Hogwarts was fully alive the next day. Everyone seemed to be full of life. They seemed excited and hopeful, barely able to wait for what the new school year would bring them. Students bustled around the corridor from class to class, the incantations of charms still lingering on their lips.

Outside on the lush grounds, it was alive too. Cecilia walked among birds chirping and flying above her. The air was already getting colder, scratching at Cecilia's cheeks and kissing her nose. The leaves already began to turn vibrant colors, some prematurely leaving the branches in favor for the ground.

Cecilia wrapped her emerald scarf tighter around her for warmth as she walked down the dirt road past the Quidditch pitch. Figures were flying in the distance, dressed in green. Of course, Slytherin was practicing already. Dominique had practically run out of potions class in order to get to the Quidditch pitch the fastest and Cecilia barely had a chance to bid her goodbye before she had sped off. Looking even from far away, Cecilia recognized some of her housemates on the pitch, from Sam's broad build guarding the hoops to Dominique's commanding presence as a speedy seeker. Most of the House teams waited a week after the term started, as to allow for their team members to get settled in first and adjusted, but Slytherin, being the ambitious and cunning people that they were, had already begun. Typical, thought Cecilia, smiling bemusedly to herself.

Her feet led her until the dirt path ended. She reached the greenhouses and entered the first one. Rays of sun peeked through the glass ceilings and walls, reflecting in a wonderful array of colors. Lush plant life lined the walls, hanging from ceilings, set on long tables. They were still damp with the last shower. Professor Longbottom had enchanted the ceilings with aguamenti so that every couple hours, there would be a gentle rain shower over the plants as to allow for maximum growth. If it just so happened to occur during a class time, students would often grab for umbrellas provided at the edge of the room, or more advanced upperclassman would charm impervius. Cecilia just hoped it wouldn't happen now, and catch her unaware.

Professor Longbottom was so clever, and that was one of the many qualities Cecilia admired about the man. Professor Longbottom had always been a close friend, valued teacher, and an avid supporter of Cecilia's journalism dreams, offering whatever help he could. He was one of the only people Cecilia really trusted with her writing, other than her grandmother and Dominique.
She remembered the exact instance where she had begun to realize that her Herbology professor was not only someone in whom she could place trust in but someone who could be her friend.

It was her first year, in November, back when she could barely cast a levitation spell. She was coming back from dinner, returning to her dorm, when she realized that her beloved diary was not in its usual spot in her robes pocket. Regardless to say, she freaked out. After she had checked the entire Ravenclaw tower and the Dining Hall doubly over, she thought to check the last place she was before dinner, which was flying class. The prefects' shouts were utterly useless as the tiny girl ran out in the dusk to the Quidditch pitch with fiery determination. Casting a barely adequate Lumos spell, her wand dimly illuminated the grass as she searched on hands and knees. It had only been moments before another, brighter Lumos spell came out of the darkness from behind her. She turned in surprise, intimidated by the large and overbearing figure until it began to speak with the kindest voice Cecilia had ever heard. It held the light to its face, revealing it to be a familiar face, her Herbology Professor.

"What on Earth are you doing kneeled on the ground at this hour, child?" Professor Longbottom asked, not sounding stern, just confused. "Aren't you cold?"

Cecilia involuntarily shivered. "A little," she admitted.

He reached out an arm, removing his cloak and offering it to her. Cecilia gratefully wrapped it around her, instantly feeling its warmth. At that exact moment, she knew in her heart that she had finally found a friend in the big and lonely castle. Professor Longbottom invited her back to the greenhouse, where he kindly helped her search for hours before finding her precious book in the tight clutches of a venomous tentacula. Exhilarated and relieved, Cecilia had begun to skim the pages lovingly, checking to see that it was all there, but soon noticed a careful glance. The Professor was sure not to intrude and protect her privacy, however, Cecilia could clearly sense his curiousness. Quietly, she closed her book, looked at him, and asked if he would like to read.

And that was the beginning, just a simple question.

Now, nearly six years later, Cecilia called the Professor's name with excitement as she walked around the enormous building. She pushed through the vines that hung from the ceiling, like an explorer making his way through jungle overgrowth. Looking all around the greenhouse, Cecilia soon discovered that her friend was nowhere to be found. She sighed defeatedly and then decided to get comfortable to wait until he eventually made his way back.

She sat down on the grass outside of the greenhouse, crossing her legs underneath herself, and pulled out her journal. The worn leather showed that it was well-loved. She hummed to herself as her quill scratched upon the parchment.

And so life carries on. Back at school, it's like we never even missed a beat. My friends fall back into our regular, happy group. The athletes and the brainiacs, the loners and the social butterflies. It's all the same. I don't mind. I'm not a fan of change, but I also think that change is good from time to time. This year will be good, I know, it'll be exciting, Hogwarts always is. I just hope-

Her scribbles suddenly came to a halt as footsteps drew closer and closer to her spot. She looked up, irritable due to the interruption, and her breath hitched.

She hardly even knew why her breath caught just so. Why was her heart suddenly racing faster?

In her vision was a boy in Gryffindor red, who looked very familiar indeed. Just from peering at him, Cecilia felt as if she had known him for years, but just couldn't put her finger on a name. The boy had this air about him, this energy, that just told Cecilia that he had a false belief that he could do anything if he had quite enough nerve. The confident smile he wore told her that much. He had dark curls, a strong figure, and radiating green eyes. Cecilia watched him silently from behind her book and quill, observing as he walked into the greenhouse, looked around, and in a few moments, exited. She watched him sigh and sag his shoulders in defeat. He must've been looking for Professor Longbottom as well, and hadn't found him either.

Cecilia realized she must be staring rather awkwardly and creepily, so she shook her head out of her daydreams. She set her quill back onto the paper, thinking of her next word, trying to busy herself, but drawing a blank. It was so quiet. Whether she liked it or not, she was acutely aware of what the boy next to her was doing in the silence, which was just looking down at her as he leaned coolly against the glass greenhouse wall.

"You're Cecilia Donahue?" The boy asked suddenly. His voice was warm, slipping past his lips smoothly.

Cecilia jolted at the noise and looked up in alarm, eyes wide. "Yes," She said carefully. "How do you know my name?"

"That is your name, isn't it?"

"Yes," She pursed her lips. "What of it?"

"My mother happens to like your work, she's an avid fan, always reads the Prophet article if it's written by you." The boy smiled gently, making Cecilia flush pink.

"Well, thank you. May I ask, who your mother is?"

"Ginevra Weasley-Potter."

Cecilia's heart jolted in surprise and she bit her lip so hard it nearly bled. "Wh-what?" She exclaimed in an outburst. "Ginny Potter likes my writing?"

The boy laughed heartily. "Yes, she really does, I wouldn't lie to you."
Cecilia could barely believe it. Her mind was spinning with excitement. "Tell her I say thank you,"

"Of course, I will." The boy smiled and winked.

"So you must be James," Cecilia's lips tilted up back at him slyly, finally putting two and two together.

"James Sirius Potter, yes." James grinned. Their eyes met, piercing green with soft blue. "I'm in the year below you, I think. You're friends with my cousin, aren't you?"

"Dominique's a pain in the ass sometimes, but I love her anyway," Cecilia nodded. "Your brother's Albus?"

"Unfortunately,"

"Unfortunately?" questioned Cecilia, eyebrows furrowing. That certainly rubbed her the wrong way. Just when talking to the Gryffindor had been so nice. "Because he's a Slytherin? He's in my house, and he's bloody brilliant."

James had a confused look on his face, scrunching his nose up. "What? No, because he's my younger brother and a pain in the butt. Being a pain in my ass doesn't directly correlate to what house he's in, jeez."

Cecilia suddenly burst into laughter, relieved. "Okay, I'm sorry. Call me silly, but I figured you didn't even want to talk to me. Most Gryffindors don't."

James grinned, looking puzzled, shaking his head. "Why would that even matter?"

"I just thought I'd ask,"

"Oh, okay. Then stop asking dumb questions,"

Cecilia laughed. "Will do. I guess that's just my default now. People see the color on my cloak, and hear my name, and go running."

James nodded and understood at once. He waved a hand, telling her, "If anyone knows anything about being judged by their last name, it'd be me. It sucks. People just assume things."
"Like they did with your brother," reasoned Cecilia.

"Al's a good kid, though. No matter what house he is."

"You really believe that?" A tone of surprise rang in her voice.

"Yeah, I do." James beamed. "Plus, you couldn't even hurt a fly."

"Hey! I could too if I wanted to," Cecilia protested, furrowing her brow.

"Ha, funny. I doubt it."

Cecilia huffed. "I can be scary, especially when I have the proper motivation."

"And what would that be?"

"Maybe someone who's interrupting my writing time," Cecilia mused, smiling wickedly.

James' eyebrows raised and then set down in a determined expression. "Oh, am I? And here I thought we were having a nice conversation."

Cecilia giggled. "Hey, I'm just trying to pass the time before the professor comes back,"

"Ooh, using me, eh?"

"Basically. Figured me out."

James made a falsely sour expression and scowled. As the conversation died down, he spun around absentmindedly on his heels and began to stretch his long limbs. His view turned back toward the greenhouse and suddenly, Cecilia saw his face light up. "Oi, that looks like one of his textbooks over there. Maybe that's a clue to where he's gone."

"What?"

"Over there," motioned James, pointing. His finger led her vision to far away, near the hut where Rubeus Hagrid, the kind half-giant, lived and taught the Care for Magical Creatures class. "In the blast-ended skrewts pen, just inside the gate. "

"It's probably just some first years' lost item," said Cecilia, tilting her head. "How is that even a clue? Most likely he just went back to the castle to talk to McGonagall or something."

"You're being lame," pouted James. "You never know until you investigate."

"There's no sense in investigating," Cecilia laughed. "You should probably just wait for him. Besides, I wouldn't mess with those skrewts."

James slowly turned around to face her, excitement dancing in his emerald eyes. Cecilia could almost see the gears turning in his mind. He smirked slyly.

"Where's the fun in that?"

"James, no-" Cecilia began, but it was too late.

He was already in full sprint, dead set on the corral of the ugly hybrid creatures, leaving Celia in the dust. She shook her head and rolled her eyes. She'd need to go get him away from there before he hurt himself. Before rising to her feet, she tucked her journal neatly inside her satchel and slung it over her shoulder.

"Oi!" She called, waltzing after her new friend to the gate. James had already reached the pen and was fiddling with the lock. "Get away from there, I'm serious, you'll probably hurt yourself."

"It won't open," He remarked loudly back at her.

"I understand it won't open, but maybe it's locked for a reason. Ever think of that? Hey, wait-"

She was cut off as James suddenly swung his legs over the gate, and hopped it. She sighed flatly as he folded his arms on the fence and smugly looked at her.

"Hey, I didn't mean to jump it, you oaf." Cecilia scolded, ignoring James' charming smile. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw one of the deadly lobster-looking creatures drawing near to the back of his ankle. "James, move, behind you!"

James whipped around, eyes widening in alarm. He let out a small noise of fright and drew out his wand, backing away. "Don't worry, I got this." He attempted to reassure Cecilia, who was not at all comforted, to say the least. "Man, these things smell bad."

"They look mad," She commented dryly. "Perhaps getting out of their home would soothe them."

James rolled his eyes and pointed his wand at the book, saying plainly, "Accio."

The textbook soared through the air in his direction but whacked one of the male skrewts in the process. James clasped his grip around the book and made eye contact with the now-furious creature. It spat and sparks flew from its backside, suddenly propelling it forth towards him. James shrieked and erratically waved his wand, casting "Bombarda!" A powerful blast emitted from his wand tip, hurtling towards the creature and making its impact. A shriek escaped Cecilia as she realized too late the consequences of James' actions. He had succeeded in repelling the horrible skrewt, but he had also blasted a gigantic, gaping hole in their cage for them to escape.
"James!" Cecilia shouted in a fit of disbelief.

He whirled around to face her, eyes wild. "Don't worry about it!" He shrieked back.

"Couldn't you just have accio'ed it from outside of their pen?"

"Shut up!" was James' only response, jumping over the rubble and racing towards her. "Run!"

"You're not just running away and letting them escape, are you-" outburst Cecilia.

"No, of course not! Just getting my distance to cast a brilliant spell that'll fix all this!" James laughed haughtily, not seeming very confident at all, but almost as if he was trying to convince himself.

"You're a lot of trouble, aren't you!" growled Cecilia, whipping around to face the freed skrewts crawling from the ruins of their captivity. She drew her wand tightly in her hand, bursting out a "Reparo!"

"Brilliant, the pen's fixed, but there's a slight problem. THE SKREWTS ARE STILL OUT OF THE BLOODY PEN!" roared James.

"You think I don't know that-" argued Cecilia.

"Probably not!"

"It was your fault in the first place!"

"You're just making it worse!"

"Am not! Run!"

Cecilia dodged as a flame from one of the skrewts struck just next to her. The two scrambled up the hillside, occasionally casting hexes over their shoulders in a wasted attempt to hold off the fearsome beasts. She opened her mouth to cast another haphazard and rushed curse, but as soon as she rotated her view, she ran straight into broad shoulders. Cecilia let out a wheeze and dropped her wand on reaction. She fell to her knees as well from the blow, the wind knocked out of her, not even able to identify the person who knocked into her. Cecilia finally looked up, gasping for breath, jolting in surprise when she saw who the shoulders belonged to.

"Professor Longbottom!"

"What in Merlin's beard are you two doing?" demanded the older man sternly, crossing his arms. He stood tall and powerful above them, dressed well as usual in his trademark shirts and ties. His dark brown eyes, full of warmth, crinkled at the edges in good nature.

"Well, er- just look behind us, sir, and you'll see." James coughed.

The Professor looked confused for a moment but once he craned his neck around the tall sixth-year Gryffindor boy, his eyes widened immediately at the terrifying sight of all of the skrewts in full spring up the hill towards them, stingers out and bloodsuckers ready.

Cecilia and James pretended not to hear their Professor's foul language muttered in outrage under his breath as he drew his wand in a fit of fury.

"Expulso!" He yelled, sending the skrewts back soaring through the air with a blast so powerful it also left them stunned them due to their vulnerable underbellies. They coiled on the ground helplessly.

Professor Longbottom walked casually back over to them and cast a levitation spell, floating them back into captivity in their pen. He then tucked away neatly into his pocket, wiped his hands off on his trousers, and calmly turned to face the two students caught red-handed.

"Oi, I stepped away to talk to Madam Pomfrey about the restorative properties of boom berries for what couldn't have been more than fifteen minutes. Can you two please explain to me what in Merlin's beard was happening when I returned?!"

"I was just trying to pay you a visit, and it was all James' fault-" Cecilia sputtered out, face going red.

"My fault?" guffawed James. He looked at the Slytherin girl in indignation. "Don't throw me under the bloody bus, I was just trying to visit my favorite Professor as well, my mother told me to send him my love as usual." He turned and smiled sweetly at Professor Longbottom.

Professor Longbottom returned James' brown-nosing with a deadpan, tired expression. "While I always appreciate Ginny's love, I'm not sure I appreciate her son's taste for troublemaking and recklessness."

The smile faded quickly from James' face.

"As for you, Cecilia, I'm disappointed." continued the professor.

"What?!"

"Never had someone 'disappointed' in you before?" asked James dryly, nudging her with her shoulder. "Don't worry, you get used to it."

"But sir, I'm a prefect, not to mention one of your top students!" Cecilia protested in vain.

"Yes, you're both of those things, but I can't make exceptions, you must know." insisted the Professor.

He took a deep breath as to ready Cecilia for the news. Her light blue eyes were spread in fear and trepidation, and her mouth was slightly open as to possibly yell at James some more. Her heart pounded in her chest, echoing in her ears.

"You'll both be serving detention with Mr. Filch for two whole weeks, starting tomorrow. Looks like you two will be spending a lot of time together, whether you like it or not."