Emmeline Vance scowled at the boy next to her. Well, he'd been next to her up until a moment ago, when he'd taken it into his head to steal her shoe and run up the tree. "Benjyyyyy," she whined, drawing out the last syllable just to be annoying. "Gimme back m'shoe."

The boy grinned at her, displaying a missing tooth. "Nope! You gotta come and get it, Emmie!"

"Benjy, you know Mummy says no climbin' the tree. 'M not 'lowed."

"Mrs. Vance doesn't have to know, Emmie. C'mon. C'mon up the tree! 'Less you don't want your shoe back…"

"S'my shoe, Benjamin Fenwick!" The four-year-old put her hands on her hips and glared like she'd seen her mother do. It seemed to have an effect—the boy gulped slightly. She could see his throat move.

"Come and get it!" He said, but it was with less sincerity than he'd used before, and Emmeline knew she was winning.

With that thought in mind, she screwed up her face so it got as unpleased as she could make it, and tried out her Mum-voice. "Benjamin Nicholas Fenwick, you come down from that tree right now, young man!" She pronounced all the words clearly, as she'd heard her mother do. And it worked. Benjy looked ashamed and started edging down the tree, though he glowered at her.

"That's not fair, Emmie. S'not okay to use that voice. Makes me feel bad." He was muttering as he sulkily handed her shoe back, which she donned in triumph.

"Y'stole my shoe, Benjy. S'not fair either."

He continued looking nastily at her, then touched her shoulder and ran off laughing. "Tag! You're it!"

She scampered after him, shouting. "I wasn't ready!"

"Benjamin? Emmeline?" A warm older woman's voice called out to the shouting and running duo. "Come on in, you two. The sun's about to set."

Breathless they raced up to her, Emmeline trying to smooth her play dress. Catherine Vance laughed at the children, both dark-haired and with that incessant light of childhood spilling from their eyes. "Benjy, are you staying for dinner, dear?"

He nodded and said with the awkward courtesy of a nine-year-old, "If you don't mind, Mrs. Vance."

"Of course not. Come in and wash your hands, both of you. Dinner's on the table and your father is waiting, Emmeline."

"Daddy's home?" The little girl's brown eyes lit up and sparkled delightedly, and she ran inside quickly. Benjy followed her after a second's hesitation. Mrs. Vance watched him go and sighed, slightly sadly. She walked slowly into the house and set out the plates on the table, shooing her daughter into the bathroom to wash off her hands. Benjy was being the gentleman and letting Emm wash up first, then her little girl bounded back into the dining room of the spacious house.

"Daddy Daddy Daddy! You home early!" She leapt on her father with a hug. "Mummy said you'd not be home 'til tomorra!"

Her father laughed and picked her up, swinging her around as she giggled. "Well princess, I got off early. And how are you, Benjamin?"

Benjy shook Christopher Vance's hand with his gap-toothed smile. "I'm good, Mr. Vance."

"No need to be so formal, young man. Call me Christopher."

"Yes sir."

Mr. Vance sighed good-naturedly and rolled his eyes. "Cath, let's sit and eat some of your wonderful cooking. If there's one thing I miss besides your company, it's the delight of your meals." The four of them sat down and for a time there was only the clink of silver on plates as they dug into the seared pork.

Murmuring to the children to eat their vegetables, Mrs. Vance stifled a grin and exchanged amused eyes with her husband as Emmeline immediately turned on Benjy. "Yeah, eat you veggies, Benjy. They's good for you."

"Eat your own veggies, Emmie. They're good for you too!" Catherine looked on Benjy with affection as he didn't make fun of Emmeline's poor grammar. Her daughter spoke well for only being four years old and Mrs. Vance liked to think that Benjy recognized this.

"Children, stop fighting. Just eat your peas." Both cleaned their plates then bolted upstairs after asking to be excused. Catherine heard their feet pounding on the stairs as they ran up to the upstairs den, no doubt for a violent game of wizards chess involving name-calling or Exploding Snap in which someone's hair would be fried. She looked at her husband who grinned. "I give it ten minutes before I hear screaming."

"Ten?" Mrs. Vance laughed slightly. "You're giving them too much credit. Five at the most. You're not with them all day."

The smile slid off his face as he heaved a sigh. "You know I don't like going on patrols."

"I know. I didn't mean anything by it. You can go settle their dispute and drag them down here for dessert; I'll get the dishes." Mrs. Vance smiled softly at her husband as she rose and took the plates into the kitchen and set her sponges to scrubbing and soaping the dirty plates, meanwhile whisking a tart out of the oven and making it fly through the air and separate out onto plates. She heated water in a pot and poured tea as well, then directed the whole ensemble through the door into the dining room. Not hearing any screams, she let Christopher deal with the children without her assistance.

Upstairs, Emmeline's father was doing well enough with handling the flames of a rogue Exploding Snap card to surprise himself. There hadn't been any singed hair this time, only a hole in the sleeve of Emmeline's dress, and no tears because Benjy had helped the little girl douse the burning fabric with a glass of water before the flames hurt. Benjy was currently her hero, though Christopher knew better than to put faith in that lasting. He shepherded them downstairs where they promptly attacked their dessert, the blackberry tart consuming their full attention.

After they'd finished they settled for a cup of tea in the downstairs main room, a crackling fire roaring in the hearth and Emmie and Benjy playing with a set of wizard trains, the toys flashing lights and puffing out smoke as they chugged across the thick cream and silver rug. Catherine sipped her tea and smiled affectionately at the two children who looked like they were brother and sister. Emmeline was still clumsy as young children were prone to be, but whenever her trains would go off course and she couldn't get there in time Benjy would pick it up and set it back on the imaginary track they were conjuring up in their minds. This always won him a big grin from the little girl, and he'd glow a touch with pride.

After he'd finished his tea Christopher stood up and stretched. "Benjy, I think it's time you got home so your mother won't worry." Emmeline looked over at him quickly enough to catch the scowl across his young face as he got to his knees.

"Okay," Benjy said quietly. "Thanks for having me, Mr. and Mrs. Vance. I'll see you tomorrow, little sister." She grinned at him as he called her that, because she'd always fancied that if she had a brother, Benjy would be the best.

Emmeline walked the short distance to the door with Benjy and her father, struggling to open the door for them. Benjy helped her subtlety, then waved as he and her father walked out into the night.

Emmeline watched them from the window, the torchlight in the streets illuminating the shorter dark haired boy and her tall blond father. Benjy hunched over against the wind and Christopher placed his cloak over the boy's shoulders as Emmie watched, climbing up on the couch as they turned the corner at the end of the lane to the Vance home and slid from her view. She knew they would Apparate as soon as they were out of the main street, to the approved Apparation point in Tinworth. The Vance home and land had wards on it preventing Apparation after night fell, and they were tedious to remove. It was easier to simply walk to the Apparation point. For the most part Tinworth was strictly magical, but the constant crack of Apparation was annoying to most of the inhabitant, so they'd set up a designated area. She slipped down the cushions on the back of the furniture and turned her warm brown eyes over to her mother. "Mummy? Why don't Benjy stay with us more?"

"Because Benjy has his own home, dearest. He has parents who want him there as well, because they work in the day and can't see him then."

"But he don't like his home. He tolded me."

"Did he?" In truth, Catherine wasn't surprised and she motioned her daughter over to her. Snuggling up against her mother, Emmeline felt gentle arms circle around her. "Emmeline dear, one day you'll understand. One day he'll tell you. Until then, be the best friend to Benjy that you can. And don't pester the boy to answer your questions, all right?"

"Yes Mummy."

They'd grown up together, or at least it seemed like it to the young Emmeline. Benjy had been playing by himself when the girl had wandered away from her home and into the small patch of woods nearby. She'd watched hidden in the bushes as the boy had snapped off a twig about fourteen inches long from the tree above him and flourished it about himself as though in an epic battle with an unseen foe. He'd tripped over an upraised root in the soil and Emmeline had broken her cover by giggling softly into the palm of her hand.

"Who're you?" The green-eyed boy had challenged her with all the dignity a seven year old could muster. Emmeline had been nearly two and a half, and she'd always been a fast learner so she could respond in turn, albeit slowly and with horrendous grammar.

"'M Emm'line. Who you?"

"Benjamin Fenwick. What're you doing?"

"'M watchin' ya. Ya gots a stick."

"It's not a stick, it's a wand." He'd shot at her, making her recoil slightly in fear. He was more than twice her size and very scary when he looked at her like that. He suddenly seemed to realize that she was frightened and ran a hand over his face. "Sorry. I don't like people watchin' me."

"Why?" She asked quietly, a little subdued.

"Dunno. No one does." He walked over to her slowly, then said, "What's your last name?"

"Vance. Emm'line Vance." Seeing that she was still nervous, he grinned a bit and offered her the stick. She smiled a touch back at him, little baby teeth still growing in between pink lips. "Tank 'oo. 'M gonna be witch."

"I'm gonna be a wizard an' go to Hogwarts. That's what Mum said." He sat down beside her after breaking off another stick and brandishing it at her.

"Mummy says me too. 'M gonna go 'Ogwarts an' be witch."

"Can I call you Emmie?" Benjy asked after a little while of playing. "You can call me Benjy."

She grinned widely at him, then shouted, "Spellimus! Yeah, 'kay."

"Oh no!" Benjy shouted, playing along as though she had indeed cast expelliarmus. "You got me!" He threw his 'wand' at her feet and sat down on the ground, then fell over backwards and pretended to be dead.

"Benjy?" He opened his eyes and laughed, drawing a giggle out of her as well.

Now, a year and a half later, Emmeline knew without a doubt he was her best friend. Oh sure, she'd met other young witches and wizards her age, but none were as close as Benjy. Not many others, at least the older ones, liked talking to little girls either. And no boys did. She'd met the small Potter family and the large McKinnon clan and the Bones family as well, and the Prewetts were over to dinner at least once a month, and they saw the Weasley family regularly as well, but Emmeline would always end up in tears from one of the hurtful things the younger boys would say, and go hide somewhere.

Benjy always found her. He'd find her and dry her tears, tell her funny stories or what he'd do to the person who'd made her cry, bring her dessert if she missed it, help her climb into a tree and keep a look out for her mother. He was immensely protective of her, and too often James Potter or the Prewett twins wouldn't watch their mouths and end up with them bloodied in the next hour.

He was the only one she let call her Emmie as well. Her parents always used her full name and other young people called her Emm, but to Benjy she was always Emmie. She liked it better that way, and she noticed that only she and her parents called him Benjy. Everyone else called him Benjamin or Ben. But to Emmeline he was always Benjy.

She loved having Benjy around. No one dared pick on her if he was there, and she hated going to parties at her parent's friends houses because if Benjy wasn't invited she'd be left to the mercy of the boys. The Prewett twins were especially horrible, despite all that their older sister Molly did to calm them down and make them mind their manners. Emmeline took to sticking around Molly Prewett if she was there and Benjy wasn't. But Benjy was always her favorite.

Then he had to go away to school. The day he got his Hogwarts letter he was so happy, and Emm was happy for him as well, but she cried herself to sleep that night. Benjy was leaving, and it would be five whole years before she could count on him always being there again. The last few weeks of that summer were hard for Emm, even though she tried not to show it to Benjy.

One night they were out watching the stars up on the flat part of the roof of the Vance residence, called on the Floo network the Sea Tower after the cliffs it rested on over the ocean. The general shape was that of a castle tower separated from the castle. Muggles would call the place a 'lighthouse' but the old Muggle lamp had been dispatched of to make way for an observatory, her great-grandfather's passion. The glass doors could be opened out onto a balcony and this was where the two children lay.

"Can I tell you something secret, Emmie?"

"Anything, Benjy." Emmeline was six and knew how important it would be if Benjy insisted on her keeping a secret. "You know I'd never tell no one."

"I know. I'm… I'm scared, Emmie. What if people don't like me? What if I don't have any friends?"

Emmeline was shocked. "Don't be stupid!" She said loudly, then lowered her voice at his surprised look. She normally never shouted at him, never shouted at anyone. "Everyone's gonna love you, Benjy. You're gonna have lots and lots and lots of friends. Don't ever think you're not gonna have friends."

"Okay." He sounded strangely reassured to Emmeline, and she was glad she helped, even if she didn't know how. "And I'll always have you. We're always going to be friends, aren't we Emm? Best friends?"

"Uh huh."

"Always and ever after."

She nodded, then asked, "Why're you scared anyway? You're the bravest person I know, 'cept my Daddy."

"I don't know. When you go, maybe you'll understand… but I'll be there to look after you, Emmie. No one's going to mess with my little sister."

She scowled at him. "I'm already six! I'm not that little."

"I know. But you'll always be my little sister." He grinned at her and she stuck her tongue out. "Emmie?" She smiled at him. "Will you write me?"

"Of course. But only if you write me too. I'll send Mercury and you can send him back," she said, referring to the Vance family owl named after the Roman god of messages. Benjy didn't have his own owl. "I'll send you lots of letters, don't worry. And some of Mummy's brownies."

She saw him smiling again, that oddly reassured look on his face. "Look up there," he said, his voice gruff. "See that star bunch?"

"Cons-tel-ay-shun," she pronounced slowly. "That's what it's called. And yeah?"

"That one there, that looks like a crown and a wand?" Emm squinted, then nodded that yes, she saw it. "That's ours," Benjy continued. "That's our constellation. Cause your Dad calls you princess. And I'll always protect you."

Emmeline sniffled slightly, trying not to cry. She swallowed hard, then rubbed her nose with her sleeve as a few tears leaked out the sides of her eyes. Benjy looked over, saw her crying and sat up, drawing her into a hug. They didn't hug much, but Emmeline knew without a doubt that Benjy gave the best hugs in the world. "Don't cry Emmie… you'll make me start crying too."

"But you never cry," Emmeline said as though stating a fact.

"But if you cry then I will too. I'm gonna miss you so much, little sister." She thought she heard him sniffing a little as well, but she dismissed the thought. Benjy never cried. It would be like… like him being a Muggle. Impossible.

Her parents would have taken her to say goodbye in the morning, she knew they would have, but for some reason they said that Benjy's parents wouldn't like it. So she waited at home and stayed in bed until noon, then went and sat in the library and read a book. Normally she would have gone out to play in the fields, or she would have gone swimming in the ocean, or pretended to duel in woods, but Benjy was gone. She started a letter to him in her shaky six-year-old handwriting, planning to mail it that night so he'd get it in the morning, his first morning at Hogwarts.

Deer Benjy,

I miss you already! I am really really bord hear and theirs no one to doo anything with. I hope you have a gud first day at Hogwarts. I want to bee there with you. I think you wil make many freinds and have a really gud time and you wil learn so much! Your very smart Benjy and nice too. Make lots of freinds bekuse your amazung and people like amazung people.

Your best friend alwayes and for ever aftur

Emmie

She called Mercury down from the top of the Tower and tied the letter to his leg with her mother's help. "Okay, Merky, take this to Benjy. He's at Hogwarts." The owl hooted and flew silently out the window as Emmeline watched. Her mother placed a hand on her shoulder and gently steered the young girl into the kitchen. Catherine knew her daughter would take the loss of her best friend hard and was sympathetic.

"Emmeline," Mrs. Vance started. Emmeline looked up at her mother, brown eyes bland. "Why don't I teach you to brain your hair?" Normally Emmeline would have scoffed and run off to play, but this time she shrugged and nodded, standing up to go sit on a stool in front of her mother. "Dearest, it will be your turn soon enough. And then you'll have Benjy to show you around Hogwarts and to protect you. That's not so long away, you know."

Emmeline sniffled and wiped her eyes irritably. "I don't wanna cry no more," she whispered. "I just miss him."

"Dear heart, I know." Catherine sighed as she ran the brush through Emmeline's dark hair, untangling the thick waves that fell heavily on her daughter's back. "My sister—you remember Auntie Caroline—she was a few years older than me when she left for Hogwarts. But it made it all the better when I got there, because she helped me and made sure no harm came to me. The older students can be mean to first-years."

"Will Benjy be hurt?" Emmeline turned big brown eyes to her mother.

Catherine shook her head. "No. The students are nice for the most part, and Benjy knows how to take care of himself." Very well, Mrs. Vance thought dryly to herself. The mothers always had to patch up the people who got on his bad side, though I couldn't have asked for a better protector for my daughter.

"He does." Emmeline let a smile touch her face. "'Member when he punched James Potter in the nose acause James tripped me at our party?"

"Indeed I do. Violence isn't always the answer, my sweet Emmeline."

"I know, Mummy. But Benjy can punch so good!"

"So well, Emmeline. And punching isn't always good."

"But James Potter was mean and he needed punching. That's what Alice said."

"Alice McKinnon?"

"Yeah, Alice. She says James Potter is mean and when we go to school we're going to need to watch out. She says that us girls need to stick together like gool. What's gool? It's a Muggle thing, Alice says."

Catherine, being a pureblood witch, had no idea so she fell to the traditions of parents everywhere faced with curious children they didn't know how to answer: make it up as you go. "Gool is like Spellotape, dear. I think Muggles use it to hold those… wheeled things, cars, together. Now, try this braid for yourself. Take the left strand and place it over the right…"

Emmeline's next few days were filled with learning how to braid her hair. It was more fun than she had first thought it was going to be (Catherine was secretly rejoicing that at least her daughter could do something slightly feminine), and her mother knew all sorts of braids that she taught to her daughter. They were proceeding with the more complicated braids when Emmeline leapt up to open the window for Mercury and removed the letter from his leg quickly as her fingers could manage. The braid fell to pieces as her mother laughed and saw to the owl.

Emmeline ran upstairs and into the library with her letter, smiling as wide as her face would allow her to. She opened the letter with glee and a small red flower petal fell out. Emmeline picked it up and looked at it in confusion, then read the letter as quickly as she could.

Dear Emmie,

I was so happy to get your letter! The other boys here were jealous when Mercury flew down and started eating my toast, because none of them have gotten anything yet. They think it's really cool that I have friends who will write me.

I got Sorted into Gryffindor! You have to try on a hat and it talks to you and tells you where you should go. Gryffindor Tower is really nice, we have a dorm for just the first year boys. We're not allowed into the girls dorms—some second year boys tried to run up the stairs last night and there was this really big noise and the stairs turned into a slide and they shot down and landed in a heap. The girls think it's really funny but the boys got really embarrassed and ran off. I laughed really hard.

You're right, I am making friends here. It's the third day of class and already I've met new people. There's Sturgis Podmore who's a year ahead of me and his little sister, who's in my year. Her name is Stella. Then there's another boy in my year named Xenophilus Lovegood, who's really strange. He keeps warning us about Nargles and Wrackspurts, whatever those are. He's got plants all over his school bag which I didn't even know was possible and some of them look dangerous—I didn't think plants were supposed to breath fire once a day, but the purple ones do. Xeno is a Ravenclaw, so he's supposed to be really smart. I think it's smart not to get roasted by the plants! But the first-year I get along with best is named John Myles. He's a Muggleborn so I get to teach him all about our world—do you know, he thinks moving pictures are funny! And when we got to Levitate feathers in Charms (yes I've already preformed magic!) he managed to make his fly and then got so excited the spell stopped working and he blasted Professor Flitwick, the Charms professor, with a face full of flower petals. I got one and I put it in the envelope for you.

I really miss you too, Emmie. I can't wait until you're here with me, because everything would be so much more fun. I know you'd have laughed so hard at John and the flowers. And I think you'd be really good at Transfiguration—remember when you accidentally turned your Kneazle into a Crup? How is Terror anyway? Give her a pet from me. I still say she's better as a dog, because she was a mean cat.

I miss you. John is a great friend but he isn't you, little sister.

Your best friend always and forever,

Benjy

By the time she was finished reading her smile was even wider. She pounded back downstairs, pausing to give Terror the Crup a scratch behind the ears. His forked tail wagged fiercely as he barked. Her mother was in the kitchen waiting for her to come back. "Well?" Mrs. Vance asked with a smile. "How is Benjy?"

"He's really good! He made a friend who's Muggle-born and was so excited the first time he did magic that he lost control of the spell and made flowers appear all over Professor Flitwick and he's in the same year as a boy who has a fire-breathing plant that's purple and…" Emmeline continued on as her mother reclaimed control of her hair and set the braid in place. Catherine asked all the right questions to keep her daughter talking, and then when her father came home in the next few days she bombarded him with the stories as well.

The Vance parents eventually quieted their daughter with suggesting that she write another letter, to which she gasped and ran upstairs, leaving the two to look at each other and dissolve into laughter.

Dear Benjy,

I wus really glad to get your lettur! I hav the flowwer petle sitting on my bookcase nex to the pikture of us on my 5 birthday. Please tell all your freinds hello from me and I'll get Mummy to help me make brownees in my nex lettur. I dont think Narguls are real acouse I looked them up in my books and they arent there. And Wrakspurtes too. I petted Terrir like you asked and she barked alot so I think she mysses you too. I laffed and laffed when I read that your freind made flowwers all over your preprofffproffes teacher.

I cant believe that youve been goone almost 3 weeks now. I myss you soo sooo sooooo much!

Your best friend and little sistur,

Emmie

She sent the letter off with Mercury the next morning, who didn't look thrilled at heading out into the foggy rain that day. He hooted dolefully then set out through the window as Emmeline began to help her mother prepare dinner.

The weeks passed in much the same manner—Emmeline helped her mother around the house and her father was home from time to time, but her favorite times where when Benjy's letters would come. Her spelling got better when she went to her mother for help, and together they laughed over Benjy's school escapades with his friends. Even though he had new friends, he kept telling her that she was hid best friend and he missed her so much, and she believed it.

Eventually it came time for Christmas break. Benjy hadn't mentioned going home, so Emmeline asked her mother if they could invite him to their home for the holidays. Catherine promptly agreed and Emmeline dashed upstairs to write the note. The response came back the next day.

Dear Emmie,

Of course I'll come to your house for Christmas! I was hoping you'd ask, actually. I asked Professor McGonagall (she's the head of Gryffindor House, she's really strict but she's fair, and she also teaches Transfiguration) and she said that wouldn't be a problem. I have to make this short—I'm writing this at breakfast and I have Potions next—but I'm really looking forward to seeing you again.

See you at the train station!

Benjy

Emmeline ran down to the drawing room where her mother was sewing. "Mummy! He can come!"

"Oh, that's wonderful Emmeline! Do you have a present for him?"

She shook her head. "Not yet, but I will soon." She stopped and chewed her lip, thinking about how to phrase her next question. "Mummy, can I ask you something?"

"Of course dear."

"Why isn't Benjy going to his home?"

Catherine stopped stitching and set down her work. She looked across at her dark-haired daughter and smiled sadly. "Sometimes, dearest, parents and children don't get along."

"But why not? Everyone likes Benjy. Except James Potter, but he doesn't count."

Mrs. Vance had to smother a grin at that. "Benjy's parents aren't like your father and me. My sweet, this is something you must ask Benjy about, but not now. Wait until you're both older, alright?"

"But—"

"Emmeline." Catherine's voice took on a very rare stern tone. "Emmeline, promise me you won't ask until later. Until you're at least a few years older."

"Alright, I promise, but—"

"Good girl. Now, come here and help me with this sewing, and tell me what you're planning to do for Benjy's Christmas present."

It was the second to last week in December. Emmeline had woken up especially early that morning and roused her parents. Her father was on winter leave and had until the day after New Years' off, and Emmeline was so excited. She got to see Benjy, and her father was going to be there all Christmas. She hurried downstairs and pulled out breakfast foods to help her mother, who came into the kitchen tying the strings on her dressing robe around her waist and yawning. "Good morning, Emmeline."

"Morning Mummy!" Emmeline sang out, retrieving juice and pouring it into glasses. "When are we leaving?"

"The trains gets in a four this afternoon—we'll head into London at three thirty."

Emmeline stifled a whine, knowing it wouldn't help the train get there any faster. She spent the day pacing around the house, reading old letters, playing with Terror, trying to concentrate on a book… but it was no use. When her father eventually called to her that it was time to go, she was down the spiral stairs before he'd finished the sentence. He laughed and took her arm for the Side-Along Apparation.

They appeared in an alley to the side of King's Cross Station. Taking her hand firmly, Mrs. Vance guided her daughter into the station and then through the barrier of Platform Nine and Three Quarters. There were many parents and relatives there, all looking anxiously for the train.

The minutes ticked away and at four o'clock exactly the scarlet steam engine pulled in. Students piled out dragging their trunks and people were hugging left and right. Just then, Emmeline hated being six. She was so short! She couldn't see over anyone, and then suddenly familiar arms swept her up from behind. "Little sister!"

"Benjy!" She shrieked back, managing to spin around and hug him tightly. "I missed you so much!"

"I missed you too Emmie!" He released her long enough for her to catch a glimpse of his light green eyes, then pulled her into another hug. She could see her parents smiling as well, as her father embraced her mother and placed a kiss on the side of Catherine's head. "Oh, Emmie… there are a few people I want you to meet. We aren't in a hurry, are we?" He asked the Vances.

"Of course not Benjy. Take your time."

"Okay, thanks! Emmie, come on!" He grabbed her by the hand and dragged her off to meet John, whose parents were looking around in wonder at the platform. "John, this is the girl who made the brownies."

John looked down several inches at the smiling Emmeline. He grinned hesitantly at her. "Those brownies were wonderful, thanks. You're the famous Emmeline?"

"Famous?"

"Ben never stops talking about you. Ow!" John winced as Benjy hit him in the arm.

Emmeline giggled. "I hope he stops talking about me sometime. But he's written me lots and lots about you too, John."

"He has?" John glared at Benjy, who shrugged.

"We probably ought not to keep your parents waiting, Emmie. I'll write you, John!" He pulled her away and back to where her parents were waiting as he waved goodbye to his friend.

Catherine took the two children by their arms and Apparated them home while Christopher dealt with Benjy's trunk. Outside the Tower, the kids bounded up the lane and into the house, Benjy grinning widely as he ran after Emmeline. She was fast for a six year old, with long legs for her age. Catherine waited for her husband then linked her elbow through his and they walked up the lane slowly.

Emmeline's Christmas was wonderful that year. She was so happy to have Benjy back that her happiness was infectious and spread to the rest of the small household as well. The children helped with the decorations and Christopher dragged in a huge Christmas tree and then bewitched it to sparkle, silver and gold iridescence on the needles. Emmeline and her mother made cookies while Benjy helped her father decorate the tree with ornaments and shift around the furniture while proudly proclaiming that he could Levitate the couches without any trouble, if he could use his wand.

Christmas Eve came soon enough, and Emmeline was awed at the display of lights. The Sea Tower was an open and airy structure on the inside, a single spiral staircase flying up the inside and leading off to rooms on either side of the Tower. The staircase had been draped with charmed candles in different colors and as Christopher flicked his wand they all illuminated at once, throwing light all the way up the inside of the Tower.

On Christmas Day they were up early, Catherine and Christopher not having a choice due to the shouting from downstairs. Once the elder Vances were downstairs as well the children dove into the presents, and soon cries of joy echoed up the Tower.

"Benjy, this is so cool!" Emmeline exclaimed, holding up a Gryffindor scarf and then draping it all around her neck.

"And I can't believe this, Emm!" She'd stitched together (with her mother's help) a banner for him to hang in his dorm, with the names of all his year flanking a rampant Gryffindor lion. They turned delighted eyes on each other as Mrs. Vance brought in tea and cookies.

Too soon for Emmeline it was time for Benjy to leave for school again. They spent the night in the observatory, as they had before he left the first time.

"Don't be too sad, Emmie. I'll be back at Easter, if you want."

"Of course I want! Mummy won't say no, either, I know she won't. It's just so long until then."

"I know. But the guys will love this banner and whenever I get lonely I can look at it and think of you. And same with your scarf. When you miss me, wrap up in it and pretend I'm here." Most boys of almost twelve wouldn't even think of saying anything like that, but Benjy had always had a huge soft spot for Emmeline. "You'll always be my best friend, always and forever."

Emmeline looked over at her friend, then felt tears stinging her eyes. "Not again," she whined quietly, causing Benjy to laugh and wrap his arms around her.

"You are allowed to cry, Emmie."

"But I don't like it. Makes me feel stupid."

"You're not stupid, little sister. You're just sad. Me too."

"But you're not crying."

"I will if you don't stop."

She turned tear-filled eyes to him. "You can't cry. Never, ever." If he cried, she thought but didn't say, then something would really be wrong. Something would have happened, and he wouldn't be her Benjy anymore. Benjy couldn't cry. She was so serious that he nodded solemnly.

The next morning they saw him off at the train station, Benjy giving her one final hug before getting on the train and waving out the window as it pulled out of the station. She smiled through a wobbling lower lip as the train rounded the corner and disappeared from sight. Her father took her hand and led her back outside the station, into the alley and then bid her farewell, going off to work. Her mother took her home.

Easter was much the same, as Benjy visited then too. And soon enough it was summer, when he went to his own home and Floo'd every morning to the Tower's grate. He was allowed to use the Floo by himself now, as he was at Hogwarts. He was full of stories about Hogwarts and his friends there. Emmeline was the perfect audience, never shushing him or tuning out, gasping and laughing at all the right moments, and asking questions.

He left for a few weeks to visit his friends, but they never came to visit him. Emmeline wasn't sure if he was happy about that, but she didn't ask. He came back with more stories and crazy tales and took Emmeline for broom rides, as he'd learned how to fly one that past year. They used her father's Silver Arrow and flew out over the field that the Vances kept, Mrs. Vance keeping a careful eye on her daughter.

Emmeline loved flying with Benjy. They didn't go high or fast, but she sat on the broom in the circle of his arms as he leaned over her and controlled the broom carefully. She felt warm and safe, even flying high above the field.

Every time before he'd leave to go back to school they'd spend a night on the observation deck of the Tower, just talking. One night, the one before his fourth year, he took her flying over the cliffs. The moonlight shining on the waves was more beautiful than anything she'd ever seen, and they were flying for a long time. They would fly along over the cliffs then duck back to the fields, then flick over to where the drop was hundreds of feet. It took Emmeline's breath away.

Years passed slowly for Emmeline. She wrote Benjy on a weekly basis when he was at school, and he always responded quickly enough. He'd come to her house in the winter and spring and summer, if he wasn't at one of his other friend's places. She was grateful that he didn't desert her as he got older, not that she thought he ever would. He was Benjy. He'd always be there and they'd always be best friends, she knew.

Okay, if anyone actually reads this... please do leave a review. Basically, this is going to be a story of Emmeline's life until her death in the sixth book, as you could probably tell. There will be romance, of course, and Remus is listed as the second character because he'll play a pretty significant part in the later chapters. If you read and enjoyed, or have questions or comments or suggestions or anything, drop me a line!