We were nearing the end of October, and I was sitting in Professor McGonagall's office. The professor sat across from me and offered me some biscuits as we waited for Remus.
"So, how are you adjusting?" She asked me. I swallowed the biscuit I just took a bite off before answering.
"Okay, I guess." I shrugged. "Things are different here, but I'll get used to it. Been studying hard for the past month and half."
"Oh, yes. Your potions exam is next week, isn't it? Don't worry about it, you'll do fine. If Professor Snape suggested something like that... Let me just say, he has never done something like this for the years he's working here."
"Well, I wish to make Remus and Professor Snape proud."
"That's a sentence I thought I would never hear." A ghost of a smile on her lips.
"Hm, I guess you know about their...rivalry." I decided. "Since you were already teaching back then."
"I was, and it wasn't pretty."
"My uncle told me all about it, he regrets that he never intervened when the others took it too far. But what happened then is between them, not me. So, I just hope he sees the same."
"I know he had a hard time when he found out Remus and you were coming, but I think you've proven that you're not them, but brilliant at potions."
"I wouldn't say brilliant." I murmured as I looked at my biscuit and broke it in half.
"Believe me, if Professor Snape goes out of his way for you like that, you must be pretty brilliant. Especially seeing the history with your family. Ah, talking about family. Remus, please sit."
"Thank you, Minerva." I looked up from my biscuit to see Remus walk in with a smile but hearing his voice I knew he found it strange to call her by her first name.
"So, since we are all here. Can you tell me why you wanted to meet with me?" She asked, her eyes going between me and Moony. Moony smiled and nodded for me to go on.
"I was wondering if I could start a club."
"A club. What kind of club?" She asked intrigued and surprised at the same time.
"A duelling and defence club. It would be a combination of duelling and muggle martial arts. And one of the most important parts is that it would be open to all houses."
"Hm." She hummed as she leaned back in her chair and thought it over, her fingers tapping against each other. "That sounds interesting. Do you have an instructor in mind, a supervisor."
"I would oversee everything, Minerva. I would be the instructor together with Alec."
"You want to teach the others?" McGonagall's eyes shifted to me.
"I've been training since I was eight. I've trained under Courtois and had duelling lessons before I started school."
"That's impressive." Her lips turned in a smile. "Do you have a place in mind?"
"The empty classroom on the third floor, it should be big enough." I answered. "We've been practicing there since we arrived at Hogwarts."
"And from what age do you want the kids to join?"
"We thought about third years and up first, if there is enough interest from the first and second years, and we have an opening, we can expand to them."
"No." She shook her head, and my heart dropped. "If we're starting this, and the younger students want to join, I'll supervise them and I could let some of the seventh years help with the muggle fighting, if necessary. There must be some of them who have learned it." She took a piece of parchment and wrote something down before glancing back up to me. "I really like the idea of a mixed house club; can I ask why you insist on it?"
"At Beauxbatons, we don't have houses. Here, no offence." I added. "You're being put in box, being pushed with the students of your house. You don't have much interaction with the other houses. And I want to break that cycle."
"I see your point." She scribbled another thing down. "And I agree with you. There should be more interaction between the houses, not only rivalry. I've seen you talk to a lot of other people from other houses the past few weeks." She smiled softly. "If you can get me a plan or a schedule-"
She stopped as I handed a rolled-up parchment to her, mine and Moony's grin in place. Her eyes widened as she accepted it and rolled it open. "You certainly did your homework."
"We sure did." Moony nudged my arm. "Do you need time to look it over?"
"No." She said duplicating the parchment and handed the original back. "I give permission for you to start the club. You can make a notice and I'll hang a notice on the board next to the great hall and the common rooms. Or do you have one already?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. I smiled shyly as a blush creeped up my cheeks and Moony started to laugh loudly. I took the second roll out of my bag and handed it over. The professor couldn't hold back a chuckle herself as she accepted the roll. "I'll hang this up by tomorrow morning." She looked at the parchment she had unrolled. "How will you know who is going to sign up, or do you want me to collect the notices at the end of the week?"
"No, I – uhm – enchanted it. The names that are written on it will appear on my own piece of parchment. That's how I know who's interested."
"You enchanted it?"
"I learned it at Beauxbatons, we have a lot of clubs there, so it's used a lot back home."
"You raised a smart, kind young woman, Remus."
"Oh, uhm, thank you." Remus was now the one blushing as he didn't expect the compliment.
"He's the best dad anyone could ask for." I said sincerely. "He even has a mug saying that." I chuckled and the professor looked at the both of us with a small, warm smile.
"I drink my coffee in it every morning." Moony smiled as he looked at me. "It was the first thing you got me for Father's Day. Well, alright then, we better get going." Remus said standing up. "This one has just a little more studying to do."
"That I do. Thank you, Professor McGonagall." I said standing up and the professor followed my lead.
"No, need. I would like to be there some time. I'm a bit curious myself."
"Want to duel with Remus, professor?"
"Oh, no." She chuckled. "I'll let that for the young ones." She said as she opened the door from her office. "I'll see you in class tomorrow."
I had agreed to spend the night not studying and promised the Gryffindors to join them in the tower. I had just left the library with my heavy bag slung over my shoulder and headed to the great hall for dinner. When I entered the great hall, I didn't see Angelina, the twins or Lee anywhere. My eyes flickered over the other tables. I saw Nott sitting on the Slytherin table, a little further across from him sat Draco Malfoy. I pulled my curly waves in a high ponytail and headed to the Slytherin table. All of the eyes were locked on me, filled with confusion and fascination as I walked to the green filled table. I saw Harry in the corner of my eye, shaking his head in a warning, but I ignored it. Nott looked at me with a raised eyebrow as I stopped not far from him, and I planted myself at the Slytherin table, straddled the bench to look at the blond thirteen-year-old. The Slytherins, who were always quick with their tongue, all looked at me, shocked.
"Hey, cousin." I said to Malfoy as I picked a piece of bread from the bowl in front of him. The blond boy turned to me slowly, stopping his conversation with one of the broad boys next to him.
"What are you doing here?" He snapped.
"Didn't your mother teach you manners?" I scoffed, and I heard Nott behind me snicker. "You don't want me to write to her, and tell me about the fact that you forgot all those etiquette lessons, she put so much time and effort in, do you?"
"You don't know my mother."
"But I do." I pointed out and took another piece of bread. "I've been writing to her for years now."
"You - you are lying."
"Why would I lie about that?" I asked as I tore a piece off the bread. "When she found out about me, she searched for a long time until she found me. We've met a few times, but she didn't tell you or your dad."
"If you're telling the truth, why wouldn't she tell us... tell me."
"Because of my dad of course, your father hates mine. And you were too young to understand. But your family is small, and she wanted to be part of my life." I offered him a piece of bread, but he just glared at me, I shrugged and put the piece in my mouth. "You know the vacations in France you went to?"
"Yes." He said slowly, a frown in place.
"That's when she met me. Me and my uncle, actually."
"We go to France every year."
"She found me when I was six, and ever since then, she visited me every summer."
"How do I know you're not lying?" He spat, but I heard in his voice he was started to believe me.
"I can tell you things your mum told me about you when you were younger, but I doubt you want the others here to know that." I said, and now more Slytherins laughed, even with Draco's glare, they couldn't stop. "But I'll spare you. Here." I pulled out the necklace I had around my neck. It was the double-sided coin, once side was the Malfoy family crest, while the other had the Black crest. By the look in his eyes, he recognized it in an instant.
"That's my mother's. She said she lost it ages ago."
"Like I said, she didn't want you or your father to know." I saw familiar mops of red hair walk in the great hall. And like all the other students their eyes were fixed on me as they sat down near Harry. When I turned my head back, Nott looked at me with a twinkle in his eye. "I'll let you mull it over. Maybe I'll see you at meeting."
"Meeting?" Draco's head snapped up, coming out of his daze.
"You'll see." I grinned and stood up. "Nott." I grinned.
"Lupin-Black." He winked as I walked by.
The great hall was filled to the brim with students by the time I left the Slytherin table. Still, I felt all eyes on me as I walked to my friends. I ignored the curious glances and whispers around me and sat down next to Angelina at the Gryffindor table, but before anyone could ask me what that was all about, I turned in my seat to look at Angelina.
"Oh, Ange. How's quidditch practice going?"
"Oi!" The twins yelled. "Why not ask us?"
"Ever heard of 'ladies first'?" I pursed my lips at them before I looked back to a grinning Angelina.
"It's going great, Wood is extreme, but he gets the job done. Alicia, Katie and I are learning a new tactic, the triple treat."
"I like the sound of that." I chuckled. "I can't wait to see you in action. When is your first game?"
Angelina opened her mouth to answer, but the twins cut in. "November sixth, against Slytherin." They said glaring to the table I just left.
"We're playing against Hufflepuff." A tall boy dropped down next to the twins.
"What?" The players asked.
"They changed it, don't know why. McGonagall just informed me. Now I need to change our tactics." He grumbled and his eyes fluttered to mine. "You're Alec, right? I'm Oliver Wood, quidditch captain."
"Nice to meet you." I laughed. "I hear you're torturing my friends."
"I didn't say torture." Angelina said quickly. But Oliver didn't seem to mind, he just looked serious at me.
"This is my last year here. We need to win the cup! I need my players in top form. So, don't distract them."
"Me? Distract them?" I huffed a laugh. "You know those two, right?" I gestured to the twins, who tried to look innocent, but failed miserably. I wondered if there was ever a time, they looked innocent. "They are the ones who are distracting me when I try to study."
"Once." They exclaimed both pointing one finger in the air. "We just stumbled on to the library." Fred continued.
"A whole new world opened up for you then, didn't it." I smirked at the twins, who stuck out their tongues at me.
"Well, I need to work out a new plan." Oliver interrupted, standing back up. He loaded his arms with food and headed out of the great hall.
"I think you'll be practicing a lot the next few days." I said as I turned to the others.
"Then you'll get your quiet time to study." Lee pointed out on Angelina's other side.
"After that exam, we should really spend some time together." George said, and I looked up from my plate in surprise.
"All of us." Fred added.
"You're acting like I didn't just spend the whole day with you guys yesterday." I shook my head.
"But you've barely been in the common room."
"I'll make time, okay." I leaned to Angelina and whispered loudly. "Didn't know they were so clingy." Angelina snickered as the twins glared at me.
"Want to go upstairs?" Angelina asked.
"I thought you never asked." I bat my eyelashes excessively. "But what about Alicia?" I glanced to the girl who was sitting next to Katie a little further away.
"She'll get around. She has Katie, so I can have you."
"Shh. You'll make Lee jealous." I grinned as we stood up, I locked my arm with hers.
"Enjoy dessert." Angelina smiled before we walked out.
"Are you really sure?" I asked again when we climbed the stairs. The stairs above us turned without a sound.
"Yeah, after your exams, after the first match, we'll all get together, and she can get to know you." She pulled me close to her. "So, want to tell me about that Malfoy thing?"
I explained why I was sitting at the Slytherin table once we were up her room. It was the first time I came up here, so she gave me a little tour. We were sitting on her bed, Angelina against the headboard and me on the end of the bed as we talked, then the subject of boys came up.
"So, the boy from France?"
"The boy from Belgium." I pointed at, playing with the rim of her covers. "Jack. He was my best friend even before we started school. Last year, it became more. He's one of the best guys I ever met. He's sweet, funny, honest and so good looking." I let out a dry chuckle. "Me moving.... we tried to do the long-distance thing, but it wasn't easy. We broke up a few weeks ago."
"I'm sorry." Angelina crawled on her bed towards me and pulled me in a hug as tears formed in my eyes. Her hand rubbed slowly on my arm, trying to console me. "Did you love him?"
"I did. I do. I'll always love him." I wiped a tear away that had escaped. "I'm a hypocrite."
"What?" Angelina pulled back in surprise to look at me. "What are you talking about?"
"Here I am saying you're only young once, and I'm here crying over a boy."
"A boy you love, your best friend. It's completely normal. You will fall in love again, when you're ready."
I leaned my head against her shoulder. "I'm so happy to have you as a friend. I'm sorry if I caused a rift between you and Alicia."
"You did no such thing. I'm so glad to have met you too. So are the twins and Lee, if you're wondering."
"That's nice to hear." I smiled softly. "I want to know Harry better too, I thought the twins caused trouble, but the stories I hear about that boy." I shook my head chuckling.
"Tell me about it." Angelina laughed, just as shouting came from downstairs. The twins' voices boomed up the staircase. "Are you ready to go downstairs?"
"Yeah." I nodded, pulling away. The twins' voices even louder as they shouted again.
"We better get down before they try to get up here." She said opening the door.
"What happens when -" I started, but Angelina pointed as the twins started to climb the stairs and the steps clicked back, turning into a slide. The twins couldn't get a grip anywhere and they both slid down the stairs. "Oh." I said before laughing. Angelina sat down and slides down behind the twins, and I followed quickly. The twins already waiting downstairs, leaning against the wall like nothing happened. Lee had pulled Angelina up, while the twins both outstretched their hands for me. I accepted them with a smile as they led me to the couch.