I looked around my room. I had already packed for Hogwarts and I didn't even have to leave for another week. I made a mental checklist and reassured myself I had everything.

I had to get new robes and ties. My robes were too small and my owl, Kellogg, ripped my ties up. Everything else, I had. Including my prefects badge.

"Stevie," I heard my dad say, "We're going to leave for Diagon Alley soon. Got your list?" I smiled and pulled it out of my handbag. I followed my father down the stairs. Every few feet or so down our hallway was family portraits, and the last one was my mother and I sticking our tongues out. It's so scary to think that those were taken just two years ago. I stopped for a second to look at the moving picture and watch her laugh. I missed her so much. I got into the kitchen to a very unwelcome surprise.

"Stevie! I can't wait to go shopping with you! We're going to buy you a little something for getting prefect." It was Daddy's darling girlfriend…

"Hello, Pansy." I greeted her as she eyed my outfit. I was wearing jeans and my trainers and a black sweatshirt bearing the Hufflepuff badger. I grabbed my yellow and black striped scarf off of the coat rack and put on my handbag.

"I'm ready, Daddy." I went straight to the fireplace and took a scoop of floo power and threw it in the fire. "Diagon Alley," I stated neutrally. I spun around and in an instant I was surrounded by fireplaces. I found the one that lead to the leaky cauldron and took it. That's where Paisley (my very best friend since second year) was going to meet me.

I climbed out and dusted myself off and looked around. She wasn't there yet, so I sat down and ordered a butter beer. In about three minute's time, Pansy emerged from the fireplace with my father's hand in hers. I had to bite my tongue.

"Two more, please?" My dad asked the bar tender then looked at me. "Paisley's coming?"

"Yes, she should be on her way." I took another swig of my drink, kind of in a masculine manner, just to piss off Pansy, and it worked.

"Honey, sit up straight." she instructed. I was just about to respond with a rude hand gesture but Dad gave me "the Look." It always stops me from doing something I'll (he'll) regret.

Not soon enough, Paisley walked through the door.

"Hey, Steves. Sorry I'm late! Mum got into a tiff with another garden gnome…" I got up to hug her, being I haven't seen her in a bloody month.

"Alright, Daddy, I'm going get some gold from Gringott's then I'll be off to the apothecary."

"Okay, dear, meet me back right here before five."

We went through the wall to get into Diagon Alley and walked to the apothecary. I bought everything on Slughorn's list and we went to Madam Malkin's to new robes, and another tie. My owl ripped three of mine up.

"She's like a bloody dog, Paisley!" I complained. "I seriously need to train her or something."

"Do you think that they have a charm school for owls?" "PLEASE. Hogwarts hardly has an adequate owelry."

As we were sifting through the robes to find a close enough size, Paisley said something.

"Hey Steves, remember the get together at Hugo's?"

"Yeah, why?" How could I forget it? Kaddo Longbottom; The boy of my dreams since third year, had finally asked me to go out with him the night before. Before we went to Hugo's house, we went to a little café outside of Godric's Hallow. He was such a gentlemen.

"Well, you know his cousin, right?"

"Lily? Yeah she's cool."

"No, Albus. Her brother." Albus was an alright bloke, I guess. He's never been rude to me before.

"Yeah, wh..." I could see it in her bloody eyes, "You like him, don't you?" She looked at me in disbelief.

"How did you know!"

"I can tell. Just by you mentioning his name, Paisley! You fancy Potter!"

"Well…is he seeing anybody?" she looked at me quizzically.

"Well, you know he was dating Dasia Deaville, but they broke it off…" She looked at me with a new, hopeful expression.

"They had a messy falling out, Paise. She was cheating on him and she told him a lot of rude things."

"Oh. Well, Let's just get this done so we can go meet up with Hugo at Weasley's Wizards Wheezes. Kaddo and Hugo get off in a few minutes."

Madame Malkin pinned me up, and I grabbed a few new ties.

"Will this be all, dearies?" She asked as we made our purchases.

"Yes, thank you so much." I responded and handed her the gold I owed.

"You're welcome, have a wonderful year!"

We walked out of the shop and took our paces towards the Weasley's joke shop. Paisley got quiet and slowed down. I knew it was because Albus was there, and she just realized it.

"Paisley, who gives a damn if Potter is at the joke shop? You look good, and you have nothing to worry about."

It's such a funny thing how I can basically read her mind.

We got up to the shop and she took a few deep and dramatic breaths. We got into the store and Kaddo was stocking some Skiving Snack boxes on a shelf. He stopped and smiled at me with his perfect teeth and twinkling eyes. I melt on the inside, but I put on a tough front and just smiled back in a flirty manner.

"Hey, darling." He said, hugging me and kissing my cheek. "How are you?"

"I'm great! I just got myself some new robes and ties, and my potions supplies. What about you?"

"George has been stressing us out these past few days. It's like, he's not himself. But all in all, we're great. Working here has been fun." we smiled at each other again. I saw Albus and Hugo emerge from the velvet curtains, I assume leads to the storage room, and Paisley was blissfully unaware. She's so cute sometimes.

"Oi! McLaggen, Finnigan!" Potter confidently shouted as he swaggered towards us.

"Hi, Albus! Hey, Hugo!" Paisley hugged them both, holding onto Albus just a bit longer. I laughed.

"Hey, guys!" I only hugged Hugo, I don't know Potter well enough to be hugging him. Hugo, on the other hand, is my best friend other than Paisley. He's been around since first year. We had gone through the platform together, being we were both so nervous.

The boys all turned in their work aprons to the back and we left the store. We stopped at the ice cream parlor and all got a quick snack.

"In my opinion," Albus said, "the Cannons are having a glorious season. They may not have gone to the cup this year, but still." Hugo, Albus, and I were all deeply immersed in Quidditch talk. Paisley had no interest, and Kaddo just wasn't a talker.

"finally!" Hugo exclaimed, "You admit to their greatness!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Albus replied.

"VIVA LA CANNONS!"

"Hugo! Please calm down!" I said with an admonishing tone.

We finished our ice cream and we paid the clerk. After leaving, we went to the book store and supply store, and we finished our lists.

"Well, I guess we'll be seeing you boys next week!" I said, hugging Kaddo and Hugo.

"Bye guys!" Paisley hugged them, and then hugged Albus.

We were walking away and Paisley and I did our handshake, which was grabbing pinkies. It usually signified a successful moment.

We got into the Leaky Cauldron and it was almost 5.

"Perfect timing!" Dad said as he greeted me. "How was your day girls?"

"We had a pretty good day, Mr. McLaggen!" Paisley said.

"Where's Pansy?" I asked. It was noticeably quiet with her gone.

"She had to be home for some family business. Let's get along, now, shall we? Paisley, you're welcome to spend the rest of summer holiday with us if you'd like."

"Sure, I'll have my parents bring me over tonight, if that's alright?"

"They should stay for dinner!"

We walked our separate ways and took the Floo Network back home. As we got through our fireplace, my dad gave me "the Look" again.

"Stevie, I know that you don't like Pansy, but please, try and hold your tongue, and don't do things to intentionally anger her. It's rude, and I raised you better. I know you miss your mother, and she can't ever be replaced. I miss her too. I don't go an minute without thinking of her, but it's time to move on."

"Pansy is so vile, dad!"

"She's a wonderful person, dear!"

"No, she's not. She always gives me these looks of disgust, and corrects me all the time. I can tell, she's just going to be rotten to me."

"Stevie you are fifteen years old, and plenty old enough to understand that you cannot tell me how to live."

"Fine. I'm going to my room. I need to feed Kellogg."

"Please, consider my words." I marched up the stairs without a hint of attention to him. He WAS trying to replace Mum. I got to my room to find Kellogg, my tawny owl, to be asleep in her cage. I put some water and pellets into her bowls and sat down on my bed. I stared at the ceiling for what seemed like ages. I got some parchment and a quill from my purchases today and began doing what I always do when I'm upset. I drew. I was kind of on auto pilot, just pouring my feelings onto the page. When I was done, it was my mother holding a rose. I posted it on my wall with all my other drawings. Of her, of Dad, of Paisley, of Hugo, of Kaddo, of Quidditch things. My wall has always been covered in drawings.

"Stevie!" My dad called for me. I went downstairs and Paisley and her father, Seamus Finnigan, and her mother, Susan, were all there. Her trunk was in her hand.

"Let me get that for you." My father brought her trunk upstairs. I gave Mr. and Mrs. Finnigan each a hug and offered them a seat and a drink. Dad came back downstairs and fetched a tray of butter beers. We all talked and chatted and later my father brought out dinner. It was spaghetti and meatballs, and salads.

"So, Stevie, Paisley tells us you're seeing Neville's boy? How delightful!" Mrs. Finnigan said.

"Neville is one of me best mates," Mr. Finnigan added, "since we were at Hogwarts together!"

"They're a very lovely family." I said. Mr. Finnigan and my father engaged in talk about muggle sports and Mrs. Finnigan just kind of sat there. Paisley and I went up to my room and talked.

"My dad has been getting on me about Pansy." I started. "I just don't like her. He can't get that." No one did but Paisley. We got all our books that we purchased at Flourish and Blotts and our robes and such in our trunks and just kept talking. Before we knew it, Paisley's parents were telling her goodbye.

"You'll write, often, right honey?" Mrs. Finnigan asked.

"Mum, I always do!" Paisley replied, "I love you!" She kissed her mother and father's cheeks.

"We love you, Paisley!" Her father said. "Goodbye dear, and behave!"

They got in the fireplace and left. Dad went to his office and me and Paisley went for a walk. As we were walking down the cobblestone path of the small village of Fray Nexor, the wind blowing our tied back hair, we talked about this year, and how excited we were.

"I just wish you were made a prefect, too," I started, "I wonder who I'm going to have to make rounds with and what not."

"Stevie, It'll be fine." She reassured, "Hugo's a prefect! You can do all that stuff with him."

"True, true." I said. We stopped at Dunagan's, our favorite little café/pub. Miss Lovegood, the owner, was sitting in a booth writing and sipping some tea. She was dressed in various muggle clothing articles with a thin robe over her.

"Hello, Miss Lovegood!" I said.

"Stevie, how are you?" She responded in her dreamy voice, "I was just working on a new ad for the Quibbler!" The Quibbler was a wizarding magazine which her father was the editor.

"That's cool!" Paisley was interested in designing things like ads and such. "Can I see?"

"Of course, I could use your professional opinion!"

"While you two do that, would anyone else like a butter beer?" I asked.

"Yes, please." Paisley said and Luna shook her head. I walked up to the counter where a wizard was reading the Daily Prophet, and chewing on a quill. He must've been doing a crossword.

"Ahem." I said. He looked up and he smiled. He had olive skin, shiny brown eyes, and perfect sandy-brown hair. He had light stubble on his chin and a pearly smile that seemed to glimmer in the light. He was possibly the most gorgeous person I've ever seen. He was in a deep plum apron that had a tag on it that said, "Grady."

"Can I help you?" he asked in an Irish accent. Irish accents always made me melt.

"Uh..erm, two butter beers please?" I asked awkwardly.

"That'll be three sickles." He went to the back and came back with two frosty looking bottles.

"Here ya go." He handed them to me as I gave him the money. "You look familiar. You go to Hogwarts, right?" This was kind of a dumb question, being I am wearing my Hufflepuff scarf.

"Yes, erm, do you?" I asked. He probably didn't, he looked kind of older.

"Yeah, I'm 7th year. I'm head boy. You're Stevie McLaggen, right? New prefect?"

"Yeah." I replied, "5th year."

"Well, I look forward to workin' with you." He said with another flawless smile.

I walked back to the booth with a million hyperactive butterflies in my stomach. I must've been blushing, my face felt hot. I was smirking stupidly, but I wiped it away before I got back to Paisley and Miss Lovegood. That boy was gorgeous.

"Thanks, Steves." Paisley took her drink and popped it open. She took a swig and pointed at the paper in Miss Lovegood's hand sort of spastically. "That. It needs a corner, right there. That'll make it perfect!" she and Miss Lovegood were ecstatic over their creation.

"It's perfect, Paisley! Thank you!" Miss Lovegood got up and went to the counter to show Grady.

Paisley and I sat and sipped our butter beers, chatting and such, and not really paying attention to the time. Before I knew it, it was 9 o'clock, and we got up and nearly ran all the way back to my house. When we got in, I assumed my dad was still in his office, and I yelled, "We're back, dad!" and he responded from the living room, "alright, dear!" and I heard a shrill and irritating laugh. I looked at Paisley and made a face. Pansy was here. We went straight upstairs, hoping to avoid her. Our retreat was a success, and we locked my door. I was so thankful at this moment that I had my own bathroom in my bedroom so that we wouldn't have to go downstairs to shower.

After we both cleaned up, I fixed my trundle bed for myself and let paisley have the top part. We sat down and read a copy of the Quibbler that Miss Lovegood gave us, and today's edition of the Prophet. We laughed at the jokes in the comics and discussed our own theories about the lead singer of the Warlock Rock's supposed affair with a fan. After a while we both passed out.

Before we knew it, it was September the first. All of our things were packed, and we took the muggle public transit to London. We got to King's Cross, and my father saw us through the platform wall. We climbed onto the scarlet steam engine after I hugged and kissed my father goodbye and Paisley thanked him for the stay. We found Albus, Hugo, Kaddo, and Rose in a compartment, where we put our trunks, and Hugo and I left for the prefect's carriage. As we walked we discussed our last week.

"My dad brought Pansy around so often, I hardly even saw him before returning. I can't stand her!"

"I understand, I guess. I mean, my parents are still together, so I guess not." he rambled awkwardly. When we got to our destination, we saw all the other prefects, really none of them being our friends. Then, I heard a dreamy voice say, "Quiet down, quiet down, prefects!" It was Grady from Dunagan's Café. He looked incredibly spiffy in his Ravenclaw robes with his shiny head boy badge on his chest.

"PREFECTS!" I heard soon after. It was a silver-blonde headed girl in Slytherin colors. Dasia Deaville. She was head girl. "Thank you. Now that we have your attention, we wanted to welcome you to the Hogwart's prefects. You've been hand-selected by Professor McGonagall, and it's an honor. I, and Grady here, are also honored to be heading all of you this year. Here are a few ground rules…" She pulled out some parchment and read aloud to us the rules that we all already knew. I didn't mention this to Paisley when I told her about Dasia and Albus, but I hated her. She was a bitch. When she was done, she told us to go and patrol the carriages. Before Hugo and I could get going, I felt a tug on my robes. I turned around.

"Hey." It was Grady. "I was thinking we could, uh, patrol together?" I blushed.

"Well," I replied, "I was going to go with Hugo,"

"It's okay, Stevie." Hugo interrupted, "I'll go with somebody else."

"You sure, Hugh? I don't mind." Said Grady.

"Naw, I'll go with someone else." Hugo walked off with a Gryffindor boy with black hair and silver eyes. Grady looked at me.

"Let's go." We were just strolling through the train's corridor and came across the carriage with my friends. Albus and Paisley were gone.

"Kaddo, where's Albus and Paisley?" I asked.

"Well," Kaddo said, "They found another compartment after Rose and I asked them to not snog in front of us." My eyes widened. My mouth was gaping.

"Really?" I asked.

"Yeah," Rose responded, "I don't take too kindly to seeing my cousin play tonsil hockey with somebody, even if she is my friend." She let out a laugh. Kaddo and I looked at each other and started laughing. I kissed his cheek and continued on with Grady.

"So," Grady started, "You and Longbottom?" He asked tensely.

"Yeah," I said. There was an awkward silence. We kept walking and we came across a carriage with the blinds drawn. Grady smiled devilishly and knocked on the covered window.

"Uh, it's open.." I heard Paisley say. Grady opened the door and I saw Albus and Paisley sitting next to each other, her usually neat hair kind of messy, and his always messy hair even messier. They were reading a transfiguration textbook.

"Hey, Stevie!" Paisley said to me.

"Hey, Paisley," I said in a sing-song voice. "Whatcha doin?" I asked.

"Oh, just helping Al study. Ya know, p-potions." She let out a giggle. I chose not to point out that she meant transfiguration.

"All right," Grady said with another infallible smile, "We'll let you two continue." He shut the door and we heard a thud, and I assumed it was the book hitting the floor. Me and Grady looked at each other and started laughing. We kept walking and nothing else really interesting was going on. Well, not as interesting as my best friend snogging the Gryffindor Quidditch captain.

We talked and I found out that we had a lot in common. We both loved Quidditch, but neither of us played. We both were very good at potions and we both hated Dasia Deaville.

"I can't believe I have to spend this whole year dealing with her." He said. "At least I don't have to listen to her, like you…" He said jokingly. "Don't worry, we can cancel each other out." He winked.

I giggled. This boy was just amazingly good looking and charming. I had to keep reminding myself of Kaddo, sitting in a compartment without me.

"I guess we can stop patrolling now." Grady said, "I'll see you later?"

"Yeah, later." I said shyly. I made my way back to my compartment where Kaddo and Rose were sitting. I walked in and sat next to him.

"Why on earth were you making rounds with THAT?" He asked, kind of angrily.

"Calm down, Kaddo, he asked me to. I was going to go with Hugo, but Grady insisted."

"First name basis? Lovely. Just, lovely." he said, and looked out the window.

"Kaddo, will you please let go?" Rose said, "It was fourth year. It's over."

"What is she talking about?" I asked. Kaddo looked mad.

"Nothing," he said.

"Grady and Kaddo got in a fight. Over a girl." She told me.

"ROSE, SHUT UP."

"No, Kaddo, it's not big deal." I said.

"It is," he said, "He's a complete arse."

"Rose, tell me," I said. Kaddo put his hands up and then slapped his knees. He had lost the argument.

"Well," Rose started, "Kaddo was seeing Lily Potter-" I lightly gasped. I had no idea. "-and they were a really cute couple. Well, Grady was a year older, a prefect, very smart, charming, obviously good-looking," before Rose could finish, Kaddo started talking.

"She dumped me. For Grady, and when Grady was uninterested, Lily came back to me. I was so happy, and I thought Lily was too. Little did I know, Grady had changed his mind, and he began to pursue Lily. I got mad, met him on the grounds one weekend, words escalated to violence. My dad broke it up before anyone really got hurt and we both got two week's detention. Lily never spoke to either of us again. There." He slumped back in his chair and looked back out the window. I tried to hold his hand but he pulled away. We sat in silence all the way to school.