CHAPTER ONE
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i. darling, darling !

— WENDY AMBROSE HAD NEVER BEEN AN ORGANIZED SORT OF PERSON. In fact, she was rather the opposite- a mess in every sense of the word. She was made up of bad hair days, broken vases, and the sort of laughter that sounded almost pig-like. She had always been clumsy, and terribly forgetful.

At least she remembered to write her name on all her belongings, that way they often found a way back to her, if not always in the way she expected.

Unfortunately, her left shoe had yet to make a reappearance- and she was forced to step off the Hogwarts Express with one foot in an elegant heeled oxford, the other in a hello kitty sock.

Despite being somewhat upset at losing one of her favourite shoes, the excitement for the coming year managed to override that feeling- even when tiny stones dug into her toes as she moved forward with the growing crowd of students, on their way towards the magical carriages that would take them back to Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

This year would be Wendy's sixth, and the energy of the students around her was infective- in spite of the looming thoughts of tougher classes and ink stained essays— the moment she saw the magnificent castle in the distance, she grinned.

It was good to be back, even if she'd be entering the school this year with only half her shoes.

She allowed the rush of students to push past her and start occupying the carriages, slowly but surly the number of people surrounding her began to dwindle, but the noise and chatter remained an overbearing ambiance that seemed impossible to break.

"OI, DARLING!" That is of course, unless you're a potter.

As Wendy turned to face the direction of the boisterous voice, a mess of unruly dark curls invaded her senses, and a heavy weight crashed against her.

"James, you lump, your hair is in my mouth." Wendy laughed, trying to spit out the few strands while supporting James' full body leaning against her.

"Oh, not you too!" James groaned, tightening his arms around her in his fierce hug before pulling away and running a hand through his hair, messing it up even more. "Mum was on my arse about cutting it all summer."

"Euphemia is a smart woman." Wendy nodded, reaching out to wrap one of his long curls around her finger. "Does the length not bother you?" She asked incredulously.

James grinned his signature crooked smile, an air of sheepishness within it, "Admittedly, it is a bit of a hassle."

Wendy snorted at the absurdity that was her ridiculous but endearing friend.

"Then why did you keep it!"

"Because it was bloody hilarious when Dad couldn't tell Sirius and I apart for the longest time!" James laughed.

"Sirius straightens his hair, does he not?"

"Yet Dad forgets to wear his glasses around the house- I'm telling you Darling, all this time we had all this unrealized potential, if only I'd grown it out sooner!"

Wendy shook her head in amusement, "We're getting it cut as soon as possible." She laughed. "You look like a loofah with glasses."

Wendy glanced at the still dispersing crowd, just for a moment to determine they weren't going to fall behind. She had nothing to fear, there were still tons of people surrounding them.

"That's fair." James chuckled, reaching up to remove his wire framed glasses and gently plop them down on Wendy's nose- for what reason, there didn't seem to be one.

That's how it was with James. They'd had a friendship like this for as long as both could remember. She was messy and he was messier, and together they clashed as one glorified heap of disarray.

Wendy squinted through the lenses, not bothering to mention them or even take them off, "What's that?"

"What's what?" James asked, not being able to see where she was looking due to the absence of his glasses, although he too made no move to take them back.

"Your tie looks odd." She states as she reached toward his loosened red and gold tie, her fingers coming into contact with something sticky and wet.

"Oh-" James realized, "I went to find Lily on the train to ask how her summer went... and see if she remembered me... or if she'd go out to Hogsmeade with me." He laughed awkwardly.

"She splashed me with an inkwell and called me an ugly toad, but I like to think not all hope is lost." The almost idiotically optimistic boy grinned.

Wendy tilted her head, "I do admire your persistence." She muttered, in a sarcastic and lightheartedly mocking tone. "Is this all over the front of your robes?"

"Yes, I think she managed to get quite the coverage. No worries, it's drying quick enough." He shrugged.

"Is it really?" Wendy snorted a laugh, raising her now stained fingertips into his line of vision, knowing that even blurry- the ink against her skin was unbearably obvious.

James chuckled, "That's on you."

"Clearly." She joked, glancing down at her hand.

James finally reached forward and took back his glasses, looking down for a moment to slide them back onto his face, noticing Wendy's missing shoe.

"You a fan of Hello Kitty?" He asked, the brown of his eyes swimming with amusement. He recognized the little muggle character from a shop he'd passed on the way to Diagon alley over summer break, and recalled immediately relating the thing to Wendy, having thought it was something she'd enjoy.

Wendy pulled up a bit of her robes and wiggled her toes, proudly displaying the bright cloth, "Of course I am."

James didn't even bother questioning why she was missing a shoe. It seemed like that girl was always losing things and apparently one of her pretty grey oxfords had made that ever growing list.

Instead, he grinned- that stupid crooked grin- and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, turning to face the direction of the carriages, and beyond that- the castle in it's wonderful candle lit glory.

"It's good to see you, Darling."

"You too, James."

— THE HOGWARTS EXPRESS HAD SLOWED TO A STOP AT THE HOGSMEADE PLATFORM QUITE SOME TIME AGO, and yet there remained a small group of students on the train, standing just outside the compartment they'd been using for the majority of the ride.

"Did he say he'd meet us back here?" Sirius Black asked, loosening his Gryffindor tie.

"I can't remember." Peter Pettigrew admitted, glancing up at the tallest member of the trio, who'd had his nose in a book. "Remus?"

Remus sighed, lowering the book slightly and glancing around at the empty corridor, "If he hasn't joined us by now, I'd assume either Lily killed him or he's gotten off the train without us."

"That damn sod, he better hope it's the first one." Sirius sighed in annoyance, adjusting his robes and fixing his hair slightly in the reflection of a compartment window before strutting off down the corridor, "In any case, he's taken too long- Let's go, he'll find us." He shouted behind him.

Remus shut his book with a soft snap and allowed Peter to go ahead of him, there being no space for them to walk the aisle side by side.

Sirius began whistling some popular muggle rock song as he ran a hand along one of the walls, somehow getting Peter to recognize the tune— and soon Remus was travelling the length of the train with two giggly, singing idiots before him.

Despite himself, he allowed an amused smile to grace his lips, as he reopened his intriguing novel, back to the page with an illustration of a rather pudgy sort of mandrake on it.

He barely got a chance to begin reading again before his foot unexpectedly stepped on something, and sent him flying forwards, landing quite unceremoniously on the grimy floor with a loud thud.

The song Sirius and Peter had been singing stopped cold as they turned to see Remus in a heap on the ground- and then it became a mission to try and stifle their laughter.

"Damn Remus, you didn't have to go that hard for the beat." Sirius stated, a chuckle trying to push through his teasing remark.

"Piss off, I tripped." Remus groaned, managing to push himself back up as he dusted off his robes and made sure his book was alright.

"On what?" Peter laughed, "Sirius' sick guitar solo?"

Sirius loosely imitated the sound of an electric guitar as he began strumming on air for a few moments before he returned to watching Remus recompose himself.

"I gotta say though," Sirius paused, "nothing tops Remus' talent on the drum flow."

"You're both despicable." Remus rolled his eyes, tucking his book under his arm and turning to observe whatever he had tripped on as Peter and Sirius exploded in laughter.

Peter inquired about the item as Remus leaned back down to pick it up, "What was it?"

Remus turned back to them, a classic grey oxford placed in his hand, "How exactly does one lose a shoe without realizing?"

Sirius barked a laugh, "Well mate, I hear that muggle soot-woman story has something along those lines within its plot."

"Cinderella." Remus corrected, a hint of an amused yet very mildly annoyed smile on his face. "Very funny."

"I do try." Sirius grinned.

Peter stepped forward and took the shoe, flipping it over to see a name written in big shaky letters. WENDY A.

"At least this woman has a right bit more sense than the Cindy-Elle story." Sirius pointed out.

Remus didn't bother to correct him again, especially when Sirius shouted out to continue off the train and his and Peter's impromptu performance kicked back up.

"-dynamite with a laser beam, guaranteed to blow your mind-" Sirius sang loudly as he finally found an exit and stepped off into the platform.

True to his character, Sirius didn't seem to mind the looks he got as he continued his song, now decidedly making it more dramatic as he fed off the attention.

Peter, bless his soul, had a light blush over his cheeks as he stepped off, "Recommended at the price, insatiable an appetite—"

Sirius grabbed the boy's hands, diminishing his embarrassment as the two smiled widely and spun each other around, still singing loud and proud, "Wanna try?"

Remus, carrying his book under one arm while the shoe he'd found was held at his side. He rolled his eyes in amusement, looking on at the two dorks.

Then, from out of a cluster of students came a voice that joined them, "To avoid complications, she never kept the same address."

Only one person they knew had a voice with that boisterous volume.

James Potter pushed through with unruly hair, a bright grin, and a woman in Hufflepuff robes whom was being tugged towards the trio of Gryffindors.

Remus recognized the woman instantly, having stared adoringly at that brown hair and those glittering doe-eyes from afar.

He'd never spoke to her- at least not without heavy stuttering- and he only ever knew her as 'Darling', as referred to by James- or 'Ambrose', as referred to by teachers.

He was under the impression that James had been friends with her before first year, and yet he'd never said her name- only spoke of her using an inexplicable nickname.

It bothered him. He'd spent a near five years pining for a girl he didn't even know the name of.

Without realizing, Remus had been dragged into middle of the mini performance as James and his Hufflepuff friend joined them, being encouraged to sing or dance or join their fun in some way.

Remus glanced at the Hufflepuff, scared she might think him weird if he joined.

To his delight, she was already singing with a grin that warmed his heart.

"In conversation, she spoke just like a baroness!" She sang, although brokenly and slightly off key.

It didn't bother James any, as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and began rocking her back and forth until she was giggling through the next lyrics with him.

Soon, the five of them were performing the song dramatically with bright smiles, stifled laughter, and broken notes

Remus found himself winded as the song ended, and they all heaved heavily after the effort of their dramatic rendition.

Still, he tried his best to speak through it, "This was all well and good, but I still have someone's shoe" He stated, holding the oxford up and trying to avoid looking in James or the Hufflepuff's direction for fear he'd make eye contact with the woman and mess up his words.

"Give it 'ere." Sirius grabbed the shoe and read the name on the bottom.

"Anyone named Wendy A. missing a shoe?" He shouted.  "Wendy A., you seem to have lost something, love!" Sirius waved the shoe above his head, eyes grazing the crowd for anyone that may step forward.

James shook his head with a roll of his eyes, bumping Sirius on the shoulder with his fist, "Oi, you dumbass, look at our feet."

All attention turned to the ground beneath them, and to the beat up running shoes the boys were wearing, before all eyes fled to the Hufflepuff woman's very obvious bright pink and white socked foot, while the other foot was slipped into a pretty grey oxford.

She smiled nervously, pinching at her robes before raising her hand in a half-wave, "Hi, I'm Wendy."

author's note

Welcome to liability !
honestly I love Wendy so much- I'm so excited to share her character with y'all, you have no idea 😭

also huge thank you to citrineavenue and -amxur yet again for being my muses and best friends for rEal theyre incredible, and without them I am lost

thank you so much for reading, I hope you love Wendy as much as I do !