A/N: *waves* Yo. I had a thought the other day, why do we give disclaimers when the whole point of fan fiction is that we aren't claiming the story is ours? I mean it just seems pointless is all. I don't know, maybe its just me.

ALSO, THIS IS IMPORTANT. I'M CHANGING IT SO THAT HARPER WAS 10 WHEN HER FATHER DIED. SO DON'T GET CONFUSED.

Disclaimer: I only own my OC's. (Duh, if I owned Harry Potter, Remus would be at home playing with Teddy now wouldn't he? *sob sob*)

Deal with it

"I came in like a WRECKING BAAALLL! I NEVER HIT SO HARD IN LOOOVE!"

"HARPER GREY, SHUT THE HELL UP!"

"… Rude."

Rolling his eyes, Marcus shook his head. We were standing on the Wooden Bridge (A/N: in case you don't remember which on I'm talking about, it's the place where Lupin talked to Harry about his parents for the first time and also where Cedric tells Harry to take a bath in the Prefect's bathroom *wink wink*), just enjoying each other's company. I had found out that simply just being together, in silence, was quite gratifying. "So… I finished City of Fallen Angels", I began in a teasing voice, knowing full well what his reaction would be… I was not disappointed.

"La la la la, I refuse to let you spoil another series. Like Maze Runner", he said with no little amount of venom.

Chuckling and giving him a cheeky smile, I winked. "Oh come on Marc, don't you want to know what happens to Jaaaccee or Claaryy", I said while trying to control my laughter at his expression of pure fear.

Turning to face me, he clamped his hand on my mouth and gave me a glare that could melt me…If I wasn't that used to it, that is. "Okay okay, calm down, I'm only teasing."

"I can never tell with you Harp", he muttered.

"Rude."

"Shut up."

"You shut up."

Again, he rolled his eyes while I stuck my tongue out at him. "You know if you keep rolling your eyes like that all the time, they're going to get stuck up there."

He just did it again.

"The twins are back", I said, as casually as I could.

"Are they? Which corner of the world did they run off to this time?"

Rolling my eyes, I smiled fondly. "Australia, apparently."

"Well, they're going to regret it when they see the amount off work they'll have to catch up."

"Yeah I know. I still don't understand how Professor McGonagall lets them leave every time", I stated with an incredulous expression painting my face. She didn't even let me go to the Hagrid's Hut without a narrowing of her eyes. My friend merely shrugged and said, "I guess when you're the great grandchildren of Newt Scamander and your mother is Luna Lovegood, you get some brownie points in the old bird's eyes."

I chuckled at his nickname for our Headmistress. He always claimed she looked like a hawk, about pounce on her prey. I shuddered. Upon hearing Marcus sigh almost morosely I turned to him with a questioning look. "Mood swings much?" I asked, only half joking.

"I'm just nervous. My father dearest has left mum alone but he says if I don't get good grades in my OWL's, he'll, quote 'show me what true wrath is.'"

For my companions sake, I tried for a smile, as much as I just wanted to sit and curse his father for an hour. "Well then you have nothing to worry about. You're one of the best students in our year. You'll do great."

And I meant it too. Marcus always seemed to breeze through his studies, with no apparent effort. This one trait of his was always a cause of great envy from my side. Turning to me, he gave me a genuine smile that automatically brought a smile to my own face as well.

Standing side by side with my best friend, I didn't even try to keep the content feeling in the pit of my stomach from blooming all across my body.

(Later, at dinner)

"NOOOO! HOW COULD YOU?! YOU MONSTER!"

"….."

"HOW DARE YOU LOOK AT ME LIKE THAT?"

"You're over reacting Harp calm down."

"C-calm down?" I squawked in indignation. "The fact that you are still alive after you made me drop my fry is proof that I am already beyond calm."

Rolling her eyes at my antics, Sam reached into her plate and threw a handful of fries to me. "Happy?"

"Utterly", I replied with a cheeky smile.

Groaning, Sam rolled her eyes while saying, "What am I going to do with you?"

With a shit-eating smile still on my face, I said with a mouth stuffed with fries, "Feed me and tell me I'm pretty"

At this, she burst into laughter.

Suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulder and someone slide into the stop next to me. Turning my head and seeing who it was, I almost had a heart attack.

Lysander. What was he doing here? Oh right, he was a Hufflepuff too. Silly me. With his hand still on my shoulder, he sent me a heart stopping smile. "Mockingbird", he greeted.

Unfortunately for me, my mouth was still stuffed with fries so I quickly tried to swallow them without choking and dying. After I had achieved this task, I smiled back at him and tried not to make a fool, or rather a further fool of myself. "Lysander, how are you?"

Shaking his head, he replied with a grimace, "Horrible. You were right when you said I would have no social life for a while. I've been working non-stop since I got back."

Giving him a sympathetic smile, I busied myself in my food, discreetly glancing at him when I thought he wasn't looking. I was doing pretty well in being subtle (in my opinion) when I heard Sam and Ada both clear their throats pointedly. Looking up, I saw both of them had their eyebrows raised and were giving me questioning looks. Quickly checking to see whether Lysander was looking or not, I mouthed a 'what' to them. In reply, Sam motioned to Lysander with her chin and then pointed to me. 'Later' I mouthed back. Quickly nodding, they exchanged excited looks.

Rolling my eyes at their immaturity, I sighed, thinking about the onslaught of questions that was sure to come my way back in our room. "Everything all right love?"

Trying not to melt at the term of endearment, I gave him a wide smile. "Of course, why do you ask?"

"You were frowning, that's all." I thought I heard him mutter "I only like when you smile, not frown", but I was probably hallucinating or something.

(In the dorm room)

"Since when have you been crushing on Lysander Scamander?! Ly-freaking-sander?!"

"Keep it down will you", I hissed at Ada, flailing my arms around like a lunatic.

Rolling her eyes, she huffed in impatience. "Come on, spill already. You should be eternally grateful you haven't been brutally murdered for keeping it from us for this long", Sam piped up from behind Ada, where she was sprawled on the bed stuffing her face with Muggle snacks. (I'm pretty sure it was a packet of Flaming Hot Cheetos. Yum)

"Over dramatic much?"

"WE'RE WAITING!"

"OmygoshchillI'velikedhimsinceiwassevenyearsoldanddamnyou'rescary."

With my hands raised in surrender, I tried to make myself as small as possible as both my friends glared at me. "And why are we only hearing about this now?" Sam growled (yes, growled).

Trying for a meek expression, I twisted my hands and mumbled, "It never came up?" Unfortunately, it came out more as a question than a statement.

"Never came up? What in Merlin's name are you talking about; we talk about our crushes all the time!"

"All right, enough, don't get your wand in a twist. You know now, calm down", I grumbled, very done with the topic currently being discussed.

Truth be told, the real reason I hated talking about Lysander was because, I felt a little more than a silly crush for him. I had known him since I was a child, and (whether it was a good thing or not, I would never know) I knew him and he knew me. So it wasn't like I was admiring him from across the room or anything. He had been there when my father had died, he had been there the time all us kids got in a water fight and Mrs. Granger wouldn't let us in the house. He'd also been there when I and he had jinxed a kid for making fun of Hufflepuffs and we had both been sent to detention. Talking about him, brought up too many complicated emotions that I preferred to leave dormant.

Narrowing her eyes at me but giving me a slow nod, Sam passed the Cheetos to me. "To beautiful boys", she said while tipping a single Cheeto in the air in a mock toast.

Chuckling, Ada and I toasted with her.