This is my longest chapter yet. I hope it's not boring oranything. Tell me if it is and I'll try to improve it!

Without further adieu:

--Chapter 4-It All Started with a Game of Chess--

Ricky's mid-October birthday dawned bright and cold. I met him down in the common room early. It was accidental of course. I had been planning on sneaking up to his dorm and putting his gifts with all the others he was sure to get, so it was quite surprising to see him up so early. He's not what you would call a morning person.

"Happy birthday, Ricky!" I exclaimed, kissing him gently on the cheek. "How's it feel to be of age?"

"Good morning to you, too, Enna," Ricky yawned widely, rubbing his eyes. "To be honest it's not too different."

I grinned and shoved the blue wrapped packages I had been carrying at him, "Here." He took them looking slightly confused. "Open them, Ricky! I didn't spend my allowance on you for nothing you know."

Ricky sat on a nearby couch and tore the wrapping paper off the first gift. It was a book by the name The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Not something I would typically get him, but the book reminded me so much of his cousins that I had to get it. "Nice." Ricky complemented and went after the second gift. I had gotten him a new chess set. His old ones were, well, old and . Plus these were really nice black marble ones with gold trim. The white had silver trim, but since I can't touch silver without having a severe allergic reaction, I couldn't get him the white set. "These are great, Enna! Thanks."

I grinned, "You're quite welcome. The last one?" I pushed the slim package towards him.

"Wow," he grinned. It was a picture that was just taken last summer. Ricky, Maddie, Veronica, William, Angelique, Sirius, James, and I were all sitting near a large oak tree in Ricky's back yard. Maddie, Veronica, and Angelique were sitting on a low tree branch whispering to each other, completely unaware of the fact that James and Sirius were standing near them listening to every word. Ricky and William were sitting on either side of me down on the picnic blanket in the shade. I was absorbed in a book, Ricky was eating, and William was reading over my shoulder. "That's a great picture."

"Mom took it actually. She just got it developed and sent it to me last week. I thought it'd be a nice birthday gift."

"It is. Thanks. For all of my gifts." he smiled at me.

"No prob, Ricky," I shrugged returning his smile.

It was around lunch time when Maddie realized it was his birthday. She loudly exclaimed, "Oh my gosh your of age!" and smacked him over the head in congratulations. Ricky, who had been in the middle of eating, went face first into his mashed potatoes. Ricky calmly wiped potatoes out of his eyes and told Maddie that if she didn't leave the Great Hall within the next two minutes something horrible would happen to her. Maddie dashed out, laughing loudly.

Although most of the day was dedicated to classes and homework of all sorts, Ricky and I played chess most of the evening. Now, we've played chess for years, and not once have I beaten him. Even in games where I think I have him trapped, he always manages to beat me! A few games in, I could tell Ricky was kind of bored.

"Finally tiring of beating me?"

"You're not putting any effort into playing, Enna."

"Sure I am!"

"No, you're not. Believe me, I can tell."

"Well, what's the point?"

"Good question, " Ricky smirked evilly. "How about we make a bet."

"What sort of--"

"Agree to it first."

I rolled my eyes, "Since it's your birthday, fine."

There was a glint in Ricky's eyes that made me nervous, "Brilliant. Let's see, if you loose you must try and snog William at breakfast tomorrow. Right in front of his fanclub."

I groaned and smacked myself on the forehead. I should have known better than to agree to Ricky and his crazy idea to make chess more interesting. William's fanclub would murder me! I've always wondered why he just doesn't date someone already, just to make life a bit easier. I know for a fact he hates all the attention. When I asked her about it, Maddie told me he's waiting for someone. I asked her who, but she just raised an eyebrow, asked Isn't obvious, Enna? and changed the subject.

Back on the subject of the wager, I had a lovely chance to get him back, "If you loose, Fredrick Weasley, you have to. . .snog Leonora Malfoy during Potions tomorrow."

I heard James and Sirius try and muffle their laughter in a corner of the common room. Apparently they had been listening in our our conversation. Ricky grinned, and being so very sure that he wouldn't loose, agreed readily. The chess game that followed was the longest one I have ever played. Spurred on by our desire not to snog someone, Ricky and I played our best. James, Sirius, Maddie, and Veronica all abandoned their homework to watch us play. In the end we stalemated.

"Bet's off then?" I asked Ricky.

"No!" Maddie cried. There was an evil glint in her eye that made her look even more like her mother. "We get to decide that particular bit."

Ricky and I exchanged nervous glances as Maddie discussed what we should do with her brothers and Veronica. After a minute of debating, they turned to face us.

"We've given this a lot of thought," James began.

"And we have decided that you both should act as though you lost." Sirius finished.

"For the record, I blame you," I told Ricky. He rolled his eyes at me.

"You'll have to complete the tasks by tomorrow, or else we'll get to pick something else out for the two of you to do." Veronica smiled sweetly, twirling a strand of her dark red hair around her fingers.

The next morning, I went to breakfast late. I would have skipped it all together, but the task was suppose to take place during breakfast. . .in front of William's fan club. Merlin knows how the teachers will find my remains. . .

I went over to the Ravenclaw table and tapped William on the shoulder. He smiled warmly, and told the brunette next to him to budge over. The brunette (I noticed she was wearing a silver necklace with the initial "J" as a charm. She must be the Joan Will's mentioned.) gave me a scornful look and moved over reluctantly. I only ate a little bit of food. This was highly unusual for me, and William asked if I was feeling alright. I told him I was fine, but to hurry up and finished his breakfast.

About half way through our breakfast hour, I couldn't stand it anymore. If I didn't do it soon, I would probably end up running out of the Great Hall without so much as saying good-bye to him.

"Sorry about this," I muttered, and stood up halfway, resting one of my knees on the bench to keep my balance. I nervously put my arms around his neck and kissed him softly on the side of his mouth. Hoping I could get away with just that, I started to pull back. William, on the other hand, had different ideas. He pulled me in closer and kissed me full on the mouth. I pulled back swiftly, completely shocked. I could sense that everyone around us was watching.

"We need to talk," William told me quietly after a few moments silence. I consented and let him lead me out of the Great Hall. When we were outside the doors, out of site of prying eyes, he turned to face me. "So. . ." he said.

"Why'd you kiss me?" I asked.

"You kissed me first, Enna."

"I know, but that was because I lost a bet!" The instant I told him that I regretted it. He looked so hurt. "Merlin, William, I'm sorry." I ran my fingers through my hair. "I didn't mean--"

"It's okay. . .fine. . .I just thought that. . ." William trailed off and turned to leave.

I grabbed his sleeve, "Thought what?"

"That maybe you actually returned my feelings."

I blinked once, then about ten times rapidly. My gosh. . .he liked me like that! I hadn't seen that coming.

"W-what?"

"I really like you, Enna. I have for ages." he brushed a stray strand of hair out of my eyes. "What just happened was. . .I hadn't even dreamed that you would do that. . ."

"I can't date you," I told him.

"You don't like me?"

"I-I don't know," I kept glancing around wildly, hoping to find some sort of escape. "But--" William grabbed me around the waist, pulled me close, and kissed me. Again. This time it was, well, not something I can accurately describe to you. An electric spark shot down my spine, making me gasp. "Oh my gosh. . ." I whispered when he pulled back. "I-I. . .wow." I looked up at William. He was grinning broadly. He looked so handsome and happy that I nearly cried. "Oh, William. I'm sorry. But I can't date you."

"Why not? Do you like someone else?" he demanded.

"No, it's just. . .we're friends. We've always been friends. My parents and your whole family are friends. What happens if we do date and then we have a horrendous breakup for some reason? I care for you too much to loose you."

"What if we promise--Vow even--to remain friends if we ever break up?"

"But--"

"Trust me, Enna."

I looked him straight in the eye. He was being sincere in every respect. Then again, how could he not be? He's been steadfast and true for as long as I can remember. He's even hexed a few people on my behalf, but that's another story. This couldn't be as simple as a promise. Promises have been broken before. . .yet. . .I took a deep breath, "Give me til the next Hogsmeade weekend. I'll give you my answer then."

William nodded. A few moments later, students began to pour out of the Great Hall. We had resolved the issue just in time it seems.

I grinned, remembering what was going to take place during Potions, "Come on!" I grabbed William's hand, and pulled him in the direction of the dungeons.

"What--?"

"I'll explain on the way!"

"And then, after Malfoy realizes who she's snogging passionately, she pulls back and slaps Ricky across the face." Tears of mirth spill down my face as I told Maddie and Veronica about what had happened during Potions.

"He went up to her in the middle of class?" Veronica was staring at me in wide-eyed shock. Whether it was from the fact that Ricky interrupted a class or that Leonora had kissed Ricky back, I was not sure. Maddie, on the other hand, was collapsed on her bed, laughing to hard to breathe.

Veronica, Maddie, and I were currently in the fifth year girl's dorm, talking (like we do every Friday night). It was nearly midnight and most everyone in the castle was asleep at this time. Maddie's roommates could sleep through a thunderstorm, but we use a simple spell ("Muffliato") to make sure no one can hear us talking.

"It was part of the bet, no?"

""Speaking of bets, how'd your snog go?" Maddie gasped as she wiped tears off her cheeks.

"I'm craving some chocolate. Anyone else up for a trip to the kitchens? It's your week with the invisibility cloak, right, Mads?" I quickly changed the topic.

"Yeah. . ." Maddie and Veronica exchanged a confused, yet amused look, but agreed to get something to eat anyway. Maddie grabbed the heavy cloak from her trunk and threw it over top of us. We tiptoed through the empty common room, and down the silent halls, down to the kitchens.

"Madeleine Potter!" a squeaky voice greeted Maddie when she pulled the cloak off. She greeted him and pulled the cloak off of Veronica and me.

"Wotcher, Dobby!" I greeted the house elf, happily.

"And friends!" the elf squealed in delight. "I just saw your brothers last week, but it has been far too long since you have come to visit. Is there anything you would like?"

"Anything with chocolate for Enna, here," Maddie grinned.

Dobby hurried off. When he came back, two other elves were with him, helping him carry a large tray.

"Thanks!" Veronica, Maddie, and I exclaimed happily. We took the tray and settled down near the fire to eat. I grabbed a chocolate chip scone and one of the mugs of hot cocoa.

"Now, what exactly happened when you tried to snog my dear cousin, William?" Maddie asked me. "I saw you two kiss, then leave the Great Hall. What exactly happened between then and Potions?"

I nervously nibbled on my scone before answering, "Well, I didn't snog him. He snogged me." I proceeded to explain what had happened between breakfast and Potions. I told them all about his question and my confusions and concerns.

"Took him long enough," Veronica quipped and took a bite of cake.

"What are you talking about!" I fairly shouted at her. She looked shocked and for the second time that day I felt guilty about what I had said. "I'm sorry, Ronnie. I didn't mean to yell."

Maddie gave me an amused look, "Remember when I told you he was waiting for someone?" she raised her eyebrows at me.

". . .Me?" I managed to squeak out.

Veronica nodded as Maddie asked, "Are you going to date him then?"

"I don't know. William's sweet. I really care for him, but I don't know if I like him in that particular way."

"When have you ever been sure of anything pertaining to relationships, Enna?"

"Um. . ."

"Exactly. I think you should at least give it a try."

I frowned. Veronica just shook her head and said, "Personally I'm surprised that Ricky set this whole thing up, considering—"

"Wait a minute!" I sat up straight, spilling my cocoa all over my pajamas in the process."What do you mean he set us up?"

"Ricky figured you loose the chess game, like always—not to offend you, En, but you do always loose—and you'd have to kiss him. Ricky knows that William likes you."

I opened my mouth to reply, but Veronica said that we should be getting back to the dorms before we were caught. We helped clean up our mess in silence and left the kitchens in a single-file line. When I finally got to bed, I laid awake for ages, weighting the pros and cons of dating William. Wondering if staying friends after a relationship could be so simple. What did I truly feel. . .

The Hogsmeade weekend came up quickly. Each passing day had been harder on me. Each day, I became more nervous, knocking things over and tripping more often then I usually did. I'd been asked by many teachers what had happened. Was my father okay? Was my mother okay? Did my parents have a fight?

When that day finally came, I walked to Hogsmeade on my own and bought myself a butterbeer at The Three Broomsticks. I'm not sure how long I sat there, swirling the amber liquid around in its bottle, but. . .

"Aw, is Enna lonely?" I glanced up. Alice was standing over me, her cheeks and nose were pink and she looked quite windswept. "Mind if I join you? Nina's gone off snogging, so I won't see her for a while." she sighed in a long-suffering sort of way.

I raised an eyebrow, but nodded. Alice must have another motive. She never talks with me unless she wants something. Last time it was help on her Charms homework. "I can't stay long. I'm meeting someone soon." I told her, finishing off my butterbeer.

"Ooo, William Weasley, right?" she looked highly interested. "I overheard two of your friends talking on the way here. Madeleine and Veronica, correct."

"I guess," I replied. At least this time Alice didn't try to chat before getting to the point. Last time I had to listen to her rant on about something or another that I wasn't the least bit interested in. "William's my friend, Alice."

"Not for long, m'dear!" she grinned happily. "Well, I don't want to keep you from Lover Boy. Tah!" and with that she left the table, joining a group of Hufflepuffs nearby.

I rolled my eyes and hurried out of the pub. After buttoning my coat securely against the brisk wind, I set off. I wasn't sure where I was going, but the longer I kept moving, the more time there was before I had to answer William's question. I ended up in a clearing in the forest. Brightly colored leaves swirled around quickly, making me dizzy. I sat down on a nearby rock and stared at the mountains in the distance.

"Cocoa?"

I jumped and fell off the rock. "Ow," I muttered and rubbed the back of my head."You just had to surprise me?"

"Sorry about that," William replied and helped me up. "I saw you walking up the hill and followed. I just wanted to see if you were okay. You've been. . .peaky lately. I hope it's not my fault."

"It's not your fault, William. Just mine." I sat back down on the rock and patted the space by me. "Come on. The view's beautiful."

"Cocoa?" William asked once again as he sat, holding up a thermos.

"I'd love some, thank you," I smiled at him gratefully. I watched as William unscrewed the lid and poured some of the steaming liquid into the mug.

"Where'd you get this?" I took the cup from him, letting its heat warm my hands before taking a sip.

"From the kitchens. No place in Hogsmeade has hot cocoa like this."

"True," I took a small sip. "Want some?" I offered him the cup.

He started to take the mug, but stopped, his hand barely inches from my own, "It depends."

"On what?"

"Your answer."

"Oh. . .right."

"Did you come up with one?"

I stared at the cocoa in my mug and sighed. I looked over at William who had a cautiously hopeful expression on his face. "I've given this a lot of thought, William. I don't doubt that you care for me, but I've never been in this position before. I don't know what I feel for you. I certainly care for you. How could I not? We've be friends for our whole lives. The thing is I don't know if what I feel for you is what you feel for me."

"How else will you find out?"

I grinned slightly, "That's what Mad Maddie's been telling me. And I've decided to take her advice."

"Does that mean. . ?"

"I'll be your girlfriend, William," I smiled at him shyly. I remembered to add, " Just as long as we remain good friends if we break up." a few seconds later.

"Of course, Enna." He smiled rather lovingly at me and took my free hand. I laced my fingers with his, and we just sat there, drinking cocoa, and watching the leaves fall until dusk fell.

Betcha didn't see that coming! Or maybe I was obvious? Ah, well, what's done is done. Hope you enjoyed the bit of romance I threw in. . .should be interesting, no? Anyway, thanks to those who made guesses on Enna's real name. You all are great! I'm sorry to say that none of you got it. -ducks- But I'll give you cookies anyway! -holds out a plate- Out of all of you who guessed, TrubySCS3 was the closest. Ready for it? Here you go:

Selene

. . .As in the Greek goddess of the moon (one of the many versions of the name anyway). Like it? -laughs- Sorry if my clues were too vague. I was afraid that I'd give too much away.

Reviews:

bograt: Thanks! I just had to include the love potion! It was one of my favorite parts of HBP. Ron's part of Hermione's Amortentia! -squeals- Why else would she stop mid-sentence and blush I ask you.

phoenixtear9: No, sorry. I'm glad you liked the chapter. Everyone needs good friends to count on.

Ginevra lily: Thanks! Sorry though. You can have cookies anyway! -holds up plate again-

Daft Strangus: Thanks! Well, I dunno. . .it seems that with all the prejudges crap Remus had to put up with, his daughter wouldn't be treated too much differently.

TrubySCS3: Well, Truby you were the closest! And you guessed the most. Thanks! I'm glad you like the story. I'm having fun writing it!

Godricgal: Glad you like Enna! It seemed to me that William and Angelique would be in Ravenclaw because of who their mother is. -shrugs- I thought that since she sat with the Ravenclaws during the Triwizard, that she had more Ravenclaw qualities than any other house qualities. I might try and work some more flashbacks into the fic. And I'm gonna have Remus and Tonks around for Christmas as well.

The Female Nerd: Thank you!

dancer8428: Thanks a bunch!

LadyLupinLover: Thanks for the review! I'm very glad you like it! And that was a good guess with the name. I hadn't even thought of that one.

Cool! Nine reviews instead of the usual five. That's awesome! I'm so very happy! Btw, I'm hoping to have the character's bios in my profile by this weekend, so keep on checking back!

Anne