The Great Hall was bathed in the warm glow of enchanted candles, casting a soft light across the polished wooden tables and the faces of the students engaged in animated conversations. Remus and Lily found themselves amidst the lively atmosphere, enjoying a quiet meal together.

As they savored the magical feast before them, Remus looked at Lily with a smile playing on his lips. The conversation had naturally steered towards the Slug Club, with both of them chatting about the next event. The Valentine's Day party where they had the opportunity of bringing a plus one as a date.

Amidst the laughter and the occasional clatter of cutlery, Remus felt a rush of courage. Clearing his throat, he locked eyes with Lily and spoke, "You know, Lily, Valentine's Day is just around the corner. I was thinking... would you do me the honor of being my Valentine?"

There was a moment of anticipation, the air thick with a mixture of emotions. Lily's eyes sparkled with surprise, and then a warm smile spread across her face. "Remus, I would love to be your Valentine," she replied, her voice carrying a hint of joy.

The magical ambiance seemed to intensify as they exchanged smiles, the Great Hall echoing with the sounds of students celebrating friendship and love. However it was ruined by the loud mouth of James Potter, who stalked over to where they sat with Sirius and Peter. He took his seat next to Lily, who immediately frowned.

"Hello Mooney," he grinned and then turned to Lily. "Evans…"

"What do you want now Potter?"

"Relax Evans, I'm here for Remus, not you." He rolled his eyes, "not everything is about you."

His comment caused her to puff out her cheeks in frustration, her eyes narrowing at him in a heated glare. She turned back to her food and ate silently.

"You'll never believe what we heard Remus," Sirius said from beside him across the table. "We were just chatting with Gideon and Fabian and they were whispering about a Quidditch Tournament that would be taking place next year."

"Merlin, that does sound exciting." He then thought aloud, "school wide?"

James shook his head this time, "apparently Durmastrang and Beauxbatons will be staying with us for the entirety of the next year."

"That is great news," Remus grinned. "I'm quite interested in their own schooling life as I had heard that Durmanstrang are taught the Dark Arts."

James chuckled, turning to Lily. "Hear that Evans? Snivvy is bound to befriend that lot as we know how obsessed he is with the Dark Arts."

Lily sighed, "You're impossible, Potter," she snapped. "You're as bad as the Slytherins."

That riled James up right quick, "Oi!" he shouted, looking deeply offended.

Several Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs and Slytherins turned to raise their eyebrows on the Gryffindor table when he stood and shouted. Not caring in the slightest he had interrupted their meals and conversations.

Lily shrugged, "I won't apologize that you are quite the prat at times.."

"Hey, I thought you didn't think the Slytherins were all bad? Hadn't realized that you were quite the hypocrite Evans. " Sirius asked with a smirk. "What happened? Did ol' Snivelly get under your skin?"

"Don't call him that!" Lily snarled, jutting the knife in her hand towards him. Upon realizing what she had down, her cheeks flames in embarrassment before slamming her utensil down onto the table.

Quickly, Sirius tossed his hands up in surrender, "Merlin's beard!" he exclaimed, eyes quite wide in surprise from the attack. "Note to self, don't anger Evans!"

"Don't know why you're so defensive of someone who is obsessed with the Dark Arts anyway," James said, looking over at the Slytherin table, where Severus Snape was talking with some of the bigger, meaner boys of the house, " A rather perfect example of the kind who belong in Slytherin."

Lily stood up, clearly displeased, and left the table.

"Evans! Oi, come back," Sirius called after her.

"Yeah!" James called, "Come back, we'll stop telling the truth about your good ole pal, Snivelly."

Remus rolled his eyes at them as Lily's back disappeared through the doors of the Great Hall.

"Really, you two need to lay off a bit," he said. He picked up both of their plates of dinner, along with the utensils, rushing after her. Lily was in the entranceway, half up the stairs, when Remus caught up to her. "Lily, please, just wait up for me." He gestured to the plates of food in his hands, "let's eat together, I know of a place we can eat alone."

She gave him a watery smile, "Okay."

He saw there were tears in her eyes when she stopped and turned to answer him.

"Hey don't be crying," he said gently, "James is just talking out his arse as he just can't stand the bloke, he doesn't actually mean most of the foolish rubbish he spouts."

To be honest, Remus wasn't quite sure what it was about James's remarks that had offended her. Remus was led to believe that Severus was a bit of a mean bloke judging based on his conversation with Lily on the day he had been outside Gryffindor Tower. Nevertheless, Lily didn't appear to think so, and she was fiercely defensive of Severus Snape. Why, Remus didn't know either, but he would try not to say such things about Snape again if hearing them hurt her. Despite the opinions of Sirius, James, and Peter, he had never considered it necessary. After all, Severus usually let them have it as long as they left him alone.

He also knew that Severus had quite the crush on Lily as well, it was obvious to everyone as well. Not to mention the fact that he was obsessed with the Dark Arts, nothing too concerning but still quite concerning with the crowd he was hanging around with as they sprouted blood supremacy.

Remus led her down a corridor where he knew a room, they could eat in with a great view of the Whomping Willow.

"I'm sorry I got all emotional," Lily said quietly once they had arrived in the room, taking their seats on the stone bay window. "I know that I can be quite emotional at times…"

"No need to apologize," Remus answered, shaking his head, "You're just standing up for your friend and I respect that. I have done that as well in the past." He referenced their previous argument in what she had said about Sirius before Christmas Break. "I don't particularly like the bloke myself, due to more on the fact that he hangs around with people who are blood supremacists, but I don't really know him much, either. Not like you and Gwen seem too due to your friendship before coming to Hogwarts."

Lily sniffled, "Nobody knows Severus like I do." She smiled, "I had met him first y'know. He had been walking by in the field I would spend time in, he had caught me accidentally using magic. He explained to me that I was a witch, not realizing I had already known due to Gwen's Mum having caught me when I was a mere infant."

"I hadn't known, I thought it had always been the three of you."

She shook her head, "Gwen had been away when we first met, they were visiting Romania. When she came back to stay with me for a weekend, I introduced them. Severus was quite taken by her. It hurt my feelings as I had a crush on him, but Gwen is glamorous. She always knows the right thing to say, the right thing to do and she and him could talk for horse about knowing everything in the Wizarding world. I felt left out."

"Did she know that you felt left out?"

"You know that she is quite the perceptive person," LIly smiled. "She had planned for the three of us to meet in the field to look over some old Grimoires that she had in her own library. At the last minute she had canceled and we spent the entire time talking, becoming rather close and I'm grateful for that because I got to know Severus very well after that day. Now though? He's changed, but I think deep down he might be the same boy that I used to know. We have fought several times in the last two years than we had before we had started Hogwarts. I just hate thinking that he's not the same with his new friends."

Remus nodded, his throat tight. "Do you - do you love him?"

"No," Lily answered quickly. "I mean - no, I do as a friend, but that's it. Nothing else."

He smiled back. "Good. Brilliant."

"Brilliant," Lily echoed.

Remus walked Lily back to Gryffindor common room after dinner, as she wished to turn in quite early. She thanked him before going up to her dorm. He went up to his own dorm, after having not seen his friends in the common room when they passed.

Upon entering, he found both James and Sirius lounging in their beds, as they tossed James' golden snitch back and forth while Peter played Wizard Chess against himself in the middle of the floor. He closed the door, causing them to snap their heads toward him.

"How's Evans?" asked James.

"She's alright," Remus said, "You shouldn't bash on Severus so much."

"If you're going to suggest that I become friends with Severus Snape then you can save your breath as I refuse to be friends with a Slytherin like himself." James spat out.

Sirius high-fived him.

Remus sighed, "You made her cry. " He turned to his desk, picking up his abandoned book that Gwen had gifted him for Christmas as it was part of the five book box set.

"She was crying?" asked James, his voice edgy. "I hadn't meant to upset her to the point of her crying."

"Stupid girls," muttered Peter, thinking this would impress James and Sirius. He held up his palm, seeking a high-five, too, but none came. Instead he only received harsh glares from the three. "It's true? All girls seem to do is whine, cry and complain about everything."

Sirius sighed, shaking his head at Peter. "You really need to gain some real world experience Peter, otherwise you'll never get a girl to like you when you spout such depraved nonsense like that."

"Was it because of me?"

Remus shrugged, "She cares deeply for her friends." James sat down on his bed, still clutching the stitch, guilt in his eyes. "She doesn't want anyone to fight. It goes for Severus too. She knows that the both of you take shots at one another to the point you guys are both instigator for the ongoing feud." He breathed a deep sigh, "Gwen has also made the same case last year," he pointed that towards Sirius who looked away with guilt as well.

James and Sirius went silent at this.

Peter added, "he shouldn't be such a greasy git then."

"Shut up, Peter," James said.

Peter frowned. "You always make a point to stop bullying him so why should we stop now?" he complained. "Are we going to just stop making fun of Snivellus, just because Evans has become such a crybaby?"

He received more harsh glares from them, causing him to shrink back and go back to his game sulking.

"She was in such great spirits when I had asked her to be my Valentine right before you lot came over." Remus sighed, climbing into bed with the book.

Sirius smirked, "You dog! Or wolf, rather!" He came over to Remus' bed, climbing into bed with him. "Blimey, does this mean that you two will join in on all the snogging couples now this year?"

Remus's face reddened, even as he fended off Sirius' playful attacks, his book thrown to the side in abandon. "We aren't like that–" he laughed. He gave Sirius a good heave, sending him sprawling off to the other end of the bed and scrambled up himself quickly. "At least not in public." He grinned, a twinkle in his eyes.

He caught James' eye, his entire being having a look of defeat. That was the tenth time now. He clenched his jaw before turning to Peter who whined.

His watery eyes looked up at Remus hopefully, "You have to tell us all about it."

Sirius waved a hand dismissively. "A gentleman doesn't snog and tell Pete. It's not proper." He went back towards his own bed, "Witches are meant to be treated with respect, what goes on between a man and witch is private and stays that way."

Tucked away in an alcove in the back of the library, Gwen sat, her uniform pressed as not a single thing was out of place. A stark contrast from her own mind, which was quite in disarray due to the events that took place over christmas break.

Closing the book she had been trying to read, but failing rather miserably, she set it on top of her school bag. Leaving her head against the wall, she stared out of the window. The rain droplets hitting the window with soft pitter patter sounds.

She breathed a heavy sigh.

Gwen had always been the type of girl to know exactly what to say, how to react, what to do and how to be there for others. It was pure instinct. This was different. It was the first time she actually didn't know what to do or how to react.

Everyone had left after staying a few days after Christmas, leaving only her Father and herself in the manor. Which was nice. They had watched Christmas movies, visited the museums, and visited her Mother. Overall, the perfect Christmas. Until the night before she left for Hogwarts. They had been eating dinner, her Mother sitting in the frame overlooking the dinner table, sipping her large glass of red wine as they ate.

"Will you be planning any more events this summer?" Her father had asked, cutting into his steak. "If so, then let me know of said events so I can write to Maeve."

"Most likely, I was thinking of inviting only the woman for a high tea in the gardens and wizards chess as Narcissa had informed me of the elder more influential woman loving the game quite so."

He set his glass of wine down, "I think that is a rather extraordinary idea." His green eyes bore into her as she cut into her own steak. "Will you tell me why you planned such an event?"

"I'd overheard Narcissa talking to her friends about some meeting that Lucius was attending and she wouldn't be able to see him over Christmas break due to it. That many of the men wouldn't be available during the Christmas break due to it. Which is why I planned a Christmas ball, hoping that they'd drink themselves into a stupor."

He furrowed his eyebrows, "why get them drunk?"

Her gaze strayed from him towards her Mother, who smiled at her before flickering back towards her Father. "I've been learning Legillmens since the start of term as well as Occlumency."

Declan clicked his tongue, "first Animagus and now this." He took a deep breath, running a hand through his hair, "you got them drunk so you could lower their inhibitions and delve into their minds."

She nodded, "they were meeting with who they call the Dark Lord. He has been the one to organize the attacks on muggles as he enlisted Fenrir Greyback to bring werewolves together and do his dirty work." When she didn't see any reaction from him, it clicked. "You already knew."

"Yes." He leaned back in his chair. "I've been chasing leads on the identity of the so-called Dark Lord for months now."

She clenched her jaw, "he plans war. He has made Abraxas Malfoy his General to recruit, train and give orders to his soldiers that he calls Death Eaters."

"How do you know this? Abraxas wasn't at the party."

"He was, I had followed Yaxley, Dolohov and Avery to the drawing room and he showed up with Fawley and Flint. They were arguing with Dolohov who wished that after the war to use pureblood women as breeders to repopulate the Wizarding world after purging all muggle-borns and a half bloods."

Declan clicked his tongue, "yes I had heard about that particular one but it won't happen. I had spoken to LeStrange Sr and he had said that they would sully the pureblood reputation by whoring out their own kind."

She nodded, "yes well Dolohov was surprised and angry when he found out that the Dark Lord made Abraxas the General of the Death Eaters. Then he told Avery to deliver a message to Bellatrix, to inform her that the meeting would be pushed back."

"I still don't think he would have come all the way to the party after having declined to come just to pick a fight with Dolohov."

Gwen finished off her food, pushing the plate away. "There was someone else that night. He cut in while I was dancing with Sirius, who called himself Tom Riddle. He had come with Abraxas so I assume that is why he had come, changed his mind for the man."

"Tom Riddle?"

Gwen hadn't caught the way her Father lost composure, how he nearly shattered the wine glass in his hand or the way he clenched his jaw. Looking up from her hand that fiddled with the charms, she watched the shared look between her parents.

"He knew Mum, and said he was a few years older."

Declan cleared his throat, "it's true. Tom was a Slytherin, he was my Prefect and two years ahead of me. A very strong wizard and rather charismatic and popular among the student body, intelligent one at it as well." He turned to his daughter, "did he say something?"

"Just that he wanted to know if the rumors about me were true, and then stated that I intrigued him as Mum did." She paused, watching his reaction from behind her own glass of cider. "Did he love her?"

Gwen saw the subtle shift in her Father's eyes, the tick in his jaw, the way he gripped the arm handles of his chair. "In a sense, yes."

What did that mean?

"Were you friends with him?"

"No," he downed the rest of his wine. "After having rejected Walburga's proposal and made it quite clear what I thought of the families, we ran in different social circles."

Something was telling Gwen that her Father was purposely leaving something out. Which made her interaction with Riddle all the more important as she needed to research about him. Which she could do at Hogwarts where she could look into the student archives. Something had to have happened.

"Ah, so just a scorned man." She stated nonchalantly, before setting down her glass.

"You've grown closer to Sirius," her Father gestures to the bracelet. "There are a few more charms in the bracelet than the last time I saw it."

Her fingers traced the handkerchief charm, "yes. He is kind and always there for me."

"That's good," he hesitated. "You care for him a great deal?"

"He is my best mate, so yes, I do care for him a great deal just as he cares for me."

Declan just nodded, a smile replacing his nervous tick before. "I'm glad to hear that. It's getting late, you should get some sleep as we'll be visiting your Mother before leaving for the train station."

"Yes Father," she came around and hugged him. "I love you, goodnight."

"Goodnight."

The entire interaction between them had been weird. Especially the next morning when he took her to the train station and had all but avoided bringing the subject back up as they visited her Mother's grades and talked about possible plans for the summer.

They hadn't talked much since she came back to Hogwarts, he had sent her letters and she occasionally responded but it wasn't like it was before. Gwen suspected that her Father knew that she knew that something was up but he chose to pretend as though nothing was wrong.

Why couldn't she enjoy things like Jackie and Toni did? Without all the secrecy and secrets that surrounded the families? It was that feeling again. That same gnawing feeling that tugged at her.

Deciding to ignore it, she ran a hand through her hair. She glanced at the white strands that encased her fingers as they slipped through easily as spider silk.

Her hair had grown longer, perhaps it was time to finally cut it short. She'd never had short hair before, she had always insisted on keeping it long since her Mother kept her hair long. Her mother was beyond beautiful and she wanted to be just like her, beautiful and kind.

Yet she is gone now….

Perhaps a change was needed, and she should ask Jackie about her opinion on a new hairstyle that would suit her. She was rather keen on wanting to mess around with her hair as she often begged to allow her to do something with it. Jackie was also the type of witch to know such things about fashion and what was trendy.

Picking up her school bag, she shoved the book into her bag along with the letter that had all but fallen out of it. The library had all but been abandoned as students were preparing for Valentine's day, as Headmaster Dumbledore had the elves decorate the entire castle with strings of pink and red hearts and cupids flying around shooting arrows at students that would explode in front of them with small fireworks.

Stepping out of the library, she was met by the sight of Nella Skeeter, who stared at her, rather openingly she might add. Gwen bit back an eye roll as she sidestepped the nosey girl and continued on her way, only to hear the sound of daft footsteps following right behind her.

Her eye twitched.

What did this girl want from her now?

"Do you realize how hard it is to track you down?"

Since coming back from Christmas break, other than being in class or the occasional hangout with Lily and Sev, she has stuck to her dorm and its common room. Gwen had known that she had been looking for her as the girls would tell her how she would wait outside their house or even going as far as attempting to wait for her after class.

"You should seek some friends rather than stalking me," she turned the corner, not bothering to glance back at the girl who continued to follow her.

"I just have a few questions to ask you!" She insisted but didn't elaborate.

"Are they academic questions?"

She sighed, "well no bu–"

"Then I have nothing to say to you," she turned another corner, watching as students in the hall glanced at them, pretending to be disinterested when in reality they were enjoying the show.

Couldn't anybody just mind their business?

"My sister has some questions about the ball you had hosted," she started, "there were rumors that Alphard black had been invited and made a rare appearance to it. She was wondering if she could get an interview with him."

Of course she wanted an interview.

"You can tell your sister to get the interview herself," she said close to her house where she could have some peace and quiet.

"She is trying to debut as a journalist and is hoping that by getting an exclusive interview with Alphard Black would set her apart from all the other interns."

"Sounds like a personal issue to me," she breathed a sigh of relief, climbing the stairs up the tower of her House.

"It isn't that hard!" she snapped. "You do things for your friends all the time! Why can you not do this?"

Stopping, she spun on her heel and sneered down at the girl. "I don't like you, that is a rather simple reason. I shall give you more reasons though to back up my reasoning for not liking you. You have been stalking me since we first met last year and those girls are my friends, you are just wanting to take advantage of what i have to offer as you are nothing more than a nosy little cockroach."

The girl clenched her jaw, her eyes lining with tears but she kept quiet. She felt a pang of guilt but it was quickly replaced with displeasure as she saw the notebook in her hand with a bright green quill.

Nosey little witch.

"Stay away from me Nella Skeeter or I swear that I will have you taken care of."

Gwen turned, entering her house and slamming the door in her face when she attempted to follow her. Merlin she was tired already. Once in her room, she dropped her school bag onto her desk, and climbed into bed to take a nap before dinner.

The room provided a welcome refuge from the persistent presence of Nella Skeeter. Lying on her bed, Gwen closed her eyes, trying to shake off the irritation that the encounter had stirred. The nagging feeling of being constantly watched by the nosy girl had become an unwelcome background noise in her life.

As she drifted into a light nap, thoughts about her father and the strange atmosphere that lingered between them crept into her mind. The secrecy surrounding their interactions and the apparent effort to avoid discussing certain matters left her feeling uneasy. It was a stark contrast to the openness and camaraderie she witnessed between friends like Jackie and Toni.

Startled, she was awakened by hands digging into her shoulders and shaking her aggressively. Snapping her eyes open wide, she was met by a frantic looking Jackie, Toni and Pandora slightly behind her staring at her with equally wide eyes.

"Why are you shaking me?"

"What in heaven have you done to your hair?" Jackie practically shrieked. "I have been asking you for months to do something with your hair! You should have come to me!"

"What in Merlin are you talking about?"

"Were you trying something and fell asleep?" Toni asked, shooing Jackie away from further manhandling her. "I think you might have damaged your hair in the process."

Damage her hair?

Shoving past both girls, she practically ran towards her vanity and stood in front of the mirror. She stared incredulously at her reflection and almost screamed. Reaching up, she grabbed the strands of stiff hair and almost let out a sob. In shock, she continued to stare at her reflection, unable to comprehend the disaster that had befallen her hair. Panic surged through her as she ran her fingers through the uneven, green strands. A mixture of horror and disbelief painted her face.

Jackie, Toni, and Pandora exchanged worried glances, realizing the gravity of the situation. Jackie, still wide-eyed, tried to salvage the moment with a touch of humor. "Well, I guess this is one way to make a statement. Green is a bold color, after all."

Toni, more practical, examined the damage. "We need to figure out how to fix this. Maybe a salon can do something about it."

The reality of the situation hit her like a ton of bricks, and she finally voiced her dismay, "I didn't do this. I have no idea how it happened. I went to bed with normal hair and woke up with this monstrosity!"

Pandora, ever the calm presence, handed her a mirror with a sympathetic smile. "Take a deep breath. We'll figure it out. Maybe there's a quick fix, or worst case, we'll find a way to rock the green look. It's not the end of the world."

Despite the reassurances, she couldn't shake the shock. As they brainstormed solutions, she couldn't help but wonder how her hair had become a canvas for an unexpected and unwelcome art project. The mystery of the green hair would undoubtedly linger, but for now, the focus was on damage control and finding a way to restore some semblance of normalcy to her once-prized locks.

It hadn't taken her long as a smirking Marlene McKinnon came to their dorm, leaning up against the doorframe. "You always know how to be the center of attention Donoghue," she laughed.

"It was you," Jackie snapped.

Marlene clapped slowly, "good job for you Jackie! Someone finally came up from air to notice the obvious but thank you for stating the obvious."

Jackie lunged for her, only to be held back by Toni, who glared at the other girl. "Surprised to find you here rather than stalking after Black like the lovesick puppy you are McKinnon."

She rolled her eyes, "I'm actually meeting him later for Slughorn's potion assignment." Marlene smiled, "perhaps we'll spend it snogging than actually doing the assignment. Anyway, good luck with the new hair do."

She left, her cackling laughter echoing from the hallway as her loud footsteps climbed down the stairs.

"That bitch has it coming to her," Jackie sneered.

"I suggest we focus on fixing Gwen's hair before plotting revenge," Pandora grabbed Gwen by the shoulders and forced her to sit down at her vanity.

"I agree," Toni walked over to Jackie's own vanity and began to rummage around. "Time for Jackie to put her skills into use."

Smiling with glee, Jackie clapped her hands excitingly, as she stepped up behind Gwen. "By the time I am through with you, it will be as if this never happened." Jackie grabbed her wand from her boot, "first to get rid of this shitty green color."

The dungeons were cold and dimly lit. The only perk to being down here was the fact that the Slytherin house had a larger common room compared to the other three houses. Which made it easier to sneak out at night.

For example, sneaking out to meet up with Severus Snape. The boy that Lucius Malfoy had taken under his wing after learning of his natural talent at Occlumency and Legillmens. His Mother had made it a point for him to learn in order to become an exceptional wizard for The Dark Lord. Whatever that meant. He didn't want to learn but he didn't have much of a choice as he would have to go home for the summer and be stuck with his abusive mother.

"Try again," Severus sighed. "You are not concentrating hard enough."

They were in an empty abandoned classroom, standing across from one another. Severus had told him how to build walls, but he was failing. They had been at this for nearly a month now and he showed no signs of progress and Severus was annoyed at him for it.

"I cannot do it," Regulus insisted.

They had been at this for hours. His head pounding as sweat dripped from his forehead and onto the stone floor. He had made no progress.

"You have one week to show improvement or else I will tell them you are useless just like your brother." Severus spat out, pocketing his wand and grabbing his things. Regulus only kept quiet. Walking towards the dorm, Severus chanced a glance back at him, as he sat there in self pity staring at his hands. "Look, you're smart. You've read the papers, heard the whispers, and have seen the meetings. It's either you learn to survive or you will die due to your shortcomings."

Severus looked away from him, "I rather you survive."

It was all he said before he slipped out the door leaving Regulus in the dim lighting as his mind mulled over the advice he had been given. Pulling open his robe, he slipped out the book that Mr. Donoghue had given him, his fingers tracing the wrinkles on the front cover. His words echoing.

I'll be here to help….

"Stop messing with it!" Jackie smacked her hand from her hair, "you look beautiful as it suits you."

Jackie's words provided a momentary respite from Gwen's self-conscious fidgeting. Her fingers paused, and she met Jackie's reassuring gaze in the mirror. The reflection showcased the transformed hairstyle — a stark departure from the long, flowing locks that had been her trademark.

The decision to cut it short had been a necessity, a measure to rid her hair of the remnants of Marlene's impromptu experiment. As Jackie expertly styled the shorter strands, the green color had left a tint forcing Jackie to mix silver into her white hair.

The suggestion to keep it curled and parted down the middle resonated with Gwen. It did indeed lend a sense of maturity to her appearance, a surprising contrast to the initial shock of the drastic change. Jackie's skilled hands and comforting words made the adjustment a little easier to bear.

"Okay," Gwen finally relented, offering a hesitant smile. "I trust your judgment, Jackie. Thanks for fixing this... mess."

Jackie chuckled, "It's not a mess, Gwen. Just a bold change. And you wear it well."

As Gwen continued to gaze at her reflection, a hint of newfound confidence replaced the initial uncertainty. Perhaps change wasn't always a bad thing. The shorter, styled hair reflected a different facet of her personality — a resilience that Jackie had helped bring to the forefront.

With a final nod of approval, Gwen turned away from the mirror, ready to face the world with her revamped look. The support of friends like Jackie made the adjustments to unexpected challenges a little more bearable.

"Are you guys ready to head to breakfast?" Toni asked, "Pandora and Olivia are starving."

Picking up her schoolbag off her bed, they left their dorm. They met up with Olivia and Pandora outside of their house. The girls were talking and laughing as they walked down the spiral staircase of their tower.

Gwen wondered if Sirius would like her new haircut, if he would find her just as beautiful now that her hair had been chopped off.

She shook her head, pushing those thoughts away. She was being rather silly.

"My, you have changed since we first met." Olivia teased, bumping her shoulder into her, "hardly recognize you now."

"I haven't changed that much…have I?"

Olivia just smiled at her, "you were so frightened and shy when we first met at your sorting. Now it is as though that girl never existed."

"Or perhaps you only see a bigger change because you are either on the field or have your tongue down Harold's throat." Gwen laughed, when Olivia turned red and smacked her playfully.

"Gwen!"

"It's true," Toni snorted. "We hardly see you because it's 'oh yes Harold please touch me there'" Toni mocked in her voice as she moaned obnoxiously causing Olivia to grow more red but she hadn't denied the truth.

"I caught them snogging in a broom closet," Pandora smiled

"Dora!"

"The jabberbee's told me all about it," she mused causing all the girls to erupt in laughter while Olivia was red.

The girls entered the Great Hall, attention on them as everyone took note of Gwen's new haircut as just yesterday it had been long. They had sat and began to eat breakfast completely oblivious to the attention they were receiving from their peers or how Marlene McKinnon fumed as she glared at Gwen on the other end of the table.

"Cousin, don't you look beautiful today." Jack had strode over as he took his seat beside her. "It suits you." He complimented as he kissed her on the cheek quickly.

"Thank you," she smiled before shoving a bite of pancakes into her mouth. "What can I do for you?"

He scratched the back of his neck, "I was hoping we might talk in private."

Promising to rejoin them, she hadn't missed how Toni's gaze wavered on her cousin. She followed him out of the Great Hall and even farther away into a nearby corridor, she furrowed her eyebrows, why such secrecy?

"My pancakes are getting cold y'know?" She stood a few feet from him, "what is it Jack?"

He clenched his jaw, looking anywhere but her before he took a deep sigh. "I overheard from Narcissa in the common room that her sister wants to have an audience with you after hearing you invite Alphard to your ball."

"What does she want?"

He shrugged, "just that she promised to ask you about inviting you to meet her sister for an impromptu visit."

"Who was she speaking with?"

"Greengrass, Fawley, and the Avery sisters."

"Don't accept," he stated. "Something is wrong with that witch, she gives off—" he gestured to his head. "Ye ken my meaning?"

"We'll see," was all she said which caused him to sigh.

"I'm telling you that witch is unwell," he ran a hand through his hair.

"I know but it's not as if she has tried before to talk to me," she crossed her arms. "I might just take advantage of her request and use it to my own benefit."

He rolled his eyes, "sneaky witch."

"Yes we'll this sneaky witch is rather hungry."

"I'm heading off as I have to get to class to meet with my partner for DADA so I'll see you later, cousin."

They left the corridor after waving one another off and separating. She had turned the corridor only to stop when she heard her name being spoken by a familiar voice.

"Peter told me that you have a crush on my cousin!" Jamie hissed, failing to whisper as he glared at Sirius

Sirius scoffed, "yes believe the boy who lacks the mental capability to think for himself."

Jamie's ran a hand through his hair, "look mate, you're a wonderful blok—"

Sirius snorted, "relax mate." He chuckled, "your cousin is a pretty face but having feelings for her? That is ridiculous."

Gwen bit her lip, forcing herself to keep still as she attempted to not allow his words to affect her so much. But it failed as the feel of his lips on hers were a stark reminder of the truth. They had kissed and he had given his word to always cherish her first kiss.

"I value our friendship," Jamie smiled. "I wouldn't want it to be ruined because of a possibility between you and my cousin."

"She is just a witch," he waved off. "It is you and I forever." Both boys smiled and hugged.

Swallowing back the lump in her throat, she sniffed and quickly left before they would spot her. She had just sat back down at her table, when she saw them come into the Great Hall and headed towards their own table. Avoiding Sirius' gaze, she smiled and tuned into the conversation of Olivia explaining to the girls about her Quidditch practice.

Valentine's Day was different this year.

At least different for Remus.

Now that he had a pretty girlfriend, Remus wasn't so bothered by the day anymore. Especially since he got to snog said witch later. He gave himself another look in the mirror, he had put on his best jeans and attempted to style his hair to be decent. He had planned a picnic for Lily up in the Astronomy Tower that he had bribed Peeves to keep everyone out of for the afternoon.

"Meeting up with Evans ey?"

Sirius leaned against the doorframe of their bathroom. He was dressed in dark ripped denim jeans, black combat boots and a Rolling Stones t-shirt.

"Seems like I'm not the only one going out today."

Sirius shrugged, "I asked a witch to go out with me today."

Remus paused, slowly turning his gaze back to him. He looked past him, before turning back to him. "A witch other than Gwen?"

"Why would I ask her?"

Rolling his eyes, he smacked him with his brush. "Merlin, don't play stupid. You know exactly why. You have a crush on her."

"You're seeing things mate," Sirius rubbed the spot on his arm that Remus had hit him. "I would never harbor feelings for her."

"Merlin, I knew you were daft but never this stupid!" Remus hissed, "ever since Christmas you have been acting strange, not to mention that you have hardly been with Gwen like you usually are. So come off it and spill it!"

Sirius threw his hands up in the air, "FINE!" He paused, looking away from him, "we might have kissed…"

Remus blinked at him.

Once.

Twice.

And then a third time.

"You kissed her?"

"Yes I kissed." He sighed, "it's this act that happens between two people where they push the—"

"I know what a kiss is you fool!" Remus paused, "tell me what happened."

Sirius took a seat on his bed, "I couldn't sleep after that snowball fight we had with the girls. I had this feeling that I needed to be in the sitting room so I went and I found her there. She was beautiful, perfect and we danced and then there was mistletoe and bloody hell mate…her lips were soft." He buried his face in his hands, "she stared at me with those big eyes of hers and I couldn't deny wanting to kiss her."

"You're fucked mate."

Sirius shot him a glare, "you don't think I know that?"

He raised his hands in surrender, "then what changed?"

"Peter, that little rat told James of my crush on her and confronted me and I lied. I lied and lied about her being just another witch to me and that it was ridiculous having feelings for her."

"So now you are avoiding her?"

Sirius dumbly nodded, "and I think she thinks I rejected her because she is just another witch to me."

Remus felt sympathy for Sirius. He knew that Gwen wasn't just some witch for him. Not when he had sacrificed his own future to give her the choice to be aligned with his family, not when he underwent crucio as punishment for not having her show up at his date for the family party. Gwen is beyond special to Sirius.

"You should talk to her," he pointed out. "Perhaps you two can work things out."

"I made a promise to protect her," Sirius rubbed the back of his neck. "I also gave my word that nobody could date her unless we all approved. Remember?"

He did.

It is on this date last year that they had walked into the Great Hall, stood atop the Gryffindor table and declared that Gwen was not allowed to date anyone unworthy of her. They would have to seek their permission first.

Remus' eyes softened, "you are an idiot to allow her to slip through your fingers." He heaved a sigh, "Regardless, you need to fix this before your relationship is damaged with her and you'll be forced to tell James what happened."

Sirius sighed, running his fingers through his dark hair. "I know, Moony. I messed up big time. I just didn't ever think that perhaps my feelings for her would be returned."

Remus sat down next to him on the bed, his expression thoughtful. "She's not just another girl for you, and you know it."

Sirius nodded, looking down at his hands. "I just don't want to mess things up even more. I care about her too much to hurt her. Too much for things to be ruined between us."

Remus placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Then you need to talk to her, be honest with her. Tell her the truth about how you feel, why you said what you did. She deserves to know."

"With a determined expression, Sirius stood up. "You're right, Moony. I can't keep avoiding her. I need to fix this."

James bursted in, the door slamming open. "I have perfected the best prank on all the snogging couples today, I already have Peter going down into the kit–" he paused, seeing both of them share looks with one another. "Where are you two off to?"

"It's Valentine's Day mate," Remus grinned. "I have a date with Lily today."

James frowned at this before turning to Sirius, "and you?"

"I have a date with a witch from Hufflepuff."

"Can't you both just cancel and come prank some of the older kids with me?"

"No can do mate," Sirius shook his head. "A gentleman never cancels on a lady unless it is an emergency."

James rolled his eyes but didn't argue, before turning to Remus with a hopeful look. But he was already grabbing the bouquet of lilies, he had asked Gwen to help him with his plan as well as he had her go ahead and set it up for them and have it be preserved with a preservation spell.

"I wouldn't risk the wrath of my girlfriend," he shook his head. "Try not to get detention this time."

Remus and Sirius both saw his frown become a forced smile. They felt guilt for having made other plans but neither made any move to change their mind about it. Sirius opened his mouth to compromise on his plans before James grinned, a twinkle of mischief in his eyes. "Detention is a small price to pay for the perfect prank. But fine, I'll behave. Have a great Valentine's Day, you lovebirds."

"See ya later mate,"

They both patted James on the shoulder as they walked past him and left the dormroom to go meet with their dates. James crossed his arms, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

As Remus and Sirius made their way out, James called after them, "And if you need any advice, just ask! I'm a pro at this romance stuff."

Sirius rolled his eyes, and Remus shook his head in amusement. The door swung shut behind them, leaving James to plan his legendary prank for the unsuspecting snogging couples.

A thin white and red plaid blanket laid on the top of the Astronomy Tower, a basket of sandwiches, fruits and some desserts were laid out with gilly weed water and muggle soda. There were some pillows as well along with a small stack of books.

"Oh my," Lily gushed as she walked over to the spread. "This is a beautiful Remus."

Remus couldn't believe how perfect everything looked, practically gaping but shut his mouth when she turned back to him with a bright smile. "I am pleased that you love it."

She placed a kiss on his cheek, kicked her shoes off and then took a seat down on the spread. "Coming to join me?"

He swallowed, "yes."

He followed her movements and took his seat opposite of her, "you are beautiful in the sunlight."

Her face flushed from the compliment.

Lily had gone out and dressed in a blouse and skirt rather than her usual denim jeans. She even braided her hair and put on some makeup other than her usual strawberry lip gloss.

"You are very handsome today yourself," she reached out and took a grape from the platter.

As she talked about what her friends Mary and Alice had been up to, he couldn't but smile and watch her. However his conversation with Sirius couldn't stop moving to the forefront of his mind, as his relationship with James had become strained since they returned from Christmas. Which had strained his own relationship with Lily due to their differences and the fact that James and her didn't get along.

"Lily," he interrupted. "I think we are better off friends."

Lily's eyes met his and the tears that were threatening began to fall. "You felt it too?"

He felt relief from that single statement she had made, "Please don't cry."

"I rather liked the idea of being your girlfriend. I am just sad that it didn't work out between us."

Remus laughed softly and reached a hand up to her tears to wipe them away with his thumbs. "The feeling is mutual, I promise."

Remus hugged her back, relieved that despite the change in their relationship status, they could still share a genuine connection. The sun cast a warm glow on the two friends as they sat on the Astronomy Tower, surrounded by the simple yet thoughtful setup Remus had prepared.

"Friends, then?" Remus asked, giving her a small squeeze.

Lily nodded, her smile returning. "Absolutely, Remus. Friends who hold hands and make each other smile."

They spent the afternoon chatting, laughing, and enjoying the snacks on the blanket. The tension from the earlier conversation had dissipated, replaced by a comforting camaraderie. The stack of books nearby had been read as they lost track of time, engrossed in each other's company.

As the sun began to set, casting a beautiful array of colors across the sky, Remus couldn't help but feel grateful for the friendship that had evolved from what could have been an awkward situation. Lily, too, seemed content, leaning against him as they watched the stars appear in the darkening sky.

"Thanks for this, Remus," Lily said, breaking the comfortable silence. "It turned out to be a lovely Valentine's Day, even if not in the way I expected."

Remus smiled, "Anytime, Lily. Friends make the best companions, don't they?"

And with that, they continued to enjoy the evening, appreciating the simple joy of each other's company under the vast expanse of the night sky.

Valentine's Day was supposed to be a day about celebrating all forms of love. Whether it was familial, platonic or romantic. Which is why Gwen had dressed up, spent the day with Toni and Pandora on the green as they ate candy, drank muggle soda, and talked. Jackie and Olivia were spending the day with their boyfriends, Danial and Harold, respectively.

Everything had been perfect.

That was until she caught sight of a familiar Gryffindor, walking with Hufflepuff witch Adeline Parker. She was smiling and giggling as she hung off his arm as they walked around Black Lake. Toni and Pandora caught her distracted state, followed her line of sight and saw Sirius with Adeline.

"Oh Gwen…" Toni scrunched her nose in their distraction. "Why a puff out of all girls?"

Pandora shrugged, "this must be a recent development as just the other day she was complaining about him being nothing but a loser."

Gwen felt a lump form in her throat as she continued to watch them, her eyes lining with tears as she attempted to hold back her tears from falling. First he ignored her and avoided her like the plague and now he was parading another girl in front of her like some prize. His conversation with Jamie was all lies…right?

"Let's go," Toni moved to stand before Pandora stopped her. "What?"

"If we leave right now, it would look as if we are running away."

"So?"

She gestured to all the other students who were having their own picnics on the green and were now zeroed in on her or the couple by the lake. "This will be quite the scandal for both of them."

Toni rolled her eyes, "who cares if it's a scan–"

Gwen ate a grape, plastering a smile. "Dora is right, I can't cause a scene now, especially not with Nella watching me. She would run right to her journalist sister and have them write some trash piece on Sirius and paint me as a victim."

Pandora looked at Gwen with concern, realizing the impact of the situation on her friend. "Maybe we should give her a moment. This seems like more than just a casual crush."

Gwen, struggling to compose herself, took a deep breath and wiped away a tear. Toni and Pandora exchanged glances before Pandora spoke gently, "Gwen, do you want to talk about it? We're here for you."

Toni offered a supportive smile. "Yeah, spill it. What's going on?"

Gwen hesitated for a moment before finally opening up. "I just... I thought he liked me. We spent so much time together, and we even kissed."

Pandora and Toni' eyes went wide at the news. "When did this happen?"

"After the snowball fight with the boys."

"Tell us everything now."

Gwen began to recount what had happened after the girls had fallen asleep, and she had left because she had trouble. Smiled as she talked about the way they danced and then when he had given her the perfect first kiss. They had been shy around one another after, neither one brave enough to bring it up and spent the Christmas break going on as they had before.

"But now... it's like I never existed. And seeing him with Adeline like that..."

Toni frowned, her expression sympathetic. "Boys can be idiots sometimes, you know. Maybe he's just being dumb and doesn't realize what he's missing."

Pandora nodded in agreement. "And who knows, maybe there's a perfectly good explanation for why he's with Adeline. It doesn't necessarily mean he's not interested in you."

Gwen sighed, looking at her friends appreciatively. "Thanks, guys. I just need some time to process this, I guess."

Toni threw a grape at her, a playful gesture to distract her from looking back at the two. "Alright, but don't let Sirius Black ruin your Valentine's Day. We've got plenty of candy and soda waiting for us, and we're not letting this day go to waste."

As Pandora continued to share the details of her brother's antics, Gwen tried to focus on the conversation, grateful for the distraction. She nodded and offered sympathetic comments, doing her best to push aside the lingering thoughts of Sirius and Adeline.

The trio spent the afternoon chatting, laughing, and enjoying each other's company. Despite Gwen's initial heartache, being with Toni and Pandora provided a comforting refuge. As the day unfolded, Gwen found herself gradually letting go of the disappointment and embracing the support of her friends.

As evening approached, they decided to join the festivities in the Great Hall, where the students were celebrating Valentine's Day with decorations, music, and laughter. Gwen realized that there were many forms of love to be celebrated, and while romantic love might have brought a momentary and deep sting, the love of friendship was a constant source of strength.

As the friends settled into the festivities, Gwen appreciated the support and understanding from Toni, Pandora, Olivia, and Jackie. The Great Hall was adorned with heart-shaped decorations, and the air was filled with the sweet sounds of music. Gwen, determined to focus on the positive aspects of the evening, joined in the celebration with her friends.

Toni's discretion about the situation with Sirius allowed Gwen to enjoy the night without dwelling on her feelings. She danced, laughed, and shared moments of joy with her friends. The love of friendship proved to be a powerful force, mending the emotional wounds Gwen had experienced earlier.

However, as the night wore on, Gwen couldn't shake the desire for a bit of revenge against Marlene McKinnon, the girl who had played a prank on her hair. Gwen's determination to bury her feelings for Sirius turned into a mischievous glint in her eyes as she formulated a plan for payback.

The group eventually found themselves near the refreshment table, and Gwen noticed Marlene across the room, chatting with some friends. A mischievous smirk crossed Gwen's face as she turned to her friends.

"Hey, guys, mind if I borrow Toni and Pandora for a moment?" she asked with a sly grin.

Toni and Pandora exchanged curious glances before nodding, and Gwen led them away from the crowd, explaining her plan for a harmless prank on Marlene.

With a renewed sense of mischief, Gwen realized that sometimes the best way to heal from a disappointment was to focus on the lighter side of life. As they hatched their plan, laughter echoed through the Great Hall, drowning out any lingering echoes of heartache.