After the match, Finn was nearly kicked off the team by the Captain because he was in charge of defense, specially when it came to their Seeker. Hamish blamed the loss on Finn, and Diana was practically gloating while he was being yelled at.

     Once the game was over, the Slytherins made their way toward the locker room to take a quick shower and change out of their green Quidditch robes. Although instead of following them, Diana carried her broom in her hand as she walked up to where Regulus Black was laying on the grass.

Madam Hooch was sitting beside him, trying to see if he was all right. Once Diana reached them, she looked over at him, the relief washing over her when she saw that he wasn't too hurt.

"You okay, Black?" Diana called out to him as she was standing above him, looking down at the boy with concern.

"I'm fine," Regulus said with a hiss as Madam Hooch checked to see if his elbow was broken. "But as soon as I'm able to get up, I'm going to kill Finn."

"Cool." Diana grinned. "Can I watch?"

And then, for the first time since she had known Regulus Black, she saw him let out a small laughter. "Sure."

"No severe injury has been made," said Madam Hooch, still checking for any sign of broken ribs. "I think you'll be able to walk up to the hospital wing."

Regulus sighed. "I'm fine. There's really no need to go to —"

"That's an order, Mr. Black," Madam Hooch said firmly, getting up to her feet before turning to look over at Diana. "Help him up to the ward, Miss Greengrass. Make sure he doesn't escape."

"Yes, ma'am," Diana saluted cheerfully, smirking down at Regulus who groaned miserably.

     Once Madam Hooch was gone to congratulate the Gryffindors, Diana held out her hand to help Regulus up to his feet.

"This is really unnecessary. I can go there on my own," Regulus said bitterly while he limped alongside Diana as they made their way out of the Quidditch pitch. "Why don't you go back to the locker rooms and get changed?"

     "And leave you alone so you can escape?" Diana scoffed. "Not on my watch, pretty boy."

     Regulus glared at her. "Don't call me that."

     "What? Pretty boy?" Diana repeated with a smirk, finding amusement in annoying the fourth year boy. "I don't think your charming brother would mind if someone calls him that, though."

     "Well, I'm not my brother," Regulus mumbled grimly, looking away.

"Whoa, that sounded bad... Rough sibling relation?"

"Big time."

"I can relate," said Diana, recalling every single time that she wanted to punch her own brother whenever he opened his mouth to speak.

"Sirius has a talent for annoying me," Regulus went on. "He's too full of himself."

      "Ah, so you think that about Sirius too, do you?" Diana raised her brows at him in amusement. "Good. We have more in common than I thought."

      "I'm glad." Regulus grinned wearily, looking over at her as he paused. "Honestly, I always thought you were the only sane one on the team."

     Diana found herself smiling at those words. She nudged him playfully on the arm with her elbow. "Thanks, kid."

     "Kid?" Regulus scowled. "I'm only one year younger than you!"

     "Then what would you rather I called you? Reg?"

     "No. I don't like nicknames."

     "Too bad, Reg." Diana smirked as he rolled his eyes. "I guess you're stuck with it now."

      "Great. Just wonderful," Regulus muttered under his breath flatly, but Diana only chuckled, accompanying him up to the hospital wing.

***

There was a gloomy atmosphere in the Slytherin common room in the week after the Quidditch match which they had lost. But they didn't give up and practiced harder, determined to defeat Ravenclaw in their next game which was going to take place before Christmas break.

Although ever since their first Quidditch practice of the year which had been weeks ago, Diana and Finn started to hate each other more than ever before. Finn still hadn't forgiven Diana for 'accidentally' knocking him off his broom with the Bludger.

     It was hard to tolerate him on the Quidditch practices, but that wasn't the only problem. Diana had to see him every day in different classes, because they were in the same year.

     That day, Diana and Layla had gone up to the Transfigurations classroom, taking their usual seats as they all waited for Professor McGonagall to arrive. Seeing as this was one of the most important subjects, they had Transfigurations lessons twice a week, which the Slytherins shared with Gryffindors.

Diana glanced at Layla who was sitting beside her with her book propped open before her, reading the upcoming lesson in advance.

"What are you doing?" Diana asked with a confused frown. This was the first time she'd seen her friend studying with such concentration.

"Studying. What does it look like I'm doing?" Layla answered without taking her eyes off the book as she held on to her quill, scribbling notes into her book every once in a while.

Diana chuckled. "Since when do you study in advance?"

"Since we have O.W.Ls this year," she replied curtly.

Before Diana could come up with a witty and sarcastic comment, their attention was caught when they heard firm footsteps entering the classroom. Turning their head, they saw Professor McGonagall walking inside.

Although she hadn't even reached her desk at the top of the classroom that a few seconds laters, four boys ran into the classroom as they laughed.

"Uh oh," Remus muttered and came to a sudden halt as he sighted Professor McGonagall inside the class.

But James, Sirius, and Peter were too busy laughing that they didn't notice Remus had stopped, so they ran into him and all of them fell down with a loud thud like dominos.

Everyone in the class sniggered. The only person who didn't seem amused at all was Lily Evans, who rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to the book in front of her.

"Get up! All four of you!" Professor McGonagall said sharply, and so the four boys got to their feet as quickly as possible, dusting off their black cloaks. "What is the meaning of this!?"

"Erm... the meaning of what, Professor? If you don't mind me asking, of course," said James, acting as though he was extremely interested to know the answer.

"This is certainly not the first time you four show up to the class late!" said Professor McGonagall angrily, tired of their childish behavior which hadn't changed even after five years.

"But you haven't even been in the class for five seconds, Professor!" Sirius said defensively.

"Silence, Mr. Black!" Professor McGonagall snapped. "Ten points will be from taken from Gryffindor. The next time you enter this class even a second after me, it would be detention! Understood?"

The four boys nodded.

"And Mr. Lupin," she went on, turning to face Remus with a firm and scolding gaze, "you're a Prefect. You're supposed to be the one keeping them in line. I expected more of you."

"Sorry, Professor," he muttered, throwing his head down.

While Remus looked ashamed and Peter seemed to he extremely nervous, Sirius and James were trying their best to keep a straight face and not to burst out with laughter.

Professor McGonagall sighed, shaking her at them in exhaustion of having to deal with them for so long. Even the thought of having them in her class for two more years worried her.

"Go ahead and take your seats," she finally said.

Everyone watched them as the four boys walked into the class with mischievous grins on their faces. Although as they were passing, Remus turned his head slightly to look at where Diana was sitting. Their eyes connected for a brief moment before they both briskly looked away.

"So," Professor McGonagall began once the class finally fell quiet, "today we are starting Vanishing Spells. These are easier than Conjuring Spells, which you would not usually attempt until N.E.W.T. level, but they are still among the most difficult magic you will be tested on in your O.W.L."

With that, Professor McGonagall started to explain the theoretical parts of the lesson and the wand movements, before instructing them to start practicing.