The first week of term managed to end on a high, what with Ron becoming the new Gryffindor Keeper - even though he wasn't too enthused about it. Harry insisted that however bad Ron thought he was going to be - it didn't matter, because they would have plenty of time to practice before the first match.

Harry's detentions were over, but he bore a permanent reminder of them on the back of his hand. Nothing that some Murtlap Essence couldn't help soothe, according to Hermione and Violet. Unfortunately, his mood started to sour over the course of time. It didn't matter that he was no longer in detention, they still had to attend lessons with Umbridge. Not to mention, the ever growing tower of homework they were receiving from teachers.

Violet had taken it upon herself to organise him, since she was about the only person he would actually listen to nowadays.

"I relent," she said rather dramatically one night in the library. "You can copy my Potions homework from now on, but only if you take your own notes in History of Magic from now on."

He considered it a fair exchange. She was currently helping him pull his life together anyway. "Deal."

"Good. Now, if you have Quidditch practice on Thursdays, that means you can leave the easiest subject's homework for that night…" Violet was helping him block out his evenings accordingly, so that he didn't stay up until one o'clock in the morning most nights trudging through homework.

Harry shuffled closer to her so he could get a better look at the evening timetable she was drawing up for him.

"Potions isn't the easiest subject," he said with a frown, looking at Thursday. Violet rolled her eyes and smacked his arm. "Oi!"

"What did I just say?" She couldn't sound anymore exasperated if she tried.

It dawned on him in his sometimes thick brain. "Oh. Right. You're giving me an easy night because you're letting me copy your Potions… right. Got it. Thanks."

"Sometimes I worry about you, Potter," Violet told him affectionately. "Please do me a favour and use your brain a little more this year? So you can pass your exams?"

He mock groaned and sank back in his chair. "Fine," he sighed dramatically. "And since when are you calling me 'Potter' again?"

"Since you started calling me 'Vi,'" she said simply. "It's hard to drive a nickname from 'Harry.' Well - there's 'Har' but that doesn't exactly roll off the tongue nicely… I'm sure I'll figure out something creative one day, but for now - you're Potter."

The way she was holding back a laugh while saying all this made Harry suspicious. "You've thought of something, haven't you?"

Violet had a strained look on her face now. "Possibly…"

"What is it?"

"If I'm ever annoyed with you I could easily call you your full name-"

"That won't work on me-"

"Except using 'Jimmy' in place of 'James.'"

"Oh god. That's off the table," Harry was furiously shaking his head. "Potter is fine, thank you very much."

Violet giggled. "I thought you might agree to that." She handed him the parchment she'd been working on, satisfied. "I've tried my best to at least give you Saturday and Sunday evenings free, as long as you get through everything else."

He gave it the once over, impressed with what she'd come up with. "Wow. Thanks, Vi. That… actually looks doable."

She sat up straight and proud. "You're welcome. And you know who to come to if it's not working out…"

A lot of their time ended up passing like that. Together, alone, in the library trying to get through whatever homework they could. They had a silent agreement about their room - they couldn't start utilising it right away in fear of their friends being overly suspicious about their constant, obvious disappearances.

They took the small moments where they could in the library, all of which usually involved Harry sitting as close as he dared to Violet, his left hand resting gently on her lap so that she could covertly hold it with her left hand under the table. It made Violet wish she was left handed, and it made Harry realise that it was difficult to write when there wasn't a spare hand to hold down the parchment.

Violet eventually got around it by placing books at the very top of their parchment sheets, so that they could carry on secretly holding hands under the table, occasionally brushing their thumbs over each other's skin.

It was a small comfort they took in one another while they were unable to be so publicly affectionate - not that either of them liked that idea. It was more to do with they couldn't act like a couple around their friends at the very least. No matter - it didn't really bother them. There was something sweet about secrecy, because it meant nobody could comment on their relationship and they were left in a quiet, happy privacy.

Despite that, there was a low level of frustration from Harry and Violet, as the only alone time they could manage to muster up together was in the library doing homework - particularly on Violet's part, considering she was the cleverer of the two and had a tendency to cave in to the urge to correct Harry's work a lot of the time.

She was planning on bringing it up one morning when she had a brief moment alone with Harry in the Common Room, but he managed to beat her to it.

"Do you wanna go for a walk?" he asked her. "I… I was gonna go on my own, but… I realised I'd like your company." Harry was rather sheepish about the whole thing, but Violet was beaming.

"Yes - of course. I'd love to go on a walk with you," she replied.

"And - and we can get breakfast after?"

"Obviously," she chuckled. "Let's go."

Harry had a denim jacket on rather than his robes, and Violet wondered if she should go put her cloak on over the top. It was getting nippy out for the most part as September started coming to a close. No matter, they were already out of the portrait hole, but she found some gloves in her pocket and slipped those on instead.

They headed out to the grounds via the Clocktower Courtyard, where they found themselves entirely alone.

"We don't spend much time together outside of the library," Harry said, casually taking hold of her hand as they started across the bridge. "And I can tell you're getting annoyed with me."

She started stammering out a failed response.

"It's fine," he reassured her. "Honestly I'm getting annoyed with your constant need to correct everything I do."

"I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too."

"It's hard not being ourselves around Hermione and Ron," Violet mused. "I was going to bring it up this morning, actually, but you beat me to it."

Harry couldn't help but laugh, and he ran a hand through his hair awkwardly. "Good to know we were on the same wavelength then. Do me a favour though - stop spying on my homework over my shoulder. I think we're past the muttering answers to each other stage since we're actually friends now. And you know - the fact you're my girlfriend."

"Secret girlfriend," Violet corrected him with a smirk. His only response to that was giving her hand a squeeze. "But alright. I'll stop it."

"If I get stuck I'll ask you for help," he said. "Besides, the timetable you made has actually really helped."

"Well that's good. I thought it had - you're actually getting good marks in Potions…"

"I was also going to ask if you could make my revision timetable for me?"

Violet faltered in her step at that and managed to trip on her own foot, with Harry catching her half a second later. "W-what?"

"I'd prefer it if you did it rather than Hermione this year, really."

They came out to the Stone Circle and paused there, taking in the sight of the grounds. A soft mist covered the grass in a greyish white blanket that begged to be disturbed, as satisfying as it looked. Harry then spotted something over in the distance, and was momentarily excited.

"Vi - it's - it's what was pulling the carriages! Coming out of the forest! Did you ever find out what they were?"

"No, I didn't, I'm sorry. I've not had much time…" she mumbled. "And I still can't see them."

"Can we-?"

"You don't need to ask that question."

So in a hurry, they descended down into the grounds and through the blanket of mist, leaving behind a wispy trail as Harry led Violet to the area where he knew the creatures to be coming from. What they found was a clearing among the trees that was empty to Violet, save for Luna Lovegood without shoes on.

The pair approached her as she was clearly petting something, and let go of each other's hands when they were close enough.

"Hello Harry Potter. Violet Merryworth," Luna said, turning her attention to them, rather than the fact she had been stroking something invisible. "You can carry on holding hands if you'd like, I won't tell anyone."

Violet was more taken aback than Harry. "How did you-"

"It was obvious," Luna told her in that dreamy voice of hers.

"Right."

"What are those things?" Harry swiftly changed the subject, taking a walk with Luna further across the clearing. Violet remained behind, deciding that this was a conversation better off between the two of them. She leaned against a nearby tree, subtly listening in on what they were talking about.

It didn't matter what any of the other students thought, but Violet thought that Luna was quite sweet, if not a little odd in her own right - then again, wasn't everyone? Luna merely had a different brand of peculiarity about her, and there was absolutely nothing wrong with that. The most important thing to Violet right now was that Harry finally had his answer about the creatures he'd been seeing, and that he was not alone in seeing them; she had Luna alone to thank for that.

A smile came to her face when she heard that Luna and her father firmly believed Harry in regards to Voldemort. Harry ended up coming back towards Violet looking a little lighter that he had done earlier that morning.

"So… Thestrals…" Violet mused as they walked back up to the castle. "I'm rather glad I can't see them."

"Yeah… let's hope it stays that way," Harry replied.

"Definitely. At least Luna's on your side as well!"

"Hmm. Yeah, I guess…" Harry was dubious about that. "I mean - she's a bit odd. You know people call her Loony Lovegood, right?"

"And? She's sweet. Her heart is in the right place. I wouldn't be so quick to judge - besides, she's the only other person you know of that can see Thestrals, and I didn't see you complaining about that."

"Yeah… true… sorry, it's just a bit…"

"Strange that someone would openly say they believe you about Voldemort?"

"Yeah. Definitely." There was clearly something else on his mind as he slipped his hand into hers again, but Violet didn't say anything. She merely waited until he had figured out what it was he wanted to say. "I know I've got you, and Hermione, and Ron, but - I've felt… lonely. Luna made a good point about the fact Voldemort would want me to feel that way; cut off from everyone. I mean - the Prophet doing a pretty good job of that anyway…"

"Hey," Violet said softly, coming to a stop on the bridge. She tugged Harry closer to her, not entirely sure what she was planning on doing, but eventually wrapping him in a hug. Soon his arms found purchase around her. "I know I can't ever understand what you were through in that graveyard, and I can't understand that right now you feel lonely even when surrounded by friends, but I'm always here for you." She pulled away from him so she could look at him. "If you don't want to write a letter to Sirius because it'll take too long to get an answer… and I know I'm not an adult who would admittedly give better advice, but I am your girlfriend. That comes with its merits."

She finished off her train of thought with a tiny shrug, and it led to Harry pressing a deft kiss to her cheek. "Secret girlfriend," he repeated her words from earlier, and it made her giggle. "Thank you. That means a lot."

"It's okay," she said. "Come on. I'm starving."

Violet took hold of his hand once more and practically dragged him to the Great Hall.

They barely even had a chance to join their friends - who gave them questioning looks about their lateness - when they could hear arguing outside in the Entrance Hall.

Along with a few other curious students, they investigated to find McGonagall and Umbridge arguing about teaching methods and loyalty. On seeing that they had an audience, Umbridge very dramatically announced how she was going to ensure the Ministry made vital changes to Hogwarts.

Changes that were made known in that very day's issue of The Evening Prophet, which had Violet seething over her dinner.

"High Inquisitor!" She was shrill as she slammed the paper down onto the table. "Under Educational Decree Number Twenty Three. If we're not careful, she'll be censoring the entire school in no time."

"Brilliant," Harry mumbled. "As if I haven't had to deal with that already…"

"You can't lose your temper with her ever again," Violet warned him. He was about to protest, but she cut across him. "Harry - while I appreciate the fact you were angry with her about how she effectively threatened me after that first lesson, but I am a big girl." She paused for a second. "Providing she doesn't drive me to tears again, that is."

"So what do we do?" Ron asked through a mouthful of potatoes. Hermione looked at him in disdain.

"We can't do anything," Violet answered. "I mean… I suppose I could write to my mum and find out if she knows anything else… but also I don't want to write to my mum…"

"What about Remus?" Hermione suggested.

"What if someone tries to go through my mail?"

"Then write to your dad! Or him and Remus!"

"Well… yes, I could do that. Either way - mum's not going to be happy I'm using them as middle men."

"She can't do anything about that!" Harry pointed out. "She messed up, not you. Just ask your dad and Remus to ask her if she can find out anything. She might… do it. In an effort to make it up to you…"

"Fine," Violet said, getting out her wand and muttering Incendio under her breath. The Prophet caught fire. "I'll send Remus a letter."

When she was satisfied with how much the Prophet had burned, Violet silently cast Finite Incantatem so that the fire went out, leaving the newspaper blackened and crispy on the table before her.

"You good, Vi?" Ron was apparently a tiny bit afraid of her at that moment.

"I'm fine, Ronald," she said curtly. "A little on edge, but otherwise okay."

The four friends silently agreed that was the best way to describe their current feelings too.


Anyone for Harry/Violet attempting to navigate their relationship a bit? Violet has enough braincells to realise that dating the most famous boy at school in secret would require some form of communication at the very least...

Comment?

-OL.