August passed quite pleasantly. The Polyjuice Potion was finally completed, and Mrs. Petrov allowed me to test it out with a hair that Stephen donated. Therefore, for one hour I was a copy of Stephen, but it wasn't that exciting, since I spent the hour brewing a potion that was the wizarding equivalent of a cough syrup. Mrs. Petrov taught me to brew numerous other potions, most of which were found in Advanced Potion-Making. The only potion in the book that we didn't do was Felix Felicis, which allowed the drinker to have good luck, and that was due to the fact that it took several months to brew. However, she had some that she had made before, so she went over it with me, and had me take a several drops, enough to make me lucky for an hour or so. The experience was quite wonderful. I found two Galleons someone had dropped when I walked around Diagon Alley, and at Flourish and Blotts came across a new Potions book that neither Mrs. Petrov and I had and was on sale. The money I had found was enough to pay for two copies, with a Sickle and twelve Knuts change, and I gave Mrs. Petrov one copy as a thank-you for all that she done for me.
Niko and Sarah returned from their honeymoon and moved into the top floor. Niko started his training as a Healer in St. Mungo's, while Sarah got a desk job at the Ministry, in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Unlike some Romany families, the Petrovs and Romanovs did not believe that women should only be housewives. This did mean more income for the family, but I doubted that was the reason they encouraged Maria, Sarah, and Ana to have careers.
All too soon it was time to return to Hogwarts. Stephen and Niko gave me some of their textbooks that they had used in sixth year, Mrs. Petrov replenished my potion supplies out of the stock for the apothecary, and Mr. Petrov insisted on giving me twenty Galleons, saying that I had earned it through the regular potions I had brewed for the apothecary. The two families saw me off on the Hogwarts Express, with Mrs. Petrov telling me that I was invited over for the Christmas holidays and Mrs. Romanov adding that I was free to come to them for anything.
I spent the train ride in a compartment with several other Slytherins, who left me alone after congratulating me on giving up being friends with the 'Mudblood girl' and asking about my summer. I managed to keep from snapping at them over what they had called Lily, and brusquely told them that I had spent the summer as an apprentice to a Potions Mistress, since I planned to get a Potions Mastery. They didn't ask who she was, which was a relief, for even though Niko was a Slytherin, he was still a Gypsy, and most of the pureblood Slytherins still considered Gypsies to be on the same level as halfbloods, if not Muggleborns.
The next three months at Hogwarts passed by rather quickly. I had signed up to take N.E.W.T.-level Potions, Transfiguration, Defense Against Dark Arts, Herbology, Arithmancy, and Charms. As Mrs. Petrov had told me, sixth-years started learning how to do non-verbal spells, and thanks to the lessons that she and Mr. Petrov had given me, it wasn't too difficult. Professors McGonagall and Flitwick were quite impressed during my first classes with them, and awarded points to Slytherin.
Since I no longer was friends with Lily, I had no choice but to spend my time outside of classes and homework with only the other Slytherins. I had already started hanging out with them the year before, but now I was spending more time around them. They were quite enthusiastic in their support of the Dark Lord, and while I avoided doing anything to the Muggleborn students at Hogwarts, I found myself listening and saying that I agreed to almost everything they said.
Mrs. Petrov and Mrs. Romanov took turns sending me weekly packages of food, spelled so that they wouldn't spoil, which I ate, since I still didn't feel much like going to the Great Hall at mealtimes. Both families also sent me letters, asking how I was doing and telling me about things going on in their life. In October, Sarah sent a letter telling me that she was pregnant. I sent her a letter congratulating her on the news and a potion that I had brewed to help with morning sickness.
In December Mrs. Petrov sent a written invitation to visit for the Christmas holidays, following up from her verbal one. I accepted and spent the two weeks with the Petrovs. I was installed back in the guest room, and had a nice time. Mrs. Petrov and Mrs. Romanov stuffed me with food, and I got a number of fine presents from the two families. Besides the set of robes, scarf, hat, and gloves that Mr. and Mrs. Romanov gave me, I got a book on potion-brewing, another on plants, a new journal, a new commonplace book, and some supplies for brewing, which included some rare and expensive potion ingredients from Ana, who had obtained her Potions mastery and was now working at the apothecary.
Ana and Stephen also got married two days before the New Year's, and their wedding ceremony was completely Romany. Niko was best man, and I was asked to be a groomsman with Tobias. There was no bridesmaid, but Sarah acted as matron of honor.
Ana wore a white gown with silver and blue embroidery made in the Romany style, with the veil borrowed from Sarah, and Stephen wore a white shirt with silver embroidery, a dark blue sash, and navy blue trousers. I wore the midnight blue dress robes that I had been gifted. Since it was winter, the wedding was held indoors, and like the one that Sarah and Niko had, it consisted of only family and close friends.
With the war becoming increasingly worse, Ana and Stephen chose not to go on a proper honeymoon, but instead spent two days at a hotel in Gretna Green, the popular place for elopements among British Muggles, before moving in with Stephen's parents. In fact, they moved into the rooms that Maria and Tobias had recently vacated, for the two were now full Aurors and had moved into a flat of their own.
After the holidays, I returned to Hogwarts, where I buried myself in my schoolwork.
Author's Note: I'm sorry about the length and quality of this chapter, but I had to come up with something for this fic before I get to the part where Snape graduates Hogwarts and makes the mistake of joining Voldemort. I promise that the next chapter will be longer and more interesting.