A/N: Standard disclaimer; see chapter 1 for details.

Hermione sat at the Gryffindor table, arguing with Lavender. "Yes, that is a beautiful gown, but it is inappropriate for your outing."

A frown on her face, the blonde girl protested, "But it's from one of Princess Di's favourite designers."

"One," Hermione stated, "she hates to be called that name. And two, that is formal attire, and intended for someone much older than you." She rifled through the pages of the magazine in front of them. "This is an acceptable upscale dress for you, and, considering it's December, you'll want an outer garment." She pulled another periodical from her bag. "These are the latest fashions for jackets and coats."

"But I like that dress," Lavender whined.

"It is nice," Harry looked up from his Defence textbook and put in, "but even Her Highness wouldn't get into that for anything less than an embassy ball." He raised both hands when the Gryffindor first year girls turned to stare at him. "Hey, I notice things too."

"I promise you," Hermione stressed, "she wears more casual clothes on many occasions."

"Okay," she sighed, "but can you show me some other styles? I don't like the sleeves on that one."

"Sure." She distributed other issues of Seventeen and YM. "Mum owled these to me when I–" She broke off and leaned forward to whisper, "Why is the littlest Weasley glaring at us?"

"Oh, same old, same old," Parvati said as she flipped a page. "We're sitting too close to Harry."

Hermione turned at Harry's grunt. "Is that still going on?"

"Aye." Morag grinned at her. "We dinna warn ye because we wanted to see if she was gallus enough to take on 'The Countess'."

Sally-Anne shot a quick glance down the table. "Foolish is more like it. She," she nodded in Ginny's direction, "hasn't seen you duel. I bet you'd wipe the floor with her if she tried to pull one of her stunts."

"Stunts?"

Lavender shoved a magazine across the table. "This is the one. And as to the other, we've no proof, but there've been some odd stinging and tripping hexes flying around whenever we stay close to Harry here too long. Interestingly enough, Weasley is always in the vicinity."

"She is probably responsible." Hermione squeaked at the sudden appearance of Luna. "When we played together as little girls, the red-haired girl doll was always the bride of the black-haired boy doll."

"She needs to grow up," the curly-haired brunette grumbled. "And Luna, besides the fact that you insist on startling me, you're in even more danger as you're in the same school year and spend the early mornings with us."

"Oh," Luna waved away the concern airily, "Ginny can't sneak up on me. The blibbering humdingers always give her away."

No footsteps announced the approach of the subject's brothers. "What's this I hear, Gred?"

"Why, Forge, I believe these beautiful young ladies are discussing our ickle sissy."

"You mean about how Gin-Gin is all gaga for The-Boy-Who-Lived?"

"But she's not the only one." Both of them tackled Harry and engulfed him in a hug.

"All of us redheads just lo-o-ove him!"

The girls giggled at Harry's exasperated expression as he wriggled out of their hold. "Hermione," he asked plaintively, "see what I have to live with?"

"Hullo?" Ginny Weasley peered down a darkened corridor in an unused wing of the school.

The reply came from behind her. "You came."

She twirled around. "Harry!" As she aimed her lit wand in his direction, she exclaimed, "It's really you!"

"Of course it is. Why would you doubt it?"

"Well," she blushed, "you've spent the past few months avoiding me, so your note came as a surprise."

"Can't you guess why?" he asked in an unusually coy manner.

"Um," she lowered her eyes shyly, "I'd like it to be because you...like me."

"Well, you're right."

"Really?" She rushed towards him, only to have him grab her and hold her at arms' length.

"You have to understand, Hogwarts isn't the most private place to develop a relationship. Besides the fact that you have four protective older brothers in school right now, I'm under scrutiny all the time."

"I can take care of my brothers, and I'll hex those other girls all the way across the Channel."

"I'm sure you can, but I think we should be a little more discreet than that. I brought you a present; regard it as an early Christmas gift."

She ripped off the wrapping and stared at its contents. "A notebook?"

"Look closer, Ginny. It's not just a notebook but a bonded notebook, and I have the other."

"It's a love diary?" Really, she thought she might swoon.

"Consider it a way for us to get to know each other without everyone else sticking their noses into the matter. Whatever you write in it will show up in mine, and vice versa. It will be our little secret."

"But I want everyone to know that we are a couple. It won't remain a secret forever, will it?"

"Not at all." His hand reached out, appeared to hesitate, then stroked her hair lightly. "This is only temporary."

She pressed the book tightly to her chest. "How temporary?"

"Until sometime next year. By summer break at the latest, I promise that everyone will know how I feel about you. Now, it's getting close to curfew, so you need to hurry to the dorm."

"Can't we walk back together?" she pleaded.

He shook his head. "We mustn't rouse suspicion. I'll go another way. Who knows?" He grinned. "I might even beat you to the common room. But remember," he placed a finger to his lips, "let no one know. We can only communicate through these notebooks."

"Okay," she nodded and began a slow retreat. She turned before she got too far. "Make sure you check yours before going to sleep tonight. Oh, I can hardly wait!"

"As can I," he said softly after she left, "as can I."

Friendly visitors dropped by the carriage that the quartet shared during their return after the Christmas break, offering greetings and sharing news from their holidays.

"Yes," Harry answered Susan's question, "Sirius is getting better; the mind healers have done him a world of good."

"Aunt Amelia will be glad to hear that," the redhead replied. "She was so angry that he was imprisoned wrongly in that horrid place."

"Well, it's one step at a time. For example, I count it a positive that he managed not to call me 'James' except for once."

"Is it true that he lives with a werewolf?" Justin asked. The muggleborn boy still had difficulty accepting that things most people believed were fantasy had a basis in truth.

"Yes, he does," Draco replied, "and I got to meet him! Oh, yeah, and cousin Sirius, as well–finally."

Harry chuckled. "You should have seen his shock when you followed Aunt Cissy out of the floo." He explained to the others, "He's had a hard time getting his head around Draco's father being on the light side, and face it, he's the spitting image of him."

The blond lifted his chin. "Malfoys don't spit; they expectorate."

Neville slapped his knee. "Did Hermione give you a dictionary for Christmas?" he asked once he stopped laughing.

"Of course not," the girl put in, "it was a thesaurus." She showed a smug expression. "It's not just you boys who can make jokes, you know."

"Right, Mione," Draco assured her. "It's just that ours are funnier." He ignored her faux-pout and returned to Harry. "So what did Sirius get you? He said it wouldn't arrive until right before school started back."

The boy moaned, "He went way over the top. Of course, he claimed that it was making up for all the Christmases and birthdays that he missed."

"Come on, spill!" Neville urged. "Look, you have Padma and Sue–even Hermione!–interested.

He dropped his eyes and mumbled something.

"Speak clearly, Harry," Hermione ordered.

"Loki!" he swore. "A Firebolt, okay! He gave me a bloody Firebolt!"

"Eh, Harry, what are you complaining about?" Neville asked.

"Right," Draco said, eyes wide, "that's a top-of-the-line racing broom. Why would you cavil at something like that?"

"Like I said, it's too much." He grumbled, "I stand out enough as it is, but this is beyond serious!"

"No, it's exactly Sirius," Neville said with a smirk.

Harry rolled his eyes. "And how many times do you think he used that pun over the break?"

"Way too many, I bet," Hermione responded. "But as for the broom–Harry, something like that will take a while to adjust to. You'll probably be more comfortable using your Nimbus until you get used to the extra power."

"Yeah," Neville grinned as he looked at Draco, "just in time for Quidditch next year."

"On second thought," Draco stated, "it might be a bit much. Slytherin will certainly make no quarrel if you decide not to use it during matches."

Harry paused a moment in contemplation. "Maybe it's not such a bad gift after all."

"Draco, Draco," Hermione shook her head, "your smart mouth always seems to get you in trouble."

"Look at the stupid cow," Marietta leaned towards her quiet friend. "She's winking at him and tossing her hair like the flirtatious slut she is."

"She's only eleven, Mari. She doesn't know how to be subtle."

"I know. You'd gag if you had to read all the twaddle she wrote over the holiday. I'm going to try and stress that she needs to be more careful when she uses it now that we're back in Hogwarts. I don't want Harry to be in her line of sight when she gets a message from 'him'."

"She already has a crush on the boy. Won't this encouragement make her even more vicious if he begins to pay attention to another girl?"

"Not if I keep laying it on thick about social and political obligations not allowing him to be paired publicly with anyone at this time. She may wear her heart on her sleeve, but being as poor as the Weasleys are, she has to be used to delayed gratification."

"Are you going to make your move on Harry then, knowing that she won't be flinging curses at you?"

Marietta stared at Cho blankly. "Are you kidding me? To be that obvious would undo all that I have accomplished so far with the little bint. No, I figure on waiting until I completely marginalize the girl."

"I just hope you haven't overreached. Impersonating The-Boy-Who-Lived, manipulating the child of a noted pureblood family–"

"Noted? Ha! Her father is a laughingstock at the Ministry and her mother is a harpy who screams at her children in public via Howlers. I don't fear the Weasleys, and by the time I finish with her, no one will believe a word she says."

"I hope I never get on your bad side."

"As long as you stick with me, Cho-Cho, you have nothing to fear."