"Get that cat off my essay!" Rose's clear voice rang through the library as she tossed her now auburn curls. Third year Christmas had brought the long awaited arrival of Cleo, Poppy's tortoise shell, white booted kitten.

"She's only a kitten, leave her alone." Poppy scooped up Cleo and cradled her in her arms. Cleo was the world's most spoilt kitten.

"Yes but if she comes near my essay again..." Cleo hissed at Rose's unfinished sentence and Rose narrowed her eyes at her.

"What's Cleo done now?" Two boys, considerably taller than last year, emerged from behind a book case. They were in quidditch robes of different colours but their faces were splattered the same. Mud. Al leant over Rose to stroke Cleo who purred happily.

"Urgh Al, you stink!"

"Thanks dear cousin."

"Quite alright," Said Rose returning to her essay. "I don't know why they let you play in February, you all end up disgustingly dirty."

Scorp flopped into an empty seat just as a startlingly red headed girl hurtled towards them.

"Poppy!" Dom paused for breath leaning on Scorp's shoulder. "James...and Fred...planning to use...the dungbombs...and then to steal your charms essay."

"Why?" Poppy cried outraged.

"You refused to do his homework."Scorp said in a bored voice.

"And then you hexed him." Pointed out Al.

"He asked for it!"

"Did he? I mean did he actually ask for it?" Scorp sounded genuinely curious but Rose quelled him with a look.

"Wait... Dom, is he going to set off a dung bomb in here? In the library?" Rose sounded incredulous and she gasped as Dom nodded. "I'm telling Molly."

"No! You can't, I swore I wouldn't tell anyone!" Dom seemed on the verge of tears at Rose's announcement.

"Did you take an unbreakable vow?" Al put in diplomatically. It was his brother they were talking about after all. He was ignored.

"Molly's a prefect. She can give them detention." Rose added soothingly to Dom.

"Rosie, do you think they really care about detention? Oh if only Vic was here, she scares them." Dom moaned.

"Lily!" Poppy snapped her fingers.

"Where?" Scorp said stupidly. Rose threw him a look.

"James does anything Lily says!" Poppy carried on.

"Genius!" Rose beamed at her. "Then the library won't be attacked." Rose said happily.

"And my essay will be saved." Poppy added pointedly.

"Of course." Rose countered smoothly and Poppy humphed.

"Yeah but where's Lily?" Al asked to general astonishment. Where was Lily?

As a hubbub of bickering broke out about who was going to find Lily, Poppy turned back to her essay. Her essay that had disappeared.

"Al," Poppy asked, her voice shaking. "You don't have the invisibility cloak, do you?"

"No, James has it at the moment." He answered absently turning back to the argument.

"JAMES POTTER, GIVE ME BACK MY ESSAY!"

"Your face when you thought the library was going to be attacked!" Snickered Scorp a couple of hours later. Poppy had proceeded to hit Dom various times with quite a hefty book before setting off to track down her essay. She had still not returned and even Al had decided to see where she had got to.

"You knew?"

"'course! It was quite cleverly thought out really."

"No it wasn't. I can't believe we got kicked out the library." And indeed they had as the hawked faced librarian only just dodged a flying book Poppy threw at Dom. "Oh poor Poppy," Rose said woefully.

"I'm sure she'll live, there are more important things in life than books and essays," Scorp said shrugging his shoulders.

"I know," Rose sighed heavily as though it cost her to admit it. "My mum always tells me, "friendship and bravery" and all that,"

"But speaking of books and essays..." Scorp said casually.

"I am not checking through that potions essay because I know for a fact you haven't done all of it so I will finish it off. And I am not your house elf, Scorpius Malfoy."