Dear Mother,
I have not forgotten what you told me on Monday. I talk to no one in my dormitory, save Miss Kites. I have also began talking to some of the Slytherin first years. We have Charms and Herbology together. I believe that you have met the parents of Corlin Gorvitch, who is from Bulgaria, and Gemma Allyn, of Northern Wales. Both come from respectable families. I will update you more tomorrow.

Sincerely,
Your most devoted daughter, Katherine Arminius Rilissa Black

Kitty sat alone at the Hufflepuff table. Her friends were shooting worried glances at her. The table was piled with turkey, fruit, and pastries, but Kitty touched none of it.

"You need to eat, you know." Kitty glanced up to see Yemi sitting across from her.

"I'm not feeling well." It was the truth. Kitty was horribly, horribly lonely. She missed talking to her housemates.

Yemi examined her face. "Kitty, why are you ignoring us?"

"I told you I'm not feeling well," Kitty snapped. "Leave me alone."

Yemi looked up the table helplessly and shook her head. Kitty pretended not to notice when she left.

She glanced over at the Slytherin table and tried to catch the eyes of Corlin and Gemma. Both of them were sitting perfectly straight, eating elegantly.

She finally succeeded in catching Gemma's eye, but Gemma only nodded. Kitty sighed. Both Gemma and Corlin were very polite, but not nearly as friendly as the Hufflepuffs. Any of her housemates would have smiled and waved.

She had talked to Regulus and smoothed things over. Everything in her life was back on track, except for the fact that she was in Hufflepuff.

She was miserable.

Kitty wasn't used to friends that were as welcoming as the Hufflepuffs. But now that she had met them, it was hard to let them go.

But if she wanted to be part of the Black family, it was what she needed to do.

"Hey." It was Yemi again, now sitting down across from her. Kitty looked down at her lap, but Yemi persisted. "Hey."

"I'm not really supposed to talk to you." Kitty whispered.

"You did a few days ago. Why is it different now?"

"Because-"

"Because of your mother." Yemi finished. "Why do you always listen to everything she says?"

"Look." Kitty said. "It's not because of you."

"I know. It's because I'm not a pureblood. You know, maybe you shouldn't have been Sorted into Hufflepuff. Hufflepuffs accept everyone." She stood up. "I'm going to go."

Watching Yemi walk away made Kitty terribly guilty. She was right, after all. Kitty was a Hufflepuff. And Hufflepuffs were kind to everyone.

"Yemi," Kitty called. "Wait!"

***

"I'm going to get into so much trouble if Mother finds out!" Kitty fretted. She still couldn't believe her audacity in defying Wallaburga.

Yemi shrugged. "Then don't let her find out, stupid."

"Yemi!" Kitty swatted at her and they both giggled. "Seriously though, what if Regulus tells her?"

"Regulus is a twat."

"C'mon, Yemi."

"You know it's true! He's so busy reading and drooling over that Ravenclaw prefect that I doubt he has time to watch you anyway."

So engrossed in talking were they that they didn't notice the stern-faced woman watching them as they walked down the hall.

"Sirius won't tell her." Kitty said confidently.

"Are you sure?" Yemi asked.

"Positive. They hate each other."

"Is Sirius the tall one? Dark hair? I mean, you've got to admit he's really handso-"

"Miss Yasef." Professor McGonagall interrupted. Kitty jumped; Yemi turned bright red. "Might I suggest you cease your admiration of Miss Black's brother and enter the classroom so you aren't late?"

"Yes, Professor." Yemi squeaked. Her face was a shade of burgundy.

Kitty giggled softly as they entered Professor McGonagall's room. Silently, she took her seat next to Aludra. Taya and Yemi sat right behind them. So far, Professor McGonagall had not mixed up the twins once, much to Aludra's dismay.

"Transfiguration is horrible." Aludra now whispered to Kitty. "I don't understand a bit of it!"

"Agreed." Kitty whispered back. Really, she wasn't too bad at transfiguration, but she didn't want Aludra to feel bad. Kitty's worst subject was, in fact, Defense against the Dark Arts, which she knew that Aludra's twin Taya excelled at.

"Attention, class!" Professor McGonagall announced, bustling in. "Attention! Now, you must all watch very closely what I am going to show you today. If you mess up, it could have dire consequences."

Aludra groaned.

Five minutes later, Kitty was struggling to remember the enchantment Professor McGonagall had told her would turn a glass goblet into crystal.

"Aludra." She whispered. "What's the spell?"

"Corizanum lefis." Aludra whispered back.

Aware of Professor McGonagall's eyes on her, Kitty flicked her wand and chanted "Corisanium lefise!"

The goblet exploded and shards of glass flew through the air. Kitty gasped and the world seemed to slow down.

A second later, she realized the world really had slowed down. Professor McGonagall had her wand raised and was Vanishing the glass pieces. When she was done, she looked up calmly. "Miss Black has just demonstrated what not to do. Make sure you get your pronunciations perfect, class."

Cheeks pink, Kitty whispered the spell under her breath until she was certain she had it perfect.

This time, the goblet turned into a shining crystal, refracting light around the room that was almost as bright as Kitty's smile.

***

Kitty, Yemi, and Tina had planned to do their homework together, but they had spent the last half hour telling stories and laughing.

Kitty was happier than she had ever been. She was relieved that the Hufflepuffs were nice and friendly, but not sickening sweet.

"And then I was saying Sirius was handsome, but then McGonagall stopped us and I was going to die." Yemi was telling Tina. 

"Sirius? As in, her brother Sirius?" Tina asked incredulously.

"Well, yeah."

"Wait, is he that boy with the longish dark hair? Pretty tall, plays Quidditch for Gryffindor?"

"Yep."

"Oh, he is kind of-"

Kitty covered her ears. "Will you stop talking about my brother! Ugh!"

"Don't you have a brother Yemi?" Asked Tina.

"He's six." Yemi said. "So you lot can forget about that."

"The age difference might be a bit dramatic," conceded Tina, "what do you think, Kitty?"

"I think you two are weirdos and yet I'm awful happy we're in the same house."

"You know you love me!" Yemi sang, off-tune.

They laughed and didn't notice the prefect come up behind them until he tapped on Kitty's shoulder.

She yelped. "Sorry!" The boy said frantically. "I didn't mean to startle you. Are you Miss Black?"

"Yes." Kitty gasped, heart pounding.

"I'm supposed to give you this note from Professor Slughorn." As he walked away, Kitty couldn't help but notice how attractive the prefect was, with his jet black hair and long eyelashes.

"Now that guy." Yemi murmured. "He's cute. If only my mom didn't want me to marry an Indian boy."

Tina poked her. "The guy I liked at home happened to be Indian, thank you very much."

Kitty ignored them, sliding her finger under the tab and opening the envelope.

"Nigel!" Yemi exclaimed. "His name is Nigel? Oh, Nigel!" She said in an unnaturally high voice. "How handsome you are!"

"I got an invitation to the Slug club." Kitty interrupted. Both girls' attention shifted to the note Kitty had in her hand.

"Tonight?" Tina asked incredulously.

"Yes." Kitty nodded. She had no idea why she had been invited; she didn't even know what the Slug Club was.

"Well, you've got to go!" Yemi insisted.

"I don't want to," Kitty complained. "I want to sleep."

"It's seven'o'clock."

"And?"

"Try it just this once," Yemi said.

"But you two weren't invited! I don't want to go along."

Yemi shot a sly look at Tina. "I bet Jack was invited."

"Ooh, Jack!" Said Tina, giggling. "I bet you like him, Kitty!"

"Do not!"

"Didn't you pick him to be your potions partner?" Yemi asked.

"He picked me. Didn't you pick Rowan?"

Yemi blushed. "Oh, whatever."

"Ooh, Yemi and Rowan." Tina teased. "Kitty and Jack."

"Ha. Ha. Ha." Kitty said. "I'm going to go now, alright?"

Yemi squealed. "Say hi to Jack for me, will you?"

"Whatever." Kitty pretended to be mad, but as she left, she was grinning.