Hello, and welcome to part 5 of Best Wishes! A huge thanks to everyone that's been reviewing my story; you guys are made of awesome! This chapter also took a very long time, unfortunately. I've been visiting and applying to schools, and it's taken up sooo much of my time, so I'm really sorry.

Where we left off…

"Don't worry about it. I've had much closer calls than that in here before. Come on, I'll walk you back to your common room" He nodded his head in the direction of the school, and he and Lily set off together.

So, maybe Lily and Ginny had more in common than before. The hair, the eyes, and a crush on a seemingly unattainable friend of their older brother…

Best Wishes!

Chapter Five

"So you see, sister mine, why even I cannot get behind the little stunt you pulled?" Fred chided his sister

"Not particularly, no" Roxanne replied, with an annoyed, sardonic smirk

For the last twenty minutes, (which to her had felt like several hours, as she had never been one to sit quietly for prolonged periods of time) Fred had been making his younger sister feel like a prize arse. The common room had all but emptied, and Fred had seized the opportunity to pass on information to his sister that he was quite frankly shocked she didn't already understand. Troublemakers, miscreants, wrongdoers and malefactors in every generation had all had a basic common goal. To cause mayhem, tension, stir up trouble, and just generally make life more interesting. It may be chaotic, at times, but one thing held it all together: there were guidelines, an unwritten code; and as Fred had to explain to the unruly Roxanne, there were levels you don't stoop to.

One of the penultimate principles of mischief making: never go against the family. Amusingly, this was also a strict rule of the mafia, but never mind that now…

"But it was just so much fun! She came running down the stairs wrapped in her bed sheets!" Roxanne protested, though admittedly the whole thing was a bit less funny after-the-fact.

"If you wanted revenge on her, you know there are plenty of less public and certainly more imaginative ways to go about it. But public humiliation in front of our entire House? They'll never look at her the same again, never respect her again" She started to interrupt that that was perhaps the best part, and hadn't he always said the authority figures such as her need to get knocked down a peg? Of course, knowing his sister as well as Fred did, he cut her off "While that does seem amusing now, just think of what it'll make her do! She needs to win the cup this year, she's the Head Girl and she's a total perfectionist, as well you know." He said the term 'perfectionist' the same way you might say 'infectiously diseased'. "Can you imagine what she'll be like now? The lengths she'll go to, to keep everyone in line? She'll be worse than ever, because of your lack of foresight." He said, not angrily, but in an almost disappointed voice. Even worse, in a tone that said he knew he was right. It was bloody annoying.

Roxanne had to try and save face here. "But she was docking points for running!" She whined, a last-ditch attempt at redemption.

"Nevertheless"

Roxanne opened her mouth to respond, but words failed her. It was very difficult to argue with 'nevertheless'.

Lily had never been one for diary keeping. It seemed a pointless waste of time to divulge information to a source that had no means of replying. She instead would talk to her brothers or cousins for advice. But this, Lily decided, she'd have to puzzle out for herself. First, she'd have to find out which of her brothers Evan knew.

Lily had to come up with a plan. All she knew was that he wasn't on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, so he didn't know James from there. He could still be in his year, though. She couldn't exactly stake out both her brothers classes, just to check. This was going to take some detective work, and she knew just who to see about that.

Elizabeth Perks, a Hufflepuff third year, was infamous throughout the school for knowing everything about everyone in the school. She was Hogwarts answer to a tabloid writer, and saw everyone else's personal lives as her own claim to fame. She was insufferable to talk to, but everyone put up with her. She was easy to bribe for information, and too many knew the consequences of making the gossip hub angry.

The one thing Elizabeth could never say no to was Honeydukes' Chocoballs. Though Lily wasn't allowed to visit Hogsmeade, her brothers always spoiled her with treats and toys the brought back for her. She'd been saving the remaining snacks, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

"Lizzy, how've you been! I haven't seen you in ages!" Lily plastered a smile on her face

"You're too right, Emily, was it?"

"Lily, actually" She grimaced; this was going to be more painful than she thought. "Look, I'm just going to cut to the chase here. I need the scoop on a friend of my brothers. His name is Evan, and you see, they've only just started hanging out. I've never met him before, and I just want to make sure he won't be some sort of negative influence on him, or anything like that." Not bad, Lily thought, for a story she came up with on the spot.

"Hmm. I see. So you want information on an older boy you're interested in?"

Wow. For a girl so willing to circulate false rumors, she sure had a talent for lie detecting in others.

"I'd really appreciate if we could keep this just between us, Lizzy. So, I've brought something to…secure our friendly bond here, yeah?" Lily handed her the large box of chocolate.

"Hmm"

"And, as my fiend, I can trust that you won't be sharing this little conversation with anyone, correct?"

"Well, you see Emily, I really don't make promises like that" She smiled sweetly. Lily mentally rolled her eyes, and reached into her pocket.

"I figured you'd say something like that, so I brought some, extra insurance" Lily gave her the last of her Cauldron Cakes.

"Yes, well Emily, I think we can be very good friends indeed. I'll do a little digging and get back to you before dinner tomorrow."

Hugo joined the team's lineup as they waited to walk onto the Quidditch pitch. He couldn't remember a time he'd been more nervous.

The announcer's magnified voice began calling the players names. Hugo's broomstick was shaking in his hands as they marched toward the center of the pitch.

Well, here goes nothing…