He looked across the kitchen on the stone floor where two plates sat, with burnt sausage, toast, and overcooked eggs.

"Did the House Elves cook this?" He asked, forcing his voice to remain normal.

She beamed over her shoulder at him. "No, of course not. I asked them to show me how to cook," she turned to face him, worry crossing her pale features, "does it look all right?"

"Yesss," he said slowly. Yes, it was a lye, but it couldn't be all that bad . . . could it?

She smiled gesturing for him to sit by her.

"And the House Elves let you get away with this?" He asked, looking over where she sat beside him.

She hid a giggle behind her hand, "what father doesn't know can't hurt him."

He sighed, looking down at an especially burnt piece of toast. He was sure her father would find out, the smell was evident.

He watched as she stabbed some eggs onto her fork and lifted it to her mouth . . . she gagged reaching for a napkin, her face turning slightly green. "Why couldn't you tell me the truth?" She asked spitting the eggs out.

He rolled his eyes at the back of her head, "I thought it was obvious."

"I hate you," she said falling back on the kitchen floor.

"Nah," he said eating a piece of toast and deciding he wasn't eating again until they went back to Hogwarts.

"We're never talking about this," she said taking one look at his face.

He nodded.


"The cool, crisp air of Winter had set in her lungs, the cold winds trying to force her to the ground.

Jade Everest gritted her teeth, her slender arms wrapping around her frame to block the cold. Most passersby would've stopped to help a member of the Everest family, for they had always been known for helping the wizarding community and standing proudly with Hogwarts. And even when Jade's Pure-Blooded father had married a Muggle-Born, they had welcomed her with open arms. But when it was Jade's turn to follow after her older sister to Hogwarts they had whispered behind her back, if not Gryffindor like her father, Ravenclaw like her mother and sister . . . then what? Hufflepuff? Just not what her personality reflected. But, of course, Slytherin.

The moment the Hat had fallen on her brunette waves it had said, "hmm . . . the brains of a Ravenclaw— ah, but what's this? Witt, a sly mind. Quite cunning indeed. Better be . . . Slytherin!"

That had been seven years ago now that she thought about it.

She made her own mum cry, and she hadn't been a Death Eater. . . yet.

To some it up, she was out of Hogwarts, her family finally turned their backs on her. And now, she was standing in London Square, in the cold, at Christmas. Her teeth chattering and life hopelessly cold.

Why couldn't they throw her out after Christmas? Christmas was a time spent with family . . . unless they were making a point, of course.

Jade looked up at the towering Christmas tree in the center of the square, its thousands of twinkling electric lights stabbing her behind her retinas. She was sure it was beautiful, if not breathtaking, but her eyes were not used to the intensity of electric virtual lights. She missed wand light and candles, the sconces from Hogwarts and Everest Manor.

Her head spinning, Jade spun on her heel running from the square.

She didn't know where she was going, just that she had to escape the lights, they hurt, it hurt.

She didn't notice how it got colder around her, how the lights dimmed, and the scenery changed. She didn't notice anything.

Jade stumbled over a curb losing her balance. Flinging her left arm out, she caught herself on the asphalt with a small gasp of pain. Her wrist had twisted with a jarring pop, making her flinch. She had dislocated joints before, back in Quidditch, when she had to play against James Potter in their fourth year. Jade scowled at the memory, that had been a nasty match.

Standing with a sigh, she brushed her long hair from her face before looking around. Jade froze, where was she? Where was here? Panic settled in her stomach, she didn't know Muggle London well, unlike her sister who loved visiting with their mother. She looked around frantically, she was lost.

Jade turned this way and that, looking around with desperation in her sky blue eyes, not noticing the couple standing near by under a low hanging light.

"Miss?" A small voice said somewhere to her left.

Jade Everest spun to face the source of the voice so fast that she almost fell on the ground, again. The 18 year old waved her arms wildly like a chicken in order to keep her balance, but lose more dignity by the second.

"Can you help us, please?" A man of about 24 asked her, he was wearing a flannel shirt over baggy jeans with a torn jacket, and he had his arm wrapped around the shoulders of a woman that didn't look much better.

The only reason Jade didn't sneer at them was because she was forced to gaze back at herself. "Ummm," she said in a small voice feeling in her jacket pocket for the little bit of Muggle money she had had, she didn't usually make it a habit to carry Muggle m— her eyes went wide, where was her money?

"I'm-i'm sorry," she stuttered, "I don't have anything."

As she turned her back she could hear the woman mutter under her breath sarcastically, "oh, of course, I'm sure you don't."

Jade spun back around to face them, the man miscalculating her action as he coiled up like a spring around his wife, green eyes glaring at her.

"What," he spat.

Jade didn't think, she pulled the white Diamond and Amethyst bracelet from her right wrist, the clean arm, and held it out to them. If they took it to a pond shop, they could get close to a thousand for it, probably. But, if they went to a jeweler, they would not get a disappointing price at all.

The married couple stared at her in shock.

"Please," she said barely above a whisper, not wanting to be reminded of her birthstone or family or the woman that gave it to her.

The woman reached out, cold fingers brushing against Jade's as she took the expensive bracelet from her shaking hand. "We— I— this means— thank you," she said brushing tears from her cheeks.

All Jade could manage was a small nod.

"W-what's your name?" The man asked glancing over at his wife.

"Jade."

"Middle name?"

Celest."

He smiled at her. "What do you think of Jade?"

She nodded before turning to the stranger with a blossoming smile.

Jade turned and ran the way she had come from.

Why, why would someone want to name their child after her? She assumed child, it was all she could come up with. She wasn't a good option, she wasn't out standing. She-she-she . . . she w-what? What was she? She wasn't anything to anyone, except shunned from her family, and the one relationship she ever had had was at Hogwarts, with the wrong person for a stable relationship. Because she was a girl, he hadn't cared that she was in Slytherin. Oh, by Salazar, he didn't care how similar but opposite their family situations were. No, just that she was a girl. She was nothing.

She didn't care when she tripped again, she didn't care that it started pouring down rain. She just lay there, letting the cold sink into her body. And she didn't care when the sounds of traffic filled her ears, or when her body went numb from cold . . . or was it shock? Neither did she notice when someone yelled her name, just his rejection of her in sixth year and her father's disappointment at her choices-and-and . . . and her mother's tears.

"Jade Everest!"

That voice, it was so familiar to her.

"J-Jade."

Strong arms wrapped around her from behind, and in one swift motion she was in the man's arms and he was running.

Jade's head knocked against his shoulder several times, but she didn't complain, she couldn't have if she had wanted to. She felt him leap over and off something before taking a sharp turn to the right, then it came . . . side-along apparition. The world went black and she felt as though her insides were being squeezed through a tube.


With a loud (crack) they appeared. . . well, Jade didn't know where.

She and her savior both stumbled, losing their balance and falling in the grass with a hard thud. Jade groaned in pain as her companion let loose a stream of colourful curse words, both of the Muggle world and Wizarding. She sighed, something about his voice was familiar, she found herself thinking yet again.

They both tried climbing to their feet, which, proved hard to do when two people happened to be tangled together. The Wizard finally managed to roll away from her, still cursing, of course. Jade rolled onto her stomach pushing herself up on her elbows, she found herself staring at a pair of dragonhide boots along with dark jeans. She groaned internally, dreading to look up.

"Just because she looks like Jade doesn't mean she's Jade," the male voice muttered unhappily.

Jade could picture him running a hand through his black mane of hair, ruining it more. She almost smiled, almost.

"I guess I have to obliterate her brains," he groaned.

Jade flipped onto her back finally remembering through all of this that she had a Wand.

His grey eyes were fixed on her forehead, his Wand stretched out as he forced himself not to tremble, "Obliv—"

"Protego!" She yelled throwing up her arms, not actually casting the spell out of fear that it might ricochet and hit him, she just wanted to get his attention. And it worked.

He lowered his Wand, his eyes going as wide as the dinner plates at a Hogwarts feast.

She knew those eyes, she could never forget them. "Look what the dog dragged up," she joked.

He gasped, clearly not believing his eyes.

Jade supposed if the rumors were true about him and Potter joining the Auror department that now was his chance to turn her in, but he just stood there rooted to the spot like a tree. Sighing, she pushed herself up into a sitting position to face him.

"Sirius?" She said in a soft voice.

The oldest Black brother was snapped back to reality, his eyes focusing on her pale face. "Jade," he said. First, shock. Then, anger. Then, nothing. Then, shock, again. "What the bloody hell were you thinking?" Sirius cried.

Jade flinched, not expecting an outburst from him of all people, or any particular person for that matter. "I d-don't know," she stuttered out wiping at her face. No, she hadn't cried through her entire current situation and she wasn't starting now, not in front of him.

Sirius scrunched his face up in a unsatisfied way, making him look a little funny, even though he was going for serious. "Jade, people don't just lie on a curb and ignore the cars and traffic and. . . people and. . . Jade— unless— Jade," he growled under his breath, his eyes narrowing on her.

"Yes, that's my name, don't wear it out," Jade tilted her head back at him, a small smirk playing on her lips.

Sirius stamped his foot.

"Black, is something w-wrong?" Jade gasped, reaching for her left arm Sirius' eyes following her movement.

"You-you," he dropped on his knees beside her.

"Just kill me," Jade was finding she regretted everything, even being born. Maybe she should have negotiated with the Sorting Hat to put her in Ravenclaw, then her family would still want her and-and-and life would be better. Nothing good came out of Slytherin, they said. "Just kill me," she repeated, "I'm not going to meet them. K-kill me b-before h-he d-does."

Sirius was watching her, hand on his Wand. He was noticing several things about Jade, she looked starved. . . more than usual. The clothes she wore were hanging off her like she was the hanger at the robes shop. The white Diamond and Amethyst bracelet she always wore was gone. And her hair, he decided he'd spare her that one.

"Jade, what's going on?" He asked in a surprisingly calm voice that shocked even him.

"Why do you care?" She snapped turning her face away from his piercing gaze.

Sirius gave a half shrug before realizing she couldn't see him, "someone needs to be."

Jade scoffed, "we're enemies Black, just kill me. You trained to kill people like me, it's your job to stop Death Eaters. Well, guess what? Here's one for the kill. K—"

"No!"

Jade stared at him wide eyed.

Sirius straightened, casting his Wand to the side. "I don't think you wanted to be a Death Eater. It was something that seemed cool because everyone else in Slytherin was doing it and . . . and you wanted to fit in, feel as though you belong to something," he nodded as shock continued showing on her face, "but after you got the Mark you hated yourself, you cried in the Prefect bathroom all night."

"When did you become a bloody therapist?"

He quirked his head to the side, an eyebrow lifting slightly. "I was right?" He asked, sounding unsure.

Jade rolled her eyes at him, "I wouldn't have said what I said if you weren't."

Sirius gave her a gentle smile, not suggestive or goofy or anything, genuine and sweet.

"I'm still a monster," Jade said barely above a whisper.

Sirius shook his head.

"Sirius," Jade began.

"Have you ever killed anyone?"

"No."

"Ever hurt them, such as use an unforgivable curse?"

"No, but I've stood there and watched others use them."

"You're not a monster," he tried reassuring her.

"Jade buried her face in her hands, he didn't understand, she could feel their eyes . . . hear their screams.

Sirius moved closer to her, his arm brushing against her sleeve. "There's nothing you could've done," he tried.

"Not what my mum said," she sniffed.

"What did your dear old mum say?" He asked.

Jade could feel it, the dam was about to break because of Sirius bloody Black. She hiccuped, gazing up at him with watery eyes she began from the beginning. By the time she was done, she was sobbing and her Wand had made it a few yards away from them, and she had pulled at her hair and tried clawing herself in desperation, Sirius, had, of course, grabbed her hands and restrained her effortlessly and she continued. She told him about how they were disappointed in her being a Slytherin, her better subjects at Hogwarts, how she was quiet unlike her sister, how they said she'd turn her back on them. About her mother crying when her father discovered the Mark, about them not wanting her. Her wandering London. "And-and now w-we ar-are h-here," she choked.

"I know how you feel," was all he said.

Jade flung her arms around him, ignoring how he smelled like a wet dog and cried into his shirt. At least now, her tears weren't freezing to her cheeks.

"Shhh, it's okay. Shhh, shhh. It'll be fine. I've got you," he said soothingly, rubbing his hand up and down her back and in circles.

Soon, Jade was reduced to small hiccups and sniffs and after a minute she lifted her head, their faces were dangerously close.

Jade took a sharp intake of breath.

Sirius blinked.

Jade lay her head back down, it was safe here. Cold, but safe.

"Give over a decade for me to recover my dignity from this," Sirius joked burying his face in Jade's soft waves.

Jade giggled.

Sirius placed a kiss atop her head before pulling back. "Hey!" He said grinning.

Jade smiled brushing hair from his face. "Hey," she replied.

Sirius took her hand in his, "I want to show you something."

"That can never be good," she laughed running after him.