"You had better be getting back." said Sirius. "I expect someone will be wondering where you've gone. And it's starting to get dark."

"I suppose I should." said Lilleth, sighing. "That food ought to last you a while. I asked the elves for a picnic lunch for me and a lot of my friends, so there's plenty there."

"You're an angel." said Sirius, smiling proudly at her. "Come on. I'm going to walk you to the edge of the forest. It's not safe in here as it is, let alone when you're on your own and when it's starting to get dark."

Lilleth nodded and got to her feet. She smoothed down her robes and grimaced at the wetness of them from sitting in the snow – her jeans and socks and trainers were completely soaked, and the bottom of her jumper and shirt, but she knew she could find dry clothes in her dorm, and there'd be a fire in the common room.

"Do you have a nickname?" she asked suddenly. "I meant to ask, but I forgot."

"I went by Padfoot." said Sirius, chuckling. "James was Prongs. Remus is Moony and Peter was Wormtail. What about you?"

"Most people call me Lilly." said Lilleth, and her cheeks went a violent shade of red. "Harry sort of started it, and he always has. Now I just go with it. But I spell it with a double 'l', to be different. And because Lilleth has a double 'l'."

"He started it long before James and Lilly died." said Sirius. "He couldn't say 'Lilleth', so he always just settled for Lilly. Led to quite a bit of confusion for a while. We were never sure whether he was asking for you or for his mother."

Lilleth laughed. "Can I come back sometimes?" she asked.

"I think perhaps not." said Sirius, sighing. "The forest is dangerous, and I doubt I will stay here much longer. But I will try and look out for you, if I can. Do you have an owl?"

"Not of my own." said Lilleth. "But Harry has one. Hedwig. I don't think she really likes me much."

"Use one of the school owls and send me a letter if you ever desperately need help." said Sirius. "But only if it's an emergency. I can't risk being spotted."

"I will." Lilleth nodded.

He smiled at her, and then they left the den. As soon as Lilleth crawled out the other side of the misshapen wall, she saw that he had turned back into a dog, and stroked his head gently.

They set off. Sirius walked close by her, his soft paws sinking slightly into the snow with each step, until the trees began to thin and the grounds slowly came into view, and he stopped. He didn't turn back into himself, but he nudged at Lilleth to keep going and nodded his head, and she understood what he meant. He couldn't go any further. Him being in the grounds would be suspicious anyway, let alone with her.

"See you soon." she said with a smile, and wrapping her winter cloak tighter around herself, she continued on through the snow. She glanced back quickly and saw that he was still stood there, watching her closely, until she got to the edge of the trees, and looked back again to see that he was gone.

Sighing, she kept walking across the grounds, shivering from the frigid breeze that blew through the air and bit at her nose and ears. Her feet stumbled through the snow, slipping and having to stop and regain her footing.

She was just about to get into the bridge that led to the courtyard when she almost ran straight into someone, and she looked up to see none other than Professor Snape. She gulped.

"Been for a walk in the forest, Miss Black-Lupin?" he drawled, raising a greasy eyebrow at her.

"My – um – my scarf blew off." she lied hesitantly. "I was – I was looking for it. But I didn't find it."

"You are a worse liar than Mr Potter." Professor Snape sneered. "My office. Now."

The knot in Lilleth's stomach pulled itself so tightly that she almost felt as though she was going to throw up on the spot, but she balled up her fists in her pockets and followed Professor Snape back along the bridge, through the courtyard, into the Entrance Hall, and through the darkening, chilly corridors down towards the dungeon. Professor Snape didn't say a word, and neither did Lilleth, keeping her hands in her pockets and her mind as steady as she could, although it was difficult.

When they got to the office, Professor Snape slammed the door shut behind her and swept around the desk, his cloak billowing out behind him like wings, and he sat down on his chair while Lilleth stood still and faced him.

"The forest is out of bounds for all pupils." he snapped. "Believe it or not, that includes anyone connected to the great Harry Potter."

"Honestly, Professor, I was just trying to find my scarf." Lilleth protested, although her face was still incredibly red. She wasn't sure if it was from the lies or the cold.

"And it just magically blew off from where it was wrapped around your neck in a sudden gust of wind?"

"Y-y-yes." she stammered. "I was trying to adjust it and it came out of my hands."

"Silence." snapped Professor Snape. "The forest is off limits, something you were informed of at the very start of the year. Detention. You will come to my classroom this evening at five. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Professor." said Lilleth, sighing.

"Good. Now get out. And twenty points from Hufflepuff."

She left the office as quickly as she could, and hastily walked through the chilly halls of the dungeons, up to the Entrance Hall, and then back down to the basement and the common room. Despite having been caught and now having the promise of her first detention, she felt an exhilarating wave of excitement sweeping through her body. For the first time in her life, she didn't feel abandoned. She had parents. Parents who wanted her, even if they couldn't have her now.

Her friends had disappeared from the common room, so she headed up back up the stairs to the Great Hall. The girls weren't there either, but she did see Harry, Ron and Hermione, and Harry waved her over.

"Have you been outside?" asked Harry, eyeing her soaking wet clothes. "It's freezing."

"The snow here is way better than it is in London." said Lilleth, shrugging. "And it's not that cold."

"You're very strange." he said. "What were you even doing?"

"Just exploring." said Lilleth. "Then my scarf flew off into the forest and I tried to find it but couldn't so I came back up here and Professor Snape saw me and I got my first detention."

"Faster than us." Ron remarked.

Hermione gave them both a disapproving glare. "Don't encourage her, Ronald."

"When's your detention?" asked Harry.

"Tonight at five." said Lilleth. "I've got to go find Piper, see you later."

"Good luck!"