For some reason Arlene will never be able to understand, her mother waited until the day before they were to go to school. Although truth to be told, Arlene knew it was her fault, she had been cross with her mother ever since the unsigned slip accident, it took days for her to even acknowledge her mother again.

Paloma walked ahead, looking at the list and then up again at the stores. A few steps behind, Sage and Arlene walked, Sage's chameleon barely visible through its camouflage and Arlene's black cat, Bast, in her arms, her paws digging into her shoulder as she watched the movements of the people.

"You really shouldn't blame your mother," Sage suddenly said, dipping the blanket of silence that had fallen over the group "She's just worried about you."

"Sage, she cannot put me in a protection bubble all my life. I mean, stopping me from going to the village for the chance that Sirius Black could be there!?" Arlene protested, feeling Bast paws dig deeper into her famous denim jacket, causing her to wince then sigh "Look, I need to get Bast's nails clipped, I'll be at the pet store"

Without waiting for a reply, Arlene left, anger still bubbling in her veins. It didn't help that as she entered the store, two people came out, bumping her in the process without even apologizing.

Her mood getting worse, Arlene dropped her cat on the counter and mumbled "Nail clipping" before moving to look at the other animals.

Owls hooted loudly, as if demanding she buys them, birds chirped and cats meowed, but the only things that caught her attention was a ginger cat. The cat was sitting very stiff, not making a sound and watching her intensely

"That's Crookshanks," the clerk called out "been here for a couple of months, manages to piss off anyone who's interested in him"

Arlene opened her mouth to reply, maybe to ask how much he was or how did he come here, but she was cut off by a new voice joining in.

"I'm here for an owl." The familiar voice of Hermione Granger said, causing Arlene to stand still, the owls were right beside her.

The clerk pointed to the countless cages full of all kinds of owls, causing Arlene to freeze as Hermione bent down to look at owls in some of the lower cages, not even blinking as she watched the bushy haired girl, only inches away.

"You taking that cat, kid?" The clerk called out to Arlene, motioning to the ginger cat with his chin.

"No" She squeaked, making her way over to the other side and tried to pick a bag of litter and a box of treats as quietly as possible.

Hermione, whose attention was bought to the cat, stood up from where she was playing with a snowy owl and walked over and smiled at it.

"I wouldn't, kiddo," the clerk said "that cat's been there for a while now, I doubt you'll want it"

Hermione looked horrified, Arlene stopped what she was doing and watched. One of the things she loved most about Hermione was her care for animals, how she could go on and on about trolls and how cruel wizarding law has been to them.

"Oh poor thing!" Hermione said, opening the cage and picking the ginger cat up.

She held him close as she ran her hand down his hair, apparently, this has never happened before as the clerk looked as if Hermione had grown several heads. Hermione would have walked over to the counter and placed the cat if not for one issue.

She tripped on Arlene.

"Oh I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to trip you! I-" Arlene started saying, her biggest fear -embarrassing herself in front of Hermione- was coming true

Rubbing her head as she sat up, Hermione waved her off "No, it was my fault, I didn't see where I was going."

Arlene let out a sigh of relief "Well, I have to admit, that is a lot of hair" She chuckled, pointing to the cat with her chin, then offering her hand to help her up.

Hermione laughed and took Arlene's hand "Hermione Granger" She introduced.

'As if I don't already know that' Arlene thought glumly, then snapped out of it "Arlene Black-Burke" She said.

Arlene's mother had warned her not to use her father's name, she even went as far as sending an owl to Dumbledore so that McGonagall wouldn't use it when calling out for her to be sorted, but as usual, Arlene didn't listen and introduced herself as 'Black-Burke' to anyone she met.

Arlene wasn't ashamed, and she sure as hell wasn't scared.

Hermione looked as if she had a million questions, most probably about if she was related to Sirius Black, which she honestly found stupid, as every single Pureblood was related to Sirius Black, most of the Sacred Twenty Eight were third or fourth cousins twice removed or so.

So she added "We've actually had potions together the last two years"

It was one of the main factors of Arlene's need to snog Hermione, how smart she was. Theo often complained about teachers acting as if she was the only student in class, as Hermione was fast learning and since she already read and understood the lessons by heart, the teachers assumed everyone was the same.

Arlene had to admit, he was kind of right, had it not been for him sassily telling the teacher to repeat, she doubted anyone would have understood anything.

Hermione looked confused "You're a Slytherin?"

Arlene's heart skipped a beat, she was hesitant to approach Hermione several times at school because of the possibility of her being judged for her house, because as far as she knew, Draco Malfoy and the two monkeys that follow him around were the only snakes Hermione had ever interacted with, and yes offence, an actual snake could have been nicer.

Arlene nodded uneasily, Hermione, seeing how uncomfortable she had made Arlene with her frowning, smiled "Cool," She said "can you really see mermaids from your common room?"

"Yeah, some of us actually communicate with them with sign language, the giant squid often ap-" Arlene grinned as she talked, but was cut off by the shop clerk.

"You buyin' the cat or what?" He asked.

Arlene prayed to every god and deity out there to blast the man out of existence for cutting her conversation with the other girl short as Hermione picked up 'Crookshanks' and place him –or was it a her?- on the counter.

As she walked out of the door with the gigantic ball of orange fur in her arms, Hermione looked back "See you at Hogwarts, Arlene" saying her name almost as if it had been tailor made for her lips.

And Arlene had never smiled more in her life.

Arlene located her mother and Sage at The Leaky Cauldron, two cups of butterbeer in front of them. Arlene made her way over and sat down. Her mother was reading the menu and Sage was giving her a look.

"What?" Arlene said, raising an eyebrow as she sat next to her.

Sage rolled her eyes "I know that smile, what happened with Granger?"

Arlene bit the insides of her cheek and cursed Sage for knowing her too well, she glanced at her mother who was still deciding what to eat. Lowering her voice, Arlene began to tell Sage what happened.

"Wait, really?" Sage asked as she laughed at her friend "And you didn't, like, scream that she actually knows your name now or do a happy dance?"

Bumping her shoulder playfully, Arlene said "No, just the goofy grin"

And the thought of talking to Hermione again made her heart skip a beat.