His hands were gently around her arms. "I will kill him if he ever touches you again."

"Don't be over dramatic," she playfully teased.

"I won't let that happen again," he promised.

With a ping, Sirius was thrown backwards from her.

Aly whipped around. Amos stood wand out. Lily stood next to him glaring at Sirius.

Aly let out an inner groan and ran over towards the form that was Sirius on the ground.

"Sirius," Aly put her hand on him. His eyelids were open, but his eyes were rolled back into his head, and he was laying perfectly still. Amos' wand was still up and pointed at him. "Stop it!" Aly screeched.

When he didn't, Aly screamed, "NOW!"

Still he didn't let up, and Aly's wand appeared. "Confringo!"

Amos instantly burst into flames. Sirius' eyes rolled back to where they belonged.

Aly leaned over him, splashing small bits of water from her wand onto his face. Lily was using the same charm but in much bigger jets. Amos was smoking, but seemingly unharmed once Lily got the flames out. Sirius, on the other hand, laid completely still with all of his color gone.

"What did you do to him?" Aly yelled.

Amos was too angry to speak. Sirius opened his eyes and gargled and coughed.

"Are you alright?" Aly leaned over him, her hair cascading down around his face.

He spit out some water that must've gotten into his airway when Aly was spritzing him.

Aly moved to help him sit up and pushed her hair behind her ear, exposing her face bruise. Lily made a slight gasp.

"Amos, leave," Aly ordered.

"Make me," he huffed.

"Oh, I will," Aly said starting back up, her wand ready. Sirius grabbed her elbow and pulled her back down.

"Don't touch her!" Lily yelled.

All three of the other people looked at her startled.

"Do you see what he did to her face?" Lily asked Amos pointing at Aly's face.

"What did you do?" Aly asked grabbing at her skin.

"Nothing," Sirius said quietly. His eyes still not focused completely. "She's talking about your bruise."

"It's from my fall," Aly told her, standing up.

"Riight. You spend a lot of time with the people who may be responsible for your fall," Lily snapped.

"What are you talking about?" Sirius asked. "You said yourself that we were eating with you when it happened."

Lily rolled her eyes. "I'm sure you had something to do with it, Black."

Sirius moved like Lily had struck him.

"You're always the cause of Logan and Aly's fights."

"If you wanna get technical, Lily," Aly cut Sirius off. He had started to open his mouth to say something. "You were the reason for my fall. I was looking for you so I went to find Amos and I ran into Logan."

"Well, it's kinda Dickory's fault then, isn't it?" Sirius asked. "Forcing himself on a 5th year and poppin her cherry."

Aly sent him a look for using that vulgar term, but it seemed to do it's job.

"You told them?" he hissed at Lily.

"Just Aly," Lily exclaimed.

Amos stood studying the two before them. He finally nodded once and said, "The headmaster will hear about this."

"Yes he will," Aly replied darkly.

Amos sniffed and left. Lily turned to follow him.

"Lily, don't go," Aly pleaded.

She hesitated.

Amos asked Lily, "She told him a secret you told her. Is that a friend?"

Lily's eyes set in anger and followed her boyfriend.

Aly felt her heartbreak a little.

"Help up, please." Sirius' hand was near her hip. She grabbed it and heaved him up.

"Are you alright?" she asked him.

"Yeah. You?"

"I'm ---" she merely shrugged.

"Let's go the kitchens and get some sweets," he suggested.

"Do we need to make a stop at the hospital wing first?"

"Only if you shot that charm at me," he joked. "That was so badass!"

Aly smiled. She might just have to start living her life like a badass.