Cynthia's eyes widened in horror as she realized she had no idea who these two men were. The taller of the two took step forward, standing much like James had before the intruders came through her door. His patchy dark green cloak flew open as he held an arm out in front of the stouter figure, almost like trying to shield them. The other figure floundered to imitate a similar stance, his muted brown cloak getting in his way.

The girl took a step back, eyeing the men she tried to discern their intention. The odd choice of outerwear left her unable to see any expressions or details from their persons, all she could do was look at their emotions.

Around the stouter man a large mustard yellow smear danced with large blobs of varying shades of green. He was terrified, though his shaking hand would have been enough to tell Cynthia that.

The taller man standing protectively in front of him was far more worrisome. A multitude of colors swam around him. Gray toned blues marbled easily with dark purples, though she did notice a single blob of green nearly being smothered by a large black blob. Black was one of the rarest colors, only having seen it once before Cynthia wasn't sure what it meant.

It seemed that this man was very sad and uncertain. While he did feel a small bit of fear, it was being suppressed. All things considered, these men didn't seem to mean her harm, at least not yet. Cynthia still eyed the two men warily, stuffing her cold hands back into the warmth of the coat pockets. The young woman took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as she considered her options.

"How do you know those names?" One of the men spoke up, confusion clearly in his voice. The deep tone carried well through the forest, though it was quiet it was more than loud enough to be heard well.

However, it was hard to tell which of the men spoke. Cynthia reasoned it must have been the more confident of the two. Oddly, the small man was still shaking like a leaf under her gaze. Not the sort of reaction the girl might have expected, but perhaps a good sign in this case.

"How do you know them?" Cynthia turned the question back on the man, still eyeing the two raised sticks that hadn't dropped yet.

"H-He asked you first!" The stout man squeaked out slowly stepping out from behind his protector.

"So?" The girl raised an eyebrow, they weren't entitled to her answer just because they asked.

"I believe 'Ladies first' is how the saying goes," The taller man's words came out sounding almost like a question, "if I'm not mistaken."

This prompted the young woman to tilt her head to the side slightly before she retorted.

"You should answer the Ladies question first, if we're going by that logic." Cynthia watched as her words caused both men to visibly relax, confusing the girl immensely. She stayed on guard, refusing to be swayed.

The smaller man turned hurriedly to his friend, mumbling something that sounded almost like 'smuggle saying'. The girl's nose crinkled subconsciously, she wanted nothing to do with Smugglers! Perhaps that's one of the things those bad men were doing, another reason why James and Sirius were fighting them. Setting the thought aside, she focused on the problem at hand.

The two men shared a few more muttered words before nodding in agreement. Slowly they lowered their sticks but still kept a defensive stance. The taller man pulled the hood of his cloak back fully, allowing the ambient light to bounce off the many scars littering his face.

Cynthia couldn't help the way her heart twinged at the sight of them, her mouth falling open slightly. Other than the many scars the man seemed young, his light brown hair was tousled naturally landing just above his jawline. It seemed fluffy and a little untamed, but not nearly as much as James' lion's mane. The man's amber eyes almost glowed in a mystic way, a stark contrast to the exhaustion of his face. His eyes dimmed slightly as he took in Cynthia's reaction, subconsciously reaching up to rub one of the deeper scars. The girl instantly shut her mouth, a small bit of guilt tingled in the back of her mind. She ignored it, focusing once more.

The stout man followed his friend's lead, throwing back the hood of his cloak in a much less graceful way. The hood messed up his shorter sandy blonde hair, leaving it standing on end from the static. His plump cheeks reminded the young woman of a chipmunk, matched well by his soft round eyes. The young man had stopped shaking, now eyeing Cynthia with thinly veiled wonder. He seemed to trust the man beside him enough to relax a bit, though he seemed like he might dart away into the forest at the first sign of trouble. The thought made Cynthia a little more confident, and it showed as she naturally stood a bit taller and rolled her shoulders back.

The lean young man cleared his throat, the hand that was scratching at one of his scars dropped back down to his side.

"We all went to school together." His answer was short, as if he was once again waiting for some response from Cynthia.

The girl furrowed her brow, waiting for him to say more. When neither men continued, she supposed they might if she answered as well.

"Sirius told me to wait here while he and James took care of something." She tried to let the words come out in the most mundane way she could, stifling the worries churning in her mind. It didn't matter if they were old school mates of the boys, she didn't know what was safe to talk about. It was much easier to fill someone in later, than try and take something back.

Again, the two men shared an unreadable look. Turning back to her, the man littered with scars eyed her with open curiosity.

"I see…" he paused, tilting his head to the side. "I don't suppose you've been waiting long?"

"I…" The girl hesitated pulling the leather jacket closer. It somehow felt colder now, no longer giving her the constant warmth it had before. She ignored the chill setting into her body, instead she went about choosing her next words very carefully. "I'm not actually sure how long it's been."

"Long enough for you to suspect we were them?" He gave her an almost apologetic smile, as if he understood having to wait for the aforementioned men.

"Yeah," Cynthia shrugged lightly, trying not to get too comfortable with the conversation. "It's not like just anyone would be coming all the way out here on a random Monday afternoon."

"Suppose not…" His thoughts trailed off. He jumped slightly when the dusty blonde man elbowed him with an expectant expression.

"What?"

The small man again muttered to his friend, while gesturing to Cynthia animatedly.

"Oh! Oh yes. Introductions, quite important. Thank you Peter."

The man smoothed down the tattered cloak he was wearing before once more focusing on the woman before him. The small man shook his head lightly once his friend wasn't looking, a small quirky smile starting to form at one corner of his mouth.

"My name is Remus, Remus Lupin, and this is my good friend Peter Pettigrew."

Cynthia watched as the dusty blonde man, Peter, puffed out his chest following the introduction. Giving her a deep bow, the hood flipped up over his head again. Cynthia couldn't hold back a small smile as Peter quickly stood up, scrambling to get his hood off again. He did succeed after a moment, revealing the very prominent blush that had spread across his face. He looked down slightly, not quite meeting the girl's eyes anymore in an attempt to hide his embarrassment.

Remus, as he called himself, also bowed to Cynthia. Though his was not quite as fast nor as deep as his friend's, it was smooth and polite. It wasn't natural to him though. The motion had a distinctly different feel than what James and Sirius showed her before.

Honestly it felt weird to be bowed to. A small flock of butterflies decided to take flight in her chest, and the girl had to fight to settle them. Was this why Martha had been so odd after the boys bowed to her? That was hardly important at the moment, but Cynthia felt perhaps she was taking this odd greeting well enough considering she didn't burst into giggles like her elder had.

"A pleasure." She let the words hang in the air a moment as she swallowed dryly. Taking a deep breath she continued. Pulling her hands out of the coat pockets she waved to the two young men, not knowing what else to do. She was not going to bow back, or worse, curtsy. "You can call me Cynthia."

She decided to follow the example of both James and Sirius, leaving only her first name to these new strangers. Both men mulled over her words for a moment Remus nodded and opened his mouth to speak, but he was cut off.

"Jenkins." Peter spoke clearly, a sense of wonder in his voice. "Cynthia Edith Jenkins."

Cynthia felt her heart drop. She instinctively took a step back, nearly tripping on a log beside her. The girl looked back to the man, setting a harsh glare on him before she said anything.

"How do you know my name?" She demanded, trying not to let her fear affect her voice. The coldness in her toes and fingers had begun to sting slightly, but she ignored it. She focused on the slow breaths in and out.

The stout man froze, his smile falling instantly as if he hadn't expected her reaction. The large pastel pink glow of color that had settled on him dimmed slightly as many dark orange blobs started taking over, his excitement was being replaced by nervousness.

Remus looked down at his friend as if he'd said something very strange, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

Peter withdrew into himself, trying to make himself as small as he could while standing. Cynthia watched as the dark orange blobs around him gave way to small bubbles of dark purple. Only a small smattering of pink could still be seen swishing around him, leaving mostly turbulent emotions tearing through the young man. He was overwhelmed with feelings of nervousness and uncertainty.

"Peter…" Remus prompted, setting a hand on his friend's shoulder.

The colors around the dusty blonde stilled only slightly as he was touched, the man still trying to hide himself by scrunching his shoulders and looking at the ground. Almost as if reacting to that, the large black blob floating around Remus began to fray at the edges, reminding the girl of something she couldn't quite place.

Two glowing amber slits emerging from the void. Cynthia watched as the black form gave way to what could have been seen as eyes, if she didn't know better. The energy around people could show her alot, but they were only emotions, nothing more.

But then the black form blinked.

The girl shook her head. That couldn't have been right, she'd just been using this ability too much. It must have been wearing on her more than she thought.

She looked closer, only to freeze in horror. She watched as the large form of a pure black creature began pacing circles around Remus. The creature slowly came close to Peter, prompting Cynthia to hold her breath. The animal-like thing acted like it was sniffing him, before letting out a huff. The large black form began walking around both Remus and Peter. As it did so the storm of emotions building inside Peter stilled. Slowly the orange and purples began to fade, allowing the pink to resurface.

The creature let out another huff, this time releasing a navy blue blob that began mingling with Peter's emotions. The young man raised his head, turning to look his friend in the eyes. Remus nodded once, as if asking if he was okay. The dusty blonde let out a small sigh, before nodding a few times. The dark blue color took hold, marbling with the other emotions of the stout man. The shadow creature had released a feeling of protection, one that Peter had absorbed as if he felt protected, he felt safe.

The large black form retreated to Remus' side, as if its work was done. The creature turned to Cynthia, eyeing her with curiosity. The look reminded her of Remus' eyes, except these eyes were glowing in a much more ethereal way. The creature tilted its head to the side as it looked at her, as if thinking very hard about something. A moment later the black shape shook itself, almost like a wet dog, sending out thousands of tiny light pink dots into Remus's emotions. After sharing his excitement with the man, the creature bowed deeply to Cynthia before it dissolved back into itself, leaving only an unsuspecting black blob once more.

Cynthia felt weak in the knees once more. The entire exchange happened in only a matter of seconds, but it felt so much longer. Everything she thought she knew about her abilities just went right out the window. Forget learning about this new energy, did she even know how to properly read the emotions she had been seeing and feeling her entire life? Since when were they sentient? Since when did they acknowledge her like that?

Cynthia felt a sudden flash of heat through her entire body, she was finally warm enough. Or perhaps too warm.

Still, thoughts swirled in the girl's mind. Her vision swayed slightly as a small headache began forming. She felt ill, her stomach churning in terrible ways. Closing her eyes, she tried to still herself, but it was all too much. Between the lack of sleep and the new energy she's been seeing the young woman was spent. Not to mention the fact that she'd been whisked out of her flat and left in the cold for who knows how long.

Eventually she couldn't help it. She sat down on the log she'd nearly tripped over, leaning over as she held her head in her hands. She felt like she was stuck outside in the heat of summer in the Sahara. The girl tried to swallow, but her dry tongue swelled in her mouth feeling chalky and numb. The pulsing sensation filling her head was overwhelming. She willed it to stop, to slow, but it didn't listen.

Cynthia was so focused on the pain she was perfectly startled by the touch on her back. The girl threw herself back upright frantically looking to see who had touched her. She did so with too much force as she started falling backwards.

Two sets of hands grabbed hold of her. One set of small hands held onto her arms, while the other large hand rested on her upper back and upper arm. Even with her swimming vision she could make out the incredibly concerned face of Peter. To her side, Remus leaned in holding her with one arm while he rested the other on her forehead. Cynthia knew she shouldn't let them get so close, but she couldn't do anything. Resigning herself, the girl closed her eyes. At least then she wouldn't feel so dizzy.

"S-she's freezing, her hands are like ice."

She heard Peter's worried voice.

"Godric! How long has she been out here?" Remus spoke next, as his soothing hand left her forehead. She wanted to let out wine in protest, but her voice was hoarse. "I swear, I'm going to kill those two. They couldn't even use a warming charm on her? And then they just left a Muggle Born out here without a wand? What were they thinking?"

"She's…She's not muggle born Remmy…" The shy boy paused, as his friend stilled. "She's a muggle."

Cynthia scrunched her nose again, not understanding the turn of the conversation in the slightest, but for some reason she didn't like that word. The man beside her blew out an overwhelmed breath, getting some unknown meaning to his friend's words.

"Right…Okay then."

"Remus, we need to help her."

"Right… you're right." The man took another deep breath before speaking again. "Folcillo…"

Cynthia felt a new warmth begin spreading through her body. One that wasn't nearly as harsh. It was more like a gentle fall warmth, the sensation reminding her of a warm cup of tea near a lit fireplace. It chased away the burning heat, replacing it slowly.

"I-I think it's working…"

"Folicillo…" Remus repeated again, followed by another rush of comforting warmth.

Cynthia forced her eyes open, seeing Peter kneeling in front of her still holding her arms as she shivered. Remus was moving his stick in circular motions towards her, sending out a small golden string of energy that was wrapping around her. Her vision still swam, but she was feeling much better already. Her fingers and toes still stung, but the sensation was fading. The girl sat up slightly, leaning again on her elbows.

Peter let her go, taking a step back to give her room. Remus lowered the hand holding his stick, but stayed by her. Cynthia tried to swallow again, but the motion hurt as it tugged wrong while dry. The girl's face contorted in discomfort as she reached up to touch her throat with her hand.

Her attention was caught when Peter began waving his stick repeatedly at something below her line of sight. After standing up he held in his hand a warped looking wooden cup, the thing twisting in an unnatural way as if it had been alive. Holding his stick near the vessel he spoke.

"Aguamenti…" As he spoke a small blue light traveled down his arm and out the tip of the stick. A weak trickle of water began filling the wooden cup, glowing with the same blue energy.

Eventually the energy stopped traveling down his arm and so did the water. Satisfied, the man set the stick aside deep within his cloak. He held the cup out and she found the strength to take the cup with both her clammy hands. She drank the glowing water greedily, wondering if water normally tasted this good. She found herself leaning forward and chugging it. A small bit of water spilt over the rim of the cup, but she didn't care. Only after the cup was empty did she lower the cup and wipe her face with the back of her dirty hand.

The young woman took several deep breaths. She felt much better, though a small headache still hung around her head. She felt warm again, warmer than she had with Sirius' coat. The warmth wasn't limited to her main body anymore, it encompassed her entirely. Everywhere the gold strings wound around her produced heat.

Cynthia looked down at the contorted cup in her hand, noting the slight white energy chained around it. The white chains were held tightly around the cup and for a moment it looked like the cup was fighting back, almost vibrating in her hands. She looked up to see the dusty blonde man holding both his hands nervously, watching her with worry as if she might explode at any moment. Beside her Remus still had a hand on her back, watching her with obvious concern and perhaps a small bit of frustration, though it didn't feel like it was directed her way.

"Thank you." Cynthia let herself relax as she spoke. They could have hurt her, but instead they used their powers to aid her. The young woman let a small smile form, nodding her head to both men in gratitude.

"Y-yeah…" Peter stuttered out as a small tinge of pink dusted his cheeks. He looked away, scratching his cheek as he did. Remus nodded back to her, letting his hold on her go entirely.

"We should get you inside." Remus cut in, pulling the attention of both other people. "That charm should last for about an hour, but you need real warmth."

Cynthia tilted her head to the side, not quite understanding what he meant. She loved the idea of getting inside, and it seemed like these men were safe enough. But what did he mean by charm?

Before she could further consider his words Peter cut in.

"Does that mean?" The dusty blonde in front of her was almost bouncing on the balls of his feet. A broad smile openly displayed itself, mirrored by a slightly more reserved smile worn by his friend. Remus nodded once, prompting the stout young man to clap his hands together in excitement. "Yes!" he exclaimed."

Cynthia looked at the two in pure confusion, turning to Remus for a further explanation.

"This is actually a regular stop for our little crew, believe it or not." The tall man gestured around the small clearing. "We're supposed to meet them here to set up camp."

The girl gawked at the notion. It was still far too cold and wet for camping in her opinion! They hadn't even brought any gear with them.

"In this weather? You lot are mad!"

"I won't deny it," Remus chuckled. "though some of us are more than others."

His small friend nodded at some unspoken joke, still beaming at Cynthia oddly.

"We'll all warm up inside the tent once we get it set up." The man gestured to an empty space in front of them. "And we'll talk a bit more. I'm sure you have a few questions."

Cynthia hummed in agreement. She really did have alot of questions, it would be nice to finally get some answers! The young woman wasn't quite sure what she should ask about first, though perhaps how Peter knew her name would be a good place to start. She still felt unnerved that he knew at all, even if she was starting to trust him more.

Resurfacing from her thoughts Cynthia noticed the two men were now standing in the clearing, maybe three meters of empty space between them. She noted that they had nothing on them, save their cloaks.

"Wait, what tent?" Cynthia looked at the two strange men standing before her. Surely they weren't pulling her leg?

Both men allowed small smiles to creep onto their faces, a look that distinctly reminded her of Sirius and James.

The dusty blonde fumbled with something under his cloak, slowly removing a small glowing parcel. Without hesitation he threw the item into the air. Cynthia watched as the tall man waved his stick catching the tossed object in the air with a blue string of energy. The scene looked almost like he had a fishing rod hooking the parcel in mid air. Peter raised his stick and with another swish of energy both men began pulling the small thing apart. The girl watched, mouth hanging open in shock. The men worked in tandem, wielding the energy in a mysterious way until before her very eyes unfolded a tent.

Cynthia wasn't sure what to feel first. Amazement at the incredible sight she'd just seen, curiosity of how it worked, or fear that these strangers wielded such power.

Tada! Chapter 15 Done and Dusted!

I rewrote this chapter 3 times! =-= It just didn't want to work!

At least it's done! Quite a bit happened, I mean wow!

I wonder how many of you guessed who these hooded figures were :3

(THERE ARE SO MANY HOODED STRANGERS)

I do hope you enjoyed this!

I'll see ya in the next chapter!