A/n: So. This is a bit of a milestone chapter for me. You're reading entirely new content! All 18 other chapters were written well over a year ago, whereas this chapter I started writing when I decided I would finish the story. Thank you for sharing this milestone with me. Also, thanks for all of the encouraging reviews and for pushing me past 15 000 views. You guys are the best!
Here we have some of the Ravenclaw team snooping for Slytherin secrets.

Mariah

Monday – 9:00 am

It's raining. I trudge through the muddy, sludgy snow down to Care of Magical Creatures, dreading every step. The only good I can see in this lovely morning of poking at horklumps, trying to make them flip over to show their spots (or show any sign of life at all), is that I have no chance of running into Rhet. All of my classes are with the Slytherins today.

Amelie was excited to hear that. She made me point Levi Walker out to her at breakfast and began scribbling in her playbook right away.

Anyways, no Hufflepuff will intrude on my personal space or make my neck burn for the next twenty-four hours. In fact, I've hardly spent any time around the insufferable bloke since the auction. That may, in part, be because I've taken to hiding under tables in the library whenever I have spare time. Thankfully, he's been quite invisible himself. I've only seen him during class and I always have a convenient escape at the ready if he looks ready to come talk to me.

I'm still not sure what to think of him yet. All of my thoughts are so muddled, when I try to sort things out I feel like I'm drowning.

More than once someone has pulled me out from under a table, seriously confused, to ask me if I'm alright, if I want to go to the hospital wing.

My reply is simply that I've lost my quill, then I change tables.

But right now I'm trudging.

Hagrid greets us in front of his cabin, a large black umbrella clutched in one hand, keys to the horklump crates in the other.

'Ereone ere?' The giant calls out, counting heads as everyone crowds him, trying to get under the cover of his parasol. 'Right. You'll be workin in pairs this week. Let's go, you two, you two, take a horklump and follow along in yer book. Don't forget yer gloves!'

I manage to slip behind the tall Slytherin, my new target. Hagrid divides the class evenly and Walker turns to look at me, his assigned partner. He selects two horklumps from the open crate and nods towards the trees behind the cabin, a little respite from the rain. After a moment of fighting with my monstrous class book I find the right page. Walker places the small, fist-sized creatures on the ground and strips off his protective gloves, coming to stand by me.

They make no move to escape, legs to small and skinny to support their massive bodies.

After reading over the page in silence, Walker withdraws a paper from his bag and divides it into columns. I sit by him, slipping on my gloves and pulling out my measuring instruments.

'So,' I say, not able to bear the quiet any longer. 'We need length from tip to tail, width, height, weight, gender and description of spots and identifiable markings.'

He nods once, adding titles to his columns.

'Alright,' I nod as well, trying to straighten the lumpy tail of the first horklump in order to take the measurements. '5 inches, three centimeters.'

He leans over to see where my finger is pointing on the ruler, then scribbles away.

'Width?' He asks – grunts, more like – and I roll my eyes.

This is going to be impossible.

Ida

Tuesday – 4:00 pm

'Time to call in a favour!' I sing, spotting Damon down the hall with his friends. I hook my arm through Rose's, who simply laughs.

'I'm out.' She says. 'Amelie told me no more digging. For whatever reason.'

'Here comes your loverboy now.' I point to Malfoy who has broken away from Albus and Smith to meet us.

'Right, we've got a particularly difficult potion assigned this week. We're headed to the library.' She smiles at her Slytherin friend. 'And he's not my loverboy. Would you and Damon like to join us?'

'I need to get Damon somewhere a little more private.'

'Private in this sense meaning a broom cupboard.' Malfoy loops his arm over Rose's shoulder to whisper in her ear.

'Oh harhar.' I laugh sarcastically.

'Come on,' Malfoy nods in the direction of his mates. 'Al and Arrol are coming too. I'll take it that you have Damon… otherwise occupied.'

'Go study.' I wave him off, passing them to meet the seventh years down the hall.

'Ida!' Damon calls out to me, extending a hand for me to hold. The other arm is hooked around Hans's neck, who seems less than pleased at the interaction. 'Hans, Niles and I are going for a walk before dinner – join us!'

'Yes sir!' I salute with my free hand and allow myself to be dragged down the corridor. As Niles and Hans break away ahead of us, I stand on my toes to reach his ear. 'Remember what you said about owing me? I'm cashing in.'

'Alright. What are you aching for, love?'

'Information.'

'About?'

'Multiple topics. Mainly quidditch, but I have other questions.' I let him guide me out the main doors and down the steps. Niles and Hans break a path through fresh falling snow for us, the former bounding and laughing, the latter hunched and silent.

'First, what's with Hans and Amity?'

Damon furrows his brow. 'What are you talking about?'

'I mean – you know. The shared looks, the studying together, their own sofa in the library… the Hamity!'

'Merlin, that is a terrible name.' Damon looks simply horrified. 'And there is no Hamity. They're friends. Close friends. But no more. Hans has never been the kind of bloke to fancy a girl, and Amity knows that well enough not to go for him. I always thought it would be Niles. They're both nice people. But… Hamity…' The thought amuses him. 'Then there's the matter of his last name…'

'What do you mean?' I tug his hand so that he acknowledges my presence.

'Nothing. You've just given me a lot to think about.' He waves at his friends who have reached the shore of the lake. They're testing the new ice with rocks and sticks. 'What's next?'

'How is your new beater fitting in?'

'Hell – how do you know about that?'

'I have my ways. New beater?'

'He's interesting. A little gangly and unsure of himself on a broom, but we've got two more practices to iron that out of him.' Damon pulls a face. 'And he's incredibly antisocial. Doesn't seem to talk to anyone – I think I got a muttered hello on his first day. Captain chose Walker because there's a lesser chance of him going off to woo dear Weasley.'

'Does Malfoy like Rose?' I ask.

'I'm putting a cap on how many questions you can ask at a time – three. You're too nosy for your own good.'

'I'm a Ravenclaw, it's in my nature.'

'Will this be your last question for tonight?' Damon looks down at me. I shrug in reply, I had other questions but I've still got time. 'He certainly likes her as a friend, and she returns those feelings. But neither of them seems to show any form of outstanding love.'

'As if you know what love is – you currently have a fake girlfriend.'

'I have parents. I know what it looks like to have that undying love.' He argues. 'I don't think that it's possible for any young person to feel it though.'

'Well, aren't you just the biggest cynic.' I scowl. 'So you're saying that Malfoy doesn't like Rose.'

'No. He might like her, he just doesn't show it. That's the Slytherin way – and Ravenclaw too, if you think about it. Calculating, guarded, unfeeling. It's the Hufflepuffs and the Gryffindors who lead with their emotions.'

'Thanks for putting down every girl's fantasy of falling in love young with their soul mate.'

'And then kill themselves? Smile – Niles and Hans are coming this way.'

For the rest of the night I resolve to get Rose to show her feelings to Malfoy. They truly are sweet together and no amount of calculating should keep them apart. But I can't shake the feeling that maybe, just maybe, Damon has a point.

Also, how does he know Shakespeare?

Mariah

Wednesday – 12:00 noon

My favorite table in the library is on the far left of the door, around the librarian's desk and tucked into a back corner. The large windows provide perfect lighting, the table is hardly used so the rug underneath isn't worn, and there is a sofa nearby with plushy cushions to steal. It's a prime hideout location.

I unearth the meat pie I'd taken from breakfast this morning and lay out my books. This is what I do for lunch now.

Mallory says I'm being unreasonable.

Davies has probably already moved on. Come back and eat with me – Merlin knows I can't suffer through another display of how to prune a pusmonger by Ermine Macallen. I mean, the plant's got pus in the name!

I'm being perfectly reasonable – and I'm growing increasingly flexible. Crossing my legs has never been more comfortable.

Anyways, it's just a precaution. He's stopped talking to me entirely now, further instilling the thought that McLaggen put him up to it for the match. Now that the game has passed, Rhet is returning to his usual lifestyle where he doesn't even think about Mariah Affey.

'Um, Affey?'

I jump a foot in the air at the sound of someone saying my name. I crack my head against the table and cradle my forehead in pain.

'Sorry. What are you doing under a table?'

I push aside a chair to look up at the tall, gangly Slytherin who is talking to me. It's a miracle.

'Walker?'

He simply shrugs. 'Looks comfy. Mind if I join you?'

Before I can say anything in reply he crawls under, replacing the chair and curling his long arms around his legs.

'What–'

He shushes me. A moment later I hear footsteps and two pairs of shiny leather shoes appear.

'Frick – where'd he go?' Demands a gruff voice.

'I dunno mate, he just disappeared.'

'You should 'ave kept a closer eye on him!' One set paces back and forth. 'I'm going to pound his queer arse when I get my hands on him – screw him up for taking my position.'

'You know mate, that sounded–'

'I know how it sounded! Come on. We'll wait in the common room.'

The feet disappear and after a moment I turn to my new companion.

'I'm hiding from someone.' Walker states simply.

'So am I.'

'I think we can come to some sort of deal here.'

'Not necessary – I wouldn't rat you out. Those boys don't sound like they're going to congratulate you on your new position.' I say without thinking.

'How do you know about that?' He asks with narrowed eyes.

'Um – those boys were talking about it. I assume it's something rather important.'

He shrugs, playing with the laces on his shoes.

'So. How are things?' I need to speak as the silence wares on.

He glances at me, amused.

'Good, good.' I nod awkwardly. 'That's good.'

He looks at his nails.

'That's not fair!' I burst out. 'After we bond over our common situations you can't just go back to the Levi Walker who ignores me. Especially not if you plan to stay under here with me.'

'I don't like it when people know more about me than I do them. You're currently holding out. Who are you hiding from?' He says a grand total of three sentences, but it leaves me gob smacked. It must be some sort of record for him.

'A boy.' I blink at him.

'He's not me, is he?' Walker cracks a smile.

'Um – no.' I can't help but stare. He's smiling. 'He's a… Hufflepuff.'

'And why are you hiding from him?'

'Because he's bloody confusing! And potentially a scheming liar.'

'Potentially?'

'I'm avoiding the confrontation. I'll get back to you on that one.'

'Ah.'

He returns to looking at his nails.

I frown at him, then consider his confession. 'I don't like it when people call me by my surname.'

Walker smiles up at my slyly. 'Hmm… Mariah. I'm Levi.'

'I know.' I reply as I shake his hand.

A/n: Next we have a particularly angsty chapter - James fights with everyone.