I stood in the family tree room looking at all of the names and tracing my fingers over them. Some of the faces were scorched out. Sirius' included. There at the bottom was my brother and I.

"Penny for your thought?" Sirius asked and I glanced back at him then up to where he was on the family tree.

"I remember when I was little, the only memory of the time that's seemed to stick, was the one time I came here, I must have been what? Five? Mother brought me here for some reason and I came into this room. Clueless, all of these names and faces, my family. I had just began to realise that I didn't feel the same way they did.

"Your mother, caught me in this room and do you know what she said to me?" he shook his head "She said you better wary girl. there is only one way of life and it is everything, blood is everything. being a traitor is not a option. I of course had no clue but she traced a hand over your name before she went and eventually it clicked, a traitor was bad and you were apparently one of them."

"My mothers was a charming woman wasn't she?" he joked

"When I got my Hogwarts letter, I was terrified, since that day in this room I faked being like my brother, I would nod and agree, say the occasional insult as to not be seen as who I really was. But the rumours of the sorting hat putting you in your true place, made me realise that the jig was up. I sat on the chair and I knew I would never be put into Slytherin. It terrified me that I would be a scorch mark on the wall."

"But your not." he wrapped his arm around me

"No, I'm worse. I'm in a order protection from my own family, I haven't spoken to my brother in months not even to scold him. I walk in the other direction. My mother who has protected me for so long who kept me from being a scorch mark.... " I sigh "I know for the best, hell I asked for it. Doesn't make it any easier."

"I don't think it ever does, but sometimes the hardest things to admit is the one that goes against everything you were brought up in. Just because you can't speak to your family or be near them, it doesn't make you alone, you have, your friend...Harry." he smirked as his name

"Harry told you."

"Of course he did, I'm his godfather but I'm also your cousin and only family member that he can talk to. And before you ask. I approve, since I escaped and the shrieking shack, I knew there was something. neither of you are subtle." I laugh shaking my head "I also think that you two have a understanding of the world most people don't, it connects you."

---------

It was time to return home, the four of us were coming down the stairs and Ron was complaining about his sweater vest that he had gotten for Christmas

"I can't understand why you don't want to wear is Ronald." Hermione replied to his grumbles

"Because I look like a bloody idiot that's why." he huffed back

"No more than usual." Hermione commented making me giggle

"I never understood why you complained about your mothers presents. I actually think they're quit charming and cosy." I smuggled into my knitted things. We helped pack things up in the car and then it was time to go. I jogged back inside to get Harry

"Harry." I cleared my throat as he was in a conversation with Sirius, they turned to me "Time to go." he nodded and the started leaving the family tree room

"When this is all over we'll be a proper family. You'll see." he glance between us then hugged Harry, who took my hand and we left.

-------

Harry had his arm draped over me as we headed back inside school. I was talking with Luna about the Holidays.

"Harry! Vega!" We stopped and turned to Hermione "Hagrid's back." we looked at each other and then I turned to Luna

"I will catch up with you later." She nodded and we left running across the bridge and down to Hagrid's hut. I skidded to a stop and breathed heavily. However from outside we realised that he wasn't alone. Umbridege was with him

"I'll say this one last time." we moved to the window and peeked through "I'm ordering you to tell me where you've been."

"I told you. I've been away for me health." we saw her moved and ducked down.

"Your health?

"Yeah. Bit of fresh air, you know." Hagrid's replied to frog face.

"Oh, yes. As gamekeeper, fresh air must be hard to come by. If I were you, I shouldn't get too used to being back. In fact I might not bother un packing at all." she moved to leave and we hid around the other side. Once she was gone and out of sight we knocked and he let us in giving us tea.

"This is top-secret, right?" we nodded "Dumbledore set me to parley with the giants." he admitted and my eyes widened

"Giants?!" Hermione and exclaimed he shushed us and I clamped my lips shut.

"And you found them?" Hermione continued

"Well, they're not that hard to find, to be perfectly honest. They're so big, see? Tried to convince them to join the cause. But I wasn't the only one trying to win them over." he left the sentence hanging but it wasn't hard to figure out who he was talking about.

"Death eaters." Ron says

"Yes. Trying to persuade them to join you- know- who." he added

"Did they?" Harry wondered

"I gave them Dumbledore's message. Suppose some of them remember he was friendly. I suppose." I decided to now asked about his cut up face

"Did they do that to you." I gesture to his face

"Not exactly no." Fang started barking for the meat that Hagrid was going to put on his face. "Oh, go on then, you have it, you dozy dog." he threw it on the floor and Fang ate it happily. The hairs on the back of my neck began to stand up as a cold drift came in and Fang started barking again. Something changed in the air around us. We stood up and looked out of the window.

"It's changing out there, just like the last time. There's a storm coming, Harry. We'd all best be ready when she does."