A/N Ok, wow it's been WAY too long since I last updated and the story is now pretty much aligned with the right time of year, despite that not being my plan. I have had a crazy number of deadlines which won't let up until the 20th, which is probably when this story might get going again. However, I can't promise anything.

A/N *This is an edit, but the next chapter should be up in a few days* And guys, I only need 6 reviews to get 50, so if you REALLY want to cheer an impoverished fanfic author up - Review, review, review! :)

"Hey Al, wait up!" Mouse called out-of-breath, as he struggled with his trunk.

Albus span round and grinned, meeting his friend with a friendly tackle.

"Alright Mouse?" He asked and the two of them made their way into the carriage, casually bidding their respective guardians, Nat and Teddy Lupin, farewell (Both Harry and Ginny Potter having to work). As they boarded the train, Albus chattering away nineteen to the dozen, he grinned as he saw Becky waving frantically at them from a nearby compartment.

"Alreet?" She asked, grinning as she came out to give them a hand with their luggage.

"Do you mind, Al?" Mouse asked irritably, as his friend had stopped abruptly in the door to the compartment. Albus shook his head and slipped inside taking a seat. As he did, Mouse could see why he had stopped. Rose, who before the holidays had looked what could only have been charitably described as average, or maybe bookish seemed...well, pretty. As much as Mouse thought about girls looking pretty, anyway.

There wasn't anything definable about it, just little things. Her unruly bushy red hair had somehow been tamed into gentle waves, and her eyebrows had a little more definition, but overall, it made her seem oddly softer.

"Hi Rose..." said a shocked Mouse eventually, and she flushed, her ears turning redder than her hair.

"I look stupid, don't I..." she said, miserably.

"No!" Mouse said hastily, and blushed himself as Al and Becky smirked. "No," he continued more casually. "You look really nice actually."

Rose perked up and then glowered at her cousin who was dismally failing in his attempt to hide his sniggers.

"Oh shut up Albus!" She said and Mouse hid a smile. Despite his friend's subtle transformation, she was still the same old Rose underneath.

He tuned out the cousins' bickering with what was now months of practice and glanced out of the window saying good by to King Cross as it vanished through the bilows of steam. Suddenly, a reflection caught his eye and he turned, his jaw dropping, as he saw yet another of his year mates transformed. She was gone as suddenly as she appeared, and Becky, who had seen the girl walk past too turned to Mouse, to stare at each other in disbelief.

"Was that Chloe?" asked Becky, dumbfounded, her eyes wide and incredulous.

"I think so..." Mouse trailed off, unable to quite comprehend the full picture of the girl who had just walked past.

"That was just wrong." Becky replied, with a shudder and Mouse nodded in agreement. Before the holidays, Chloe had still been more developed than the other first year girls, in more ways than one, and had earned herself some admiring looks for her long legs and other...assets, despite her age. But now it was as if someone had turned her up to eleven, black curls teased into perfect shape, her dark skin primped and polished, and most importantly, she did not look like a twelve year old. If Mouse hadn't known it was Chloe, he would have wondered when the school had gained itself a new fourth or even fifth year.

"What was 'just wrong'?" asked Rose, and Mouse pulled himself back to reality, where Al and Rose were looking at him curiously.

"Chloe Dixon." Becky responded and shook her head. "Looks like you're not the only one who had a makeover over Christmas, Rosie."

"I'll say..." agreed Mouse, and then a sickening feeling rose in his stomach as he realised just what had sparked the transformation. He groaned as his friends looked at him in confusion.

"What's wrong mate?" Al asked, still half a step behind.

"Chloe and Becky argued last term didn't they? And that was when Becky started acting normal again."

A look of horror spread over Al, Becky and Rose's faces as they all realised to what Mouse was referring. Becky went one step further, banging her head lightly against the now steamed up carriage window.

"Great...so me and Chloe arguing didn't solve anything, just move the problem." she groaned miserably, and Rose patted Becky's arm in consolation.

"But we got you back, which was a plus. And you have insider's knowledge now, so isn't that a good thing?" Rose asked unconvincingly, and Becky looked at her unimpressed.

"I'm sick of not knowing anything!" Mouse said suddenly pounding the seat, and Rose sat up suddenly.

"What about the Restricted Section?" She asked, her eyes gleaming with the thought of new information about the subject that had been driving them to distraction since before Halloween. The four of perked up suddenly, when Mouse groaned as he realised Rose's brainwave had been pointless and slumped back in his chair, the small wave of purpose vanishing as quickly as it had come.

"Don't you think Nat will have already thought of that?" he pointed out in a glum voice.

"But what if he hasn't mate?" Albus asked, optimistically. "And I bet even if he doesn't, we can still sneak in under the cloak."

"Or get someone to make a decoy?" Becky suggested smiling mischievously, and Mouse rolled his eyes, reflecting on the fact that his friends seemed to enjoy the prospect of sneaking into the Restricted Section more than finding knowledge through more conventional means. Albus' eyes lit up at the idea.

"Brilliant! We could get a..." Mouse tuned out again, until it got to the point were he heard phrases like 'is that actually legal?'

"Anyway..." he said, distracting Becky and Albus from their ridiculously complicated decoy plans. "What are realistic ideas?"

Albus and Becky grinned sheepishly, and the four of them huddled together, plotting until the train swayed into Hogsmeade Station in the driving wind.

Later, Albus and Scorpius were frantically finishing an essay they'd been given before the holidays, and the existence of which they'd completely forgotten until Rose had reminded them – somewhat smugly, in Mouse's opinion, when Becky looked up and gave a little exclamation at the time.

"Mouse, it's nearly nine – hadn't you get going?" She asked, then stifled a snigger at the large smudge of ink that covered her friend's face. Mouse looked her oddly, before he registered her words, and hurriedly packed away his quill and ink, using his wand to dry the words on his parchment.

"Nice catch, Becky – anyone coming?" asked Mouse as he stood up, attempting to shake his writing hand free of cramp.

"Sorry Mouse, I think Filch has still got it out for me me after last term – me and Chloe did something a bit daft, so..." said Becky sheepishly and Mouse decided it was better not to know.

"Rose, Albus?"

Rose shook her head, indicating the book she was engrossed in, while Albus barely looked up from where he was feverishly scribbling, muttering something that sounded like 'still got 3 more inches 'til freedom'.

"Alright, wish me luck." Mouse said cheerily – after all, it wasn't as if Nat would say no was it?

Or not. As Mouse approached his cousin's office, raised voices came from within, followed by what sounded like a shoe hitting a wall. Mouse blanched, and a sinking feeling suddenly appeared in his stomach as he heard the words coming from the row inside.

"Don't be so STUPID! Why the HELL can't we tell him?!" Minna shouted, her voice seething, and Mouse could imagine the furious expression she would be wearing. A low murmur came from inside – Nat's voice quieter and irritatingly indistinct.

Why didn't I bring the Extendible Ears? Mouse inwardly cursed.

"NOT READY? You 'don't want to worry him?" Minna almost screamed and Mouse, having heard enough, fled. He tried to convince himself that Filch hadn't done a good enough job dusting, that an allergy was playing up, but as he ran upwards he knew he was lying to himself. He slipped into an empty classroom and slumped down, dashing the hot tears of anger and frustration from his eyes.

Rose looked up from her book as the portrait hole swung open to find herself alone except from the person who had just entered the common room. It was Mouse, but he looked dreadful and Rose frowned – he'd not been crying, had he? And more to the point, she realised with an embarrassed jolt of surprise, it was nearly midnight – where on earth had he been for the last three hours?

"Mouse, are you OK?" asked Rose, hesitantly. If he had been crying, he wouldn't exactly want to admit it. Or at least that was Rose's experience - with a younger brother and four male cousins, she knew boys could be touchy about that sort of thing.

Mouse sighed, and nodded grimly.

"Fine. But we have a problem."

"Oh?" Rose asked, but the finality in Mouse's tone gave her a pretty good idea.

"Nat and Minna won't help us – apparently, 'I'm not ready to know' whatever there is, and they 'don't want to worry me."

An unspoken message passed between the two of them as their eyes met.

"So it's Plan B then?" she asked and although she grimaced, she couldn't help but be a little excited at the prospect of finally finding out just what the Siren wanted.

A/N Authors thrive on reviews, so if you want to make my haze of essays a bit lighter, put me out of my misery and click the little review button below ;)