Adam Sorderstorm had an adoptive sister, or at least he thought he did. It was almost half of the first term and you know how many times he had talked to his sister?? Zero, none, nada, niet. So he wrote her a note telling her he would meet her that afternoon on the secret spot in the North Tower.

10 minutes before the appointment Adam and Sherlock stood at the foot of the steps that led to the top of the North Tower. The boy sighed, the last time he had been there with Sherlock was when Izzy gave it to him. He climbed up and the kitty followed but halfway through it, the feline decided he was too tired to follow his master and just let himself fall on one of the steps.

“Agh Sheldon get up” Adam said annoyed and poked him with his foot, this lazyness definetly was from his mother's side, Sorderstorms were active and got to the top of towers. “If it was for me I’d leave you here y’know?” The kitty meowed and rolled on his back “but you’ve heard what happened to Mariame’s cat”.Hating the way this ball of fur manipulated him Adam picked him up and carried him the rest of the way.

Once outside he let his body slid down a wall and waited for Sierra, while Sherlock hunted for a fly and after catching it and eating making a lot of noise, he walked over to where Adam was and curled up against the boy. Adam let his head fall and closed his eyes, falling into a slight slumber, until the sound of steps approaching woke him up; he stretched his arms over his head and smiled at his sister who was climbing out the window

“I have to say we are surprised you came” he said and poked the kitty, which lazily opened an eye “look Sherlock, your auntie Si. She stopped sucking Lydon’s face and came to see us” The kitty covered his face with his paw, to what Adam sighed. “Mmm well he is not that interested in seeing you, he probably forgot about his auntie Si”

It was cold outside. Did Adam not realize that when he so high and mightily summoned her from her warm room in Ravenclaw tower to the cold outside of early November? Of course, boys didn't usually think about things like that when they were on a mission. From the tone of Adam's summons, he was on a mission. She wasn't sure what about. It wasn't as if they'd seen each other for awhile. She'd been busy with Lydon, school, Lydon, the hospital wing and of course, Lydon.

Sierra pulled her jacket closer around her as she trudged up the stairs. She was not looking forward to stepping out on that ledge. Maybe she could convince Adam that the toasty warm kitchens were a much better place for a meeting. Kitchens with hot chocolate, mmmmm.

She pushed herself over the ledge and found Adam and his cat waiting for her. She wasn't sure why Adam insisted on calling Sherlock a kitty. Sherlock wasn't a kitty anymore. He had grown. Of course, that's what happened to cats. They grew.

She blushed when Adam talked about her and Lydon.

"You'd know all about sucking someones face now, wouldn't you?" she said, raising an eyebrow. "I seem to recall you sucking a lot of face before. Should I ask Izzy about it?" She sat down next to him and reached out to pet Sherlock. After a few seconds, the cat lumbered over to her and climbed in her lap.

"Yeah, he's really forgotten about me," she said sarcastically and then looked over at her brother.

"So, what's the big emergency that dragged us out here in the cold?"

...Should I ask Izzy about it?

"Have you seen her? Is she here?" Adam asked quickly, fishing for some news on the blonde. In his mind he was cool with the fact that in the ENTIRE bloody term he hadn't seen his girlfriend/no girlfriend or in whatever Merlin damn status they were at the moment. He knew that Sierra would have her fun by throwing Izzy's name into a conversation just to see him squirm about it. He was such a failure, he had promised himself to keep a straight face if his sister spoke about her and here he was, hoping to hear that Iz was fine, live and kicking and in Hogwarts. "I hadn't seen her in forever" he added lowering his eyes.

Sierra sat next to him and that traitor kitty of his (yes, he is still a kitty, according to my vets, cats don't reach complete adulthood until the age of 3) went and sat on Sierra's lap "You really have no dignity mate" he said to Sherlock, who looked up at him and then washed his face

So, what's the big emergency that dragged us out here in the cold?

Adam turned to look at her with an incredulous expression plastered all over his face and punched her slightly on the thigh “Emergency?!.Not everything is an emergency, Dr. Leonki!” he added the last part in sarcasm “I haven’t seen in the entire term, and it’s ok, you have Lydon and the Hospital Wing I get it… but I figured we should do the sibling thing y’know? “

Adam turned to the side and rolled his eyes up, this whole being Sierra’s brother was very hard lately. He waved his wand and muttered a heating charm “There”

"Who? Izzy? No, she's not here. In fact, I haven't really seen her or the other girls much lately. You know how it is. We are just all really busy..." Or maybe he didn't know how it was. She couldn't remember how many classes or NEWTS he was taking. Maybe he was actually really bored. And wasn't Izzy only taking one NEWT? That's what she had heard...

"Wait, aren't you guys like, broken up? Why do you care?" She eyed him carefully. It was one thing to care about someone you were prospecting for dating purposes, but it was another thing to keep an eye out on the girl who's heart you had broken not once, but twice. Ripped to pieces was more like it, now that she thought about it.

She reached down and scratched Sherlock's head, watching Adam for his response. Yes, Adam had been forced to break up with Izzy, but if Adam had really had any balls about it, he would have told his dad to go to hell and he would have come to live with Sierra and her family. Of course they were weird and all, but he would have still been able to date Izzy. Or he could have just lied to his father and kept on dating her. She would never really understand guys.

"Hmm, Dr. Leonki. I sort of like the sound of that. Of course, if I stay in the magical realm, it will be Healer Leonki." Or Healer Ward.... Sierra blushed, even though she hadn't said that last part outloud. Had she really thought it? Geez, she had it bad. She half grinned at her brother as he performed a heating charm and then muttered, "Showoff. At least you've learned something in your time here at Hogwarts." She leaned against the wall, settling Sherlock more comfortably in her lap and said,

"So, what sibling thing are we gonna do this time? You gonna quiz me on life and all that?"

Wait, aren't you guys like, broken up? Why do you care?

"Well" he said "you see, not every brake up is like the legendary Davidson/Leonki divorce y'know?. Izzy and I; we broke up in good terms. Plus, it doesn't feel like a conversation between us unless I plead for some info on Izzy. Don’t you think?”

Adam was not good with secrets and truth to be told he was like a gossip queen, so you can guess he was dying to tell Sierra about the arrangement he had with Izzy, about that wonderful afternoon in her house on the summer and how much he had missed her this term, but Sierra had a big mouth, and he knew that at the first moment she saw Marcus she’d tell him about it just to see the older Sorderstorm squirm, because Adam was with Iz. So, he was quite proud of his performance.

“Doctor, Healer, potato, potatoe” Adam said a bit annoyed. “… and of course you are staying in the magical realm, don’t be foolish.” He said leaning his head against the wall , but noticing the blushing in her cheeks and the daydreaming look, he knew Sierra well enough to know what had caused that, it starts with L and ends with ydon. When you are 7th year you think a lot about the future, and probably Sierra had in mind a future with that Ward boy.

“….. You gonna quiz me on life and all that?”

Adam smiled and raised an eyebrow “Do you want me to quiz you on life and all that?” he looked down at Sherlock, having a good time with his aunt Sierra. “I’ve heard you are busy in the Hospital Wing. If I hadn’t had my dose of hospitals this year I’d go help or whatever, and that blush in your face makes me guess that the love life is ok. Am I wrong?”

Sierra lightly punched Adam on the arm. "Excuse me, but Ryan and I did not get a divorce." It showed how much Sierra had grown over the last few months that she didn't throttle her brother for saying something like that, or burst into tears. Even the ache that used to accompany Ryan's name was gone. Lydon had been good for her. Even if they didn't have a future together, she would be grateful to him forever for helping her to heal from that.

"So you are pleading for info huh... hmmm..." Sierra got a wicked gleam in her eye. "What kind of info? And how much are you paying for it?" She held out her hand. "Cause I got Christmas presents to buy." She would never actually take money from Adam, but she did want to see him beg. And whenever the conversation was about Izzy, beg he would. Actually, sometimes he did more than beg. Sometimes he pleaded as well. Oh goodie!

"Why would you say of course to me staying in the magical realm? There is a huge need for doctors in the muggle world. And, it's not so hard to sometimes use magical remedies. I know that it's not really looked upon favorably, but as long as you don't get caught... and I am the queen of not getting caught." She smiled lightly, but wondered what Adam planned on doing to her if she chose to work with muggles.

"I happen to like muggles. And there are a lot of sick children. I wouldn't mind working to help the muggles come up with cures for the diseases that we can't seem to cure. Cancer, things like that. Children suffer, whether they are magical or not. I just don't see how separating ourselves from that world is fair when we have so much that we can offer." Just thinking about children in pain made Sierra upset. She wasn't the kind of person that could just sit by and watch that happen.

“Do you want me to quiz you on life and all that?” Sierra shrugged. She hadn't really been exactly completely honest with Adam. He didn't know about the fight that wasn't really a fight that she and Lydon were locked into. She wasn't going to tell Adam everything, oh heck no, but maybe he could help her out...

She sighed and then looked over at him. "Things were going well. Really well, until Reilly Milano told Lydon that we uh... sorta dated over the summer. He and Reilly beat the crap out of each other, got detentions and all of that. Lydon doesn't want to talk about it, but I know he's mad." She leaned against the wall and scratched Sherlock under his chin. The kitty mewed softly.

"I just don't know what to do. I mean, it's not like Lydon and I were exactly together. And Reilly and I weren't really together at all. There was just a whole bunch of not being together on all our parts." She let out a breath of air and looked expectantly at her brother.

"It felt like it" Adam joked quickly about it. It had been such a big deal back then, and now it was all in the past a very distant past.

What kind of info? And how much are you paying for it?

"Mmmm I just wanna know if she is in Hogwarts this term" he said truly "and I ask because I hadn't seen her, that's all. Now, about the bill" he folded his legs indian style "you can send it to my father" he finished snorting a laugh.

The boy had to fight the urge to roll his eyes up while she talked about how muggles needed doctors and small children and cancer and terrible stuff, instead he just kept a smile on his lips and tilted his head to the side. "All that is great Si, and is not that is not only looked upon favorably, there is a law against it... we studied that in History of Magic, remember?. Besides, when Muggles ask you, where did you go to school trained or whatever? what are you gonna answer? I went to Hogwarts school of wtichraft and wizardy. They would put you in the looney house". Adam was surprised that he had come up with one good argument rather than just saying is not ok, because it isn't and muggles are filthy.

Luckily the conversation changed to the mess her love life was. The last news Adam had, was that Sierra was dating Lydon, but it seemed she wasn't that she had a thing with Reilly Milano. Adam frowned confused and wished he could give a word of advice to the girl, but he wasnt sure he understood what was going on.

"Well, first of all, you should have known better before getting involved with a Milano, hadn't you learned anything from your dear old brother" he chuckled "I'm so dissapointed. Now, what happened with Lydon?, that day in the train you guys were all cozy and seemed happy..." Adam looked down at his thumbs why he played with them while he waited for Sierra to answer, but then abruptly looked up "Hang on, you made them fight???. You must have some sort of gift to make boys get in fist fights because of you" he smiled widely and then looked down again "Ok, continue"

"Send the bill to your father? Like he'd pay me for getting information about Izzy for you. Isn't he the whole reason for this bloody mess anyways?" Sierra's expression was not a happy one. She was sort of ticked off at Marcus Sorderstorm. He had stuck his nose in where it didn't belong and messed up Adam's happy ending. Of course, then Si had sort of gotten her happy ending. And then Reilly had ruined it. This just made her theory that guys ruined everything for girls all the more true.

"Yes, Izzy is at Hogwarts. Where do you think she'd go in her last year?" Sierra reached into her bag and pulled out some salty chips. She loved them, and they never served them down in the great hall. House elves didn't buy muggle stuff. She held out the bag to Adam. "Want some?" She took a few from the bag and then stuffed one in her mouth.

"Hmm, what else? She sleeps in the dorm. She goes to class. She goes in the library sometimes. She eats in the Great Hall. Maybe she's just avoiding you?" Sierra didn't mean to say it really, but she had to put it out there. "I mean, yeah, you guys are great friends and all, and yet you don't talk and you don't see her. Maybe her heart is out of time for you. I wouldn't put myself through what Ryan put me through again. I've learned my lesson. It took Izzy twice. Once burned, twice burned..." She shrugged. "I love you, but her heart is tender."

Adam didn't approved of her career choice. Who cared. "I would go to a muggle school for a bit too. A prestigious one. I'm sure that the Headmaster would help make sure I got in. It's no secret that Headmaster Weasley loves everything to do with muggles." She liked making Adam squirm. He didn't like muggles. Well, he'd have to get over that.

Rolling her eyes at what he said about Reilly, she took another chip. "First off, I didn't mean to get involved with a Milano. It just sort of happened. And I'm serious. We didn't plan it. Secondly, it was during the summer. Lydon and I weren't together." She shot him a look.

"Don't you listen? I totally thought I explained that to you." Boys. Sheesh. "Okay, one more time. Reilly and I, like five minutes during the summer. Lydon and I, hooking up on train. Together. A few days ago, Reilly told Lydon about us during the summer. Lydon got kinda, um... weird since I didn't tell him about Reilly. Just sort of took him by surprise." Adam was just a source of all wisdom.

"I didn't know they fought until Lydon showed up in the hospital wing. Reilly's been all bent out of shape about things and knew that telling Lydon would make him mad. He also said some other things that ticked Lydon off. Reilly was looking for a fight. Ly gave it to him. I had nothing to do with it." She glared at Adam and ate another chip.

Yes, Izzy is at Hogwarts. Where do you think she'd go in her last year?

"Well I dunno" he said shrugging "She has like one class... oh thanks, yeah" his eyes lit up at the sight of snacks and promply put his hand into the bag "Y'know Iker is fan of this things, when we were younger he always had this stuff around. Well not this brand" he said taking a proper look at the chips bag "something similar called Doritos, have you tried them they are yummy"

Maybe she's just avoiding you? Adam's head spun quickly to face his sister, his eyes widened and his mouth drop a bit, but that could be because he was about to eat a chip. Izzy could not be avoiding him!!!, they had a deal!!. He went to her house, they made up, it had been fan.tas.tic!. Why would she avoid him after that afternoon?! ... Adam looked to the side feeling the fear of losing Izzy forever taking over him. "Why?... I mean, yeah of course, it must be that" he said, Sierra didn't know anything and probably for her it was logic Izzy was avoiding him "Well, I'm glad to know she's alright... as her friend, of course"


"Sierra there's a law... you know what? never mind, be happy at muggle school" he said and passed an arm around her pulling her closer to him "Save the world one muggle at the time" Adam was not gonna discuss with Sierra about this, she was doing it to irk him, however he made the mental note to find that law, he clearly remembered they studied that in History of Magic. With written proof there would be nothing to argue about.

Don't you listen? I totally thought I explained that to you. "Well is not my fault your boy situation is a mess is it?", he listened really carefully this time, paying attention to all details

"So Lydon is jealous of Reylli?" Adam said raising an eyebrow "You didn't cheat on him then, and if I remember correctly he wasn't sure at that time of what to do about you. He has no reason to be mad at you now, and if he is giving you a hard time you should dump the git and teach him a lesson, cause it's not fair to you, that was when he was making up his mind about you being his girlfriend or not. What is important is that now you are with him and he is very lucky because of that"

"Now the fight thing is really Lydon's bad. Despite what Reylli might told him, he should have trusted in you cause you are his girlfriend and be the Ravenclaw and avoid it, he could have talked to you later. I bet you'd explain him what happened"

Sierra dumped the last of the chips into her hand and shoved them in her mouth. She liked the sounds they made as they crackled when she chewed. Simple pleasures... "I don't like Doritos. They get all cheesy in your hands. Americans have the dumbest snacks. These are way better." She waved the empty bag around.

Sierra rolled her eyes when Adam acted all surprised that Izzy would avoid him. He'd what, broken her heart like half a dozen times. Si would start avoiding people too.

"Adam, I know about the law, considering the fact that I have taken all seven years of history of magic. There are certain exceptions to the law. My mother did a lot to help muggle medicines when she was taking her break from the magic world. She gave me a book on the exceptions too." Sierra resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at her brother. She was much to old and mature for that, right? She leaned against him, feeling rather like it was old times. However, he did sound condescending at times. Almost like he was Minister for Magic or something.

"Yeah, I guess Lydon is jealous of Reilly. I mean, there are obvious reasons why, and don't ask because I'm not telling, but yeah, I guess he is." Sierra said it with almost a bit of pride in her voice. It was about dang time that Lydon showed a little bit of emotion in that category. So... maybe he was a bit worried about losing her after all. She flushed a bit.

"I'm not sure he's mad as much as... just it really took him off guard." She felt suddenly defensive of her boyfriend. "I mean, try seeing it from his point of view. While you were dating Izzy, if some guy walked up to you and said that he'd been dating your girlfriend during the summer, before you hooked up, you'd probably still be jealous. And then if he talked about her like... well, like she was you know, all easy and stuff, you'd probably punch the guy." She shrugged. "It's what guys do, right? And I am not dumping him!" Sierra stared at Adam aghast. "How can you even suggest that!" Well, she had opened up to him, and he was giving her advice. It was just the wrong advice.

"I don't want to dump him, I want to keep him!"

Recently, talking to Sierra was too frustrating to Adam. They didn't seem to agree in absolutely anything not even freaking chips, the boy wondered what on earth had driven him to owl Sierra if he already knew she had to go on the opposite direction from him. Perhaps they were the perfect example of people growing apart and it saddened him, cause he wasn't sure how or when it happened

"I like the Dorito's thingy, you just have to eat them with a napkin nearby to clean your fingers" he said quickly "Chips are good too" he added, he noticed how she rolled her eyes up at him and he felt suddenly upset, if Sierra here wasn't such a big mouth, they'd tell her what was really going on."There's no need for the eye rolling" he muttered "I know is all my fault". Gosh! see? she was frustrating, is a little bit of brother sister sympathy too much too ask?

"Well you are gonna have to show me that book with the exceptions" Adam said trying to sound polite and not frustrated towards Sierra, plus, he was now hooked up in the whole law/exceptions thingy and more than wanting to know he was gonna obsess about knowing.

Sierra explained further the situation with Reylli and Lydon and Adam began to understand better what was going on."Izzy and I are not a good example, but I get what you are trying to say, and yeah you are right I'd probably would have punched the hell out of the guy, but I wouldn't be mad my girlfriend, Izzy or who ever she was..."

How can you even suggest that!

"No, no, no wait" he said and sighed hoping he could fix this communication issue with her"I said IF he was giving you a hard time over Reylli, then you should dump him, cause in my humble opinion, he should trust you and treat you right. And of course I speak out of what I can put togheter with the info you give me. I'm trying to give you the best possible advice, side with you, but it feels like I talk a completly different language from yours. Y' know what I mean?"