Lily Evans was in the library…again.

Daxia huffed as she stumbled into the room sending a sleepy grin across to the librarian as she looked to her warningly "Evans," she sighed her greeting when she located Lily, flopping down in the seat beside the redhead.

Lily raised an eyebrow as she glanced up from her book "You're still wearing your Quidditch robes."

With a loud, slightly over exaggerated, yawn Daxia bent forward to rest her head on the table top "And that Lily would be all your fault."

"My fault?" Lily questioned as she closed her book and glared down to the back of her friend's head.

"Because," Daxia began as she sat up, her brunette curls flying messily around her paled complexion, dark shadows circled her narrowed eyes "You just had to go and kiss James Potter on New Year's Eve didn't you."

With her head shaking and her eyebrows shooting up into surprised arches Lily glanced around to ensure no one had heard what had come out of her friend's mouth "Daxia!"

Pursing her lips Daxia glared back "Lily!" she mocked pushing her hair from her face as she leant with her cheek against her palm "Can you just talk to him please? Look at him? Stay in the same room as him? It's all I ask!"

As Lily rolled her eyes Adiya joined them with a yawn and a sigh of her own "Are you going to blame me for your exhaustion too?"

"Yes," the blonde grumbled as she placed her book bag on the tabletop to use as a pillow. She, at least, had taken the time to change out of her Quidditch training robes.

Mary chuckled as she approached the table, arms laden with almost every Transfiguration book available in the library "James still working you guys harder than ever in Quidditch training?" she asked as she sat down in the only available chair at the table. Daxia and Adiya nodded from where they were resting their heads "Lily still refusing to stop avoiding him?"

"Hey!" Lily exclaimed in offence "I am not avoiding him."

Daxia turned her head on her arms to glare, once again, up to her best friend "Yesterday you literally ran out of the common room when he wandered down from the boys dorm."

"Coincidence."

"You get up extra early to go down to breakfast in the great hall."

"I'm trying this new early rising thing to get in more hours of studying before the exams."

Daxia rolled her eyes as Adiya and Mary exchanged chuckles "You just don't want to admit you like him."

"And that's because I don't."

"You kissed him on New Year!"

"Well you kissed Sirius."

A gasp burned Daxia's lungs as she quickly sat up, her mane of curls flying even more fiercely as she turned in her seat to face Lily "And what does that have to do with anything we've mentioned?" she asked in a cold tone.

"Because," Lily began both smugly and mockingly, folding her hands on the table in front of her "While your Quidditch captain has been 'overworking'-" both Daxia and Adiya scoffed as Lily rolled her eyes at the word "-you I've had to put up with Sirius overdramatically throwing himself onto the common room couches while pretending he isn't moping."

Before Daxia could retaliate, her jaw tense and a blush colouring her cheekbones, Adiya sat up "I feel like the only way to get the both of you to shut up is to inform Lily of James's appearance in the library," she announced nodding her head toward the door where James Potter was arriving, his head looking down into his book bag. He had also taken the time to change out of his training robes.

Mary groaned as Lily sent her a look "We'll, er, meet you two back in the common room," Lily declared as though it were her plan to leave all along. Getting to her feet she slung her bag onto her shoulder and tugged on Mary's sleeve as she passed her.

Looking forlornly toward the pile of books she had spent time searching for Mary sighed as she too got to her feet. Sending her two amused looking friends a shrug and a smile she trudged off after Lily.

"Evans rushing off when I arrive again?" James asked brightly as he took Lily's seat. Ever since they had arrived back at Hogwarts two weeks previous while Lily had been avoiding James he had been, poorly, pretending it didn't bother him "So training was good today right?" he asked with enthusiasm, stretching his arms above his head. Along with the fake grins and not so funny continual jokes James had thrown himself into being an even tougher Quidditch captain than he already was. He used the excuse that Ravenclaw had beaten Slytherin putting Gryffindor right into the race but all of his housemates, especially his Quidditch team, knew it was so he didn't have to witness Lily Evans rushing off away from him every second he resided in the common room.

Instead of answering him as he had been hoping (gratefully thanking him for all the work he was doing to help them win the cup) both Daxia and Adiya glared back to him "Do you not talk to her on your head rounds?" Daxia questioned ignoring his look of bewilderment.

"Oh we've had to swap around," he waved off as he retrieved his Transfiguration homework from his bag "She tutors a third year on the nights we usually had rounds so I'm with the Ravenclaw fifth year prefect. Stares a lot but she's alright."

"Right! I'm sick of this!" Adiya exclaimed as Daxia sent her a helpless look and James glanced between the two girls in confusion "You can't talk Lestrange, if I have to listen to Sirius wonder why you're suddenly so into studying now I may actually kill myself."

Daxia cleared her throat almost nervously "Well, I mean it is getting closer and closer to N.E. …"

"Enough!" this time Adiya's exclaim was whispered as Madam Prince glared over to their table "James you are going to ask Lily out on a date, a proper date all thought out and everything while you," she turned to a scowling Daxia "Are going to talk to Sirius, hear what he has to say and give him a chance," her tone was stern as her finger pointed between her two friends "And if you don't I'll tell everyone about the thing!"

Both Daxia and James gasped loudly "You wouldn't!"

"Oooh I would," Adiya nodded, an odd grin on her lips "So are you going to talk to them?"

In unison James and Daxia sighed and replied "Yes." as they both fell back into what they were previously doing; James reading over Transfiguration work while Daxia lay her head on her arms.

"Erm…now!"

"Now?!"

"I have homework!"

Adiya's jaw tensed and her eyes narrowed "Now."

Watching her two friends hurry off before she could force them to, Adiya smiled to herself as she leant back in her seat.

Lily Evans was going to kill her.

"So," Adiya began as she threw another article of clothing into her open trunk. There was a grin on her lips Lily knew not to trust "After last night do you have any New Year's resolutions?" her words may have been innocent but Lily knew it was her way of getting to the bottom of what had happened between Lily and James the previous night.

Deciding she had to tell someone (and knowing there was no way Daxia could be that someone) Lily sighed as she nodded "I do but you can't laugh, say I told you so or pressure me into carrying it out before I'm ready."

Adiya arched her eyebrows "Not coming on to me are ya red?"

Pausing to send her friend a scowl Lily turned her back as she continued "Next time James Potter asks me to go out with him, no matter where, when or how, I just have to be brave and take a chance on saying yes."

With a grin the blonde shut the lid to her case, sitting on top of it in order to properly lock it.

"Shut up," Lily warned.

"I didn't say anything!"

"No but I can tell you're thinking it."

James Potter was frowning by the time both he and Daxia had reached the portrait of The Fat Lady.

"So," he began, digging his hand into his pockets, as he glanced to her on his right "How long do you reckon I'll be in the hospital wing for after this little chat?"

Daxia shrugged "Depends on the odds if I'm honest Prongs. I think they're stacked against you mate."

With a scowl he spoke the password and the portrait swung open "Good chat Vix. Really top notch."

Sending him a cheeky grin and pointing him in the direction of the table Lily was sat at, in deep conversation with a third year, Daxia headed across the common room toward the boys dorm with a hesitant shuffle to her gait.

James sighed as he glanced back over to Lily, red hair falling over her shoulder as she bent over the book on the table before her. Not only had they become a lot closer this year but she had kissed him. She had kissed him, through her own choice and everything yet here he was, about to make a fool out of himself in front of a bunch of people for possibly the billionth time for her.

He took in a deep breath before he began to walk again, fingers ruffling their way through his hair. He placed a cocky spring in his step, digging deep in an attempt to regurgitate some of his Quidditch related confidence.

The third year girl noticed him first, her cheekbones burning as he sent her a wink, and she nudged the Head Girl slightly with her elbow.

Lily blew her hair from her face as she glanced up "Hmm... oh," she breathed as her eyes caught hold of James, stood across from her with his hands loosely connected behind his back "James," she greeted him formally as she tried to hide the blush scattering across her face. The third year beside her looked between them in both awe and amusement "What are you-"

"Go out with me Evans."

A shocked cough left Lily's throat as James asked her the question he hadn't uttered since their fifth year. Beside her the third year giggled while the rest of the common room allowed their attention to slide over to the previously hidden away table in the corner "I, um, is this really the time Potter?"

He shrugged as his arms folded over his chest. His nerves were turning his confidence into the egotistical cockiness he'd been known to portray when he was younger and he knew he needed to try and reign it in "I, um, I mean," he began reaching back to rub his neck with his hand "It'd be nice y'know? After New Year and everything."

He had to hold back his smile as her blush deepened. Clearing her throat she took her turn to shrug, took her turn to downplay the butterflies exploding in her stomach "Okay," she replied shortly and in the best nonchalant manner she could muster as she reached for the book laid out in front of her.

His eyebrows arched "Okay?" he asked leaning toward her in an attempt to regain her attention "As in; yes James I would love to go out with you okay?"

This time she was definitely smiling as she glanced back up to him "Yes James I would love to go out with you," she repeated without even a hint of sarcasm (much to James's both shock and amazement) before chuckling as she added "As long as it gets you to leave me alone right now." as she leant her head toward her tutee.

"Right!" he exclaimed, clapping his hands together as he glanced around the room in search of one of his mates "Right. Happy studying teeny third year!"

Elsewhere Daxia wasn't having as much luck as her friend.

"Ah," Sirius had greeted her from where he was lay propped up against his (and James, Remus, Peter and Benji's by the looks of it) pillows with a head tilt and a smirk "Come to apologise I see."

Folding her arms she arched a brow as she leant against the door frame "And it's me who should be apologising is it?"

He shrugged "Not that I've been bothered but you are the one who stopped talking to me in public," he stated copying her movements and folding his own arms over his chest "Y'know. Not that I was bothered," he repeated "Barely even noticed."

"Oh really?" she questioned as she crossed the room, a slight sway to her hips. She elaborated when he nodded "So there have been no throwing yourself irritably onto the common room sofas? Questioning my friends on my study schedule?"

He narrowed his eyes as she reached his bed, the furthest one from the door, and leant with her thighs against his mattress "Lily Evans is a liar."

She chuckled as she nudged him over, sitting comfortably against the pillows beside him "Right this second James Potter is asking Lily Evans out on an actual date."

"Good for James Potter."

She huffed as she elbowed him in the side "I was just thinking about how much of a good idea it is."

"Well, yeah, he's liked her since forever. It makes sense."

Her eyes rolled as she glanced across to his shrugging form "Are you being serious right now?" she asked before continuing on when he sent her a confused and bewildered look "It's a good idea…the date not… ugh!" he exclaimed a 'hey!' as she aimed an irritable punch toward his leg. There was a light blush to her cheekbones as her eyes darted around the room and settled anywhere but Sirius himself "I was thinking that maybe we could go on one. A proper one, all thought out and everything."

He grinned as he glanced down to her, curling his arm around her shoulders he pulled her closer into his side "Daxia Lestrange, are you asking me out on a date?"

Noting the amusement in his tone she shuffled away from him with a scowl replacing her blush "No."

"I think you areeee," he teased as he reached out to poke her side.

She squirmed away from him as she tried to control the smile threatening to spread across her face "Why on earth would I want to do that?"

"Why wouldn't you?" he retorted as he wrapped his arms around her waist. She laughed loudly as she smacked his arm "How about I ask you?" he chuckled as she buried her face in his quilt cover and shrugged "Daxia Lestrange will you accompany me out on a date? I promise I will make sure I think it all out properly and everything."

She narrowed her eyes at him, a wide grin on his face, as she looked up to him from behind the quilt "I dunno," she answered hiding her smirk away from him. His eyes shone expectantly as he looked down to her, his hair fell around his face as his grin slowly began to fall from his lips. She could feel his grip on her waist becoming slightly tighter with each second that ticked by. She wondered just how long she could leave him hanging before it turned into torture "I'm kidding," she whispered as she leant up to brush her nose against his "I'd love to go out on a well thought out and everything date with you."

He thought about teasing her back, about leaving her hanging as he thought over his reply. He decided against it as her eyes connected with his, a look of innocence and expectancy on her face as her lips curled into a smile. As cliché as it sounded it was moments like the one he found himself in then which allowed him to realise just how much he cared about the small girl curled up against his side "When would you like to go?" he asked once he had placed a small kiss on her lips "Obviously not the next few nights," he added as his eyes flickered across to the window between his and James's beds. Dusk was rolling in, Remus had been taken down to the hospital wing and he knew the full moon would be making its appearance in two nights' time.

He immediately regretted bringing up the full moon as Daxia's eyes lit up "Of course!" she exclaimed shuffling into a sitting position and away from his grasp "And we're both going to need our rest if we're gunna be ready for the full moon!"

His face fell into a frown "Um, 'we'?"

"Yes," she answered shortly, "Because you and James said I was ready, remember?"

He shook his head as he moved away from her, sliding off the bed "You aren't coming Daxia. How many times do I have to say it?"

"Probably a few more since you got my hopes up a few months ago!"

He sent her an exasperated look "Got your hopes up?!" He exclaimed running his hands through his hair "This isn't an offer to go on holiday Lestrange! This is hanging around a werewolf on a full moon. It's dangerous!"

"And I'm ready for it Black," she replied through gritted teeth as her fingers curled into fists at her sides "You can't stop me. I want to help him too."

He nodded as he folded his arms across his chest tightly "Oh I'm pretty sure I can stop you and I'm pretty sure I will."

"Just pretty sure?" she questioned as she turned her back on him to head across to her own dorm (partly to get away from the argument and partly to get all the gossip from Lily) "Sounds like the odds are in my favour Black."

Lily was chewing on her bottom lip as she exchanged a wary glance with Adiya. The boys had given them the job of stopping their friend from doing anything stupid and they definitely seemed to be failing "Are you really doing this?" she asked a determined Daxia both slowly and with caution.

"Uh-huh," she replied from her bed, roughly flicking the page of her potions book over "I've worked hard for this! As I keep saying to you all; I may as well help them!" she exclaimed, eyes not leaving the book. She wanted to prove she could do it, that she had the ability to be selfless and brave. That she may be a Lestrange in name but not in nature, though her cousins had seemingly disappeared to the dark side she knew which side was the right one.

Plus there had never been a time that Daxia Lestrange had done extra work for nothing.

"But," Adiya paused as she chewed on her bottom lip. Her, Lily and Mary had had to put up with Daxia's mood the last few nights, had to put up with her and Sirius snapping at one another over the breakfast table while ignoring one another during their classes and when they both happened to be in the common room "Don't you think it's a bit, y'know, dangerous?"

Daxia glanced up from her book with a frown, her two best friends standing to attention at the end of her bed "Has Sirius asked you to talk to me?"

"He's worried!" Adiya exclaimed in defence of both herself and her friend. Sirius had approached her the previous night begging her to speak to Daxia, to convince her to stay inside and out of trouble.

"It's quite sweet actually," Lily injected with a smirk as she folded her arms over her chest and rocked back on her heels.

Daxia glared "It is not sweet," she almost growled, her annoyance showing on her face as her fingers curled into fists at her side.

"Many Hogwarts girls would trade a limb to swap places with you!" Adiya only made things worse with a giggle "A girl Sirius Black actually cares about? You truly are one of a kind Daxia Lestrange!"

"Practically a phenomenon," Lily agreed plainly.

An irritable noise left Daxia's throat as she turned back to her book "I'm helping them," she said in a calm tone; one much more worrying than her earlier growl "Whether they like it or not."

Lily and Adiya exchanged yet another worried glance as they retreated to their own respective beds. Daxia seemed to have her mind made up and if there was one thing they knew about their best mate it was that once that happened there was no stopping her.

James and Sirius were going to kill them.

"Right," James began quietly as he, Sirius and Peter all stood from their seats. With the common room finally empty, bar the Marauders and the three girls, it was time for them to head to the forest "Wish us luck."

"Good luck," Lily blurted out quickly, a blush blazing across her cheekbones as James grinned at her and she looked away.

"Be careful," Adiya added "Look after Remus," she continued; with the past two full moons seeming to have been the roughest the time of the month had become increasingly more worrying as Remus allowed the fact that they'd soon be leaving Hogwarts, his safe haven, to play on his mind.

Dragging his eyes from Lily James nodded "Course."

"Blah Blah Blaaaaaah," Daxia said with a huff and an eyeroll.

With an eyeroll of his own at her sarcasm Sirius insisted "You're safer here." His voice was softer than it had been since he'd asked her out on a date as he reached down to brush the hair from her sulking face to hook it behind her ear. He wanted the argument to be over, just wanted her to see that he and his friends were just trying to protect her.

She leant back, away from his touch, with her head resting on the back of the sofa to glare up to him. Instead of biting, of allowing her to entice him into yet another row, he ruffled her hair affectionately "See ya later."

She remained quiet as she watched them all leave. Remained quiet as she waited a few moments before jumping to her feet and reaching for her jacket.

"Dax…" Lily began.

"I'm going," she replied shortly, a look on her face more serious and stubborn than Lily and Adiya had ever seen. Without another word, and as her two friends exchanged silent looks of helplessness, she swept from the common room.

Knowing the boys had the advantages of both the invisibility cloak and the map Daxia recognised she had the odds stacked against her. Ensuring she remained quiet while sticking to the shadows she made out of the castle quickly as possible.

Her three friends became visible almost as soon as she reached the Hogwarts front doors. With James's cloak lay, hiding the map, beneath a nearby tree (a scene only someone who knew the cloak could spot) they were all running toward the forest. They transformed almost in sync; James becoming the large impressive stag, Sirius bounding forward as the black dog and Peter disappearing into the long grass as a rat.

It was truly an impressive sight and she allowed herself to take a moment to appreciate it before she allowed a smirk crossed her lips. Gathering her muscles and swallowing her nerves she burst into a sprint. A small red vixen replaced her almost immediately; bounding forward with both speed and ease. She caught up with them in no time.

It didn't take long before they each became aware of her presence and the black dog spun quickly on his haunches, snapping to her in pure anger. If she could have raised her eyebrows, unimpressed, she would have, settling instead for a tilt to her head.

Sending the other two a bark, trusting them to set up with Remus as safely as they could and sending them on their way, Padfoot came to a proper halt. Almost as soon as Prongs and Wormtail disappeared he was Sirius again; an angry looking, jaw clenching, Daxia hating Sirius glaring down to a sheepish looking red fox.

"WHAT are you doing?!" he roared in anger as soon as she stood before him, herself once again.

"I told you I was coming," she replied calmly, a cocky look on her pretty face.

"And I told you not to! Do you have any idea how much danger you're in right now?"

"You do it all the time."

"I'm used to it!"

"I see," she shouted crossing her arms over her chest as a stubborn expression replaced the cocky smirk "We're back to the 'I'm a girl and you're a boy' thing again!"

He groaned loudly in frustration, running his fingers through his hair "No Daxia! I don't want you getting hurt…why can't you see that!?"

"But I can do this Sirius, you said I was ready! I didn't work my arse off to become an Animagus for nothing!"

"Yeah well we didn't ask you to do the work did we? You didn't have to become this!"

Her face dropped "Oh," she breathed "Now I see."

"No Dax," he said softly as he took a step towards her "You don't understand; this is dangerous. My nerves would be shot the entire time, my concentration focused on knowing you were okay rather than doing my job and looking after Moony!"

"I'll be fine," she mumbled weakly, her brown eyes latching onto his beautiful stormy greys. A ball of emotion gathered in her chest as he looked at her pleadingly, Adiya's earlier words echoing throughout her mind 'A girl Sirius Black actually cares about…'. She had never thought they'd get to this, never thought he – or anyone really – could care for her this much. She felt awful for worrying him.

"Please Daxia," he breathed making a move as though he was thinking about reaching out to her "Do this for me."

She went to open her mouth, to agree with whatever he was asking of her, when a howl ripped through the night.

"GO!" Sirius whispered his urgent exclaim before turning away from her, transforming into the large black dog as he did.

"Sirius!" she called after him as he ran deep into the forest. Panic took a hold of her chest as she too began to run, changing into the red fox as she became level with the entrance to the Forbidden Forest. She was hot on his heels as quick as a flash, a whine of disappointment resonating from him when he noticed her.

"It'll be okay. It'll be okay," she repeated to herself over and over as they delved deeper and deeper through the trees "It'll be okay. It'll…be…"

Her thoughts trailed off as they came to a clearing; the angry werewolf snarling loudly and ferociously as the stag attempted to calm him down, trying to stop him from going any closer to the castle. Daxia felt frozen to the spot as Sirius stood protectively in front of her, hackles raised as he too began to growl.

It didn't take long before the angered werewolf caught sight of the newbies, his lips curled back as he prepared to pounce.

"Do you think she's okay?" Adiya asked as she curled up on the chair opposite the fire wrapping, what looked like, Remus's jacket around herself.

Lily shrugged, biting on her bottom lip nervously as she turned away from the window. "I hope so," she mumbled, crossing the room to sit on the sofa across from Adiya. As though the Marauders hadn't made full moons worrying enough, telling them all about their bloody animagus antics, Daxia was now out there.

Daxia. Their Daxia. The short firecracker of a girl who lifted their spirits and irritated them no end; running around with a werewolf. Daxia.

Lily sighed as she gave up on the book laying in her lap for the third time in half an hour "Sirius won't let anything happen to her."

The werewolf's jaw snapped, missing Daxia's tail by inches as she attempted to dodge out of it's rampage.

Her breath came out in short, fearful gasps as she skidded to a halt, making sure she was facing Remus...it; ready for anything. Another snap of its jaws and it lunged for her again; this time being knocked away by both Padfoot and Prongs. Wormtail ran into its eyeline, trying to attract its attention, to lure it away from the vulnerable Daxia.

A roar burst from its throat as it threw a clawed paw toward Padfoot, cutting deeply into his shoulder and sending him crashing into a nearby tree with a loud yelp.

"Sirius!" Vix wanted to cry out as a loud cry of pain filled her ears.

The same cry of pain which seemed to calm the storming beast slightly, enabling Prongs to begin to herd it back in the direction of the Shrieking Shack – Wormtail leading the way to keep the werewolf focussed.

Vix moved as fast as her four legs were able to carry her after being frozen in the shock of the attack, over to where Padfoot had fallen.

Only he was no longer Padfoot but Sirius once again. He moaned in pain as he clutched at his side, blood seeping through both his clothes and his fingers as his face paled and a shiver racked through his body.

Quickly transforming she tugged her jumper over her head, pressing it hard against his side.

"Lily…" he groaned with another shiver despite the sweat glistening on his pale cheekbones.

"It's Daxia Sirius," she corrected him, the stab of jealousy shocking her.

"Get Lily…" he replied weakly "She'll…know what…to do…"

"I'm not leaving you!" she exclaimed, pushing her jumper harder against his wounds as the sound of a snapping twig behind her made her gasp in fear. Heart pounding she turned her head quickly to see what was approaching. Bleeding in the forbidden forest, containing all sorts of different (possibly blood thirsty) creatures, didn't seem like a good idea.

"How is he?" Peter asked in a panic as he emerged from the trees.

"How…?"

"We got Moony back into the shack, locked him up in the room at the back," he explained quickly to Daxia "James wanted to come but he's the only one big enough to stand guard."

Another moan escaped Sirius, this one a mixture of pain (as Daxia pushed harder against his wounds) and worry for his best friend "Get Lily!" he insisted once more.

Daxia nodded, shuffling away from his side "Keep pressure on his side," she said to a paling Peter "He seems to think Lily will know what to do so I'll go get her now you're here to look after him."

As Peter nodded and took over she crawled over to Sirius's head, placing a kiss on his cheek "I'll be right back with help," she promised softly as she gently brushed the hair off his face.

As he nodded he reached up, grasping her hand into his he laced their fingers "Be careful."

"You know me, always careful," she joked, earning a light smile to come to his lips and a cough of a laugh to leave his chest "I'll be right back," she repeated as she jumped to her feet. With one last glance in his direction – a stab of guilt clenching her stomach – she turned, sprinting up to the castle.

In her panic she almost missed the invisibility cloak hidden beneath the tree near the entrance hall, throwing it over herself she picked up the map "I solemnly swear I'm up to no good," she whispered, ink spreading across the page as she shoved her wand back into her pocket.

Her breath came out in short gasps as she raced throughout the castle, the muscles in her legs burned but she pushed on as her guilt lay heavy in her stomach. She thought back to the pleading look on his face as he begged her to turn back and wished with all her might that she had taken his advice. If she had he wouldn't be in pain, wouldn't be lying on the floor of the forbidden forest while James was left alone with a werewolf. She was breathless by the time she reached the common room. Whispering the password to a bemused looking Fat Lady (who'd just witnessed Daxia Lestrange appear from nowhere covered in blood) she fell through the opening.

"Lily!" she exclaimed, stumbling to her feet before staggering into the room.

Her two friends jumped to their feet in a panic of their own "What?" Lily whisper-exclaimed "What happened?" she added as her and Adiya rushed to their friend's side.

"You're shaking," Adiya said, making to wrap her arms around Daxia before she properly took a look at her gasping "Is that blood?"

"It's Sirius," she rushed, "He's hurt and is insistent you'd know what to do," grabbing hold of Lily's arm she practically dragged the redhead towards the portrait hole.

"I don't...what happened Dax?!" Lily asked, pulling her arm out of the iron like grasp as Adiya rushed to keep up with them.

"Remus scratched him," she froze as she spoke, realisation crashing down upon her as a gasp flew past her lips and her shaking hand clamped over her open mouth "Wait! You...you don't think…?"

"No," Lily replied quickly, trying to calm the panicking girl "It has to be a bite."

As Daxia nodded, a hand raking through her hair as a shaking sigh calmed her pounding heart slightly Adiya shoved the two of them out into the corridor "Are we going to help or not?!" she was exclaiming, her own worry showing on her face.

Nodding Daxia threw the invisibility cloak over the three of them before they rushed out of the castle "It's this way," she called to them once they were outside, rushing from under the cloak once they were far enough away from prying eyes looking out to the grounds. Sprinting to the clearing, listening out for Lily and Adiya following her, she knelt beside Sirius's head. Peter sent her a relieved smile as the other two girls arrived not long after "Hey," she whispered down to Sirius, not sure if she should stroke his hair reassuringly.

"Oh God!" Lily suddenly exclaimed, slapping a hand over her mouth with a sorry expression on her face as Sirius groaned a 'Thanks Red' "It's…you'll be…fine," she reassured unconvincingly as she knelt down beside Peter.

"Just do something," Adiya said, chewing on her thumbnail as she leant over Lily and Peter's shoulders "C'mon Lil," she added softly and confidently, placing a hand on her friend's back "You're the best in our year."

"Er…" Lily began, her voice shaking as she withdrew her wand and Peter moved Daxia's blood soaked jumped "Episkey!"

Sirius groaned as his wound only slightly healed "Sev…Severus Lily!"

With her eyes widening in realisation, Adiya, Peter and Daxia exchanging confused glances, Lily took in a deep breath calming her voice as she pointed her wand back to Sirius's side "Vulnera Sanentur," she mumbled allowing a smile to stretch across her lips as the counter to a hex Severus was known to throw about began to calm Sirius' wounds, she hadn't been entirely sure it would work but relief flooded her as she realised she'd been wrong to worry "Where's James?"

As Sirius rolled his eyes at her priorities Peter replied with a slight stutter "Oh, he's, er, he's guarding Moony," he explained watching as Lily paled at the thought of James in such close contact with the werewolf who had caused the wounds she'd just witnesses barely a few minutes previous "Prongs will be fine," Peter reassured her "He knows what he's doing."

"Come on," Adiya said cutting through the tension "We need to get Black back up to the dorms."

Daxia awoke slowly at first, a yawn broadening her mouth as her arms stretched above her head. She was aching all over, her head pounded as her eyes stung. An odd feeling clenched at her stomach as she rolled onto her side, her hair sticking to wet cheekbones…

That was when she remembered.

Sitting bolt upright, realising (due to her fitful three hours of sleep) she had missed breakfast and her chance to catch Sirius in a populated area to see if he was okay, she placed her hands over her face. She'd put all of her friends in danger the night before; Sirius had been hurt, James and Peter had been on the borderline…Remus had attacked them.

She felt sick.

After a quick shower and a change into her school uniform she found herself practically tumbling down the stairs to the dormitories. With her hands at her hair, pulling the mess of curls into a bobble she had no balance whatsoever as she crashed into another body waiting in the common room "Oh!" she gasped as he caught her, hands gripping her shoulders to steady her "James! How are you? How's Remus? Wh-" she paused as she caught her breath, smoothing her hair back before lowering her arms "Where's Sirius?" she continued in a whisper.

"Sleeping it off," James explained as the pair of them made toward the portrait hole, almost late for their first lesson of the day "And Remus and I are perfectly fine," he added with a smile. He had woken that morning incredibly annoyed and disappointed in Daxia. He had sat up most of the night feeding Sirius the medicinal potions they kept for after bad full moons then he'd listened as Sirius mumbled in his sleep of her stupidity, calling out her name as though he were reliving the scene in his dreams.

Seeing the girl herself, tears in her eyes and image dishevelled as she crashed into him in a panic, had immediately changed his mind. Just by looking at her he could see her guilt; he knew she would be beating herself up over it worse than anyone else on the outside could possibly. Plus his soft spot for Daxia and knowing just how much Sirius was going to let her suffer for her actions were holding him back immensely.

"Is – is he mad at me?" she asked, messing with a bit of thread hanging from her cardigan.

"A little bit," James confessed unable to keep a secret from her as he grabbed her in a one armed squeeze "He was just worried about you, it was pretty stupid," he assed nudging her with his elbow once he let her go "Are you okay?"

She shrugged as they arrived at their potions class "Shaken up."

"James!"

Daxia glanced up to her best friend as a shocked look came to his face. She knew he had been expecting Lily to be angry with him after seeing the danger they regularly put themselves into "I know someone who was worried about you," she whispered to reassure him, nudging him back with her shoulder.

Lily arrived beside them in seconds "Are you alright?"

"Perfectly fine," he assured her ducking away as she reached up to inspect the small cut stretching above his eyebrow "Honestly Lily!" he added with a chuckle as she regarded him with suspicion in her eyes "We should get to class. Coming Dax?"

She sighed as she threw a glance over her shoulder toward the stairs to the boys dorm. Though James hadn't given her all the facts she knew Sirius would be lying in bed still in pain and angry at her. All she wanted to do was avoid lessons, avoid people, to make it up to him, to make sure he was okay and to get him to forgive her. But, as the guilt weighed heavy in her stomach, she found herself sighing as she turned back to her friends "Yeah I guess."