"I THINK IT WAS REALLY... UNEXPECTED,"

Nik giggled as she rolled up her sleeping bag, everyone around her doing the same thing.

Sirius Black had broke into the castle last night and had sent everybody into a stir. Professor Flitwick had taught the doors to recognise the man and the picture of the fat lady had been replaced by a portrait of some annoying Knight.

"Look, it isn't my fault the potion blew up," She heard Fred hiss to George, pulling a beanie back over his head to hide his new green hair.

"Are you trying to say it's mine?" George shot back, hiding his pink hair.

"Nik!"

She looked over her shoulder to see Hermione gesturing her over.

Here we go.

"What's up?"

"You know about the dark arts," Hermione began, not bothering to ease in, "Do you know any way Black could've got in?"

"Oh I know a dozen," Nik responded in a flat voice, "Poly juice potion, animangi, kidnapping filch, having someone on the inside, hiding under the first year boats, using one of Fred and George's secret tunnels-"

"Wait, what?"

"Don't pretend you haven't thought about kidnapping Filch too, Hermione,"

"No! That last one,"

Nikita looked between them in disbelief. "You didn't know? They always brag about them! But anyway, I think this year you lot should just-"

"Thanks Nik!"

"-stay out of it... why do I bother?"

She rolled her eye's and huffed. Now she had to find him before they did. God knows what they'd do if they found him. They killed their first DADA professor, obliviated the second, she was not about to take any chances with Siri.

***

With everyone out in Hogsmeade, Nikita found herself alone in Gryffindor tower, with nobody but Heka to keep her company. She couldn't find Harry either, so she guessed he used those tunnels she told them about.

Ribbit.

Nik looked at Heka, and Heka stared back. They both then slowly turned to see a slimy, green frog staring at them.

Ribbit.

"Ribbit to you too," She muttered at it, raising an eyebrow.

Ribbit.

"Trevor!"

Neville came running down the stairs and scooped the frog up in his arms. "There you are!"

After about two minutes of Neville speaking to the toad in a baby voice, Nikita decided to clear her throat. The two boys jumped and then the four engaged in a stare down.

"Er..."

"Uh..."

"Can we never talk about this?" Neville asked in a hopeful tone.

"Sure..." Nik agreed, "Are you okay?"

He shrugged, "Mcgonagall won't let me go to Hogsmeade,"

"I couldn't go anyway," Nik muttered, "I don't have anyone to sign mine,"

Neville looked like he remembered something as he sat down across from her, "Your..." He gulped, "Your boggart... it was Bellatrix Lestrange, wasn't it?"

She nodded. "Sorry about your parents."

He squeezed Trevor.

"How did you know her?"

Nikita hugged her knees, bringing Heka closer to her chest. Sensing his owners discomfort, the large bar wrapped it's wings around her and gave Neville an accusing look.

"Can we not talk about it?" She asked in a small, hopeful tone.

"Oh- yeah, of course. Uhm, what do you wanna talk about?"

Nik thought for a moment, "People,"

"Huh?"

"Let's gossip," She clarified, leaning forward. "Gossip?" Neville echoed, "About who?"

About everybody, as fate would have it.

***

Fate was kind, it gave Nikita a new friend that day, fate was cruel, because it made her run into that little shit of a professor who abandoned her father in hell.

After a few weak formalities, Nikita finally snapped. "Doesn't really matter though does it?" She grumbled, referring to Remus' jab at Sirius raising her. "Either way he was still locked up in hell for twelve years, reliving his worst memories, knowing his best friend was dead, everyone thinking he was a murderer just like the rest of his family, and nobody willing to hear his side because they'd prefer to listen to people who knew nothing about anything."

"Only trusting a few muggles who told them what they think they heard. You were friends with Black right? What could he possibly gain from going to Azkaban and blowing a street apart? How did Peter, you know who's soul animal is a rat. Find the so-called right hand of Lord Voldy?"

Lupin didn't speak so she continued, "I mean, I should know how messed up the ministry was then right? And surely if they only used veritasum on the suspects they'd get the right answer, What else did they make the potion for?"

"Ms Vane I'm afraid you're talking about matters you know nothing about, you are judging the whole situation by listening to one persons point of view-" Remus said as calmly as he could.

She cut through, almost hysterically,  "So are you! In all honesty, you'd rather trust the people that discriminate against your kind rather then your best friend?"

"Nikita-"

"My name's Nik!" She cut him off, "There's only one person allowed to call me Nikita, and it's not you!"

She left the room, wiping her teary eye's and praying she wouldn't run into anybody. Well... maybe George would be okay, George always understood.

She walked out onto the school grounds, hoping she would have the luck of bumping into him as he came back from Hogsmeade. She pulled out her Dictionary and nestled into a spot next to Hagrids shack, not that far from the whomping willow.

Nik sat there for about five minutes when a large shadow fell over her. She wouldn't really thought much of it, until the smell hit her. She pulled off her glasses and grimace, "Good Merlin, what's Hagrid cooking in the-"

Nik turned her head to the side, and froze.

Sirius, Sirius, Siri- freaking -us, stood beside her, hair shaggy, bones sticking out, smelling like a sewer. Nikita slowly stood up, and they both eyed each other, as though waiting for an attack. When none came, Nikita leapt forward and wrapped her hands around his neck, hugging him as tightly as he could.

He hugged her back, rocking her ever so sightly as tears well in his eye's.

When he let go Nikita cupped his face, "You're okay!" She cried quietly, "Y-You're really okay! You did escape! You got away from them, you did it!"

A watery chuckle escaped his lips and he nodded, "I did, I'm just sorry I couldn't sooner," He looked around before grabbing her hand, "Follow me."

He lead her through the base of the whomping willow and into the shrieking shack. She sat on one of the beds as he explained how he got away, and just why exactly he had.

"Scabbers?" She repeated, "That- I should've known! I saw him put his paw on the girls steps once and it turned into a slide, I'm sorry Siri,"

He shook his head, "Don't apologise, just fill me in, tell me everything I've missed. What's Harry like? Who's that Ginger boy you're always around? Are you still friends with those two girls?"

A bright smile spread over her face, "Well... me and Lavender got into an argument because she told Ron that I told her I'd never date him,"

"Did you say that?"

"Well, yes, but not maliciously! She also told him while me and her were still friends,"

Sirius' expression turned incrediculous. "She did not! That's against the code!"

"I know! So I told her I'd tell Seamus that she liked him, and she got all upset and looked like an adorable cat meowing so I went over and pretended to tell him, so she stood on the bench and announced that I hadn't had my first kiss yet,"

"That little witch," Sirius said, sitting down, "Please tell me you tore that little gossip to pieces!"

"Well... it escalated and she told me to kiss someone, but she actually said someone, so..."

Sirius gasped, "You didn't, please tell you did!"

"I kissed Hermione," Nik said in a small sing song voice.

"That's my girl! Oh what a power move, what'd Hermione do?"

"Nothing, Dumbledore however..."

"What? What'd Dumbledore do?"

"He awarded twenty points to Gryffindor!"

"He did not!"

***

A/N

All throughout writing this chapter I couldn't get that comic of Lucius gossiping with Draco out of my head and now his face haunts me.

Q: Wolfstar?