Loralei arrived back at Hogwarts after dinner, tired but happy. She had grabbed a quick bite out of a cafe in Witch Weekly's building, but now she was walking through Hogwarts, thinking. Loralei thinking never really was a good thing.

For the first time she had a good encounter with a reporter. One that made her want to have another article written about her. She had confirmed her relationship with Sirius, and said what she's wanted to for a while, and they were going to publish it on Monday, and send her a copy. She was excited, more excited than she cared to admit.

She felt untouchable. No one could bring her down today, but she wouldn't say that; someone might think it's a challenge.

She climbed up to the Gryffindor common room, and found her friends sitting on the couches there. Lily looked a bit ill, and Loralei knew something was wrong.

"What happened?" She demanded.

"Five muggle families were killed last night...three miles from where my parents live." Lily told her. "It's becoming real."

"It always was real." Loralei told her. "Do you know them?"

"No, but one of them had a son. He's a seventh year."

"Who?"

"Thomas Bishop, he's in Hufflepuff." Remus told her.

Loralei sat down next to Lily. "Wow." She sighed. "Did the muggles have any power in the community, anything?"

Lily shook her head. "No."

"So they were killed because they were there." Loralei shook her head. "I hate when people kill people, I hate it worse when they kill people just because they're there. If they had a motive, then they could be stopped."

"Don't try to get into a psychopath's mind." James told her.

Loralei nodded, chewing the inside of her cheek. "What are the aurors doing about it?"

"You're closer to them than we are." James replied. "They just say the same as usual. The aurors are working hard to get the people behind it in Azkaban."

"Do they think they know who they are?" Loralei asked.

"My cousin, for one." Sirius said. "Bellatrix."

"Dolohov. Voldemort's mark was above the cul-de-sac." Remus added. "They wrote their names into the bodies."

Loralei's stomach turned. "Well, we all know they're sick then, don't we?"

Lily sighed. "In lighter news, how was your interview?"

"It was good." Loralei told them. "It should be out Monday morning, they're sending me a copy."

"What was it like?" Lily asked.

"It was like talking to a friend, actually. Alina told me I didn't have to answer any questions I didn't want to, but actually she didn't ask any bad ones." Loralei shrugged.

So their conversation went. From something heavy to something that doesn't really matter. It was easier that way. Loralei excused herself to bed early. She was far more tired than she had any right to be since she slept in.

Monday morning the issues of Witch Weekly came, almost every teenage girl in the school got one, and Loralei was put at the top of the social pyramid. Especially after the photos with her in glamorous clothing. Loralei was the one that everyone wanted to talk to, and get her opinion on things. She was on top again, and she took the spot beautifully.

"Is that really you?"

"You're so pretty, Loralei!"

"What was the interview like?"

"Can you sign this?"

"Oh, I wish I was you. You're so lucky."

Suddenly, she was the one that everyone was jealous of, no matter how bad of a year she had. No one seemed to understand that she wasn't the luckiest person in the world. Her parents were dead, and a war was starting. One she could see no choice in but being a part of it. She wasn't one to just sit back and watch.

"I think I'm going to be an auror." She told her friends at dinner one night.

"You've finally decided?" James asked, looking relieved. "I thought you were just going to sit on your ass mooching off your trust fund for a few years."

Loralei punched her brother as he started laughing. "Shut up. I thought we decided you would fill the spot of good for nothing rich kid."

He elbowed her back and they started pushing each other until Lily got out from her spot next to Loralei, and sat between them. She pushed their plates to the side to make room for hers.

"No fighting." Was all she said, before she kept on eating.

Loralei laughed. "Wow, okay, mom." She reached around Lily to push James.

"Hey! Lily! Loralei pushed me!" James whined in his best childlike whiny voice.

"Stop it, Loralei." Lily told her, obviously enjoying this. "I will put you in time out."

"Lily!" Loralei whined in the same kind of voice her brother had used.

"Loralei!" Lily mimicked.

"Lily!"

"Lore!"

"Lily!"

"If I have to hear one more girl's name I'm going to scream!" Remus told them.

The girl's paused, looking at each other. Loralei leaned forward and stared straight at Remus.

"Veronica."

Instead of the screaming he had promised, he laughed. As did everyone else in their group.

"Empty threats, empty threats." Loralei teased, grinning at the werewolf.

"Shut it."

Sorry for the late update! My life has been insane lately, and I've had a pretty hard time getting enough time just to sit down and write for a bit.

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