Hey! A new chapter finally… I've barely updated lately. I don't really think these last two chapters are good, but at least I've updated! This chapter and this story is really a mix between book and movie, so that's why some of this isn't exactly accurate. Anyway, please enjoy!

HOGSMEADE.

Lupin and I couldn't join Harry, Ron, and Hermione to their trip to Hogsmeade because of my arm and his illness after the full moon. Although the next Hogsmeade trip wasn't for another three weeks, we agreed to join them then, instead. Hogwarts had been boring – Slughorn hardly allowed me to get near the cauldrons anymore, in fear of having someone almost take off my arm again.

My arm was healing well. Snape continued to make the potion – I trusted him with it much more than I trusted Slughorn – and while the skin was still eaten away at, it seemed healthier and the skin had healed. It hardly hurt anymore and I didn't have to put a bandage over it anymore – just hold a soaking towel to it for fifteen minutes after dipping it in the potion.

"Let's go!" I said excitedly, grabbing my coat and wrapping it around me. Lupin was still lying in bed. "Harry, Hermione, and Ron are meeting us here! Hurry up!"

I threw some clothes at him and he groaned, rolling out of bed and getting dressed. He glanced out the window. "But it's snowing! It'll be really cold!" We opened the door to our quarters and the three were already standing there, waiting for us. Hermione smiled as we began to walk down to the entrance hall and out the front doors. Lupin grabbed my hand. "Remember what happened the first year we met, when it was snowing and we went out for a walk together?"

I thought for a moment and then remembered. "I don't remember, actually," I smirked. "Care to remind me?"

"You kissed me, Darcy," he replied, his cheeks a bit pink.

We exited the castle and began the trek to Hogsmeade, which was taking a shorter amount of time than usual, or so I thought. "Oh yeah," I grinned. "And you kissed me back."

"And then we slept in the same bed together for the first time."

"You were so warm."

"You were always so nervous that you were shaking –"

"Can you guys shut up?" Harry fake gagged and I frowned at him, gripping Lupin's hand tighter as we entered the snowy streets of Hogsmeade. The wind was harsh and I pulled my scarf up to cover more of my face. I inched closer to Lupin, who pulled his hat down and tightened his scarf. "You guys act like you're thirteen years old and let me remind you that you're not anymore."

I gave Harry and dreamy look.

"You two haven't even been here and together again for that long and all you two do is spend time cooped up together in your room," he gagged again. "I mean, is there anywhere you haven't done it?"

Ron stifled a chuckle and Hermione glared at Harry, as if he was saying too much. I simply shrugged, joking with Harry.

"I mean really, what's next?" Harry rolled his eyes. "I suppose you'll want to do it in Snape's office!"

Lupin and I smirked at each other and all three of the kids nearly choked. "We're joking!" I laughed and Harry looked at me suspiciously. "And we don't spend all day cooped up in our room together because look – we're out here right now! And I have a job to do, you know. It's not all fun and games."

"You two are disgusting," Harry muttered and he rolled his eyes. I ruffled his hair.

"Come on guys, let's go get a butterbeer," I shivered. "I'm freezing." We all walked into the Three Broomsticks and found a booth. I smiled at Lupin, who was taking off his hat. I lowered my scarf from my mouth. The barmaid walked over and I began to speak, but Lupin cut me off.

"Five butterbeers, please," he said politely.

As the lady walked away, I beamed at him. "You ordered for all of us?" I sighed happily. "That's so sweet."

"You'll never guess what happened last night," Harry said suddenly.

I raised an eyebrow as our drinks were placed in front of us.

"I'll tell them!" Ron exclaimed and I looked to him instead. "Last night, I was sleeping right? And then there was a flash of light and suddenly, I was dangling from my ankle in midair! And then there was another flash of light and I was on my bed again!"

No one was laughing but Ron. "You found it in that potions book, didn't you?" I asked quietly.

"Yes, I – wait, who – Hermione!"

"She deserves to know, Harry!" Hermione protested. "She's your sister! Besides, maybe Remus could help find out who –"

"It doesn't matter," Harry replied.

"Yes, it does, Harry," I said firmly. "Dangling someone by the ankle? Our father used that spell, remember?" No one asked how I knew, but Lupin definitely already was aware of it. "That's not funny."

"It was just a laugh," Harry sighed, defeated.

"It's not! You had no idea what that spell was and you just used it on your best friend!" I hissed. "I don't think you should begin to perform spells that you just see randomly handwritten in your potions book! I think you should get a new book. Whose book was it?"

"The Half-Blood Prince," Hermione told me and I gave her a confused look.

"Excuse me?"

"That's what the book said. It's property of the Half-Blood Prince," she repeated. "Remus, do you have any idea who it could be?"

"I've never heard of anyone being called the Half-Blood Prince," Lupin said, shaking his head and shrugging. "There aren't any princes in the Wizarding world."

Lupin smiled proudly. "Remember when you were a student and –"

"Enough!" Ron held out his hands and shook his head, stopping Lupin from continuing. "No one wants to hear about your sexual encounters! She's like my sister and I –"

"Speaking of sisters," I looked past Ron at a table in the back corner of the shop. "Isn't that Ginny and her boyfriend? What's his name? Oh – Dean Thomas?"

Everyone turned their attention to where Ginny was sitting with Dean. "Bloody hell," Ron muttered.

"Relax, Ron," I laughed. "They're only holding hands."

"And snogging!" Ron protested. "I'd like to leave."

"You can't be serious," Hermione grinned.

"What?" Ron leaned back in his seat beside Harry, crossing his arms. "That happens to be my sister!"

"So?" Hermione shrugged with a smile. "What if she looked up and saw you and me snogging? Would you expect her to just get up and leave?"

Lupin, Harry, and I exchanged glances, raising our eyebrows and smiling slightly at the comment Hermione had just made. Hermione was about to continue when we heard a loud voice from behind.

"Harry, m'boy! And Miss Darcy Potter!"

We all turned to see Slughorn walking towards us. I held back a sigh and looked at Lupin. His face was blank. "Hello," Harry replied, but he didn't seem pleased at all to see the Potions master walking towards our table.

"That's three of my dinners you've missed!" he scolded Harry. "And two for you, Darcy – although I can't really blame you, you've been in the hospital wing!" He placed a large hand on my shoulder and I quickly began to sip at my butterbeer. Lupin looked up at Slughorn and grabbed my hand underneath the table. "It won't do! I'm determined to have you both! Miss Granger loves them, don't you?"

"Oh, yes," she spluttered. "They're really –"

"So why don't you come along, Harry?" Slughorn almost begged.

"I've had Quidditch practice, sir," Harry said quickly. I looked at my brother. I knew that he had been planning practices during the dinners. I smiled knowingly at him while Slughorn wasn't looking.

"Well, how about Monday?" Slughorn asked.

"I've got a lesson with Dumbledore," Harry said and I raised an eyebrow.

"Unlucky again!" Slughorn cried and then he looked to me. "What about you Darcy? Are you free?"

"No," I said slowly, trying to think up a lie. "I've got…. nonverbal spell practice with Snape."

Slughorn seemed upset and I celebrated in my head. He had actually believed my terrible lie? I bit my bottom lip to keep from smiling. "Ah well," Slughorn said. "You two can't evade me forever!"

As he walked away, Lupin looked at me. "It had to be Snape, didn't it?" he asked and everyone fell quiet. Harry, Hermione, and Ron looked at us.

"It was the first thing that came to my head!"

"Snape was the first thing that came to your head?"

"No! I don't even think – just – I don't even spend time with Snape!" I protested.

"I can't believe you got out of another one!" Hermione said, obviously trying to change the subject. Lupin and I looked at her. She was glancing at both me and Harry. "They aren't that bad, you know!"

The rest of the time in the Three Broomsticks, we were all quiet. We drank our butterbeers quickly and when Harry had finished and paid for all of us, we left the pub rather quickly. I put my scarf back on, my cheeks already numb from the harsh snow and wind. Lupin was pulling his hat back on and between Hermione's hat and scarf, the only things visible were her eyes and nose, which was almost as red as Ron's hair.

As we headed back up towards the castle, I became aware that there were voices getting closer and closer and louder and louder. "It's nothing to do with you, Leanne!"

Two girls were arguing and as we rounded the corner, we froze. Katie Bell, a chaser on the Gryffindor Quidditch and her friend, Leanne. Just as we were about to continue, Leanne tried to grab the package that Katie was holding from her hands, but Katie tugged it back and then it fell to the ground.

And then, Katie rose into the air, her arms and legs spread and straight out. Her hair was blowing around her face and her eyes were closed. Her face was blank. Leanne had backed away, backing right into Lupin and she jumped, looking to see the five of us behind her, staring at Katie, who was suspended in midair.

Katie let out a horrible, loud, piercing scream. I gasped and her eyes opened and she looked like she was in terrible pain. But she wouldn't stop – she kept screaming and screaming and then Leanne began to scream, too, and she reached up to grab Katie's ankles, trying to bring her back down to the ground. The five of us rushed forward to help her, but as Harry reached up for her other ankle, Katie fell, landing on top of us. I tried to hold her still, but she was twitching and writhing. She screamed and screamed some more and Harry tried to let her know it was only him, but she didn't seem to recognize him.

Lupin stood up and seemed like the calmest out of everyone. "We've got to get her back up to the castle, quickly," he said and he lifted Katie into his arms as she screamed and thrashed against him.

I avoided looking into Lupin's eyes as the six of us now stood there now. My heart was pounding. I glanced around at the ground and saw that the package was only a few feet from me. I was still lying on the ground and I crawled over to the brown paper package. Inside, I saw a necklace, an opal one.

I reached out for it, but someone grabbed my arm and when I looked back, I saw that Harry had yanked me away from the necklace. "Don't touch it!"

"Come on, let's go up to the castle," Lupin announced.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

After bringing Katie to the hospital wing, Madam Pomfrey immediately contacted Healers and she was taken away to St. Mungo's. We then went to McGonagall's office, where I, holding the necklace only by the wrappings around it, placed it on her desk.

McGonagall had called Snape in, who pushed past me and examined the necklace, holding it up in the air, pointing his wand directly at it. I stepped back by Lupin and Harry. McGonagall turned to Leanne. "You sure Katie did not have this in her possession when she entered the Three Broomsticks?"

"It's like I said," Leanne cried. "She left to go to the loo, and when she came back, she had the package. She said that it was important that she deliver it."

"Did she say to whom?"

"Professor Dumbledore."

McGonagall held her breath for a moment and then sighed, nodding her head. "Very well, Leanne, you may go." She then turned to Snape. I frowned, knowing that she could have had Lupin examine it as well – after all, he had been a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. "Severus? What do you think?"

"I think Miss Bell is lucky to be alive," Snape responded slowly.

"She was cursed, wasn't she?" I asked and I looked at Harry. We were both thinking exactly the same thing.

"I know Katie," Harry continued. "Off the Quidditch pitch, she wouldn't hurt a fly. If she was delivering that to Professor Dumbledore, she wasn't doing it knowingly."

"Yes, she was cursed," McGonagall answered. Snape put the necklace back on the desk and turned to the five of us.

"It was Malfoy," Harry and I said together and we looked at each other again. Snape narrowed his eyes, staring more at Harry than me, and McGonagall looked shocked. Hermione, Lupin, and Ron looked awfully uncomfortable, shifting their weight awkwardly.

McGonagall stared at the both of us. "That is a very serious accusation."

"Indeed," Snape strode up to me and then to Harry, looking down at him. "Your evidence?" Again, he glanced at me and Lupin gave him a nasty look.

Harry replied, looking to me for help. "I – I just know."

"You just know?" Snape raised his eyebrows. "You hear that, Miss Potter? He just knows. Aren't you getting astonished with your gifts, Potter? How grand it must be to be the Chosen One." Snape took one step to the left and stood in front of me. I avoided his eyes, hoping he wouldn't read my mind.

Everyone was quiet. "I'll escort them back to their dormitories, Minerva," Lupin said, grabbing my arm and pulling me away from Snape. "Let's go, guys."