A/N: Okay I'm SOOOOOOO sorry. I feel like i've abandoned you. I promise i haven't i've been doing work experience this week and it's long days and tough work!

Shout out to my new favouriter Fishy56789 and as always the people who have reviewed, especially you ProfessorMcGonagal (sorry if that's not the actual name, it's from memory) as you are the only one to have reviewed repeatedly.

I don't want to put you guys off or mean to have a go, if i'm annoying you, feel free to skip ahead, it's just if you don't review i don't know how well i'm doing and it's hard to know what you like or what i should do to improve. So please, just review nothing seriously long, just a short opinion or suggestion. Plot ideas welcome too.

anyway, enough of this shit, keep reading. LOVE YOU!

Cookie xx

Chapter 4- Quidditch Practice, A Letter and Confusion

Roxanne couldn't eat a thing that evening. Usually she would be devouring all she could get her hands on until he hunger was quelled. But not that evening, her stomach was a bundle of nerves. She couldn't believe she was going to skip a class! Now, Roxanne wasn't the most perfectly behaved student, she'd gotten up to quite a lot of mischief in her time at Hogwarts but, skipping a class was a completely different thing for her. It was so obvious! Roxanne had a fondness for stealth and slyness- perhaps why she could've been a Slytherin- she hated the idea that something bad could be traced back to her. Roxanne would do anything she could get away with, and for her skipping class felt like something she wouldn't get away with.

Deciding she probably wouldn't eat much more. Roxanne stood, stating she wanted to fly a bit before practice. She exited the great hall and walked towards the locker room, Accioing her broom at the same time.

Roxanne held her right hand out to the side as she walked, palm facing upwards awaiting the smooth wood of her Firebolt 4000. Instead Roxanne was surprised by a soft warm hand fitting into hers. Before she could look over her shoulder, the hand pulled her into the changing room closing the door.

Scorpius was an observant person. There wasn't much that escaped his notice, he was good at reading people and nine times out of ten his assumptions would be right. Sitting next to Lorcan and Lysander as they talked animatedly about the first night-time Quidditch practice of the year, he noticed Roxanne wasn't eating. Studying her in more detail he noticed her shoulders were slightly slumped and her brow was furrowed what looked like confusion. Wondering what was wrong with his friend, Scorpius decided he would ask if she was okay. Just as he was about to speak, Roxanne stood.

"See you guys later yeah. Going to take a couple laps of the pitch before practice." Roxanne smiled at her friends and received nods from Olivia, Lorcan and Lysander. Scorpius tried to make eye contact but she had already turned and he could only watch her leave.

Roxanne had gasped slightly at the sudden intrusion to her palm and the feeling of being pulled through the door. The hand had left hers but she was now in a closed off locker room with a stranger. Flicking on the lights, Roxanne internally sighed with relief. Scorpius.

"What was that for?" Roxanne questioned, confused at his abrupt behaviour.

"Wanted to speak to you before the guys got here" he panted slightly, he had obviously ran to catch her up. Holding out her broom to her, Scorpius looked hesitant.

"Roxy, what's wrong?" he asked quietly. Her behaviour had been so unusual for her he worried something was seriously wrong.

She laughed. "Scorpius, nothing's wrong. Why would anything be wrong?"

"You didn't eat today" he almost accused, "I know there's something wrong Rox, you can tell me"

"It's nothing really" Roxanne shrugged and sat down, silently Accioing her Quidditch kit.

"Rox, you can tell me anything, you know that right?" Scorpius sat next to her, angling himself so he faced her.

"Yeah I know. But honestly Scorp, it's fine. I was just a little conflicted. It's stupid, you'd laugh" Roxanne admitted softly, looking in her lap and catching her bag out of the air as it flew towards her through the window.

"I promise I won't laugh" Scorpius mimed crossing his heart and smiled.

"Okay fine. I was just… unsure about practice, I mean I have astronomy soon and… well; I've never missed a lesson before." She shook her head at herself before adding, " Told you it was stupid."

"Roxy, it's not stupid, it's natural. You're about to do something you've never done and you're not comfortable with it yet. Plus you're the sort of person that hates getting caught; naturally bunking aka the most obvious thing in the world isn't something you'd wanna do." He placed a crooked finger under her chin and guided her face towards him. He looked directly into her eyes.

"You can go if you want Rox. It's not even a proper practice, I'll just say you felt sick and you can go to astronomy."

Roxanne was mentally floored. She was sure he would laugh at her yet, here he was staring into her eyes, offering to cover for her so she could go to class! It was as if he understood her more than anyone else he knew why she was conflicted and was offering to fix it for her.

"Thank you Scorp. But you're right, I'm just not used to it yet, I'll be okay. Besides, the teachers don't mind as long as you keep your grades up so I think I'm good. Anyway, despite my hatred for astronomy, Grayson loves me. I'll be okay" Roxanne smiled genuinely still not breaking contact with the blue-grey eyes that held her attention.

Satisfied that she really was okay now, Scorpius smiled back, stood, Accioed his broom and kit.

"C'mon Rox, let's get out there!" he urged her excitedly, looking at least two years younger with his now grey eyes shining in the light. Scorpius was in love with Quidditch just as much as she was, maybe even more.

Roxanne laughed and turned to collect her kit. Moving towards the girl's section, Roxanne paused at the sight of a topless Scorpius Malfoy. She stared at his perfectly sculpted chest, like Lorcan, his body had improved over summer. Where a flat stomach had once been, Roxanne counted six defined muscles, with another two more faint ones forming below. Her eyes roamed across his pectoral muscles and his again more defined biceps and forearms. Wow, he's hot. Roxanne thought, quickly reprimanding herself for such thoughts. He is one of your best friends, stop. She argued, ending her mental conversation and realising Scorpius was watching her with one eyebrow raised. Blushing at his amused and knowing smirk Roxanne threw a nearby quaffle at his head reflexively. Trying to recover from checking out her friend, she shouted "I hope you're faster, it'd be embarrassing to beat you again".

"No problem, anyway I don't get embarrassed as easily as some" he teased back as Roxanne rushed around the corner to change, blushing furiously.

Pushing off from the ground and speeding into the air Roxanne was truly glad she hadn't gone to Astronomy. She hadn't flown in over a month, due to spending a large portion of her summer in a small French Muggle Village. With the icy wind blowing through her hair and slightly stinging her cheeks as she flew faster, Roxanne felt alive. She took a moment to slow down, lifting her hands from her broom, she held her arms out either side of her and coasted through the air, hands free for as long as she could manage. Forgetting all about Scorpius and their planned race; Roxanne just let herself enjoy the moment, trying to make those precious seconds last a little longer. she simply flew, gracefully twilring, diving, and looping through the air enjoying the rush, excitement, and thrill that only flying could give her.

From below, Scorpius stood watching her, he marvelled at her natural flying ability and wondered how anyone could make sitting on a piece of wood suspended in the air look that amazing. She was the best flier he had ever had the good fortune to watch. She wasn't the fastest on the team, but she was the most skilled, her drive, determination and sheer passion for the sport probably made her the best player Hogwarts had ever seen. Even better than her Uncle Harry, Aunt Ginny, or her own mother had been. Since Roxanne had joined, Ravenclaw had never lost a game, she knew just when to catch the snitch and when to lead the other seeker away, giving the Eagles a chance to up their points first. She was brilliant and Scorpius couldn't help but admire her even more.

The Quidditch practice was cold and wet. The weather changed drastically and in no less than ten minutes the entire team was soaked to the bone. This didn't stop Lysander from pushing them as hard as he usually would though, much to the horror of the team. Resulting in the majority of them moaning and groaning, flying lazily around. The few exceptions to this were Scorpius, Lysander, Roxanne and to a lesser extent, Lorcan. Roxanne enjoyed the practice even more in the bad weather, it tested her visibility and made the snitch harder to catch thus, giving her the type of challenge she loved. The weather pushed her mental concentration, reactions and physical stamina. It was perfect for her. But the time Ly called an end to practice, the team were practically falling out of the air, Roxanne however gracefully landed in front of Lysander and hugged him.

"Thanks Cap, I needed that." She grinned up at him and proceeded to change with the other female members of the team, Olivia Wood, keeper and Callie Jones, chaser. After changing ahead of the boys, the girls left the changing room and waited outside for the rest of the team. When the boys had finished the entire team, now in higher spirits made their way back to the common room where the majority of them then stayed up talking and laughing until the early hours of the morning.

Roxanne was high with the feeling of elation that came with a good Quidditch session. For her, the sore muscles were a form of achievement, they gave her the sense that she had worked a new part of herself and pushed her body in ways she hadn't for a while. She loved it. While her teammates groaned, she relished in her aches and pains, them giving her a new burst of energy each morning.

Sitting at the breakfast table with a satisfied smile on her face, Roxanne began to fill her plate more food than usual, feeling as though she needed to make up for any calories she had burned the evening before. Looking down at her largely filled plate, Roxanne thanked the genetic metabolism of the Weasley clan thinking, We'd all be obese without it.

Her internal laughter was interrupted by the cry of owls, signalling morning post, Roxanne watched as they circled through the air dropping off letters and packages from across the country, the world even. Roxanne, not expecting any post, as her parents wrote about once a month if that, was surprised when an unknown owl dropped onto her shoulder, dropping a small envelope addressed to her into her lap. Without even waiting for a titbit as most owls did, the tawny owl, flew off, leaving Roxanne very confused indeed.

Staring at the letter now in her hand, Roxanne was surprised at the Hogwarts seal closing the letter. It must be serious Roxanne thought, otherwise a teacher would've just come down to speak to her.

Putting the small envelope away in her robes for now and ignoring the niggling in her mind about the strange letter, Roxanne glanced at her still unfamiliar timetable to see the lessons of the day. She would have Charms, Defence against the Dark Arts, Arithmancy, Transfiguration and much to her dismay, History of Magic. Tomorrow would be her first OWL lesson in potions and she thought about it with a mixture of nerves and excitement. Roxanne wondered if that was what the letter was about, possibly to inform her of the materials she would need for the new class, yes that was it. Nothing to worry about.

Turning to Olivia on her left, she asked about her timetable, wondering if they would share any classes that day. For the first two year at Hogwarts, Roxanne and Olivia had been in the same classes every lesson, but in second year, Olivia had opted for Divination and Muggle Studies whereas Roxanne had chosen Arithmancy and Care of Magical Creatures or CMC as it was often shortened to. Still the girls had shared every other compulsory lesson as their respective electives had always happened at the same time. This had made their timetables almost identical except for when Liv had Muggle Studies, Rox might have CMC, for example. This year though. Roxanne was surprised when Liv hadn't been in her potions lesson it was weird that she had spent a lesson without seeing her friend. She had resigned to ask Liv about her timetable but had forgotten to in all the Quidditch drama.

After asking to see her timetable Roxanne was surprised that Olivia had in fact had potions at the same time as her yesterday.

"So where were you?" Roxanne asked.

"Felt sick." Olivia replied avoiding Roxanne's eyes.

"Olivia Angelina Wood, you know you can't lie to me right?" Roxanne had meant it good naturedly adding a small wink for good measure but apparently Liv wasn't in the mood as she glared at Roxanne in return.

"Look Rox, I told you I felt sick. Okay? Now if that's not a good enough answer for you then I don't give a shit. Stop getting involved in things that don't concern you. I can miss a lesson if I want to miss a fucking lesson" she hissed under her breath, thankfully it wasn't loud enough for others to hear. And with that, Olivia gathered her things into her satchel, stood and flicked her dark hair over her shoulder, storming from the Great Hall.

Utterly confused and more than slightly hurt at her friend's behaviour and cutting tone, Roxanne too gathered her things and decided to make her way to her first lesson early. It was no use sitting down next to no one, most of her other friends had left the table already, rushing off to complete work they'd been set the day before. Sighing to herself, Roxanne wondered if she was too nosy. Sure she'd always ask Liv what was going on, but Liv would usually do the same. The girls shared everything, Olivia Wood was her best friend, they were even closer than Roxanne and Lily, who had drifted slowly apart due to their difference in houses. But Olivia and Roxanne had always been close and had never kept secrets from each other, apparently not anymore Roxanne thought bitterly as she sat on a bench in the corridor, opposite her charms class.

Roxanne was first into her Charms class. Taking her usual seat in the middle Roxanne wondered if Olivia would sit next to her today. She wondered if she would even come to class. Olivia did both, though slightly late for class, Roxanne thought Liv only sat next to her as there were no other empty seats. Scraping her stool as far from Roxanne as possible, Olivia made it clear she was still in a mood and would not be speaking. Roxanne had silently thanked Merlin that that lesson hadn't required any teamwork, with Olivia acting the way she was, Roxanne would have found it extremely difficult.
The students were practising the Accio charm individually and most students already knew it, having picked it up form older students much earlier. Noticing this, Professor Hewitt suggested the students attempted to summon something form their dorm rooms. Only a few, Including Roxanne were able to do it successfully. Roxanne was about to turn to Olivia to help her summon something from the dorm but she remembered they apparently weren't speaking.

Instead, Roxanne muttered quietly, hoping that even if Liv wouldn't acknowledge her, she would take her advice on the Charm at least, "Picture the object you're summoning, picture where it is if you can". Roxanne advised softly, knowing that eventually Olivia, like her, would be able to summon objects without necessarily knowing their appearance or exact position.

By the end of the lesson, Olivia had summoned extra quills from the dorm, which she hastily placed in her bag, ignoring Roxanne's small smile. Storming out of the class with the end of the lesson.

The rest of the day passed with a blur for Roxanne. Again her lessons were hardly difficult, and anything new she learned, she picked up quickly without much effort at all. This was clear to her teachers who watched her ability with magic in silent awe. In any lessons she shared with Roxanne, Olivia had ignored her. Flat out. No recognition. Nothing. Roxanne spent all her free time wondering what she'd done wrong. During lunch Olivia was yet again nowhere to be found, so she spent the hour speaking to Lorcan and Lysander as they ate. She mentioned Olivia's outburst and behaviour but as the boys admitted, they had even less idea about what went on in any girl's mind than she, so couldn't help. Smiling at their honesty, Roxanne had thanked them anyway and continued to eat with them, talking instead about the Ravenclaw Quidditch trials that coming Saturday.

Roxanne had left the boys shortly before the end of lunch to retrieve her books for History of Magic and to drop off her Transfiguration books. As she did so she noticed her sealed envelope poking out of her robes. Breaking the seal, Roxanne realised Olivia's behaviour had taken her mind totally and completely off of the mysterious letter. In under a minute the letter was just as mysterious as it was unopened. It gave Roxanne no clues simply saying:

Roxanne Weasley,

I request that you come to my Office immediately after your last lesson today.
The Password is Werther's Original.

Thank you,

Professor McGonagall,
Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Choosing not to dwell on the letter as she would see McGonagall soon enough, Roxanne made her way to History of Magic, hoping she could sleep for the duration of the lesson without Professor Mortimer noticing. Though, unfortunately he did have a habit of floating above the students every once in a while, so unlike the living teachers, Mortimer was able to spot sleeping students much more easily. Roxanne wished that the Professor could just teach like a living Professor, like Slughorn did. He was a ghost but he hadn't changed his teaching style one bit. Slughorn had died at Hogwarts in his sleep one night during Roxanne's third year. He'd 'woken' as a ghost and had taught Potions the very next day, not using his new spirit form to his advantage, Roxanne wished Mortimer would do the same.

Half way through his lecture on Goblin Rebellions, Professor Matthew Mortimer noticed Roxanne Weasley's closed eyes and slumped form as she rested her head against her hand, held up by her elbow. With any other student, Matthew would choose to float up under the desk so that just his head was visible and scream at the student, he would also possibly knock their arm out from under them so that their head would fall to the table. His methods were harmless, but most students, finding this extremely embarrassing, didn't dare sleep in his class unless at the back. And even then, they never felt safe, as he liked to keep his students on edge and he would take an aerial survey every so often, causing them to think twice before sleeping. So, as he mentally sifted through methods to both wake and mortify the Weasley girl, Matthew noticed her quill writing of it's own accord. Smart Girl he thought, no one had had the intuition to use a charmed quill before, so with nothing to complain about as clearly, Roxanne was making notes. He opted to continue his lecture, letting the girl sleep.

A/N:

what did you think?

xx

I solemnly swear to update sooner.

DFTR!