A/N Welcome to winterspride - I don't think I said so at the time, and also welcome to new followers TheUnderscore3024 and sabrina-luna-potter, (my consistent reviewer) :)

Atonement

"Merlin, Dixon, what on earth did you do to your hair? It looks like it got hit by lightning." Nerys Warrington drawled as she came into the Comparative Cultures classroom, in which Minna had yet to make an appearance. Chloe, who had decided to leave her hair to form its natural afro that day, glowered at Warrington, then swivelled as Becky laughed.

"What you think she's right do you, Becky? S'pose you think you're so perfect don't you?" Chloe snapped. The other Slytherins looked warily at Warrington, and edged away, not wanting to get involved.

"I just laughed, Chloe..." Becky said, bemused at the exaggerated response.

"Well I'm stepping out of this argument now." Warrington announced to the room in general.

"No, you didn't just 'laugh' Becky. You only started being friends with me after you were such a bitch to Rosie, and ever since then, you've still acted like you're better than me? What the hell is your problem?"

Becky's face immediately changed, becoming harsh and mocking.

"Is that what you think it is? Acting? I don't need to act better than you, Dixon."

A shocked murmur ran around the classroom, followed by a resounding crack as Chloe slapped Becky.

"Is that the best you can do?" said Becky, her eyes flashing in anger.

Chloe responded with a wordless shriek and dove at Becky.

"Enough." Minna had finally arrived. Becky and Chloe ignored her and continued to claw at each other, looking more like two feral cats than eleven year old schoolgirls. And in the fray, both Minna and Mouse both saw a faint humanoid shadow flit from Becky to hover over Chloe before disappearing.

It took a strategically applied aguamenti to break the two of them apart.

"Enough." Minna said again, in her flat, disappointed voice, and Becky and Chloe, dripping wet and glowering angrily at each other.

The discipline and drying measures sorted out, the class attempted to carry on as usual. But there were small changes. The haughty look that Becky had been wearing as of late seemed to have shifted to Chloe, and Becky attempted to throw herself into her work with an amount of effort she hadn't used since the beginning of November.

And as Minna leant over Mouse's shoulder, ostensibly to check his work, the note she left on the table filled Mouse with relief and dread. Relief, because it meant Becky was back, and dread, because it meant the Siren was very much still around and making trouble.

A shadow definitely crossed from B to C. No way that it was cast naturally. Same as the one I saw on Halloween. M

Later that evening, Mouse, Rose and Albus had ensconced them selves in their usual corner by the fire, when Becky approached them. Rose immediately looked wary, but Becky forestalled any comments Rose might have made.

"I know you're still mad at me..." Becky started.

"That's an understatement." Rose scoffed, scornfully.

Becky carried as if she hadn't heard Rose. "But I'm really sorry. I haven't been acting like myself lately, and I hated every second of it." she finished fiercely, her eyes suspiciously bright.

"So please, will you forgive me? I know it sounds crazy and-"

"No." Mouse said quickly, and as grey eyes met brown, he could see that they looked ready to spill over with tears.

"No? Mouse I-"

"No, not here, not no we won't forgive you." he interrupted again.

"Huh?" Albus and Rose just as confused.

"Come on, Bradley, Callum and Freddy won't want the dormitory yet, we can talk up there."

His friends followed him, sharing a confused look, which on Rose's face turned rapidly to a scowl as she realised she was fraternising with the so-called enemy.

Mouse was waiting for them, and gestured for them to sit down, Rose and Al on Al's bed, whilst Becky perched on the end of Mouse's own.

"So...what's going on Mouse?" Albus was the first to break the silence.

"It seems only fair Becky should know what happened, right? And do you really want every to know? Not to mention that if it is what we think it is, Chloe might hear, and then she'll know we know, which would be bad, right?"

Albus looked impressed, whilst Becky still looked confused, and Rose frowned sceptically.

"But won't she think something's up by the fact we're up here together?" asked Rose.

"She wasn't in the Common Room, I checked before I came in earlier." Becky said, then blushed as she explained. "I didn't want to fight her again..."

"It's pretty sneaky then, I guess." said Albus, grinning.

"Anyway, Becky, you wanted to talk?" Mouse said, as he could see she was getting a little irritated by the vague talk.

"I wanted to say sorry for acting the I have been. That's not me, not even a little bit. You guys are-were the best friends I've ever had, and I threw it all away, and I didn't want to! I felt awful when I said that to you Rose, even if I thought that, which I don't, I would never say it! And all the all the-" Here Becky was overcame with embarrassment and buried her face in her hands, face bright red.

"Flirting?" Albus asked, 'helpfully'

Becky groaned.

"It was horrible! I was flirting with James. I know he's your brother Al, but yeuch!"

Rose seemed to have moved past disdain and into frosty amusement, as Mouse noticed with some relief.

At least she seems to have stopped hating and started to listen he thought.

"And remember Potions, Mouse?"

Mouse shuddered as he nodded.

"You looked like you were going to say something after we left, then you looked like you'd been Obliviated."

"That's exactly what it was like, I think I wanted to say sorry, and then it was like I barely knew you. Why have I been acting like this? It makes no sense!" Becky cried, throwing her hands up in frustration.

"That's why I said we should come up here." Mouse said and took a deep breath.

This is going to be fun to explain he thought sarcastically.

"Becky, you remember Halloween?"

"How could I not, it was a bit a bit hard to forget." she smiled wryly.

"Well, do you how we ended up in the Forest in after the first Quidditch match?"

Becky bit her lip trying to remember, her face clearing as she remembered, then she cringed, blushing again as she realised what it was she had remembered.

"Oh god...we ended up dancing in the Forest, didn't we?" she said, her voice somewhat muffled by the pillow with which she seemed to be attempting to smother herself with.

"But you remember, right?" Mouse, asked, trying hard to quell his own blush, as Albus and Rose smirked at them.

"Yes...what the hell were we on? No offence Mouse."

"Some taken."

"But that's the thing, Becky, we, that is us three and Professor Carter and Professor Grey, think that you were, well, being possessed by the Siren." Rose said, and as she did, she realised she couldn't stay mad at Becky. She hadn't exactly been in control of her actions, and it was clear she wanted nothing more than to take them back.

"But she's still making trouble..." Becky replied unhappily. "And it's my fault."

"Don't be stupid, of course it's not!" Rose said, and flew across the room to her friend's side. "I know she made you do awful things, but it's not your fault Becky."

"She's right Becks." Al chipped in. "This Siren's ancient, right?"

Becky nodded, wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her robe.

"So she's probably got a lot more tricks up her sleeves than a first year, right?"

"I guess." said Becky, who promptly burst into floods of tears. Whilst Rose consoled her newly forgiven friend, Mouse crossed over to where Albus was sat.

"You've got a point though, Al." said Mouse quietly.

"How do you mean?"

"Think about it. She's probably really powerful, but instead of possessing someone there and then at Halloween, she ran away to the Forest. It doesn't make sense!"

Becky looked up from Mouse's bed, her face still tear stained, but considerably brighter.

"Maybe it does. I was thinking about it before...well, you know, and maybe if she was trapped in that box for centuries, then she would have maybe been weak, and not strong enough to possess anyone, you know?"

"And so she would have wanted to get away to somewhere she knew, that probably wouldn't have changed much, but near enough, so that when she was strong, she could get back into the castle." said Rose, a grin forming on her face, as she realised they might have something.

"I was thinking as well, that in the Muggle world, when a crime's committed, they go back to the scene of the crime, I mean I know this isn't a crime exactly..." Becky continued

"But you thought it'll give us some clues." Mouse said, smiling as he realised that for the first time since this had all started to happen, they actually more of a plan than 'sit tight and hope for the best'

"Well, lets go see!" Albus said, suddenly.

His friends looked at him, Mouse and Becky in surprise, Rose sceptically.

"Really Al?" she asked, lips pursed disapprovingly.

"Why not? We've done our homework, curfew's not 'til 9, which gives us an hour to get down to the third floor, and I bet we can talk Freddy or James into making a distraction. What could go wrong?" said Albus, grinning roguishly.

"You seriously didn't just ask that did you mate?" Mouse said, forestalling Rose, who looked as though she was about list everything that could in fact go wrong.

"Oh come on. Strike while the iron's hot or whatever. Becky needs cheering up, and what better than sneaking around. May as well get back at James on the way back – you came up with that awesome plan Mouse, you can't tell me you don't want to try it..." Albus' wheedling tone had the intended effect, and Mouse sighed, mock-reluctantly.

"Come on then, we've got a mystery to solve and people to prank. Coming girls? It was your idea Becky."

Becky smiled and nodding, obviously overjoyed to have been welcomed back by her friends.

"Rose?" asked Albus.

"I'd better not. Not because I don't want to, but because a, someone needs to convince Freddy or James to cause chaos, and b, you need someone to cover for you." Rose smiled mischievously. "Besides, that way you have more plausible deniabilty when James finds out what you've done to his broom."

Albus gave his cousin a huge grin as he brought the Invisibility Cloak out of his trunk.

"Thanks Rosie, you're the best. Where would we be without you?" he asked.

"In a whole lot more trouble, now hurry up, before you get rumbled."

The three reunited friends crept silently through the hallways, avoiding Filch and Hendricks narrowly, thanks to the map. The December wind whistled through the corridors, and Mouse was inwardly grateful for the collective warmth being huddled under the Cloak gave them.

Suddenly they came to an abrupt stop, and Mouse was jolted out of his thoughts.

"What is it?" he whispered.

"I don't understand!" Becky replied frantically. This was where the room was, I'm sure of it" her eyes widened in worry and confusion. "Where is it?"
"Calm down Becky!" Albus said hurriedly. "We might not be breaking any rules, but just keep your voice down, Hendricks is still around here somewhere."

Becky was near tears.

"The door was here, I know it! I remember that tapestry from Halloween."

"Come on." Mouse said, touching Becky's arm lightly. "We can't learn any more right now. And it's freezing out here."

Becky slumped against Mouse's side resignedly.

"I feel stupid now."

"Don't beat yourself up Becks." Albus said quietly as they returned to the Gryffindor Tower. "Hogwarts is magic remember? Maybe the castle was trying to protect us from danger. Or maybe there's only a certain time when you can access it, like the Room of Requirement."

Mouse winced as he thought about he had found about the Room.

"You really think so?" Becky was saying, still sniffing slightly.

"I do. Now come on, we still have a Firebolt 5 to rig, remember?"

Becky smiled wetly.

"All right. I we are going to find that stupid old hag, or my names not Becky Matthews!"

They returned to a rather smoky Common Room, where Victoire was berating an abashed Freddy, who it seemed had decided to test his father's new range of indoor fireworks. Rose joined them as they came in and they slipped up to the second years boys dormitory, to get revenge on James yet again.

But as he lay in bed that night, despite the success of their practical joke, Mouse couldn't help but feel frustrated.

Where did that door go? He thought And what does the Siren seem too want with me and my friends?

A/N So...a bit of a talky transitional chapter. But I needed Becky back, and I felt some explanation was due about the whole why did she go the Forest thing. Anyway the next chapter should be fairly soon, as I wrote a lot of it under the impression it should be in this chapter. But remember, the only way I'm repaid for writing this is if you guys reviews, so please, if you like the story and want to share it with others, the best way to do that is to press the button and the bottom of the page and review! I'd also love to know where everyone's from and what sort of demographic they're in, from sheer curiosity. Til next folks, :)