Another week goes by, and another, and the Yule Ball is quickly approaching. I'm lying in the courtyard while the others buzz around me, their words quick and sharp, and I don't catch them. The letter in my hand is still occupying my mind.

I sent a letter back to my brother, saying sorry about Mum, but assuring him that I've found another boy suitable and that I don't need Marcus Flint. His response is to dig into me because quite obviously Ander Ander is not up to calibre. He's not even English, which is apparent to me and seems to bother Landry quite a great deal.

I curl the letter up into a ball and shove it in my pocket. It crinkles, but I don't mind particularly. The sound makes Elora's head turn and her eyes narrow in at me. I offer a closed-mouth smile in response, hoping that is enough to satiate her appetite.

Honestly, I just need to get out of Hogwarts. Then, I'll only have to see them a few times a year and most of our communications will be through letters.

The others are reading in the grass too, but their noses are buried in books or copies of magazines. Bronwyn is reading Witch Weekly, twirling her hair in one finger. She keeps asking Silas for help with questionnaires, which he answers with tightening lips and wandering eyes.

"Can I walk with you?" Ander asks. Unlike the others, he isn't reading. He simply has his hand in the grass, pulling out fistfuls. The blades have scattered over his lap, and he brushes them off.

I pull myself up from the ground and wait, wordlessly. Ander stands up and rubs a hand over his shaved dark brown hair. From there, we waved good-bye to the others and begin a walk together.

After a few steps, we have left the group behind us. Ander has his hands shoved deep in his pockets. He looks up at the sky above us and I follow his gaze. Dark clouds are gathering above us. It looks like a charcoal ceiling, sketched rather than real.

"It would be beneficial for us to go to the Yule Ball together," he points out.

My head nods and my lips stay shut tightly.

"However," he pauses, "I'm not so sure that it would be a good idea, after your Howler."

"That's fine then," I feel myself swallowing my relief in a sharp intake of air. My shoulders shudder. "I understand."

"I'm still asking you to the Yule Ball," he clarifies, eyeing me. His sharp blue eyes study my face as we walk. "I just ask that you refrain from receiving another Howler."

I bite back the words that threaten to tumble out of my mouth. He says refrain as if this is something that I chose rather than something that happened to me.

Maybe if I were a different girl, I would take this opportunity, one of two in which Ander has spoken in my presence, to ask him about himself. We both understand though, that this is out of convenience more than anything else. If I wanted to ask, I could bother him to tell me what he is getting out of our arrangement. He hasn't asked me yet though, which means we are equally present in this.

Equally trapped as well, I imagined.

"Do you own a red dress?" he asks. "Or brown? It will go well with my robes."

"It can be arranged," I tell him. I've never really liked red, but it has been growing on me lately. Brown is much too bland for me. It washes me out, at the very least.

I adjust my tie and then my hair. Ander doesn't look at me the entire time we continue our little journey, but I still feel the need to look pristine.

At least he handsome, I tell myself. Marcus Flint isn't particularly good looking. He's got a smile that sends shivers down my spine. Ander, on the other hand, doesn't have a smile at all. He's got a tight jawline and stubble on his face by mid-afternoon. It has never occurred to me to ask him how old he is, but he can't be any more than 17, I imagine.

"Don't expect it to be romantic," he tells me. "I hope you understand the nature of our arrangement."

"I thought it went without saying," I shrug my shoulders.

He stops walking and looks at me, puzzled.

Just then, it begins to rain. Pours, I should stay. Ander takes off away from me, running back towards the castle. I take a step, and my shoe sinks into the ground, which is already becoming muddy. I sigh, hike up my cloak and take a few more steps. I can feel it dragging through the dirt.

Others continue to run for the castle around me, carrying books and playing cards tucked under their cloaks. Instead of following after, I stare up at the stormy sky above me.

I take the letter out from my pocket and let water drip on it until it is soaked through. The ink bleeds across the parchment, soaking it a deep black. I rip it up and put it in my pocket.

"Oi, what are you doing out here?" the twins run up to me. It's Fred that asks.

"Come on Freddie," George nods over to the castle, but he stops.

"Just enjoying the rain," I smile, looking them up and down. "What are you two doing?"

"We were trying to plan a prank on Mrs. Norris again," Fred points out. "So far, all we can think of is giving her a Dogsbane potion. Say, do you think you can sneak us another cauldron?"

At this, George finally tunes in. He takes a few steps closer to me, shoving his hands in his pockets. I watch as he fiddles with them, pulling at the insides.

"Probably," I say. Snape has been leaving me alone in his room to work on the Veritaserum (which we've already had to throw out two batches of halfway through the brew). I'm sure he wouldn't notice if I stole some dogbane. Probably.

If not, there goes my career as a potioneer. Not that I was super interested in it to begin with.

"You sure are a whiz at potions, huh?" Fred says. "We should recruit you. We've been tampering with some cool new concoctions of our own."

"They've been hit and miss, haven't they?" George sniffs. Water is dripping off the tip of his nose.

I can feel myself begin to shiver. My body isn't particularly used to, or appreciative of, the cold.

"Mostly miss," Fred says.

At the same time, George says, "mostly hit."

I smile at the pair of them, as they share an awkward look.

"Stop by the potions room sometime, and maybe we can arrange it," I tell them, my body beginning to shiver.

"Maybe we will," Fred flashes a grin. His teeth are not as white as Bronwyn's, but his smile makes me smile more. He looks like he means it. Actually, everything he does seems genuine. It's refreshing in a way that I can't describe.

"We should be going," George offers once more, looking over at Fred. "Mum'll have our necks in if we're out sick with the flu."

"Since when has it mattered to us if Mum'll have her head in?" Fred asks back, a laugh trailing behind his words.

George's cheeks are red, but I can't tell if he's embarrassed or if he's simply cold. "Well, I'll meet you inside then, yeah?"

From there, he shakes his head, spraying me with water, and walks off towards the castle.

Fred continues to stare at me.

"Cat got your tongue?" I ask.

"Nah, Mrs. Norris would never," he smiles back at me. "You know, you're an entirely different person when those other Slytherins aren't around. I mean that in the nicest way possible."

"I take it in the nicest way possible," I cock my head to the side, even though he confuses me. I find myself biting my lip and looking down. "They aren't perfect, but they are still my friends, you know? They'll be with me through thick and thin."

"I've never understood you lot," he sighs, running a hand through his red hair. "Slytherins I mean. You're all quid pro quo."

I snort out a laugh. "Didn't know you could say words that big."

"You don't know a lot about me," he winks. Then, he comes up next to me and we begin to head back to the castle.

The rain hasn't let up and I'm freezing. Actually shivering. Occasionally, Fred's arms and I will brush, since he keeps slipping in the mud. I know my shoes are ruined, but I don't care. I can buy another pair.

From what little I know about their family, a Weasley cannot simply replace something that's been ruined. Maybe I've even robbed one of his younger brothers of a nice pair of shoes. Maybe he'll have to wear them, even though they are surely so damaged.

Once we are at the castle gates, Fred is greeted by George and Lee Jordan. I look to see if any of my friends waited for me, but they didn't.

Why would they though? I wouldn't wait for them.

~~~~~

Welp, here goes everything. Finally, things are kicking off. Freddie boy is still pretty absent, but I think that makes sense. He's on the periphery, but he won't be for long.

I have a question for you. Who is your favourite Slytherin so far? I really enjoy writing Bronwyn, Elora, and Silas. They bring me a lot of joy and anguish simultaneously.

Also, is there anything you are particularly interested in seeing? Like, specific characters or plots or people? Let me know in the comments. 

I hope to see you all soon.