Hello again! I don't know if I need a disclaimer on every chapter. I have one at the beginning, which is where I would advise you to start reading, so… I hope that's enough. Please read and comment! And tell your Potterhead brethren! Oh, and by the way, I wanted to call this chapter "Just Naming This Chapter Two Would be Boring", but there wasn't space in the box they give you to insert the chapter title, so that's why it is what it is).

AFTER SITUATING MY BROTHER IN a seemingly friendly compartment, I sat in one right down the hall from his, in case he should need me (he hadn't wanted me to sit with him in his compartment, for fear of seeming like a loser or a geek or whatever else for relying on his big sister). I was buried deep in a book. James found me. He pulled on my bangs to get my attention. I calmly put my book away, and then kicked him in the shin. James winced.

"Well, you wouldn't pay attention to me otherwise!"

I could tell I hadn't actually hurt him much. It hadn't been a very hard kick.

"James Potter I told you, no one touches my hair! Doesn't matter who you are!"

"I know. But it is the only way to get your attention."

"Sometimes."

"Like now."

I sighed. So many pointless conversations today. I decided to make a list of this week's colloquies that went nowhere. I am a list-maker, big time. I make lists of everything- it helps me remember, and organize.

"I heard you mention Teddy and Victoire in the station," I remarked, wanting to change the subject towards something somewhat more productive. "I called to you but you didn't hear."

James' face lit up. He'd obviously been waiting to tell me, so bad, even, that he would commit the felony known as 'hair-pulling'. "I saw them earlier. Guess what?"

I pretended to think hard. "They were… herding elephants."

James frowned. "No. Why would they… anyway, no. Guess again."

"Um… they were playing Quidditch whilst riding dragons."

"I'll stop you there. "

"That's probably a good idea," I replied.

"They were snogging! And I asked Teddy what he was doing—"

"You interrupted them?! Do you enjoy putting yourself in such awkward situations?"

"And he told me to go away!"

I stared blankly at James for a second. He looked astonished at my relative lack of a reaction—He'd probably imagined I would react in the same way he did. "Well," I said. "So would've I."

"But—Teddy! And—"

"So?"

"Well… I mean, it's not as if they could even go to the dance with each other! Teddy's already finished Hogwarts! And anyway, they're practically related!"

OH, the dance. They had sent a letter home over the summer, informing all us students that Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was to have a Yule Ball- type event on Christmas Eve. There wasn't going to be a Triwizard tournament, because every time one was held, some student died. There had often been more than one casualty. James' father had been a contestant in the last tournament that had been held. A boy named Cedric Diggory had died. Harry Potter had been witness to his fellow student's murder by Lord Voldemort. In that tournament, Hogwarts (the host school) had held a Yule Ball on Christmas Eve. Honestly, I would look forward to the tournament more than the dance, but since this time there wouldn't even be a tournament with all the fighting and excitement that I had heard about, I had been disappointed. In short, I really was not looking forward to the ball. I don't love to socialize at such events. I rested my elbow on the window-sill and mu cheek on the back of my fist, and glared sullenly out the window.

"Hey, every time someone mentions the B-"

Suddenly, someone opened the compartment door, saying rather loudly, "Are 'yall kissing in there?" the girl had one hand covering her eyes, but upon closer inspection, I saw that she had her fingers open just the tiniest bit, so she could see through. She had a huge grin all over her face.

Mara's pixie-cut was a little shorter than I remembered. In her free hand, she held a dark green beanie (probably stolen, and I thought I knew who from). She had already put on her Slytherin robes. Mara had, in our first year, almost been sorted into Ravenclaw because she's very smart. Instead, she chose Slytherin. I don't think Mara could be prouder to be in Slytherin, and I admired this. Our houses were generally looked down upon, or given disapproving glances; Hufflepuff never taken seriously, and Slytherin had a bad reputation for turning out all the evil witches and wizards in history.

"You can put your hand down," I told her. "You know I'd never kiss him in a million years."

Mara closed the door behind her and sat next to me. She put the beanie on. "I heard you mention the dance," she told James. Unlike me, Mara couldn't wait for the dance. Maybe if we could go together as friends, I would've looked forward to it, but I assumed Mara would be going with her boyfriend- it only made sense.

"Yeah, I did. Guess what I saw earlier?!"

"Teddy and Victoire snogging?"

"Teddy and Vic- wait that's what you said, isn't it? How'd you-"

"Because I saw you bothering them and making a fuss," Mara replied. "It was such an immature display on your part," she added in a condescending tone.

James reddened slightly. "Oh. Okay. Well, I mentioned the dance just now 'cos I told Eileen about what I saw and I said he can't even go with her to the ball 'cos he's nineteen and finished with Hogwarts!"

"Well, yeah. But that shouldn't matter. You can't choose who you love."

I hadn't realized that I had started to glare out the window again.

"She gets like this every time the conversation turns towards the dance," James explained to Mara. "I dunno why."

Mara nodded sagely. "Just started recently?"

"Yeah."

"Last time I saw her, she seemed pretty indifferent about this whole thing."

"I'd appreciate it if you guys wouldn't talk about me like I'm not here or something unintelligent that cannot understand your conversation, please and thanks."

Of course, they continued.

"Probably she thinks she'd actually have to dance the whole time. Or that I'd completely abandon her." Mara was thinking out loud.

I went back to glaring. We were far from London now, in a green countryside that was familiar to me. I usually got into my school uniform when we got to this point in the trip.

"I'm going to change," I said, hoping that when I came back, the conversation topic would've changed.