Hey there :) I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long, seeing as the last chapter was a bit of a cliff-hanger. Thanks again for all the lovely reviews, they're what's kept me going. All ideas, remarks and criticism are welcome, so don't hesitate to speak your mind. also, I've been loking for someone to Beta this story, so if any of you are Beta readers or know someone available, please inform me. Here it goes :)!

The return of the Marauders

A gasp rippled through the classroom. We had studied Patronuses before, but had never moved on to the practical part. I had heard plenty of stories from home though, about how Uncle Harry had conjured one only in his third year at Hogwarts, and how it took the form of a stag.

"Now, who can tell me what a Patronus is?"

My hand hit the air before anybody else's .

"Yes, Rose?"

I could feel Malfoy's eyes staring blazedly at me from behind, burning my neck with the intensity of the stare.

"A Patronus is a guardian, created by the wizard to fight of the symptoms of a Dementor's approach and to protect oneself from the Dementor's kiss. It is a sort of shield made of happiness, on which the Dementor can feed instead of the wizard. The Patronus has a unique form for each one of us , depending on our deepest personality. Patronuses were used by the Order of the Phoenix to exchange messages, a method devised by Albus Dumbledore."

Harry smiled. He had always said I reminded him a lot of Mother when she was in class.

"Exactly. Now, as far as I know, you have never attempted to conjure a Patronus before. I have to warn you that you may not achieve it, as it is very advanced magic, but don't be disappointed. You just have to believe in yourself."

With one long sweep of his wand, all the desks were shunted against the walls, clearing a space. Harry stepped forwards and we spread to give him space.

He lifted his wand and shouted: "Expecto Patronum!"

Something glowing and silvery-blue erupted from the tip of his wand, rising upwards and taking the form of a large animal. The stag sprang once into the air and galloped lightly around the classroom.

Everyone gasped in awe and then started applauding. "He's really got it," I heard Louis mutter and grinned.

"So, I believe you all heard the incantation, which is Expecto Patronum. Now, for this incantation to take effect you need to focus on one, single, happy memory, the happiest you can think of. Try bringing that to your mind and performing the spell."

We all spread around the classroom. I ransacked my brain for my happiest memory.

My life was pretty cheerful in general, seeing as I was part of the Weasly family, but I had a feeling this spell wasn't about cheerfulness. I tried to bring up childhood memories.

The time when I received my Hogwarts letter… the time when all the Weasly family had gathered for Christmas and Fred and James started a food fight… when I got my owl Skyler…

… Albus, Louis and me sneaking out of the Burrow one cold night with plenty of chocolate frogs and some warm Butterbeer, going to have some fun at the grove. It was a Burrow get-together custom. Rolling around clutching the can of Butterbeer, laughing, a warm feeling spreading inside me making me feel safe, happy, strong…

I let the memory fill me up completely, subconsciously lifting my wand and shouting… "Expecto Patronum!"

A large, beautiful barn owl composed of threads of silvery-blue light shot out of my wand, soaring up towards the ceiling. Everyone turned to watch as the owl circled once, and came to float in front of me. Just as I stretched out my hand to touch it, it vanished.

But nobody had time to react, as something glowed at the back of the classroom. Malfoy was holding up his wand, a glowing light forming slowly on the tip. A huge four pawed animal, sleek and powerful flowed out. It was a huge wolf.

Everyone applauded excitedly for both of us. I felt a hinge of annoyance. Ok, I knew this was stupid, but he had sort of stolen my glory. There it was again: My pointless competitiveness, which fortunately didn't show as I happened to be an excellent liar.

"Well done, both of you! That was extremely quick for a first shot. See, everyone? You just have to be determined." Grinned Harry.

Malfoy and I shared a look. And then pretended we hadn't.

The thing is, everyone in this classroom knew, if there were two people who could achieve this, they were me and Malfoy. It simply was that way, I wasn't saying it out of arrogance.

But then I remembered how he had humiliated me the previous night, and glared at him. He narrowed his eyes. I continued glaring. We entered a staring contest, blue meeting gray, and the rest of the world was blocked out as we fought this soundless battle.

His eyes reflected everything: he thought he was something above us, his contempt, his arrogance and coldness. And right now they were screaming one word: defiance. I repeat: reflected. His eyes never showed, they only reflected, mirrored, gave out a perfectly controlled stream of emotions picked by him.

I fought back. Only I was different. I didn't have a mask for a face, I wasn't capable of hiding all emotion, though I could fake many. I could master more than five facial expressions. Malfoy only smirked, sneered, raised eyebrows, scowled or threatened-

"Hello? Rose? Rose!"

Louis's voice brought me back to reality.

Half the class were looking at me expectantly.

"They want you to demonstrate again." Whispered Louis.

"Right," I mumbled, before concentrating with all my might on my happy memory. But it just wouldn't come, I was too distracted for it to fill me up again. I struggled again and again, but all I could see were Malfoy's cold grey eyes.

Defiance. Beauty.

"I'm sorry, I don't think I can do this again right now." I muttered apologetically, while feeling completely useless. It was like I had never recovered form my hangover.

Everyone turned to Malfoy. He smirked before raising his wand, then looking straight at me, knowing how he pissed me off.

"Expecto Patronum!"

This time the wolf took longer to conjure, then sprang out. It really was beautiful, sleek and strong and shining, leaving traces of light as it passed.

I stared at it, mesmerized, but also vexed. Completely and utterly vexed. He was only doing it to wind me up, as he'd always done, as he knew to do, as he loved to do.

Memories from last night started suddenly flooding in, how he hit on Roxanne, the way he held me, demanded to dance with me, forced me to drink, how I, for some stupid reason, wanted to prove myself to him.

His hands, running through my hair, paralyzing me. It somehow hurts that he was only teasing you, doesn't it? Said a little voice inside my head. I desperately tried to shut it down, although I knew it was right. But maybe it was only physical want.

Our parents had turned us against each other, making us each other's forbidden fruit. It was just a physical want, I told myself, he can't get emotionally involved with anyone. Exactly. I had to simply shut this want down before I did something stupid. I still hated the prick.

Then he brushed past me, "Still got to finish our fuckin assignment, Weasly, so tonight, Prefects common room at nine."

"Come late again and I swear I'll hex you into oblivion." I muttered venomously, staring hard at his extremely expensive dragon hide shoes, as though wishing to burn them to shreds with my gaze. Which would satisfy me a lot right then.

I walked down the corridor, hurrying down the steps, swearing to myself that if King Prick was late he would be reduced to a mindless ash-heap. But I also had a plan. A plan so wonderfully devilish it made me want to burst into evil laughter. It would have to wait.

"Wildfire" I muttered the password to the Prefects' common room. The seemingly lifeless winged marble gargoyle suddenly flew to the right, revealing a carved arch. I pushed open the door and entered.

I stopped dead on my tracks, speechless at the unlikeliness of the scene taking place before my eyes.

Francesco Zabini was sat on a couch, kissing Roxanne lovingly. How impossibly possible. But of course. They had a date planned next Hogsmead weekend, they had probably snogged each other before. They just didn't seem to fit together.

Zabini, tall and lean and dark and actually rather handsome, and so Slytherin-ish.

And Roxanne, with her long red swishy hair, bright eyes and bold posture, ever so fiery and cheerful, ever so Gryffindor.

Those two, snogging in the prefects' common room?

In my opinion, they just clashed horribly.

I cleared my throa

t awkwardly and they broke apart, surprised.

Just then someone bumped into me from behind, someone tall and strong.

"What in Merlins fucking name is going on here? Weasly? Wells? Francesco?"

Ladies and Gentlemen, three cheers for Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy, Master of Tactfullness and Tolerance, come to save the day!

I quickly stepped forward trying to hide the poor couple about to experience Malfoy's wrath. His best mate, with the girl that had refused to shag him? Ego-destroyer alert!

"Francesco? What the hell does this mean? I mean, when I saw you on the map I thought you were discussing prefect duties or something! Yet you stoop that low?"

Wait a second. What map? I turn slowly, and face Malfoy holding up An old piece of parchment.

In the light of the full moon shining through the window, I read:

Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs introduce:

~THE MARAUDERS MAP~

So, I decided I'd bring back some of the classic Harry Potter stuff in this chapter. You may have caught the hints about the Marauders' Return that are scattered among the text. I am thinking of writing a small fanfic about Percy Weasly and his wife Audrey, whom he thought he couldn't stand. What do you think?

Au Revoir,

-Hedwig93