"How's the Muggle?" George asked casually, draping himself across the seat, and consequently, across Aquila's lap as she tried to do some last minute reading. Dudley had distracted her more than she thought.

"Excellent," Aquila said, not bothering to look up. "How's Angelina?"

"Fantastic." He glanced toward his twin, equally as drapped out across the opposite seat. "So, you and the Muggle serious yet?"

"His name is Dudley," Aquila said simply. "Not serious, but... close, yes. Theodore Nott moved in about four blocks down." She exhaled, closing her book and glancing at the two boys. "Death Eaters are spreading out."

"Spreading?"

"He claims to have deserted," Aquila stated, seeing the twin looks of shock on their faces. "However, his actions towards me were hostile and he spewed insults the entire time. Now, I can't let that cloud the fact that maybe he just simply doesn't like me. That being said, he claims that he and his mother are fleeing... deserting his father. I don't know what to think about it. But he knew Potter lived down the road."

"So, that puts you in danger, too," Fred said suddenly. "Because everyone knows you moved out of London, and if Nott tells anyone..."

"Right," she nodded. "So, that means that Nott is either spying or he's seriously deserting."

"So... how do we know which one?" George asked, confused.

"We don't... that's my point. But, anyway, the Death Eaters are spreading out."

"I don't like this."

"Me neither." Aquila returned to her book, intent on pushing Nott, and the thoughts of danger he posed to Dudley, as far from her mind as possible. She didn't need to worry herself over what could be nothing.

But seeing Umbridge, sitting at the Professor Table, when she arrived, didn't ease matters. She had heard of Umbridge's reputation. The woman was a notorious blood-prejudice supporter. She single-handedly voted down the Werewolf Referendum put in action when Remus Lupin had been fired, and on top of that, she made the very bold statement of how the Ministry did not support the existence of Half-Breeds.

Being a Half-Breed herself, as Veelas were just as much magical creatures as Werewolves, Aquila decided Defense was going to be her least favorite subject this year, which was a big statement since it was her absolute favorite last year by a mile.

Heading up to her dorm, she patted the twins on the head as she passed. "Give her hell, boys."

She spent the night laying on her bed, contemplating what to write Dudley. Already she had gone through at least five pieces of parchment, but decided each were stupid or too... stiff. So, she closed her eyes, imagining he was right in front of her, and they were having a conversation.

The words seemed to flow out of her quill, and soon she was running out of parchment space, so she made a quick note at the end and began to fold it, making sure none of the ink smeared. She included a small package, full of enough owl food to last the fall. She'd leave more for her owl over break.

Aquila sent the letter in the morning, watching her owl fly in the direction of Little Whinging.

She waited for a response, hoping that maybe he'd respond as soon as he got it, meaning it'd be back to her by dinner. But that wasn't the case. It took three more days before she felt like the letter may have been lost, and her owl confiscated by the Ministry for mentioning Umbridge. Really, all she had done was talk about how Umbridge was going to be implimenting new rules that she doubted a lot of people would like. It wasn't offensive in the slightest.

A week passed and still no letter. Perhaps she should send another, but with a school owl?

Then at nine days, dread started to tear at her. What if Death Eaters had followed her owl... what if she led them to him?

She was about to voice her concerns to Luna, when the unmistakable screech of her owl sounded and it swooped down, dropping a small package into her pouridge. Her owl looked... well, rough. Some of his feathers were missing, and he just looked angry. "Who hurt you, sweetie?" Aquila cooed, offering her pouridge to the creature.

She cleaned off the package, noticing Dudley's messy handwriting. From him, then. It was heavy, too, like ... like he had sent her something. She glanced around, making sure no one dangerous was watching, before she tore off the packaging and spotted a letter written on lined paper, and another small package, this time wrapped in colorful paper.

She opened the letter first, intent on seeing if it contained anything that would harm her owl.

Aquila,

Sorry it's taken so long to reply. When I got your letter, it took a full week before your owl let us approach it, snatching food out of our hands and biting us. Dad and I tried to make a go for it, but it just ended up winning... sorry if it's missing a few feathers... she's bloody stubborn.

Anyway, besides nearly murdering your bid on accident aside, we've cleared away a spot for it to rest after it's long flight in the sun room. She's not too fond of it, as I suspect you give her a quite comfortable resting place in your own home, but she slept there for a full two days following the letter exchange, so I wasn't able to send anything off with her.

Mum was thrilled to hear from you and I sent your greetings on to her. She compiled a care package, which is included, and it has just about any kind of Muggle sweets she could get her hands on. (Muggle is how you spell it, right? I wasn't sure...) Thank you for the Sugar Quills, by the way. They were quite good. I suspect you've got a lot of weird candies in your world, huh?

Dad's reluctant to admit it, but he's sending his wishes as well. I start school soon, so I'll try to write you whenever I can, now. Hopefully you're bird's warmed up to me, too. What are your classes like? I'd imagine you don't have to sit through anything boring, you know, since all of your classes have magic in them.

I didn't expect to miss you this much, but I do. Piers is having yet another party, and I've no one to go with, so I might not go. Not quite the same without you. I can't wait until you come home for Christmas. I've already got something planned.

Turns out without you just a few houses down, I have a lot of time on my hands to plan stuff. Hope to hear your matches go well.

Dudley

She smiled, folding the letter back up and tearing the box open. Oh, Merlin, look at all the chocolate. She went through all of it, seeing nothing of the same. It must have cost... well, a fortune!

"Nice package there, Black," Cho Chang commented. "Who's it from?"

Aquila ignored the girl, grinning as she pulled out another note, written in more feminine handwriting - which was also easier to read. Petunia. The note was short, insisting that each sweet was to be tasted and if she had any allergies, read the labeling first. Aquila was also instructed to tell Petunia which was her favorite.

It was like Christmas.

She started to pen a letter, not to the Dursley family, but this time to Honeydukes. She needed three of each candy. She'd have to make sure the ones she actually did send to the family, however, were safe to eat. If there was anything she didn't want, it was them to again fear magic.

She felt that given what Dudley had told her of their reaction before, this was a considerably good fear.

Honeydukes informed her that three of each candy would cost nearly twelve galleons, but she sent it to them, in exchange for the large package that had to be delivered by elf, instead of owl. She spent the rest of the evening, instead of getting a head start on her homework, sorting through the candy, tossing the Acid Pops, and other things away into her trunk. She grinned when she set the Bertie Bott's Every Flavoured Beans on the top of the package. They would most definitely have fun with that one.

Saturday morning, she woke up with the intention of going back to bed and sleeping in. Then she remembered what it meant.

"IRELAND!" Aquila cried, flinging her covers away and heading to her trunk. Inside was a few pairs of work out clothing, and donned a pair as quickly as she possibly could. Match Saturday meant Quidditch Saturday. And then planning her own trials...

But trials could wait. She slipped on her shoes, grabbing her broom, and sprinted down the hallway towards the Headmaster's office. If anything, Dumbledore was to get her the Portkey.

"Good morning, Miss Black," a kind voice spoke up behind her. Aquila turned, spotting the withering old man as he sucked on a lemon drop. "I was just fancying myself a good morning stroll. Would you care to join me?"

"I'd love to, Professor, but I understand you're to help me to my match today."

Dumbledore grinned, stating a password to the Gargoyles in a language she didn't understand - she suspected Goblin - and gestured for her to step through. "We'll take the Floo in my office."

There was no match today, but instead a mock match, the reserves against the main team. It was tough, and it was brutal. She nearly fell off of her broom four times, once taking a bludger to the ribs, but she still played, determined to hone her skills. Whatever she played with and learned, she could use with her own team.

"Next Saturday is strategy," Lynch told her as she headed for the showers. "Come prepared to memorize every play we have."

She grinned. "I already have them memorized, Lynch. Ever since I was fourteen."

He raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that when I made the team?"

She feigned disinterest. "Is it?"

He grinned. "Knew you were attentive, Black. Didn't know you were that attentive."

She shrugged, pulling her shirt off as she opened the shower doors. "We all can't just star into space until something shiny catches our eye, Lynch."

"Something shiny, indeed." She flipped him off for good measure as the doors began to shut.

When there wasn't a match, practices alternated from flying to planning to running. She hadn't ever run so much in her life. Of course, as captain of her own team, she had to implement the skills she learned with them, and she pushed her team harder than they had ever been pushed before. She was determined to leave Slytherin in the sand, to give each and every one of her players a reason to cry and a reason to smile every night.

Dudley and her continued the communication, sending each other small, cultural things from each of their worlds. A record of Celestina Warbeck, a photograph of the Black Lake, a photograph of Hogwarts. If caught by the Ministry, it meant a serious talking to. Merlin, she could only imagine.

Yet, they weren't caught. And though her owl was searched by Umbridge's new rules, charms placed on the letters and items they contained ensured that the contents weren't found out. She warned Dudley of marking his own letters, agreeing upon a code so that nothing was exposed.

By the time she was packing for break, she carried a galleon for the Dumbledore's Army, a nice set of scars from Umbridge's torture sessions, and a sack full of anything interesting she thought they might like. Of course, they could have entirely not found it interesting at all. It was always fifty fifty...

The train ride to London had her full of anticipation. She didn't want to get her hopes up for whatever Dudley had planned, but she was inevitably thinking about it the entire time.

So when the train stopped at the station, and she was in charge of lugging her two trunks off, she almost wondered if her mother would show up to get her. But she wasn't. Aquila stepped around the gushing first years, using a levitation charm until she could find a trolly. Her mother hadn't come to pick her up?

Euryale Rosier was there every year, every break, picking up her daughter. She simply didn't trust Aquila to make it home herself. Did she suddenly start trusting Aquila now?

Perhaps she was waiting on the Muggle side. Aquila grabbed a trolley, setting her things atop it and began to push through until she was running out of the wall.

But Euryale wasn't there either.

"Hey, see you after break, Black!" Aquila glanced up, spotting Dean Thomas walking with Ginny.

"See you, Thomas!" Aquila called. "Bye, Gin!"

"I'll see you on Christmas," Ginny waved. Aquila smiled and glanced around her once more. She might as well just apparate, then. But she needed to get to the apparation point. And that point was platform 1... which was eight away from her. She took a breath, holding her trolley tightly. She would need to talk to her mother. What if she hadn't had her license to apparate? A letter would have been nice.

Honestly, it was probably more dangerous to be wandering around the station than for Euryale to get there.

"Aquila?" She came to a slow stop, turning her head slightly. Her scowl immediately dropped and she grinned, biting her lip.

"What are you doing here?"

"Your mum couldn't come and get you," Dudley shrugged, his hands shoved into his pocket. Nice slacks, tan in color. And his shirt. Button-up, a dark blue. He looked... nice. "So, I volunteered."

"You shouldn't-" She shook her head, closing the gap between them and hugging him fiercely. "You look great!"

"So do you! Those Ireland matches must have really been keeping you going... I think you have muscle." Aquila rolled her eyes laughing. "Uh, sorry you were wandering. I didn't know where to go. We've never taken Potter to the platform before."

"It's alright," Aquila insisted. "And Dudley, I've always had muscle... it was just hiding." She took his hand, smiling slightly. "So, uh, I say you lead me to whatever mode of transportation you have. I don't quite have a clue where the parking dock is."

"I brought the car," Dudley told her. He withdrew his hand from hers, taking control of the trolley. "Good God, woman. What's in these bags?"

"Trunks," she corrected, shrugging. "And to answer your question, it's all of my books and stuff... us students don't travel light."

But still he pushed them for her, leading her in a direction she hadn't gone before. Her eyes darted around them, but she felt safer than she had in a while... Dudley was, well... a comfort. Though, she wasn't quite sure why.

"You didn't have to pick me up," she said as they waited for the elevator to come to them. She had heard of elevators of course, but never had she been in a Muggle one, and rarely a magical. She only visited the Ministry once, and it was when she was giving a statement that she had no knowledge of where Sirius Black was. . .

It was a very hurried affair.

"I wanted to," Dudley insisted. The doors dinged and she stepped through, making room for the trolley and Dudley. "Besides," Dudley said as he pressed a button on the panel beside the door. "I thought we might go to dinner. You know, while we're in the city and all."

Dinner? He certainly didn't wait. "That sounds nice." And it did. She hadn't gone out to dinner in... well, it had been a long time. And certainly longer since she'd been on a proper date.

The elevator didn't jerk into any weird locations, instead going straight down to the floor Dudley had requested. The surrounding cars were gleaming and bright, despite the London sunlight being nearly invisible behind the cloudy sky. Dudley brought the trolley to a stop behind his car, and popped the trunk.

He pressed a button and the trunk flung open, causing Aquila to jump back in surprise.

"Sorry," he said, though the chuckle told her he found her reaction amusing. He lifted her trunks and tossed them, partially gently, into the back. It wasn't like she had anything breakable anyway. She was more worried for his car, though. These trunks weren't light.

"I had to use magic to get these things to even move off of the rack," Aquila muttered.

"I'm just strong," Dudley insisted. He slammed the top of the trunk down and shoved the trolley in the general direction of the trolley holding area. "So... ready for a night on the town?"

"A night?" she questioned. "I thought you said dinner."

"I may have planned a bit more than that... tell me, have you ever been to the London Eye?"

The London Eye? It was a definite negative on her part. She steered clear of body parts unless it was potion making. "I can't say that I have."

"Well, since you love heights..." Heights? She immediately perked up and he noticed, grinning. "We'll go there first."

"First?" she echoed, once more, getting into the passenger seat as he unlocked the car.

"Oh, we probably won't get home until late. I told your mother, don't worry." She wasn't worried. In fact, her mother was the farthest person from her mind at the moment.

"I'm ready for whatever you have planned," she said completely honestly, her trust placed entirely with the man driving her away.