Nina walked out of the massive front doors and stopped to take in the immense beauty of the Hogwarts grounds. Students lay on blankets in the perfect snow as owls swooped in and out of the castle overhead. Fairies popped up in clouds over the Forbidden Forest and over all it was the perfect New Year scene. Smiling reverently, she wrapped her scarf tighter around her neck and trudged her way through the snow toward the small, homey-looking, cabin near the edge of the woods.

That horrible boy, Tom was it? Had gotten her friend expelled for keeping a pet. Everyone knew it wasn't the spider, but no one chose to speak up until it was too late, and Rubius Hagrid had his wand snapped and his wizarding privileges revoked. It, like so many others, was something Nina had never been able to forgive herself for. She had wanted to believe that a spider had killed Myrtle. They all had known...

Before too long, she had reached the cobblestone steps that lead up to the wooden structure. A fire was blazing inside the little cottage, lighting it up with it's warmth. Nina knocked quickly on the door, and was answered by sharp barks and a deep kind voice.

"Fang, shut yur yappin'." A young Rubius Hagrid, with scruffy hair and twinkling eyes, stooped as he opened the door. "Nina!" he smiled ushering her inside.

"Rubius," she returned the smile and gladly entered the warm cottage. She could hear tea in the kettle, and although Hagrid's was usually suspect, she gladly accepted a cup with her mitten encased hands. She sat down silently in an oversized chair at the opposite end of the table from his large dog and sipped contemplatively.

Hagrid, wiping his hands on a dish towel, didn't miss a beat. "Wha's on yer mind?" Who ever knew a fifteen year old boy could possibly be perceptive? Nina laughed into her tea.

"Nothing escapes you does it Rubius?"

"Your logic does sometimes," smiled the half giant.

"Well, you're in good company. It escapes me most of the time as well," Nina absentmindedly stirred her tea with a rock-hard scone. "I don't know Rubius," she continued. "I can't seem to control myself anymore. I'm lashing out at the people I care about, and can't talk about anything unless I'm using it as a joke. I don't feel like me anymore."

Hagrid sighed and sat down across the table from her. "Yeh know yer a year older than me, and yer still askin' me fer advice?"

"Yes dear," she smiled weakly, "Yes I am."

"Well, I don't have anything Nina," he sighed again. "But I think you should apologize to Remus."

Nina started. "How did you...?"

"I didn't, but now I do."

Nina smiled and finished her tea, proceeding to throw her scone in Hagrid's general direction. "You're smart, stick to what you're good at, and buy scones next time." Hagrid chuckled and walked her to the door.

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Shesighed as she continued on her way toward the northern edge of the Forbidden Forest. Hagrid had seemed happy enough. When passing the Great Lake, she recognized a down trodden figure hunched over on the bench.

Remus looked up as he heard approaching footsteps in the snow. Nina. "Hey," he said furtively, "about last night..."

"Don't," Nina said. "It's not your fault. There are just things...going on beneath the surface, as you might say." Or more visibly on the surface, she thought to herself.

"I know," Remus said scooting more down the bench to create a place for Nina to sit. "But I have my own troubles you know?"

Nina put an arm around his shoulders. "I know," she replied. "Care to elaborate?" Nina looked at her watch. Care of Magical Creatures had started ten minutes ago. Oh well, she hadn't had anything planned for tonight anyway. Detention seemed like a good way to pass the time. She pulled her friend closer and kissed him on the head. His golden-brown hair was soft, and smelled of cherries.

"Well you already know about," he gestured to one of his scars. She closed her eyes solemnly and nodded. At that moment she vowed to, if she ever found that retched wolf that inflicted such a malady as werewolf-ism onto a 7 year old boy, she would do everything in her power to make them pay.

"But then there's," he stopped and looked her in the eyes, begging for some sort of reassurance. "There's the fact that, well," he couldn't bring himself to say it as a tear dripped silently down his marked up face. Wiping it off with her hand, Nina pleaded silently for some way to know what was troubling her friend without having to make him go through the pain of telling her.

Her eyes fell to the ring n his left hand middle finger. The ring she'd seen a thousand times, but never really noticed. It was silver, and the same width as a wedding band, but in the middle, where there once was a blue stone for Remus' birth month, lay a rainbow glass ball. Feeling so stupid not to have noticed, she cried out quietly and pulled him into a hug.

"It's ok," she whispered as she felt her robes soak up his tears, "it'll be ok." He nodded weakly into her chest, and although part of her was glad to know that Remus was indeed gay, and could possibly reciprocate his feelings...part of her cried inside.

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Next chapter will be mainly from Olga's POV, but I felt it necessary to explain Nina a little more. (And to establish a flowering plot.) I'm again sorry for the shortness of this chapter, but it's longer than the last one, and certainly more interesting. Please review...

QOS