Chapter 2: When The Bag Guy Becomes The Good Guy

She glanced up at the front of the classroom, where Mr. Lupin where babbling on about today's subject. Throwing and deflecting stunning spells. She didn't listen, she'd already read up on it in the textbook. Beside her Cody was looking equally as bored, almost dozing off whit his head in his hands.

Rose where chairing a seat with Albus and Henry a few seats behind them. She usually didn't do that but when Lux had started hanging out more with Cody and the other people on the team Rose had taken the opportunity to hang out with her family. Lux didn't really mind, as long as she didn't have to talk to Albus.

"Okay, let's pair up and start practicing-" Lupins voice said, and Lux instinctively turned towards Cody "Rose Weasley and Henry Longbottom, Cody Davies and Mary Spinnet-" Damn he was sorting them into groups. Well as long as she didn't get with-"Albus Potter and Lux Scamander-"

Seriously? Of course she was going to be paired with the person she least wanted to. The universe hated her!

"Hi gorgeous" Albus was at the side of her table within seconds, and Cody glared up at him tiredly. "Beat it Davies" Albus continued, with something that sounded like a growl.

"Really, only a few days ago you questioned my looks and now you're calling me gorgeous?" She said disbelievingly as he sat down next to her, stealing her textbook away and flapping onto the right page.

"You had a really large bruise then"

"No I didn't, that went away" She protested while snatching the book back. Albus rolled his eyes and leaned back.

"If you say so"

"Argh, just stand up and lets practice" Lux stood up rigidly as they took their positions in front of each other across the classroom. Everyone else had already begun shooting spells and falling to the floor. Lux gulped. Her clumsiness wouldn't exactly make this easier. Albus pointed his wand against her, and she squinted her eyes together, concentrating to try and keep on her feet.

Nothing came.

"You're supposed to use the wand Potter" She said sarcastically, and he glared at her.

"I know that"

"Then why don't you?"

"I just don't want to hurt you-" Albus looked down into the floor, and Lux clamped a hand over her mouth, stifling a laugh.

"Are you kidding me? You've been making my life a living hell since first year and now you're afraid of sending a stunning spell at me?"

"I have not!"

"Yes you have!"

"We're friends, I'm allowed to teas you" Albus pouted, and she dropped her jaw.

"Are you considering us friends? Potter, after my brothers you're probably the person I despise most on the face of the earth"

"What can I say darling, It's a hate/Love relationship" Albus smirked.

"Oh screw you"

"I already thought we'd been through that, only if you're volunteering" Albus said, winking. Lux didn't hesitate before lashing out.

Albus back hit the wall with a thud, and he sunk down against the floor with a dumb expression.

"Good going Lux, keep going" Mr. Lupin passed by her, and she would have glared at him for putting her with Albus the Jackass if it wasn't for the fact that it was pretty fun sending spells at him.

It was really fun.

She should consider a career involving dark magic. Seriously. Lux Scamander, the new Dark Mistress. It undoubtfully had a nice ring to it…

"Ouch"

Suddenly she was thrown backwards as the stunning spell hit her squarely in the chest, and she felt her breath hitch up just before she hit the floor. For a second she just lay choking.

"Are you okay?" Albus was beside her in no time, and she glared up at him.

"I'm fine"

"I just- you fell and-"

"That's the point Potter, stop fooling around" She stood up and brushed her uniform off. Albus glared at her.

"You're not a very cheery person Lu"

"I'm not aiming to be. And don't call me Lu!"

"What am I supposed to call you then? Scamander?"

"Don't call me anything at all! We're not friends!"

"We've know each other since we where babies" Albus said, and Lux pouted. She couldn't argue with that. Their parents where friends and they'd met a few times when they where smaller.

"Doesn't count, I wasn't old enough to recognize what an ass you where then"

"Oh that's low"

"You're low"

"Your face is low!"

"That doesn't even make any sense" She glared at him, as he swirled around and stomped back towards his place. She couldn't understand how he'd become one of the most popular guys in Hogwarts. He was undoubtfully the most wanted guy in her year. Maybe it was the tousled black hair, or the mischievously green eyes, or the way he grinned when he thought something was amusing.

Oh crap what was she doing? She sounded like one of all those girls who spent their days drooling for Albus Potter. She almost felt sick.

But then Hogwarts female population also seemed to like the other people she hated, meaning her brothers, Albus brother and Fred Weasley. Lux couldn't understand it, but then she liked Anthony. And Anthony was also on of the most eligible boys of Hogwarts. He was the head boy after all, and captain and beater on the quidditch team.

And he wasn't an ass. What more could you ask for?

Nothing. He was the prince in the twilight, the knight in shining armor.

Too bad she was as far from a fair maiden as physically possible. Anthony would get together with someone like Dominique, who was stunningly beautiful and smart and certainly didn't fall down every other step.

"Uh Scamander? It's your turn" Albus voice cut through her thoughts, and she dizzily glared at him.

"Gladly" Once again she lashed out, but this time he blocked it. She sent another one, and he blocked it again. Soon they where circling around each other, closer and closer. Lux concentrating on her feet, one over the other, the other one over the other.

But it wasn't enough, she couldn't both conjure spells and try to stay upright.

She toppled over.

She landed face down onto the floor, and a loud groan escaped her. She heard distinct laughing, and then someone touched her arm.

"Oh shut up" A voice rang out, and she glanced up surprised to see Cody hovering beside her. Rose was worriedly trying to get to her.

"What happened?" Mr. Lupin asked, as Cody helped her up, a strong arm around her waist.

"I fell" She blushed, and thought she saw a small smile picking at the corner of her teachers mouth. She did that a lot in his class.

She tried to take a step, but then a sharp pain shot up her leg and she winched, only keeping upright because of Cody's arm.

"Are you hurt?" It was Albus, on the other side of her, touching her elbow lightly. She glared at him, unconsciously stepping closer to Cody.

"I'm fine"

"You probably sprained your foot, someone can help you to the infirmary" Mr. Lupin said calmly. Usually Rose was the one helping her to the infirmary, but this time Cody's arm tightened around her waist.

"I'll do it Mr. Lupin"

"No I'll do it!" Albus caught her arm. Lupin turned around surprised, looking at the three of them.

"Why would you help her? You're the on who made her fall" Cody growled, and Albus snorted.

"If you knew her you'd know that she manages that totally fine by herself. But I'm the one who was her partner, it only makes sense that I should help her"

"I'll go by myself" Lux pushed away from Cody, but her eyes blackened as the pain once again shot up her leg and she stumbled again.

However, she didn't hit the floor like she'd expected, instead two strong arms wrapped themselves around her waist and kept her upright. For a second she gripped onto the person before she realized that it was Albus and made a grimace towards him. He chuckled.

"I'll take her to the infirmary" He announced, and as Cody protested Albus looped one arm under her legs and suddenly he was carrying her bridal style. She cried out in surprise and grabbed onto his neck, afraid that he'd drop her.

"You don't have to carry her!" Cody shouted behind them as Albus pushed the door open with his shoulder.

"She can't walk Davies, what else am I supposed to do?" He called over his shoulder before the door fell shut. Lux glared at him, still holding on tightly with her arms around his neck. He smiled contentedly.

"I knew you'd love this"

"Hah, I'm only scared you'll drop me" She said coldly. However, it didn't seem like he was about to do that.

"You're pretty small Scamander, no offense"

"I've heard worse from you" She glared at him, and his chest jumped as he chuckled again. "And if it wasn't for the fact that I can't walk, I would hit you right now" She added.

"Oh really?"

"Oh yes Potter"

"I better keep that in mind then"

"You better"

"So, what's between you and Davies?" Albus suddenly asked, and she looked up at him quizzically.

"Why are you asking?"

"Didn't know you where friends"

"But it still isn't your business"

"I just wondered, he seemed very… protective of you" Albus jaw clenched.

"Cody's a nice guy, unlike you"

"Have anyone ever told you how charming you are?"

"Shut up"

They didn't talk for the rest of the way, and Lux slowly eased her grip around his neck as she grew more confident that he wouldn't drop her. His arms felt strong, she'd never considered Albus very muscular, he looked very lean. But then she hadn't really been this close to him before. She made a show of looking everywhere but at him, to make him know she wasn't happy with the situation.

When he pushed through the door to the infirmary Madam Pomfrey immediately looked up.

"Oh dear, what did you do this time?" She asked as she recognized Lux. Albus glanced at her.

"Do you spend a lot of time here?"

"You have no idea" She sighed as he let her down next to a bed, and carefully helped her sit on it. Pomfrey immediately pushed him away and took Lux boots to look at her ankle. Lux blushed as she realized that Albus was still hovering behind Pomfrey.

"You can leave now Potter"

"I can't leave a fair maiden in distress knowing she isn't okay yet can I?" Albus smirked.

"I don't consider you a white knight Potter, you're more like the old hag keeping the princess locked up in the tower"

"You wound me Scamander" He clasped his chest with a pained expression.

"Mission completed then" She smirked, using on of her favorite lines. Albus rolled his eyes.

"Will she be okay?" He asked Pomfrey, who barely glanced at him.

"She'll be fine, it's just a sprain. You can leave now Mr. Potter"

"Go snog with Mary!" She called after him randomly. Mary Spinnet was a Gryffindor in their year one of the most popular girls in school. She was naturally beautiful with bronze colored hair that made all the guys stare. She and Albus had been on and off dating for as long as Lux could remember. But then, Albus was also considered kind of a player.

"Don't want to make you jealous princess" He called over his back before closing the door behind him. Lux was just about to shout a retaliation back when Pomfrey squeezed her ankle and pain shot up her leg.

"Hm… I think I know a good spell for this" Pomfrey mumbled and Lux rolled her eyes.

Lux was allowed to leave when she'd been healed, and her ankle didn't hurt at all. But she was careful while making her way down to the great hall for dinner.

"I heard you'd paid a visit to the infirmary" A deep voice said from beside her, and she jumped slightly before looking up at Anthony, looking as handsome as ever.

"Uh, who told you?"

"Davies, he was slightly upset that Potter had been carrying you" Anthony blinked, and Lux couldn't help but blush. They entered the great hall together. "And I just wanted to make sure you where okay, trying to keep track of my team you know" Anthony smiled and Lux felt her knees go weak.

"Sure" Wow, she sounded almost brainded. Good going Lux.

"But oh if it isn't our beloved head boy Corner, what are you doing rubbing off your prudeness on our sister, she was stuck up enough already before" Suddenly Lysander and Lorcan slid up on either side of Anthony. Who's expression immediately darkened. Lux knew her brothers didn't get along with Anthony, because they kept rambling about how annoying and stuck up he was at home. He was usually the only one who could frame them for their pranks.

"Go away and bother someone else" She said darkly, and they faked hurt faces.

"We're just trying to protect you from boringness, and this lad is full of boringness" Lorcan gestured towards Anthony.

"Neither prudeness nor boringness is actual words" He sighed, as if having a hard time keeping his temper. Lux knew the feeling.

"Ah see, boring!" Lysander exclaimed before dunking Anthony in the back and heading away, followed by Lorcan. Lux glared after them.

"On behalf of my dimwit brothers I apologize, they where dropped a lot when they where little" She said sarcastically, and Anthony snorted.

"That explains a lot. How come you're so different from them?" He looked at her quizzically, and Lux swallowed hard.

"Uh, I don't know, I just don't fit in with my family" She smiled crookedly, and Anthony grinned back.

"Good, because I can't stand your brothers"

"Wanna form a club?" Lux joked as they headed towards their table. Anthony laughed.

…

"I'm hungry!" Rose whined, as she and Lux had just slipped into their pajamas the same night and where about to go to bed.

"You're always hungry!"

"I can't help it, I got it from my dad" Rose grinned.

"Well, it's past curfew so you just have to wait until tomorrow" Lux dragged her covers over her head. As the room fell silent she thought she'd won the argument.

"Or we could just go down to the kitchens" Rose bounced onto her bed, making Lux roll out and hit the floor with a thud.

"No! I'm a prefect, I can't be seen breaking the rules"

"James is a prefect and he breaks the rules all the time!"

"It's because the only other choices for a prefect in their year was my brothers and Fred" Lux replied.

"Not the point. We won't be seen, I promise you"

"We don't even know where the kitchen is Rose"

"I do"

"You do?" Lux looked at her best friend surprised. Rose grinned a little guiltily.

"Having my cousins gives you some knowledge, haven't your brothers told you?"

"No, I hate them"

"Right, I forgot" Rose grabbed Lux hand and dragged her up towards the door. Lux tried to get away but Rose used her redhead powers, and soon they where out the door.

"I'm only wearing pajamas!" Lux wheezed as they went out thought the portrait, Rose absentmindedly glanced down at Lux dark blue pajamas with brown bears on them. Rose was wearing a pair of pink ones with small red hearts.

"So?"

"Just-"

"No one is going to see us Lu, just trust me"

And Lux was stupid enough to trust Rose Weasley.

They hurried through the castle unseen all the way down to the basement, their footsteps muffled since they where only wearing socks. Rose stopped in front of a large painting of fruit and tickled the pear.

"Rose, what are you doing?"

"Tickling the pear"

"I can see that, but why?"

"This is why" Rose said as the painting slid open to reveal a stairway down to a large room. Lux felt her eyes widen. This was the kitchens?

"C'mon" Rose grabbed her hand and dragged her down. Suddenly they where surrounded by house elf's and Rose thanked them all by name as they almost threw food at her. Rose used her jersey to form a bowl and ordered Lux to put the candy there. Lux obeyed.

When Rose had a hard time keeping the candy In her jersey they left, and Lux closed the painting behind her with a sigh. Now they only had to get back.

Lux actually thought they where going to make it as they ran through the dark corridors, when suddenly they collided with something.

"Ow!"

"Ouch!"

"Help!"

"I lost my candy!"

"I can't see anything!"

"Well that's what's happens during the night dumbass"

"If someone steps on my candy I'll kill them"

"PMS'ing much?"

"Oh shut up Fred"

Suddenly the corridor lit up, and Lux looked right into the face of Albus Potter whom she'd collided with. He was still rubbing his forehead where she'd smacked him in the commotion. It was Henry who was holding his wand above his head so light showered over all of them. There was her and Rose, who was currently scrambling around on the floor and trying to pick up her candy. And there was Albus, her brothers, Henry, James and Fred. The six boys stared at her and Rose.

"What are you doing out?" Lysander and Lorcan asked accusingly at her, and she felt the urge to point her tongue at them.

"Rose wanted candy, she forced me to come with her"

"In pajamas?" Fred said disbelievingly and Lux felt her face heat up. She'd forgotten that. She looked down at her pajamas, trying to conceal her blush. Then she realized something.

"What are you doing out? It's past curfew and I can give you detention!" She growled at them, and James laughed.

"No you can't, then you'll have to admit that you where out after curfew too"

"Damn"

"Henry stop stepping on my candy!" Rose growled from the floor, and Henry apologetically dropped to his knees to help her. Albus rolled his eyes.

"He's whipped"

"He's being nice, but you wouldn't know anything about that" She snapped at him.

"Hey I carried you!"

"Against my will!"

"What are you talking about?" Lorcan asked, and Lux thought she saw Albus face grow a shade darker in the now dimly lit corridor.

"Lux got hurt during our DADA class and I had to carry her to the infirmary"

"You could just have t let Cody carry her" Rose snorted as she stood up, followed by Henry. Lorcan and Lysander turned to look at Lux.

"What?"

"What?" She replied innocently.

"Cody Davies? Ravenclaw Keeper?"

"Yeah, so?"

"How come you suddenly start hanging out with both Corner and Davies?"

"None of your business" Lux growled, as Rose suddenly hushed them.

"Listen"

They all fell silent, and heard sounds at the end of the corridor. Lux heart rate spiked and she turned around panicky.

"We've got to hide! I can't be seen outside!" She wheezed in panic as someone grabbed her wrist.

"Shut up!" She recognized Albus voice.

"You shut up"

"Do you want to get caught or not?"

Lux fell silent as she was pushed into a broom closet together with the rest of the large group. She heard Rose trying to save her candy as It once again clattered out on the floor of the broom closet and Henry telling her not to pick it up. Everyone squeezed into the small space, and Lux found herself tightly pressed into Albus chest. But she didn't even care, she just couldn't get caught.

"Everyone silent" Lorcan hushed as Rose and Henry started snapping at each other.

They fell silent, Lux heard her own ragged breaths as she realized that Albus was still holding her wrist. He was rubbing circles over her hand. And strangely enough she found it calming.

"I thought I heard a sound" She recognized Anthony's voice outside the closet, and held her breath.

"You sure?" Mr. Lupin.

"Of course I'm sure"

"But there is no one here"

"What's that?" They heard someone bend down, and then Mr. Lupin's surprised voice.

"Candy?"

Everyone turned around to glare at Rose, who smiled sweetly.

"I know I heard something" Anthony's voice. Lux closed her eyes. If Anthony found her she'd die from embarrassment. And then come back to haunt Albus Potter and her brothers. Probably Rose too.

"It was probably nothing, let's move on" Mr. Lupin said. And then his footsteps started to walk away, after a heartbeat Anthony followed. Lux let her breath out. They waited until the footsteps had died away completely.

"I'm never ever going to trust you again Rose"

"Ow, you're so mean Lu"

"You said, and I quote 'we won't be seen or caught'"

"You know me well enough to know not to trust me"

"Girls, if it wasn't for the fact that one of you are related to me I wouldn't break up a potential catfight" Albus said, and Lux hit him on the arm "But let's get out of here?" He continued and glanced down at her amusedly. Lux didn't fell comfortable at all standing so close to him, pressed up against him in only her pajamas on. And the way he was smiling told her that he was enjoying it way to much.

"Stop smiling Potter!" She hissed and reached up to smack him again, but he caught her arm. He was almost a head taller then her and it made her feel tiny as he glanced down at her.

"Would you please stop hitting me?"

"No" She kicked his shin, and he let go of her arm to grab it with a painful groan. None of them had noticed that everyone else had already filed out of the closet and it was only the two of them left.

"Uhm guys, I would say get a room but I'd rather you don't so just get out here" Lysander said sarcastically and Lux immediately toppled out unsteadily. Followed by a blazing Albus jumping on one foot and clutching his other leg. James chuckled at his brother.

"I think you should carry me Lux" Albus declared as he jumped up beside her, finally letting go of his leg. She glanced disbelievingly at him.

"And why is that?"

"Because I carried you when you where hurt, now it's time to repay the favor" She and Albus had stopped, Albus smiling wickedly and she glaring at him. The others didn't seem to notice since Rose and Henry where bantering with each other and the rest taunting them. Quickly their sounds died away, and Albus and Lux where bathing in darkness. She could just only make out Albus in the dark corridor.

"You're kidding me right? I didn't want you to carry me!" She poked him in the chest.

"Tss, every girl would want to be carried by me"

"Not me"

"Maybe you're a guy? It wouldn't be such a surprise, and it certainly would explain a few things"

"Hmpf" She gave him a hard scuff. She'd had enough of him harassing her looks. Albus barely winced even thought she'd used all her force. Damn him. She really needed to get some more muscles. Then she pointedly stalked away down the corridor, before realizing at the first crossroad that she didn't know where to go, she couldn't recognize the castle in the dark. She felt Albus come up behind her.

"You're lost"

"I'm just thinking"

"I know the way, you just have to ask me"

"I won't" She randomly stalked away down a corridor.

"That's the wrong way" Albus called after her, and she stopped.

"Can't you just show me? I'm tired and I'm cold!" Her voice cracked up as she hugged herself, her flannel pajamas not giving her very much warmth. She slowly went back to Albus, feeling the cold from the stone slipper through her socks and up her body, making her shiver.

"It's that way" Albus pointed in a direction, and she started walking again. Albus hurried up beside her and put an arm around her shoulders.

"Really? Why don't you just lay off Potter" She growled, and he held his hands up in a defeated gesture.

"You looked cold, I'm just trying to be nice"

"Oh" He put his arm back.

Lux wanted to shrug it off, she really did, but she couldn't help but walk closer and closer to him until she was almost pressed up against his side. He was wearing both jeans and a thick jersey and was very warm. It felt nice with his arm around her cold shoulders. But only because of the warmth.

Got it? No thinking anything else! I said it wasn't one of those stories and it isn't!

He followed her all the way up to the Ravenclaw common room, and there he let his arm fall. She glanced up at him through the dim darkness.

"I guess I… thanks" She mumbled, and he nodded.

"Can't leave a maiden in distress can I?" He sounded amused, and she once again hit him in the arm, but not very hard.

"Shut up Potter"

"Night Lu"

"You aren't allowed to call me that!"

"Lux?"

"Fine"

"Night Lu"

"Argh"

Then he disappeared away down the stairs, and she answered the riddle from the gargoyle and headed up to her dormitory. Rose was already snoring in her sleep and Lux barely glanced at her before diving head first down into her own bed. Then she was asleep.

And she certainly did not dream of Albus Potter in a shining armor on a white horse. Because that would be outrageous.

AN: Thank you guys so much for the reviews, it makes me really really happy! So what did you think of this chapter then eh?