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first year,
snowball special
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The Snow had fallen cloaking Hogwarts in a vast sheet of white snow. Many students used this time to have a little winter fun, snowball fights and sledging were some of the popular choices. Aimee loved the wintertime, and the snow, the scenery was like a winter wonderland, the only thing she hated was the cold. She wrapped her green and grey scarf around her neck, snuggling into her scarf.

"Come on is that the best you can throw?" a boy yelled, who began balling up some more snowballs.

"Yeah, yeah, keep talking Black," he launched them at Sirius just missing him.

"Oh I'm embarrassed for you, Potter," he mocked, pelting snows at James hitting him every time. "How do you expect to be chaser with a bad throw like that,"

Aimee watched the two boys, throwing snowball after snowball at each other, she smiled finding both boys to be rather funny when they wanted to be. She spotted Remus walking through the courtyard, she hurried to catch up to him, she still hadn't found out why he was acting strangely last week.

"Hey, Remus, how are you?"

"I'm fine, why'd you ask?" he questioned, shoving his hands into her pockets.

"I saw you go to the hospital wing last week, I just wondered if everything was alright,"

"I'm fine, thank you, it was nothing just a stomach bug,"

"Oh, as long as you're okay," Aimee said, she thought there might have been more to it, with how shifty he was acting, like he didn't want to be followed, but she dropped the matter, she trusted Remus to tell her the truth, he hadn't given her a reason to think he was lying.

She walked across the courtyard, she neared the school corridor, a hard snowball hit her back. She turned around to look at who threw the snowball, there wasn't anyone there she shrugged her shoulders, turning back around. Another snowball hit her shoulder, she turned around quickly this time spotting someone hiding behind a tree.

She put her bag down, gathering snow moulding it into a snowball, as the person looked around the tree. She threw the snowball, that hit Sirius in the chest, she laughed at the defeated look plastered on his face. He gathered more snow, preparing to throw them at her, however, she beat him to it.

"Very funny Burke," he said, James threw more snowballs at him, teaming up with Aimee to get him, resulting in Sirius being almost completely covered in snow head to toe.

Snowballs were flying through the air, in every direction, just hoping that they would strike someone. James and Aimee worked well together when they had a common enemy; Sirius Black. Though he sulked seeing it unfair that they decided to team up against him. All the snowballs stopped in midair, dropping to the floor when one had hit Professor McGonagall.

"Why threw that snowball?" she asked, eyeing the three of them, they remained silent, not sure who had hit the professor, "well, which one of you was it?" they looked at one another.

"Honestly professor we don't know," Aimee admitted

"Very well, all three of you will receive detention," she told them, they nodded their head expecting McGonagall to give them detention.

***

"Can't believe Burke got us detention," James muttered flipping through their charms work, not at all motivated to work.

"She didn't get us detention," Sirius paused as Flitwick glanced over at them, "she just wasn't sure who threw the snowball," James stared at him in disbelief, "What?"

"Since when do you defend her?" he questioned as Sirius rolled his eyes at him

"Since I took Remus advice"

"Advice?" James eyed him, he wasn't aware Remus had given him any advice regarding Burke.

"Yes, he told me, to give her a chance, you were there," Sirius smirked at him, "and if she screws up, then I have a reason not to like her,"

"I didn't think you'd actually listen," he told him, leaning back in his seat.

"Class dismissed," Professor Flitwick said, as the students packed their books away he spoke again "Potter, Black, Rosier and Burke, you four have detention, follow me," he walked out of his classroom, the two Gryffindors and two Slytherins followed behind the small professor.

"Black and Burke, Madam Pince is waiting for you," he gestured towards the library, "Come along Potter, Rosier, follow me," he left with James and Evan. Sirius and Aimee walked into the library, Madam Pince immediate gave them each a cart filled with books.

"See to that these books are put in the correct place, you have an hour," Madam Pince returned to her desk sitting down, looking through her library sign out a book, checking who had taken out books for that day.

Sirius walked down the middle aisle and began putting books back, Aimee sighed pushing her cart to a nearby desk, she sorted through the books first to make putting them away a lot easier. Once she had divided them into their own genres, she began to put the books on the right shelf.

It took her a little over twenty minutes to completely put away her cart of books, she spotted Sirius on the other side of the bookcase. She carefully moved two books, reaching her hand through to ruffle his hair, he practically jumped out of his skin.

"Merlin's beard!" he shook his head, jumping away from the bookcase, she chuckled, "that wasn't funny,"

"Sorry, are you not done yet?" she said, trying to hide her smile.

"No, you are?" he questioned, they had been given the same amount of books.

"Yes," she put back the two books, walking around the corner to the same aisle as Sirius. "Here," she took the books from him "if you sort them in genres before you started, you would've finished quicker," she told him, separating the books into different piles.

"These go near the Charms and Jinxes," she handed him a tall pile of books, "I'll take these to the Astrology section," Aimee told him, helping him to finish putting the books away on their shelves.

"So, what did your parents say about Christmas?" Sirius asked her when they both reached the cart again.

"Well, she told me she received a letter from your mother, inviting us to the Christmas ball she's hosting," he didn't reply just hummed at her. "It isn't a formal thing right?" Aimee asked

"Be expected to wear a nice dress, and to dance," he warned her, she cringed

"Why is it so formal?" she asked

"How my mother is, she sees it as an opportunity to boast to my uncle, though I can't see her boasting too much this year,"

"Why not?"

"What's she got to boast about? I'm in Gryffindor, for one start. She'll have more to boast about next year when Reggie's in Slytherin"

"What if he's in Gryffindor like you or another house," she questioned he smiled.

"Reggie is the golden boy, no pun intended, he'll be in Slytherin I'm sure of it," Sirius took some more books walking away from her

"How are you so sure? Everyone school assumed you were going to be in Slytherin," she stated, helping him, with the books.

"I just am, you'll have someone to talk to in your common room, anyway," Sirius told her.

"What makes you think I don't?" she asked crossing her arms over her chest.

"You mean to tell, that you hang around with Gryffindors all day, and then go back to Slytherin common and talk to people like they're your friends,"

"What about Narcissa, I talk to her," he cringed "That really bothers you, that I talk to her doesn't it?"

"No, it doesn't-

"Yes it does you pull a face every time I mention her," she told him

"Well, I don't get along with my cousins, except Andy," he said, "she's cool,"

"What are they like, Narcissa's sisters?" Aimee asked, he looked at her, she seemed like she genuinely wanted to know, surely Narcissa might have spoken of them.

"Andy's great, you'll love her, she's so open and understanding, she's the only person I consider family, other than Reg of course," she smiled at him "Bella's a different story," he paused looking at her "I personally don't have one good memory of Bellatrix, she's always been a complete nightmare, you'll see what I mean at Christmas,"

"What? They're going to be there," Aimee asked

"Did you think it would just be Narcissa?" he looked at her, she shrugged her shoulders, Sirius smirked turning back to the bookcase "you'll be fine, you'll have me and Reg," she smiled at him.

Sirius subconsciously cared for her, often coming to her aid during pranks, becoming a little irritated when he knows Rosier has annoyed her during class. He wanted to keep her from his family influences, she was a good person, he didn't want to lose that, however, she knew better than to call him on his subconscious feeling because he would deny them.

***

Aimee waited patiently for her head of house to come to her dorm room, she still hadn't told Professor Slughorn, that she was to be going home for Christmas. She had to tell him soon, there was only a week left before the holidays, just another week of lessons then, back home. She smiled to herself, it seemed as though she had been a Hogwarts for years, it felt good to be going home.

She sat with Sirius in Transfiguration, a subject which Aimee wanted to pay attention to most. He, however, wasn't paying attention to Professor McGonagall, he sighed loudly, trying to get her attention. He poked her side, she slapped his hand away, he poked her again, she took a more aggressive approach, standing on his foot. To which he banged his knee on the desk.

"Is there a problem Mr Black?" Professor McGonagall asked, he shook his head, "good, now let's continue," she had a big smile on her face.

After class had finished, Sirius, James, Remus and Peter, left for their common room, realising that they had to do one last prank before leaving next week. Aimee also left for her common room, but to pack most of her things, so she didn't need to do it at the last minute.

Aimee had a Transfiguration book in her hands reading as she walked along the corridors, not looking where she was walking, she bumped into someone. She quickly collected herself, looking up at the taller student.

"Lucius I'm sorry I didn't see you," she apologised.

"Clearly," he raised his brows, "Actually, I'm glad I've seen you," he said, Aimee creased her brows, waiting for him to explain, "It seems your plan with Narcissa worked,"

"She asked you out," she said excitedly

"Even better, she invited me to the Black family Christmas ball, her aunt's hosting," Lucius told her.

"That's great, I'm going too," he smiled at her.

"I suppose I should thank you," he smiled at her, he walked away, she followed him,

"Wait," She said, Lucius turned around, "Do you know Narcissa's sisters?" she asked.

"Yes, why'd you ask?"

"I'm nervous to meet Bellatrix, I met Narcissa before school, and Andromeda during school," Aimee paused "what is she like?" Aimee asked

"Bellatrix is a difficult person to get along with, at least I find her difficult to get along with,"

"Why?"

"She's the type of person to hex or curse you because she thinks it'll be funny," Lucius told her.

"Really? She's that bad?" 

"It's not that she's bad, just don't get on the wrong side of her," he reassured Aimee "I have a class I'm late for, I'll see you at the ball." he smiled at her, she smiled back, turning around to walk to the Slytherin common room.

Aimee knew Sirius had a very low opinion of his oldest cousin, but she never suspected her to be so bad to curse people for fun. 'Maybe that's what Sirius meant by her taking things too far?' Aimee couldn't understand the dynamics of the three sisters, all raised together by the same people, same family. But grew up totally different.

She lounged in the Slytherin common room, as she scanned the Slytherin common room, she caught Narcissa coming back from her class, she smiled at her. Though she soon regretted smiling as it gave Narcissa permission to come over and talk to her.

"Have you been to a ball before?" she asked, sitting next to her on the sofa. She shook her head.

"Well, only my grandmother's but she rarely has a ball now," she said. Narcissa hummed

"My aunt is rather particular when it comes to her balls." Narcissa spoke, "She expects things to go a certain way,"

"Now I'm even more nervous," she murmured

"More nervous?" Narcissa questioned

"I was nervous to go, anyway, I don't know you're family well and I want to make a good impression," she admitted, Narcissa pursed her lips.

"What if I help you?" Narcissa suggested.

"Help me how?"

"Teach you to dance how my aunts like it, take you on a run-through of what her balls look like." Narcissa offered, she nodded. "When do you have a free period?" Aimee handed Narcissa her timetable. "It seems you have one today, same time as mine, meet me by the prefect's bathroom then," she told her, Aimee nodded unsure of what Narcissa was planning on teaching her at school

***

Aimee waited nervously, for Narcissa outside the prefect's bathroom. She heard the laughter of James Potter and Sirius Black, down the hall, she hoped Narcissa wouldn't turn up while Sirius was around. She wasn't sure why Narcissa talking to her bothered Sirius so much, she seemed perfectly nice to her. She turned away hoping Sirius wouldn't talk to her if she didn't look his way.

"Hi, we're going to the lake if you want to come," he asked, she looked at James.

"I can't,"

"You can't?" he said, cocking his brow at her, "I don't recall you having detention."

"I don't-

"Then why won't you come?" he asked, she sighed

"Do you want a lie or the truth?" she asked, he creased his brow.

"Truth if you don't mind,"

"Okay, then don't get your wand in a twist," she warned him, he nodded. "I'm waiting for Narcissa,"

"What for?" his postured tensed, she couldn't understand his disdain towards his cousin.

"She told me, your mother is very fond of her Christmas balls, I want to make a good impression," Sirius eyed her cautiously

"Why do you want to make an impression on my family," he said flatly.

"Because I like you and we're friends so if I make a good impression, then I could see you outside of school too," she admitted, he softened his expression.

"You don't need to impress my family I already do-

"Sorry I'm late," Sirius walked away abruptly, not even glancing Narcissa's way, "Did I interrupt something?"

"No, I don't know what got into him," she told her,

"Alright, I brought help," she said, gesturing to Lucius walking towards them. Narcissa opened the door, allowing Aimee to walk through, Lucius gestured for her to walk through before him. "Right, can you dance at all?" Narcissa asked

"A little, I haven't been to a ball in a few years," she told them, they nodded.

"Okay, Lucius why don't you show her steps," he cocked his brow at her, as though that were the first time she had used his first name, he bowed to Aimee holding his hand out to her

"May I have this dance, Miss Burke," she looked at Narcissa, she nodded, taking his hand

"He'll lead, just follow his steps," Narcissa told her. He guided her through the first few steps, she stood on his foot.

"Sorry," she said,

"It's alright, keep going," he reassured her, she looked down at her feet watching her step

"Absolutely not, you do not look at your feet while dancing, chin up," Narcissa warned her, she felt uncomfortable, dancing with Lucius. He winked at her, flicking his eyes over at Narcissa, he spun her out, dancing a little more fun now, rather than a boring waltz, she laughed as he spun her around.

"You need to take this serious Malfoy, Aimee has never been to one of my family's balls before," she warned him

"Lighten up Ciss, it's just a little fun," Lucius told her, Narcissa rolled her eyes at him.

"I think that'll be all Malfoy thanks," she warned, he bowed to Aimee, lift her hand to kiss her knuckles.

"Ladies," he said, walking out of the prefects bathroom.

"And to think I thought he could be helpful," Narcissa muttered, her hands rested on her hips, she sighed "Right, now on to other things,"

"Other things?" she questioned

"Yes, like how you address someone, you do not use our names, it is always Miss, Mrs or Mr Black," Narcissa said,

"Even Reggie,"

"Yes, especially Regulus," Narcissa said, she creased her brows.

"How come you don't call him Reggie?" she asked

"It's Sirius' thing, my sisters are Bella and Andy to him, I'm Cissy and Regulus is Reggie," Narcissa told her, "he's always called us them names we don't mind them, but our parents would disapprove because if they wanted to shorten our name, they would've named us them," Narcissa explained to her.

"He'll shorten your name to eventually," Narcissa added. "Right, your hair, what are we wearing firstly,"

"I don't like the dresses I own but my mother loves them," she told her

"Well, what are they like?" Narcissa asked

"Either pink or light blue, I hate the colours and always with matching bow," she pulled a face at the many times she had to wear such an awful dress.

"I could give you one of my dresses if you'd like," she offered, she smiled at her.

"I'm sure one of yours is better than whatever my mother has planned for me," she told her, Narcissa chuckled, she smiled she hadn't heard her laugh, even with her friends.

"Great, you'll have to come to my home, then you can choose which dress you like," Narcissa told her, smiling at her.

She left as Narcissa had her last lesson in ten minutes, Aimee thought she'd go and find Sirius. She looked out from the courtyard, there wasn't anyone by the lake. She walked towards Gryffindor Tower, hoping to see if he would come and talk to her. She waited for a Gryffindor to come to the Fat Ladies portrait, she heard footsteps walking up the steps. A tall boy walked straight past her.

"Excuse me," Aimee said, the stopped looking around to see if she was talking to him

"Me?" he questioned

"Yes, could you see if Sirius Black is in there please," she asked, he nodded, walking through the portrait, he shyly walked over to Sirius and his friends.

"You okay, Frank," Remus asked, noticing his anxiety creeping up.

"There's a girl outside,"

"And?" James said, trying to hurry Frank, Remus glared at James, he understood Frank was a shy person, who preferred one to one conversations.

"For Sirius," Frank said

"Slytherin?" Sirius asked Frank nodded "thought so,"

"What should I tell her?" he asked,

"Tell her, I'm not here," Sirius to him,

Frank nodded, walking back outside he informed her that Sirius wasn't inside. She nodded thanking him anyway for checking anyway. Aimee walked back to the Slytherin common room. He wouldn't be in the library, and it was too cold to be stood outside on the Quidditch pitch. She chose warmth over talking to Sirius, she didn't think she had anything to apologise for but felt as though she had offended him somehow.