I came in a few minutes late to History of Magic, Tom watched me as I crossed to my seat. His eyes raked up and down my body, but when I caught his eyes he just smirked bitterly and looked away.

I sighed as I sat down; obviously he had seen the newspaper.

Orion and Cygnus were in this class with me, all Blacks were made to take History of Magic, because so many of our ancestors featured. Orion started straight ahead at the board, jaw set, I was happy to see that his eye was still faintly tinged yellow.

Cygnus turned and offered me a weak smile, which I returned, grateful for his support. Cygnus was one of the haughtiest members of the Black family, if anyone thought he was better than the masses it was him.

I wouldn't let it get to me. I was a daughter of House Black, nothing Arcturus, Orion or the Daily Prophet did would change that.

So I sat tall, my expression impassive and continued with the class.

As I left, Cygnus caught up with me, he caught my hand to stop.

"Poppy," he said in a low voice. "I'm sorry about… well… you know. I missed you at Christmas, we all did."

"Don't speak for everyone, cousin," Orion interjected firmly, his gaze on me disdainful.

"Thank you, Cygnus," I replied with a small smile, choosing to ignore Orion completely. "I missed you too."

"As much as I just adore hearing about the feuds of the Black family, we're going to be late for Charms if you don't get out of the corridor," Tom drawled, face a mask of indifference to our squabble, though his eyes gave him away, to me at least.

Lizzie and I strolled about the lake arm in arm, huddling under our thick cloaks and quietly taking in the landscape.

"You've been quiet since Christmas," she commented, I frowned and looked, almost inspecting her.

She really was beautiful, with her long honey blonde hair, warm blue eyes and round, plump face. It was the face of someone I trusted implicitly, and a stab of guilt cut through me. I was never completely honest with her.

"I slept with Tom Riddle," the words tumbled from mouth before I could stop, my mouth dropped in horror at the realisation of what I just said. I schooled my features in a heartbeat. Lizzie turned and looked at me now, a slight frown when she saw my mask of cool indifference.

"Do you regret it?" she asked seriously. I shook my head silently. She smiled wickedly.

"In that case tell me everything," she prompted. I let out a laugh and elbowed her playfully in the ribs.

"I came back to Hogwarts and I was alone and…" I shrugged inelegantly. "I don't know."

"Well I do," she added, holding my arm tighter. "You had argued with your family and you were sad, confused. And then along comes Mr Riddle, and even I have to admit… he has that face."

I let out a ringing laugh this time.

"Yes, that face is pretty special isn't it," I laughed, at the ridiculousness of our conversation. It was evident Lizzie knew exactly how amusing this conversation was, her eyes sparkled with mischief- although technically yes, we were gossiping about a boy. I knew she was doing it just to make me feel better.

"Although," she said, voice dramatically dropping to barely more than a whisper. "That face could pale into insignificance... I've never seen what's under those robes."

That time I practically snorted- Cassiopeia would be horrified.

"I have something I wanted to ask you," Lizzie said later, as we approached the castle again. She licked her lips nervously. "Will you be my maid of honour, in July?"

I nodded furiously.

"Yes," I replied without a second's hesitation. "Yes, I would love to."

January bought the second Quidditch match of the season. The first had been back in November, and was a walk in the park – Hufflepuffs.

But now we had our two competent opponents to play. I had to admit, Quidditch hadn't been my top priority, but I had done my upmost to make it seem to the team as though it was- so they would be spurred on to practice harder.

Ignatius and I walked in from the Quidditch pitch a few days before the match, head to toe in mud. We were laughing as we crossed the Entrance Hall, Miranda had fallen from her broom in practice when her feet were still on the ground and got mud in her hair, the way she hollered you would have thought it was from fifty feet.

"Poppy, a word," Orion called from the side of the Hall, near the steps to the Slytherin common room. Ignatius looked worried. All of Ravenclaw tower had heard about my fight with my family now, in particular Orion. He had become an honorary member of our little group of friends over by the fire- since being married into the Black family, he and Casper- who was only betrothed, had struck up quite the friendship.

"Are you going to be okay?" he muttered. I nodded. "I'll wait for you at the bottom of the grand staircase."

I approached Orion, and was surprised to see the hostility in his eyes. It was always Cygnus who was had that look in eye, and never at me.

"I just wanted to warn you," he said a low, petulant voice.

"About what exactly?" I asked, arms folded across my chest.

"That's my brother-in-law," he said, tone dripping with acid. "I don't want you pulling a Lestrange on my sister." My mouth dropped open.

"How dare you?" I questioned in outrage. "One, you know full well that that … thing was not what it looked like, the report was bollocks!"

He just smiled nastily.

"It looked to me, like you gave up Christmas with your family for a dirty weekend in France," he spat.

"You know full well you are the reason I left!" I exclaimed hotly, I glanced down at his hand, snatching it up. "What's this?" I asked, a growing smirk on my face. The signet ring on his middle finger was conspicuously absent.

"It's being refitted," he mumbled, a foreign blush rising in his cheeks. My smile became broader, my heart buoying.

"Magical ring," I pointed out, hardly containing my joy at his situation. "Grandpa took it away from you didn't he? What, has he cut you off?" Orion's face was stony with dislike for me.

"He told me I could have it back when I learnt some respect for those in my House," he mumbled, clearly this was the most embarrassing thing which could have happened to him.

"That's funny, I was just about to owl dear Grandpa," I said, turning to leave. "I'll be sure to tell him about our little conversation here. Me and my chaser really have to take a shower." I turned over my shoulder as I walked away, winking audaciously over my shoulder.

I stood in the changing rooms before the match, my team looking up from the benches.

"We beat them last year," I finished with a smile. "And we have only got better." All the players were the same last year, except for Bobby Davies, but each of us knew deep down that last year was lucky, and Malfoy would definitely not let Miranda best him in the same way again.

She locked eyes with me and we both nodded. I knew this game was down to her, however much I wished to ignore this fact.

I needed to win this game, otherwise the rumours in the school that I only got this position because Bobby and I were involved would only get worse.

Ravenclaw could win this game, but there was a slim chance of it, if I didn't use dirty tactics was I willing to do what I took?

"I'd say this was a level five game, today," I declared finally, jaw set. "It's Slytherin, do you worst. Anyone who breaks Orion's nose gets the first shot of firewhiskey after the game."

Then I led my team out to the pitch, when traditionally, we would just shake hands. Abraxas bowed. I did not move, my face stony. In his eyes I was still pissed off that he kissed Elena about brought me into disgrace.

The game went well to begin with, in our favour even. They had let in two goals, and I hadn't let in any.

There was a fumbling over the quaffle, I swooped out from the goalposts clasping it in two hands. But I was just outside of where bludgers would be illegal and I hadn't realised, I wasn't looking.

I was winded as a great weight bashed into my side, almost upturning me from my broom.

But it was no bludger. It was a beater.

I screamed in frustration as I tried to wrestle Orion off of me without losing the quaffle. The effort tipped the both of us from our brooms, so we were hanging on by my hooked legs instead. Our collision obviously not had gone to plan, instead of hurtling me off my broom and breaking a few ribs. Both Orion and I were a mass of tangled legs and arms. In the struggle I felt a crunch beneath my elbow and the satisfying grunt that meant surely I broken the idiot's nose.

With one final wrench, I removed Orion from my broom.

But I couldn't let him fall.

Without thinking, as soon as we disconnected I pulled myself back on the broom, dropping the quaffle in the process.

I dived faster than anyone could have cast the spell to stop his decline. Thankfully, I could fly faster than he fell, and we were a long way up. My arms reached and met his, each of us grasping the other's forearm. It made my broom jerk wildly beneath me, but not enough to unseat me this time.

I swooped to the ground in this position, dropping him to the ground with more of a thud than necessary, splattering the both of us with mud.

"What the fucking hell do you think you were doing?" I screamed at him, falling to my knees in the dirt, now that I was on solid ground, unbearable pain shot through my shoulder. Bastard had dislocated it.

"You've broken my fucking nose," he shouted, through the hand that was trying to staunch the blood flow. Neither of us had noticed the whistle that had been blowing for the last five minutes.

"I also saved your sorry arse from falling," I retorted, gingerly testing my arm, which resulted in me only crying out in pain.

"Felt like I fell pretty hard," he spat.

I could have kicked him.

"Black," Madame Hooch shrieked, and I was glad to see it directed at him instead. It seemed she was too busy shouting at him to notice I was on my knees in pain. Resentfully I stood to my feet, and stalked over to the goalpost, knowing the eyes of half the stands were on me.

I set my teeth and barged into the goal post.

I couldn't stifle the scream that pierced the air, but I wasn't sobbing and that was enough for me.

"And Poppy Black seems to have put her own shoulder back in place!" the commentator announced. "That is a painful experience."

Still holding my throbbing shoulder, I returned back to Orion who was now being fixed up my Madam Hooch. Abraxas had landed next to him, visibly fuming at his little stunt.

"What were you thinking?" he demanded furiously. "Bringing shame to the Slytherin Quidditch team!"

But then he did something nobody expected, he brandished his wand.

For a minute I thought hexes were going to be thrown, but he placed it at his own throat, and pulled the captain's armband from his shirt and held it up over his head.

"The Slytherin team forfeit," he declared, his voice magically amplified as he threw the gold material to the floor. My jaw dropped open.

"You can't just give up," I said hotly, and Orion was right next to me.

"Slytherin never forfeit!" he argued.

Abraxas, ignoring me completely stepped right up into Orion's face.

"The Slytherin team plays with honour or not at all," he sneered, looking at Orion with disgust. "I have instilled better sportsmanship into my team than this. Winning would be hollow after your little display."

The crowd, who had been silent for Abraxas' little speech, now broke out into conversation as he stalked towards the Slytherin changing rooms.

I looked to Madam Hooch indignantly, but she just shrugged her rounded shoulders in defeat. Abraxas was well within his rights to call off the match, Orion would have undoubtedly been replaced for this match anyway.

I was glowering with resentment.

I was trying to prove that I didn't need Bobby to win me games, I was trying to prove that I could do it without any man's help.

And yet here was my ex-fiancé calling off a match because Orion dishonoured his team and me.

"You're no cousin of mine," I spat in my fury, sparing no second glance for the blood stained Black beside me, as I too, stalked back to the changing rooms, nose in the air self-importantly. I was undoubtedly in one of those foul moods which Lizzie would have called 'a huff.'