Ohhhh Gawwwddd, I know what you're thinking, why is she putting up a new story when she HARDLY EVER updates her other ones? The truth is, I'm a n00b. But I'm a n00b that's fallen in love with this story which is going to be longer and such and wants to get some feedback on it. :D Please Review! Now I promise I'll go update my other ones

'Hugo!'

The shout was an optimistic one. My little brother had never been shifted out of bed by a mere shout, let alone such a pitiful attempt at one. I glared at the underside of the stairs.

'Hugo! Get up!' The silence was deafening. I took a deep breath.

'HUGO IF YOU DON'T GET UP RIGHT THIS MINUTE, SO HELP ME I WILL BRING CRANDERNAP UP TO YOUR ROOM AND DROP HIM ON YOUR FACE!' Our oddly named cat gave a yowl, emphasising my point and I shot him a look of approval. There were a series of loud thumps and I grinned to myself.

'Whaaa Rosie?' Hugo asked blearily, trailing out of his room, eyes unfocused and hair askew, 'Why I need to get up?' he yawned hugely. I shot a look to the kitchen doorway where my mother stood, brandishing a large pair of scissors and grinning in a positively frightening way. She looked at me significantly.

'Mum has… a surprise for you!' I shouted up. His face immediately grew wary.

'She's not cooking is she?' he asked panic in his voice. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw mum's face turn stony.

'No, a good surprise!' I answered, relatively convincingly for someone who thought their head might explode from suppressed laughter.

'Okay,' he said suspiciously, tentatively starting down the stairs. He had climbed down all but one when:

'AHHHHHH!' letting out a war cry, my mother leaped out from the kitchen, causing Hugo to scream in surprise and dash away into the living room. I shook my head pityingly. Rookie mistake. She collared him at the mantelpiece and dragged him through into the kitchen. I grinned. I loved haircut day, especially as I, now a sixth year, was able to go to a muggle hair salon to get mine done, while Dad and Hugo had to endure mum's styling.

'WHY do I have to get my haircut?' said Hugo petulantly, then turned to me mouthing 'Traitor'. I grinned back.

'Because,' Mum was saying, 'You go back to Hogwarts tomorrow and I do not understand the whole "wizards-having-long-hair" thing. I remember when I

was fifteen, your father and uncle Harry both had long hair!' She shuddered at the memory.

'But then WHY can't I have it done by someone who actually knows what they're doing? Why can't I have it at a proper place like Rosie?' Mum sighed.

'I've told you Hugo, when you get to sixth year, then you can have your haircut there. It's just a lot of effort, whereas I can cut hair just as well!' Hugo muttered darkly for a few seconds, obviously disputing Mum's claims.

'Maisie McLaggen has her hair cut at a proper place,' he carried on grumbling, 'and Aiden too…'

'Maisie and Aiden's mum owns 'Lady Lavender's salon'! She is a professional!' Mum said as she snipped erratically at his hair.

I laughed, leaving them to it and walking back through to the dining room to collect my books I would need for the upcoming year.

Transforming Manual Grade 6 of course from Professor Clearwater. I glared at it: I didn't like Professor Clearwater and she very obviously didn't like me. Along with the fact that the extent of my skill in transfiguration was transfiguring her 'Good mood into despair' as she always said, it wasn't one of my favourite subjects. I had barely scraped an E at OWLs and was only continuing the subject because it was required for Healing.

Charms: a Journey of Charmings was a relatively tame title for our charms professor, Professor Longbottom. She was one of my favourite teachers, even if her dreamy way of teaching us things, or rambling on about completely random, and not always existing, spells or people meant that I had to do extra study. I loved charms, and was very good at it.

Confuddling Concoctions had been set by our potions teacher, a friendly, yet rather annoying man called Professor MacMillan. He always seemed extremely shocked to be in a classroom at all, being a Hufflepuff through and through, and spent most of the lessons, boasting about adventures he'd had or journeys he'd been on, often involving Mum, Dad and uncle Harry. For this reason me and Al were his two favourite students.

The final book was locked safely upstairs in my bedroom closet, over which Dad had cast a silencing charm. Before I'd even had a chance to look at the title, the book had fallen open, and begun to roar so loudly that I had immediately dropped it. It had been roaring ever since, evading all attempts to get it to shut up by Mum, Dad, the rest of the family, even the minister when he had come to dinner a couple of weeks ago. Three guessed who set that one! Hagrid. Care of Magical Creatures was another one of my favourite subjects, especially since I was hoping to become a Creature Healer when I was older.

I slung my relatively light workload over my shoulder in my bag and started upstairs to pack my trunk. The packing didn't really phase me that much. Like mum, I had never been one to care about how I looked and normally threw on what came most readily to hand. My ironed school uniforms hung neatly in the corner. They were regulation length and size and came with sensible black shoes that stood, polished underneath them. Rules were not there to be broken after all. I sighed exasperatedly, longing for October, when I could simply sweep my wand and my packing would be done!

I started to grab my clothes and piled them neatly into my trunk, wincing as I remembered that I would have to catch Crandernap later and put him in his cage. He had never been one for restriction. My books went in next and finally my potions kit and hat. I sat back on my heels, satisfied: everything was organised. I grabbed my potions book, deciding to study for a while until Dad came home and could help me get the roaring book out of my closet. In sixth year, you will start to meet even more difficult potions than you have before. They will encompass many more specialised skills and push you to the very…

Crack! I jumped violently.

'Pig?' our tiny family owl was hopping up and down on the windowsill, carrying a letter which dwarfed him so much that it seemed to be pushing him slowly off the sill with its weight. I leapt forward, wondering for the umpteenth time how this little bird had survived a full twenty-three years and still had enough energy to zoom around the room like one of uncle George's fireworks. Grabbing him and hauling him in along with the letter, I checked the handwriting and smiled as I saw it was Al's. Crandernap appeared in the doorway, eyeing Pig shrewdly, his bandy legs tightening like springs. I threw Pig out of my room for his own safety and laughed as, after a few seconds, there were a series of loud crashes from the kitchen and my Mum's despairing cry of 'PIG!' sounded up the stairs.

I ripped open the letter and settled back on my bedspread to read it.

Hi Rosie!

Thanks for the letter! There is TOO MUCH POTTER in my house at the moment, especially with James back from Teddy's and Grandma staying in the spare bedroom ( I literally have no idea how you coped with her for half the holiday). I've heard about those bloody books! When we went to Diagon Alley the other week Flourish and Blotts was full of them! Mum thought it was hilarious (especially that they were handing out earmuffs at the door) but James would not go anywhere near them. Seventh year Gryffindor and all that ;) He's being a right git around the house now. He's been going out with Anna Wood for a while now and seems to think their married now and going to take over the home. Grandma Weasley told him the other day when he asked if he could bring her to stay over! 'Not under my roof!' she said; I think Dad is too scared of her not to agree! News from Teddy has been good, although he and Victoire have broken up again. He seems fine about it though, you'll probably know more than I do, as a boy I have no intuition about this stuff :') His hair was blue… make of that what you will ;) Lils has been grouchy almost the whole holiday; because her friends have gone on holiday and she says she hasn't seen you enough. She says she needs female company (mum looked offended). She also thinks that you planning a party when we get back would be a great idea, as do I! But I say we do it in the come-and-go room, so all the houses can come, and make it fifth year and up What d'you reckon? We can ask Pound for permission at the start of term! I hope you're ok and Hugo is enjoying haircut day (Lils has it on her calendar, so she can laugh at him)! Hope your mum and dad are fine and stuff and that you're all ready for tomorrow!

See you soon!

Love Al

PS- Don't be too hard on Scorpius, I reckon he's changed a bit now and I'm sure he was just trying to be helpful! Also please don't kill me for writing this…

I giggled in spite of myself; Al could always cheer me up. James and Lily, I realised how much I had missed them all. And Teddy. Ohhh Teddy. I had harboured a not so tiny crush on him since fourth year and the news that he had broken up with Victoire, made my stomach leap a little. No Rosie, I told myself, he's bloody twenty-four! But I couldn't stop myself going into a mini daydream involving me, Teddy, and the dark corners of the party coming up at Hogwarts… I shook my head vigorously, as if trying to get water out. No. The party at Hogwarts. Lily's reaction had worried me a little. When I said party, I had meant a tea party in the great hall: a time for everyone to relax before exams started, and maybe even get to know our teachers a little better! I could hear Al laughing at me in my head. I suppose a proper party might be fun, with absolutely NO firewhisky of course: I was a prefect after all… But, if there was only a few pumpkin juices going around, maybe a couple of Cauldron cakes, it might be a nice way to meet new people!

Scorpius. He was the only thing me and Al had ever disagreed over. He and Al had been friends since second year, best friends in fact. At first, when Al had introduced him, I was excited. Everyone knew who Scorpius Malfoy was: the quiet, blunt boy who's father had been a death eater. Mum had always told us that we were to treat Scorpius Malfoy exactly the same as we would anyone else, but he was always so mysterious, he never spoke to anyone, except his close friends. He was different, and we all knew it. This illusion was broken on our first meeting. I remembered it so clearly.

I had made an extra special effort that day, combing through my hair properly and tying it half up at the back, the way that mum said made me look like a princess. Al said that I was going to meet his new friend Scorpius at morning break and that I was going to love him. I secretly hoped that me and Scorpius would hit it off instantly, and that me, Al and him could be best friends, going on adventures like mum and dad. That I might be able to step out of the huge shadow cast by 'The Golden Trio' and be liked for me, Rose, and not for my family.

We had met by the big oak tree in the Hogwarts courtyard. Al introduced us and I greeted him eagerly. He had simply nodded at me and then looked away.

'I've heard all about you of course, but I don't think we've ever actually spoken. I was really impressed by that comment you made in transfiguration yesterday though! I'm terrible at transfiguration. Not that I don't like it, of course I like it, it's a wonderful subject but…' Scorpius had silenced me with a look, while Al laughed at me silently from behind him.

'You're the girl who knows everything.' He had said simply. His voice was quiet and his grey eyes serene. I had blushed furiously.

'Well I-I wouldn't say everything,' I giggled, 'but thank you…'

'It wasn't a compliment.' He had interrupted, in the same, calm voice.

'W-what?' my voice had trembled.

'Some people don't like you, because you're a know-it-all, and you never have any fun; you just study. Are you trying to be like your mum? Even though you aren't really as clever as she was?' I had been stunned. Humiliated.

'You don't know me M-Malfoy!' I had stammered, feeling tears prick the back of my eyes.

'Yes I do.' He had said, looking at me in consternation.

'You don't mean it, do you Scorp?' said Al, looking troubled.

'I do. It's the truth.' He had looked at me, seemingly surprised by the tears which had overflowed down my cheeks. He reached out, and brushed one away: 'I didn't mean to upset you,' his eyebrows had drawn together. I had shoved his hand away.

'What exactly were you trying to do then Malfoy?' I had snarled through my tears. Not giving him a chance to answer, I had run from the courtyard and up to my dormitory, wrenching the curtains shut around me. I had cried for hours.

In the years following, I had never spoken to Scorpius again, except when yelling at him, to which he had always replied, to my annoyance, with the same calm reasoning which he had used the first time.

To my further annoyance, Scorpius' popularity had continued to rise all through Hogwarts. He was apparently a very loyal friend and a good guy, though I didn't see how, with all his rudeness and arrogance. His popularity with the female population of Hogwarts had risen too. His mysterious, brooding nature and (though I hated to admit it) startlingly good looks attracted girls like bowtruckles to a pile of fairy eggs. For some reason this irked me even more than his general popularity. Even my girls had fallen for him at one time or another.

My two best friends at Hogwarts, apart from Al, were two girls in my year: Tasha Lake and Edelweiss Longbottom.

Me and Tasha, or Tash, had met on my first day of Hogwarts, after both being covered in custard by Peeves as we had walked back from the feast to our new dorms. We had both decided to give chase, following Peeves halfway around the castle before he disappeared, leaving us in a dark room, filled with jewel bright eyes, with no idea where we were or how to get back to the Gryffindor common room. We had wandered the castle half the night trying to work our way back to the great hall, finally finding our way right to the base of Professor Pound's office, facing the giant bronze phoenix that had been there since Albus Dumbledore's time. We had had to finally wake her up and she was not happy, storming through the castle in her rollers, with much the same temperament as a Hungarian horntail. She had let us off as it was our first night, but had warned us against any more night-time adventures. We had been best friends ever since. I loved her because she was one of the only people who had behaved normally around me. She was muggle-born, so before Hogwarts, she had never heard of the war or any of it.

Edelweiss on the other hand, I had known since childhood, seeing as she was Neville and Luna's daughter. Her unfortunate name, product of her father's love of Herbology and her mother's general wackiness, was the bane of her life. Everyone who knew her called her Della. Della was like a diluted version of her mother: dreamy, yet more connected to the world in general. We had been best friends forever. I remembered toddling around with her at the Burrow; we used to follow Teddy around until he would do what we called his 'Muppet' faces; transforming his nose into crazy different forms: a pig snout, or even no nose all together (mum had almost fainted the first time she had seen him do this, thinking Voldemort himself had returned!) She was my escape, I could tell her anything. She was also one of the prettiest girls in the year, with a constant stream of boyfriends chasing after her long, dirty-blonde hair, her babydoll face, her vivid, blue eyes and her porcelain complexion. In third year however, she had decided that she was in love with James Potter and never looked back. She and Scorpius had briefly dated too, but it had come to nothing.

Tasha too was something of a player throughout Hogwarts, with numerous boyfriends under her belt. She didn't have the same stunningly good looks as Della, but she had pretty, chestnut hair; laughing brown eyes and a mouth that, though it was a little too large, was always open in a smile or laughter. She was the funniest person I knew, though I disapproved of some of her rule-breaking adventures with my cousin and his friends.

Granddad Weasley said that James Potter was a reincarnation of Al's grandfather, James Potter, who had also been a trouble maker. In my time as prefect, I had had many problems caused by my cousin and his friends pranking the school. James was very popular, and I thought he was wonderful, but he had a slight tendency to pick on those weaker than him, especially Al. Al however, could look after himself. Widely accepted as the kindest person, and most eligible bachelor at Hogwarts, Al sat comfortably on top of Hogwarts society. I could not think of someone better deserving.

I smiled as I folded up the letter and placed it in the drawer I kept in my dresser for all the letters I had received from my cousins, my friends and, only recently, from one Scorpius Malfoy. I glared at the handwriting, re reading it.

Rose,

I received the new prefect patrolling rota today and saw that we had been partnered together. I know you don't like me, so I asked to switch patrols for both our sakes. I will ask if I can be paired with Amy Fuller from Hufflepuff, and if you don't mind, you can then go with Fabian Drew from your house. I hope this will make it easier for us to get along. Hope you're having a good holiday,

Scorpius.

I felt anger course through my body like lava. How dare he? He so obviously disliked me and didn't want to do patrols with me, which was worse enough, but to put the responsibility on me, to basically blame me! I was so indignant the first time I had read it, that I had almost ripped it up, but something had stopped me, as it had every time since. I brought the letter up to my face, feeling the parchment brush against my cheek, catching the cool smell of cotton and mint that clung to the paper. Why did he hate me? I found myself asking the question over and over again. I was liked well enough at Hogwarts, not the most popular of course but I had quite a few friends. No one hated me I didn't think. Except maybe Amy Fuller and Anna Wood who had never liked me since I had shouted at them for teasing poor Ellis Rand in first year. They never missed a chance to tease me for being a nerd or never having a boyfriend. I had had two in fact; I thought indignantly, there was that boy in first year, Stanley Ouran with whom I had held hands for a week before I'd grown so embarrassed that I had split up with him. And then in fourth year, there was Andy Styles who I had actually kissed! Then he broke up with me because James had put a nosebleed nougat in his morning croissant as a joke.

I groaned as I realised just how sad my dating history was. This year would be the year, I decided, I would get a boyfriend and keep him. I smoothed out the letter and replaced it in the drawer, picking my potions book off my bed and replacing it in my trunk.

The door slammed downstairs and I heard Hugo's jubilant cry of 'Dad! You've come to save me!' I grinned.

R&R&R&R&R&R&R&R&R&R&R&R&R&R&R&R&R&R&R&R&R&R&R&R

'Dinners ready!' mum's voice came floating in from the kitchen. I moved my bishop left and then diagonal so it sat before Dad's queen.

'Check and mate' I said, satisfied, grinning up at my father who was looking at the board with consternation.

'But…' his eyes darted around the board, 'how on earth…' I laughed.

'You'd think you'd recognise your own gambit Dad!' I stood, leaning over to kiss his balding head, as he continued to glare at the chessboard as if it had betrayed him.

'I swear,' he sighed, standing up and stretching out his back, 'you are a combination of your mother's brains and my chess genius,' he winked, 'it's an unbeatable combination.'

'Yeah, and she inherited your combined Quidditch skill too Dad!' grinned Hugo from where he was polishing his Meteorite in the corner of the living room. I pulled a face at him and he laughed.

'Yes, well, you becoming chaser for Gryffindor was a surprise to us all,' Dad laughed, 'you must have inherited your Quidditch skill from Ginny, or Fred or George, or Charlie.'

'Excuse me!' mum's voice was furious, her hair huge as she stood in the doorway to the living room, 'If it's not too much trouble, could you possibly come in for dinner? It's not like I've been slaving away at it for hours or anything.' Dad laughed.

'Oh give over 'Mione, I brought takeaway back with me! You put it in the magnowave! I did more work trying to get that bloody book to shut up upstairs!' Mum stuck her tongue out at him.

'Those microwaves can be hard to work you know,' she was half laughing, leading the way into the kitchen where dinner was set out, Chinese, our August 31st dinner every year. Dad sat down with a groan, rubbing the heels of his hands into his eyes.

'Bad day?' mum asked sympathetically, spooning bean sprouts onto Hugo's plate, much to his dismay.

'Mmmmm, we're weighed down in the auror office at the minute; it's all these 'anti-half-breed radicals'. No matter how many time Harry has told the public about how werewolves, centaurs, goblins and house elves helped us win the war, no ones going to believe it without some kind of proof. With Lupin gone, and Dobby and Kreacher, Griphook betraying us at Gringotts and the Centaurs not coming to our aid at the battle, there's a lot of mistrust going around. Trouble is, with Harry saying all this stuff; we're worried these groups are going to start targeting him.' I sighed. Nothing ever changes. All the speeches after the war, all the propaganda, they had all said the same thing: things will be better; we'll never let anything like this happen again. Sure, the prejudice against muggleborns was all but gone now, but the deep rooted hatreds against half-human creatures were still there, and they were being exposed now. Winning the wars meant nothing really, I thought bitterly, only a brief respite until the next lot of prejudiced wizards came to have a go.

'…there have also been more attacks too,' Dad was saying, 'three goblins and who knows how many house elves. Hundreds have been injured too.' Mum grimaced.

'Things are going to be crazy at Mungo's tomorrow then. I can't believe things like this are still happening. I knew I should have carried on SPEW!' Hugo snorted into his noodles. SPEW was a regular subject in our house.

'You're not going to make us buy those badges again are you mum?' asked Hugo, barely concealing his laugher. I choked on my milk. Mum glared.

'Hugo Wendell Weasley,' Hugo's face turned stony at the sound of his middle name, 'this is absolutely no laughing matter, these poor house elves have been oppressed for centuries and…'

'More pork balls mum?' I interrupted, sensing a SPEW lecture coming on.

Dad grabbed mum around the waist and pulled her over, kissing her quickly, effectively distracting her. She rolled her eyes at Dad.

'So Rose, all ready for tomorrow?' she asked quickly.

Hugo and Dad high fived under the table.

'Yep, all ready and packed,' I smiled, 'I got a letter from Al as well'

'Oh yes, I've been meaning to write to Harry,' Dad exclaimed through a mouthful of sweet and sour chicken (Mum looked faintly disgusted) 'How is everyone at their end?'

'Well Al's fine, a bit of an overload of Grandma…' Hugo laughed.

'I know what that feels like! Why did we actually have her over for two weeks?' Dad looked stony.

'Ask your mother,' he said in a dark voice; mum shot him a look.

'He didn't say much about auntie Ginny or uncle Harry,' I continued, 'but he says James is still going out with that Anna Wood,' Hugo and I pulled a face at the same time, 'and that he was terrified of the roaring books.' Mum, Dad and Hugo all fell about laughing.

'Oh Hugo, Lils has your haircut day on her calendar, so expect teasing tomorrow,' Hugo stopped laughing abruptly, glaring up at the mass of red hair that stuck up in tufts all over his head. I swung my carefully styled red curls around my face for emphasis; Hugo glared at them, murder in his eyes.

'You know they'll just go all frizzy tomorrow, don't you Rosie?' he grinned, vindictively. I had no retort; sadly this was the curse of having Hermione Weasley as your mother. I sighed despondently. Mum stood up, stacking plates carefully. She leaned over and whispered 'Sleek-eezey hair potion' into my ear. I giggled.

'Right, little man,' she said in a louder voice (Hugo coughed the number 14 very loudly) 'I think it's time you went to bed.' Hugo started an uproar before Dad turned his hair purple and threatened to make him go to school like it if he didn't go to bed. With much grumbling, Hugo tramped up the stairs.

'I think I'll go to bed too Mum,' I said, putting away the last pile of dishes.

'Are you sure darling?' she asked, looking into my face a little worriedly, 'Are you okay?'

'Yeah, fine,' I said breezily, 'I just want to get a good night's sleep before tomorrow.' Her mouth turned up in a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

'Okay, you know we love you right?' I rolled my eyes.

'Of course' I kissed her on the cheek, hugged my Dad, who had returned from putting Hugo to bed, and went into the living room to gather my stuff. I climbed the stairs slowly, and sank on to my bed, slipping my clothes off carefully. I was suddenly very tired; I could feel the blood pumping around my head loudly in my ears. I lay back on my bed, feeling, rather than seeing the walls close in around me…

And then it stopped. I was in my room again, safe. I shook my head, getting up, still slightly wobbly. I caught sight of myself in a mirror across the room: I was as white as a sheet, with big, red-purple bruises under my eyes. I must be more tired that I had thought. I settled back onto my bed. It was a new year tomorrow: one that would be completely different. I fell into a contented sleep.

My mother's face stalked me through my dreams: sometimes normal, sometimes chalky, with red-purple shadows beneath her eyes. 'I'm worried about her Ron,' she kept saying, 'I'm worried about her.'