Deleted Scenes from 'The Good Morrow'

I was going through my folder for my story the other day and realised just how many chapters/scenes never made the final cut of my story. Whenever I watch movies, I always find it interesting to see the deleted scenes because it shows the process to the completed movie… and, in this case, novel.

The first scene which involved much 'reworking' is their first Yule Ball. I wrote this chapter before I was intending on writing my story as a novel, just as an idea. As you can see, the characters themselves are probably not as well-formed as they are in the actual chapter. Please don't go expecting high-quality from these deleted scenes… they really are only for enjoyment and interest purposes only.

… oh, and- by the way- if you haven't actually read my story 'The Good Morrow' don't bother trying to read this. You probably will have a hard time understanding much.

'I can't believe it's tonight!' squealed Lily, excitedly curling her hair with her wand.

'Hmmm,' responded Helen, lost in thought.

'Aren't you going to put on your dress?' enquired Lily, surveying her unprepared friend with a frown.

'What? Oh, yes, my dress,' said Helen, absent-mindedly drying her hair.

Lily herself looked quite radiant in a bottle green (to match her eyes) silk, low-cut ball gown with a tight-fitting bodice.

'What's going on? We have to go in ten minutes and you haven't done anything!'

Helen's eyes widened, snapping out of her reverie.

'Ten minutes?' she whispered hoarsely, jumping up and bending over her trunk, throwing everything out of it onto her bed until she found her dress, folded in a box at the bottom of her trunk.

'Can you help me put it on?'

Lily's eyes widened as she surveyed the dress.

'Wow, Helen… it's… it's… wow! Where did you get this?' she asked, not taking her eyes of the gown.

'It was my mother's. She said I could wear it. Just help me get it on now. I'm running late as it is… I don't know what I was thinking!'

Lily helped Helen with her dress, tightening the bodice ('can you breathe?' asked Lily surveying Helen's tiny waist) and fastening the buttons.

'Uh, Helen?' asked Lily tentatively.

'Go, go. It's fine. Don't wait for me. If you see Remus, though, just tell him I'll be down soon.'

With a final excited hug, Lily bounded out of the dorm and down the stairs to meet James.

After having set her hair in a low, elegant bun and having applied a small amount of makeup, Helen surveyed herself in the mirror.

Her reflection showed her long silver gown and its opal and rhinestone encrusted lining. She seemed to emanate a silvery glow around her. Pleased at the contrast to her normal appearance, she left the dormitory and the now-empty common room to meet Remus.

Helen descended down the stairs to the entrance outside the Great Hall. She had waited until there was no one to be seen outside the Gryffindor common room (where she had arranged to meet Remus) and he had not shown up. She thought she must have misunderstood and that he meant the Entrance Hall. She heard the music- the Blue Danube- playing serenely in the Great Hall. There was only one person standing outside the Great Hall. From the back he appeared to be extremely handsome- tall, with shiny black hair. He turned around. To Helen's dismay, she realised it was Sirius. He stared at her, looked her up and down, mouth open, and then looked elsewhere. Although they had had many fights and Helen had an acute dislike for Sirius, she couldn't help but wonder that he was being more than exceptionally rude to her by not even saying hello. Annoyed, however, that Remus was not to be seen, she cleared her throat.

'You wouldn't happen to know where Remus is would you?'

Sirius turned around, startled, eyes wide. He looked her up and down again, shocked.

'Helen? Wow, I… I didn't recognise you at first!'

'Oh come off it. I don't look that different. Anyway, have you seen Remus?'

Just as Helen asked this, she saw the snow falling from the bewitched ceiling and, incidentally, saw the full moon and sighed.

Sirius, who hadn't noticed this, said, 'he… he got really sick just half an hour ago. They had to take him to St Mungo's it was that bad. He asked me to tell you that he is really, really sorry…. He really was, by the way,' Sirius added as an afterthought.

Helen, feeling slightly disappointed, said, 'I should have guessed. Anyway, well, I suppose I will go and make actual productive use of this time.'

'Merry Christmas Sirius,' she added, as she turned to go back up the stairs.

She had not climbed five steps before Sirius shouted, 'Wait!' running up to be level with Helen.

'Yes?' Helen asked

'Well, I mean, ok. I know we have had a bad history… (to which Helen raised her eyebrows), but, I mean, we've both dressed up, there's a ball going on, and, well, it is Christmas so… I dunno, would you like to go with me to the ball?' he asked, hesitantly.

'I don't need your charity, Sirius. Honestly, I'm not upset about Remus. Go back to your date. I daresay, you have neglected her for quite a shocking amount of time as it is. It would be extremely bad manners to bring me as well. Anyway, I don't do double dates…'

'I haven't got a date.'

'What?' asked Helen in genuine surprise before she could stop herself.

Sirius chose to ignore this. 'Listen, I'm not giving you any charity or anything. I'm simply asking you to go to the ball with me. Maybe we got off on the wrong foot and, I know that I am most of the time, but maybe I could show you that I'm not a 'complete jerk' (as I believe you once called me). Could we try to start anew?' he said, holding out his hand, looking into Helen's eyes with such an earnest expression on his face that she could help but feel a slight flutter in her stomach.

There was a tense pause. The suspense was terrible, unbearable, and… slowly, Helen raised her hand and shook it with Sirius.

'Mademoiselle,' Sirius said, with a bow, kissing it, at which Helen laughed. He then cleared his throught, and held out his arm for Helen to take as they descended down the stairs in a majestic fashion.

Sirius kept stealing glances at Helen's face, which she in turn ignored, keeping her eyes fixed upon a point in the Entrance Hall.

They had reached the doors to the Great Hall. It was at this point that Sirius noticed some uneasiness in Helen, as seemed very interested in the floor.

'Well,' said Sirius, taking the initiative, 'shall we?'

Helen looked up, her eyes dancing. 'We shall,' she said, taking his arm as they pushed the door to the Yule Ball.

The song had just finished and, as they made their entrance, a hush fell over the whole school.

Everyone stared at the two of them in a mixture of disbelief and shock. No one could believe that the two could possibly ever work together on the same desk, let alone go as partners to the Yule Ball. Even James and Peter gaped at Sirius; for, as the arrangement itself was a 'spur of the moment' kind of thing, they too had been taken by surprise. Lily looked at Helen with an expression of disbelief.

Helen, realising the awkwardness of the situation, nudged Sirius to start walking, and the two made their way very briskly towards James and Lily.

Gradually, the room filled with sound and the music started playing again. People were, no doubt, discussing animatedly what they had just witnessed. The boys venting their frustration that Sirius had finally seduced the girl of their wildest fantasies and the girls over Helen's stealing yet another one of their crushes (whilst also making stiff remarks about her gown, although making a mental note at the same time to find one of a similar make).

James pulled Sirius aside almost as soon as Helen and Sirius arrived at the table.

'What's wrong with you?'

'What? Nothing. Never been better!' replied Sirius, keeping his eyes on Helen who was now being approached by Lily.

'What did she do to you? Did she give you love potion? Wha.. Sirius!' James said, imploring his friend to wrench his eyes from Helen and look at him.

'What?' Sirius asked impatiently. 'Listen, I'll talk to you later… and no, she has not drugged me. I'm the one who's surprised she accepted me without my needing to drug her! Anyway, not now,' he said, tapping his nose and returning to Helen.

Lily herself fashioned a similar conversation with Helen.

'What on earth are you doing? Where's Remus?'

'It seems as though he decided to be sick again tonight and so Sirius asked me if I would like to go with him instead. You know… seeing as we're all dressed up and all.'

'No, I don't know,' said Lily sternly.

'Listen, go back to James, we'll talk later. Have a good time!' Helen said, leaving to join Sirius who had just finished talking with James and was heading towards her.

Helen and Sirius sat at their table, quite silently. Both were struggling to find words to say, now that they were forced into having a civil conversation. Finally, after yet another group of girls walked past them, throwing extremely dirty looks at Helen, whilst smiling as serenely as they could at Sirius, he said,

'do you want to go for a walk?'

Helen, relieved that there would be an opportunity to break the ice between them which, seemed to compound by the second inside the hall, said, 'yes. It's getting a bit stuffy in here.'

Being as discrete as they could, they left the Great Hall.

As soon as they were outside, Sirius let out a sigh.

'I don't know about you, but I didn't feel too great about having nearly every guy in there looking as though they were about to lynch me for being with you!'

Helen laughed. 'Yeah, well, don't worry. It wasn't too different for me either. Seriously, those girls practically turned into vultures when they saw us together. It was quite funny though. I guess no one was expecting THAT… still, I suppose I've done them a favour in giving them yet another thing to talk about and yet another reason to hate me.' Helen said, shrugging.

They were walking slowly through the gardens which had been decorated with ice sculptures and sparkling lights, yet the air was misty, creating a smoky effect. It created quite a surreal atmosphere.

Sirius frowned, 'but why, and no offence meant here, but why do they, well… dislike you so much? I mean, I know we've had our differences, but it's not as though you're nasty, or by any means a dumpy kind of girl. I just don't get it.'

Helen found this quite amusing.

'Don't you? I should think it's quite obvious! Well, for one, there are my 'distractions,' which means- their boyfriends. Of course, I usually don't do it intentionally- well, there have been the occasional ones which are purely used for revenge, but, of course, no girl usually likes having her boyfriend, or any guy she's got a crush on taken by another girl. There is also the fact that I myself, without sounding like a snob here, just don't want to associate with girls like that. I mean, what would I be expected to talk about? Makeup, hair and boys all day? No thankyou. I have better things to do with my time. Also, the majority of them are so dim-witted that I don't think my patience could handle it.'

'Well, now you know what it's like being stuck alone with Peter,' laughed Sirius,'… so why, then. Why do you do it?'

'Do what?' Helen asked, rather innocently.

'Well… you know… all those guys?'

Helen paused for a moment. Sirius, was scared that he had pushed too far but, on looking at her, saw that she was frowning.

'You know, I don't quite get it myself. Well, I suppose it's like this. I have heaps of things going on in my life- I study a lot, there's quittage practise, and, when I can fit it in, daily piano practise as well… plus classes,' she added as an afterthought. 'So, naturally, my head is bursting most of the time. So, those guys, they're what I call my distractions. I don't love them… no way! I mean, they usually just last a day at the most. It's just, I don't know, a way of bringing me back to earth. And, by the way, I never 'do' them, as you have implied several times in our conversations,' Helen said, with a wry smile.

Sirius grinned (this had, for him, being a troubling point for him about Helen for some while).

'But, then, why do you make out to be so bad… because you're not, really…'

'And why do you make out to be such a bad-boy? Hmm?'

Sirius pondered this point, realising it was a good one.

'Well…'

'I don't think, for all our history together, that we are that different, Sirius (if I may be so bold as to say so myself). I think we both have sought distractions, not to deliberately hurt anyone, or cause any pain, but really, just to stay sane.'

She looked at Sirius, hopefully, to see if he agreed.

Sirius, looked down, nodding his head.

'You know, I never really tell anyone, I mean, James doesn't even really know- he wouldn't get it-but… I think you'll understand.'

Helen nodded, as they came to a bench and sat down.

'My… my family, well, you know, they're pure-blood right?'

'Right,' said Helen encouragingly, understanding that this kind of conversation was quite challenging for Sirius.

'And, well… I mean they're crazy! No, seriously, don't look at me like that, they are! They're always going on about things like, excuse the language, 'mudbloods' and they're all into Dark Magic. It's actually scary, sometimes, the things they do. I mean, am I going to be like that? I keep trying to convince myself that I'm adopted, to try and feel better about it, but, still, I'm related to them, and, as a side note on adoption, seeing their views on blood, I doubt very much that my parents are the adopting type.'

Sirius sighed, searching Helen for a response.

'You know, Sirius, just because you're related, well, to tell you the truth, it doesn't really mean anything. You yourself have morphed into the person who you are now. If you can see the error in their ways and are able to discern between right and wrong, you are far beyond worrying whether you are turning into a dark wizard. There is, of course, the fact that you are in Gryffindor which…'

'Oh! Don't get me started on their views on that!' said, Sirius, bitterly. 'Do you know how many howlers I was sent when they found out that I wasn't in Slytherin?'

'Yeah, sorry, I was there at the time. They were pretty nasty, I must admit…'

'Well, those were nothing compared to what I got when I got home. I'm always under house arrest.. "You are to be prohibited from fraternising with any muggles of any sort. You will have the opportunity to meet some very respectable 'pure-blood' witches and wizards your age on Friday night at our family gathering,"' said Sirius, mocking his mother.'Honestly, it's enough to make one sick!'

Helen gave a sad, knowing smile. 'I too know the feeling of house arrest…'

'Oh God, don't tell me! You're little miss angle at home?'

Helen raised her eyebrows, yet a wicked grin flittered across her lips.

Sirius nearly fell of the bench.

'I don't believe it! You are! What, are you daddy's little girl as well?'

Helen remained silent, and glanced with a pursed-lip grin up at Sirius.

'Dear me, well, what do you know? You learn something new every day!' Sirius exclaimed, pretending to be scandalised, and sinking back into the bench.

'Oh, get over yourself,' Helen said, turning round to face him.

'As if every girl's dad isn't protective of her,' then, as an afterthought, she added, 'yes, but I do suppose my daddy dearest is quite a bit more than most. You don't want to know the dramas it took for him to be persuaded to let me go to Hogwarts.'

'Well, he had good reason didn't he? Look what happened to his pure as snow angel? I bet you he doesn't know about your 'broom-cupboard' interludes?' Sirius said with an evil grin.

'Ha ha ha, very funny. Well, as a matter of fact, NO, he does NOT know, and that is how I would like to keep it. At least if I want to finish my education.'

'And what if he was aware that his little angel had a boyfriend?'

Helen frowned.

'But I haven't got a 'boyfriend.' In fact, I've never had a 'boyfriend' per se…'

'You could…' Sirius said, in a manner which was so obvious that Helen was very well aware where this conversation was leading.

'And what if I don't want one?' Helen asked in mock defiance.

'Well, you will have your secret admirer pining over his broken heart at your rejection.'

'Oh, and who is this secret admirer of mine?' asked, Helen, leading him on in his game.

Sirius gave her a wry smile, and then adopted a more serious tone.

'Ok, seriously. Would you go out with me?'

Helen stood up. So did Sirius. She began to walk around him.

'I could,' she said, in his ear, before walking around to the other and whispering, 'but that would ruin my impeccable reputation of going out with losers…'

'Surely, that is not a reputation you wish to uphold?' asked Sirius, becoming more and more mesmerised by Helen.

'Well,' she whispered again, 'that's just the thing. To uphold or not to uphold? That is the question.' She said, very seriously.

Sirius nodded, smiling slightly.

'That is the question.' Helen said, in front of him, holding out her arms in a shrug, before turning to walk further down the path.

'So you won't then,' Sirius said mournfully, running to catch up to her.

Helen faced him, their faces just inches from each other.

'I'll think about it,' she said quietly, looking him in the eye.

A burst of music came out again from the great hall. She smiled, sadly, and looked down.

Sirius, sensing this, took her waist and murmured 'dance with me.'

Head resting on his shoulder, they danced, without a word, feeling each other's heart beat into their chest. Helen closed her eyes as she felt tears coming to her eyes. She had felt so alone, for so long. Could she dare to allow herself to trust Sirius, to widen her circle for two? She dismissed these thoughts, trying to make the moment, which was so delicate, so innocent, so tentative, last.

When the music died down, they merely stood against each other. Feeling the tension, the longing between the two souls. Eventually, another, jive-like song burst out, forcing them to separate. This happened slowly. Helen turned her head to face Sirius, eyes downcast. Sirius, in turn, faced Helen as they leant further closer to each other, feeling each other's quickening breath on their faces. Gradually, their lips met, and they kissed, tentatively at first, but then, after separating once, more passionately. This kiss, however, was not like the others Helen, or Sirius, for that matter, had experienced. It was with gravity, with patience and consideration. It wasn't lustful, but, rather, almost child like. They were, in essence, two children, having made an important discovery, savouring the moment to enjoy it.

It started snowing. Delicate flakes caressing their skin and hair. With the snow, however, came cold. Helen, wearing only a thin gown of gossamer, gave a slight shiver. Sirius took off his jacket, wrapped it around her, and, with his arm around her shoulder, and a kiss on her forehead said, 'let's get inside. It's getting a bit cold.'

The two walked quietly back to the castle, as though words were not necessary. This silence, however, was not awkward but merely added to the serenity felt by the two then. Once they reached the Entrance Hall and heard the raucous notice from within the Great Hall, Sirius was relieved to see that Helen looked rather reluctant to return to the hall.

'Do you just want to go to the common room?' Sirius asked, quietly.

Helen nodded, and they went, hand in hand to the warmth of the common room which, due to everyone's attendance at the Yule ball, was empty. They sat together on a couch in front of the fire.

After a while of staring into the warm flames, Helen asked,

'what do you think's going to happen to our life? I mean, we finish school in two years and then what? Doesn't it ever scare you where we'll end up? I'll have to move out of home for sure, but where will I go? What will I do? Don't you ever think about things like that? We've got careers meetings in a few weeks and I haven't the faintest idea what I'll become.'

Sirius didn't reply for a while. Then, slowly, he said,

'I think about that too. I can't stay with my parents. I'll die. But, it's as you said; where do you go? I just don't know. I suppose I try not to think about it too much. I still have a bit more time to get away with not thinking about it.' After a pause, however, he said, 'you should become a singer. I've never heard a voice like yours before. I mean, I'd never been affected by a voice before I heard you.'

Helen laughed. 'Oh, you flatter me. But I don't know where that would lead me… but I do love it.'

'And you must be the best actress in the world…' Sirius added, cheekily.

Helen got up from his shoulder.

'And, pray, explain what you mean by that.'

'Well, simply that you are a fantastic manipulator and, if you can work on people's minds the way you do, I'm sure you would be magical in manipulating your audience.'

Helen threw Sirius a reproving look, pursing her lips to refrain them from smiling. She then got up from the couch and started walking towards the girls' dormitories.

'Oh, come on, I didn't mean it as anything bad…. Don't go…'

'I'll just be a minute. If you don't mind, silk gowns are not the most comfortable ones for lounging around in. Also, I don't know about you, but I'm starving,' she said, walking up the stairs.

A minute later, she was down, wearing pyjamas, and holding a case.

'What's in that?' asked Sirius, eyeing the case.

'Well, the girls have a stash of 'slumber party' stuff… it's got food and games so I thought we'd see,' she said, opening the box.

They were lying on the floor in front of the fire, leaning over a game of chess, laughing.

'Oh my gosh! I can't believe I just did that!' said, Helen, incredulous at herself for losing her queen.

'Well, if I am able to distract you of all people with my wiles, it seems that I have perfected my charming skills,' said Sirius, laughing.

Helen gave Sirius a mock reprimanding look and, with a smile twisting in her lips, said, 'knight to B4.'

Sirius watched in horror as Helen's knight took his own queen and his king threw off his crown.

'I believe that would be… now, what was it called, hmmmm…. Checkmate!' said Helen, throwing her head back and laughing at Sirius' stunned face.

'But… how? What… how did?' he stammered.

'Obviously,' Helen said, 'this proves that not only am I impervious to your seductive wiles, but you yourself may be the one who is, in fact, in danger from your associations with me!' still laughing at Sirius.

'Yeah, I didn't need you to tell me that. Detention with you already proved that,' muttered Sirius, sullenly whilst recalling their detention which had turned into quite a large-scale duel.

'Please don't tell me that you're a sore loser?' asked Helen, steering away from the topic of that detention.

Sirius looked up, grinning. 'No, I am afraid I am a terrible loser and will be in need of great comforting,' he whispered, leaning closer.

'Well, aren't you lucky that I'm here,' whispered Helen back, as they started kissing, chess pieces knocking over.

It was midnight. They were leaning against each other with a couch for support in front of the fire.

'So…' said Sirius, breaking the silence.

'So.' Replied Helen, sensing where the conversation might lead.

'Will you go out with me?' he said quietly, fiddling with the ring on Helen's hand which was interlocked with his own.

Helen stared into the flames and thought, with a sad irony, that her self of a month ago would murder her for what she was about to reply with.

'Yes,' she murmured, continuing to stare into the fire.

'I'm… I'm not just going to be a 'distraction,' will I?'

He had said the wrong thing. Helen, already feeling vulnerable at having enjoyed spending the evening with him and having beared her soul out to him just earlier suddenly was incensed that he could ask such a thing.

She stood up.

'What are you saying?' she asked, testily.

Sirius too stood up.

'Well, I don't know how you've been with the other guys, but I don't want to be used, that's all.'

'Are you saying,' she said, voice shaking, 'that, even after everything I've told you tonight, you still think I would be like that? Or maybe you're calling me a slut?' she said, glaring.

Sirius muttered something, but Helen caught the word 'history.'

Feeling very stupid, she yelled, 'so what, did you just ask me tonight to finally show everyone that you 'got me'? Is that what it was? A big prank? Well, fine, you 'got me.' But, just so you know, I'm smarter than all those half-wits you go out with so I won't be fooled.'

'Oh yeah?' Sirius, said, voice rising, 'well I seemed to have fooled you for most of the evening.'

It was at this point that the portrait opened and many people started spilling into the common room, stopping when they saw, in front of them, the spectacle of Helen glaring at Sirius, livid with anger.

'So that's what it was then?' she shouted.

'Yeah, that's all it was…'

'Fine,' she said, turning and making her way to the Girl's Dormitory.

The whole common room watched, stunned in silence.

'Wait…' Sirius said, running up to her and grabbing her hand.

'Don't touch me!' Helen said, her voice a deadly warning, pulling her hand away from him.

'Aw, come on Helen. I didn't mean it, please…' he said, grabbing her around the waist.

SLAP

Helen slapped Sirius that he staggered back as she ran up the stairs. There was an awkward silence as Sirius looked around at everyone, realising they were staring at him.

'Oh, get over yourselves,' he muttered, stalking up to the boy's dormitory.

Helen surveyed her suitcase which she had hurriedly packed. She had enough to last the journey to Australia and all of her books. She had enough clothes at home anyway. She looked in the mirror quickly. Her hair was still was curly today. She wore jeans, black boots, and a black turtleneck jumper as a top. She grabbed her coat and pulled her suitcase down the stairs, still in a bad mood from the night before. She was glad to see that the common room was empty and that she would not have to face any confrontations about last night.

She walked out of the castle and ran to Professor McGonagall who was standing by the train with her list.

'Please, professor, I know I'm not on the list, but I received this letter,' she said, handing a forged letter to McGonagall, 'last night. I have to go home. My father's ill.'

McGonagall believed it. She looked at Helen with a kind smile and said, 'that's very understandable. Very well, just load up your suitcase in the back.'

Having loaded her suitcase with all the trunks, and as Helen was about to mount the train, which was leaving in exactly two minutes, she felt someone grab her arm gently and pull her back.

She gasped and spun around to face Sirius.

'You!' she said, anger returning, despite her feeling a little flattered that he had pursued her to the train.

'Please, Helen. Give me another chance. I feel like a complete idiot. I shouldn't have asked you that, I know. It was wrong of me… Why are you leaving? You're not going because of me are you?' he asked.

'Don't flatter yourself so much… you're not worth that much.' Helen said, about to step on the train.

Sirius pulled her arm back.

'No, you can't leave… come on, give me another chance.' He said, pleading with her.

'Please let go of my arm. I have a train to catch.' Helen said, turning away from Sirius as McGonagall shouted,

'Asteria, if you want to catch the train, you had better get on now or else you will miss it.'

'I have to go,' Helen said, wrenching her arm away from Sirius.

'Helen, come on…' he said, pulling her back and kissing her.

Angry, more that he did this in front of McGonagall than any other reason, Helen slapped him, pushed him away from her and stepped onto the train.

Sirius watched hopelessly as the train retreated. He couldn't help but think that Helen had kissed him back for even a split second of his kiss. Helen herself, as she sat in an empty compartment smiled to herself. She had Sirius exactly where she wanted him. She didn't even really care that much about what he said, although it annoyed her. She felt that she was too vulnerable the night before, enjoyable as it was. They needed some separate time for now before she regained her strength in the situation.

The two remaining weeks of the holidays tortured Helen. She found herself dreaming about Sirius- a happening which was new to her and one which she found most unfavourable. She immersed herself as much as she could in her studies, determined to beat him in every single subject.

Upon returning to Hogwarts, Helen made a point of ignoring Sirius. Whenever he came too close she would walk in the opposite direction, taking care that she was always with Lily so as not to be cornered by him. Lily proved to be quite helpful. She too was not too happy with James' behaviour at the Yule Ball, muttering something about 'groping bastard' whenever Helen asked. They had agreed to swap places in transfiguration, so that Lily was next to Sirius and Helen with James.

A month passed and Helen and Sirius had not spoken so much as 'hello' to each other. One day, during dinner, Helen found Sirius sitting next to her. She sighed, expecting the conversation she had avoided all term. To her surprise, however, he merely continued his conversation to James, ignoring her. After he had eaten he got up with James and left, without so much as a glance in her direction.

Helen could not help but feel disappointed at this. Lying on her bed that night, she felt, despite how hard she fought to keep them at bay, salty tears burn her face. She had not played her cards properly with Sirius and now she faced the possibility that he had lost any interest in her whatsoever. Despite what how much she had tried to convince herself that she didn't, there was no doubt in her mind that she liked Sirius.

After a sleepless night, she arose at 5.30 am, looking dishevelled. She contemplated studying before breakfast but, after reading the same sentence over a hundred times, she gave up and, instead, decided to go for a walk to clear her head.

She walked down the steps to the castle, the cool February wind blowing her long hair behind her. She wrapped her cloak around her and kept walking. The sky was white, with black clouds edging nearer the castle, threatening to burst. She was walking for nearly an hour, completely lost in her thoughts. After passing the whomping willow, near the forbidden forest she heard a rustle on the ground. She turned to see, briefly, a group of students closing in on her before being knocked to her feet. As she reached for her wand, she heard Bellatrix say 'expelliarmus' with a laugh as Helen looked hopelessly at Lestrange twirling her only hope for defence in his fingers, laughing manically.

She surveyed them; Bellatrix, Lestrange, Dolohov, McNair and the Carrows as they circled her.

'Hello Mudblood,' said Bellatrix, a hungry gleam in her eyes.

'Good morning Bellatrix,' said Helen stiffly, knowing full well what was to follow. 'Did you wish to speak with me? Surely you didn't think I would attack you if you wanted a conversation?'

'Speak with you? Ha! I do not converse with filthy mudbloods,' shrieked Bellatrix as the others roared with laughter.

'Well, that is a pity for your sake. I cannot help but wonder, however, why you sought to disarm me? Surely, if I am a… 'mudblood,' one who is unworthy of practising magic, you would not consider me a threat when surrounded by six pure-bloods.'

Yes. So you can see that it's not as good- well, that's what I think, anyway. Originally, Helen and Sirius didn't know each other as well as they did in the actual story- i.e. they never spent that summer together or as much time talking together…. And kissing, for that matter, as they ended up doing. Helen was also a singer originally, but I changed my mind about that and made her a pianist instead because if she was a singer, I definitely would agree with comments on her leaning towards the 'Mary-Sue' end. Also, she wasn't 'friends' with James at all originally, but only friends with Lily and Remus.

Well, let me know if you find this interesting. If so, I shall put more chapters up- including ones which you have never even seen before. If not, I'll just delete this story and get on with finishing the actual one!

Love Anya