Magic? || Years 1-5

In Hogsmeade: Year 4

Fred's eyes narrowed, "You do know that if he tries something like this again -- "

"You'll kill him and there's nothing I can do about it, I know, I know," She cut him off, laughing.

"I get the first hex," Hermione declared, throwing a glare at the Slytherin table.

"What?" The boys exclaimed.

"I get the first hex," She repeated. "I hear the most of the rants, therefore I get the first hex."

"Excuse me, I get the first hex," Amisty argued. "My life, my hex. I'm getting in one good Stinging Hex in before any of you do anything."

"Oo, I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of that," Harry winced. "Your Stinging Hexes hurt, Am."

"How do you know what that even feels like?" Ron exclaimed.

"He surprised me while I was reading," Amisty grinned sheepishly, "and, well, surprises never go well and my wand was right there and..."

"Ouch."

-=+=-

Amisty tightened the scarf around her neck, keenly aware of the gazes boring into her neck. It was moments like this when she really regretted the scarlet of her cloak.

But, like her dad had said:

Show everyone that this doesn't bother you, no matter how much it does. Chin up.

Lifting her gaze from the melting snow on the ground she held a stubborn tilt to her chin, meeting anyone's blatant stares with the most nonchalant expression she could manage.

It seemed to take decades to reach Cabin Seventeen, and she was beyond relieved when the door swung open and a cup of tea was pushed into her hands.

"How have you been holding up?" He asked as soon as she took a seat, hanging up her damp cloak on a hook.

"I've managed to convince everyone not to hex him into a pile of ashes and stopped myself from doing it, too," Amisty replied, cradling the tea and letting the warmth seep into her hands.

It was a bit of a chillier day.

"And everything patched up with Harry and Ron?"

"Yeah, Harry actually kept me from -- " She broke off, suddenly remembering he didn't know yet.

"Transforming?" He supplied.

"How did you know?" She asked, surprised.

"Not really something the Headmaster couldn't tell me," He shrugged almost sheepishly. "I didn't want to bring it up until you felt comfortable, though."

"How much did he tell you?"

"Just that it's a little different from Echo's shifting, you don't know how to control it. They don't know very much about Wolf Borns, it's hard for them to make a clear decision," He replied.

Amisty's green gaze shifted to the ground, her feet shuffling. Her voice was small when she continued, "Draco knew the most about it."

"Did he actually help you?" He asked curiously.

"I guess..." She trailed off, looking away when he looked at her. "Yes, he helped a lot. We got really close to figuring it too and, well..."

He nodded, "Hermione's been sending updates on it. She was helping him, right?"

"How many of my friends have been writing you instead of actually speaking to me?" Amisty accused, half-joking.

"Almost all of them," He waved his wand over at the doorway, Summoning a stack of letters. "And... a certain someone in particular."