AN: Enjoy!

Thanks to Wanda's silent but stern warning, nobody had dared say a word about Vision sitting beside her.. Although even Professor Slughorn had given them a few strange looks.

After a while, however, everyone settled down into class, and almost forgot about the little Hufflepuff sitting among the Slytherins. When the lesson ended, Wanda gathered her things and took Vision's hand, hurrying out of the Potions Classroom before anyone had time to turn their attention back to them.

Wanda couldn't help laughing a little, her mood definitely lifted compared to earlier in the day.

"I think I've got Transfiguration now.." said Vision, laughing too. Wanda's was apparently contagious.

"Charms for me. But.." Now that Wanda had a friend, her own friend, completely apart from her brother, she wasn't going to let him go too easily. "We could hang out for a little while after, if you like."

"Sure!" Vision's eyes lit up, and she suddenly got the sense that he had not had many friends either. Her Baby Badger was beginning to feel very much like a kindred spirit.

"Meet near the Great Hall after class?"

"Okay. See you then!" Vision happily hurried off.. Only for Pietro to collide with him as he came speeding around a corner, sending him sprawling to the floor.

"Pietro!" Wanda scolded her brother as she rushed over. "Watch where you're going, you could hurt someone!"

Two of Pietro's friends, a blonde boy with neatly styled hair a few shades darker than Vision's, and another boy with dark, slightly messy hair, were already helping Vision up, so Wanda set about gathering his things from the floor.

"I told him not to run so fast in the corridors.." The blonde boy frowned.

"I'm sorry" Pietro huffed. "But Wanda, I need your help. I think I left my Potions Kit at Home, but I have Potions now.."

"Oh, you didn't forget it" Wanda smirked, handing Vision's things back to him. "I have it."

"What?" Pietro yelled, annoyed.

"Maybe next time you'll think twice about making fun of your organised sister" said Wanda, giving her own Potion's Kit to her twin. "Take mine for now, I'll give yours back at Supper. See you then!" Wanda bounced off quite happily, and Vision followed for a bit, until he remembered he had a different class, and hurried away down a separate corridor.

Pietro blinked after his twin, a little surprised, as a troop of Gryffindor and Ravenclaw students filed past him on their way down to the Potions classroom. Sam, another of Pietro's new friends, raised an eyebrow.

"So.. that's the sister you were worried wouldn't fit in Slytherin?"

Vision's brave act of kindness in sitting with her in Potions had significantly boosted Wanda's confidence, and made her significantly less nervous about future inter-House interactions. As such, when the Slytherins had Herbology with Gryffindor the following Morning, she took a leaf from her Baby Badger's book, putting on her big girl robes and joining a table full of Gryffindors, including her brother and his friends, and another blonde-haired girl she didn't recognise.

Pietro, a little bit clueless about the more subtle aspects of social interaction, eagerly gave her an official introduction to his friends. Steve Rogers and James 'Bucky' Barnes, the boys who had helped Vision up the day before, Wanda recognised from the train, but the third, Sam Wilson, was new to her. They had all been polite enough, Steve especially so, but all seemed wary of the snake in their midst.

This was not the case for the girl, who, after Professor Sprout had finished her introduction to the class and left them to their first task, thrust out a hand for Wanda to shake, and introduced herself as Carol Danvers. Apparently, Carol wanted to make a friend in every House. Slytherin, considering the historic Slytherin/Gryffindor rivalry, had at first seemed the greatest obstacle to her plans, until she'd heard Pietro mention a twin in Slytherin.

Wanda had chuckled, welcoming Carol's offer of friendship, and offered to introduce her to a Hufflepuff.

While it had taken the boys a bit more time to adjust to Wanda's presence, they eventually did so, and it wasn't long before the shy snake had a whole Pride to watch her back on those days she decided to step into the lion's den.

On another occasion, Wanda befriended Scott Lang, a slightly quirky Ravenclaw boy, when she had saved his toad, Luis, after it had fallen off of his shoulder during one of their early Flying classes.

However, Wanda's first, and soon to be closest friend was most definitely Vision. A bond had formed between the two that already seemed unlikely to ever be broken.

They would meet during their Morning break, and every afternoon after class, to hang out, do some homework or study together. If they were studying, Pietro and his friends would sometimes join them, usually because Steve had encouraged him to get some work done. Wanda was grateful for Steve, and Bucky too, as they seemed to be a good influence on her brother. Sam was a little more mischievous, but not nearly on the level that Pietro could be.

Wanda would check in with Pietro a few times a day, and they made sure to spend time together a couple of times a week, but as time went on, Wanda became more comfortable with being independent from her brother. It was really just a natural part of growing up.

Wanda and Vision spent most of their time together on the weekends as well. It became a regular sight to see the Shy Snake with her Baby Badger following along behind her. Some gave them strange looks occasionally, but they quickly stopped caring what anyone else thought.

They would play Wizard's chess or Gobstones in the Great Hall, or if the weather was decent, as it happened to be on that particular day, out by the lake.

They'd usually bring their pets too. Gamora the Screech Owl and Nebula the kitten had formed an unlikely friendship of their own, fluttering and pouncing and tussling while their owners played. Wanda and Vision were initially concerned that this game would become dangerous as Nebula grew, but both seemed to know their limits.

Wanda had needed to teach Vision how to play Gobstones.

"We're not allowed to have them at the orphanage" He had explained, the first time they'd played. "They worry the really little kids might swallow them.."

However, he'd mastered the game quite quickly, and on that day, probably the last mild day before the weather would start to cool in the lead up to Christmas, Vision had beaten Wanda for the first time. Wanda laughed as she was squirted with foul-smelling goo.

"You did it, Vizh! You beat me!"

"I did!" Vision grinned, but was already handing Wanda a handkerchief to wipe her face. He glanced at Gamora and Nebula playing nearby, and the grin faded a little. "Wanda, can I ask you a favour?"

"What favour?" Wanda asked, curious.

"I know it's a while off, but I think it's best to get it sorted early.. I'm staying at Hogwarts for Christmas, so that's not a problem, but.. do you think that maybe you could take Nebula home with you over the Summer? I don't think they'll let me have her at the orphanage.."

"Oh.." Wanda felt a pang of sympathy for her friend. Nebula meant a lot to him. "Of course I'll take her, Vizh. She'll be safe with Pietro and me."

Vision grinned and hugged her, and Wanda happily returned the hug.

Now she just had the rest of the school year to find a way to explain to Clint and Wanda why she had an extra animal next Summer..