"Will you quit your sputtering? I'm trying to do homework," I snapped, glaring at James. He stuck his tongue out at me and continued his rant. I swore I was going to kill him one of those days. "If you're going to be annoying, could you at least clue me in on what you're rambling about?"

James scowled. "My mother came to Quidditch trials. She made me let Lily try out, ordering me about in front of my whole team."

"Interesting," I murmured, pausing to glance at my cousin's expression. "Who got Chaser, then?"

"Well, Lily did," James admitted, crossing his arms. "Something you would know, had you agreed to Keep for us," he added, still annoyed I turned down the position three years ago.

Completely ignoring his last sentence, I asked, "Was that your mum's fault?"

"Of course it was! She's the one who made me let her try out." James was about to continue on his rant, but I stopped him with a look.

"Well, did anyone outfly her?" I asked sensibly, even though I already knew. No one I knew would be able to outfly Lily, especially when she was as determined to make the team as she was. Even her own brothers would have a tough time beating her.

"No," James muttered grudgingly, eyes narrowed, and I could tell how much he hated admitting it.

"Then quit blubbering. It wasn't your mum's fault that Lily was the best; and think: if your mum hadn't showed up, it would have been your own stupidity that left you out the best Chaser that you'll ever have."

James sighed, starting to agree, until my words sunk in. "Hey! I'm a Chaser!" He shouted indignantly.

I grinned. "Your point?" James glared at me, jumping out of the chair he had occupied and stalking out of the library, muttering loudly something about 'idiot girls', but he'll get over it. He always did. And now, he was finally out of my way, so I could get my work done.

"Hey, Rose." Or not. I glanced up, only to find Scorpius Malfoy smirking down at me. "What'cha doing?"

"Homework," I said shortly, hoping he'd go away. I had just gotten rid of James. Now I had to deal with Malfoy? Why, wizard God, why oh why do you hate me so much?

Instead of going away, Scorpius plunked down into James's recently vacated chair. I scowled, but he didn't seem to register how unwelcome he was. He peeked around my arm, curled protectively around the parchment, and grinned. "Potions, eh? Can't say I'm too fond of it, for all that Quoin is head of Slytherin." He wrinkled his nose. "I'd rather be in Herbology or Charms, any day. Longbottom's great, and Charms is really my thing, anyway."

"Cool." I dipped my quill, hoping to get on with my essay; Quoin was as strict as McGonagall was rumored to be, when she still taught Transfiguration, back in my dad's day. Though, from what Dad told me, she had a soft spot for him, Mum, and Uncle Harry, whereas Quoin seems to despise us all. I mean, sixteen inches on the effects of wolfsbane? The most complicated reasoning I could give was only reaching about ten inches, and that was mostly filled with waffle.

"We could work together on it," Scorpius hedged, a grin still on his ridiculously optimistic face. "Might make the time go by faster, even if the essay is total busywork."

I glanced at him and sighed. He seemed to be completely serious, and he lacked his constant companion, i.e. Albus Potter, so I felt sorry for him. "Fine. But don't do anything stupid. I actually want to get this done."

He shrugged and smiled, pulling out a brand new piece of parchment and a quill. I gaped at him. "You haven't even started?!"

"Miss Weasley! Quiet in the library!" Madame Pince shouted, glaring, a holier-than-thou expression on her pinched face. "I thought you, of all people, would respect the importance of silence in the library. With whom your mother is… But, I see, you must have gotten all of your father's genes." She turned up her nose, walking away, leaving me furious and glaring in her direction.

Scorpius's chuckle almost sent me over the edge. "Are you okay? You look like steam is about to come out of your ears." He grinned conspiratorially.

"Back off," I growled, still glaring. He looked taken aback. "I don't know karate, but I do know crazy, and I'm not afraid to use it."

Scorpius looked as if he wasn't sure how to respond, and I grinned. Slowly, a grin lit up his face, and, though there was nothing really to cause it, soon we were laughing raucously, which caused us to be, er, escorted out of the library, our essays confiscated as if they were dirty novels.

"Sorry about that," Malfoy apologized once we were outside of the library, the ghost of a grin on his lips. "I didn't really mean for our stuff to get confiscated."

"It's fine," I assured him, shrugging. "Anyway, mine was mostly bull, anyway. I could tell you what wolfsbane does in three inches, I could lengthen it to about ten at the most, but after that, I start repeating myself."

Scorpius chuckled. "Same here, mate." He stopped short and blanched, quickly backtracking. "Uh, not that I'm assuming we're mates or anything, I just-"

"Calm down, Malfoy; it's fine." He seemed to be extremely relieved that I wasn't going to start screaming at him for insinuating we were friends, and I felt a rush of indignation. It wasn't as if I shouted for everything. Just important things, which there happen to be a lot of, thank you very much!

"So," Scorpius started, looking at his feet.

I suddenly noticed the rather awkward silence that had ensued. So, like any other sensible person would have done, I blurted out the first thing I could think of. "Er, I have to go. Important prefect meeting; can't be late."

Scorpius paused, an unreadable expression on his face. It vanished quickly as his lips quirked up into a small smile. "Of course," he murmured politely, his smile a little too knowing for my taste. Nonetheless, I made my escape, jogging until I reached the portrait of the Fat Lady.

And that's when I remembered: Scorpius was a prefect, too.

Ω

Scorpius' POV

"So, how's your 'wooing Rose' plan working out?" Al asked me, a knowing smirk on his lips.

I rolled my eyes and started ticking off the events of earlier today on my fingers. "We were going to do Quoin's idiotic essay, but then she freaked 'cause I haven't started yet, Pince insulted her dad, and she went bat-shit crazy. We started laughing, got kicked out, and she pretended to have prefect meeting."

Al looked confused. "But, you're a prefect, too. You'd both have to attend."

I laughed, and it sounded hollow, even to me. "It seems I'm more invisible than we thought."

"Except when people want to blame you for shit," Al growled, but his anger melted after a moment. He started to chuckle. "Sorry, mate, but that's kind of funny. Rose is the most observant person I know, and she didn't even remember that you've both been going to the same meetings for about two years now. So, are you still going to go through with it?"

My plan to pursue Rose romantically? I had to think about it. I pursed my lips, leaning back in my chair. I'd been instructed to stay away from the Weasley/Potter family ever since I was a child, which made me all the more curious when I got to Hogwarts, and Al and I were Sorted into the same House. Then he started to introduce me to his family, and since he's never away from his cousins for long (Hogwarts is half Weasley; even if he wanted to, he couldn't) and he's never away from me for long, it was bound to happen that I'd meet them and disobey my father's wishes. Blatantly disobeying sort of bugged me when I was younger, but it had been awhile since I felt guilty for it. I knew that my father only wished to keep me from them because he had 'done them a disservice' while they were in school (although I suspected it was more like they all hated each other) and he was sure that the children of his enemies would be cruel to his only child: me. Turns out, they were just as curious about me as I was about them. Except Rose. She had hated me from the start, which piqued my interest even more. I'd been hedging for years, pretending that I hated her as well, but Albus knew, and he wouldn't let me forget it.

"Come on. She turns you down once, and you give up?" Al taunted with a grin.

"Not everyone wants a dysfunctional relationship like you and Mags," I threw back, scowling. He didn't even flinch, just chuckled as if he knew something I didn't.

"Mags and I are fine, Scorp, old boy. It's you and Rose who need some work," he said smoothly, effectively moving the spotlight off of him and Maggie and back onto me and Rose.

"There isn't a 'me and Rose'," I said irritably. "There won't ever be."

Al rolled his eyes. "Well, of course not, if you have that attitude. Come on, man, grow a pair." He winked, smirking at me as if he had proved his point. I nodded, hoping to get him off of my back. Life was easier when Al wasn't encouraging you to do something. The kid had more ambition than Slytherin himself, enough pride to match any Gryffindor, not to mention the brains of a Ravenclaw. He knew what he wanted, and he was going to get it. It's no wonder the Sorting Hat took almost ten minutes deciding on where to place him.

Interrupting my internal monotony, Albus got out of his chair, patting me on the shoulder and giving me a smirk. "I'll be back, Malfoy. I've got a few things I need to take care of." I watched him leave and shook my head; he was going to see Maggie and get his heart broken again.

Ω

Jenna's POV

"Jen," Al Potter greeted me with an incline of his head. He had seated himself at the most secluded table in the library, something which I both appreciated and didn't like. I appreciated the seclusion from others, for our conversation would get me into trouble if it were to get out, but I didn't like the thought of people knowing that I was in a private spot with Al Potter. Not that Al wasn't attractive, in his own I'm-in-Slytherin-and-I-don't-give-a-damn-what-you- think way, but he just wasn't… well, he was my best mate's little brother, and that's how I had taken to viewing him, as well.

"Alright, so, how did he take it?" I asked bluntly, positioning myself across the table from him, so I could see everything. Despite him being nearly identical to the Chosen One, Al wasn't his trustworthy father. He was a deceitful, untrustworthy Slytherin, who used his good looks and charm to get what he wanted. And I meant that in the nicest possible way, of course. I loved Al; he was one of my good friends. He was lovely to his friends, you couldn't ask for a better one. It's just, you really didn't want to get on his bad side; for that, he could measure up to old Voldy if he really wanted to. But of course, he wouldn't. He wasn't that evil.

Of course, Al knew exactly what I was talking about. Not much passed by without his knowledge. "He's furious that Mum showed, but he's starting to accept that Lily was the best person for the position. Something that I'm averse to, for much different reasons than James." He sighed, shaking his head. "If only Lily were in Slytherin; I could use her talent to rip the Gryffindor team to shreds." He grinned malevolently, looking rather like someone who had won the lottery and was planning to use the cash to fulfill their dream of world domination.

"Quit it with the bloodlust, Al; you're being creepy."

"You never said I couldn't be creepy, you just said I had to show up," Al countered, grinning.

"And keep your mouth shut, don't forget about that part," I reminded him, scowling. Sighing, I twisted the signet ring on my pinky finger. "I have a date this Saturday."

"With my brother? You've got to be kidding me." Al smirked, but his eyebrows furrowed when he saw my expression. "Er… Not with James, then?"

"No. I'm going to Hogsmeade with Gabriel," I said slowly, watching Albus's face. He sighed, shaking his head. "What's your problem?" I asked defiantly, daring him to say anything.

He raised his eyebrows. "I was just thinking that James is going to have a fit when he finds out."

"He will not, Al. Why would he?"

Albus sighed a long, drawn-out sigh. "Because of his massive love for you, you idiot!"

Blood rushed to my face. "He doesn't love me, Albus! We're just friends."

Albus rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say, princess. Anyway, I'm curious. Why exactly did you agree to go on a date with the most eligible chap in Hogwarts? If we had a magazine, he'd be on the cover of every issue, whether it was run by boys or girls. The guys admire his skill and charm, while the girls are too busy fawning over him to notice anything else." He looked at me with those critical green eyes, and I averted my gaze.

"Gabriel is all that you said, and I wanted to see what it would be like to finally be wanted by someone. So I figured maybe I could get some experience in," I admitted.

Al chuckled. "So, you're playing the player? This ought to be interesting. Can I watch?"

"No! What would he think, having you trail after us the whole day?"

"I didn't say I wouldn't do it discreetly," Al scoffed. "What do you take me for, some incompetent Hufflepuff?" I frowned. Al was a little discriminatory towards Hufflepuff, but I'd always thought that was because he had no family there; he knew nothing of the people there, like he did of the other Houses. "Besides," he drawled, smirking, "it's not like he'd care. He'd just think I was another gawker, come to have a look at him. He'd probably puff up under the attention."

"No!" I said vehemently, scowling at the little weasel (not that I'd ever call him that to his face; he would have taken it as an insult to his family).

Instead of laughing it off, Albus got a serious look on his face. "Jenna, I know you're a big girl and everything, but… Just be careful, okay? Gabriel's reputation among the lads is, well, less than stellar, if you catch my drift." He squirmed uncomfortably, and I wanted to hug him. I almost forgot that Al had a soft side; probably because he showed it to about three people: his mother, sister, and gran.

"Thanks for the concern, but I know what I'm doing," I assured him. He shrugged, giving me a wan smile and leaning back in his chair, closing his eyes. I knew a dismissal when I saw one, so I got up and started to walk away. When I neared the exit, though, I turned back and took a peek at my sometimes-best-friend. He had his head in his hands, those slender fingers knotted in the already-messy black tangles, his glasses pushed up and his face contorted with… not rage, but something I almost didn't think Albus possessed the ability to feel. He looked like he was torn with grief, frozen by sadness; I wanted to go to him, stroke his hair like I would do for Lily when she was upset, but I knew I would just make it worse. This was Albus's way. He would work it out in his own good time, without help from anyone else. As I walked away, I realized that the thought of it made me incredibly sad.

"Oi, you!"

Lexie Stafford looked at me, eyebrows raised, and I made a face. "Not you; YOU!"

Allie Longbottom turned around, sighing, hands shoved roughly in her jacket pockets. "What do you want, Freddie?"

"I need your help." Simple and sweet, the way Allie liked it. Well, how she liked most things; she was really complicated when we dated, but that's a whole other story, one that I don't prefer to get into.

"With what?" She asked, exasperated, glancing back at her friend who had already left her. I eyed Stafford's back with a frown. "Aren't you Hufflepuffs supposed to be loyal, or summat?"

That earned me a punch on my shoulder. Damn, but I forgot how strong she was. Professor Longbottom (or Neville, like we call him when he comes round for dinner with Hannah, Allie, and her brothers, Frankie, Johnny, and Judah) taught her how to defend herself, and I didn't blame him. Everyone knew what happened to his parents when he was just a baby; of course he'd be paranoid about the second Alice Longbottom getting hurt. Of course, no one would have come within sixty feet of Allie with the intention of hurting her, for fear of her father – well, except me. But I was special; always have been.

"Fred. Freeeed. Fred!" Allie yelled, trying to get my attention and looking quite frustrated, too.

I smirked. "How can I help you, sweets?"

That almost earned me a kick in the you-know-whats, had I not been blessed with great reflexes. Or was it that Allie was slow? Yeah, maybe she was just slow. Not that I'd tell her that in a million years; last thing I need is for her to castrate me. Thanks but no thanks; I like my junk a little too much to subject them to that kind of torture. Now, Allie looked pissed. "You ripped me from my friend for this? Fred, you're the one who asked me for help, not the other way around, you idiot."

I sighed, shaking my head. "Sorry, lamb. I got a little carried away." I gave her my lopsided grin, the one my father says looks just like Uncle Fred's, and she softens a bit. Just a bit, because she was supposed to be mad at me, but I knew her. She always melted at this grin. "Now, can you pretty please help me and James with this one little plot? I know Hufflepuffs aren't exactly ingrained with the pranking gene, but–"

Allie cut me off with a mischievous smirk. "Despite your misconceived notions, dear Freddie, I'd be happy to help you and James in any sort of prank, and I'll best you both."

"You seem pretty sure of yourself, for a 'Puff," I mock, grinning at her attitude. Allie was really fun when she got like that.

"You're a little too hung up on House qualities, Freddie," she remarked idly, smirking. "Maybe you should be like the Slytherins. At least they know not to underestimate us. Malfoy says we're too quiet." She wrinkled her nose, although she was still grinning like mad.

"Be like the Slytherins? What are you, mental?!" I gasped, horrified. Turning on my heel, I muttered playfully, "Maybe we don't need your help after all. 'Be like the Slytherins'; Honestly!"

As I expected, she ran to catch up with me, grabbing my wrist in her viselike grip. "Aw, Fred, dry up. You take one too many cracks at my house, and I'm bound to say a few things you don't like." Her words were dripping with charm, and her blue eyes sparkled, the way they did when she was enjoying herself. I much preferred them like this, instead of the way I had last seen them: iced over, cold, hard as rocks. When I had broken it off.

I wrenched my arm out of her grasp. "Alright, alright, I suppose you can help us," I allowed, trying not to give away how elated I am. How great am I! I had just tricked her into wanting to do something that previously she was being so frustratingly dull about.

After we worked out a few of the sticky little details of our next meeting (this time with James present), I chuckled to myself. Hell, maybe I should be in Slytherin. I'm a charming bastard, I thought proudly, smirking all the way to the common room. When I reached my favorite armchair, I frowned a bit. I broke it off with her, so I should be feeling fine about hanging out. But then, why was I so disappointed that, the next time I would see Allie, James would be there?