Chapter 3: Detention

"I thought the idea of education was to learn to think for yourself." – Dead Poets Society

"Mate, please! I'm begging here."

Sirius barked with laughter, shaking his head as James persisted with his pleas. "Give it up mate. There's no chance I'm taking Muggle Studies." He told him firmly, batting his friend's hand away as he attempted to wrestle the bacon off him.

"Oh, go on Sirius! It won't be that bad." James whined, pouting as if he were a young child who had been denied sweets.

Sirius raised an eyebrow sceptically. "It's Muggle Studies James."

Peter snorted at his sarcastic tone before a pointed look from James sent him headfirst into his plate piled with sausages.

James ran a hand through his untidy hair. "Please, I'll do anything. This is the last chance we have to change our electives."

Sirius paused. A devious smirk crept onto his face. "Anything? What warrants that generosity?" He drawled, leaning back in his seat to observe his friend.

James glanced meaningfully down the Gryffindor table, his eyes fixing on the vivacious redhead sat there. Lily didn't seem to notice the unwanted attention, laughing loudly as Marlene McKinnon accidentally snorted pumpkin juice out of her nose.

"Ah!" Sirius hummed, his striking grey eyes sparkling with mischief. "Well then, I can't pass up an opportunity to see you make a fool of yourself in front of Evans. I'm in."

James beamed widely, not even hearing the insult in his excitement. He clapped Sirius on the back and punched their air in anticipation. "You're the best."

Sirius shrugged indifferently, his glossy black hair falling in his face as he refocused his attention on his breakfast. "Naturally."

Peter coughed quietly, his small watery eyes glancing up from his plate. "Can I come too?" He squeaked.

James chuckled, amused by his friend's nervousness. "Sure Peter. Our little prefect here is busy with his Arithmancy though, so you might need to find a different desk partner." Peter nodded quickly, clearly pleased to be allowed to accompany the two confident boys to class.

James stifled a yawn as he leant back in his seat, his hand drifting to his messy hair to ruffle it further. "What a first week back, eh?"

Remus hummed, his gaze not drifting from the Practical Defensive Magic book he'd had his nose buried in all morning. Peter wheezed with laughter as Sirius aimed a piece of toast at the prefect, attempting to distract him. But Remus's reactions were too quick and Sirius quickly found himself with toast flying up his nose.

Laughter roared around the table at Remus's trick, even from Sirius as he managed to free himself of the jinx.

"Nice one!" Sirius congratulated Remus, grinning widely as he coolly flicked his hair back from his face before turning back to James. "I've got another detention tonight. This time with Little Miss Slytherin." His hilarious high-pitched voice sent Peter into hysterics, pumpkin juice spraying over the table as he snorted.

Sirius pulled a face at Peter, despite a pleased grin appearing on his face at being able to provoke such a response with his humour. James was chuckling loudly opposite him as he snuck a glance at the Slytherin table.

The only one he seemed unamused was Remus who had finally torn his gaze away from his book. He eyed them warily, raising a judgemental eyebrow.

"Oh, come on!" James exclaimed. "You of all people shouldn't defend Slytherins."

"Yeah! Or are you forgetting that Snivellus spends most of his time trying to expose your furry little secret?" Sirius chipped in, frowning slightly as he stared at Remus in confusion. "Spiteful git." He hissed under his breath, almost as if it were an automatic response to hearing Snape's name.

His friend sighed softly, running a hand through his light brown hair. "I'm not defending Slytherins. I'm just saying she's not as bad as you think." He replied calmly.

"She turned me green!" Sirius cried indignantly. Even James then had to try desperately hard to contain his snort of laughter, his shoulders shaking as he raised his goblet to cover his face.

But Remus just shook his head, a small smile creeping onto his face as he shrugged. "We had to patrol the train together. Trust me, she's alright."

His friend fixed him with an accusing glare, but remained silent.

Muggle Studies was one of Ava' favourites classes – much to Benjy's amusement. As a muggleborn, he found it hysterical that she could be so fascinated by what he considered 'mundane everyday muggle life'. But Ava found it incredible how people lived without magic and couldn't understand why more students weren't encouraged to learn about the non-magical community.

It seemed like a lot of the current conflict could have been avoided if they had…

Ava was the sole Slytherin in the class too which she quite liked. It was one of the few times she felt like she wasn't being judged by her harsher housemates and felt confident to speak her mind more freely than usual.

It was also always great to spend time with Dorcas who as a half-blood found the class rather entertaining. Whilst Professor Mitford lectured about the wonders of non-magical transportation, Dorcas would usually shoot Ava a knowing smirk as her friend struggled to wrap her mind around the complexities of muggle technology.

So, despite her looming detention, Ava felt rather upbeat as she took her seat next to Dorcas. The two friends smiled softly as they conversed, waiting for the rest of the class to file in. Lily Evans and Marlene McKinnon sat beside them, Lily flashing Ava a small smile which she returned gladly.

It was nice to be on good terms with another prefect…especially given the tense atmosphere between her and Evan at the moment.

Sadly, Ava's good mood seemed to deterioate rapidly as she saw the three noisy students who entered the classroom last. James Potter and Sirius Black displayed confident smirks as they claimed their desks, Peter Pettigrew followed them closely stumbling a little as he struggled to keep up with their pace.

Ava's heart sunk as she realised the three must have changed their elective this year. Why me?

Dorcas seemed to sense her unease, her hand gently encasing hers. "What's wrong?" She asked, concern evident in her voice. Her friend had always been the smart one. Whether it was regarding logic or emotions, Dorcas seemed able to read everything like a book and her perceptive nature meant Ava rarely got away with her concealing her thoughts.

"Nothing." Ava managed to force out, shaking her head and forcing a smile onto her face. "I'm sure it will be fine."

Dorcas opened her mouth to argue, however Professor Mitford's welcome prevented her from continuing her interrogation.

"Welcome back class. It's good to see you all again this year." She told them with a bright smile, her presence radiating warmth as she beamed at her students. "And, it's great to see some new faces too. Now today we'll be-" She paused for a moment, her eyes drifting to the back of the classroom. "Is there a problem Mr Black?"

"Professor, I believe there's a lost Slytherin in the classroom."

Soft chuckles and stifled laughter could be heard around the classroom at his comment. Ava's cheeks flushed as all eyes turned towards her. She didn't need to turn around to know that Black would have that stupid smirk on his face.

The emerald and silver tie around her neck felt increasingly tighter as she fought the urge to sink down in her seat. Instead, she forced herself to turn in her seat, sit up straight and glare furiously at the Gryffindor student.

"Yes, I'm taking Muggle Studies Black. I would have thought a rebel like you would have some appreciation for it." The heavy sarcasm in her voice prompted the rest of the class to laugh loudly at his expense.

Sirius looked slightly taken aback for a moment, before a grin spread across his face. He even looked like he somewhat admired her for her snappy comment. Ava took a deep breath as she sat back in her seat, her face still flushed by the altercation.

"Now this year, we'll be looking at wizarding attitudes towards the non-magical community." Professor Mitford continued, evidently deciding to ignore the interruption despite the small smile on her face. "Myself and Professor Dumbledore believe that you're now mature enough to learn about the more…extreme attitudes displayed towards muggles."

An uneasy atmosphere settled across the class as they realised the dark nature of the topic. It was no secret that the war had ramped up outside of Hogwarts and that anti-muggle sentiment was at an all time high. Yet, at the same time, Ava felt intrigued by the subject. Surely, this was something they had to understand in order to combat extremism.

"Why does prejudice exist against muggles?" Professor Mitford asked, perching herself on her desk. Her eyes softened as she glanced at the anxious students. "Remember there's no right or wrong answers. I just want to hear your thoughts today."

However, her encouraging words didn't evoke a response. The atmosphere grew increasinly tense and nervous.

"Miss Burke?"

Ava glanced up surprised to be selected. She glanced at her teacher who nodded reassuringly, a kind smile gracing her face. "I don't think there is one answer professor." She replied cautiously. "People try to justify their prejudices using different reasons."

"But if you had to single one out which one would it be?" Professor Mitford asked, leaning back on her desk as she surveyed her carefully. A moment of silence passed as the class awaited her response.

"Fear." Ava responded slowly, glancing down at her hands before raising her eyes to meet Professor Mitford's gaze. "People fear what they don't understand."

Her teacher smiled kindly, nodding in agreement. "And, do you think we should fear muggles?"

Ava quickly shook her head. "No. Wizards have lived peacefully alongside muggles for centuries. Bad people exist everywhere – whether they're muggles or wizards." She insisted, pausing before continuing. "The funny thing is that what all the worst people have in common is intolerance. We should try to be better than that. People can be different."

The silence seemed to echo around the class as her words sunk in. She lifted her gaze to see what looked like pride shining in Professor Mitford's eyes as she nodded, clapping her hands as she asked a different question to a Hufflepuff student. Dorcas beside her was smiling kindly as she squeezed her hand in support.

However, what Ava couldn't see was the look of surprise on Sirius Black's face at her words.

"Is it true that you embarrassed Evan in potions yesterday?" Emma whispered, her blue eyes wide as she took a seat next to Ava at the Slytherin table.

From her other side she saw Regulus head lift up in interest, his dark hair fell across his face as his grey eyes fixed upon her. Ava shook her head at his quizzical stare and shrugged her shoulders before turning to Emma.

It seemed like peace was never going to last this year.

Ava sighed, dropping her fork with a clatter as she glanced exasperatedly at her friend. "I wouldn't say embarrassed…more like corrected." She replied, choosing to ignore Emma's concerned look. "Why does it matter anyway?"

From Regulus's side she heard Barty Crouch snort in amusement. She rolled her eyes at his behaviour, not that she'd ever been impressed by the forth-year's attitude.

Emma paused for a moment, seemingly hesitant to tell her friend the truth. "Well-" However, her explanation was abruptly cut off by the arrival of Alexander Wilkes, Sebastian Mulciber, Gregory Avery and Severus Snape. The sinister smirks on their faces as they sat opposite the two girls made Ava shift uncomfortably.

They tended to hang around with the rest of their gang, including Evan. So, the fact they'd decided to deviate from their usual seating arrangements made her increasingly nervous.

"Everything alright?" Wilkes asked, greeting them with a nod as he reached forward to pile his plate with roast potatoes. His casual tone gave nothing away as he glanced up at Ava in curiosity.

Ava gave him a small nod, her voice suddenly caught in her throat. There was something about the way Mulciber's eyes were glinting that made her stomach twist uneasily. A malicious smirk crept onto his lips as he saw her attempt to avoid his piercing gaze.

Fortunately, Regulus seemed to sense her discomfort and attempted to come to her rescue. "How's everyone's first week going?" He asked, his voice oddly calm as he made a start on his dinner.

"Not as eventful as Ava's." Avery replied snidely, shooting her a vicious glare. Despite her trepidation, Ava felt a prickle of indignation that forced her to meet his gaze head on. "Did you have fun in potions?"

Even if she felt uncomfortable now, she wouldn't take back what she'd said to Evan. Nor would she admit that she was wrong to do it. He was the only one who should feel bad about the incident.

"I'm sure Evan can handle his own issues. He's a big boy after all." She retorted, unable to keep the biting sarcasm out of her voice. Conversations like these were becoming draining – especially after all of the trouble last year. Part of her was just thankful that Evan was currently busy with prefect duties.

Sadly, her fellow Slytherins didn't seem to share her dislike for conflict. "To not back your own housemate is disloyal." Snape spoke softly, his eyes shining with pride as his fellows nodded in agreement. His greasy hair hung limply as he leaned forward awaiting her reaction, his dark eyes narrowed in judgement.

Ava gritted her teeth at their childish behaviour. Did they only ever feel brave with each other's twisted validation. She couldn't help as the next words slipped from her mouth.

"How about backing your own friend Severus? Lily isn't it?"

Her icy tone seemed to freeze the air, the table almost holding its breath as Snape's eyes glazed over with fury. Yet his body language betrayed his true feelings, recoiling away from her as if her words had caused him physical harm. He was ashamed of himself…and rightly so.

Emma shifted uncomfortably next to Ava as Mulciber leered across the table at her, a scowl on his face. "You really should show more respect." He snarled, his hand sinisterly stroking his wand which lay beside his plate.

For a moment the tension was unbearable, before Regulus sighed softly shaking his head. "How about we all try to get along?" He suggested coolly, his tone even and confident. He pushed his dark hair back from his eyes before glancing at each one of his housemates meaningfully. "We're all in Slytherin together for a reason, right?"

Are we? Ava had the good sense to bite back her retort, silently fuming at the glares she was receiving from her fellow housemates. Her cheeks flushed with emotion as she realised she once again stood alone against them.

All of a sudden, she didn't feel hungry anymore.

Ava sprung to her feet, pushing her plate away as she grabbed her bag. "I've got to go." She announced, allowing her dark hair to fall forward and obscure her face from their intense scrutiny. She couldn't take anymore for tonight.

However, she couldn't miss Regulus's head turning towards her, his grey eyes narrowing slightly as they landed on her nearly full plate. "You've barely touched your food." He protested softly, his tone rather concerned.

Ava hummed, shaking her head in response. "Well I don't want to be late for my detention with McGonagall." She forced a smile onto her face despite how painful it felt. "What's that phrase about a red rag to a bull?"

The others chortled at her joke, but Regulus merely shot her a sad smile as she nervously fiddled with the strap on her bag. He had always been rather perceptive, picking up on signs others would easily miss. That's what made it so difficult to lie to him.

"Ah, yes! Your detention for hexing Black?" Avery laughed cruelly, glancing over at the Gryffindor table as if he could relive the moment. "At least you've somewhat redeemed yourself Ava."

She couldn't bring herself to respond, merely murmuring goodbye to Emma and giving a brief wave to Regulus before quickly turning on her heel and quickly exiting the Great Hall desperate to escape the awkward atmosphere.

Ava's mind was still preoccupied with worries about her housemates as she entered the classroom. In fact, she was so caught up in her own thoughts she almost didn't notice Professor McGonagall until the emerald-green robes appeared in front of her face.

She almost jumped in surprise, only just managing to hold onto her composure as McGonagall's eyes narrowed through her glinting spectacles. "You're rather early Miss Burke." Her voice was crisp, her eyes scrutinising.

Ava felt as if she were undergoing a silent interrogation. Suddenly, she felt very conscious that her cheeks remained flushed from her earlier altercation and her hair most likely dishevelled due to her subsequent nervous fiddling.

"I just didn't want to be late Professor." She replied quickly, hoping that her Transfiguration teacher would let the subject slide unchallenged. Thankfully, McGonagall hummed in response gesturing for her to take a seat before returning to her desk.

The silence was silently excruciating as Ava took her time unpacking her quill and parchment. She had the distinct feeling her every move was being watched by the ever-sharp Professor.

"Miss Burke?" Ava glanced up to see a rare warmth on Professor McGonagall's face. It was almost more unnerving than her usual terrifying sternness. "If you should ever find yourself wanting to talk to someone. Please do know that all of the Hogwarts professors are at your disposal."

Ava's throat constricted slightly. She gave her transfiguration teacher a small nod in response before busying herself with rearranging her quills and ink pot. Was she really that transparent?

Luckily (or perhaps unluckily), Sirius Black then chose the moment to burst into the classroom panting and out of breath. McGonagall's demeanour instantly changed, her prim expression returning as she stared at her student. Her eyes narrowed in suspicious at his breathlessness, astutely suspecting him of more rule-breaking.

"Mr Black, you're almost late." She told him crisply, gesturing for him to sit down. "And, I will ask you once more to please not run in the corridors again."

Sirius flashed her a grin that suggested he'd once again be ignoring her request. Fortunately for him, McGonagall had already turned back towards her desk.

"Perhaps next time you should take a leaf out of Miss Burke's book and arrive promptly and in an orderly fashion."

Sirius's eyes fixed upon Ava, almost as if he'd forgotten about her company this evening. His brow furrowed and his mouth twisted, clearly offended by the suggestion. His dismay would have been amusing if Ava had been in a better mood.

"Given the nature of your rule-breaking-" McGonagall peered over her spectacles at Ava, disappointment evident in her eyes that a prefect had been caught duelling. "I believe that writing lines about respecting your fellow Hogwarts students will be appropriate for this evening's detention."

Sirius made a noise as if about to protest, however McGonagall's fiery gaze seemed to render him mute. "In silence Mr Black."

It was an hour into detention before Ava decided to raise her head from her parchment, glancing around the room as the boredom started to take hold. Her hand ached slightly as she twisted the quill thoughtfully in her hands.

A quiet rustling beside her caused her to glance at Sirius, her brow furrowing in confusion as she saw him sneaking a glance into a small square mirror. Professor McGonagall seemed too preoccupied with her Transformation Through the Ages book to notice her student's strange procrastination.

Then an owl flew through the door, landing gracefully on McGonagall's desk and outstretching its leg. Their Professor frowned as she read the note, her mouth becoming very thin as anger appeared in her eyes. "You two are to stay here until I return."

She fixed Sirius with a particularly harsh stare before she swept from the room, her robes billowing behind her. As the door closed, Sirius yawned loudly and stretched dramatically in his seat before crumpling up a piece of paper and tossing it with perfect aim into the bin at the front. He flashed a grin at Ava, flicking his shiny hair back from his face before returning his attention to his mirror.

Ava rolled her eyes, attempting to ignore his conceited behaviour. He really was unbelievable.

Unfortunately for her, her stomach took the opportunity to rumble loudly. She silently cursed herself for skipping dinner earlier. To her dismay Sirius chuckled loudly, unwilling to spare her the embarrassment.

"Hungry Burke?" He barked. "I know a way you can solve that." He tapped his nose knowingly as if he were about to divulge a secret. "If you'd only ask nicely, I'd tell you about a certain fruit painting-"

Ava silenced him (albeit momentarily) with a look of pure loathing.

"Merlin, you even take detention seriously." He scoffed dismissively.

Ava ignored his comment, refusing to take his bait. However, the Gryffindor seemed to enjoy winding her up as he leant forward in his seat. "Early for detention? That must be a new record." He teased, a wide grin spreading across his face as she wrinkled her nose in annoyance.

"Unlike you Black, I'm not used to being in trouble." She replied coldly, prompting him to just roll his eyes in response. He held his mirror up once again, appearing to be fixated on his own reflection. "Are you so vain you bring a mirror to detention?" She snapped, her tone much harsher than she had intended.

Almost immediately she regretted the loss of her temper, sighing heavily as she rubbed her temples. "Sorry that was…unkind." She admitted quietly, cursing herself for giving in to her own stress. It had just been a really long day.

"No offence taken Burke." Sirius raised his eyebrows, perhaps more surprised at her apology than her angry comment. He raised his hands up in a mocking surrender. "I'm used to unkindness from you Slytherins. After all, you did turn me bright green yesterday."

A knowing grin crept onto his face as she huffed exasperatedly, turning back towards the front of the class in an effort to ignore his taunts.

A moment of silence passed before Sirius spoke again. His voice was almost hesitant.

"I suppose I owe you an apology too anyway." He told her quietly, smirking at her confused expression. "We found out it was Aubrey who gave us the detention." He tilted backwards on his chair, his dark hair falling into his face with a casual elegance as he chuckled at her disbelief.

Bertram Aubrey was a pompous idiot. This year he was a pompous idiot who had been made Ravenclaw prefect alongside Dorcas (much to dismay). It sounded about right that it would have been him to dish out detentions before any students had even arrived at school.

Ava was silently fuming that she'd been the one to receive his punishment off the troublesome Gryffindor foursome. Dorcas would definitely be hearing about this later.

Sirius stared down at his lines, huffing with boredom as yet another minute passed without McGonagall's return. He snuck a quick glance at the mirror, hoping to see James's smirking face as he announced the successful completion of his prank. But unfortunately, it seemed that his friend was still busy with its well-time execution.

A soft sigh echoed around the classroom as his detention partner laid her head down on her desk, her long hair concealing her face. A moment passed before his intrigue got the better of him, the words escaping his lips without much thought.

"Eh, did you mean what you said earlier?"

He didn't really know why he'd asked the question. Perhaps he just wanted a reason to talk to the peculiar Slytherin. Besides her words from their earlier lessons had been playing on his mind all day and he wanted to find out if they were the truth.

Her brow furrowed in confusion as she reluctantly turned to face him. "Mean what?"

"What you said in Muggle Studies…about fear leading to prejudice. That we should try to be better." He explained, suddenly feeling inexplicably nervous under the scrutiny of her hazel eyes. "That differences can be good."

Her eyebrow raised as if she were trying to figure out whether this was another one of his jokes. However, when he didn't smirk or attempt a taunt, she nodded slowly. "Of course. It's the truth isn't it?" She murmured, raking a hand through her curls thoughtfully. "The world would be a much better place if we accepted that deep down, we're all worth the same – regardless of abilities, families…blood."

Sirius raised an eyebrow in surprise at the distain in her voice. Surely, it had to be the first time a Slytherin had ever sounded so dismayed by the idea of blood purity? His family certainly took the opposite view.

"None of it makes any sense."

Sirius hummed quietly in agreement. A comfortable silence falling between the two of them for the first time that night. It felt as if they could finally agree on something.

A smile played on Ava's lips as she gazed at Sirius curiously. "Anyway, I was surprised that you'd be taking Muggle Studies Black. You never struck me as the type."

Sirius chuckled softly, leaning back in his seat as he ran a hand through his hair. "Ah well, I thought it might come in handy. You see there's a fit muggle girl who lives near James and I figured that a couple of tips wouldn't hurt my chances with her." He flashed her a teasing grin, clearly enjoying trying to make her feel uncomfortable.

Ava rolled her eyes at his distasteful joke, but her bright hazel eyes betrayed her amusement. "I'm sure your parents would be thrilled." She replied, pausing as she noticed the sullen dark look on Sirius's face. "Sorry, I shouldn't have- I wasn't thinking-"

"Nah, it's okay." Sirius replied, shrugging his shoulders as he tried to feign casual disinterest. "I'm sure you've heard it all from my brother, right?"

Her responding silence gave him his answer. Of course, Regulus had warned her away. Given her unusual views and the fact she even took Muggle Studies, Sirius would bet that his little brother hadn't been too forthcoming about their friendship to their parents. So, it was no wonder he had heard so little about one of the few Slytherins that didn't make him want to hex them.

"Let's just say they're not as crazy about equality as you then." He told her quietly, pursing his lips at the thought of his intolerant family. He met Ava's gaze and suddenly felt rather exposed by her soft expression, the concern shining in her eyes. He coughed loudly, deciding to swiftly change the topic to something less uncomfortable.

"Dating a muggle though? It would be worth it to see my mother's face." Sirius told her, a smirk on his lips as he thought about the potential kick-offs he could cause. Even just his posters of scantily-clad muggle girls had provoked his mother into a fit of rage over the summer. "SIRIUS ORION BLACK!" He roared in a high-pitched voice, pulling a disgusted face eerily similar to that of his mother's.

Ava burst out into loud laughter unable to contain her amusement. Sirius's grey eyes were considerably lighter than they had been before and a wide grin had spread across his face.

His growing confidence encouraged him to keep the conversation going. "I did it for James by the way. Muggle Studies. He reckons it will give him a chance with Evans."

Ava's lips twitched as if she was fighting a smile. Her hand rose to push the thick curtain of brown hair back from her face. "He must love a hopeless case then." She replied. Sirius barked loudly with laughter, pleasantly surprised by her quick wit.

"Mr Black, this is detention!" Professor McGonagall scolded as she strode back into the room, tapping Sirius on the head with her wand to silence his laughter. She stared at the two of them, a stern expression on her face and anger in her eyes.

For a moment it looked as if she was about to shoot sparks from her nose.

"It seems that the two of you will be excused early tonight. An…incident has arisen in the entrance hall which requires my attention." She spoke through gritted teeth, fixing her eyes upon Sirius as though she had every suspicion he had something to do with the interruption. "I would suggest you avoid the area on the way back to your common rooms."

Sirius leant back in his chair attempting to look rather innocent as she glared at him once final time before briskly exiting the room.

"Thanks James." He murmured under his breath, knowing that his friend had been behind the distraction. He flashed Ava a smirk as she glanced at him curiously. "Something wrong Burke?" He asked, tossing his quill into his robes before standing up.

Ava rolled her eyes and grabbed her bag, not hesitating as she walked past Sirius into the corridor. He grinned widely before following her out, leaning against the stone wall as her figure retreated down the corridor towards the dungeons.

"See you around." He shouted after her teasingly.

"Hopefully not!" Her playful reply echoed down the corridor as did Sirius's responding laughter. He grinned to himself as she disappeared from sight, shaking his head as he turned to walk towards Gryffindor Tower.

Perhaps this Slytherin wasn't so bad after all.

A/N So, there you have it the first proper interaction between Sirius and Ava! I hope you like it. I've found it hard writing them together at this point as Sirius definitely does take a while to see past the Slytherin badge when it comes to her. But, their detention is first time they've had the chance to interact by themselves. Please do let me know what you think!

Thanks so much to those who have already reviewed, followed and favourited. It means a lot. Let me if you enjoyed this chapter and if there's anything you'd like to see in future ones.

SPOILER: Chapter 4 will include a trip to Hogsmeade, a Marauders prank, a run-in with Evan and talk of "snogging in a broom cupboard"...so plenty to look forward to ;) I'm away this weekend, so I hope you enjoy this early update. I'm going to aim for one a week. :)