Amelia felt James hand on her arm, steadying her from acting too quickly. James had a smirk on his face and he seemed not to blink while Amelia, looking quite like her cousin, had a mischievous glint in her eyes which shone like a full moon. She held the long, slightly curved, wand in her hand. The 10 inch wand was entwined with a dragon heart string core which could be seen as the end of the wand was a little opened but it was useable. The wand was made of the finest vine wood and was incredible at transfiguration which happened to be Amelia’s favourite subject.

‘You’re leaning on me,’ James breathed next to her ear.

Amelia didn't say anything but she did take the weight of her arm on his. A strand of her hair was across her eye and over her cheek like a scar. She pushed it away with her free hand and then flicked her wand lithely to the ceiling and then back down. The red balloon floated upwards, in synchronisation with her wand, and the yellow and orange liquid inside it seemed to create waves against the bursting balloon; Amelia felt sick just looking at it but adrenaline was pumping right through her.

‘I think we should stop...’ James said apprehensively and he crouched lower, next to Amelia, ‘we’re going to get in so much trouble!’

‘IF we get caught. Come on, Potter, don’t be so doubtful of our abilities,’ Amelia said, ginning as she did every time James got scared. It was usually when they were just about to do the prank and he would get that shaky feeling, ‘are you in or are you out? I can do this myself, you know that.’

‘Amelia-’

‘Miss Weasley! Mr Potter!’

Amelia and James closed their eyes for a second when they heard the usual strict voice that caught them in their prank. They opened their eyes and looked to one another. James shook his head at her as though he was telling her I-told-you-so. Amelia just grinned, at least she wasn’t in trouble alone for once. The balloon in front of them turned to ashes and slowly floated to the floor as the two cousins stood up and turned around to face their fate in the form of Professor McGonagall, the Headmistress of Hogwarts.

‘Every year, Miss Weasley, you never fail to get in trouble! I was hoping this year would be different but it seems not to be. Your mother was a very studious girl and when she was alone, she didn't get into trouble. Of course, when Mr Potter and Mr Weasley were with her, that was a different story,’ McGonagall spouted out in anger, drawing herself to her full height. She stared at Amelia, ‘that being said, you  are very much like your father. The amount of times they got into trouble for soiling the Hogwarts grounds; you aren’t worse than the Weasley twins,’ Amelia laughed shamelessly and covered her mouth when McGonagall’s nostrils flared, ‘that is not something to be proud of!’

‘Sorry, Professor, it’s in my genes. I can’t help it!’ Amelia explained although the smile she seemed to openly keep on her face didn’t disappear. She knew McGonagall liked her and that she was only being like this because she had to try and stop them. Amelia grabbed James’ arm and sighed, ‘he was trying to stop me so it’s really not James’ fault.’

‘How noble of you to stand up for your cousin, Miss Weasley,’ McGonagall said, raising her pencil thin eyebrows and regarding Amelia as though she was playing a mind trick on her, ‘follow me to my office... both of you.’

‘Well, we’re in this together,’ Amelia said as they walked behind the strict professor.

‘I hate you,’ James stated simply, swinging his arms as he walked. Amelia nudged him with her shoulder slightly and he sighed, looking over at her.

‘Now we are even, I guess. You read my letters, I got you in trouble,’ Amelia whispered, ‘let’s start with a clean slate this year.’

‘Did I mention I hate you?’ James glared straight ahead as they went down some stairs.

‘You might have. Once... twice... my whole life, maybe,’ Amelia said, shrugging, ‘I’m used to it. I might not have any siblings but I guess this is how it’s like to fight with them.’

‘Exactly like this but if you were a boy, you’d be writhing on the floor in pain,’ James smirked at her, ‘be glad you’re a girl.’

‘Get in there and take a seat. You know the usual drill, Miss Weasley,’ McGonagall said and opened the door.

‘You can start calling me Amelia, Professor. Miss Weasley is a little too formal for...’ Amelia trailed off as McGonagall raised her eyebrows at her, not impressed by the confidence she seemed to liberate.

‘Just take a seat. I’ll be back with some detention slips,’ McGonagall said and then took off down the corridor which was full of students going to bed.

‘After you, Miss Weasley,’ James said and bowed mockingly.

‘Ha ha,’ Amelia said dryly but went into the room.

A fire blazed brilliantly and the warmth engulfed her. It seemed like the castle was always so cold at the start of the year but she was glad to be in McGonagall’s office since it was so warm. There was a desk right in front of them, littered with transfiguration text books and quills. Everything was neat and well stocked, as usual.

‘What are you doing here?’

Amelia jumped slightly when she noticed a boy get out of one of the chairs in front of the desk. His grey eyes flickered from Amelia to James then back to Amelia. He studied her, looking her up and down as though she were a statue he could gawk at. Amelia studied Scorpius Malfoy too, noticing him in a new light for the first time in seven years.

His hair seemed to be perfectly mussed up as though he had waken up like that but she knew better, boys made it look like they had bed hair but they combed it a certain way; James did that too. His jaws seemed to be sculpted to perfection and his eye colour was one of a deep grey like a cloudy day. He wore a shirt with the sleeves rolled up so that his veins were noticeable... extremely noticeable, Amelia thought with glazed eyes. His tie was loose as though he had pulled it in frustration and his trousers hung low on his chest. Amelia also noticed how tall he had gotten over the summer. She realised she liked boys to be taller than her, it appealed to her in a certain way.

‘What are you doing here?’ Amelia asked back, crossing her arms over her chest. She tried very hard not to blush when his gaze dropped from her eyes to her chest.

‘McGonagall caught me fighting in the school grounds,’ Scorpius said, shrugging as though it was no big deal, ‘you?’

‘We were doing a prank when McGonagall caught us,’ Amelia shrugged too, ‘she’ll probably just give me a detention and then call my parents when it happens again. She always does.’

‘I remember when you made all the cakes at the Slytherin table explode when we took a bite out of them. Thankfully, I didn't eat any,’ Scorpius winked at her and Amelia was too surprised to say anything back. Winking? Did that mean anything? Amelia shrugged it off, he was being civil is all.

‘That was my idea actually. Amelia left her fingerprints on the crime scene whilst helping me,’ James said, standing beside his cousin. He slung an arm over Amelia’s shoulder and stared at Scorpius.

‘Nice,’ Scorpius said after raising his eyebrows at their friendship. Usually everyone knew Amelia and James to be mock fighting but Scorpius didn't know them well enough to know that James could be very protective and teasing towards Amelia.

‘Stand at the front of my desk, you three,’ McGonagall said, coming back into the room.

As McGonagall shut the door, muttering something about being way too old for this stuff – she was in her mid-seventies now. Scorpius turned to face the desk, burying his hands in his pockets and he was not smiling anymore. Amelia glanced at James, a look that he knew very well sifted through her face. She smirked at him before moving in front of James and standing next to Scorpius. A look of sheer annoyance flashed on James’ face and he stared at the two, standing next to each other,

‘Excuse me... can I just..’ James said and moved his hands between Amelia and Scorpius’ shoulders. He pushed them aside and stood between them, ‘thanks.’

Amelia called James something horrible under her breath and he smirked at her arrogantly. He crossed his arms over his chest between both of them and Scorpius shot him a glare that he didn't notice at all. Amelia guessed this is exactly how a father would act with his daughter but... she was James’ cousin! She hated how protective he could get.

‘You three are the bane of my existence. There are so many things to be done in the first month of the new year and I can’t be looking out for you three to mess everything up,’ McGonagall said and stood behind her desk, dropping three detention slips onto it. She glared at Scorpius, James and Amelia before sitting down, ‘detention. Tomorrow evening. Eight pm. In my office.’

She started to write down their names on the detention slips and muttered each of their names as she did so, ‘Amelia Weasley-’

‘It’s... um...’ Amelia interrupted her and McGonagall looked up from behind her spectacles. Amelia looked down at the detention slip and coughed slightly, ‘it’s Amelia George Weasley.’

‘Of course it is, dear,’ McGonagall agreed with her.

A look passed by her face and it seemed to be the same look that Fred got whenever Amelia mentioned her middle name. Amelia didn't know it but McGonagall was thinking back to the war when Hogwarts had been destroyed and she had lost so many of her pupils. George Weasley, she had been devastated when he died since McGonagall had taught him for years and she could remember how he always got into trouble. It haunted her; all the death eaters, deaths and the hard times on Hogwarts.

Amelia, James, and Scorpius left the room five minutes later, each bearing a detention slip. Amelia sighed as she closed McGonagall’s door behind her and then she turned around to see Scorpius and James staring at each other. Well, staring sounds way too nice, they were... glaring.

‘Scorpius,’ Amelia said, standing beside James. The grey eyes turned to her and she managed to smile at him just to annoy James who turned to her and glared, ‘I’ll see you at detention tomorrow.’

‘We have History of Magic tomorrow, so you’ll see me there,’ Scorpius said, putting his hands in his pockets and rocking back on his heels.

‘Oh, so you won’t be skipping class with your... friends?’ James said in a cold tone and Scorpius’ eyes flickered suddenly to him. James narrowed his eyes and took a step closer, whispering threateningly, ‘I know you and your type. All you do is corrupt people around you. You stay away from us.’

‘Don’t make me tell her about you and what you’ve done,’ Scorpius said under his breath so that Amelia didn’t hear him. James closed his hands into a tight fist and that was when Amelia pulled him back.

‘Stop it,’ she said confidently, but they didn't pay any attention to her, ‘don’t start a fight outside of the Headmistress’ office. I think we should go now, James... come on!’

‘Yeah, you should get to bed,’ Scorpius said, ‘I’ll see you tomorrow.’

Amelia watched as Scorpius walked away. She admired his tallness and his... hotness since that was what he was; hot. He seemed to get all the girls but he hadn’t really had a proper girlfriend. When Scorpius was out of sight, James sighed and started to walk away but Amelia caught up with him.

‘You are such a git, you know that?!’ Amelia said, grabbing his arm but James just walked on. He was power walking down the corridor now, looking as though he would never be happy ever again. Amelia had to jog to keep up with him, ‘can you just... slow down?!’

‘Amelia, you listen to me,’ James said, stopping and turning to face her. He pointed his finger at her and she glanced at it with her eyebrows raised. James let his hand fall but he still glared at her, ‘you don’t know what he does, who he hangs around with, and how he treats girls like they are toys. I’ll be damned before he touches you.’

‘It’s cute how you care about me but you’re not my father. Stop acting like it,’ Amelia said, taking a step towards him.

‘If I tell Uncle Fred about what you’re trying to do, he will act way worse and way more protective than I am. It’s for your own good,’ James said and sighed, ‘remember when Grandadshouted at you on your thirteenth birthday and Uncle Fred went mental at him? Yeah, well, he can’t stand to see you hurt and that is exactly what is going to happen!’

‘I can make my own decisions, James! Besides, getting hurt is a life experience. You or Dad can’t protect me from getting hurt forever. Why can’t I make my own decisions for once?’ Amelia said and turned around to look down the empty corridor, ‘it’s nearly curfew and I don’t want to be caught again so let’s just go.’

Amelia and James walked down the corridor in silence, both of them were glaring as they walked. 

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A/N - Dedicated to AgentWeasleyTwins since she was one half who made my cover. The cover making thing is called 'Ginnie's Cover and Banner Studios, Open!' The link is  -->

http://www.wattpad.com/forums/discussion/316186/Ginnie%27s+Cover+and+Banner+Studio%2C+OPEN%21+