Al and I easily got into the Three Broomsticks. The Invisibility Cloak is flawless; no one suspects a thing.

The bar/restaurant is dark and quiet. For some reason, not one person inside is speaking. A witch with a dark hood and pointy green shoes is sipping firewhiskey at a table by herself, looking around nervously, as if she's waiting for someone to aim the Killing Curse at her. A goblin is sitting at the bar, looking angry while making large dents shaped like fingers on his mug. A man is sleeping (silently) in a booth, his drink spilled across the table. The only other people in the pub are a group of wizards sitting at a large table, a butterbeer in front of every person. They're just staring at each other.

I elbow Albus, hoping he knows I'm trying to say, "What the heck is going on in here?"

I feel his shoulders rise as he shrugs.

We cautiously walk into the middle of the place. Al leads us to the side of the bar. He reaches out, arm covered by the Cloak, and taps his wand against the wall three times. Knock, knock, knock. Luckily, no one hears except the witch by herself, who leaps up in fright and runs out the door.

"A bit jumpy, aren't we?" I mutter. Al touches my arm gently to tell me to shut up.

I can barely hold in a gasp as the wall splits into two panels. I look around, terrified that someone else might see. But no one seems to have noticed.

The panels reveal a small flight of stairs. We slowly ascend. The steps creak under our feet. The only noises I can hear is the sound of our breathing and the occasionally creak, creak, creak. This does not help me calm down one bit!

At the top of the steps is a room. It's very small, with only one small bed and a nightstand. On top of the nightstand is a picture of a fragile, scrawny woman with huge glasses, her large eyes wide and terrified. Hmm…weird…

I feel a warm hand squeeze mine, and Al slips out from under the Invisibility Cloak and steps forward.

I begin to follow, but Al shakes his head almost imperceptibly, and I know I'm not supposed to be here. So why did he bring me?

Al calls out, "Amber, can you please come out? It's Albus Potter. I'd like to talk to you."

A little head pokes out from under the bed and shouts gleefully, "Albie!"

A small body follows the head and stands in front of me and Albus. It's a little girl. She looks uncannily like the woman in the picture, but younger, with no glasses, and less frightened. Her dark eyes flicker around the room, then land on Albus. Her face breaks out into a cute little grin. She runs up to Al and throws her arms around his hips (she's very short). She pulls away and beams at him still.

The girl—Amber—says, "I missed you, Albie! Why is your dad not here?"

Albus, smiling, says, "My dad couldn't come this time, Amber. I'm sorry. But I have a few questions for you."

"Okay!" she says, grinning.

"You know that…um…song from a few years ago that you sang? The one you couldn't remember?"

She nods, eyes closed. "Oh, yes."

"I know Madame Rosemerta wrote it down for you. Could I please see it?"

The girl makes a face. "But she says I can't show it to people." Then she grins. "But you're Albie. You're different." The way she says this, with so much certainty, unnerves me as I hide under the Cloak.

This is so weird. I'm freaking out. I'm freaking out, Al, I'm freaking out! How I wish I could just scream, or make any noise at all.

I let out a small squeak, unable to hold it back. Al covers it up with a cough.

Amber runs over to the nightstand and pulls a little slip of paper out of the drawer. She hands it to Albus. Serious as her little child's face can be, she says, "Take it. I know it's meant for her, so you can keep it. Miss Rosie has another copy, anyway."

Amber is staring at the spot where I'm standing with a look of utter peacefulness on her face. "You can come out, you know," she says. "I know you're there. I heard you."

Albus's face holds the shock that I'm feeling. I have no idea how she could've heard my little squeak. I barely heard it myself! I pull off the Cloak anyway, and I appear as if out of thin air.

"Uh, hi, Amber," I say, my face burning.

She grins at me. "Hi, Emmeline Lockwood. I've been waiting for you."

"Albus…" I say, freaking out. "What—"

"Well, thanks, Amber! And I brought you something," Al says quickly, reaching into his robes. He pulls out a couple Chocolate Frogs and a copy of The Quibbler (which, since Luna has taken over, has become even loonier than before).

The smile on Amber's face is so adorable, so full of innocent glee that I can't help but smile, too.

"Thank you, Albie! You're the bestest friend in the whole wide world!" She puts her little arms around his neck and he spins her around.

This is the most adorable scene I have ever witnessed. I don't realize until now how sweet and genuine Albus can be. But he really is just…amazing.

Al puts Amber down and says gently, "I have to go now, Ambs. But I'll visit you the next time I come to Hogsmeade, all right?"

She looks sad for a minute, but then beams and says, "I know you'll come back, Albie. You always do."

He grins and waves. Albus, smiling at me, takes the Invisibility Cloak out of my hands and disappears.

I turn to Amber before joining him. "Thank you, Amber," I say, smiling at her. "You truly are a wonderful little girl."

She grins at me and hugs me, too. I almost fall over with shock. I was not expecting that! But I wrap my arms around the little body, give it a squeeze, and let go.

I wave to Amber, also, and slip under the Cloak, guided by Albus's floating hand. Then, we depart.

Once we are safely outside the Three Broomsticks, Al and I find a little, undisturbed area and take off the Cloak.

The first thing I say is, "What just happened in there?"

Albus smiles triumphantly. "We just found a clue."

But Al won't let me see the little slip of paper he took. "It's too public here." He looks around as he says this. Witches, wizards, and students are loitering about everywhere. I sigh. He's right. It doesn't mean I want to wait, however. But I guess I have to.

Al continues, "But, tonight, I'll show you. Be in the Common Room at midnight. Tell Rose, seeing as she probably will try to find you first to tell you all about her date." He wrinkles his nose. "When I found out who the git is, I'm gonna—"

I roll my eyes and stop him by saying, "Al, if she didn't want to tell you, it means it's someone she actually likes. She cares about this 'git.' And when she's ready, she'll tell you who it is. She's probably just embarrassed about the whole thing at the moment, and she—and I, for that matter—knows you'll tease her if she starts gushing about her manly man the first second she sees you. So, just wait. Be patient, and she'll tell you."

Al looks impressed. "Deep. How did you know all of that? And you should not be telling me to be patient, Em."

I stick out my tongue then say, "It's girl logic. How do you think the rest of the girl population acts? Girls are so predictable."

Al looks at me intently and says, "Are you saying you act like the rest of the girl population?"

I hesitate; his eyes are distracting me. Blinking to destroy the haze that his gaze gives me, I say, "I hope I'm a bit more original. You know, mystifying." I put on a inscrutable air and continue, "I hope no one will ever fully figure me out. I'm a mystery."

"Indeed you are, Em. Indeed you are." Al says this so quietly that I barely hear him. He just stares at me, thinking.

His gaze gives me butterflies, and I don't think I will ever breathe again.

Someone comes up behind me and says, "Ah, young love. What putridity."

I let out a yelp and spin around, pulling out my wand. Al's done the same, but then lowers his wand and says angrily, "James, you terrified Emmeline!"

James, as handsome as ever, says, eyes twinkling, "I think I terrified you as well, brother." He grins as Albus scowls. "Oh, how I love to bother you."

He turns to me and sees me laughing. He bows low and takes my hand. "Nice to see you, Miss Emmeline." I giggle some more. "Got a case of the giggles, do you?"

I nod, still laughing even though I have no idea why. I think it's from anxiety; the tension between the two brothers is palpable in the air. Most of it is coming from Albus, who is glaring at his brother as if James is the devil.

James gives me a devilish (which fits the circumstances) grin and says, "Albus, can I steal this lovely lady away from you? I hope you won't mind."

I open my mouth to protest—I'd like to talk to Al about what happened earlier, and how much I happened to like it—but Al says quickly, "Yeah, go ahead." He smiles at both of us. It looks more like he's holding in a poop. "Have fun, lovebirds." He touches my arm in goodbye and smiles at me sadly, anger in his eyes.

I begin to say, "Alb—," but he's already gone.

James, not seeming to notice that anything's wrong, holds out his arm and says, "Shall we?"

Sighing and hoping Albus doesn't hate me, I take his arm, and we walk.

James is talking constantly. "I really like pranks, so I thought we could go...and then..."

But I'm not listening. I'm just thinking of the dark-haired, green-eyed brother I just left behind...

(A/N: Really weird chapter, right? I promise it'll make sense soon. Just think about the woman in the photograph and you'll understand...Plus: Tell me what you think: Albus and Emmeline, or James and Emmeline. You probably already know what's going to go down (or do you?), but I'd like to hear input. :) Next chapter out soon!)

Note: J.K. Rowling owns HP. I do not own it. All other characters (i.e. Emmeline) are mine.