"What's the matter?" asked Hermione as she and Estella caught up with Ron and Harry halfway across the common room as they all headed toward breakfast. "You look absolutely-oh for heaven's sake."
She was staring at the common room notice board, where a large new sign had been put up.
Gallons of Galleons! Pocket money failing to keep pace with your outgoings? Like to earn a little extra gold?
Contact Fred and George Weasley, Gryffindor common room, for simple, part-time, virtually painless jobs
(We regret that all work undertaken at application's own risk)
"That is the limit," said Hermione grimly, taking down the sign, which Fred and George had pinned up over a poster giving the date of the first Hogsmeade weekend in October. "We'll have to talk to them, Ron."
Ron looked positively alarmed.
"Why?"
"Because we're prefects!" said Hermione, as they climbed out through the portrait hole. "It's up to use to stop this kind of thing!"
Ron said nothing; Estella could tell from his glum expression that the prospect of stopping Fred and George doing exactly what they liked was not one that he found inviting.
"What's wrong, Harry?" asked Estella, as they walked down a flight of stairs lined with portraits of old witches and wizards, all of whom ignored them, begging engrossed in their own conversation. "You look really angry about something."
"Seamus reckons Harry's lying about You-Know-Who," said Ron succinctly, when Harry didn't respond.
"Yes, Lavender thinks so too," said Hermione gloomily.
"Been having a nice little chat with her about whether or not I'm a lying, attention-seeking prat, have you?" said Harry loudly.
"Hey," snapped Estella. "As if we'd do that, so watch it."
Harry muttered a sorry as Hermione began talking.
"No," said Hermione calmly. "I won't even tell you what Estella said," added Hermione, "but I told her to keep her big fat mouth shut about you, actually. And it would be quite nice if you stopped jumping down Ron's, Estella's, and my throats, Harry, because if you haven't noticed, we're on your side."
There was a short pause.
"Sorry," said Harry in a low voice.
"That's quite all right," said Hermione with dignity. Then she shook her head. "Don't you remember what Dumbledore said at the end-of-term feast last year?"
Harry and Ron both looked at her blankly while Estella nodded. Hermione sighed.
"About You-Know-Who. He said, 'His gift for spreading discord and enmity is very great. We can fight it only by showing an equally strong bond of friendship and trust-"
"How do you remember stuff like that?" asked Ron, looking at her in admiration.
"I listen, Ron," said Hermione with a touch of asperity.
"So do I, but I still couldn't tell you exactly what-"
"The point," Hermione pressed on loudly, "is that this sort of thing is exactly what Dumbledore was talking about. You-Know-Who's only been back two months, and we've started fighting among ourselves. And the Sorting Hat's warning was the same-stand together, be united-"
"And Harry said it last night," retorted Ron, "if it means we're supposed to get matey with the Slytherins, fat chance."
"Well, we should be trying for at least inter-House unity," said Estella crossly.
They had reached the foot of the marble staircase. A line of fourth-year Ravenclaws were crossing the entrance hall; they caught sight of Harry and hurried to form a tighter group, as though frightened he might attack stragglers.
"Yeah, we really ought to be trying to make friends with people like that," said Harry sarcastically.
"We have to start somewhere," said Estella.
They followed the Ravenclaws into the Great Hall.
"Dumbledore didn't even mention how long that Grubbly-Plant woman's staying," said Harry, as they made their way across the Gryffindor table.
"Maybe..." said Hermione thoughtfully.
"What?" said both Harry and Ron together.
"Well...maybe he didn't want to draw attention to Hagrid not behind here."
"What do you mean, draw attention to it?" said Ron, half laughing. "How could we not notice?"
It was also clear why Ron wasn't put in Ravenclaw.
Before Hermione could answer, Angelina marched up to Harry.
"Hi, Angelina."
"Hi," she said briskly, "good summer?" And without waiting for an answer, "Listen, I've been made Gryffindor Quidditch Captain."
"Nice once," said Harry, grinning at her.
"Yeah, well, we need a new Keeper now Oliver's left. Tryouts are on Friday at five o'clock and I want the whole team there, all right? Then we can see how the new person'll fit in."
"Okay," said Harry, and she smiled at him and departed.
"I'd forgotten Wood had left," said Hermione vaguely, sitting down beside Ron and pulling a plate of toast at her. "I suppose that could hurt the team's chances?"
"I suppose," said Harry, as he and Estella sat down on the opposite bench.
With a whoosh and a clatter, hundreds of owls came soaring in through the upper windows. They descended all over the Hall, bringing letters and packages to their owners. Lun swooped in and dropped three letters onto Estella.
"Thanks, Lun," she said, giving Lun some treats before he flew back.
"Who's it from?" asked Ron.
"My dad, Tonks, and Sirius," whispered Estella, as she tucked the letters away.
"Anything about the Order," Harry whispered.
Estella shook her head. "No Order mail comes through Lun and they wouldn't send it because of the security risk. These are most likely just saying 'Hi,'" said Estella.
"Why's Tonks writing you?" asked Ron.
Estella chuckled. "We're cousins. Plus we've gotten close over holiday."
"I still can't believe your mother's Sirius sister," whispered Ron.
Hermione hit his arm. "They literally have the same eyes. You've seen photographs, haven't you? Stella is a carbon copy of her mother."
Estella shrugged. The similarities were uncanny.
Professor McGonagall was now moving along the table handing out schedules.
"Look at today!" groaned Ron. "History of Magic, double Potions, Divination, and double Defense Against the Dark Arts...Binns, Snape, Trelawney, and that Umbridge woman all in one day! I wish Fred and George'd hurry up and get those Skiving Snackboxes sorted..."
"Do my ears deceive me?" said Fred, arriving with Geroge and Sienna and squeezing onto the bench beside Harry. "Hogwarts prefects surely don't wish to skieve off lessons?"
"Look what we've got today," said Ron grumpily, shoving his schedule under Fred's nose. "That's the worst Monday I've ever seen."
"Fair point, little bro," said Fred, scanning the column. "You can have a bit of Nosebleed Nougat cheap if you like."
"Fred!" said Sienna.
"Why's it cheap?" said Ron suspiciously, ignoring Sienna.
"Because you'll keep bleeding till you shrivel up, we haven't got an antidote yet," said George, helping himself to a kipper.
"Cheers," said Ron moodily, pocketing his schedule, "but I think I'll take the lessons."
"And speaking of your Skiving Snackboxes," said Hermione, eying Fred and George beadily, "you can't advertise for testers on the Gryffindor notice board."
"Says who?" said George, looking astonished.
"Says me," said Hermione. "And Ron and Estella. So should Sienna, for matter of fact."
"Leave me out of it," said Ron hastily.
"I've already told them, Hermione. They don't listen," replied Sienna.
"You'll be singing a different tune soon enough, Hermione," said Fred, thickly buttering a crumpet. "You're starting fifth-year, you'll be begging us for a Snackbox before long."
"And why would starting fifth year mean I want a Skiving Snackbox?" asked Hermione.
"Fifth year's O.W.L. year," said Sienna.
"So?"
"So you've got your exams coming up, haven't you? They'll be keeping your noses so hard to that grindstone they'll be rubbed raw," said George with satisfaction.
"Half of our year had minor breakdowns coming up to O.W.L.s," said George happily. "Tears and tantrums...Patricia Stimpson kept coming over faint..."
"Kenneth Towler came out in boils, d'you remember?" said Fred reminiscently.
"That's because you put Bullbadox Powder in his pajamas, Fred," said Sienna.
"Oh yea," said Fred, grinning. "I'd forgotten...Hard to keep track sometimes, isn't it?"
"Anyway, it's a nightmare of a year, the fifth," said George. "If you care about exam results anyway, like little Sienna here," said George smiling, as he kissed a blushing Sienna.
"Fred and I managed to keep our spirits up somehow. And of course, Sienna's."
"Is that why you got, what was it, three O.W.L.s each and Sienna got eight O.W.Ls?"
"Yep," said Fred unconcercerndly. "But George and I feel our future lies outside the world of academic achievement."
"They seriously debated whether or not to bother going back for seventh year," said Sienna with a glare. She obviously supported them in whatever they were doing, but didn't want them to leave her, Lee, and Charlotte.
"I mean, do we really need N.E.W.T.s? We only stayed for Sienna and Charlotte," George said her name teasingly and with a smirk to Fred who slapped his head. "But we also didn't think Mum could take us leaving school early, not on top of Percy turning out to be the world's biggest prat."
"We're not going to waste our last year here, though," said Fred, looking affectionately around at the Great Hall. "We're going to use it to do a bit of market research, find out what the average Hogwarts student requires from his joke shop, carefully evaluate the results of our research, and then produce the products to fit the demand."
They definitely had their post-Hogwarts plan all sorted out. With the money Harry had given them, they were all set.
"But where are you getting the gold to start a joke shop?" asked Hermione skeptically. "You're going to need all the ingredients and materials-and premises too, I suppose..."
Estella glanced toward Harry who had dived under the table to "grab" a fallen fork.
"Ask us no questions and we'll tell you no lies, Hermione. C'mon, George, if we get there early we might be able to sell a few Extendable Ears before Herbology."
"What a convenient time to return," Estella whispered to Harry as he returned up to the bench, only after Fred and George had left.
"Sienna," called Hermione.
Sienna, who was talking to Angelina and Katie Bell, turned and looked toward them. "Yes?"
"Do they already have some gold to start a joke shop?" asked Hermione.
"Mione, you know I can't say anything," said Sienna, before turning back to the previous conversation.
"You know, I've been wondering about that," said Ron, his brow furrowed. "They bought me a new set of dress robes this summer, and I couldn't understand where they got the Galleons..."
"Do you reckon this year's going to be really rough? Because of the exams?" asked Harry, steering the conversation in a different direction.
"Oh yeah," said Ron. "Bound to be, isn't it? O.W.L.s are really important, affect the jobs you can apply for and everything. We get career advice too, later this year, Bill told me. So you can choose what N.E.W.T.s you want to take next year."
"Do you know what you want to do after Hogwarts?" Harry asked, as they left the Great Hall and set off toward the History of Magic classroom.
"Not really," said Ron slowly. "Except...well..."
"What?" Estella urged him.
"Well, it'd be cool to be an Auror," said Ron in an offhand voice.
"Yeah, it would be," said Harry fervently.
"But they're, like, the elite," said Ron. "You've got to be really good. What about you two?"
Estella shrugged. "I was thinking, maybe, a professor. Transfiguration or Charms. Maybe, even an author..." she trailed off.
"I could see that, actually," said Ron, as he looked at her. "You're definitely the best in our year in those two subjects and I've seen some of your stories, they're really good."
Estella shrugged again. "Just a thought."
Harry nudged her shoulder as Hermione began talking. "I think you'd be amazing at either," said Harry.
Estella let out a light laugh. "Thank you, Harry."
History of Magic was by common consent the most boring subject ever devised by Wizard-kind. Professor Binns, their ghost teacher, had a wheezy droning voice that was most guaranteed to cause severe drowsiness with ten minutes, five within cold weather, at least for Estella. He never varied the form of their lessons, but lectured them without pausing while they took notes.
Today they suffered three-quarters of an hour's droning on the subject of giant wars. Estella silently chuckled as she looked over to see Ron and Harry playing hangman on the corner of parchment while Hermione shot them filthy looks out of the corner of her eye.
"How would it be," she asked them coldly as they left the classroom for break, "if we refused to lend you notes this year?"
"We'd fail our O.W.L.s," said Ron. "If you want that on your conscience, Hermione."
"Well, you'd deserve it," she snapped. "You don't even try to listen to him, do you?"
"We do try," said Ron. "We just haven't got your brains or your memory or your concentration-you're just cleverer than we are-is it nice to rub it in?"
"Oh, don't give me that rubbish," said Hermione, but she looked slightly mollified as she led the way out into the dam courtyard.
"You wouldn't do that, right?" whispered Harry as he discreetly took her hand into his.
Estella grinned. "No, I wouldn't," she laughed.
"And girlfriend of the year award goes to...."
Estella squeezed his hand. "Hey, if you do that then I won't help," she teased.
"What if I do something for you?" Harry asked teasingly, with a glint of desire in his eyes.
"Well, we'll just have to see what you do. Schedule some study sessions, maybe?" replied Estella quite cheekily.
Harry's grin couldn't get any wider.
The four of them chose a secluded corner under a heavily dripping balcony, turning up the collars of their robes against the chilly September air and talking about what Snape was likely to set them in the first lesson of the year. They had got as far as agreeing it was likely to be something extremely difficult, just to catch them off guard after a two-month holiday, when someone walked around the corner toward them.
"Hello, Harry!"
It was Cho Chang and what was more, she was on her own again. This was most unusual: Cho was almost always surrounded by a gang of giggling girls.
"Hi," said Harry as he glanced at the three of them in confusion. She just kept appearing.
Estella couldn't fight the green-eyed demon that rose in her. It was quite obvious Cho liked Harry, and who wouldn't? Harry was quite attractive, well, very attractive, funny, smart, well sometimes, charismatic, and kind to all unless they were rude to him or the people he cared about.
"You got that stuff off, then?"
"Yeah, Estella cast a spell," said Harry.
"Quite smart of her," mused Cho as she side glanced at her.
"Is that a Tornados badge?" Ron demanded suddenly, pointing at the front of Cho's robes, to which a sky-blue badge emblazoned with a double gold T was pinned. "You don't support them, do you?"
"Yeah, I do," said Cho.
"Have you always supported them, or just since they since they started winning the league?" said Ron, in an accusatory tone of voice.
"I've supported them since I was six," said Cho cooly. "Anyway...see you, Harry."
"You are so tactless!"
"Oh my gosh, Harry, she likes you!"
"What I only asked her if-"
"No, she doesn't! Everyone knows I-"
"Knows what?"
"Nothing."
"What on earth were you attacking her about her Quidditch team for?"
"Attacking? I wasn't attacking, I was only-"
"Who cares if she supports the Tornados?"
"Oh, come on, half the people you see wearing those badges only bought them last season-"
"But what does it matter?"
"It means they're not real fans, they're just jumping on the bandwagon-"
"That's the bell," said Estella. Hermione and Ron didn't stop arguing all the way down to Snape's dungeon while Estella kept telling him Cho likes him, which he denied. Harry could be completely blind at times.
"She was Cedric's girlfriend! He just 'died,' she wouldn't like me!" said Harry.
"Harry, I love you, but sometimes you can be so blind," whispered Estella.
"I love you too, but there's no way she likes me. Even if we haven't told anyone we're together, it's quite obvious, isn't it?" Harry said exasperatedly.
"Ron hasn't even noticed Harry! Ergo, your point is moot," she whispered-yelled.
Harry grinned at her and pressed a quick kiss to her cheek before piling into the classroom that Snape had just opened.
"Settle down," said Snape coldly, shutting the door behind them.
There was no real need for the call to order; the moment the class had heard the door close, quiet had fallen and all fidgeting stopped. Snape's mere presence was usually enough to ensure a class's silence.
"Before we begin today's lesson," said Snape, sweeping over to his desk and staring around at them all, "I think it appropriate to remind you that next June you will be sitting an important examination, during which you will prove how much you have learned about the composition and use of magical potions. Moronic though some of this class undoubtedly are, I expect you to scrape an 'Acceptable' in your O.W.L.s, or suffer my....displeasure."
His gaze lingered this time upon Neville, who gulped.
"After this year, of course, many of you will cease studying with me," Snape continued. "I take only the very best into my N.E.W.T Potions class which means that some of us will certainly be saying good-bye."
His eyes rested on Harry and his lip curled. Estella couldn't hide her smile as Harry glared back with as much hatred in his eyes. Estella needed an outstanding in almost every class she was taking to qualify for the N.E.W.T.s level.
"But we have another year to go before that happy moment of farewell," said Snape softly, "so whether you are intending to attempt N.E.W.T. or not, I advise all of you to concentrate your efforts upon maintaining the highpass level I have come to expect from my O.W.L. students."
"Today we will be mixing a potion that often comes up at Ordinary Wizarding Level: the Draught of PEace, a potion to calm anxiety and soothe agitation. Be warned: If you are too heavy-handed with the ingredients you will put the drinker into a heavy and sometimes irreversible sleep, so you will need to pay close attention to what you are doing," on Estella's left, Hermione sat up a little straighter, her expression one of the utmost attentiveness. "The ingredients and method" - Snape flicked his wand - "are on the blackboard. You will find everything you need in the store cupboard. You have an hour and a half...start."
Just as they'd predicted, Snape could hardly have set them a more difficult, fiddly potion. The ingredients had to be added to the cauldron in precisely the right order and quantities; the mixture had to be stirred exactly the right number of times, firstly in clockwise, then in counterclockwise directions; the heat of the flames on which it was simmering had to be lowered to exactly the right level for a specific number of minutes before the final ingredient was added.
"A light silver vapor should now be rising from your potion," called Snape, with ten minutes left to go.
Estella looked up as her potion was nearly finished. Harry's was issuing copious amounts of dark gray steam Ron's was spitting green sparks. Seamus was feverish prodding the flames at the base of his cauldron with the tip of his wand. Hermione's looked identical to Estella's, meaning they'd both done theirs correctly. Estella glanced at her potion, it seemed to be in the right spot given the time left. Her potion was a shimmering mist of silver vapor, and as Snape swept by he looked down his hooked nose at it and let out a grunt of approval, which meant he could find nothing to criticize. At Harry's cauldron, however, Snape stopped, looking down at Harry with a horrible smirk on his face.
"Potter, what is this supposed to be?"
The Slytherins at the front of the class all looked up eagerly; they loved hearing Snape taunt Harry.
"The Draught of Peace," said Harry tensely.
"Tell me, Potter," said Snape softly, "can you read?"
Draco laughed.
"Yes, I can," said Harry.
"Read the third line of the instructions for me, Potter."
Harry squinted at the blackboard. It was not easy to make out the instructions through the haze of multicolored steam now filling the room.
"Add powdered moonstone, stir three times counterclockwise, allow to simmer for seven minutes, then add two drops of syrup of hellebore."
"Did you do everything on the third line, Potter?"
"No," said Harry very quietly.
"I beg your pardon?"
"No," said Harry more loudly. "I forgot the hellebore..."
"I know you did, Potter, which means that this mess is utterly worthless. Evanesco."
The contents of his potion vanished; he was left standing foolishly beside an empty cauldron.
"Those of you who have managed to read the instructions, fill one flagon with a sample of your potion, label it clearly with your name, and bring it up to my desk for testing," said Snape. "Homework: twelve inches of parchment on the properties of moonstone and its uses in potion-making, to be handed in on Thursday."
Estella scooped up a vial of her potion and returned quickly to pack her things and chase after Harry, who'd quickly left the room.
"Merlin, that was totally unfair," said Estella consolingly as she sat down next to Harry at the lunch table. "Your potion wasn't nearly as bad as Goyle's! When he put it in his flagon the whole thing shattered and set his robes to fire."
"Yeah, well," said Harry, glowering at his plate, "since when has Snape ever been fair to me?"
None of them answered; all four of them knew Snape and Harry's mutual enmity had been absolute from the moment Harry had set foot in Hogwarts.
"I tried to go slow for you, I really did," said Estella.
Harry glanced at the girl next to him. She looked deeply sorry. "I know, I just forgot about the hellebore. Everything else was right."
"I did think he might be a bit better this year," said Hermione in a disappointed voice. "I mean...you know..." she looked carefully around; there was no one near them and no one passing. "Now he's in the Order and everything."
"Poisonous toadstools don't change their spots," said Ron sagely. "Anyway, I've always thought Dumbledore was cracked trusting Snape, where's the evidence he ever really stopped working for You-Know-Who?"
"Well, firstly, Estella would be able to see if he was a mole. Secondly, I think Dumbledore's probably got plenty of evidence, even if he doesn't share it with you, Ron," snapped Hermione.
"Oh, shut up, the pair of you," said Harry heavily, as Ron opened his mouth to argue back. Hermione and Ron both froze, looking angry and offended. Can you give it a rest?" he said. "You're always having a go at each other, it's driving me mad." And abandoning his shepherd's pie, he swung his schoolbag back over his shoulder and left them sitting there.
Ron and Hermione looked to Estella.
"Why do I have to calm him down?" asked Estella exasperatedly.
"You know why," said Hermione as Ron said, "He's the least likely to explode on you, Es. Plus, he never stays mad if you're there!"
Estella stood up, grabbing her bag, and walking down to the Astronomy Tower where Harry usually gone to cool off. He was either there or in a library study room, but he only went to the study room if she was there.
She passed the large picture of Sir Cadogan the knight on a landing; Sir Cadogan drew his sword and brandished it fiercely at Estella, who ignored him.
"Come back, you scurvy dog, stand fast and fight!" yelled sir Cadogan in a muffled voice from behind his visor, but Estella merely walked on.
"There you are," said Estella as she neared the Astronomy tower to find Harry sitting alone with his back against the wall. "You do know that you can't always take your temper out of them. They argue because, well, I'm pretty sure they like each other. Yes, I know I've seen their future, but they are in the initial stages of realizing their feelings-"
Estella cut herself off as she sensed herself beginning to ramble.
"Do they really?" asked Harry, quite shocked.
Estella laughed. "Merlin, Harry, you're so oblivious."
"No, I'm not!" he laughed.
"You totally are. First, you don't realize that Cho most definitely likes you-"
"I just don't see how. Cedric just 'died' and I mean, it's quite obvious there's something between us. Everyone thought we were together before we were even together!" said Harry loudly.
"That's because you didn't hide anything. According to Hermione and Sienna, you were always looking at me or taking my hand, or finding some way to touch me," Estella said.
Harry shook his head. "You make it sound one sided."
"I mean, if the shoe fits," giggled Estella as she looked at his flabbergasted face.
"No, I'm not taking all the blame. Are you saying you don't enjoy this? Didn't want this?" his voice lowered as he turned her body to face him, pulling her close until she was sitting in his lap. His lips pressed slow and sensual pecks to her neck.
"Harry, you know I do," whispered Estella, exposing more of her neck.
"And this?" he whispered. His low breathing next to her ear sent shivers throughout her body. His hands moved down to grab her ass in an attempt to pull her impossibly closer to him; his hands never let go, either. He bent down and bit her lip, sucking it hard, making a strangled groan escape her list as his hips slowly rocked into her.
"Harry," she rasped into him, her chest rising and falling rapidly.
He rocked against her, dipping his hips into her. She could feel the pressure of his thickness against her and her breathing was escaping in gasps. His lips reconnected with hers; his tongue pushing against hers. It was hot and bruising, leaving her breathless.
"God, I want you so bad," whispered Harry as he pulled away.
"It's too bad, you have Arithmancy," said Harry in a teasing manner.
Estella groaned and hit his chest. "You can't just do that to a girl and expect her to be okay!"
"Technically you started it," laughed Harry.
A sexually frustrated Estella stood up and moved to the Tower's exit.
"I'll see you in DADA," said Estella.
"Don't tell me you're mad," called out Harry as he scrambled to his feet and chased after her.
"I'm not mad, quite the opposite. Which you know, so you can't laugh at me," said Estella.
Harry's face turned serious. "I'd never laugh at you, Es. Do you even know what you do to me," he whispered in a low tone.
"Hmm, no. What do I do?" asked Estella sarcastically.
He rolled his eyes and smirked. Harry pressed her slowly against the wall, positioning them so she could feel the hard bulge in his pants. Even through the layers between them and without looking, Estella could tell he was packing below. That should've filled her with a rush of anxiety, but instead, a rush of excitement traveled throughout her as her face flushed.
"Harry," she breathed out. He had no right to get her like this with no intention of progressing.
"Estella," he whispered. His darkening eyes never left hers.
"How are you supposed to hide that?"
Harry laughed before shrugging. "I was thinking, I could think of Quidditch or candies, and just hide my bag in front. I mean, it should be fine when I'm sitting," said Harry as he thought about it.
"Your mind never ceases to amaze me," replied Estella. "We have class to get to," she said smiling. She wasn't mad, just a tad bit flustered.
"I love you."
"Love you too," she replied as they parted ways after Harry walked her to Arithmancy.