The first year students were the first ones to leave the train. Hagrid, the gamekeeper of Hogwarts, gathered them and guided them to the Great Lake where the boats would take them to the main castle of Hogwarts.

"How have you been, Hagrid?" Alicia greeted the half-giant with a pleasant smile.

Hagrid turned his attention away from the first year students hoarding around him. "Never better." The crowd was getting out of control. "I'll see you later. I heard you were the Head Girl, shouldn't you get goin'?" He said and went back to his job.

She lingered and watched the boats getting filled. The memory of her first boat ride came back. How excited she was and how annoyed she was when she learned she wouldn't be doing it again.

She also remembered her sorting ceremony, how happy she was when she was sorted into Slytherin. The other houses had booed when she rushed to her house table as they cheered. It had confused her but her parents were in Slytherin and they were good people so it must be a good house. That was her thought process. As she grew up she understood that things weren't so simple but she was convinced that her house got more criticism than it deserved. Since her second year she always tried to cheer the loudest when a student was sorted into Slytherin and gave the other houses, particularly Gryffindor, the dirtiest glare she could muster when they booed.

"Let's ride the boats at least once before we graduate." She said when she noticed her friends had joined her.

"Why not?" Vincent shrugged "Since you can get us out of trouble anyway."

"Not this again." Alicia laughed and walked with her friends to the carriages that took them to Hogwarts. She didn't dislike the carriages, it was fascinating to see them being drawn by nothing but she liked the boats better maybe because of the nostalgia and the novelty of it.

After they arrived at the hall they separated and went to their house table. Alicia to Slytherin, Vincent to Hufflepuff and Brandon to Gryffindor.

Alicia settled in and started eating slowly. Pretty much everything there was delicious which made it hard for her to choose. She decided on tomato soup and bread.

The first years came in as she finished eating, now she could put all of her attention to the sorting ceremony. The looks on their faces put a smile on her face. There was a mix of emotions; happy, nervous, excited, even scared. The first day always came with a wave of nostalgia.

The stage was cleared when the sorting was done and it was time for a performance. Alicia stood up and went to the front and took her place behind her cello. She readied herself and waited for everyone else to settle in their places.

The performance ended and a bunch of house elves came to clear the stage again. "Thank you." She said to the elf levitating her cello. "Please take care of her."

"Of course Miss Lim." The elf replied.

She went back to her table and sat down and roamed her eyes around the whole of the Slytherin table but Regulus was nowhere to be found. A lot of the people were done with their food but they still had to stay in the dining hall, so if he had arrived at the Great Hall he had to be in there. Unless he never came to the hall and went straight to the dorms. They do allow it in certain situations.

Regulus was her closest friend in Slytherin so she was stuck making small talk with the people sitting beside her.

When the dinner was over, the students were allowed to go to their dorms. Alicia, along with the prefects had to guide the first year students to the dungeons where the Slytherin dorm was located. She stepped aside and observed the Prefects do their job.

When all the Slytherins had entered the dorms she started her patrol and headed towards the Gryffindor dorms to meet Remus. She waited outside the entrance and looked around at the paintings. They were so different from the paintings in their common room. They were brighter and happier unlike the grim and serious portraits that line the walls of the dungeons.

"You need the password if you want to get in." the Fat Lady painting guarding the entrance to the Gryffindor common room spoke up. "Inquiring looks won't get you in."

"I'm just waiting for someone." Alicia answered.

The Fat Lady looked interested. "For a late night rendezvous? You'll get detention if you wait out in the open. Since I can't let you in, you'd better hide."

"I'm waiting for the Head Boy so we can get on with our duties. Nothing interesting like you are hoping."

"Oh you're talking about Remus Lupin." The recognition excited her even more. Her voice was loud and high-pitched. It didn't help that it was getting pretty late and the halls were empty. "He's such a good boy. You will be happy to have him as a Head Boy."

"I hope so." Alicia said.

"So do I." Remus said as he pushed the painting and came out into the halls.

Alicia looked him over. "You look better than before but still not too well. Are you sure you don't want to sit this one out? I'll cover for you."

Remus was taken aback. "You're worse than my friends." He said as he started walking.

"I saw them hovering over you." She folded her arms. "I'm definitely not worse than them."

"Thank you." He said. "Again."

"Conscience. Gets in the way."

He laughed. "Can't say I disagree."

Both of them walked around each of the houses' dorms. The curfew was mostly for the safety of the students but either they didn't understand or didn't care.

"Do you want to eat something?" Alicia asked Remus as she brought out a paper bag filled with food the elves were kind enough to give her. She did this from time to time and they were used to it.

He took the paper bag and looked inside. There was bread and cookies. He was more surprised by the paper bag.

"Paper bag?" He voiced his confusion.

"They're convenient, aren't they?" Alicia said. "I buy some and keep them for my patrols."

"Thank you." Remus said. He took out one cookie and returned the bag to her.

"Take more. You look like you could use it." She handed the bag back to him. "Is it that time again?"

"What?" Remus stopped in his tracks.

"You get sick every month." She said. "Is it that time again?"

"How did you even know?"

"I just happened to notice." She walked ahead and stopped in front of the familiar painting she had talked to a while ago. "We're at your destination." She smiled and waited for him to catch up to her.

"Balderdash." He said and the painting flew open revealing a doorway. The Fat Lady grumbled about him not keeping the password a secret.

"Lupin." Alicia called out to him before he went in. "Could you send Black out?"

He was confused at first but had a knowing smile on his face. But when he saw the serious look on her face, he changed his mind about her reason for meeting Sirius.

"You can wait inside if you want." He offered.

She shook her head. "I'd rather wait out here."

He nodded and went in. He went up the stairs to his dorm room which he shared with James Potter, Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew.

"You're back." Sirius said. "How was the patrol?"

"Better than I expected." Remus mumbled absentmindedly as he sat on his bed. "Fun."

"Is something wrong?" Sirius asked. James and Peter turned their attention to them.

"Lim asked me to send you out. She's waiting outside." James whistled and Peter grinned at Sirius.

Sirius stood up and examined his clothes. He tidied himself up in front of the mirror and got ready to go out. "I knew she couldn't resist me." He grinned smugly.

"I think she knows." Remus mumbled again. He turned to look at Sirius. He became pale and sickly looking after the full moon but at that moment he looked even paler. The fear was evident in his eyes. He covered his face with his palms.

"I don't think she will tell anyone but . . ." He trailed.

"I'll talk to her." Sirius said. He looked at Remus. "It doesn't matter how but we'll make sure you secret doesn't get out."