Clementine waved them a goodbye, and Amalia was left awkwardly with someone she didn't know.

"So…" Amalia clapped. "What did she bait you with?"

Robin shifted his weight, his hands were in his pockets.. "She told me I needed to get over my ex."

"So I'm the rebound?" Amalia accused playfully. He spluttered.

"No that's not what I meant, I mean that, uh, it's been a while since…"
"It's alright," Amalia smiled weakly. "At least you're honest."

He smiled awkwardly. "You know what, let's rewind –Hi, I'm Robin Drew. Let's go to Honeydukes, shall we?"

They walked over to Honeydukes, where Robin pointed out the different sweets, introducing them to her one by one. He took a couple, handing the person at the till a couple of coins. The lady smiled at him sweetly, and she noticed that she added a few more sweets and treats to the bag.

"From what Clementine told me," Robin said kindly. "You haven't grown up around wizards. So the best way to make friends is through sharing food, I find. Do you like chocolate?"

"Yes," Robin pointed out a pair of round ones. "Those are a lot like the American Maltesers, but the filling is soybean."

"Soybean?"

"I know it's –"

"I love soybean!" Amalia popped one into her mouth. The chocolate melted on her tongue, and its rich flavour seeped down her mouth.

"You'd be the first one. There are some weird tastes, for sure, but this is one of the tamer ones mum makes."

"Mum?" Amalia questioned.

"Yeah, my family owns Honeydukes," Robin nodded. "I got into sports because of it: I ate too much candy. I can't part myself from it, of course."

"Family is never really far from what we do," she thought of her family, and how her father was someone who loved music and sciences, which seeped down to what Amalia knew despite the fact that she strayed far from physics.

"What's this about you being Dumbledore's niece?" he asked. "I can't imagine the old man having a family."

"Well, I've been told not to say a lot," Amalia said apologetically.
He nodded. "No worries, not everyone knows. Clementine just let it slip. I don't think a lot of people care, really."
"That's nice to know."

Robin shrugged and popped a Bertie Bott's bean into his mouth. He pulled a face.

"I can handle a little grass flavor," He popped another bean into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully before a look of horror crossed his face. "Okay, that one was definitely vomit-flavored."

"Ew!" Amalia giggled, her laughter ringing. "Why would you keep eating them if they taste like that?"

"A little challenge never hurt anyone." They walked down Hogsmeade, and Robin pointed out all the small places she had not seen the first time. Having grown up in Hogsmeade, Robin was at home.

"To the Three Broomsticks?" he asked. She nodded.

The scent of warm butterbeer fills the air, mingling with the aroma of hearty pub fare. The interior is dimly lit, with wooden tables and chairs scattered about. A large fireplace crackles in one corner, casting a flickering glow that enhances the inviting atmosphere. The inn is filled with the sound of lively music, with local musicians playing traditional tunes.

"Oh! It's a Folk Night," she exclaimed. But she quickly got sad. They have to return to Hogwarts before nightfall.

"What? Oh yes," Robin said. "Shame we can't catch it… but I know a few tunes."

"You play?"

"He nodded. "I've been playing since I was a kid. They taught me how to play. I can show you the basics. And if we are ever free during the holidays, we can join. Clementine told me you are trying out for the choir?"

She nodded. A lot of the music she learnt was also from music sessions at pubs. So this place didn't feel far from what she knew, normally.

Amalia felt bad that he was buying her drink, but he promised she can get the next round.

As she turned around, sipping her butterbeer, she felt a pair of eyes on her. She turned, scanning to see who it was that was giving her the eye, and landed on the cold eyes of Sirius Black. She felt uneasy, his eyes followed her around the room.

"Let's go," she told Robin. She couldn't enjoy the music as much now that she was aware Sirius was stalking her.

"Oi! Drew!" they were walking up the steps to Hogwarts, and Amalia cringed as Sirius caught up to them. Robin greeted Sirius with a raise of the sweets bag.

"Cheers, Black. Are you headed back to the dorms?"

"Yeah, not much to do currently."

"I'm glad for it, for one," Robin mentioned. "It's been very quiet three weeks, might I add –oh, Amalia. This is Sirius, have you met?"

"In passing," Amalia eyed him. "I was in close proximity for the first, and so far only one, Severus."

"We've got one up our sleeves," Sirius promised. "We've just got a, uh, wee hiccup."

"You have a prefect in your midst?"

"Kind off, you know."

Amalia looked between the two. "Uhm, well, I'll be off. But I'll see you around –"

"Do you want to hang out after Quidditch practice, next week?" Robin asked. Amalia nodded.

"Sure, I'd like that," she waved a goodbye, and walked off, only to realize once more that something was following her.

She turned around, and there he was. Sirius Black jogging up to her.

"What are you up to?" Sirius asked.

"I'm going to do Astronomy homework with Remus," Amalia said, turning to Sirius as they walked through the bustling corridors of Hogwarts, filled with students chatting and hurrying to their next classes.

"You know, you see him more than I do these days," Sirius complained, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Are you sure it's just astronomy?"

"Arithmancy too," she replied with a nonchalant shrug.

"What do you want with Drew?" Sirius asked, his tone laced with suspicion.

"Oh, by the swirling smoke of a thousand enchanted cauldrons! If you keep asking me what my intentions are with every single man I encounter, I might as well lock myself in a convent in the Austrian mountains," Amalia exclaimed, her voice rising in exasperation. She realized she had said that a little too loud, and a few passing students turned to look. Clearing her throat, she added, "What's this, then?"

"I feel like you're stealing my friend from me," Sirius grumbled, frowning.

"I thought he hasn't spoken to you properly since the incident—"

Sirius quickly covered her mouth with his hand, pushing her into a nearby alcove to shield their conversation from curious ears. "Don't you mention that!" he hissed.

Amalia narrowed her eyes and licked his hand, causing him to yelp and drop it. "Don't ever touch me like that again, Black," she said coolly. "I can bite."

"Noted," Sirius replied, lowering his head in apology. Amalia let out a long sigh, trying to calm her frustration.

"Listen, Sirius. You and Remus need to talk—alone first. Without James and Peter. You can't keep making impulsive decisions just because it fits you. Some people… they don't have that benefit."

"And what would you know about that? You're the Headmaster's niece; you're practically as snotty as me!" he shot back.

"I," Amalia said slowly, "had to fight for every single penny to go where I wanted to be in life. I did not grow up as the Headmaster's niece; I was a working-class person before I came here. I had no fortune to live off until now. So forgive me, Black, for being frank, but do not project your ideas onto me."

Sirius stayed silent, the weight of her words settling in.

Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out behind them. "Oi, Amalia! Fancy a little fun?"

Amalia turned to see James, a wicked grin on his face, and Peter snickering beside him.

"What do you want, Potter?" she asked warily, sensing mischief in the air.

"Oh, just a little surprise!" James said, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "You'll love it!"

Before she could protest, Sirius's eyes widened. "James, don't!"

But it was too late. With a flick of his wand, James unleashed a torrent of magically animated pink custard that splattered over Amalia, coating her in sticky sweetness. The custard began to bubble and fizz, turning into a shimmering mess that stuck to her robes and hair.

"What the—?" Amalia gasped, her eyes wide as she felt the cold substance sliding down her skin. The corridor erupted in laughter as students gathered to witness the spectacle.

Sirius rushed over, trying to help her, but all he managed to do was smear the custard further. No matter how much they wiped it off, the pink mass stayed.

Amalia stood there, momentarily stunned, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment and anger. "Seriously?!" She tried to wipe it off, but it only smeared and clung tighter. "This is not funny!"

James was doubled over, holding his stomach as he laughed uncontrollably.

Remus appeared around the corner, his brow furrowing as he surveyed the scene. He held his books in his hand.

"What's going on?" he asked, confusion written all over his face.

"Just a little prank on Amalia!" Peter said, clearly reveling in the chaos.

Amalia, now fuming, turned to Sirius. "Is this what you call fun? Just a bit of sticky chaos?"

"It's harmless," Sirius said, his expression sincere. But he didn't sound convinced.

"Harmless?" Amalia exclaimed, glaring at both of them. "I'm covered in never–"

Her voice ran out. She frowned, opening it again. She felt her vocal chords moving, but nothing was coming out.

Oh, no.

She had lost her voice.

She screamed, but nothing came out. Amalia's heart pointed against her chest and she looked around frantically, looking at Remus.

"Blimey, what is in this stuff?" Remus asked. "And what happened to your voice?"

"Voiceless hex," Peter said proudly. "It's harmless."

"No, it is not," Remus looked around at the students that were gathered. "Everyone, sod off! Nothing to see here. Peter, get rid of the hex."
"It's just a little fun –"

"Peter, she wants to try out for the choir tomorrow!" he exploded. "I assure you it's not just a LITTLE FUN."

"Mate…" James started, but Remus held up his finger. "No, absolutely not."
"Remus, please –"

"Not HERE," Remus begged. "She's already been through enough because of me."

"What?" Sirius's voice made her jump.

"C'mon," Remus took her hand. "I'll take you to the Prefects bathroom."

He gently took pulled her away, and looked over his shoulder. "You better clean that up, or else I am deducting house points."

Amalia felt herself shaking, and her mind drifting off as he lead her through the hallways. There were people who gauked, but it was only small whispers that then shut up again.

She tried to say something again, but the hex hadn't worn off. She hoped it would soon. She needed her voice, or else she could forget trying out for the choir tomorrow. They walked up to the fifth floor, next to a statue that looked like a knight, and Remus spoke the password for the school year.

"There's a bath you can use," Remus said. "Uhm, I won't go into the girls bathroom, but I can find one of the girls to bring you some stuff."

Amalia pointed at one of the lockers, the one that had Clementine's name on it. Remus nodded. He helped to get the stuff off – it took a while for him to figure out the counter to stop the pink slime from expanding back. Every Time they'd wipe at it, it would go back into place, but it never left a trail. It just stayed on her body and clothes. When that was finally through, there was the matter of her voice.

Amalia hugged her legs in the pool that was the bath. The day had started out good, but not it was just sour, and she felt nothing but bitter towards the three boys. Not Remus, necessarily, but she now understood why Remus had slowly drifted apart from them. Things were in place that she did not understand while reading the novels, because of course Harry would idolize them… but did he? Amalia thought. He did realize his father was incredibly flawed, especially at his age and he "cleaned up" his act by the seventh year.

Oh, how delightful it is, Amalia was miserable at the thought of being in the crosshairs of this development. She should just curl up in her bed this weekend and not do anything.

"Oh gosh!" Lily burst in, her hair slipping out of her braid from running. "Are you alright? Remus couldn't find me. I got some robes for you."

Amalia pointed at her voice.

"Alright, you little mermaid, it's time to give your voice back." Amalia appreciated the joke because there was a mermaid stained glass window in the room. Lily cleared her throat and directed it at Amalia's throat.

"Redde vocem eius."

A warm feeling emitted from the tip of the wand.

"Was that the counter spell?" Amalia's voice was croaky.

"No, it's invented," Lily said kindly. "A lot of our spells are based in Latin, and since Sirius and Peter take Ancient Runes, I assumed that's how most of their inventions were made. Same for Severus, really. It doesn't work for everything –it's a lot more sophisticated, but here we are."

"Huh," Amalia realized that Lily was right. "But if it's that easy, how come not many do it?"

"How many people do you know speak Latin?" Lily questioned. "Uhm… I will turn around."

"Oh, right," Amalia's face burnt. Lily was a girl, so it wasn't a big problem, but she was still naked. Lily held out the robes and a towel, covering her eyes and first and then turning around.

While she changed, Lily did her best to lighten the mood.

"How did the date go?" she asked.

"Oh he was kind," Amalia admitted. "And I promised to meet him after practice next week."

"That's wonderful! Do you like him?"

"I don't know," Amalia frowned. "I just think he's sweet. That's it."

"Really? nothing more?"

Amalia shook her head, "No."

"Interesting…"

Remus was waiting outside.

"Did you wait this whole time?" she asked credulously.

"I feel responsible for this," Remus apologized. "They're…"

"Repulsive," Lily finished. "That wasn't even funny anymore."

"They couldn't have known about choir."
"But it was still distressing," Lily houghed. "Honestly, I find pranks funny, but that was humiliating."

Amalia looked at Remus, who was clearly in distress –he was fidgeting with his hands.

"Please, talk with them, Remus," Amalia begged. "They're hurting too."

"Where do I even begin?"

"Why aren't you talking to them, Remus?" Lily asked. "Is it because of Severus?"

"I… it's a lot more complicated than that, Lily."

"What? Because you're a werewolf?"

Remus' jaw dropped. "How did you know?"
"You get sick around the full moon all the time, and I assumed that she knew –" Lily pointed out. "Because you wouldn't let just anyone around you. And she's Dumbledore's niece. I think he would have told her, and Amalia has been looking up werewolves in our study sessions. And if he hasn't told you… sorry."

"You are very observant," Amaila was flabbergasted.

"I was going to tell you at some point," Remus apologized.

"I'm doing it for you," Lily sighed. "So, what's the whole thing then?"

"Sirius played a trick on Severus last year. He was always being nosy, and you know how Sirius is, so he told Severus that he should go to the Shrieking Shack to find out what's wrong with me."

Lily took in a sharp breath.

"James found out and stopped him, of course. Not being a big run it with the Willow. Had he not stopped him… well, Severus knows I am a werewolf, regardless of what happens. Dumbledore made him swear never to tell."

"Was this before or after Severus called me a mudblood?" Lily asked.

"After," Remus added.

"That's…" Lily crossed her arms. "This is none of my business what you do, but I do think you should at least talk to them. Let's go."

"Go where?" Amalia and Remus asked.

"To the Gryffindor Common Room, obviously."

Amalia pointed at herself, because she was Hufflepuff, but Lily waved it off.

"It's just a house room; it's not like you're in the enemy's den.

Lily walked ahead of the two of them. The Fat Lady at the door eyed her suspiciously but let her in with Remus and Lily.

"Marlene!" Lily called. "Are the boys here?"

Marlene pointed towards the dorms. "Girl, I don't want to know what they did, but please give them my regards too."

Lily stormed up to the boys dormitory.

"This feels weird," Amalia told Remus. Remus nodded.

"You know, the boys aren't allowed near the girls dormitory, but not vice versa. That doesn't make sense to me."
"Probably the owners thought that a girl would never enter the boys dorm," Amalia shrugged. Lily banged on the first door on the left on the sixth floor.

"No, you pesty first years," James said as he opened the door, "I don't want your – oh."

James essentially was half-naked. Lily closed her eyes.

"Put some clothes on!"

"What are you doing here?" he hid behind the door.

"You boys need to talk, or else this castle will be set on fire before Christmas comes around," Lily said, pushing Remus into the room. Then, Lily slammed the door shut, leaving her and Amalia alone.

"Do you think that will work?" Amalia asked.

Lily shrugged. "Let's stake out downstairs – didn't you want to learn about mandrakes? Marlene is right there."

"I feel like we need a space for our club," Amalia thought. She knew about the Room of Requirements, but she couldn't remember where that was. It would require a lot of staking out on her part, but it would be nice to have a place…

A place popped into Amalia's mind.

It was perfect.

"How would you feel about meeting at the school kitchens?"

Upcoming: Dumbledore checks in, Choir Practice, The Marauders Make-up, Sirius gets jealous for Remus, the girls continue their little study club, but Peter is having none of it