"Pass the tomato sauce Marlene" Fabien asked his mouth full of fried egg.
Charlotte raised her eyebrows "What's the magic word?"
Fabien rolled his eyes "Pretty please with sugar on top?"
Marlene grinned and handed him the sauce "There you go"
Gideon glanced over to the other side of the hall "Look who it is...shame they aren't all covered in slime"
Fabien smirked "We could ask James to do it again"
There was a peaceful quiet as they all ate until Charlotte frowned "But Lizzy that note was from Narcissa, not from Regulus!"
Millie glanced at Lizzy nervously "Drop it Charlotte"
Lizzy shook her head "Sirius was right; Regulus was always going to choose his parents over me. It really bothers him how they treat Sirius..."
Charlotte cut over her "But that just proves that he doesn't agree with their ideas!"
"Charlotte McMillan drop it now!" snapped Lizzy
There was an awkward silence as the two girls stared at each other.
Charlotte broke first "Fine, but I really think you should talk to him Lizzy"
"What's there to say?" Lizzy said coolly "I've sent back all the presents he sent me"
Charlotte visibly winced "Lizzy...have you ever heard of the expression cutting of your nose to spite your face?"
Lizzy shook her head "Charlotte please leave it..."
"Its Charms first isn't it?" Fabien said, forcibly breaking up the conversation.
"Thank Merlin that Flitwick didn't give us any homework" Fabien said as they relaxed outside the greenhouses.
"But none of you did the essay" Charlotte said in a pained way "Marley and Ed didn't even do it"
Lizzy smiled "Are you implying that you did not expect the rest of us do the essay?"
Charlotte sighed "I was resigned that you four would ask to copy my homework"
Millie smirked "Why would we? You'd say no anyway"
Charlotte pulled a face "Well I don't want to spend all evening on my own"
Fabien shrugged "I doubt our detentions will take all evening, we're only writing lines after all"
Edgar groaned "You have to be...I'm in the grounds with Kettleburn"
Marlene nodded "Me too, so they've split us all up"
Millie groaned "Please tell me that somebody else is polishing trophies?"
An amused silence followed that, causing Millie to kick the wall "That's not fair!"
"Life isn't fair" Gideon said automatically, before shrinking from the glare she gave him.
Lizzy grinned "Well I'm in the grounds with Marley and Ed, cous` I'm assuming that you're writing lines with Fabien?"
Gideon nodded, watching Millie nervously who was still sulking.
"Don't we go around the grounds in pairs?" Ed asked, glancing at Marlene.
Lizzy shrugged "Do you two want to go together if we are?"
Marlene nodded gratefully "If that's alright?"
Edgar pulled a face "But shouldn't I be the..."
Lizzy scowled him down before he could finish "Trust me Ed I don't mind"
Charlotte looked confused "What did he mean?"
Edgar blushed "Never mind"
Fabien laughed "Aww he wanted to be the knight in shining armour to our two damsels"
Edgar hit him as Millie burst out laughing "Lizzy's more of a dragon than a damsel!"
Lizzy stuck her tongue out "Very funny, you ended up with the jester!"
Gideon looked outraged "I could be a hero...Just one with a sense of humour."
Charlotte rolled her eyes "So who am I then?"
Marlene grinned "You'd have to be Sleeping Beauty..."
Charlotte smiled "I will choose to take that as a compliment"
Millie looked thoughtful "Yeah she really would make a good Disney princess, what about me?"
Marlene smiled "Alice in Wonderland or Tinkerbell? Lizzy is easiest..." She glanced at Lizzy cautiously before breaking off "What about the boys?"
Lizzy crossed her arms "Hang on, which one am I Marley?"
Marlene shook her head "Never mind...it's not like you know the stories anyway"
Lizzy raised her eyebrows "Then what's the big deal about telling me then?"
Edgar cut in "Why's it such a big deal for you to know?"
"Because...oh whatever" Lizzy snapped "There's the bell"
"The food here is so good" Millie said contentedly "I always miss it when I'm at home"
Gideon smirked and looked at her "Really?"
She prodded him playfully "Hey not everyone's Mum is an amazing cook!"
Gideon snorted "The food here is better by miles"
Millie crossed her arms "No it isn't"
"It is"
"It isn't"
"It is"
"It isn't"
"It is!"
"It isn't!" Millie insisted, clamping her hand over Gideon's mouth to end the argument.
Edgar and Lizzy caught each other's eyes before bursting out laughing.
Fabien grinned "One word bro` henpecked!"
Gideon thumped his brother as Millie scowled at hers "Shut up Ed!"
Marlene was giggling hopelessly behind her hand "You two...are just so funny!"
Charlotte rolled her eyes "Anyway moving away from Beatrice and Benedict..." She saw Millie's question forming immediately "Shakespeare characters, look Millie it's a compliment!"
"O.k, o.k calm down" Millie said quickly "What is it after lunch?"
Lizzy stared at the table "I've got Ancient Runes...So have you lot done your Divination homework?"
Fabien ignored her attempt to bypass the subject "You can throw a sickie if you want?"
Lizzy rolled her eyes "What good would that do? Am I supposed to skip Transfiguration and Potions as well?" She shook her head "Besides I'm not that bothered any way, I'll just sit with William Abbot or someone else. I mean it's not like I even want to sit with him so why is it a problem that he doesn't want to sit next to me?"
Fabien sighed "Lizzy you're freaking out..."
Lizzy scowled at her cousin "I am not freaking out...I'm trying to stop you freaking out!"
Charlotte coughed, breaking up the brewing argument "I'm sure it will be fine..."
"So this is Ancient Runes?" Edgar asked politely as he and Lizzy reached her classroom.
She raised her eyebrows as he leaned against the wall "Yeah; I believe that Arithmancy was three corridors back"
Edgar smiled "Your cousins told me to make sure you were o.k"
Lizzy laughed "What is it with my family? James won't even let me go into Hogsmeade without three bodyguards!"
Edgar stared at a rather ugly portrait of a girl "I think that had more to do with your choice of company"
Lizzy blushed and turned away "Yes well..."
Edgar realised he'd made her uncomfortable "Sorry, do you want me to go?"
Lizzy smirked "Eager to see Hestia?"
He rolled his eyes "Not you too!"
"Much as I hate to interrupt you Miss Potter..." Professor Winters said sarcastically from the classroom door.
Lizzy smiled and turned towards the door "See you later Ed"
She quickly scanned the room; Marius Crabbe was in her seat, leaving an empty spot next to Crouch.
She saw Karen Yale sitting on her own as usual and headed over to sit with her.
Lizzy flashed a smile "Hey, mind if I sit here?"
Karen stared at the desk "Free country isn't it?"
Lizzy was perturbed by the other girl's hostile manner but sat down anyway "Hey I'm..."
She stared towards the front "Elizabeth Potter I know; after all I have been in your lessons for years"
Lizzy felt a bit guilty at that "Err... call me Lizzy"
Karen raised her eyebrows "But you're only sitting with me because you've had a fight with your boyfriend"
Lizzy resisted the urge to slap the stupid loner "Ex-boyfriend actually"
Karen did not reply and the lesson dragged on in a silence Lizzy wasn't used to.
"Hey Ed what do you and Millie want to do for your birthdays this year?" Marlene asked as they waited in the Great Hall for Professor Kettleburn.
Edgar shrugged "Presents, cake, that sort of stuff?"
Lizzy groaned "Honestly you people who have Birthdays at school are so unimaginative!"
Marlene smirked "Please tell me you wouldn't want a massive tower party like Sirius had last year?"
Lizzy rolled her eyes "Of course, that's the point of parties!"
Ed grimaced "Oh I'm having images of you able to drink"
Lizzy laughed "Well you would wanna get me drunk..."
Edgar blushed scarlet as Marlene snorted "Lizzy!"
"Don't flatter yourself Potter" a skinny seventh year Slytherin girl catcalled.
"Rather snog her than you Hills" a boy shouted from somewhere in a large crowd of sixth years.
The girl went pink "Well you are a bit of a paedophile Davies!"
"That's enough!" Professor Kettleburn shouted, dispensing the growing crowd with a click of his fingers.
"Whoops" muttered Lizzy "How'd I do that?"
"Same way James does" Marlene said with a smile "You're like marmalade"
"What is marmalade?" Lizzy asked as Professor Kettleburn called them over.
"Never mind" muttered Marlene as she glanced up at Professor Kettleburn.
"Right you lot, what you're doing tonight is doing a favour for Professor Slughorn" he held up a strange looking flower "This is a Fiuloy flower and you use them in potions and Professor Slughorn has run out. So divide into pairs and scour the grounds for them if any pair sneaks inside before nine o'clock they'll both be feeding the threstrals for a week, understood?"
Lizzy waved half-heartedly at Edgar and Marley "See you later"
She felt a tap on her shoulder "Lizzy?"
She spun round to see a much relived Remus Lupin "Are you searching for flowers too?"
Remus nodded "I think they wanted to split us up, Sirius is polishing trophies"
Lizzy grinned "Millie will be pleased, shall we go together?"
Remus eyed a bunch of Fourth year Slytherin boys "I don't think James would forgive me if I didn't"
"And it's like Karen really hates me even though I never even spoken to her" Lizzy moaned as they both trekked up a small hill.
Remus seemed miles away staring up at the sky "There's almost a full moon tonight"
Lizzy realised she'd been talking solidly for about an hour and blushed "The stars look nice though..."
Remus nodded absent-mindedly "Where are we going?"
Lizzy carried on "Who cares? It's so dark I can't see..."
A branch came out of the darkness and knocked the wind out of her as Remus swore uncharacteristically "The Whomping Willow! Lizzy are you o.k?"
Lizzy managed to sit up on the cold grass "Yeah, I hate that bloody tree"
Remus moved edgily towards her "Sorry I didn't spot it"
Lizzy smiled "Neither did I...speaking of which...What direction is it in?"
Remus groaned "What are the odds that we'll walk right into it?"
Lizzy grimaced "That we'll know we walked into it pretty quick?"
"Err...Lizzy do you have a watch?" Remus asked, causing a sinking feeling in Lizzys stomach.
"No why would I?" Lizzy said quietly, automatically stepping closer to him.
Remus noticed her discomfort "What's wrong?"
Lizzy glared at where she thought his face must be "Why would you think something's wrong?"
"You're shivering" he noted bluntly.
"It's cold" Lizzy snapped "It's cold, people shiver in the cold"
"O.k, o.k" he said quickly "Oh we're so stupid...lumos"
The pale beam of light illuminated Lizzy's blush "Yeah that was pretty obvious. Lumos"
Remus smiled "I didn't think of it either, come on I'm cold too"
Lizzy smiled "Tut tut Mr Lupin you're a prefect, you should be setting a good example to the younger students"
He smirked "Like you do?"
Lizzy smiled "McGonagall got them out eventually"
"But what's wrong with you?" Lizzy asked anxiously as Remus grimaced in pain.
He brushed her off "It's just my arm, you should probably get back to the common room"
Lizzy ignored him "But you banged it, you just banged it and it snapped. Why is your bone so brittle? Like you've been taking Skellegrow and it hasn't had time..."
Remus suddenly snapped and pushed her away "Just leave it!"
Lizzy stepped back in shock "Sorry..."
He looked very guilty "Lizzy I didn't..."
Lizzy tried to smile "Its o.k"
"Tell James that I'm early" he said, before turning and briskly walking away before she could ask any more questions.
Lizzy turned towards a portrait "Fudge sauce"
The shepherdess giggled "Nope"
Lizzy glared at the smug girl "Oh for...that's the password"
"It's changed" she grinned a slightly buck-toothed smile.
Lizzy groaned "Fine, then what's the new clue?"
"Clue? You should ask that Sirius Black, he's the one who asked me to change it" She simpered.
Lizzy turned away "I'll go do that then!"
She set of down the dark corridor muttering on about stupid Sirius.
"What were you doing with Lupin?" a sudden voice asked from the shadows.
Lizzy jumped, wheeling round towards the voice "Lumos"
Regulus stepped forward; the pale light illuminating bags under his eyes, making him look like a hungry vampire.
Lizzy stepped back "What do you want?!"
He moved towards her "I...please don't look... I never wanted to...they made me!"
Lizzy felt a lump in her throat but furiously kept her tone even "And what does that mean? You sound like a spoilt child" She adopted a whiny voice "But they made me!"
He looked like she'd hit him "Elle...I'm sorry."
She looked at the floor "For what? That we're over or that I blame you?"
"Are we over?" he sounded bolder and stepped forward so they were face to face.
Lizzy still wasn't looking at him "The quaffle is in your hands"
Regulus buried his face in her hair "Why do you have to be related to them? My father hated yours at school; my mother considers yours a blood traitor."
Lizzy moved her head so her eyes met his "Blood traitor, and I'm proud of it. How can you pretend that Andro..."
He clamped his hand over her mouth "No you mustn't mention her"
Lizzy moved his and clasped it in her own "Regulus, Andromeda Black is your cousin and I will not let you pretend that she doesn't exist."
He shook his head furiously "She's a blood traitor, cavorting with that Mud blood!"
Lizzy grimaced "Regulus, why do you always parrot their words? You can't believe them, not when you willing consort with a blood traitor"
"You don't understand" Regulus insisted his expression was almost mad "I know that you haven't been brought up properly but I can teach you, teach you to be a proper witch. We can be happy if only you will listen to me and learn. Your blood is undeniably pure so my parents can't complain, we can be together forever."
Lizzy felt a tear trickle down her cheek "Regulus...I can't."
His face fell "Why not?"
"Would you abandon your family, your beliefs, everything you are?" She grasped his shoulders "Why don't you escape that madhouse, like Andromeda and Sirius?!"
He scowled at her and growled "Like Sirius! I am not Sirius. I have morals, a sense of loyalty..."
"Loyalty to them but not to yourself!" Lizzy shouted "Why don't you make your own decisions? If I mean that much to you then why didn't you write to me?"
"Why did you stamp on my heart last night?!" He shouted back "Treating me no different than you would a rude Ravenclaw!"
She pushed him away "Because I was angry! I have emotions, a bloody heart!"
Regulus laughed disbelievingly "And I don't?!"
The anger drained out of her and she shook her head sadly "Sometimes I wonder..."
He walked away leaving Lizzy standing in the corridor with his words swirling around her head.
Cyber cookies to whoever guesses which Princess Lizzy is ;)