"Oh, it's so cute. You think I can't get something I want." – Wizards of Waverly Place – 4x11 – Back to Max

Chapter Six - Someone Like You

As their classes continued, Defense Against the Dark Arts quickly rose in popularity and became nearly everyone's favourite subject. Even Draco, who was loathed to admit it, was growing fond of the classes.

"I'll admit," he announced casually one morning as their group ambled towards the classroom, "it's certainly more entertaining than that oaf's classes—if they can even be called that."

Beside him, Theodore Nott had nodded sagely. "I'm sure this has nothing to do with your grudge against the groundskeeper." He shot a sideways look at the boy.

Draco merely huffed, still peeved about the incident with Buckbeak.

"I think it's nice to have a teacher that doesn't openly discriminate," Ankaa said. "That's why I like Lupin."

"Openly discriminate as opposed to thinly veiled disgust?" Theodore quirked a brow at her. "Let's not praise people for doing the bare minimum, now."

From beside her, Draco snickered and shook his head. "We must have low standards if we're letting just anyone in our good graces, isn't that right Ankaa?"

"Shut it, Malfoy," she retorted. Turning to Theodore, who simply gazed at her indifferently, she said, "It's not about praising the bare minimum, it's applauding and reinforcing good behaviour when we see it. Besides, you can't deny that we get treated like shit sometimes just cause we're in Slytherin."

Nott was never one to care for house rivalries, Ankaa knew. Admittedly, she did find it odd that he never had anything to say on the subject but she supposed it was largely because he was so quiet, he was usually out of sight and out of mind.

"It's not anything different to what Snape does to the others," Blaise pointed out, a hand under his chin. "I wonder if Ankaa's finally got a conscience."

"I've always had one," she told him as they made their way through the doorway and into the classroom. "I'm just saying a little preferential treatment is appreciated."

Theodore considered it for a moment before giving a reluctant nod. "He's certainly knowledgeable on the matter, I'll grant you that."

"It's a leg up from the bumbling moron we had last year," Blaise paused. "What was his name again?"

"Locktart?"

Ankaa shook her head at Theodore, giving him a small quirk of her lips. "No, it was definitely Lockfart. I remember that much."

Suddenly, with renewed vigour, Pansy Parkinson pushed her way past the group and towards the desks. "Lockhart!" The girl interjected tartly. "His name was Gilderoy Lockhart and his favourite colour was LILAC!"

The group shared a look as Pansy all but threw her bag onto the chair and jumped into her seat, fuming at the very thought that someone could forget her precious Lockhart. Daphne gave a dramatic sigh before following after her friend and placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Ankaa and Draco shared a look before the boy brought his finger to his temple in a tell-tale gesture of Pansy's mental state of being. Ankaa sniggered and gave him a shove towards his seat.

The rest of Ankaa's classes seemed to be going wonderfully as well. Potions class was better than ever. Professor Snape had been in a foul mood when he had heard of Longbottom's decision to make him wear his grandmother's clothes. And as a result of this, he had started picking on Longbottom worse than ever (which subsequently meant that Ankaa now had more time to ask Draco for tips in Potions and subtly sneak them into her own Potions to boost her grades).

Even Divination seemed to be going well. Trelawney seemed astounded by Ankaa's ability to predict events. Ankaa was almost happy to see Granger struggling with Divination. Granger was struggling because she wanted concrete guidelines. Obviously, Granger did not, and could not, grasp the fact that the future was anything but concrete.

Care of Magical Creatures was boring, but Ankaa was getting by. The gamekeeper-turned-professor seemed to have lost his confidence after the first class. The class now spent their precious time looking after Flobberworms. Ankaa was glad to have a class where she didn't have to do much.

Most of the time, Ankaa spent the morning mulling over breakfast and cracking jokes with her friends (most often at Draco's expense, as Theodore and Blaise often liked to team up with Ankaa to tease him about Pansy). On that particular morning, the zen and tranquillity of breakfast were thrown out the window by an exasperating girl by the name of Lavender Brown.

"What's got her bun in a twist?" Ankaa raised a brow at the agitated girl before settling in the seat next to Draco. "She looks like she's gonna throw up."

Draco turned his eyes away from his copy of the Daily Prophet for a mere second before turning back. "No idea," he muttered disinterestedly.

"Thank you for your help." Ankaa eyed the girl before who was currently being consoled by one of her housemates. Brown continued drumming her fingers on the table before her, eyes constantly shifting from right to left as if she was waiting for something to jump out at her.

"You ready to get going?" Draco finally pulled away from his paper. When he noticed she was reading over his shoulder, he placed it in front of her. "I've got to head back to the Common Room."

"Go on then, we're not tied together you know?"

Draco blinked owlishly at her. "We're not? And here I thought we were tethered for life. No matter how hard I try, you never leave me alone."

"I think you have me confused with Parkinson, bud." Ankaa snorted before taking a bite of her breakfast. "And that thought alone is offending."

Draco pondered it for a moment before nodding along solemnly. "You're right. Don't tell her I said that though."

"Oh? Scared of little ol' Pansy, are we?"

"Lost all our brain cells today, have we?" Draco retorted in the exact tone, his expression turning mocking. "Don't be idiotic. I just don't want her to come crying to me about it."

"Can't handle a woman's tears, eh? That's... gentlemanly of you."

With a huff, the boy stood up from his seat and took a moment to glare down at her. "If you weren't one of my longest friendships, I'd never speak to you again. No one else gives me this much grief."

"That's unfortunate, I really think friendly teasing builds character. This is exactly why you need a sibling."

Draco ignored her cheeky smile and gave her a light smack on her head as he walked past. "I'll see you in the Common Room, sister."

Ankaa pretended to gag over her glass of juice, hiding the fond smile tugging at the corner of her lips. She flipped through Draco's copy of the Daily Prophet while inhaling her food. She could spot some of Ceph's friends at the end of the table, but her brother was missing from breakfast still. Since none of her own friends had elected to come grab breakfast, Ankaa decided to head back to the Common Room.

On her way, however, Ankaa was stopped by a tight grip on her wrist. Coming to an abrupt stop, Ankaa traced the source of the grip to Lavender Brown, who quickly lost her resolve at the sight of her glare and let go.

"Is there something you want or do you try to manhandle everyone who walks past you?"

"S—Sorry," Brown stuttered. "I just wanted to ask you something... since you're one of Trelawney's best students."

"Oh? And that makes me your personal fortune teller, does it?"

Brown swallowed roughly. Her friend, who had been gathering her courage, finally spoke up. "No need to be so standoffish," Patil said. "We just wanted to know if you had seen something."

"I'm seeing two imbeciles trying to make sense, if that's what you mean. But I think you see that every day when you look in the mirror."

Patil grimaced before turning to her friend. "I told you she wouldn't help."

"Please, Ankaa!" Brown gripped Ankaa's wrist again, tugging it forward. "Just tell me if you've seen anything about my rabbit. Trelawney says that something I dread will soon come to pass, and he's been really sick—"

"I'm not your fortune teller, Brown." Ankaa wrenched her hand free of her vice-like grip. "In the future, please refrain from asking me such idiotic questions."

Brown shot up and blocked her way. "Just tell me if you've seen something!"

Ankaa clenched her fists as she stared down at the ridiculous display of Gryffindor stupidity. Finally, realizing that logic was of no use here, she stepped back and offered the girl a serene smile. "If you insist so much, alright. Now, let me see..." She closed her eyes and pursed her lips, pretending to be in a deep trance. "Hm... That's odd... Oh, I see... that's right... Hm... is that so?"

"W—What do you see?"

Ankaa opened her eyes and gave the girl a solemn smile. "Sorry, Brown, seems like Trelawney was right. I see that you're going to be quite busy in the future... planning your rabbit's funeral."

In an instant, the girl's eyes filled with tears. Her bottom lip quivered and trembled as she sobbed loudly, bawling into her hands for her poor rabbit. Her friend surged forward and wrapped a comforting arm around Brown's shoulders before dragging her away (but not before turning to shoot Ankaa a withering glare that was only answered with a self-satisfied smirk).

If Ankaa had thought that was the last of wailing women, fate certainly had it out for her. Moaning Myrtle, who was rapidly becoming a constant presence in Ankaa's life given the fact that the Slytherin girl often used her washrooms to use the Time-Turner, was sat by the sinks. In usual Myrtle fashion, she was busy wailing and shrieking at the top of her lungs.

Although if she was being honest, Ankaa would prefer the company of the ghost over that of Lavender Brown any day.

"Myrtle." Ankaa greeted the ghost with a small nod. "How's the gossip been lately?"

The ghost floated next to Ankaa and hovered over her shoulder. In a conspiratorial whisper, Myrtle informed her, "I hear the Weasley boys are trying to get their hands on some Stink Pellets from Zonkos. I saw them trying to sneak around at night—probably to use one of the secret passageways they know of but Filch was around so they couldn't. Either way, I think they're working on something new, inventing spells and stuff."

"I guess I had better return their things to them, then."

"It's you?" Myrtle gasped, "You're the one that stole their things?"

"Stole is such an ugly word, Myrtle. I much prefer 'borrowed without a concrete date of return'."

"Sounds an awful lot like stealing to me."

Ankaa gave her a sly smile.

"Oh, they seem keen on revenge. Maybe after you die, I'll let you join me here."

"No thanks Myrtle," Ankaa smiled politely, "I don't plan on dying by the hands of Fred and George Weasley."

It was a few days later that Ankaa had happened across the Weasley twins. She had used her Time-Turner earlier that day to complete her work, and was currently leisurely roaming around the castle when she came across the disastrous duo at the edge of the Black Lake.

The boys sat together, heads bent close as they muttered to one another about something. More than likely, Ankaa presumed, they were in the midst of plotting a new prank against the Slytherin girl... Perhaps even figuring out where they would try to hide her body.

With a deep breath, Ankaa shouted, "Oi!"

The two jumped, startled, before shooting up and drawing their wands.

"Oh, relax," Ankaa huffed as she continued to walk closer. "If I wanted to curse you I would've done it when you weren't paying attention."

"In true Slytherin fashion," retorted the one on the left, giving her a spiteful glare as he tightened his grip on his wand.

Ankaa only gave him a blank look before reaching into her bag and rummaging about. "You know," she began slowly, "I had actually come here to return something of yours. But if we're going to be hateful I think I'll just hold onto this."

She brandished the copy of the Marauders Map before them.

"So, you want the Map back or not?"

The two of them eyed her suspiciously.

"The same map you destroyed?" sneered the one on the left.

"The one you turned to ash?" added the one on the right.

"Exactly," Ankaa smiled. When their expression didn't waver, she shrugged and made to turn away.

"WAIT!"

Quick as lightning, the one on the left surged forward and snatched the parchment out of her hands. He waved his wand over the parchment and muttered the words, watching the ink move across the same way it did all those years prior. The two boys looked at one another in surprise.

"Well, you're welcome then," Ankaa crossed her arms. "No need to fall at my feet or anything."

"Why did you give it back?"

Ankaa regarded them silently for a moment. "Do you not want it back?" she asked, raising a brow. "Because I can still take it from you if that's the case."

"How do we know it's real?"

"Cause I'm telling you it is. Besides, it works doesn't it?"

"I don't believe you," the one on the left spoke up again.

"Not my concern, Red."

"—It's Fred," he corrected. "And how do I know it's the real map? You could've just handed me a copy that works for now and then stops the moment you're gone."

Ankaa opened her mouth to retort when George spoke up. The corners of his mouth had turned up slightly, and he asked, "Why didn't you just keep it for yourself?"

"I've already got everything I needed from that," she pointed to the parchment in their hands. "I have no use for it anymore."

"Really?" George seemed surprised. "I didn't think the Map would ever run out of use. I'm surprised you don't want to hold on to it still."

His brother gave a derisive snort, glaring down at Ankaa in aversion. "Yeah, someone like you would probably want it to snoop around."

Ankaa blinked at him, momentarily taken aback by the venom in his tone. But then again, why had she expected anything different?

"Someone like me? What's that supposed to mean?"

"I think you know exactly what it means, Rhyther." He gave her a saccharine smile, trying to appear angelic in contrast to his words.

"Say it. Say what you mean... Be clear." Her hands twitched at her side, itching to reach for her wand. "Make a definitive statement."

"No need," the redhead answered nonchalantly. "I've got the point across."

"Right, the same way I got my point across when I burned the map in your face last time, didn't I? I'm surprised you've recovered from that. You looked like you were a second away from breaking down."

Fred's expression of mirth melted away into a glare.

"Um... Aren't we all getting a bit carried away?"

"—Shut up, Weasley—"

"—Not now, George—"

Ankaa and Fred glared at each other, having spoken at the same time.

A sharp ache in her temples made her close her eyes, and Ankaa brought her hands to her head and pressed them against her skin.

I can't BELIEVE I did something nice for these imbeciles and this is what I get in return, she told herself.

"Aw, did you use your brain too much trying to think of witty comebacks? All out of brain power, aren't you?"

There was a tense silence between the three. George, at least, had the nous to look slightly apprehensive in contrast to his gloating brother. Ankaa's hands came away from her temple and towards her sides, but she did not grip her wand.

"You think you're so great because you're not in Slytherin but let me tell you something. You, Fred Weasley, are singlehandedly the absolute worst person I've ever come across in my entire life. You are a stuck up, egotistical, annoying, self-centered, narcissistic, and wholly unpleasant prat."

"And you're a frigid bitch, but you don't see me complaining, do you?"

The jeering expression on his face was wiped away just as quickly when Ankaa's fist made contact with his nose. Fred's head snapped back, and the Map fell from his hands as the rushed to his nose, trying to stop the bleeding. His eyes swam with tears as he glared up at her. Beside him, his brother stood still, watching the scene with wide eyes as if he could not completely process it yet.

"The next time you speak to me like that, Weasley, I'm going to kick you where the sun doesn't shine. And I'm going to do it so hard that your future children will feel it."

Ankaa was surprised neither of them had the presence of mind to reach for their wands, but she took advantage of their surprise as she turned and walked away.

George, who was roughly shaken out of his state of surprise, reached for his brother.

"You alright, Freddie?"

"Peachy," his brother spat as he stood straight once more. "Who the hell does she think she is? Throwing punches like a wild animal."

George swallowed and looked from the retreating figure of the little Slytherin girl to the fuming figure of his twin. He eyed his brother's swollen nose before muttering, "You were egging her on a bit, mate. She returned the map, didn't she?"

"After doing Merlin knows what to it," Fred grumbled. He examined the map closely, but even he could not find any signs of it being tampered with. With a frustrated exhale, he turned to his brother. "Thanks for all your help, by the way, Georgie, really saved my life today."

George flushed before giving a light chuckle. "I think you deserved it, honestly. I'm surprised she didn't hex you. That would've gone a lot worse, too."

Fred shot him a baleful look. "You could've gotten her after, couldn't you?"

"I think I'm kind of on her side... Especially if it keeps you humble."

"She said worse things to me than I did to her! She had no right to hit me!"

George pursed his lips. "I don't agree with the violence of it all," he relented, "but you did rile her up, mate. You kinda had it out for her the moment she came here. You could've just accepted the map and left it at that, but you started—"

"—Alright, alright. Whatever." Fred shot one glare at the castle, where Rhyther had disappeared to, before reaching for the discarded Map. "Let's go then. We've got revenge to plan."

George snickered as the two headed back to the castle. "Are you sure? Maybe you should just apologize? The penalty this time will be a lot worse, wouldn't it?

Fred snorted, "The day I apologize to a Slytherin is the day Percy becomes a comedian."

"… You never know," George gave his twin a cheeky smile, "he acts like a clown already."

All was quiet. Ankaa was blissfully asleep, tucked into the sacred warmth of her bed, completely relaxed as she dreamt of inventing a spell that wrapped Pansy's hair around her face so that she would stop her incessant yapping. In her dream, the Minister for Magic was so impressed with the work that he had awarded her an Order of Merlin, and her face had been plastered all over the Daily Prophet. Blissful sleep and a blissful dream. What could be better than—

"MERLIN DAMN IT ALL! ANKAA!"

Ankaa shot up in bed, clutching her wand before her at the sight of poor Daphne Greengrass who had become the reluctant victim of yet another one of Fred Weasley's pranks. Her hair, a once pristine shade of chestnut brown, was half yellow and half red.

"Oh, hey half-n-half, what's got you up so early in the morning?"

"YOU ABSOLUTE IDIOTIC GIRL! LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED TO MY HAIR!"

"Well, yes, I can see that." Ankaa hid a yawn behind her hand. "I just thought you were experimenting with something new."

Like a feral animal, Daphne gripped the wood of Ankaa's bed and jumped up with a growl. Her hands closed around Ankaa's collar and she gave the girl a few rough shakes. "YOU FIX THIS NONSENSE RIGHT NOW OR I'LL MAKE YOU GO BALD!"

"That's not going to be a good look for me, I'm afraid." Ankaa idly ran her hands through her tangled, curly locks. "I'm quite attached to my hair."

"I'VE GOT A DATE WITH ANTONIO DELACROIX AT HOGSMEADE TODAY I CAN'T GO LIKE THIS! FIX IT NOW OR SO HELP ME—"

"Alright, alright," Ankaa twisted Daphne's wrist to release her grip on the collar. With another yawn, Ankaa got out of bed and stretched. "I'll go find an antidote to... all this," she gestured to all of Daphne's person vaguely.

In her pyjamas, as Daphne had thrown almost everything from her nightstand at Ankaa when she had tried to change ('DONT WASTE ANY TIME YOU BITCH!'), Ankaa trudged down the stairs to the deserted Common Room. On another day, her best bet might have been the library, but seeing as it was far too early for Madam Pince to be there, Ankaa switched tactics and made her way up to the boys dormitory.

She gave a cursory knock on the boys door and opened it a smidge.

You never know with boys, a part of her mind cautioned her, they might all be naked and that's horrifying.

Indeed, it was. Even more frightening considering the fact that she was currently on her way to see her brother.

Fortunately, Ceph was properly dressed. His mouth hung halfway open as he lay on his stomach and his arm hanging off the bed, only just gripping a book he had been reading before bed. Ankaa tip-toed inside and poked him lightly at first. When Ceph only wrinkled his nose and mumbled, "No, I don't pay tax on that," she poked him again. This time, Ceph sighed and turned away, muttering something about, "Tax fraud is for the weak." With her patience wearing thin, Ankaa reached forward and closed his mouth and nose shut.

Three... Two... One...

Ceph jolted awake, smacking her hands away from his face and turning his wide eyes to her before giving a sigh of relief.

"Why are you trying to murder me?"

"I'm not, I need your help."

"I'm not helping you hide a body before ten o'clock. Please return during business hours." Ceph turned his pillow over to the cool side and lay back down with his back to his sister.

"I haven't killed anyone yet—"

"That implies you have plans."

"... Maybe." Ceph only turned his head to look at her inquisitively, his eyes still laden with sleep. "I might have done something to upset the Weasley twins."

"Something like... What exactly?"

"Allegedly, I stole their property—though I prefer the term 'loaned for an indeterminate amount of time' and then I allegedly punched one of them in the face. And now they've been trying to get revenge on me for the past two weeks but Pansy and Daphne get caught in it."

The two regarded each other silently; Ceph with his eyes narrowed as he tried to process the new information while being half asleep, and Ankaa with the same indifference she had adopted during the start of this entire ordeal (it was, after all, old news to her).

"You... stole from them and then punched them in the face?"

"Just one of them and I borrowed and promptly returned."

"Right," Ceph trailed off. "And now they've killed Daphne?"

"No! Wake up, idiot!" She gave him a sharp smack on his forehead. "Daphne's alive but her hair's changed colour all of a sudden—I think the red and yellow looks good on her but she disagrees. I'm supposed to find a way to change it back before her date or she might actually poison me."

Ceph finally sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and pressing his fingers to his cheek. "And you're here because...?"

"What else are big brothers for if not crisis management?"

"Crisis management would've been after you—allegedly—stole from the Weasleys." Ceph glared at her, "Is this what you do when I'm not keeping an eye on you?"

"Absolutely not, I'm a model citizen. With the exception of certain redhead morons, I pose a threat to no one."

Her brother was unconvinced. "I'm sure that's the case," he muttered, deep in thought. "Try finite incantatum but if that doesn't work you could try capilius incrementum—it might not get rid of the colour on Daphne's hair but it'll grow it out fast enough that she can outgrow the red and yellow in time for her date."

With that, he turned over and promptly fell back asleep.

It took Ankaa an incredibly embarrassing amount of time to make the spell work. Poor Daphne had to deal with her eyelashes or eyebrows growing out a few times before the spell finally worked on her head, around midday. She gave Ankaa a withering glare before she got ready to leave for Hogsmeade.

"I better not get caught in any more of these pranks anymore," she warned before heading out to meet Antonio in the Great Hall.

Ankaa had elected to skip this Hogsmeade trip in advance. With the Weasley twins on a rampage against her, being out in the open and so entirely vulnerable didn't sit right with her. In fact, she had been keeping such a close eye on them the entire time after the ordeal, as she had dubbed it, that she was getting better and better at telling them apart.

Blaise, who had been informed of the situation when Ankaa would make him take the long way around to class to avoid their frequented hallways, had suggested that she was blowing things out of proportion.

"After all, you can't have been the first girl to punch Weasley."

"I think I was but that's not the point. The point is that his pride has been hurt and he's going to enact revenge I know it. And he doesn't seem like the type to believe that therapy is the best form of revenge."

Blaise had frowned. "Maybe he's written the whole thing off entirely. I think he knows to put it to rest by now."

Does he, though? Sure, he was an absolute idiot with no common sense to spare and absolutely horrendous manners, but he didn't seem like the type to give up so quickly. If he had, by some divine miracle, decided to stop torturing her, his brother George probably had a role to play in his decision.

After what you said and did, I would be surprised if he backed down, a part of her said.

As the hours passed, and there was no sign of any of the pranks by the Weasley boys, Ankaa wandered the halls in the castle. She held the copy of the Marauders Map in her hands and examined as many of the older students had elected to stay back that day. The novelty of Hogsmeade had certainly worn off after the first few years.

Ankaa wandered about the castle, intending to head to the library, but she had been spending so much time in there (in order to avoid the Weasley twins), that she was starting to hate the sight of the book-laden room. She let herself wander through the halls, ducking this way and that to explore the rooms she had never seen before. Finally, in an effort to avoid Peeves, she turned towards the Defense Against the Dark Arts hallway.

Just as she did, Ankaa saw Professor Lupin turn the corner levitating a large tank of water. Inside the water swam a sickly green creature with sharp horns. Its face was pressed against the glass, and its eyes were shifting quickly as if trying to take in as many details as possible.

"Ah, Ankaa." Professor Lupin smiled, "I thought you would be down in Hogsmeade."

Ankaa eyed the ugly thing before giving the Professor a small smile in return. "Ah, no sir. I didn't feel like being out in the cold today."

Ankaa held the office door open for the Lupin (so he would not be distracted and lose concentration). Ankaa lingered in the doorway, hesitating. She had only ever leisurely talked to one Professor before, and Snape was an acquired taste to many. Lupin was a foil for the Potions Master, and while Ankaa knew sarcasm inside and out, sincerity was new to her.

The Professor seemed to notice her hesitance for he smiled and asked, "Cup of tea?"

"Er—sure?" Ankaa followed him up the stairs and into the office. The creature that Lupin had brought in was now flexing its spindle-like fingers and glaring at the two of them.

"A Grindylow." Lupin commented, "A water demon. I don't think it'll be particularly difficult to handle, especially after the Kappas. The trick is to break its grip. Did you notice the abnormally long fingers? Strong, but very brittle."

As if the water demon could sense the two were talking about him (or she, or it—Ankaa was not sure if she could tell its gender, or if it even had one), he bared his green teeth and launched itself behind a tangle of seaweed in the corner of the water tank.

"I imagine you're tired of tea leaves," Lupin commented as he looked around his office for a kettle. "Professor McGonagall told me of Professor Trelawney's predictions."

"Which part? The part where someone's rabbit passed away or the part where we were all going to die horrible deaths?" Ankaa thought back to one particular class and snorted at the memory. "She's predicted a whole lot of stuff, hasn't she? I have to admit though it's a fun class, a good break from all the work."

"Harry seemed quite upset."

"I bet. He's easy to upset though," Ankaa mumbled, taking the cup of tea from Lupin. "He thinks little and feels a lot." He was probably upset at the fact that Trelawney had said he was born mid-winter. Or of course, the fact that he was going to die.

Lupin seemed amused. He raised an eyebrow, "You don't seem very fond of him."

"You do."

Lupin laughed lightly. "You're just like your mother."

That made Ankaa halt, the cup frozen at her lips.

"You knew one another, right? What was she like at school?" Maya never spoke of him. Neither of her parents spoke of their times at Hogwarts. Lupin seemed to be lost in thought as glanced at the water tank holding the Grindylow.

"She was quite a gifted witch, as I'm sure you know. Seems she's passed that talent onto you and Ceph." Lupin's lips quirked slightly, but his wistful look did not falter. "She was a quiet girl. At least for those that didn't know her. I remember her being quite lively with her friends."

"She had friends?" The question left Ankaa's mouth before she had a chance to rephrase.

Lupin seemed hesitant to answer. "She was friends with Lily, Harry's mom. The two of them were rather close."

"You're joking—my mom… friends with Potter's mom?" Ankaa shook her head with a smile, "You're joking."

Lupin frowned. "Does she not speak of her times at Hogwarts?"

"No," Ankaa shook her head. They were both quiet for a few seconds. "That's definitely a surprise. I never thought she would be friends with Potter's mom." At Lupin's thoughtful gaze Ankaa elaborated, "It's not because she was a muggleborn or anything. Mother never mentions her time at Hogwarts at all, I just thought she never had any friends when she was here. She's always so distant."

"You're a lot like her."

"Distant and cold, yeah I know." Ankaa snorted bitterly. "It must be a Slytherin thing."

She was reminded of how the Weasley twins viewed her. How cold and calculating she must seem to them.

"Your mother was a Slytherin too, you know. It's not really a bad thing." Lupin glanced towards the Grindylow, who was still peering at them from behind the greenery in the tank. "Being distant doesn't mean you lack the ability to empathize or relate to others, it just means you're more selective in doing so. Your mother found her group of friends, maybe even her chosen family. So being distant couldn't be all that bad, could it? And neither does being a Slytherin."

Ankaa regarded the Professor carefully for a moment before turning away. He seemed to be genuine. She wondered why her mother did not talk about him and if they really were as close as Lupin was suggesting that they were. She made a mental note to ask her mother about Lupin. With a mental grimace, she realized she would have to actually write to her mother for that.

"Thank you, sir." Ankaa finally said, "You know what, you're not as bad as I thought you'd be."

"That's a relief," Lupin chuckled humorously.

Ankaa felt like staying there any longer would be awkward. After all, there's only so much heart-to-heart conversation you can have in one day. So, she bid the professor a goodbye and headed down the stairs of his office and to the classroom door. As she opened the door, Ankaa saw Professor Snape standing on the other side with a goblet in his hand. The goblet's contents were smoking faintly, a blue colour rose from the rim of the cup.

Ankaa raised a brow, "What have you got there, sir?"

Snape's eyes narrowed, "Nothing of concern, Miss. Rhyther. Perhaps it would be prudent for you to invest your time in other matters as opposed to investigating the contents of this goblet."

Ankaa gave the Potions master a cheeky smile. "Of course, sir. But as you know, I've got loads of time on my hands."

"Here," Draco threw a packet of sweets at her when he entered the Common Room with all their friends in tow. "Since you wanted to sulk in the castle for whatever reason—"

"—I wasn't sulking, I was studying. You should try it sometime."

"I'm not the one who doesn't understand Potions," Draco gave her an insulting smile. "I got you those because I felt sorry for you. Have a taste of Honeydukes candy since you didn't go today."

Ankaa raised a brow at him. "You know I've got an older brother who used to bring me these since before we were in our first year, right? I've been having Honeydukes for years."

Draco blinked at her, processing her statement. Behind him, Theodore snickered at the scene and Blaise merely glanced between the two.

"The one time Draco tries to impress someone—"

"—I wasn't trying to impress her, idiot!" Draco's vehement defence was undermined by the flush of his cheeks. Theodore only laughed as he headed out of the Common Room, closely followed by a still raging Draco and a worried Pansy, who was trying to pry the two of them apart.

"When do you think she'll understand that you and Malfoy are basically siblings?" Blaise leaned over the back of the couch to whisper to Ankaa. "She's been looking glum ever since Draco mentioned he got the candy for you."

"Merlin knows," Ankaa sighed. "Daphne's been trying to get it through her thick head since our first year, but I don't think it's working."

Daphne glared at the girl. "Don't be so mean. Not everyone processes a crush the same way you do. Come to think of it, have you ever had a crush on someone?"

Ankaa pursed her lips in thought, entirely missing the knowing look that passed between Daphne and Blaise. "Not that I can think of."

"Not surprising, is it? The day you can tolerate someone's presence would be the day I drop dead."

"She tolerates us all," Blaise offered as the three of them headed out of the Common Room and towards the Great Hall for dinner. "Doesn't that mean anything?"

Daphne glared at Blaise, giving him a sharp jab as they walked into the Great Hall, muttering something about "ruining the mood" as they joined their friends.

The Great Hall was decorated for Hallowe'en as usual. There were hundreds of carved pumpkins floating around, as well as a cloud of fluttering live bats and orange streamers that drifted lazily across the stormy ceiling. Ankaa took a seat beside Draco, and across from Blaise when she felt someone slide into the seat next to her.

"Mother wrote to me this morning," Ceph informed her. "She wants to know when you'll write to her."

"I already wrote to her," Ankaa gave an irritated sigh, shooting a look towards Blaise and Draco, who were being entirely too obvious in pretending to not pay attention. Ankaa gave them a vicious glare, which was enough reason for them to turn around. But even then, Ankaa was not naive enough to think that they had stopped listening to the conversation.

"Just a letter, Ankaa," Cepheus raised an eyebrow. His grey eyes bore into hers as he asked, "Can't you spare five minutes to write to your own mother?"

"I've already written to her, Ceph. It's not my fault she takes so long to reply back. You ever wondered why she writes back to you so quickly and makes me wait? She's trying to teach me a lesson, I know it. And I'm having none of it."

Ceph sighed in frustration, scratching at his temple as a force of habit. "Just—write another letter to her. It's been months and you've only written one letter. And mother told me it was a very blunt letter. Try to seem more interested, please. At least for your own mother?"

"Of course," Ankaa gave him a tight smile. "I'll write a long, and beautiful letter about how much I absolutely adore her and miss her and how I can't wait to come home and hug her. And then we can braid each other's hair—please when have we ever had a relationship like that."

Ceph stared at her, his eyes desperately searching for something before he sighed and turned back to his friends beside him and continued conversing with them as if nothing had happened. Draco and Blaise, who had been keeping conversation with the others finally turned back to her.

Draco cleared his throat, "Would you be interested in coming to Malfoy manor over Christmas?"

"No." Ankaa scowled, "I don't want to go back and deal with my parents right now."

"Don't be so dramatic." Draco rolled his eyes, "You're just saying that now. Besides, I doubt anyone will be staying back. You don't want to be left alone do you?"

"That's the only thing I ever want." Draco refused to meet her gaze after that. He knew he had said the wrong thing. She absolutely wanted to be left alone. She didn't want to talk to her brother, not Draco nor Blaise, not even the Weasel twins. She wanted peace and quiet so she could think.

"Anyway, Daphne," Ankaa leaned over to see Daphne a few seats down. "How was your date with Ernesto—"

"Antonio," Daphne corrected with a glare. "And it was great! We went to Madam Puddifoots and it was so romantic."

"Are you going to go on another date soon?" Pansy asked eagerly. "You could study together in the library!"

"Unfortunately, there will be no second date—"

"—Smart man—" muttered Theodore, only to flinch violently in the next moment as Daphne kicked him under the table. The rest of them swallowed their snickers, not wanting to face Daphne's wrath for themselves.

"I just didn't feel that spark, you know?"

"That's not a real thing, you know?" Theodore retorted mockingly. "That's just an autonomous response to being nervous and having anxiety. You're essentially complaining about not being nervous about a date."

Daphne regarded him blankly, and the others looked between the two. "What's so wrong with that?" She finally replied. "Don't you think you should be slightly nervous to go out with someone if you like them?"

"Absolutely not," was Theodore's immediate reply. "I think good relationships are easy. After all, why would you be nervous to spend more time with someone you really like?"

Their group was silent for a moment.

"Wow, Theodore," it was Blaise who broke the silence, looking thoroughly impressed with the boy. "I had no idea you thought so deeply about... well anything."

Theodore gave him a deadpan look. "I have thoughts, you know. Just because I don't mindlessly prattle on like most of you lot doesn't mean I'm not thinking."

"Well no need to get so defensive, mate," Blaise gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder.

Draco, who was giving Theodore a knowing smirk, finally nodded. "Yeah, Theodore, don't worry. I'm glad to see all those trashy romance novels you've been reading have taught you something."

"... The what?"

Theodore's glare could freeze entire oceans, and it was a wonder that Draco did not immediately drop dead from being at the receiving end of it. All around their group, their friends were in various states of awe. Daphne and Pansy looked to be in a perpetual state of absolute glee, their forks held up in mid-air as their mouths hung open in shock. Blaise looked as if he was in denial, looking between Draco and Theodore as if he was waiting for the punchline. Ankaa was staring at Theodore as if she had never seen the man before.

"Remember? The Curse of the Lonely Witch, The Wizard Across Time, The Witch's Destiny—I found them in your trunk when you asked me to grab your Potions textbook that one time." Draco gave Theodore a carefree smile as he elegantly took a bite out of his food, completely unbothered by everyone frozen around him. "They all looked well-worn too."

Theodore was gripping his knife so hard his knuckles were turning white. He glared maliciously at Draco before his eyes travelled over his dinner companions, and for the first time in the three years that Ankaa had known him, Theodore Nott blushed from his hairline to his toes.

"No way..." Daphne stared openly at Theodore. "You read trashy romance novels?"

Theodore refused to meet her eyes, his gaze fixed determinedly on the table. Ankaa gazed between the two before she cleared her throat.

"I think it's great if I'm honest. With what Theodore said, he seems to have a much better idea of what it means to be in a relationship than other guys our age." When Theodore met her eyes, she gave him a small smile. "Besides," Ankaa turned back to Daphne with a mischievous look, "let's not get too ahead of ourselves, Dear Daphne. I've not forgotten that you and Pansy were the ones who filled out that ridiculous Witch Weekly quiz last year to see if you could be compatible with Ceph and Draco."

From her other side, Ceph leaned forward at the sound of his name. "What was that?" he asked genuinely, giving everyone a warm smile. "What're we talking about?"

"Daphne filled out a quiz—"

"—FOR POTIONS!" Daphne reached across a frozen Draco and gave Ankaa a rough pinch. "I was just telling Ankaa that I had to redo a quiz for Potions because I failed it."

Ceph gave an understanding nod. "Ah, I get it. I had a bit of a tough time with Potions too. It's okay though, it gets easier! If you ever need help, you can always ask me!"

Daphne's face turned so red, Ankaa was sure it would be visible from outer space. She gave a small nod and thanked him before turning back to her meal. From across the table, Ankaa met Theodore's gaze and gave him a subtle wink and smile, to which his lips tugged in amusement but he did not reply.

The rest of their time was spent in relatively safe conversations. Draco had shifted closer to Ankaa's side following the news that Pansy had attempted to test their compatibility (the poor girl wasn't meeting his eyes either). They had almost started a food fight, but Professor Snape's glare had made them stop in their tracks. As the feast came to an end, they had all forgotten about the newest discoveries. Draco, in his usual taunting spirits, shouted "The Dementors send their love, Potter!" as they left the Great Hall.

Before they could head down to the dungeon, Ceph took her by the elbow and pulled her aside.

"I'm guessing the Weasley Twins haven't tried anything else with you?"

Ankka raised a brow at him before looking in the direction he was staring. The twins were exiting the Great Hall, and one of them (George, Ankaa now knew) was staring at her. Upon noticing the siblings, George nudged his brother, who turned and glared at her. In contrast to his brother's expression, George remained neutral, but she could tell he wasn't entirely too fond of her.

"Other than the glares of pure loathing you just witnessed, not much." Ankaa turned away from them and to her brother. "Why is that, I wonder? You have a little encouraging talk with them or something?"

Ceph gave her a small smile. "I thought you said you were able to handle all this? Besides, the time for crisis management is over. And isn't that what an older brother is useful for?"

"I suppose post-crisis management can be a thing too."

Her brother chuckled. "So why exactly did you punch them?"

"Just one—I don't know why you're acting as if I went around punching everyone in the Weasley family." When Ceph simply raised a brow, Ankaa shuffled from foot to foot, avoiding his intense gaze as she looked into the emptying Great Hall. "I might've insulted him on a personal level—I think there was some talk about him being egotistical and whatnot. And then he called me a frigid bitch and I took a swing."

Ceph blinked down at her. "He called you frigid?"

"Yeah... Now that I think about it, I'm not sure if also mentioned how his entire personality was just being annoying and that's not a personality trait. I don't think I mentioned that—Yeah, I think I thought of that after in the shower."

Ceph glared at the spot the twins had vanished off to before he finally sighed and muttered, "I'm not happy they did that but neither am I happy that you retaliated the way you did."

"Thank you, Dad." Ankaa couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Stop being so worried, it's not that big of a deal. You're gonna get wrinkles, you're not even twenty yet."

"I can't help it, I'm worried for you." Ceph gave her a half-hearted glare. "Since you've been at Hogwarts with me, I think I've got a few grey hairs. I can't help but worry. We're all just worried for you."

"Well stop." Ankaa shook her head, moving aside as the last of the stragglers made their way past the siblings. "I'm fine, Ceph. If I wanted help, I'd ask for it."

"Liar," Cepheus shook his head with a fond smile. "Ankaa you're my sister, and in a year I'm going to leave this place. No one will look after you." Ankaa opened her mouth to retort, but he held Cepheus held up his hand, "I know you think you don't need any help, but you do. You're so alone, all the time. After a while, these people," He gestured to the last people that left the Great Hall, "will leave you because you're so withdrawn. Malfoy only sticks around because his mother and father are close to his family. Zabini only sticks around because of Malfoy. I'm the only friend you've got, and once I leave you'll be alone."

"Sometimes I wish I was," Ankaa retorted quietly. "All you do is hover. Have you ever considered that I'm not like you? Maybe I don't want friends—maybe I just want to be alone?"

"You don't mean that." Cepheus shook his head, starting to get frustrated. How did this conversation get away from him so quickly? "I'm trying to help you, Ankaa and if you're too stubborn to look past that then you're going to end up like—"

Ankaa crossed her arms, "Like who?"

Cepheus shook his head, "Forget it." He gave her a sad look, "One day I'll be done trying to help you Ankaa, and then you'll be all on your own. One day I'll be gone, and you'll be on your own."

Ankaa swallowed thickly as he walked past her.

With one last glance around the Great Hall, she noticed that she really was all alone.

Notes:

Revised (21/03/21).

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