Once again, the summer had passed by and Sierra along with Regan were now heading off to school. This time around it was Sierra's idea to have her Uncle Alphred to be right next to her. If there was a chance of redemption with her parents, it was very out of the reach. When Sierra arrived home, the punishments had grown worse. Walburga had gone on what Sierra might describe it as "bloody mad" the moment she had stepped home. She wondered what it would have been if Regan was not sorted into the house of the Black generations. Would it have changed when they arrived home? Sierra held onto her uncle's hand who gladly gave it a slight squeeze of reassurance. 

"Well, here we are, little one. Off to another year." 

"Why can't I just stay with you for the rest of my life?" Sierra asked as she fixed her jacket. It was the last few days that she had stayed at her uncle's house were the only days that she felt like a girl of her age.  

"I don't need your mother going after my neck." 

"She already goes after mine," Sierra muttered before giving her uncle a grin "Pick me up at the end of the term?" He looks down at her, his arched brow raised. 

"No Christmas?" Sierra looked over at her parents and her sister. Walburga smiled slightly as she fixed Regan's green necklace. A gift for being sorted into Slytherin, one that would have been her own gift, b. Her eyes roamed down to her arm, noticing that the bracelet was no longer hanging from there. She looked down on her arm, the bracelet untouched but her heart now bared the deepest hole that left her gasping for air.

"No Christmas." 

_

If there was one class that Sierra was looking forward too, it was for Defense Against the Dark Arts class she had to take this year. Sure she would always love Transfiguration, not including that she simply loved making Professor McGonagall a little bit more miserable than it probably already was, but there wasn't anything that could beat the interest for that class. It was one of the few that she really tried her hardest for and only part of the few she excelled at. 

Sierra laid on her bed, all her friends sleeping around her even the new girl who had been placed from another room to theirs. Her name was Kinley, she seemed nice enough. The moon was full, and the howls from the outside were not letting her sleep. They simply reminded her of the own cries she gave during the time she had spent at home. She looked over at the only empty bed in the room, Rena had gone to visit her mother once again. Sierra touched the small charms in her bracelet, making her throat tighten at the crave of the 'R' as her fingers seemed to trace it over and over again. She turned over, covering her head and let the bracelet fall loose from her wrist. Sierra heard the small metal piece fall on the ground before she let her eyes close. 

-

"Rena." Sierra shook her friend before looking over at Professor McGonagall who continued to give the class. "Ren!" Rena just pushed her hand away before getting comfortable and continue to sleep on top of her books. SIerra looked over at Jane and Petra who just looked at her with a raised brow.  There was no use of trying to wake her up, she had gotten to school very late and apparently had no sleep as Rena had also fallen asleep during breakfast. Sierra pulled very carefully the parchment paper under her friend and began to take notes. She tried her hardest to make the writing seem just like Rena's but the way she looped her 'e' was a totally strange thing for Sierra, but she continued to write down the notes. When the professor called for their needed classwork, Sierra smiled as she finished both at the same time and stood up to turn them in. 

"Have a great day, Miss.Black." 

"You too, Professor."  Sierra walked back and smiled as Rena had started to wake up, much to the help of Petra and the piece of chocolate she had out. "Good morning, sleepy head." 

"What I miss?"

"An entire class," Jane said, as the four girls walked out the classroom. "And a small class assignment." Rena stopped and Sierra pulled the strap of her bag. 

"Don't worry about it, Rena. You pretty much finished it before you slept asleep.' 

_ 

Professor McGonagall fixed his glasses before reading over the assignments when he stopped at two papers. The beginning writing were different, each girl had started their work. He smiled as they got the points needed to understand the subject, it was no surprise to him that despite the girls having their days, they did well in the class. It was until the second half of the work where he began to notice the slight messy work from one of them, the small wet spot was obvious that one of them had fallen asleep. The writing on one paper seemed rushed while the other as neat as the person could right. It was the boldness of the writing that he could point out who's it was.  Mervin continued to grade the papers and finally looked at the names of the two students. 

"Rena Black"

"Sierra Lupin."