DISCLAIMER: Nothing belongs to me besides Tsubaki and the weird plot-line I somehow invented.

Yes, there will be LGBT (and regular) action happening later on in the series. Don't like it, you can leave it. Also, many things may be different than the original world of Harry Potter, but whatever. This is an alternate universe.

Chapter 21[By this point I've lost count]~

Tsubaki yawned as she made her books disappear, once again breaking the law of physics. She was tired out of a long day of studying, and summoned in some well deserved strawberry ice cream. She licked it and felt the sweet coldness desolve onto her tongue.

She got up and was about to make her way to her dorm, when suddenly the portrait opened. Remus stood there, and by this point, Tsubaki was used to unwelcome Gryfindor "guests" barging in, so she didn't bat an eye at this.

"Why hello Remus, what a surprise." She said sarcastically. Remus grinned, and took a seat next to her.

"Still haven't sorted out your problem?" She said fondly, licking her ice cream again.

"I have actually..." Remus said awkwardly.

Tsubaki smirked. "Well, that's a good thing. What else did you make this 'peculiar' trip to my very evil Slytherin common room for?"

"I have a favor to ask of you."

"Really? How convenient. Many people are asking me for favors this year, surprisingly."

"I'm trying to develop this... Kind of map of Hogwarts."

"That's a strange thing to ask."

"I completely understand if you don't want to, or don't know anything-"

"You have got to stop judging everyone as the same person. Who do you take me for? Tsubaki, the see all know all." Tsubaki smirked playfully.

"Well, it's hard to really explain, but I'll show you a basic sketch another day." Remus's confidence seemed to have boosted after Tsubaki's joke a little.

"Works for me. You better get out of here before someone sees you." Tsubaki says.

Remus waves goodbye and steps out of the common room.

Tsubaki takes another bite out of her ice cream just as Severus walks in.

"Oh hello, Sev." Tsubaki smiles.

"Who were you talking to?" Sev raises an eyebrow.

"No one."

"Oh c'mon, you may be good at lying, but that doesn't mean my hearing is bad."

"Oh shove off Sev. Go find a first year to annoy." Tsubaki playfully shoves her friend.

Severus, unconvinced, walked up the staircase almost cautiously, as if something were to jump out at him. He cast one last skeptical look at Tsubaki, before disappearing upstairs.

Tsubaki sighed and plopped back down. Two siding was going to be harder than she originally anticipated it would be- not that anything she anticipated was ever right. She shook her head, and walked up to her dormitory, where she doufothe Black sisters already asleep, so she tried to be as quiet as possible.

The next morning, Tsubaki woke up before anyone else had. She wanted some time to herself, even if she knew Sev was probably already going to be up.

She dressed in her school robes, and went downstairs still doing her tie, and putting on her cloak. If it was her decision, then she would wear a black cloak of her own and slap the Slytherin crest onto it, as her's was much more lightweight and comfortable. She managed to successfully put on her cloak just as she entered the common room.

As usual, she found Sev sitting there with a book, clearly woken up earlier than she had. Tsubaki's yamn awoke Severus to her presence.

"Good morning, Tsubaki. Is there any point in asking what you're up to so early?"

"Ohaiyo, Sev. No, there isn't."

Severus rolled his eyes in fake annoyance. Tsubaki gave a muffled giggle, as she pulled out her sketch pad. Her eyes looked tired and restless. Severus looked at her worriedly. "Are you getting ANY sleep at all?"

Tsubaki gave a tired smile. "Well, probably not. Or maybe so. I am a woman of mystery."

"I don't get how you can even stand those people in Potter's stupid clique. I don't get how you can sleep knowing their existence."

Tsubaki frowned. She was wondering when they'd arrive at this subject. All she could say was, "Oh drop it, Sev. This isn't doing anyone any good."

"Oh yes it is. I don't want one of my best friends getting involved with them." Severus snapped, firing up almost immediately.

Tsubaki sighed and made her sketchpad disappear again. "Look, come find me when you're ready to not be all moody."

She got up and stalked out of the common room silently.

She was halfway away from the portrait when she bumped into Remus. "Tsubaki, what are you doing here?" He asked.

"I just escaped from an incredibly moody Severus." Tsubaki laughed a little.

"Well, what a coincidence. C'mon, I can show you now." Remus said while grabbing Tsubaki's wrist and dragging her with him.

They walked into an empty classroom, where they stopped, and Remus took out a piece of parchment with what seemed like markings on it. "What's this?" Tsubaki asked, tilting her head a little.

Remus opened the parchment to it's full size. Tsubaki could see a light sketch of what looked like a building floor plan. "Are you planning to build something?" Tsubaki giggled. Remus rolled his eyes and mentioned for her to lean in. "Can you see what it is now?"

Tsubaki gasped. "Isn't this... Hogwarts?"

Remus nodded. Tsubaki looked confused now. "Why exactly do you need a sketch of Hogwarts?"

"Look, I'm making a kind of map. But I don't know exactly how to finish it."

"Have you told your friends about this?"

Remus looked skeptical. "I'll tell them eventually."

"So you trust me over your friends?" Tsubaki laughed now.

"W-Whatever. I just need some help on the final design, and I know you're good at that."

Tsubaki smiled fondly. "Well, you've come to the right person. Of course I'll help you."

"You're not invisible. You're not alone, You worth more than they know. But you've been running, running, running, When you should have known-" *

At last, Tsubaki reached the common room. She said the password ("Junketsu!"**) and entered, clutching the parchment halfheartedly in her left hand. She saw Severus still sitting on the common room couch, reading. He looked up at her. "Look, Tsu, I'm sorry, I just- don't like-" He was cut off by Tsubaki's giggles. "Sev, you know I can't be mad at you. I'm a very manipulative person." She said, still smiling. Severus turned away and fake-pouted, "Hmph."

Tsubaki laughed, and she headed towards the staircase. She bumped into Lucius on the way, who apologized, and they shared a laugh. When she got to her dorm, she found that Narcissa was already up. "Oh, good morning Tsubaki." She greeted. "Ohaiyo, Cissy." Tsubaki grinned and greeted back. Tsubaki took off her shoes and plopped onto her own bed, taking out her art supplies.

She looked through Remus's ready-made sketches to make sure he made no mistakes- she was always very OCD about these sorts of things- and it triggered her when the lines weren't straight, so she took out a blue ruler and fixed it. Ten minutes passed before Andromeda successfully entered her back in the real world.

"Tsubaki! We're gonna be late for class!" Andromeda screamed into her ear.

Tsubaki jumped, and covered the map. Andromeda laughed. "Jeez, 'Dromeda. You're going to be the end of me." Tsubaki said, gathering her things.

She met Severus at the door, and together they walked to class. Tsubaki split up with him in front of the History of Magic class, while Severus had DADA.

She sat down with James, who grinned, and class started.

*This song she sings is called "Forgettable" by Project 46

**Japanese for "pureblood". I thought it would be fitting, because- you know- Slytherin purebloods and Tsubaki speaking Japanese... no?

A/N: Hey guys, Scentless here. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I pulled an all-nighter for about two-thirds of it, then spent an entire day working on more episodes because I'm currently on a four-day weekend.