Ciao. :)

I've had writer's block and what's it, but I'm baaaaack!

Anyhow, Reviewer Replies:

pink-strawberry-lemonade: I'm glad you're glad! And I'm glad you liked the chapter. :)

izzi08: lol we'll work on the couple names… and I love Eugene. He's so adorable. :D

HarryPotterRoxMySoxForever: Aww I'm glad you liked it! Thank you!

charn14: D'aww, thanks! ;)

Love: Aww well I'm glad I satisfied your needs; thanks. :) Also, update your story please?
I hope your mom gets better. I'll keep her in my prayers.

DISCLAIMER.

Louis: SHE OWNS NOTHING!

Me: Yeah thanks for shouting and deafening my… -_-

Louis: Oh, no problem. ;)

Chapter Thirty-Eight: House of Catching Up

Fabian's POV:

I was lounging about in the Gryffindor common room. It was Wednesday evening, and we'd all just finished dinner.

"No homework?" Nina asked. She'd appeared out of nowhere, taking a seat next to me.

"Nope," I replied, putting my arm around her. "I finished. What about you?"

"Mine's done for the most part," she answered, scooting closer. "With the exception of a Potions essay, I'm all caught up on everything I missed."

"I can help you with that if you want."

She nodded, smiling. We got up from our comfortable spot on the sofa and went over to a table with our bags and books already on it. I grabbed my Potions notes and she did the same, sitting down in a chair next to me. She got out a roll of parchment, her quill and an ink bottle.

"Okay," I started off, skimming through my notes to the section we were studying last week. "The essay's on Felix Felicius. You know what it does?"

"Doesn't it make the drinker feel lucky?" she answered. I nodded.

"Yeah; hence why it's considered foul play if someone takes it before a Quidditch match."

She wrote down what I'd said, rewording it to fit her needs. I leaned over to take a look at her parchment.

"You have really neat handwriting," I commented.

"Thanks," she said, blushing a bit. Just then, Al and Rose burst through the portrait hole. Whatever they were saying, they stopped as soon as they saw us.

"Are you two studying or snogging?" Albus asked, grinning mischievously. Rose gave him a look. "What?"

"Leave them alone, Al," she muttered. "Obviously they're doing their homework. Nina's writing the Potions essay she has to make up."

"Oh lighten up, Rosie," he told her. "I'm just poking fun at them."

She scoffed, coming to sit down with us. Half of her books had been left on the table all week, and she fished through the mess to find her Muggle Studies textbook. "I have an assignment to finish, too," she said. "It's extra credit work."

"Of course it is," Al muttered. He went over to lounge in a nearby armchair, taking up a copy of this morning's Daily Prophet. "Oh hey!"

"What?" I asked, turning to face him. Nina had already put her quill down, wearing a look on her face that signified she wouldn't get any work done.

"Joy and her dad," he answered, rereading the head article. "They're in Azkaban for good. They didn't have a trial because of what McGonagall had shown the Ministry. I guess my dad and uncle were there too - here's a picture of the four of them."

He sauntered over, plopping the paper down in front of me on the table. Sighing, I looked at the headline: Dark Wizard Joins Daughter in Azkaban for Accounts of Attempted Murder. Sure enough, there was a photo of Shacklebolt, Harry, Ron, and Professor McGonagall.

"Huh," I said, skimming the article. Nina leaned closer, peering at it as well. I passed the paper to her.

"Well," she started off, reading it, "at least they won't be able to try and kill anyone else anytime soon."

"Aren't you the least bit upset at them?" Rose asked hesitantly. "I mean… after everything that happened and what you found out."

"Yeah," she answered, looking a bit sad. "But it's not like I can do anything about it, can I? What's done is done; the dead can't be brought back to life."

Amber, Mick and Alfie came into the room afterwards, all chatting about some Slytherin spilling pumpkin juice all over themselves at dinner. They'd been for a walk around the castle, neglecting to do their coursework.

"Alright, I can't focus with this," Nina admitted, grabbing her things and throwing them in her bag. "I'll be in the Room of Requirement."

"Why don't you go to the library?" Mick asked, sitting down on the other side of her and taking out whatever homework he had to do. Alfie and Amber mimicked him, taking seats across from us.

"I just kind of want to be alone," she answered, already heading for the portrait hole. "Fabian, are you coming?"

I considered it for a moment, then gave in. "Alright," I told her, snatching up my own bag and coursework.

Walking through the corridors hand-in-hand, I decided to ask her why she'd asked me to accompany her.

"Nina? Just out of curiosity, why did you ask me to come along? I thought you said you wanted to be alone."

"I did," she started off, "but then I realized I'd miss you too much. And plus, what if someone attacks me like they've been doing? You'd be great help if a battle broke out."

I laughed a bit. "Thanks," I replied. "But I'm really not that great. I mean, we've only just caught up to the rest of the Fifth Years with our subjects - there's no way I'm good at casting spells."

We had reached the Room of Requirement, and the door was already in place. I guess the room sensed we were coming or something.

Anyways, opening the door, I noticed it was the same room as it always is when we come to it alone, but this time was a table and chairs set up on the other side of the room opposite the door.

Closing the door behind us, we walked over to the table and set our things down, taking out our coursework.

After a few hours of mostly silence with the occasional small talk, she'd finally finished her Potions essay, and I'd successfully written three songs.

"Can I see those?" Nina asked, gesturing to the pieces of parchment with lyrics scrawled on them.

"If you want to," I answered, sliding them towards her.

She read them, reread them, smiled, and handed them back to me.

"You're such a great writer," she told me, smiling. I grinned, feeling a blush coming on.

"Thanks," I responded, folding the papers and slipping them into my bag. I'd left my lyric book back in my dormitory.

Checking my watch, I realized it was almost House curfew.

"Do you think we should head back?" I asked. She smiled, her eyes shining.

"I kind of think we should…" she trailed off, looking expectant.

"But…" I continued, taking her hand.

"But I really don't want to have to go all the way back to Gryffindor Tower. Do you want to stay here for the night?"

I thought about it, smiling to myself. "Alright," I finally answered. "I like the sound of that."

Yawning, I noticed our pajamas, robes and slippers had appeared at the foot of the bed.

"I can see why you love this room," I told her, smiling widely. I went over to my clothes, changing out of my school uniform. Nina did the same.

Getting comfortable, we were cuddling on the sofa in front of the fire. Occasionally we kissed and made smalltalk about everything that's been going on lately. Mostly we just enjoyed each other's company.

"I love you, Fabian," she whispered, resting her head on my chest.

"I love you too, Nina," I whispered back, running my hand through her hair.

I felt her breathing heavier, having fallen asleep. I smiled as I looked down at her, snuggled against me.

Gently, I picked her up and carried her over to the bed, laying her down and pulling the blankets over her. They were red, just like the blankets on our Four-Poster beds back in Gryffindor Tower. I shut off the lights, put my wand on the bedside table, and quietly snuggled under the blankets, wrapping my arms around her.

"You're perfect, Nina," I whispered, gently kissing her forehead.

I fell into a deep sleep, dreaming about her and I. It was one of the best sleeps I've had recently.

I don't know what time it was when I woke up, but I heard voices and saw something flashing.

Today hasn't even begun and I can already tell it's going to be a long one, I thought wearily.