I looked at Kira. "You'd do that?" I asked sounding suprised. "I mean... that would meen so much to me!"

I looked at Kira instantly, a look of shock and anger to her.
"Your insane!" I said instantly "Not only is it illegal, it's impossible, where are we going to get hairs of grown people in the middle of a secondary school?" I slammed shut the book I had. "Completly insane" I muttered.
"It was a suggestion, Will!" Kira snapped at me. I gave her a fustrated glance.
"well, it was a bad idea!" I turned away as she went to say somthing to me, but I talked first "What ever happened to Grimmaul Place?"
"What-?" B said confused.
"Your father's house, it was left to Harry when your father died, surley now it would belong to you or Stevie" I looked around in thought "I wonder if Mc Gonagall would allow you to stay there"
"...last I heard an insane house elf by the name of Kreacher was still living there" Kira muttered.
"Insane?" I bluttered out "Only because wizards didn't look after it properly!"

"But... I don't think they'll allow us to stay there without a grown-up! We need someone who would look after us..." I said looking at both of them. "It should be empty though... Maybe McGonagall wants to come and live there... After all the Order meetings still take place there" I suggested. Eaven thought the thing that McGonagall comes to live there sounded rediccilous(sp) I suggested it. At that moment she seemed like a grandmother I had never had.

ooc: Dumbledore's dead, just pretend you said Mc Gonagall.

I shook my head in thought,
"I don't think the Order will be recalled until the Draco situation gets really dangerous" I bit my lip. "Maybe Mr. Lupin, he's a very nice man...although I'm not sure it will be safe with him being a werewolf and all" I felt a cool breeze as Snape walked up behind me.
"Granger, Weasley and Black" He said "What are you muttering about? Some would think your up to somthing" I gave him a cool glance.
"Nothing" I said.
"Well" Snape turned his head, his crooked nose looking larger then ever. "You should continue to do that, the last thing you need is a Gryffindor injuring themselves before the tournament match, I can understand how much of a loss that would be to the school" He gave a sharp smile then left.
"Atleast you don't have to live with him" Kira muttered to B.

"That is the whole wonder of life!" I muttered back to Kira smileing. "But we could talk about this with McGonagall. Before she gives Stevie away to someone..." I said urgeing them "We should go now. They are talking right now!" I said looking at both Kira and Will.

ooc I'll go edit it!

I thought over what B said, "Let's go," I smiled and got up. I looked to B and then to Will, "If it sounds to insane you can stay here," I said to him and ran for the door. I stood at the door waiting for Will and B.
"No running!" the librarian waved a finger at me.

I rolled my eyes, I was not going to let immature remarks get to me. We begun to head down to Mc Gonagall's office when we walked past Charlotte.
"Hi Willy" She smiled sweetly. I felt a rather warm dizziness as I saw her.
"er...I- H-hi Charlotte!" I smiled back, her friends begun to giggle to themselves.
"Meet me near the oak tree at four o'clock, okay?" She said, swoopping down and kissing me gently on the cheek, then they all walked off.

I didn't lnow how to react to what I just saw. I glanced over at Kira to see how she reacted to that.
"It was a bad idea inviteing her to the ball. Now she's obsessed with you..." I said to Will behind McGonagalls office, but so that Kira wouldn't hear. I put my ear against the door to hear what was going on inside. I heard talking but I didn't understand anything. I knocked on the door and pushed it open. McGonagall was suprised to see us there. Stevie was sitting and the young couple was sitting by the fireplace.
"Excuse us professor, but could we talk to you for a second?" I asked shyly.
"Can't it wait?" She asked
"Ummm... No..." I said and glanced over to the couple who seemed confused

I felt a tad bit silly, standing inbetween Kira and B with everyone's eyes on us. Stevie was giving us a rather confused glance aswell, but I gave her a relaxed gaze that seemed to make her feel better.
"What is it about, Black?" She asked standing up.
"er...my...that is to say, me and Stevie's--" B said, sounding nervous.
"Stevie's and my" I corrected her.
"Yeah, Stevie's and my living arrangments" B finished. Mc Gonagall wiped out her wand, waved it and three more chairs appeared we sat down.
"Sorry, Helen and Micheal" She said to the couple "Miss Black, here, lived with the Potter's before the accident, and these are there friends, Kira Weasley and William Granger" She concluded as she sat down. "Now you where saying?"
"We where just wondering" I spoke up "what was happening at Grimmauld Place?" I felt very embarrased suddenly.
"Grimmauld Place?" Mc Gonagall gaped "Why, that has been abandoned for years, Granger I would have thought that you would have had more sense then that. It's filthy and no place for two girls to call home" Her ancient face seemed to curl with outrage at the thought.

"Well... We could clean it..." I started but I was cut off by McGonagalls look.
"I don't think you'd want to go there. And you would need someone to look after you! You couldn't possibly be there all by yourself..."
"You see... We thought about that too!" Will said "We thought maybe you..." He said looking at McGonagall
"Yes! We would like that, wouldn't we Stevie," I looked over at her."After all you are like a grandmother to us..." I added. McGonagall looked flattered at that. She smiled but then added
"But it wouldn't be fair for the other students now, would it?"
"They don't have to know..." Stevie said from behind McGonagall
"So..." I asked shyly looking at her

"So..it is not a topic we need to discuss now" Mcgonagle said with a frown. "After all Helen and her husband are very interested in adopting Stephanie" They nodded in agreement. "They only want it for her fame" B said somewhat loudly.

I rolled my eyes and nodded my head in agreement with B.
"What was that?" Helen asked, McGonagal glanced over at B and I then back to Helen and Michael.
"Nothing," McGonagal lied, and I began to see why B thought she was like a grandmother to her. I grinned for a second and then frowned remembering why the couple was here.
I sighed and leaned against my chair looking up at the ceiling. I knew if I said anything the response would be 'Quiet, Miss weasley' for sure. I put my hands in my pockets and felt the present that Percy had just given me. My eyes widened.
"Er - I've got to go to the bathroom," I said trying to sound as if I actually did.
"Very well, Weasley. Off you go." McGonagal waved a hand towards the door and I ran off.

I watched as Kira dissapeared out the door, her chair seemed to vanish with a small puff of smoke.
"Now, once you adopt Miss Potter-" Mc Gonagall started turning to the young couple, some adoption papers in her hands.
"No" I said, I had felt a burst of rebel inside me, it had come from my Malfoy blood. "My mother will adopt Stevie and B, Proffessor!" I claimed. I knew my mother would most probably say yes to it.
"I have already discussed this with both Hermione and Ronald, both offered to adopt them, but both do not have the room or economical-" She was cut off again.
"Then what about Mr. Lupin? or Mr. Longbottom? or-" Mc Gonagall gave me a stern look and I stopped talking.
"No one is able to adopt them, and Mr. Granger, if you raise your voice in my office again then I will have to ask you to sit outside! Do I make myself clear?" She gazed over me.
"Yes, sorry Proffessor" I muttered. Stevie gave me a desperate glance.

"Have you talked with everyone?" I spoke up asking Mcgonagle. "yes,...." she said somewhat confused. "Everyone?" I asked again. "yes Miss Potter now if you would please sighn here" she said handing me the paper. I glanced over it and started to read the small print.

"No, Stevie! Don't sign it! There must be another way!" I called feeling a bit embarrased and stupid infrint of Helen and Michael, but this wasn't what I wanted. There had to be a way that we wouldn't be seperated. McGonagall looked at me very sharply and turned to the couple.
"Would you excuse us for a second?" She said nicely to them and sent another look towards me. The couple exited the room. After they had closed the door McGonagall started.
"This is not the behaviour(sp) that I am expecting from you, Miss Black!" She said seriosly.
"I know but... You can't seperate us! You can't!" I looked at her and I felt anger riseing again. I also felt some tears in my eyes

I ran through the halls I couoldn't find Percy anywhere, I had even checked in the boys bathroom. I was about to give up when I saw a tall women turn the corner heading towards me.
"Penelope!" I cried.
"Since when have you been so happy to see me?" she eyed me curiously.
"Since my friends needed to be adopted!" I replied.
"No." Penelope said simply.
"Penelope! ...Dearest Aunt Penelope! Please, you've got to! They don't have to live with you! We could hide them in my house! It could be a secret, we could pretend they're just staying for summer time!" I begged.
"Kira, it's a no. Happy Christmas." she said and walked away from me quickly. "You never do anything for me! Besides, it not like they actually want to live with you, who would?" I yelled at her and she froze.
"McGonagal's office is right there," I pointed down the hall where Helen and Michael were standing outside. "Please! Before she ends up living with those two, she'd be away from B. How ould you like it if you were seperated from Percy?" I sighed.
"Fine." Penelope turned aroundand faced me, I grinned.

"B" Mc Gonagall said, her cold face growing warm with sorrow. "I wish there was another way, I hate to have to do this...but there is no other way, you need to know that!" I looked to my feet, there was no other way.
Micheal and Helen came back in as Mc Gonagall handed them the papers.
"Just sign on the dotted lines, thank you" She said, every word seemed hard for her to say.
"Stevie" I sighed walking over to her and hugging her. "I'm sorry...I wish you could live with me...I sorry" I knew how hard this would be on here.
"Now, once you sign Micheal it will be official" Mc Gonagall said. I watched as he took the quill and pressed it on the paper, as his hand hurried across the parchment I knew it was closer to becoming officail.
"Wait!" Came Kira's voice as she burst inside with Penelope Weasley behind her. I quickly looked back at the parchment, Micheal had just finished signing it.

"It's Official!" Mcgonalge said as she smiled and shook Michael and Helen's hand. 'Now there are some things we must discuss. Stephanie as you know attends Hogwarts and must continue. So you will have her summers, and school vacations if you like" Mcgonalge said sitting at her desk.

I sat down and looked over at Micheal and Helen, who where both smiling to themselves as looking at Stevie.
"What about B?" I questioned instantly.
"We will find her a home soon enough" She said spotting Penelope and Kira at the door. "Ah, come in!"

I tured around to see who came in. I was sad. There was no way now. It had been done. I was suprised to see Penelope and Kira.
"What?" I mouthed to Kira not understanding anything.

I looked up at Kira, her eyes where darting from the signed parchment, to Stevie, to Micheal and Helen and to Mc Gonagall.
"It's too late" I muttered. Kira cupped her mouth, then said quickly.
"Aunt Penelope was going to adopt Stevie and B..." She whispered. I looked into her brown eyes, I knew what she was planning, she was going to look after them during the summer...B still had a chance.
"B!" I said instantly "You can still adopt B!" Penelope's face dropped.
"Black?...I don't know what Percy would say about having an ex-convict's daughter in the family..." She glared around "...she is pure blood I suppose...I don't think so though, Percy has a reputaion to uphold"

"My father was not a convict! He was innocent!" I screamed at Penelope standing up. "He was my father!" I said a bit more quiet and sat back down still looking at Penelopes shocked face. "You can forget Percys reputation cause he has none..." I muttered to myself. I guess Will heard me cause he looked at me

"Miss Black" Mc Gonagall snapped "I will not repeat myself to any of again, and Penelope, show respect to my students or you will have to leave!"
"Your kicking me out?" She snapped "Your kicking out the minister of magic's wife, Hogwart and ministry relations have not always been the best and you are testing it!"
"Do not talk to me in that tone while you are in my school" Mc Gonagall hissed. "Potter, Weasley, Granger and Black!" She turned. "We are done here, Stevie we will discuss this later" We all rose silently and hurried outside.
"What was that all about?" Kira said in shock at Mc Gonagall's anger.
"She doesn't like the minsitry thinking they have more power then they actually do" I said as we hurried to the common room, then I remembered "I have to meet Charlotte. Stevie, we will talk later, see ya!" I said, then ran quickly for the grounds.

I collapsed onto the couch near the fire. I felt angry. About everything. About the deaths, about the adopting, about the next task. Now I felt it, what the task said that is, I felt it stronger then ever: I did not want to be seperated from them.
"That Slytherin is waiting for you outside, B!" Said Tina, a girl from our year. I heard some discust in her voice. I got up and exited the common room. Alex was resting by the wall. When he saw me he took step closer.
"I heard about what happened. With that Jennifer... I'm really sorry!" He said quietly. I just hugged him. Again I felt tears in my eyes. It was so good to have him.
"It's ok!" He said hugging me back. Then he pulled away and kissed me gently on the lips. Then he hugged me again. I felt slightly better.

I was to stay three school days at Helen and her husbands house to get to know them before returning back to Hogwarts. While i sat in my dorm packing i turned on a muggle cd player while i did it. Some of the girls were dancing but i quietly had been crying. I sighed lying down on my bed and fell asleep listening to the laughter of the girls that i was secretly very jealous about.