The first Saturday of the school year began earlier than Clione would've liked as she made her way to another meeting. Head Girl had been her goal since she stepped foot in this school, being anything but the best hadn't been an option. But it was now, she had room to dream. As the sun continued rising, she honestly considered if this was what she wanted anymore.

She decided to cut through the grass and didn't make it far before she found herself stepping over a slug. A few more steps and she found another, and another. Following the trail of slugs she found the Slytherin and Gryffindor quidditch teams glaring at each other. Both captains, one her friend and the other her boyfriend, turned to her expectantly.

"I don't care," she told them plainly as she continued past them.

From behind her Fred called, "Malfoy called Hermione a mudblood."

Beside him Katie hissed, "she's not gonna care."

But Clione stopped cold, seeing Gail waiting for her on the other side of the corridor. Clione turned to Draco seeing him hiding his worry behind a mean smirk. "Turning on your house, Ayad. My father will hear about this." And tell her grandparents, that threat he left unsaid.

Her head just barely cocked to the side as she watched him. As though a snake sizing up its meal before striking, as though giving him a chance to reconsider. Through her teeth she asked him, "with what mouth?"

His smirk grew and he told her, "you think you're so above it all." But he stopped, finding his voice was coming from where she stood with dark burning eyes and an open notebook in hand. He looked down finding the shape of his mouth on the page and he reached a hand finding smooth skin in place of his lips. "My fa-" The notebook closed with an audible clap and his voice was smothered in its pages.

"Put it back," Marcus told her. But she stalked past him without another word, leaving them with a boy who had no mouth.

Most of the Gryffindor team had taken Oliver's fondness, and then Fred and George's, to mean she was safe. But that cruel streak was befitting of her house. Oliver stood a moment blinking as he processed what she'd just done before he nodded accepting it. It was Fred who stepped forward staring Marcus down. "She said no."

Slytherin took the pitch that morning, and the afternoon - Marcus telling Malfoy he didn't need a mouth to be a seeker. They were still going at it, trying to take as much of the day as they could from Gryffindor, when Oliver cornered Clione. Gail had tried reasoning with her, Noemi thought it was clever and wanted to learn how she'd done it, Cedric said Malfoy deserved it, Percy called her a disappointment, George thought it was going on too long, Fred had wholeheartedly taken her side and was currently bullying Malfoy while he practiced thinking this was her best job yet, and Oliver just looked at her. "You never let me get away with anything fun," she grumbled stalking past him.

The quidditch pitch was to the left of where she was walking. "Where are you going?" he called to her.

"Keep up."

Shaking his head he jogged after her still in his quidditch uniform. She wore loose leggings under her skirt and had chosen a beige scarf that complimented her house colors. He thought she looked rather pretty that morning - a little devious, but very pretty. He almost said so when he caught sight of Ron sitting with a half full bucket of slugs.

Hermione looked up as the older girl stopped in front of her, her eyes still wounded though they'd stopped crying. So far Clione had been nothing but nice to her. It was easy to forget she was in Slytherin, that she was a pureblood raised in the ideology that made her better.

But Clione pulled out her black leather bound notebook and opened it to Malfoy's mouth. "If you think he's learned his lesson, I'll give it back."

Hermione stared at it a moment before looking up at Clione. "You stole his mouth for me?" she asked quietly.

"He can't get away w-" she quieted as Hermione barreled into her, burying her face in Clione's middle.

Clione sighed wrapping her arms around the shorter girl as long as she needed. Much of that morning, and the afternoon, Hermione really wanted her mom. This was close enough to make her feel better.

They found the rest of the Gryffindor team standing on the edge of the pitch hurling insults up at the Slytherin team, but they quieted when they saw Oliver had brought Clione with him. "Flint!"

He glanced down at his name, not being followed by a crude remark on his appearance, and came down when he saw Clione had come back. Malfoy wasn't far behind him, and it was clear the way his jaw was moving he was trying to say something nasty. But he stopped when he saw her take out the notebook and waited feeling his dry lips return to his face.

"Hermione was the one who decided you earned it back."

Draco looked between the unhappy girls and decided Clione was mean enough not to cross twice. Even though it looked like it might kill him he gave a bitter, "thanks."

Hermione looked up at Clione who shrugged, and ultimately decided that was enough. She made her way back to Ron, who now sat on the pitch still throwing up but not as much.

With her gone Draco turned back to Clione and informed her, again, that his father would be hearing about this. "Would you like to send it with my letter in the morning?" she asked him graciously.

He paused a moment before asking quietly, "what letter?"

"I've written your father a letter informing him why his son lost our house twenty points in his first week," she told him sounding like a grown up. Like a disappointed mother. He sputtered and she held up a hand. "Snape's already signed it. You're lucky he whittled it down to twenty. I originally asked for fifty," she said stealing any hope he had of making this go away. And when she was sure he understood his place in this school she continued; "I'll ask you again, dear, would you like to include your complaint with the letter I'm sending in the morning?"

The way he pouted he looked very much like the child he still was. "Why are you sending it in the morning and not now?" he muttered sullen and defeated. A hand smacking his arm had him flinching, but he turned to Marcus seeing the older boy mouth something. His face was bright when he turned back to Clione. "Five points if I apologize."

"Ten," was her quick counter. "And no letter."

Malfoy stuck his small hand out without hesitation. His father wouldn't care what he'd called Granger. But losing Slytherin twenty points in the first week, their reputation, that was something his father cared a great deal about.

They walked together to where Hermione sat beside Ron with Harry on the other side of him. Loitering around making jokes were Fred and George, but they quieted as they watched the Slytherin pair approach them.

Behind them Flint turned to Oliver, having not known anyone but Gail to be able to talk her down when she was mad. "Bout time you talked some sense into your girl."

"Watch it, Flint, or I'll let her keep your mouth." Oliver's face twisted into something ugly before he stalked after her. He moved to the side to stand by Fred and George, who watched the scene suspiciously.

Malfoy looked anywhere but at Granger and honestly looked like he'd throw up. But, "I'msorryforcallingyouamudblood," did eventually come out of his clenched-toothed mouth. All together in a rush, unintelligible, under his breath. He glanced up at Clione and she nodded.

She reached a hand to tuck his pale blonde wind-messied hair behind his ear, catching the way his eyes squinted and understanding what that meant. "Honestly, darling, what you say on your own time is your business. But this isn't your own time. This is a safe place for all who attend," she told him seriously. And though he didn't like it, he nodded back. "Even for you." With a hand on his shoulder she turned to Ron who still looked a touch green. "Five points from Gryffindor for trying to curse him."

A smile lit up Draco's face. It wasn't malicious or sneering or even victorious. This was fair. "Ten."

She turned to Draco with a soft grin, one that reminded him of his mother. "Put a slug in your mouth," she countered.

"I'm okay with five," he was quick to tell her.

She laughed lightly catching the way he tried not to smile. He looked so young in that moment, his not yet hardening eyes still able to shine. "It was unkind, what I did," she told him softly, honestly. "I'm sorry."

There had been many unkind things in his life and none of them apologized for it. He didn't know what to do with that, with her warm eyes and gentle face. After a moment he held his hand out to her in quiet offering, and she smiled as she shook it. He was close to grinning as he let her go and went to join his teammates.

Marcus stood just close enough to have heard, and though he thought she was a blood traitor he found she was still loyal to them. That counted for something. "We're done for the day," he grumbled. He said something less kind about how Gryffindor could practice every day until their first game and Slytherin would still wipe the pitch with them. But Clione understood; it was for her.

As the Slytherins packed it in, having taken all but two hours before dinner, the Gryffindor's gathered together. "I told you them dating would work in our favor," Angelina said smacking Fred's arm. He'd been whining about it since the train.

Clione stood with her hands clasped in front of her and she looked to Oliver seeing the faint grin he always wore when he thought she was sweet. "I'm late meeting Gail at the library," she told him before he could ask if she wanted to stay and watch them practice.

He bowed his head in a short nod and his grin grew to a full blown smile as she pressed a lingering kiss to his suddenly warm cheek. His teammates were oohing and teasing him, Alicia went so far as to call their captain whipped. But he turned searching for Clione as she made her way back to the castle, and a heavy breath shrunk him as it left his lungs.

"Go walk your girlfriend to the library, we'll run drills til you get back."

Clapping Angelina on the shoulder with a quick, "thanks," he left his stunned team behind to chase after his girl.

..

After the evening feast each house filed down a separate hall returning to their houses. Clione found herself between Marcus and Cassius Warrington, both of whom loathed her dating the Gryffindor Quidditch captain but had decided she at least needed to know the sport. Cassius noticed the way she seemed to herd the younger students in front of them, often reaching a hand to the back of one of their small heads to steer them after the others. Kindness wasn't common in their house.

They drew to a slow stop at the end of the corridor and Clione wove her way through to the front to find Harry, Hermione, and Ron standing in the center of the adjacent hall where Mrs. Norris' deathly still body hung from the light fixture. On the wall in dripping blood was written

the chamber of secrets has been opened

enemies of the heir…beware

At the other end of the hall were the Gryffindors, and she scanned their faces stopping only when she found Fred and George.

"You'll be next mudbloods," Draco sneered, aiming those cruel hateful words at Hermione. A hand on his shoulder had him flinching and he looked up finding Clione. She was frowning at the blood and the cat, at Filch's obvious despair as he discovered the state of his only friend. "We don't have to be afraid," he told her, straightening himself to try to be taller.

She looked down at him seeing he was trying to assure her, in his young way. It was very sweet, so was he though he didn't show it often. He stayed by her side as the Slytherins parted for their headmaster, and then as Dumbledore ordered all students to their dormitories. Clione turned to the group behind her and ushered them back down the hall they'd come from, and raising her left arm towards the smaller group on the other side of their hall she beckoned them to follow. Before rounding the corner she turned to the retreating Gryffindors and found Fred with his neck craned as he looked for her. He sent her a wave that she returned as they both took a step too far and lost sight of each other.

…

That night the prefects were pulled from their dorms to help the professors patrol the halls. Little information was given as to what they were looking for, less was given as to what happened to Mrs. Norris. But Gail took one look at the way Clione's dark eyes glittered in the candlelight and she knew that wouldn't last for long; what she wanted, Clione almost always got. She was determined, and demanding, that way. So the next morning, after only a couple hours of sleep, when Gail saw her best friend charging down the aisle towards the Gryffindor table she knew Clione was after something.

Single-minded to the point of reckless, that was something Noemi had called Clione last year. But even though her sights were set on the twins, Clione still remembered to stop and press a soft kiss to Oliver's cheek.

"Morning," he said in reply as she hurried around him. His eyes hadn't left his plate and he picked up his conversation with Angelina exactly where he'd left off.

Clione slid onto the seat beside Fred and he just about choked on his drink at the feel of her pressed against his side. Clearing his throat he turned seeing her bright eyes and sat up straighter. "It's Penelope Clearwater," she said looking from him to George with her brows raised. They'd been trying all summer to figure out what Percy was doing in his room, Clione was the one who told them it was a girl after she'd gathered flowers the color of his girlfriend's eyes, now they'd spent most of that first month trying to figure out which one. They'd known Clione figured it out and it drove them nuts she wouldn't tell them. But it hurt her feelings how quickly Percy had called her a disappointment.

"I knew it!"

Clione's faced turned in on itself as she turned to Fred. "No, you did not," she told him firmly.

George was eating breakfast watching the two of them bicker back and forth before suddenly they turned to him and he froze with his fork half raised to his mouth. "I'm with Clione."

"Why do you always take her side?" It didn't used to happen that way, Fred wasn't used to not being able to count on George.

"She's scary."

Where Fred normally gave a mean jab at her, he was unusually quiet. It upset him to have his parents pay her more attention than him, for Ginny and Ron to adore her, and Percy to prefer her, but now George was choosing her too. Before he could mope too long she slid a worn journal on the table towards him. His narrowed eyes flicked from the notebook to her intentionally sweet face. "It's what he's been writing all his love letters in," she told him. "I might've included a charm to recall all the ones he's torn out."

He stared at her a moment longer, realizing that the name was for both of them but this was specifically for him. "You devious little sneak," he said quietly as he took her gentle offering.

"Perk of having a Slytherin on your side."

They shared a quiet fond look that tugged at the corners of their mouths, finding it unbearably warm between them. He watched her blink away whatever thought that'd warmed her eyes and felt her pull away when a book hit her shoulder with a loud smack.

"I didn't tell you to gossip with your brothers," Noemi chided getting onto her. "Hogwarts: A History, does anyone have a copy? They're all checked out of the library." The Gryffindors close enough to hear shook their heads and Noemi sighed before turning back to Clione. "Sometimes I wonder if your hat-stall ended with you in the wrong house." She was still shaking her head as she returned to the seat beside Gail at the Hufflepuff table.

George looked across the table at where Clione sat still holding her arm. "She might be meaner than you."

"Right?" Clione asked, glad someone else saw it. "I don't know what Gail sees in her."

Across the table Angelina was staring hard at Clione with narrowed eyes, taking her in as a whole. She was determined to be the best by whatever means got her there; but she was fiercely loyal and could be really nice, warm even. "It was Gryffindor, wasn't it?"

"Obviously Ravenclaw," George told Angelina, his ears turning pink the way Ron's did when he was embarrassed about something.

Holding a goblet to his mouth Oliver told them, "Hufflepuff, actually," before taking a swig.

"I told you that in confidence."

He grinned setting his cup down and getting an arm around her waist to pull her to his side. They ended up nose to nose and his sweet brown eyes gazed into her darker ones. "Sweetest Slytherin to ever exist," he mumbled as his stare fell to her mouth.

Angelina sat across from them staring at them unamused. "She sent Kane to the infirmary for making a higher mark than her last year."

"The last Slytherin quidditch captain mysteriously fell down the stairs and broke nearly every bone in his body not long after Marcus joined the team," Alicia added.

"One girl was cross-eyed the entire school year for looking at Gail wrong," Fred added, though he grinned looking proud.

Clione innocently took a sip out of Oliver's cup feeling him staring hard at the side of her face. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye to see him waiting. "You knew what you were getting into," she told him before downing the rest of it. It'd already refilled itself when she set it back on the table in front of him.

Oliver hummed, having known very well what he was getting into with her. He also knew he'd very nearly taken a swing at Flint for talking about her the other day. His response was to slide his plate between them so she could eat with him, and he watched the way the corners of her eyes wrinkled as she smiled.

…

That night Clione and Gail had the first patrol of the castle, and therefore the first prefects to get to go to bed. "Honestly, Clione, I don't think something's gonna get me the second you turn around." They stood right in front of the entrance to Hufflepuff's common room, as far as Clione was allowed. But Gail knew this was Clione's way of showing how much she cared, so Gail hugged her quick with a kiss to her friend's cheek before going to bed.

Clione didn't know what she'd do if something happened to Gail. The clap of her shoes on the linoleum echoed faintly in the empty halls as she made her way back to her own house. Her pace was even, her head high; unbothered. It was no louder than a whisper and she heard it too late before something reached out of the shadows and grabbed her.

"Ow!"

Her knuckles stung from how hard she'd hit what she now saw was Fred. George was almost fallen over with laughter but Fred was hunched forward cupping his hands around his nose.

"Oh, I'm sorry," came out of Clione at the shine of his damp eyes. "Let me see."

She pulled his hands away from his face and he looked down at her worried eyes made black in the dim candlelight. His face warmed beneath her palms as she gingerly held his head turning it to the side to look at his nose.

"I don't think it's broken," he told her. His ears were ringing and it felt like his face had caught on fire, but there was no blood. "Hell of a right hook though."

Even though he was still mostly cast in shadow she could see how red he was, she could feel him burning in her hands. In that moment all his mischief was gone and in its place was a vulnerable hope that fluttered deep in her chest. She let him go and leaned back finding it suddenly hard to catch her breath. Without warning her hand hit his chest with a loud smack that startled both of them. He raised his arms in defense as she hit him again, and then again.

"Teach you to scare me again, Fredrick Weasley," she said whacking him until she was tired out. For good measure she shoved him and threw the end of her hijab back over her shoulder. At least now there was a reason she felt breathless.

A throat cleared and the three of them turned to find Percy standing with his arms crossed and his brows raised. His eyes moved from her cross face to where Fred stood behind her grinning, because she hadn't really been trying to hurt him. "Mum's right about you two," he said with a disdainful shake of his head. "If you're quite finished, Clione, could you escort my brothers back to Gryffindor tower?"

She gave a quiet agreement and he turned on his heel and marched off. Behind her the twins snickered to themselves that he was going to meet Penelope and Clione swiveled with a hand raised to swat them both in one go.

"You can tease him in the morning when I'm not around to be annoyed by it. Let's go."

She stepped away from the two of them with the expectation they would follow; and so far, to everyone's surprise, they always did. Only this night Fred slung an arm around her shoulders and steered her down another hall. "You know, for someone so smart you can be really thick."

Before her face had a chance to screw up in offense, George pulled a book from his robes and held it in front of breath she'd taken to say something nasty was replaced by elation at seeing it was Hogwarts: A History. "Where did you get this?" she asked flipping to the table of contents.

George cast a mischievous grin over Clione's head and Fred's face grew painfully serious as he shook his head. "A first year," he quickly told her. She was too busy finding the right chapter to notice the color or look on his face. She didn't need to know how long he'd spent trying to find it for her.

"Here, look." She turned to Fred pointing at a paragraph on the middle of the page.

He pulled out his wand. "Lumos".

The pair stood with their heads bowed together reading about how Salazar Slytherin built a secret chamber only his heir could open so the beast sealed within could purge the school of muggleborn wizards.

"Charming," said Fred dryly.

Clione looked at the page before and after to make sure there was nothing else before closing the book and leaning against the wall. "It has to be some kind of serpent."

"That is your whole thing." Fred laughed as she smacked his chest. "Who knows, maybe you're the heir." He waggled his eyebrows at her.

She looked up at him unimpressed and unconvinced. "I'm not white," she reminded him.

He shrugged leaning his shoulder on the wall next to her, so that they stood with her head tipped back and his lowered so they could see each other's eyes. "You never know," he told her with a shrug. "You don't know who your dad is."

"That's tr-" She turned to him sharply knowing for a fact she'd only told one person that and Gail wouldn't tell anyone least of all Fred Weasley. "I take it my suggestion for the extendable ears worked." The way he smirked was answer enough and she rolled her eyes turning away from him.

"Like a charm." Which was funny because it actually did end up being a charm that made it work. "Is that why you and Gail have been sneaking into the library at night? To figure out who your parents are?"

Behind them George quietly corrected, "were."

But Fred didn't pay him any mind, he was a ruthless bulldozer when he was onto something. "How ever did you keep Mrs. Norris from ratting you out?"

She'd been standing with her arms crossed pretending to ignore him, but he saw her grow still as she understood what he'd said. She turned to his infuriatingly proud face and her eyes slowly narrowed as her mind turned.

"Look at that, George -"

"Finally remember I'm here?"

"- she's speechless."

But her mind was still turning as she gazed up at him. Without warning she pushed off the wall and stepped to him, like a lion going in for the kill. Fred took a step back but George pushed him forcing Fred to meet her head on.

"How did you know we did that last year?" she demanded with such unyielding determination it had him swallowing. As Fred often found with Clione, he'd bit off more than he could chew. "Last night was the first time Gail and I snuck into the library this year, after Mrs Norris was petrified." He blinked dumbly down at the mean smile carved on her face. "Look at that George -"

"Yup, still here."

"- he's speechless."

She'd said it a lot nastier than Fred had, there'd been venom in her tone. He hadn't seen this much malice directed at him since he pulled off her hijab four years ago. His eyes were wide as he stared down at her and she sighed leaning against the wall with her arms crossed tight around her. She glared at the dark in front of her still feeling his hurt eyes watching her. Another sigh, only this time she deflated. "That was mean, I'm sorry."

Fred nodded and reached behind him to grab the blank parchment tucked in his back pocket. "Who needs dads, ours loves you," he told her gently. It'd been callous the way he said she didn't know her dad, a bruise he hadn't known he'd been poking. He met her timid glance with a half smile that she shared.

George stood behind them not used to them resolving things themselves. He wasn't used to a lot of things between them. Them, because he wasn't part of it.

Clione's eyes fell to the thick parchment in Fred's hand and asked, "what's that?"

Fred looked down at it a moment before turning to look at his brother, as though asking if he should. George shrugged knowing Fred was going to anyway because it was her.

But as if she'd read his mind Clione leaned forward to see him around Fred. "You sure?" she asked George, her voice as surprisingly bright as always.

"Yeah," George answered with a grin. He stepped around Fred and moved to her other side. "You're a Weasley now." He elbowed her lightly catching the way her somber face broke open as she laughed.

Fred held it out in offering to her but he didn't let it go. They stood holding either end of it looking at each other. "You have to promise you won't tell anyone," he told her. The crease in her brows and the downturn of her mouth let him know she wasn't planning on it. "Promise?"

She blinked hearing the same shy request she'd given him earlier that year; this was important to him. "Cross my heart," she swore, giving him back the same assurance he'd given her.

The beginnings of a warm smile was spreading on his mouth before he cleared his throat and let go. As he reminded himself she wasn't his to have. "Think she's ready George?"

The sharp flash of hurt he was doing his best to hide, was something George was getting used to seeing. Some days he just wanted to shake them both. "Not a chance," he said back.

Fred held his wand over the middle of the paper and said, "I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good."

Before she could remark on how fitting that was, blood red ink began to spread revealing what'd been hidden.

Messrs. Mooney, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs proudly present The Marauders Map

The twins shared a smile over her head as she opened it further to see the familiar halls of the castle. "No way," she breathed tracing the hall she'd been walking down when they jumped out at her. "Look at that," she said finding Dumbledore pacing in his office.

They were laughing to themselves at every quiet exclamation and small gasp as she took it all in. "Look, there's Oliver. Poor Angelina, probably just wants to go to bed." George watched Fred's smile fall. "There are ways to get out of the castle?"

"I think that's probably enough," Fred said reaching for the map. His hand grabbed air from how quick she stepped away from him. "Clio," he drew her name out in warning.

"I'm just looking."

He tried for her shoulder but she twisted away, and he heard her find a third secret exit. "Isn't it time you took us back?" He tossed a look over his shoulder at George, but George was no help as he let the two of them sort it out.

Fred got his arms around her waist planning to hold her in place so George could grab it from her, but she surprised him by turning into him. They both were laughing until they realized his arms were around her holding her against him, and that her head was tipped back and his lowered so that their faces were only inches apart. Her eyes were shining as she looked at him, really looked at him. The way he'd been dying for her to.

The warmth slipped out of her face as she stepped back, finding it cold when he let her go. "You're right, I do need to take you back," she told them softly.

Fred took the folded map she gave him and watched her dart around the corner. He turned to George finding his brother grinning. "Finally figure out she likes you?" He'd been good about not teasing Fred about her, mainly because it hurt him so much. But George didn't mind teasing him about this.

His eyes were wide and his mouth hung open trying to process that, for someone to tell him it wasn't true. But George was smiling and Fred's heart raced, and he'd never felt warmth like the way she'd just looked at him. "Bloody hell."