"Alright." Juvia said as she and Gajeel walked up the stairs. "This year we have the O. W. Ls , Ordinary Wizarding Level Examinations, and we have to study a lot."

Gajeel snorted. "You mean I have to study a lot." He told her. "Your grades are always the best, I'm the one who gets just enough to pass."

Even though it was true, Juvia shook her head. "Both of us need to study; if we fail... Juvia doesn't even want to think about it." The blunette shuddered when they reached the top of the stairs. "So, you and I are going to study together, so if you have any doubts, you can ask Juvia- why have you stopped?" Juvia frowned when she looked over her shoulder and saw Gajeel standing a few steps behind her.

"We are going to the library." He told her.

"Uh... Yes. That's where the books we have to read, are." She told him.

"I can't go in there." Gajeel shook his head and took a step back and Juvia's frown deepened. Gajeel didn't like to sit down and study, she had known that from their first test, but he never refused to go to the library. Moaned about it? Yes. Actually look panicked? Never. And Gajeel Redfox did not back away for no reason.

"Why?" Gajeel looked uncomfortable, worrying her. Juvia took a few steps closer to her friend and put a hand on his shoulder. "Gajeel-kun, tell me what's wrong?"

He hesitated, looked around for a moment before pulled Juvia closer to the wall so no one could hear them. "Remember last year when we were taking Lucy to Professor Jose?" It was pretty hard to forget, so Juvia nodded. "I... I encountered with a few of her friends. One of them saw you take her and was about to call for help when I stopped them. I was... cruel." He looked down in shame. "I don't know why, I just was."

"Darkness is harder to fight. Anyone who have battled it, knows, especially when it comes from within." Juvia told him gently.

"I know." He nodded. "It's just... they were two guys and a girl. They put up a fight, sure, but the girl, she is tiny, Juvia, but she fought me without hesitating."

Juvia frowned. "Who is she?"

It took Gajeel a moment to answer. "Levy McGarden. She's our year, Ravenclaw, blue hair."

After a second Juvia remembered the petite girl – Gajeel was right, she was tiny – and recalled seeing Lucy and Levy together many times throughout the years, she was also one of the best students of their year, very smart.

"Juvia remembers her." Juvia told him. "But it doesn't mean she knows why you are hesitating to go to the libr-"

"She's always there." Gajeel cut her off. "And I always remember what I did when I look at her and I hate that." He passed a hand through his hair. "I hate... I hate it. I don't want to go to the library."

Juvia sighed and smiled a bit to her friend. "It's perfectly normal to feel ashamed."

Gajeel looked at her, indignant. "I am not as-"

"Yes, you are. That's why you don't want to see her, because you know what you did that night wasn't right. You regret it." At that Gajeel's gaze moved from Juvia to the opposite wall. "Juvia is ashamed of what she did, but she talked to Lucy-san, Gray-sama... we are all friends now." Even speaking his name made her heart beat faster. "The year just started, we are hanging out with the Gryffindors more and don't try to pretend you don't enjoy bickering with Natsu-san and Gray-sama because Juvia knows you do." She smiled when she saw a bit of pink flush his cheeks, Gajeel had a lot of fun while playing around with the boys, he was just too stubborn to say anything. "Levy-san will come around eventually, since she is a close friend of Lucy-san's."

They stayed a moment in silence before Gajeel mumbled: "What do I do, then?"

Juvia's smile widened. "You go and apologize to her and her friends." Gajeel opened his mouth to protest, but Juvia cut him. "Sometimes you have to go and admit to someone you hurt that you were wrong and that you are sorry."

"She won't believe me." Gajeel told her.

"She might not." Juvia agreed. "You'll only know when you try. And if she doesn't, at least you'll know you were being truthful; it helps a lot with the guilt."

Gajeel seemed battling with himself for a few moments. "Alright. But not today. I'm not talking to her today so let's go study outside."

Juvia nodded. "But soon, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Soon." Gajeel started to go back down the stairs and Juvia joined him before they changed.

"Good. Don't make Juvia drag you."

He snorted. "As if you ever could."

#

It was the first Quidditch game of the season and the Castle was buzzing with enthusiasm and even Juvia was excited, it was a match between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw and Juvia was happy to see Gray playing. He was so good – she could've been a little biased because of her feelings, but in her opinion he was bloody fantastic – and even if she didn't like Quidditch all that much, she liked hooting for him.

Juvia was eyeing him from her spot at the Slytherin table and she could see Gray dressed with the Quidditch uniform, scarlet red with some gold, as he finished his breakfast with his friends. He said something and got up, Natsu offered him his hand and Gray took it, laughing at something the pink haired boy said, then said something to Lucy and Erza, who nodded and started to walk away from the Great Hall, probably going to the lockers.

"If you want to catch him alone before the game, now is the time." Gajeel said and Juvia almost jumped.

"Wha-" She tried to deflect, but Gajeel wasn't having it.

"Go." He pushed her up. "If I had to make peace with Short Stuff, you can go talk to your guy."

"He is not-" Juvia tried.

"Go." Gajeel pointed to the door, Gray had almost reached it. "Now. Don't be a crybaby about it."

Juvia glared at him. "Juvia is not a crybaby." She gathered the nerve to do so and left the Slytherin table, trying to be sneaky but when she glanced at the Gryffindor table, she could've sworn she saw Lucy smile her way.

He was a few meters away already, but Juvia called his name before she lost her courage and he stopped, looking around confused until he saw her. "Oh, hey."

"Hi." Juvia smiled, nervous and they stayed in silence for a few moments; Juvia was looking at him and just admiring how bloody handsome he was, the scar above his eyebrow adding to the charm. She must've looked ridiculous.

"Uh..." Gray was clearly confused. "Did you want something or...?"

She blinked a few times as her mind started to work right again. "Oh, right." She said. "Juvia... uh... Juvia just wanted to wish you luck at the game." It came out almost as a whisper.

His grin was genuine. "Thanks. Ravenclaw's team is tough this year, but we are tougher."

Juvia smiled. "Juvia is sure you are."

"Say, if we were up against Slytherin today, would you still be wishing me 'good luck'?" Gray asked, amused, crossing his arms over his chest, clearly playing with her.

"Well..." She pretended to think for a moment, even though she knew the answer in her heart. "If you were playing against Slytherin, Juvia would be wishing for you to fall from your broom, but that's all, I swear." She shrugged.

"Oh, that's all, huh?" Gray snorted.

"Yup." Juvia smiled. "But since it's not against Slytherin..." Feeling courageous and rather bold, she took a step closer to him, put a hand on his arm and tip-toed, kissing his cheek lightly. "Good luck." She whispered before she stopped tip-toeing and didn't move right away, still very close to him.

Gray looked very surprised and she could see his cheek growing warmer. He managed to whisper: "Uh... thanks."

"Bye." She said in a low voice, still close to him, a hand putting a stray lock of her hair behind her ear.

"Bye." It was as if he was on automatic, if his brain had stopped working for a moment and Juvia was proud of it.

She turned around and started to walk back to the Great Hall, her heart beating so fast she couldn't believe it hadn't burst out of her chest yet, her cheeks were burning and the butterflies inside her stomach were very active. She even felt light-headed and when she looked over her shoulder, she saw that Gray was still there, a hand on the cheek she had kissed and also as red as a tomato.

Seeing her watching him, he became even redder and turned around, starting to walk much faster than before and Juvia couldn't help but to grin a bit.

Did she have a chance?

#

"Come in, but only for a few minutes." Polyuska said with a deep frown when Juvia asked if she could see Gray. Perhaps it was the tears that had moved her – highly unlikely, but it was a possibility – but the older woman had allowed Juvia access to the infirmary.

Juvia tried to dry her cheeks as she walked further in.

Gray had been hit with a Bludger by the end of the game and had fell from his broom, unconscious and she had been so scared he had been seriously hurt. He was taken straight away to the infirmary and when she tried to ask to his team about his condition when they left the infirmary, they ignored her, seeing she was a Slytherin.

By the end of the corridor, she saw Natsu, Lucy and Erza be granted access and she battled with herself for a while, if she should or not ask to see him. Juvia was sure any of them would happily give her information about Gray's condition, but she had to see him, make sure he was alright. So, she worked up the guts to ask Polyuska if she could see him.

The older woman walked with her and she noticed some other bays' curtains were closed, other players who got hurt resting after the game as well.

Finding Gray's bay wasn't too hard, Natsu was talking very loudly and when Polyuska slid the curtain open, four pair of eyes fell on her.

Gray was lying on the bed, a bandage around his head and a sling on his left arm. Natsu sat by the end of the bed, while Lucy and Erza occupied the visitor's chairs.

"Oh, hey, Juvia!" Natsu grinned and noticed her red puffy eyes. "Worried about Gray? Shouldn't be, his head is too thick to be cracked open." His words earned a kick from Gray and both boys laughed. Boys being boys.

"We should go." Lucy got up and so did a confused Erza. "We just wanted to know Gray's injuries weren't too severe, and since they are not, we are leaving."

"What? But we-" Natsu tried.

"Natsu." Lucy said with a stern voice. "We are leaving."

The boy blinked in surprise and got up. "Alright." He turned to Gray and held his arm his way, his hand in a fist. "Nice game."

Gray did the same and bumped his own fist on Natsu's. "Thanks. See you guys later."

Erza said goodbye to Gray and then Juvia, Natsu smiled the blunette's way and when she was passing by Juvia, Lucy winked, making Juvia's cheeks burn in embarrassment. Merlin, how obvious was she?

"You can sit down, you know?" Gray told her and Juvia nodded, sitting on the chair closest to his bed. "So, you came to see if I fell down from my broom properly?" He chuckled.

At that, Juvia couldn't hold any longer and started to sob, thick tears falling from her eyes and it was clear it panicked Gray. "Oh, Merlin's beard. Juvia? Juvia? What-?"

"Juvia didn't mean it." She sobbed. "Juvia really wished you good luck."

"What the-?" Gray whispered, confused. "Bloody hell, Juvia, I know you didn't mean it, I was only joking because of the coincidence."

"Juvia brings bad luck." She stopped sobbing, but she was still tearing up. "She shouldn't have kissed you good luck."

"Look, it wasn't your good luck kiss that threw me off the broom. It was that shit face, McMillan and the Bludger he sent my way." His last few words were louder.

"You had it coming, Fullbuster!" Came a voice from a few bays over.

"Oh, go kiss a goblin's ass, McMillan!" Gray yelled and it actually made Juvia smile a bit. His voice was normal when he spoke to her again. "Look, this isn't the first time I fell off the broom while playing Quidditch and certainly won't be the last." Juvia nodded and dried her cheeks again, feeling slightly better he didn't blame her for what happened. "Besides, we won, so in the end it was really good luck."

"But you got hurt." Juvia got up from the chair to sit on the bed, facing him. She touched the bandage around his head and glanced down to his left arm. "You shouldn't have."

He shrugged. "It happens when you play Quidditch. Or even when you fly just because." Seeing her blank expression, Gray frowned. "You... do know how to fly, right?"

"The flying lessons were mandatory during our first year." Juvia told him with a shrug. "Since then? Juvia hasn't been flying."

"No way." Gray shook his head. "That's not possible! Are you afraid of heights?"

"It's not that... it's just..." She tried to explain. "What if Juvia falls? She's literally on a broom hundreds of meters up in the air!"

"That's why you have a wand, to aid you if something like that happens. It almost never happens, really." Juvia raised an eyebrow and looked down to his injuries and Gray rolled his eyes. "This doesn't count, this was McMillan's fault."

"Sod off, Fullbuster." The response came from a few bays over again and Juvia put a hand over her mouth to smother her giggle.

Gray ignored McMillan and kept talking to her. "I'll teach you how to fly. How to really fly."

The butterflies inside Juvia's stomach started again at the prospect of spending more time with him. But flying... she really didn't like flying. "Juvia doesn't fly." She told him. "Juvia swims. Never flying."

"Swims?" He asked with a frown. "Where?" Juvia knew he had heard the rumors about her, everyone have heard the rumors about her going to the Lake so she just gave him a few minutes to work it out and like predicted, he did. His eyes widened once he made the connections. "Wait... are you saying that you actually swim at the Black Lake? For real?"

"Yes." She smiled. "For real."

"What-? Why-? How-?" He seemed really flabbergasted and Juvia chuckled at his confusion. "Aren't you afraid?"

Juvia shrugged. "Sassa is usually with Juvia and the rest of the creatures are really peaceful if you don't mess with them. Except the Grindylows." She rolled her blue eyes. "They are always a pain, but once you stun them, they stop coming after you."

He looked amazed. "And Sassa is...?"

"Oh, she's a merperson. We've been friends since our first year." Juvia told him.

"You are friends with a merperson." Gray blinked, stull stunned by the revelation. "An actual merperson."

"Juvia is."

"And you are afraid of flying!" Gray laughed. "You swim on a lake infested with dangerous magical creatures like it's the most normal thing in the world, but you are afraid of flying!"

"Juvia isn't afraid of flying." Juvia sounded offended. "She just... rather not."

"I'm teaching you how to fly." He snorted.

"No, thank you."

"Oh, yes I am."

Knowing he was a Gryffindor and most of them were really thick minded, Juvia counter proposed: "Only if you come and take a swim with Juvia at the Lake."

Gray hesitated and for a moment Juvia thought she had won, but instead, he nodded. "Alright, then! I'll teach you how to fly, you teach me how to not get eaten by the Giant Squid. Seems a fair trade."

Wide eyes, Juvia said: "Wait, Juvia wasn't really expecting you to actually-" She started, but was interrupted when Polyuska opened the curtain.

"Time to go." She said, as dry as ever. "He'll be discharged in a few hours when I know he hasn't sustained a brain injury, but you must go, Miss Lockser, it's almost time for dinner." She turned around before either of them could say a word.

Regretfully, Juvia got up from his bed and even Gray seemed down. "Well, then. Juvia is glad you are going to be fine."

He grinned. "Always."

"See you around, then." Juvia hesitated, but leaned and gave him a peck on the cheek before turning around. She took a few steps when she heard him call her name and she looked at him over her shoulder. "Yes?"

"Are you going to the Hogsmeade visit next weekend?" He asked and she nodded. "Great, the group is going as well. You and Gajeel can join us. If you want, that is."

She smiled. "Juvia would love that."

"Great then." He nodded. "Bye."

Juvia waved and just as she was about to leave, she heard kissing sounds coming from not too far from where Gray's bay was and then she heard him yell: "McMillan, I swear to Merlin I will hex your ass!"

The Slytherin was still giggling when she left the infirmary, utterly happy.

Gray was such a good person, nice to talk to and very handsome, which was a good plus. It seemed her heart might have chosen the right one that time.

She was so lost in her thoughts she didn't realize she was alone in the hallway until she heard some noise behind her and by instinct, grabbed her wand and looked behind her, ready to fight.

Instead to find someone, Juvia frowned when she saw some writing on a wall she had just passed, but in her dreamily state, she overlooked. "Lumos." She whispered and there was light coming out from her wand. Her heart stopped when she read words written in blood.

'The Chamber of Secrets has been opened.
enemies of the heir, beware'

"What the bloody hell...?" She whispered to herself and then she felt the hairs from behind her neck rise. There was someone behind her. Gathering all her training, she took a deep breath and said: "Nox." The wand stopped emitting light and just as she was turning, she said her best spell, not taking any chances: "Aguamenti!" and water came from her wand in a big wave.

Through the water, all she could see was two big yellow eyes before her world went black.

#

Juvia blinked, as the light hurt her eyes and every movement she made her body ache. She was confused, but there were voices she recognized.

"Juvia?" She knew that voice, if she just could concentrate in one thought at the time, she'd known who was speaking to her. "Juvia, can you hear me?"

"Yes." Juvia managed to say in a whisper, trying to keep her eyes opened, but it was a challenge. Her throat hurt, so she croaked "water."

A moment later there was a hand under her neck so she could be angled better and then something cold against her lips; she drank the most amazing water she had ever had. "Not too fast, or you'll choke."

She managed to open her eyes for more than a second to focus and she saw the long black hair, red eyes and piercings. "Gajeel-kun?"

"You have no bloody idea how great it is to see you moving or talking." He sighed. "You gave us quite a scare, stupid."

"What happened?" She asked, sleepily.

Gajeel snorted. "Well, there was a Basilisk on the loose aiming for mudbloods and you were the first one to get petrified."

"Petrified?" Juvia frowned, feeling more aware of her surroundings by the second. "And did you say Basilisk?"

It took Gajeel a while to tell her the tale of what had happened during the month she had been petrified. Apparently, Laxus Dreyar and his friends, all Slytherins, had been cursed by some objects the Dark Wizard managed to give them somehow and they, unaware of what they were doing, were able to control the Basilisk using Parseltongue, the ability to talk to snakes. None of them knew Parseltongue per se, just whispered whatever the objects did.

Juvia was surprised when she knew the Basilisk was gone, and the ones to have killed it were Natsu, Gray, Lucy and Erza.

"You should've seen them when they saw you were petrified." Gajeel told her. "That was the moment I knew they really cared for you. Eventually, us." Juvia was surprised to hear him say. "It's been a long month, Juvia. We worked tirelessly trying to stop what was happening while the Mandrakes grew." When Juvia frowned, he explained. "With a potion with the Mandrakes, you and the others were able to unpetrify – I don't even know if this is a word."

"It's not."

"Even so, it took them a month to be grown enough." Gajeel said. "That's why you probably feel very shitty."

"Every muscle aches." Juvia told him.

Gajeel snorted. "Yeah, you were in the same position for a whole month, it might be uncomfortable."

"It might." Juvia giggled and the muscles hurt, but she could take it.

They kept chatting for a few more moments before the curtain on the bay slid open and she saw Lucy, Natsu and right behind them, Gray, making her heart beat faster.

"Juvia!" Lucy exclaimed and ran to Juvia's side, sitting on the bed and bringing her close to a hug and Juvia smiled. "We were so worried."

"Yeah." Natsu nodded, also stepping closer to the bed. "We didn't know what was happening when they found you."

"I was still here after the game when they brought you." Gray told her, arms crossed over his chest and, like the others, he seemed a little battered. "Almost gave me a heart-attack. Gajeel here almost broke the infirmary to get to you." Gray snorted and Gajeel rolled his eyes but said nothing from his spot on the chair.

"Sorry to have worried all of you." Juvia said, lying back to the back, her back muscles aching too much for her to seat just yet.

"Wasn't your fault." Lucy told her, gently.

"And if you hadn't used the Aguamenti spell, you'd be dead." Natsu said with no finesse at all.

Seeing her frown, Gray clarified: "Anyone who looks to a Basilisk's eyes, dies. You, we assumed, saw it through water, like the others just saw through reflections and lenses, that's why none of you died."

Suddenly Juvia remembered the big yellow eyes. "Oh... Juvia remembers the eyes, yellow."

"And very scary." Lucy nodded. "I can guess. Now all of us should go, Polyuska said all of the ones who got petrified need rest."

"Thank you for coming." Juvia told them, honestly.

"Of course." Lucy kissed her cheek. "Get better soon because we are preparing a girls' night and you are the guest of honor."

"Wouldn't miss it for the world." Juvia chuckled and waved good-bye to Natsu when he grinned her way and followed Lucy out.

"And if memory serves me right, there are flying lessons coming too." Gray said, his hands inside the pockets of his pants. Juvia opened her mouth to argue, but he was faster. "Did you think getting petrified would get you out of it?"

Juvia smiled. "Damn it, there goes Juvia's plan."

"What flying lessons?" Gajeel asked, confused looking from Gray to Juvia and Gray again. "Juvia doesn't fly."

"Not yet." Gray shrugged his way and then his attention went back to Juvia. "Glad to see you awake."

"Thank you." Even recently un-petrified, the butterflies in her stomach seemed to be in full force.

"See you around." He said and then turned to Gajeel, nodding his way before leaving.

"What is he talking about? You don't fly. You are afraid of flying." Gajeel frowned.

"Apparently, Juvia will learn to fly the right way." She giggled and explained to Gajeel what had happened the day she was petrified.

#

A few days later, Juvia was glad to enter the library with her friend and see him excuse himself for a moment to talk to a blue haired girl with a Ravenclaw tie. She watched as he teased her about something, she pouted and he waved good-bye, returned to her side.

Oh, so that was resolved. She needed to ask Gajeel about it.

Juvia smiled at the interaction and waved in Levy's direction as they went further inside the library, to which Levy waved back.

"Juvia has to know how you became such good friends with Levy-san." Juvia teased her friend when he returned to her side. The redness of his cheeks were amusing to see.

Gajeel was by no means strange to the ladies, he had been snogging some girls for a while, most of them in search for a thrill to be with a tall and dark guy (Juvia was afraid to ask if it ever went further than snogging) but not once he ever blushed while talking about any of them.

"And I want to know when you and Fullbuster are going on this flying lesson that is totally a disguised date." He answered and they found an empty table, so they pulled the chairs and sat down.

"Any day now. Juvia is not ashamed to admit she likes him, you know that already." She shrugged. "If you like Levy-san, Gajeel-kun, it's alright."

"Okay, we are in a library. We should shut up and study, eh? You missed a lot during this month, and the O. W. Ls are coming..." He said, fast, opening books around them and suddenly very interested in the one he had in front of himself.

"Your book is upside-down." Juvia commented, amused.

"Shut up." He mumbled but turned the book around.

#

AN: So, end of the first part of their Fifth year. I hope it was alright the little Chamber of Secrets + Battle of Fairy Tail mixed up, after all, Ever DID petrify the girls and Juvia was one of them so I thought it would be fun to link the stories a bit.

Are you guys having fun? What do you wish to see next? Let me know!