Saturday came and most of the students in higher years were stuck with tons of homework to do. The first years lucked out with just homework in Potions and Transfiguration. Emily had just finished her homework and was putting it away when Rosie suggested that they take a walk around the grounds. Emily agreed and Kelly joined them. They headed down the stairs, jumping over the trick step and pulled open the big oak front doors. Many students were enjoying the sunshine on this Saturday afternoon.
"Look! The giant squid is sticking its tentacles out of the water!" Kelly exclaimed. "Let's go see!"
"You can go see, but there is no way I'm getting near that thing," Emily said, with a small shudder.
"Ok, you want to come Rosie?" Kelly asked.
"Sure, if you don't mind Emily," Rosie replied.
"Nah, go on," Emily said and headed off to a tree towards the edge of the grounds. Emily plopped herself under it, wishing she had Hogwarts a History to read. "Stupid Snape!"
Emily sat watching the students doing homework in the grass, watching the Giant Squid, or just hanging out. Emily sighed and leaned against the trunk. Just behind her to her right was Hagrid's cabin. Emily looked behind her to find Hagrid pulling out a giant crate. Emily got up slowly to investigate.
"Afternoon Emil'" Hagrid said.
"Hi Hagrid, what's in that crate?" Emily asked.
"Somethin' fo' the third year'" Hagrid replied.
"Oh, what is it?" Emily asked, interested.
"Then the surprise would be ruin'" Hagrid said.
"But Hagrid, I'm not in third year. I don't even have Care of Magical Creatures," Emily pointed out.
"Well allrigh'" Hagrid gave in. "These are niffers (Is that the thing that searches for the gold, because I'm too lazy to look it up in my book, so it's that black thing that looks for gold shiny stuff, k?)"
"Oh, those are the things that like shiny stuff right?" Emily asked.
"Yeah. You're smar' fer yer age ye know" Hagrid replied.
"Thanks," Emily said blushing.
"Ye, goin to yer father's weddin?" Hagrid asked. "I'm lucky I get that Saturday off."
"No! I wouldn't be caught dead there!" Emily said and ran off.
"Nice ter see ya Emily! Come visit me soon!" Hagrid yelled after her. Emily ran up the front stops, knocking Josh over as he came out with some of his friends.
"Sorry," Emily said, helping him pick up his books he dropped.
"It's ok, but why are you always running?" He asked.
"I'm not," Emily replied.
"Yeah, you are, you're always running from something. Whenever someone mentions your Dad you go crazy," Josh said, taking the books she was handing him.
"I do not!" Emily said, getting angry.
"Fine, be in denial," Josh said and stormed off. Emily glared at the back of his head and opened the front doors. She found many students standing around a bulletin board.
"Emily! The first Quidditch game is November 1st!" Parker said excitedly, when he spotted her heading up the stairs.
"That's great," Emily said and continued up the stairs.
"Parker, you have got to give up on her. Look at all these fine girls," Andrew said, finding Parker staring at the spot Emily just left from.
"I can't help it," Parker said and headed outside. Andrew shrugged and followed him. Grant was right behind them, holding up his camera, taking pictures left and right. Emily gave the password and ran into the common room. It was now pretty much empty, except for a few people who didn't want to go outside. Emily walked past Mallory and Lauren sitting on a couch deep in conversation with Turner and Tyler. Emily walked up to her dormitory to find Hedwig and her kitten meowing and hooting at each other.
"Be nice you two," Emily said, moving her kitten aside and taking the note from Hedwig.
Dear Emily,
Well I hope to see you at Christmas then. I'll send you a picture of the wedding day. I hope you are enjoying your new book. Please write me soon.
Love always,
Dad
"Yeah right," Emily said, and crumpled up the letter. "Sorry Hedwig, I don't have anything for you to bring back to Dad. He'll figure it out for himself that I'm mad at him." Hedwig hooted and flew out the open window. The kitten whacked Emily on the arm.
"Oh you want to play do you?" Emily said, starting to laugh. The kitten meowed and licked Emily on the arm.
"There you are Emily!" Rosie said, opening the door.
"Why'd you leave and not tell us?" Kelly demanded.
"Sorry, I just needed to think on my own. But as you can see, that didn't work to well," Emily said, pointing at the kitten playing with her hand. "Have you guys thought of a name for her yet?"
"Yes and no," Rosie said.
"What do you mean?" Emily asked, taking the kitten into her lap.
"Well we've narrowed it down to three names, but we won't tell you until we've decided. We promise by the end of next week your kitten will have a name," Kelly explained.
"Ok, good," Emily said, as her kitten curled up and fell asleep in her lap.
"Are you hungry?" Kelly asked after about ten minutes of silence.
"Yeah, what time is it?" Emily asked as her stomach growled.
"It's 5:30," Rosie said, looking at her watch.
"Let's go down and see what we can get before six," Emily suggested, moving the sleeping cat onto her pillow.
"Ok," Rosie and Kelly said in unison.
They three girls wandered down the stairs into the common room. Lauren and Mallory were now sitting much closer to Turner and Tyler.
"They are way to young for boyfriends yet," Rosie whispered.
"That's for sure," Kelly replied in a whisper. Emily laughed and opened the back of the portrait. When she opened it she was face to face with Aaron and Paul.
"Hey Emily," Paul said.
"Hi," Emily replied.
"Hi," Aaron said to Emily. Emily ignored him and headed out into the corridor with Rosie and Kelly at her heels.
"That was rude of you," Kelly said.
"I know," Emily replied.
"Then why didn't you say anything to him?" Rosie asked.
"Yeah he was so hot!" Kelly said.
"You think everyone is hot!" Rosie said.
"Do not!"
"Do to!"
"Do not!"
"Do too!"
"Guys we aren't here to argue," Emily said.
"Sorry," Rosie and Kelly said in unison. They walked in silence the rest of the way down, well at least Emily thought they were waling in silence. Kelly and Rosie kept arguing in whispers behind Emily's back. During supper Emily at in silence.
"Emily, what's wrong?" Parker asked, sitting down next to her.
"Oh nothing," Emily said after a few moments of silence.
"Well something must be wrong, because you usually have loads to say," Parker said.
"No I don't," Emily argued.
"Emily let's not fight again. Did you ever write Sirius?" Parker questioned.
"Oh I totally forgot! I'll go write him tonight," Emily replied.
"Oh I want to help too. I'm so interested in finding out if he's related to Rosie," Parker said.
"What about me?" Rosie asked, taking a sip of pumpkin juice.
"Oh we're going to write Sirius and see if you have any relation to him," Parker explained.
"Oh, ok," Rosie said, and went back to talking to Kelly.
"Ok, what else should I write?" Emily asked Parker later that night in the common room.
"Um, tell him about Rosie's Dad," Parker suggested.
"Ok, sounds good," Emily replied.
"Read it out loud when you're done," Rosie said, from across the table.
"Rosie, it's your move," Kelly said. They were in the middle of a game of Wizard's Chess.
"Can do," Emily said, writing quickly on her parchment.
"Guys make him leave me alone!" Andrew cried, hurrying over to the table. Grant was right behind him asking him a million questions again. Parker laughed and turned back to the letter he was helping Emily with.
"And how old is your wizarding family? Is your Dad that really clumsy guy? Are you clumsy too? Who's your Mom? Was she in this house?" Grant asked.
"Grant, I don't mean to be rude, but ask one question at a time and no more tonight! You've already asked me a hundred!" Andrew said, sitting down in a chair.
"Ok," Grant said, shrugging and heading over to Turner and Tyler.
"Yuk! Look at them. They are practically sitting in their laps," Kelly said, looking up from her game at Mallory and Lauren.
"Who cares," Emily said.
"I play winner," Andrew said, happier this time.
"K," Rosie said.
"Done," Emily said, setting down her quill.
"Well what are you waiting for? Read it!" Rosie commanded.
Dear Grandpa Sirius,
I'm enjoying Hogwarts immensely, I just don't like the idea of Dad marrying Gina. I have been a little rude to her boys. Ok well extremely rude, but I'll try harder to be nice to them. Oh and I met this girl in my house, she's also a first year and her name is Rosie Black. Do you by any chance know if you are related to her? Her father's name is Bob Black and his mother was friends with Dad's parents. He moved to America about the time you were put in Azkaban, his mother died when he was in his final year of school and when he graduated he moved back to England and opened up a shop in Hogsmeade. I was just curious and if you were by any chance married before this or had kids please tell me, because I would love to know! Please write me soon. I miss you! Tell Remus I say hi!
Love,
Emily (Oh and Parker says hi)
"Sounds good, I'll go take it up to the owlery," Rosie said.
"Ok," Emily said and handed her the letter. Rosie returned a few minutes later to find that she had lost her chess game because Kelly decided to play without her. Andrew was now playing. Rosie glared at Kelly but then burst out laughing. At about 11 the five went up to their dormitories and went to bed. Emily went to bed that night with her heart much lighter, but she still cried herself to sleep.
A/N: Well what'd you think? I put all the cat names I like in a hat and drew out three. Now you have to vote on which one you like best and that name will be it. If I get a tie I'll put that tie in the hat and pick out a name. Then names are Pearl, Emerald, and Angel. Take your pick and please review!