Saturday turned out to be the most relaxing day I'd had in awhile. It was nice to be able to sleep in, the pressures of school fading away for just one morning as I got to pretend that I was normal. It was what I needed.

I skipped breakfast, choosing instead to lounge about the common room as I waited for the Three Musketeers to return from the Great Hall. The light shone into the room from a window, casting an odd glint on the furniture. There seemed to be more of a sparkle to the room, and it was surprisingly pretty...

"Lost in thought?"

I jumped, startled, as Hermione sat down next to me, a small smile on her face. "Sort of. Where are the boys?"

"Quidditch practice. I don't know how they plan on getting all of the homework done, given that they're saving it all for the last minute, but-"

"Okay, that's enough talking about homework," I said, angling my body so I could face her. "Have you heard from Viktor recently?"

She raised an eyebrow as a faint blush appeared on her cheeks. "Why do you ask?"

I shrugged. "What's school without boy drama? And since I'm in a fairly stable relationship... Well, you'll just have to do."

"Gee, thanks."

"No problem. So?"

She sighed, biting her bottom lip before she answered. "He wrote me at the beginning of the week, and I responded. But... I don't know. I feel as if he's beginning to lose interest with me."

I frowned. "I thought you didn't like him."

"I do! He's nice-"

"No, I mean like him."

"Oh. Well, I don't, but it's vexing to learn that my intellectual charms aren't enough to sustain a lasting friendship." She ran her hand through her hair. "It's as if because he can't snog me, he doesn't want to talk with me."

I patted her hand. "Hermione, that's just how guys are. It's a known fact that they're idiots and don't use their brains until they become twenty-five or even thirty. It's pointless to stress about it."

"I suppose."

"Trust me. You're an awesome person," I said as the portrait hole swung open. "And," I said, seeing a familiar mop of messy black hair traveling towards us with a tall redhead. "I guarantee I'm not the one who thinks so." I called out to the boys. "How was practice?"

Harry hesitated. "Well-"

"Horrible," Ron interjected. "Bloody horrible, that's how it was."

Hermione smiled in sympathy. "I'm sure you'll do better next time-"

"Who said it was my ruddy fault?"

"Well-"

"Just because I'm new to the team, that doesn't mean I'm the weak link!"

"But-"

Harry and I exchanged glances, and I grimaced, a headache beginning to form as I listened to the two of them fight. With a sigh, I pulled out my potions essay, preparing myself for a long afternoon of listening to Hermione and Ron argue..


"No! You're doing it wrong. The jeté isn't until after the triple turn. You can't just do two turns and call it a day!" Darcy snapped at me, leaning in so her red face was even closer.

Friction rehearsal was just as tense as it had been earlier in the week, and I still wasn't exactly sure why. Obviously, all of Darcy's anger was directed towards me, but what exactly had I done to deserve it?

I blinked. "Last I checked, you'd choreographed a double. So how am I wrong?"

Tyler sighed. "We changed it. Yesterday, when we met for coffee after school. We figured there was enough time so-"

"It doesn't matter," Darcy spat, her nostrils flaring slightly as she spoke. "We can't rehearse properly until everyone knowsthe basics of the routine. We'll just have to reconvene tomorrow."

I scoffed, shock filling my core as I watched my once best friend stalk out of the room, Anderson following close behind her. I spun around, cornering Ty. "What the hell is her problem?"

"Their problem," he corrected gently. "They're both pretty peeved at you, though Anderson isn't nearly as vocal about it."

I threw my hands in the air, anger overtaking me. "Well, what the hell did I do?"

"You absence from Darcy's social circle has been... noticeable," Ty said, choosing his words carefully.

"What does that mean?"

He sighed, holding his hands up in the universal don't-shoot-the-messenger pose. "She thinks you've become snobby, that you're spending all of your time with your Morning Shots friends and ditching us. She's pretty pissed that you aren't even hanging out with me, considering that we supposedly go to the same school." I opened my mouth to protest, but he continued on. "I tried to tell her that ever since we'd broken up, we haven't really been hanging out as much, but-"

"Once Darcy gets an idea in her head, she sticks with it," I muttered, rubbing at my eyes with my palms.

"You haven't been coming to any of our meetings, or luncheons, or anything. And... Well Darcy and Anderson are getting tired of it."

"Well it's not like I have much of a choice," I growled. "I go to school in freaking England!"

"I know! But... They don't. And this riff that's forming between us is going to make it very hard to win once competition season begins."

He had a point. If we couldn't work together, we'd never place in competition. We needed our unity and our ability to depend each other; it was what made us strong. But what Darcy was asking of me was impossible. I couldn't have lunch with her, or practice with her, or go shopping with her. I lived on a different continent, now.

I was stuck.


The surprise of the century occurred the next evening as Ron, Hermione, Harry, and I were sitting besides the fire in the common room near midnight. We were just talking, doing homework, and all of a sudden, Sirius Black's head popped out of the fire.

"Shit," I shrieked as I propelled myself away from the flames and toppled over a footstool.

Sirius laughed. "Sorry."

I rolled my eyes as Ron helped me to stand. "Give me a heart attack, why don't you?" I muttered.

"Sirius!" Harry whispered, ignoring me as he kneeled down beside the fire. "What are you doing here?"

"Making sure you're all right. I was concerned after that letter."

Hermione's head snapped sharply towards Harry. "Letter? I thought you weren't going to write to him about your scar hurting?"

He shrugged. "I changed my mind." He turned back to Sirius, leaning closer. "It hurt when I was with Umbridge in detention. She touched me, and my scar..."

"It probably has nothing to do with her. Your scar hurt last year, didn't it?" Sirius asked.

Harry frowned. "Well, yeah. But it's kind of a weird coincidence, don't you think?"

"Maybe she's not evil. Well," I said, correctly myself. "Not in the way you're thinking, at least. Maybe your scar's just a warning mechanism. Maybe you're learning how to sense the character of people through your scar." Four blank faces stared back at me, so I shrugged. "It happens. Besides, if that's the case, then I can induct him into the Clairvoyant Club, and I won't be the only one."

"She's not a Death Eater," Sirius said, turning to Harry once more. "Her record is too clean for that."

"Maybe it was a coincidence, Harry," Ron said gently. "It wouldn't be the first time."

Harry sighed. "Maybe."

"Hey," Sirius said with a small grin. "I know something that will cheer you up. I'll come and visit you on the next Hogsmeade date. When is-"

"You can't!" Harry blurted out, his eyes growing wide.

Sirius' brow furrowed. "Why not?"

"We think Malfoy recognized you at the train station," Hermione explained.

"And what the moronic Draco knows," I elaborated. "The not-so-moronic Lucius knows. Which means the Death Eaters know. Which means Lord What's-His-Name knows. They could find you."

But Sirius waved the though away. "We can risk it."

"No, we can't," Harry protested. "We need to keep you safe-"

"I don't need protecting, Harry."

"I don't want to risk it, Sirius. I'm sorry."

He was silent for a moment, taking this information in before he sighed. "Fine, then. I guess I should just be going, considering that me talking to you right now is such a risk." And with a pop, he was gone.

I sat back on my heels as the four of us exchanged glances. "Well," I said at last, breaking the silence. "That didn't go very well, did it?"


"Again."

I rolled my eyes at Snape's surly request. It was the middle of the following week, and once again I was working with Snape to perfect my magic. "You act like this is simple," I muttered.

"Maybe I act like it's simple because it is simple," Snape drawled as he began to move towards me, slowly. "Not only is this a simple charm, but it's one that even Longbottom can do."

"Well don't I just feel pathetic," I said, my voice laden with sarcasm.

"You should."

"This is ridiculous! When am I ever going to need to know how to shoot bubbles out of my wand? Apart from me spontaneously transforming into Sailor Mercury, or suddenly running out of soap for my bubble bath, I will never use this!"

Snape ignored my muggle references, as he'd grown accustomed to doing, and said, "It is on the curriculum."

"Well, why? It's not like the spell is relevant to my life, or there's any practical use-"

"Baby steps, Miss Nouvelli. You have to know how to use the rudimentary spells before you delve into the more complex magic," Snape said, a small smirk crawling onto his face.

"Can't we learn easy charms that are useful? Like Wingardium Leviosa. There's a simple charm that could come in handy," I pointed out. "I could use it to levitate a book from my desk towards me, or keep a pair of black leather heels out of the reach of Lavender."

"Or to knock out a young mountain troll," Snape mused.

"What?"

"Never you mind." He leaned forward, placing his hands on the desk before me. "The curriculum is designed by the Ministry, and it is what you shall be tested on come spring. You would be wise to stick to the curriculum."

"You sound like Umbridge," I grumbled.

He blinked, slightly taken aback. "I suppose that's your idea of an insult?"

I smiled softly. "Well, it's about as insulting as I can be to a teacher without ending up in detention."

His mouth curled, a slight smile overtaking his features, though in the next instant, it had vanished. "So it would seem." He stepped back, slipping once more into the shadows of the classroom. "Again," he said, referring to the spell. "And Miss Nouvelli, if you don't learn how to do this tedious spell quickly, you will be in detention."


"So? Anything new?"

I chuckled softly to myself, snuggling deeper against Bill's sturdy frame as the two of us lounged together naked in his bed. It was becoming our little ritual to meet every Friday night after I got back to the castle from dance rehearsal. "I can now shoot bubbles out of my wand."

"Impressive," he said with a slight laugh.

"And..." I hesitated a bit, not really sure if I should tell him...

"And what?"

"Ron heard from Percy." His body tensed beneath me, and I instantly regretted bringing it up. "He apparently thinks Harry's insane and that Ron should stop hanging out with him."

Silence met my statement for a moment before Bill sighed. "Understandable."

"Really?"

"Percy's so concerned about his job, the git. He doesn't want anything, or anyone, to jeopardize that." He sighed again, running his hand through my hair as he spoke. "Ah, well. What can we really do about it?"

I rolled over slightly, my face coming within inches of his own. "I'm sorry."

He kissed me lightly, his lips just fluttering against my own briefly before he pulled back. "No problem. But let's change the subject. There are a million other things that I'd rather do with you than discuss my brother, you know."

I smiled widely. "Really? Then why don't you show me?" I said, before closing the gap between our faces.


I know it's a little short, but this was the best place to end the chapter. The next one will be much longer, I promise! Please review, though and tell me what you think! Reviews inspire me to update faster!

Thank you to all of my reviewers last chapter: GumiBearOnAShortBus, sailor-tin-foil, lovegoodlover, hiphophottie, brilliantblonde, tree1138, arrowheadhunter, and julieakaweirdo. I really appreciate it!

So please make my day and RER: Read it, Enjoy it, Review it... And I Love it! Really, I do.

Lurve,

-Selene