We've got new characters in this chapter! Pictures on the right like always (:

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Here We Go Again

Chapter 7: The Worries and Twists

POV: Al

She was leaning against the corridor wall, arms crossed and a serious expression on her pale face. Her blonde hair was pulled up into a messy bun, honey-colored strands framing her perfect face as her blue eyes twinkled an almost navy by the dim light of the hallway. It was nighttime and she was out of her school uniform; sporting a pair of shorts that revealed her long, white legs and a Puddlemere United jersey that looked strange on her.

And that's how I found her as I tried walking in a straight line after exiting the wall that hid the Slytherin headquarters.

"Hey, Nia." I smiled at my girlfriend, trying to keep myself in check as I kept a distance between us. "What are you doing so far from the Gryffindor Tower?"

Nia sighed, pushing herself away from the wall she was resting her back against as she inched closer to me. "I'm bored," she said with a small groan. "I want to do something."

I took a step back from her carefully. "Well, why don't you find Rose or something? Have yourself a girls night."

"Rose is tutoring again," she snorted. "And don't even ask about Emily. She's having a 'date' with your bloody brother." She took a step towards me again and I took another back. She frowned now. "I was thinking that you and I could do something before curfew ends?"

I cleared my throat, trying to meet those intense eyes. "Yeah, well, I'd like to, love, but I...I've got to study for my exam tomorrow. I can't afford to get a bad mark. Mum would kill me, and you know she's already being wary with me since the whole wedding thing."

A light blush crawled onto her cheeks; no doubt due to the embarrassment. It wasn't everyday your boyfriend's mother suggested you not be sexually active with her son. "Well, then I can help you. If it's for Transfiguration you know I'm brilliant on it. I just don't want to be alone."

She gave me a pout, which was strange for her, seeing as she would usually frown until she got her way. It was cute, and I was almost tempted to grab her and find a place to cuddle, but the warm feeling in my chest that was not caused by her presence reminded me that I needed to get her far away from here.

"Sorry, Nia," I said gently, "but I can't."

"Why the hell not?" Ah, there's my fiery girl.

"It's because...Well, Freddie's in there with me and he's crying." She narrowed her eyes and I knew I had to continue fast before she snapped or I gave myself away. "James and Louis keep bothering him about not finding a girlfriend, and you know he can be a bit sensitive. I'm just trying to make him feel better. He's my cousin, and such a sweet bloke."

She raised a blonde brow at me, taking another step towards me; almost threateningly. Her eyes looked deeply at me, trying to find something, maybe the truth, and I held my breath, trying not to give anything away. And once she couldn't find anything, thank Merlin, she let out another annoyed groan. "I believe that," she said with a huff. "James is off with Emily, Louis crept up to the girls' dormitories to have some alone time with McLaggen. Poor, Fred. Those two are such assholes."

I smiled at her. (That was surprisingly easy.) And with a bit of courage and collective calm, I walked towards her and killed the inches that separated us. "I'm sorry, Nia," I whispered softly, putting my arms around her waist. "I'll spend all day with you tomorrow, okay."

She gave me one of her rare smiles, the kind that made her glow angelically. "Alright. I suppose I can find something else to do." She glanced up at me with questioning in her blue eyes. "Have you seen Liam, by the way? I saw your bratty sister, but she was with Hugo and Roxanne. Maybe he'll hang out with me."

"Um, no. Sorry."

She nodded nonchalantly and then threw her arms around my neck. "Well, I'll leave you, Potter. Go back to being a good person."

"I love you," I said before bending down and giving her lips a quick kiss. She wanted to prolong it, but I couldn't risk that so I put her at arm's length. "Have a good night, Nia. See you tomorrow."

She frowned at my brush-off. "Yeah, see you."

I waved my palm at her after she untangled her arms from around me and I watched her march away towards the other end of the corridor. And once she was far enough, and the sound of her footsteps were distant echoes, I hurriedly turned back to the wall. Muttering the password quickly, I stumbled my way into the common room.

"Did you get rid of her?" Was what I heard the moment I headed towards the lonely area by the fireplace.

"Surprisingly," I replied. "She was a bit lonely, actually. I almost felt bad."

With a scoff, the person sitting next to me handed me a bottle. "Too bad, Potter. If we ditched our girlfriends you had to too."

I rolled my eyes at Malfoy and yanked the bottle of Firewhiskey from his hands. It was the third one down, and the one adding to the fact that my vision was blurry and that there was a calmness in my bones that made me slouch down on the leather couch in the Slytherin common room.

From across from my best friend and I was Greengrass and Zabini. Both looked exactly like what I imagined Malfoy and I did—wasted. But seeing as every drunk was different than the last, Liam was the only one who looked slightly upset about the entire situation. His brown eyes looked guilty, and I knew a worried comment was going to come from him at any second.

"This is not going to end well." There it was. "We all told different lies, we're going to get caught. And there's going to be one foul Slytherin who's going to start yapping about me, a Gryffindor, being in here. Lily and Nia will kill me."

Malfoy snorted. "Zabini, give my cousin the bottle. He's annoying when he worries."

Sluggishly, Zabini tossed another bottle of liquor towards the lion in the snake pit. "If all of Harper's friends are currently unavailable, do you think she's going to go find Scamander? Because I know how much you'd hate that, Potter."

"Don't kill the mood!" Malfoy snapped at the dark-skinned boy. "This is supposed to be a worry-free zone! We did not steal this crate of Firewhiskey from the kitchens for nothing! I've had a rough month, alright; I just want to distress."

I slouched further in my seat. Thinking over Zabini's comment, I sipped more on the bottle of golden-liquid without feeling the burn anymore. Should I be worried that Nia and Lorcan Scamander are friends? Well, my sober-side of the brain says yes, that the slimy git is after my girlfriend; but the drunk-side says no, my girlfriend loves me and doesn't even look at the slimy git twice when I'm around. She's just a good person, a good friend. And she always seems to be the defender of the underdog; that's why she keeps Scamander around.

"I love her," I breathed, blinking slowly. "She's so pretty."

"She has an unhinged personality," Scorpius said from next to me, taking the bottle from my tingling fingers. "But I can't deny she's beautiful. Too bad that when she opens her mouth she instills fear. If it wasn't for that I would have attempted something."

"Oi!" Lifting himself from his own slouching, Liam frowned at his cousin as I chuckled.

"She's great," I interjected. "I love her attitude. She's not afraid to say it how it is. Besides, she's great."

Malfoy looked at me blankly, not before scoffing at my statement. "You already said that."

"But I really mean it." I was blinking slowly again, feeling more ease inside of me. It was like I was there, but at the same time I wasn't. I couldn't even really understand what was coming out of my mouth, but there it went. Word after word. "She just does something to me, mates. Can't even explain it. I just know that I love it. The way she kisses me...touches me...She fucking looked delectable in her shorts and Puddlemere United shirt right now. I can't stay away from her."

Zabini grimaced at my comment, but both cousins in our little gathering started coughing loudly. One was choking on his liquor, flushing pink, and the other was roaring hysterically in loud guffaws.

"That is great!" Malfoy kept laughing. "Puddlemere—fucking funny!"

Narrowing my eyes at them I asked, "what the hell are you going on about?"

Liam reached for the bottle Zabini was drinking from, and he occupied himself by downing some of the alcohol and not looking at me. However, Malfoy was the one who was finding this entire situation amusing so he turned to me with a crooked grin. "That quidditch jersey is Liam's." His cheeks inflated from holding on to his laughter. "She kept it since Fourth Year, when she had an impromptu sleepover with him and she didn't have an pajamas with her. They slept on the same bed, you know."

"What the hell, Greengrass!"

The Gryffindor looked up at me warily, the effect of the Firewhiskey wearing off. "That was two years ago, Al. You two hadn't even known you liked each other then. Besides, she's my best friend."

"And this is about the time it stops being a worry-free zone." Getting up from his seat, Zabini stretched and picked up his disregarded tie and school-robes. "I'm going to leave you lads before this turns ugly. I've got an early breakfast date with my Roxy, and I am not going to show up with a hangover."

"Don't be a tosser, Zabini," Malfoy snapped. "It was your idea to drink and unload from the amount of schoolwork we've had. Sit down, have another sip."

As Lucas shook his head no, Greengrass stood too. "Yeah, I'll think I'll follow Zabini's plan. Rose is usually up until late studying in the common room, and if I return piss-drunk there will be hell to pay."

"I love my girl." Malfoy elbowed me, no longer paying attention to his cousin. "Now that's a girl who's beautiful, no matter the retorts and know-it-all remarks that come out of her perfect mouth. She's just amazing."

"...And I'm the sap," Zabini muttered before walking away and heading towards the direction our dormitory.

I waved a hand at him, and then gave Greengrass the finger as he walked towards the exit of the Slytherin dungeons. He muttered something in his defense but I didn't hear it. I was a downright jealous git, wasn't I?

At the empty common room now, Scorpius shot off from our couch and headed to the one that his cousin and Zabini left open across from us. He grabbed the bottle of Firewhiskey, a greedy smirk on his face, and then he tossed himself on the seat like a royal, smarmy bastard. (Alcohol clearly brought out the stereotypical Malfoy in him.)

He began sipping on the bottle, shooting it back like it was Pumpkin Juice. He paid me no mind for a couple of minutes; he just tapped his foot and muttered lyrics to a song we heard on the wireless last night when we had a mandatory and frustrating tutoring session with Rose. I crossed my arms, frowning, not even reaching for my free bottle. And it was almost seven minutes of silence after that he looked towards me.

"Come off it, Potter," he said with an eye-roll. "You can't seriously say you're upset because Harper has one of Liam's shirts."

My frown deepened. "Of course I can! Why the hell does she seem to love everyone! And why do they all have to be bloody guys? She could have more witches as friends if she wanted."

Before taking another gulp of his bottle he snorted at me. "No, mate, she couldn't. You seem to be forgetting who you're girlfriend is. She's intimidating, demanding, and unapproachable. It's a miracle Rose and Emily are her friends." He took another drink of Firewhiskey. "Besides, Liam is harmless, you know that. He's all...whatever he is with your little sister. And Scamander? Please, the bloke doesn't know how to do one mean thing. He's not after your girlfriend."

"You don't know that."

He was about to take another shot of liquor, but he lowered the bottle away from his mouth. There was an annoyed expression on his face. "What is it with you Potters and your knack for thinking so little of yourselves and the girls you're with? Have a little fucking confidence."

"If Lysander Scamander started chasing after Rose's skirts again you wouldn't be taking it lightly either, Malfoy. Especially since she's still friendly with him."

"That Gryffindor isn't a threat to me," he said instantly, without even taking a moment to think over an answer. "Rose loves me and I love her. And she's amazing; I'm aware she attracts some blokes to her. Who wouldn't look at her?"

"Your point?" I snapped. I didn't want to hear about what boys thought about my favorite cousin.

He smirked a little at my annoyance. "My point is that our relationship has a little thing Rose calls trust. Try it, Potter."

I sighed. Glancing down at the bottle of alcohol, I ran a fingertip over the opening. "...I get the feeling she's going to let me down." I kept my eyes down and my voice low. No need for Malfoy to see my insecurity. "And not to sound like a twat or anything, but I...I really love her. I won't be able to take it if she ever does decide to leave me."

"You are a twat," Malfoy responded, his tone sounded back to being irritated. "And a stupid one at that. Harper loves you, mate. She's not going to leave you or disappoint you. She'll make you go deaf with her yelling and bossy attitude, but she won't ever leave you."

I lifted the bottle and swung back a giant gulp as I stood from the leather couch. And after letting the alcohol fall down to the pit of my stomach, not minding the burning that the trail left behind, I looked at my best friend. "You think so?"

"I know so," he said nodding, also standing. "You're a great bloke, Potter. Embrace that, and toughen up."

Without knowing why I did it—and I'll probably claim it was the Firewhiskey—I reached over to Malfoy and grabbed his face with both my hands; bottle and all. "Love you too, mate." And I kissed him.

Laughing as he shoved me away, making me fall on the common room floor, my Firewhiskey spilling, all I could remember after that was the kick to my side Malfoy sent me and the comfortable sensation of the ground as my eyes fluttered close.

                                                                                       X

"...This dirty lot looks more dimwitted than the last." As soon as the Sixth Year class of Ravenclaws and Slytherins, a drawling, growling, disgusted voice wasn't masked or silenced; making the voice echo around the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.

And upon entering the classroom with me, Malfoy let out a giant groan as he noticed who that voice belonged to. "Why in Merlin's holy disco-pants is he still here?"

"You two," ignoring my best friend for a moment, I placed my schoolbag on top of the desk that Malfoy and I have claimed as our own for the past five years; where two lanky Ravenclaws had the quaffles to sit at. "I've got a raging hangover and I'm not in any mood to hex either of you. You got five seconds to get the hell out of our seats."

The two Ravenclaws looked at another and it took them about two and a half seconds to scurry out of their seats. They knew they didn't stand a chance against us, they were the typical studious, book-loving Ravenclaws who still clung to their baby-fat.

"It's almost been a damn month and the old sod and his cat are ruining my term!" Continuing with his rant, Malfoy carelessly picked up the book one of the Ravenclaws left behind and chuckled it at them.

"Git!" One of them called.

I snickered and took my seat as I looked at the front of the classroom where Argus Filch, the extremely old, scary-looking, and fucking irritating Care Taker of Hogwarts stood with his cat. "Look on the bright side, mate—it's been a month and we've yet to see Professor Alan's stupid face. This is the life right here." I kicked my legs up and threw them over the desktop casually.

Malfoy made a face that disagreed with me. It had been more than a month since our return to Hogwarts and the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher was said to be on a short temp-relief. And as much as I'd hope that they sacked the only geezer, the Headmistress had informed that he was away on matters for the school but that he'd be back soon. So since then, alternating between a few teachers, sometimes Filch came in and supervised the lesson when no teachers were available. Needless to say, some people with love for their education and time—and some who secretly cared too much about it, like Scorpius—were aggravated when they saw Filch instead of the regular teacher or a substitute.

"Well, well, well." Turning my head to the left my vision was filled with the smug eyes of Lucas Zabini. Like usual, he was taking the desk right next to mine and Malfoy's. He lowered his schoolbag casually, and then he dropped his textbook—making a loud BAM. Malfoy and I winced. "I'm surprised to see both of you here. How's the hangover?"

"Fuck off," I snapped with a glare on my face, my headache pounding. Zabini had been the goody-two-shoes that went off to bed after the rendezvous with the mates went from casual drinking to shot after shot, let's-get-piss-drunk-like-we-have-no-care-in-the-world. And all because he and my cousin Roxanne were going to meet up for breakfast and he didn't want to 'disappoint' her; the bloody tosser.

He smiled happily at me, mockingly. "Heard you snogged Malfoy. Are you going to be telling your girlfriend that? I don't think she'll fancy it."

Scorpius was about to lower his head when I elbowed him roughly on the ribs. "Did you tell everyone, you twat?!"

"I was a little drunk still when I went back to the dormitory. Can't be blamed, can I?"

I scowled at both of my best friends. "Screw both of you. It was a you're-like-my-brother kiss, alright. I'm into blondes, but not Malfoy."

My two house-mates shared a look and laughed loudly. Idiots. "Anyway," Zabini spoke again, "when the hell are we getting a proper teacher? I'm tired of seeing Filch and his stupid cat." He sat down on his desk, narrowing his eyes at the creature in front of the classroom as students still continued to come in; all of them in no rush to get to class. "You'd think it would die by now; considering how many times it's been the target of pranks and your dad petrifying it."

"First off, my Uncle George has a theory that Filch fed it the Elixir of Life." I pointed a finger to Mrs. Norris' red eyes, trying to prove my point. "Secondly, piss off. My dad didn't petrify that cat. A giant basilisk did, alright. Read a modern history book for once, Zabini."

Lazing about, since the classroom was half full, most of the Slytherins missing, my friends and I continued to casually slouch on the desks. "How'd it go with Weasley this morning, Lucas? Did you tell her about our little drunken night?" Malfoy asked in that casual, let's-kill-time voice.

"Don't call it that. It makes it sound like we had a one night-er, Malfoy. And you and Potter were the cozy ones." I was about to protest again, but Zabini spoke again. "As much as I like to prove that I'm a much better boyfriend to my girlfriend than the two of you are to yours, we're mates. I respect the code."

"Wise move. Roxanne is the biggest gossip. Nia would know I skipped out on studying while I drank up in my common room."

Zabini nodded at that. As much as he cared for my cousin, no one could deny that Roxy had the biggest mouth since Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil. (Whoever they were. But that's what Aunt Hermione always said.) "But it went well. We have plans to sneak up to the Room of Requirement after dinner."

I narrowed my eyes instantly. This was the problem with my best friends—they were dating my cousins. Hell, even Greengrass was dating my sister! We just can't talk about relationships without my overprotective Weasley side taking over and making my fists shake with the desire to punch them on the jaw.

"Oh, relax," Zabini said with a scoff as soon as he caught my frown. "I assure you you've gone further with Malfoy than I have with Roxy." And again, I was about to protest and defend myself, because it was just a harmless kiss to show my appreciation—and I was drunk!—but he spoke before I could get the chance. "I actually like your cousin, Potter. And I'm taking this slow, like a gentleman. Not like I can say the same about you, I swear Liam doesn't want to look at you after what you said you and Nia do."

I felt a little bit of guilt in my chest. I shouldn't have lied to the guys the way I did, but...Sometimes being a bloke turns you into a complete tosser and you think you need to uphold some kind of manly-card to ensure that you are one.

"...I am a gentleman with Nia. I love her."

"You love to jump her," Zabini replied, speaking in a tone like if he was correcting my previous statement with the truth.

I frowned. "Oi, shut it. Just because Nia and I have a bit of an intense relationship doesn't mean that I don't treat her accordingly. I do love her, and more than anything.."

"—Oh, what a load of bollocks. Everyone knows that Albus Potter is a complete inept at relationships. I'm surprised it's last this long anyway." Grimacing at the voice that had drifted into my eardrums from behind me, I hesitantly turned to face the unavoidable. And that included a pair of eyes and a face I hadn't really taken the time to encounter for the past four months. "If I was capable of it, I'd actually feel bad for that moron of his."

Finally, my green eyes met the ones of Evanna Nott. My ex-girlfriend.

"Alright there, Evanna?"

"Fucking fantastic, Potter. Thanks for fucking asking," she snapped at me. There was complete hatred dripping from her words and stretching on her pale features.

Merlin's sake. What the hell did I do? This is the first time I've spoken to her, and I thought we left off in somewhat good terms when she broke up with me last year!

As other Ravenclaws backed away from Evanna, one of the few courageous ones approached her without a look of worry. She settled her belongings next to the open seat next to the enraged girl, giving us a bright smile.

"Hey, Gracen," Malfoy was the first to greet her.

The very pretty witch with hair black as night, button-like nose, pink cheeks that rose high, and staggering green eyes returned my mate's smile and greeting. It was Gracen Goyle, a girl I had briefly met during my short relationship with Evanna. She and Malfoy had a little more of a history, having been acquaintances since their fathers knew each other from childhood. She always wore a kind expression and a smile—and I was currently the target of it. "Don't be too offended, Potter. She's just a bit grouchy today."

"A bit?" I scoffed, narrowing my eyes at my ex-girlfriend who had her face buried in her arms and the desktop. "Is she on her period or something? She's being a downright bi—"

Smack!

"Oi!" Holding onto the side of my head, I threw deadly daggers at Malfoy as he pulled back his wand; after smacking me with it.

"Please try to be your usual humanitarian, charming self, Potter. I know the hangover is a bit of a bitch right now, but don't let it throw off your wits. Finish that comment and Nott would've hexed you three years back. And since I'm currently sitting next to you, I rather I not be involved if it happened."

Evanna groaned incoherent words into the wood of her desk. We all glanced at her, a little warily. She was usually sarcastic, but she was always very charming too. Who the hell knows what's wrong with her now.

"In our Transfiguration lesson with the Gryffindors, the professor divided us into two groups in the debate we were having over transfiguring solids and mixtures. It was supposed to be fun, until Evanna and Harper somehow became the only ones playing." Leaning a little closer to my friends and I, Gracen Goyle continued to whisper carefully. "She lost by three questions to Harper. You can't blame her for being upset, can you?"

I furrowed my brows in confusion. "That's silly. Why would she think she has to win something over Nia?"

"Why you ask?" Lifting her head up from her desktop, clearly having been hearing the entire interaction with her friend, Evanna glared like if she could murder me by just that action. "Wasn't it enough that she kissed my boyfriend, causing my relationship to end, but now she had to go and make me look like an idiot in front of everyone!"

She had whipped her wand in a swift second, pointing the tip of it at my nose. "Easy there," I breathed, my eyes open wide with caution. "Look, Evanna...I'm sorry. I thought that we ended things peacefully."

"Then you clearly don't know anything about girls," she hissed at me, removing her wand and then dropping her head back down onto her desk; her arms covering her like a cocoon.

I scratched my head, looking thoroughly perplexed. Zabini and Malfoy gave me a shrug of the shoulders, both looking confused like I was. However, Gracen looked at me gently. "It's also that time of the month.".

                                                                                    X

When it came to Defense Against the Dark Arts, one was usually here ten minutes before the lesson even started because Professor Alan was a downright bastard, and if you were even a second late it was detention and fifteen points off. But since the irritating man had been missing for weeks, especially if word got out that it was Filch who was supervising, it took almost forty minutes into the regular lesson before everyone was gathered and seated. (And by that I mean carefree, snooty Slytherins.)

So with forty minutes gone in the hour and a half class, we were already on the hour when Filch started exclaiming loudly. "And there you have it, you ignorant lot. That's how you do it." He stabbed the chalkboard repeatedly as he underlined some of his sentences.

As everyone looked at the board, where he had written the step by step instructions on how to maintain the corridor floors especially clean, even where he enlisted cleaning supplies that were better than other brands to do the trick, there was a thick silence in the classroom. There was nothing but the undeniable boredom.

Malfoy's chin suddenly slipped from his palm, which had been holding it up, and the side of his face landed on the desk. He continued to sleep and the look on Filches face grew with more angry wrinkles and warts.

"Ungrateful little brats!" Here we go. "Do you know how much time I spend cleaning after you spoiled, dirty lot! A lot! I'm teaching you the tricks that will give you great assistance when the moment comes! You'll be eaten alive out there without any proper technique, you mongrels!"

"Excuse me, Mister Caretaker?" From the corner of my eye I saw a fellow Slytherin, no idea what his name was, raise his hand to get some attention. "I'm just wondering why you assume we want to learn this. Don't get me wrong now, we all deeply value that you clean up after our owls and such, but none of us are going to be heading into a...cleaning profession."

Filch snorted loudly and disgustingly. There was absolutely no amusement on his old face. And by the way his thin, grey hair was parted away from his face, the sweat and boils on his skin was a constant reminder of that Uncle George's inventions did work and even left side-effects. "Listen, you little ghoul; I doubt that the entire lot of you will finish Hogwarts with a certification. Half of you are as stupid as trolls. I'll be expecting some of you filthy, snooty selves to have their wands snapped in two by the end of this term. You bunch of conniving, little—"

"That's enough." At the sound of that familiar voice, everyone started turning back towards the door of the classroom where Professor Alan, in all of his pathetic galore, stood. There was a look of triumph, smugness, as a few dedicated students looked at him with relief. Even Malfoy had woken up looking relieved."Thank you, Mister Filch, but you're free to leave now."

A snarl curled my lip as Lorcan Scamander, the git, stretched a hand out to the professor and shook it. The boy was a kiss-ass, I don't care what Nia said. He was a prat.

"Don't pee yourself with excitement, Potter," Malfoy snickered as he could see my annoyed expression.

"I hate that asshole."

"I'd ask which one, but I'm just going to say the feeling is definitely mutual." Malfoy looked away from where I was glaring at the teacher and Scamander. "On Alan's behalf that is. He hates you right back."

I snorted, turning away from the professor and Filch exchanging a few words. "So you admit that Alan hates me? Good. Mind telling that to the Headmistress so they'll sack him?"

As Scorpius rolled his eyes, one of the girls behind us took the chance to add her opinion. "Of course he hates you, Potter. You have been a complete smarmy, annoying tosser for the past couple of years with him. You don't take him seriously when he's teaching."

"And when did you start taking him seriously, Nott? I was under the impression you thought he was rubbish in his job like I was." I frowned at the Ravenclaw, no longer caring to be careful with her. It wasn't my fault that she was still holding onto the grudge of our breakup. She was the one who wanted it, the one who said she knew that I'd been in love with Nia all along. She can't turn around and hold that against me, could she?

She returned the frown equally. "Yeah, but then I decided I hated you more and it gave Professor Alan and I something in common."

At the fact that her eyes were burning brightly, like there honestly was truth in her words, I recoiled. I didn't want her to hate me. I did care about her, still do, mind you.

At the removal of my frown, Evanna did away with hers too. "Sorry, Al," she mumbled hesitantly, after being elbowed by Gracen with a scolding stare. "I don't...I don't really hate you. I'm just still a little...It's been an off day, okay?"

Without giving me a chance to say anything, not that I had anything to say, Alan's voice rung among the walls of the classroom as he took his rightful place at the front. "Alright, vacation time is over."

"Professor?" Turning for a quick second, I saw Olivia Boot, another Ravenclaw, raise her hand and call for the blonde man with a stupid ponytail we sadly had for a teacher. "Is it true you've been ill?"

Oh, Merlin bless my soul if Professor Alan had a deadly dose of Dragon Pox.

"Thank you for the concern, Miss Boot, but I haven't been ill," the professor replied, a self-satisfied smirk on his face. "I have been in Spain, handling a few transactions for the Headmistress, actually. I've been showing around two—ah, here they are!"

Instantly, all eyes moved from the teacher to the entrance of the classroom.

"These are your two new classmates: Octavio and Ophelia De la Cruz."

Chatter broke out around the classroom as the two figures by the entrance stepped further into the room and they became clear to the prying eyes of my classmates. The first thing I saw, and the first thing that was being whispered about, was the shiny Slytherin badges on the robes of the students.

Following them as they moved to the front of the classroom, I had to shake my head so I could stop gawking at them like they were the strangest thing to ever happen at Hogwarts. It was true that the castle was huge and filled with students, but after a while you started remembering faces, people's names—so to receive two new students this late into the term was unheard of.

"Octavio and Ophelia De la Cruz are new to Britain because of the new job their guardian has taken in our Ministry. As such, I expect all of you to be as welcoming and proper as the Headmistress expects you to be, and good classmates and people with our new students. Right now..."

The rest of what Alan was saying buzzed out of my hearing as I inspected the two new students. They were twins. Both had feathery, black hair: the boy's reached his eyes in that bed-head way we all seem to have when we get older, and the girl's reached her elbows in complete straight, black curtains. They were both average-height, tanned skinned, thick brows, and wide-eyed.

My breath hitched in my throat for a second—the girl had turned to me and she dug her almost black eyes into my green ones.

I gulped.

"—Well, what do we have here?" Interrupting the moment by pushing his ugly face into my peripheral vision, Professor Alan's frown found me when he realized that he wasn't holding the new girl's attention. "Mister Potter, so you've managed to make it this far into my class, have you? I see the Headmistress paid no mind to my insistence for you two repeat your O.W.L class."

All eyes landed on me. And at the twitch of my fingers, Malfoy, being my best mate, took my wand from my pocket before I reached for it and did something as wickedly stupid as hex the professor.

I crossed my arms casually, throwing my legs over my desk. "Well, I am a Potter, Professor Alan. We sort of are destined for greatness, no matter what greasy, big nosed teachers assume."

"Family history," he took a few steps closer to me, almost shoving the new Slytherins twins from his path, "isn't everything, Mister Potter. It'd do you good if you remembered that."

"And maybe it'd do you good, Professor, if you remembered that I can still outsmart you."

As soon as my smirk appeared on my face, the teacher's grew with fury. "Ten points from Slytherin," he hissed through the murmurs the class had broken into due to my comeback. "And detention for a week for such cheek, Mister Potter. One more out of you and the Chosen One will hear that he has a brat as a son."

"Well, at least you didn't hex him," Scorpius muttered with a sigh, handing me back my wand. "And here I thought your brother was the one that loved his Potter fame."

I ignored my best friend as my focus went back to a pair of alluring, dark eyes. They found me instantly, and a wicked smile accompanied the gaze from their owner.

It seemed like the plot-twist had arrived.