Hey all! Sorry this took so long. With Christmas, I figured that I'd have this done by New Years, buuttt I got sick, and Aly managed to get put on the back burner. So, your forgiveness please.

XxXxX

Throughout the next few days, Aly seemed to be living a double life. By day, she spent her time with the Marauders like usual, watching Sirius flirt with girls. By night, she was the center of Sirius' attention. She had to work very hard to keep her feelings to herself when it came to watching him. He may have sworn off hooking up with females, but in order to keep everyone else in the dark, Sirius had to keep up his wandering eyes. Aly did worry that his eyes may lead his hands to wander, but she took comfort in the fact that Sirius was usually never alone being either with the Marauders or her.

After all the other Marauders would go up to bed, he would find his way over to her, wherever she would be sitting in the common room. If there were others still up, he'd simply come sit with her. He would hold her hand underneath the table while she continued to do whatever it was she was working on.

If they were the only ones left, they'd take the couch in front of the fire place. There he'd take to cuddling her, petting her, and kissing her. She enjoyed their time alone, but the late nights were making her exhausted and easily irritable. So it was only a matter of time until something made her snap.

One day, after lunch, she stood at the top of the Great Hall staircase contemplating whether or not to skip her next class and go take a nap. She stood behind the banister (she never hovered anywhere near the open part anymore) overlooking the going ons below her. Giggling found its way to her ears, and she looked to see that it was some Hufflepuff girls. They looked to be about third years, and they were all focused on one thing: Sirius.

Aly watched as one girl took the front, touching Sirius on the arm as he flashed her one of his signature smiles. He winked before walking away. Aly didn't watch where he went. Her eyes were targeted in on that one girl, who Aly mentally decided was the fat one of the group. As the girls were walking up the stairs, Aly heard the fat one say, "We're gonna meet up later."

"Oh, you are so lucky," one of her friends squealed.

A flash of light zoomed across the room.

The girls all let out screams; one worse than the rest. The fat Hufflepuff now stood bald.

Aly looked down and realized that it was from her wand that the spell was expelled from. She stowed her wand away quickly, and she made her way to her next class. With a look back, a smile spread widely across her face.

She got to the classroom and put her head down on her arms. She must've dozed off because someone was poking her hard on the forehead.

She mumbled incoherently, swatting her hand at whoever it was.

"Aly, I need to talk to you."

It was guy's voice.

"Whutzup?" Aly mumbled pulling her head up. She rubbed her eye. She had fallen asleep on it weird.

She caught sight of Amos out of her good eye.

"What do you want?" she snapped.

He didn't look phased by her response.

"It's about Lily," Amos started.

"Get out of here, Dickory," James said brusquely coming into the room.

"Leave," Sirius barked.

Amos had no chance to tell Aly what about Lily had brought him to her as he was pulled out of the room by a spell. Aly jumped up and followed him though. To her surprise, she was brought face to face with Logan who was waiting for him.

She sent him a glance of confusion and then turned to Amos, "What about Lily?"

The boys had followed her and now stood in the doorway. They all looked ready to attack.

"She went home," Amos said sadly.

"Why?"

McGonagall's voice filled the hallway. "Off to your classes."

The boys were pushed back into the classroom, and then she turned to face the two Hufflepuffs and Aly. "Go," she ordered.

"Her mom," Amos said over his shoulder as the professor ushered them off.

Aly's heart dropped.

"Come along, Miss Dumbledore," McGonagall said directing her into the room.

Aly moved as directed but moved up towards the desk in front of the room. "Professor, I need to go speak to the headmaster, please."

McGonagall stared at her and said, "You will just have to wait til after class."

"Please, Professor. It's urgent."

McGonagall pursed her lips and said, "Miss Dumbledore, remember your place. I am the teacher, and you do not have the authority to question me. I will have to take disciplinary action if you do it again."

Aly looked at her and realized what she was saying. "I'll question you if I want," she said loudly.

She felt the eyes of the room turn to her.

"Miss Dumbledore," McGonagall said harshly. "Take your seat, and be quiet."

"No," Aly snapped back.

"Aly," Sirius whispered from somewhere behind her in what sounded like fear.

"That's it. To the headmaster's office. Now." McGonagall's lips where gone, but Aly saw a smile in her eyes.

She mouthed a "Thank you" and grabbed her book bag and was gone.

She sprinted up the stairwell to her father's office and found Logan and Amos there already talking to her father.

"What's going on?" Aly asked breathless.

All three of them looked at her sadly.

"Mrs. Evans was taken to the hospital very early this morning," her father said.

Aly's bag dropped with a thud.

"We're waiting on any sort of update," he said. "And as I was telling these two gentlemen, Aly, all we can do is wait. So I want you all to go back to class."

Logan took a step forward, mouth open, and Dumbledore said, "Except, of course, you, Mr. Trentecost."

Aly sighed.

"I promise, Aly, that you'll be the first to know when I hear something," Dumbledore promised.

Aly nodded, grabbed her bag, and went back to Transfiguration. She sank back into the seat she had fallen asleep in earlier.

Professor McGonagall said nothing to her but sent her a glance of concern. Aly pulled out paper and took down the notes written on the board in the front of the room.

She was having trouble concentrating and was rereading the third step of the spell off the board when Logan entered the room. He handed Professor McGonagall a slip of paper and looked at Aly. Her breath had caught, and she had dropped her quill. She jumped up and rushed forward.

"What's going on? I just left…" she started, but the look on Logan's face stopped her.

"News came just after you and Amos left," he told her.

Aly's head and eyes turned towards the note in the professor's hand.

Logan leaned in and whispered into her hair, "She's gone."

Aly's heart stopped for a brief moment and then went into overdrive.

"I didn't even realize that she was that bad," Aly whispered.

Professor McGonagall looked at her, eyes wetting slightly, and said, "You are dismissed from the rest of class."

Aly nodded, her mind racing but empty all at the same time, and left aimlessly. At least three set of eyes were on her.

"I'll follow her. Make sure she gets back okay," Logan told the professor.

McGonagall frowned at this and instructed him, "Come back here once she's back to the Gryffindor tower so I know she made it back okay."

He nodded and started toward to door. "And Mr. Trentecost," McGonagall called, "Try to avoid stairs, please."

He scowled at this remark and walked out of the room with more stomping than necessary.

XxXxX

"Anyone seen Aly lately?"

"Nope."

Aly was making her way down to the common room. When she had gotten back to the tower after Logan's news, (she had noticed him following her but didn't stop to let him catch up) she collapsed on her bed, exhaustion finally taking over, and slept for 14 hours straight. When she woke, she had taken a two hour shower and, after realizing that she couldn't drown herself in an open stall, got out and went back to bed. She had stayed there until the day of the funeral, having lost all need for food or contact with people. Fawkes had delivered the details of her leaving the school for the funeral.

She had dressed in all black, curls down, and made her way to the common room where she was to meet her father. She saw that the Marauders were sitting at their usual table. "Hey," Remus called to her as she appeared.

She smiled weakly but didn't make her way over to them. She wasn't sure how she would react to seeing happy, whole people. Plus, she wasn't sure if they knew yet and didn't want to be the one to tell them.

The fire erupted, and her father appeared out of it. "It works," he smiled.

She nodded to show she had heard him, but said nothing more.

His smile faded, and he came forward. "Are you sure you don't want me to go with you?"

She nodded.

He frowned at her nonverbal communication and pressed further, "Are you sure you don't want to take anyone with you?"

Aly saw Sirius shift out of the corner of her eye.

She sighed, and he took that as her answer. "Through here. Say 'The Evans' House' and you'll arrive."

She nodded and stepped into the flames. With a swirl of fire, she arrived at the home. Lily rushed forward and pulled her into a bone crushing hug. Aly was thrown off by her sudden attention. Aly couldn't tell if Lily had been crying or started upon hugging her, but she did know that her shoulder was becoming very wet, very quick.

"I'm so sorry," Lily wailed. "About everything. I was just so upset and hurt and then I didn't tell you, and now she's, and you can't, and . . . I'M SORRY!"

Aly patted Lily on the back, still completely thrown off by her grasp.

Amos appeared and rescued Aly from Lily's arms. Logan was with him again.

"Hey," he greeted Aly.

She merely looked at him before turning to look around at the filled living room. There were a few people floating around the room, and she didn't recognize any of them. However, all of them had features similar to Lily's. Petunia was standing in the corner with a rather unattractive male. Aly assumed that he was her boyfriend. She looked almost as distraught as Lily. Mr. Evans was sitting on the couch, surrounded by two rather fierce looking females, completely zoned out. Aly watched his face, waiting for him to blink, but it never came.

The trip to the cemetery was a quiet one. Lily insisted that Aly ride in the family car. Amos and Logan rode with them as well since they had no other transportation. Petunia wore a look of disgust as she realized that she was outnumbered by magical beings.

The sun shined brightly down on them as they stood around the open ground. Aly felt her heart, which had been squeezed tightly since she had first been told that Lily had left school, finally release. The tears that she had been forcing in spilled out. Lily had one arm wrapped around her dad's and her other wrapped around Aly's. Amos stood behind her and as Logan stepped up next to him, Aly moved forward as much as possible.

As the preacher spoke to the crowd, Aly felt the sun begin to heat up her black clothing. While the family was left to have a private moment, Logan took the chance to speak to Aly. "How have you been?" he ventured. "Besides the last few days obviously."

Aly was much too overcome with the loss she was finally feeling to ignore him. "Tired."

"Why?" Logan asked.

"Staying up til 3 every night will do that to you."

"Why not go to bed earlier?"

Aly shook her head, "I might have to start doing that."

The family made their way up to the crowd, and everyone made their way back to the Evan's home. Once there, all of the people filled the tiny house. All of the nonmuggles found their way to Lily's bedroom. Aly sipped on a can of coke as she watched Lily stand in the corner and stare out the window. The four of them all sat in the silence for the duration of Aly's coke.

She finished and swished around the few droppings left in the bottom of can as Petunia came bursting into the room. "Aunt Claira wants you," she barked.

Lily sighed heavily. She followed her sister out of the room and the others followed.

The kitchen, where Petunia lead them, was overcrowded with older women. All kinds of pots were going and the oven was filled. Aly felt her head swim as the heat from afternoon that still lingered on her body mixed with the heat of the kitchen. She stood next to Lily as she talked to her aunt, but her ears began to buzz. She mumbled that she needed some air and pushed her way into the dining room. It wasn't any less crowded or cooler there. She made her way towards the front door, but fell short, landing on the floor, feeling on fire, everything going black. She felt cold water on her face.

"Aly?" Lily was very close to her. Aly's ears were still buzzing.

"Air," Aly mumbled.

Someone lifted her, and she felt the cool air of outside. Logan placed her on the front step and handed her a bottle of water.

"Thanks," she said taking a sip.

Logan stood behind her as she cooled down. She heard the door open and whispers be exchanged.

"Let's go," Logan said swooping her back up into his arms. Aly kicked her legs as he pushed back into crowded family room.

"Put me down," she insisted.

"The fireplace is ready," Aly heard Lily say.

Logan squeezed into the magically expanded hearth, Amos on one side of him, Lily on the other. With a flash, they were back at Hogwarts.

Aly heard a chair scrap heavily and without even seeing who it was, Aly yelled out, "Grab him, James."

Sure enough, as Logan looked to see who Aly had called out to, she saw James with an arm out around Sirius.

"Put me down," Aly said to Logan calmly. Logan complied by placing her on the couch. Aly immediately sat up and watched her boyfriend stare down her ex-boyfriend. She sent Lily a look of warning. She took it and ushered the boys out of the common room.

"I'll talk to you later. When I get back," Lily promised Amos, pecking him on the cheek.

She came back over to Aly. "You okay?"

Aly nodded and took a swig of her water.

"What happened?" Sirius said rushing over.

As Sirius studied Aly intently, Aly watched Lily study him. "You going back?" Aly asked her.

"I don't want to," Lily said sadly. "I can't stand to be with all these people. I don't belong in their world."

Aly placed her hand on Lily's shoulder. "Your dad needs you."

Lily nodded, "And that's why I'm going back." She looked at Sirius and said, "I see you'll be looked after."

Aly nodded and smiled. "I promise no more fainting."

"Good," Lily said.

Aly stood and hugged her. "When you coming back?"

"Soon," Lily replied.

As Lily disappeared into a burst of green, Aly was pulled onto the couch by Sirius.

"What happened?" His eyes searched her face.

Her eyes didn't met his as she studied her hands. She didn't know what to say to him and was grateful that all the others where there because he wouldn't be able to do anything.

She stood, and mumbled, "I need to go lie down."

"Aly," Sirius said quietly.

"Please, just let me be," Aly gasped, tears starting from no where, and quickly made her way to the stairs.

XxXxX

Aly kept her distance from Sirius over the next two days. It was when Lily finally made her return that Sirius managed to corner her.

She was chatting with Lily in the library when he showed up. "Hey, Lily," he said. "Good to see your back. I'm really sorry for your loss. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

Lily choked up as she said, "Thank you."

Sirius smiled kindly at her and asked kindly, "May I borrow Aly from you?"

"Of course," she smiled and turned to Aly, "I'll catch up with you."

Aly bite down on her lip as Sirius gently took hold of her wrist and pulled her between two rows of books. "How have you been?" he asked.

Her eyes determinedly looked everywhere except his face. "Aly? What is wrong?" His voice portraying just how worried he was.

Aly chuckled.

"What?" he asked quickly.

Again, Aly chuckled. "Really? You don't know what's wrong with me?"

His wide eyes told her that he didn't. He clearly didn't realize that the fact that some skinny blonde eating dinner on his lap had upset his girlfriend.

"Well," Aly snapped angrily, "Why don't you go ask Airyn Lawrence? I'm sure she could tell you why."

She crossed her arms and waited for his response. The laugh that rang out of his mouth was not what Aly had anticipated or wanted to hear.

Before she could stop herself, her hand ripped across his face. "Consider us over," she snapped and stalked away before he could respond.