WAVES CRASHED THREATENINGLY UPON JAGGED ROCKS, Nikita shivered as she wrapped bony arms around her knees, rocking herself and begging for some warmth.

A raking cough left Sirius' throat once more and Nikita squeezed her eye's tighter, salty tears slipping past. A lurching sound alerted her that he had coughed up blood once more.

Nik couldn't help but sob as the smell of vomit reached her. Sirius had been ill for a week now, and he showed no signs of getting better. But that wasn't what was making the man cough blood, that wasn't why Nikita had her eye's squeezed shut.

Sirius' illness had caused plenty of frustration for the human guards of Azkaban. So, to-... to do something, they had opened Sirius's cell and abused the man senseless, leaving him in a pool of his own blood.

Nikita didn't know why that did it, she never would. But the sight of him drenched in blood and vomiting burned itself in her memory.

***

"Are you six okay?"

Nikita blinked. Physically, she had remained almost entirely unaffected throughout the dementors visit. But mentally? She was just as screwed up as always.

The commotion had brought Ron's little sister Ginny to join them, and it also woken up the strange man in the corner. The strange man, called Remus Lupin.

Nikita sat with her back straight, arms folded.

She blocked Hermione and Ginny from the scarred mans view while they pulled themselves together, she felt dreadful for Harry but currently the anger coursing through her veins forced her to glare the man she had been so often compared to down.

"Oh I'm sorry. Do we look okay?" She sneered. "I don't know if you've noticed, but we're all kind've shaken up!"

The man rubbed his temples, he pulled chocolate out his pocket and handed everyone a piece before leaving to speak with the driver.

"Oh like he has any right to be tired of me already," Nikita grumbled, stroking Heka protectively.

Harry frowned, "What happend?"

"Dementors," Nik said helpfully, snapping out of her annoyance, "They guard Azkaban, they were searching for Black. They basically make you re-live your worst memories."

Ron turned to her after finishing his chocolate with a curious look. "But, why didn't they affect you? You look, well bored, when it came in."

Nik shrugged dismissively. "I mustn't have any bad enough memories. Trust me, this is my smarts area." She said with such conviction that Sirius would be proud.

Hermione narrowed her eye's at her suspiciously.

"Really? So at twelve years old you have a type, yet you don't have any bad memories?" Ron asked doubtfully.

"Huh?"

"Oh you didn't think I knew?" Ron asked with a scowl, "Lavender told me what you said,"

"About what?"

"About me!"

Nikita was still confused.

Hermione shook her head, "Now's not the time, Ron!"

Remus re-entered the compartment, he looked down at an uneaten piece of choclate, "I haven't poisoned that, you know."

Harry nodded numbly and took a bite.

"Why are you riding the train?" Nik asked, peering up at the man. "You know you can apparate to Hogsmeade right?"

"Yes, I'm aware," The man said, looking at Nikita vaguely, "I was just feeling nostalgic,"

She scoffed under her breath. Nostalgic about the man you didn't bother to defend when you sent him off to Azkaban?

"Oh I bet,"

***

After the welcoming feast had ended Nikita was escorted to the headmaster's office by Argus Filch. He cast her bat fearful looks as it hugged her back, while she frowned.

Remus Lupin had put her in a bad mood. While Sirius, in no way shape or form blamed Remus for what had happend, Nikita did.

How could he think his childhood best friend had done such things? How could he be so willing to believe the Ministry's crap?

They stopped outside a statue of a huge Griffin and Filch promptly gave it the password. It swiveled to reveal a stair case before Filch ushered her inside.

"Ah, there you are," Dumbledore sat before her at his desk, Remus, Snape, Mcgonagall and all the other heads of houses stood around him with worried expressions. "Ms Vane, why don't you have a seat?"

The young Gryffindor looked warily between the group before doing so. Don't tell me they thought she-

"Now, I'm not sure if you've heard but Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban."

Oh my merlin, they did! They think she knows how he escaped!

Nikita pursed her lips, she ignored Remus's confused look.

Of course that was what this was about.

"I am actually," She huffed, blowing a stray strand of hair from her face. "The dementors were a dead give away. Thank you for that, by the way, I missed them terribly,"

Anger dripped from her voice, and it only got worse when Dumbledore chuckled lightly. He looked at the latest professor, "Remus, this is Nikita Vane. She is the Azkaban child,"

The Azkaban child? She was that well known? No, she couldn't be. If she was then wouldn't they have gotten her out of prison sooner?

Remus nodded shakily. He glanced at her as though he was afraid. Why was he afraid?

"You were Sirius Black's neighbour were you not?" Snape questioned, she nodded, giving Remus a funny look.

"Do you have any idea where he could be?"

"Oh I have plenty of ideas, so does he," She grumbled. It was late. She was tired. Dementors were back. Remus was a duck. She was in a bad mood. "And so do you. And so does everyone! That's the way the mind works, Mr Snape,"

"Nikita!" Mcgonagall scolded instantly.

Dumbledores eye's continued to sparkle behind his glasses.

"Yes, I believe you are quite right in saying that. Though it seems that you were closest to him in recent years, sending him letters weekly."

"And that must mean I know the inner most workings of his mind, or that I, a thirteen year old girl, helped him escape," Nik sassed flatly.

"You will cut that out right now!" Mcgonagall stepped in once more, "What has gotten into you?"

Nik jumped up and did a jazz hand pose, "Hormones!" And Sirius is free.

With Sirius free, nobody would hurt her anymore. She wouldn't feel so alone and her friends wouldn't forget about her. Sirius always protected her.

"Is that so?"

She looked at the headmaster. "What else?" Wow she managed to say that with a straight face.

Dumbledore nodded as though she had told him all that she needed to.

"Mr Filch will escort you back,"

***

Nikita looked at the red envelope in front of her curiously. How did this work?

It was a howler, she knew that much, but she had no idea how to work it. She stared at it curiously with her head tilted for a couple of minutes before deciding to get help.

She couldn't go to Hermione, because she had been questioning her a lot lately. Parvati and Lavender weren't her friends anymore. But that was okay, because she still her her best friends.

She knocked on the twins dorm door, before patiently rocking on the balls of her feet as loud 'thumps!' Came from inside.

George opened the door, her ginger hair dripping wet as he stood before the thirteen year old, completely shirtless. Freckles dusted the tops of his shoulders lightly, reminding her of his nose.

"Hey Hazel!" He panted, closing the door behind him as he stepped out into the hall. "Don't wanna go in there, water balloon fight,"

As if to prove his point, a loud 'splat!' Hit the door.

"I need your help," She told him, smiling innocently.

He didn't suspect a thing.

"Sure, what's wrong?"

"I'm trying to send a howler," His face contorted comically, "You? A howler? To who?"

She gestured for him to follow her and led him into the girls dorms, "To Sirius Black,"

George stopped short, "Uh... what?"

"To Sirius Black," She repeated.

"Why would you-"

"Because he's being really inconsiderate of my sleeping schedule," Nik kept up her innocent tone, "I can't concentrate with all these teachers watching me like a hawk!"

"Why are they watching you?"

Oh... she hadn't thought that far ahead.

She scrunched up her nose. Well this wasn't going to plan.

"Urm... I'm not allowed to tell you?"

"But I'm your best friend!"

"He told me not to,"

"Who did?"

"Oh Merlin," She bit her lip, looking at George hesitantly. He wouldn't tell, right? "I was born in Azkaban and Sirius Black raised me and they only let me out when I turned eleven that's why I'm so dumb!" She rushed out in a single breath.

Whew.

"What?!"

Un-whew.

"I'm telling the truth," She added, unsure what his 'what' was about. "I can prove it, see?"

Nik pulled up her sleeve to reveal bold letters of her cell number.

"Oh sweet mother of Merlin," George muttered faintly. He shook his head before staring at her suspiciously. "You were born in Azkabn,"

"Yes,"

"And a mass murderer raised you?"

"Yes,"

"Why?"

She shrugged, "I have no clue."

He nodded slowly for a moment, lost in thought. "And... you wanna send this bloke a howler?"

"Uh huh,"

"Alright then?"

She perked up, "Really?"

He shrugged, "Yeah, why not. Not many people can say they've sent a letter to a mass murderer before, let alone a yelling one, I'd be stupid to pass up this opportunity."

***

A/N

Sup.

Q: who do you ship so far?