Gemma sat in the corner, reading. This book was written by Sir Rhys Cox, but was proving to have minimal useful information. Pus the text was so tiny she had to squint to read, and it was slowly giving her a headache. She was on the train to go h- no. Not home. She was on the train to go to Iz's home, because she didn't have a home anymore. Dumbledore and McGonagall were still looking for someone she could live with over summer, but all those sympathetic aunts and uncles from the funeral seemed to have disappeared the second responsibility came into the picture, and they were taking their sweet time about it.

'Gemma!' Ted said coming into the compartment, Luke and Iz following.

'Its Christmas,' Iz sang. 

'Its Easter,' Luke corrected, not looking up from his book.

'Same thing,' she huffed. Gemma put her book aside, folding the page so she wouldn't lose her place. Luke, very slowly, lowered his own.

'Did you just. Fold. The page?' He asked, voice dangerously low. Gemma saw her life flash before her eyes.

'R.I.P Gemma, fly high,' Ted murmured. 

'I can explain,' She began. Then she thought the better of it and ran out of the compartment, clutching her book to her chest.

'Blasphemer!' Luke yelled after her. 'I'll get my revenge someday!'

She didn't stop running until she knocked into someone. She nearly tripped, but they grabbed onto her arm just in time. She was about to thank them, but they smirked at her and let go. She fell to the ground with an 'oof' noise.

'Watch where your going,' Snyde said cockily. 

'Prat,' She groaned, standing. He shrugged.

'At least I broke your fall. Why are you charging down train corridors?'

'I folded the page of a book,' She said. He stared at her, waiting for an explanation, but she gave none. He frowned.

'Book? You can read? I thought you jocks thought yourself above that kind of stuff.'

'Of course I can read,' she snorted. 'And I'm just as much a 'jock' as you are.'

'Do you know what a jock is?' He asked innocently. 

'Probably something bad. Am I right?'

'A jock is a sports person,' he explained, like she was dumb. 'An American word actually. Wouldn't expect the likes of you to know it anyway.'

'And I am done talking to you,' she huffed. More like being insulted by you. She made her way down the train as the whistle blew and it started to leave its station. She found Regulus and Snape on the way.

'Hey, its Severus!" She said, slinging her arm round his shoulder. 'How are  you doing, Severus?'

Severus wrinkled his nose at her while Regulus explained. 'We're trying to find Avery and Mulciber,' he said. 'Have you seen them?'

'Of course not,' she said shrugging. 'Why on Earth would I want to  see them?'

'You seemed pretty close with Mulciber a month ago,' Snape said dully. 

'Do you not have somewhere to be?' She asked him sweetly. He looked at Regulus for help, but Regulus just raised his eyebrows and shrugged, so he left, grumbling slightly. She turned back to Regulus. 'His face irritates me.' 

Regulus laughed, and said, 'Of course it does.'

Their conversation faded to silence, neither one knowing what to say. Gemma spoke first.

'I should go back,' she said, 'Patch things up with Luke before he jumps at my throat in front of Mrs Greengrass.'

'What did you do this time?' He said wearily.

'I folded the page of a book.' 

He stared at her. 'In front of Luke? Are you mad?'

'Yes, I suppose I am.' She smiled, and then gave him a formal curtsy. 'Goodbye, Mr Black. Until we meet again!'

'Goodbye, Miss Aston, until next time,' he said, waving his hand unsurely. She tutted.

'That's not how your supposed to do it,' she complained. 'Honestly, I would have thought you were better at this, considering how formal you purebloods are.'

'How am I supposed to do it then,' he said exasperatedly. She tutted again.

'Must I teach you everything?' She reached around him and took his hand in hers. She bowed slightly, brought it to her lips and kissed it lightly. 'Then you say, "farewell for now, Miss Aston". She whispered the last part, and then dropped his hand gently and left, going back to her compartment. 

Write that down, Regulus said to himself. 

.•*•.•*•.•*•.•*•.•*•.•*•.

'Okay,' Iz said before they got off the train. 'Gemma, you need to know that my parents are not like yours.'

'Okay?' Gemma said. 

'I have told them that you are a pureblood. Namely, Pandora Lestrange.' Gemma stared at her.

'Iz, I look nothing like Pandora.'

'The Lestranges don't go out in public much,' Luke said helpfully. 'They probably won't even know what she looks like.'

'They wouldn't even let you in the house if they found out you were a halfblood,' Iz said. 'So this is really our only chance anyway.' Gemma winced as she remembered the reaction of Ted's father to meeting hers. It made her worry for Iz, and apparently Ted was thinking the same thing.

'Is that safe?' He asked uncertainly. 'Like, what if they find out you lied? We could always put Gemma on park bench somewhere-'

'Thank you, that makes me feel so loved-'

'And bring her food once in a while,' Ted finished. 'I would just- I would hate to see you get hurt.'

'Your sweet,' Iz said, smiling at him, 'but my parents usually take their anger out on Gage. They would never touch me or Eva.'

'I don't know if I should be relieved by that,' Luke murmured. 

They got off the train, and found Iz's parents and her brother and sister waiting for them on the platform. Gage Greengrass was a sixth year, and was as slim built as Iz, his hair the same shade of light brown as hers naturally was. Eva Greengrass was one year away from attending Hogwarts, and had the same features as her siblings, except her hair was frizzier and ginger, and her face dotted with freckles. 

'Izzy! Ted!' Eva called excitedly, running up to her sister and her friend. Ted caught her and picked her up, and Gemma smiled at the little girl's delighted giggles. 

'Hello,' Luke said, politely extending his hand out to Mr Greengrass. 'How do you do?'

'I am rather well, thank you,' Mr Greengrass said. A tall and intimidating man, the smile he wore didn't quite look fitting on his face. 'I take it you are Ted, yes? Very respectable family, the Notts...'

'I'm Ted,' Ted cut in quickly, putting Eva down, 'remember, I spent winter at your house? That's Luke.'

'Aha. Yes. So you are Luke... Harrow?' Mr Greengrass asked. Luke nodded. 

'The Harrows are Irish, is that right?' Mrs Greengrass spoke up. She had a stern voice. 'And you have some... contaminated... blood on your fathers side, correct?' Gemma gaped at her bluntness.

'Yes,' Luke said, polite as ever, though she could see him gritting his teeth. 

'Mother,' Iz said, rolling her eyes slightly, though careful not to let it be seen. 'Could you please not interrogate my friends before we are even home!'

'Darling, we're just getting to know them better,' Mr Greengrass dismissed. 

'And keep your back straight,' Mrs Greengrass chastised.

'Mother!' Iz complained, while Gage snickered slightly behind his hand. 

'You must be... Pandora?' Mr Greengrass said. 'I was quite close with Darwin Lestrange during my time at Hogwarts... I must say you don't really resemble him much...'

'I look more like mother,' Gemma muttered. Mrs Greengrass looked at her with distaste, and she immediately straightened her back feeling rather self- conscious. She already disliked both of her best friend's parents immensely. 

'Can we go?' Gage groaned, though he was promptly hit by his mother's cane. 

'Do not complain,' she snapped.

'I do believe we should get going,' Mr Greengrass said. He looked toward Gage expectantly. 'I heard you passed your apparition test?'

'Yeah,' Gage replied. A stern look from his mother and he quickly corrected his statement to 'yes, father.'

'Very good,' Mr Greengrass said approvingly. 'We shall apparate home.'

'God forbid we should have to bustle past all those muggles,' Mrs Greengrass said, shuddering. 

Ted took Eva's hand and held onto the arm of Mr Greengrass, while Luke and Gemma took that of Mrs Greengrass. Iz took her brother's, and they apparated- it was surprisingly smooth, and Gemma did not feel sick this time- to the outside of a large, intimidating black manor. It was considerably smaller than the Malfoy Manor, but definitely bigger than the Notts'. Gemma reckoned her old house could fit comfortably in the kitchen of this mansion. 

They entered, and Gemma immediately hated the place, despite its size. The walls were bare and the furniture scarce and morose. She wasn't quite sure how anyone could ever call this home, remembering her own carpeted living room with the worn red sofas and roaring fireplace. 

'We'll let you all go upstairs and get settled in,' Mr Greengrass said lightly. 

'Dinner is at seven,' Mrs Greengrass said sharply. 

'Thank you,' Luke said, but he seemed as eager to get away from them as Gemma felt, and they all quickly followed Iz up the stairs. Gage stayed behind, but Eva came with them. She seemed to be very close to Ted, something which had probably developed over Christmas when Ted had run away. 

'Am I staying in your room?' Gemma asked Iz, but Iz rolled her eyes.

'No silly,' she said, 'have you seen the size of this house?'

Ted went straight to his room, and Iz showed Luke and Gemma to theirs. Luckily, Iz gave her quite a comfortable small bedroom, but she missed her crimson walls and wooden bookshelves. 

Iz and Eva made their way into her room, and sat on her bed.

'Hi,' Gemma said, smiling at the little girl. 

'Hi,' the girl responded, rather shyly. 

'I'm Gemma,' she said. 'I'm in Iz's year'.

'I know that,' Eva said, frowning.

'She's ten, not four,' Iz said, rolling her eyes. 

'Sorry' Gemma winced, 'no experience with kids.'

'Can I tell you a secret?' Eva asked. 

'Sure,' Gemma smiled. She leaned over, and Eva whispered in her ear so Iz couldn't hear.

'Oh that's nice,' Iz huffed.

'Izzy likes Ted,' Eva whispered. Gemma drew away from her, her eyes widening.

'Really?' She said. She was genuinely surprised. 'How do you know?'

'She talks about him all the time,' Eva whispered back. 

'Eva!' Iz said, irritated. 'Stop whispering about me to my friend!' Eva giggled and ran out of the room. Iz raised an eyebrow at Gemma. 'What was that?'

'I can't betray your sister!' Gemma replied, and Iz made a face at her.