I'm SO SORRY I haven't been updating! I've been so busy (and lazy tbh) and my ADD brain has been bouncing ideas off of me for so many different things. Anyway, please enjoy this chapter as an apology.

After the girls had heard the name "Erica Yaxley", they were obsessed with finding information. Lily and Baylee had taken to going to the library under the cloak and sneaking to the restricted section to see if her name would emerge. Faye would listen to the older students, as she tended to be overlooked for her quiet nature. Artemis, however, would go silent when they would talk about it.

"I think I know who she is."

Lily's hand, which had been turning a page in a very old book, froze.

"Wait, what? Why didn't you say anything?" Baylee whispered, glancing around. They were in breakfast, and they didn't want to risk being overheard. Artemis, seeing Baylee's nervousness, sighed.

"Oh c'mon Baylee, everyone's too excited about Hogsmeade to listen to a couple of first years."

It was true, of course. Although it was January and terribly cold, everyone in third year and above were buzzing in excitement. The first and second years looked on in envy, waiting for their turn to finally go to town.

"Who is she, then?" Faye asked, and Artemis' eyes grew heavy.

"She was a Ravenclaw who went here. Graduated recently, too. She was sentenced to go to Azkaban for murdering a muggleborn wizard, but she escaped. I'm not sure where she is now, but if there was anyone who was looking to finish what Voldemort started, it would be her."

Lily's brown eyes widened at this, and she leaned over the table.

"How in Merlin's name do you know this?" She asked, and Artemis winced. The bruise on her face had long since faded, but the fact it was there in the first place had worried Lily immensely.

"I—" Artemis cut herself off abruptly, and curled in on herself, "please just…don't hate me for this. Please."

Baylee took her hand, and smiled encouragingly.

"I'd only hate you if you decided you wanted to join her." Faye declared, and Artemis looked at her in disgust.

"Merlin's beard, no. I'm not an idiot."

"Debatable." Lily muttered playfully, earning half hearted glare from Artemis, "now, Artie, just tell us. We won't be angry."

Artemis took a deep breath, but before she could say anything, someone pulled on Lily's braid, causing her to cry out in alarm and pain.

"Well well well, if it isn't the four brainless bimbos!" Lily scowled at the voice, and turned to see Seamus standing there with his two friends, whose names Lily hadn't bothered to remember.

"What do you want, Seamus? We're not in the mood to deal with you." Artemis said, glowering and crossing her arms over her chest.

"Just wanted to ask how your holidays were, Rosier. Heard your parents had a field day with you." Seamus sneered. Artemis' face turned a bright red, and Lily could see the panic flashing in her eyes. Without thinking, the redhead stood and pushed Seamus away from the table.

"Leave us alone, unless you'd like me to hex you into next week. Which I'd be happy to do." Lily snapped, and Seamus' surprise was quickly overtaken by rage.

"I'd watch yourself, Potter. Wouldn't want your friends to get hurt, would you?" He laughed, and Lily saw red.

The next thing she knew, Seamus was on the ground, clutching his nose, which was bleeding profusely.

"Say that again and I won't be as kind." Lily spat, her breath coming out in short, angry pants.

"Miss Potter!" A voice called, and Lily internally groaned. After the teacher had taken her outside of the Great Hall and given her a week of detention, the eleven year old walked to the common room with a pout on her face. The redhead sat on the couch of the Hufflepuff common room with a huff, picking up a random book that had been left there.

"You're a barbarian, you know that?" Lily jumped, and looked up to see Eden glaring at her.

"Excuse me?" She retorted, fixing Eden with a glare of her own.

"You don't have the right to hit other people, Potter. You deserve those detentions." The girl sniffed, and Lily felt her temper begin to boil over.

"Listen up Smith," Lily started, rising from the couch, "the only reason I punched that arse was because he decided it would be funny to pick on one of my best friends. I don't take that sitting down."

Eden looked less sure of herself, but still managed to say, "I thought that kindness was a Hufflepuff quality."

Lily closed her eyes and took a deep breath to keep herself from screaming.

"So is loyalty," she said heatedly, "and I'll punch everyone who wants to hurt my friends. They don't deserve my kindness."

Eden looked stunned for a moment, but then remembered herself. She tucked her frizzy hair behind her ear, and her green eyes narrowed in anger. Clenching her fists, Eden flounced away, muttering about the idiocy of Potters. Lily couldn't help but linger on how Eden's cheeks had turned a rosy pink, and how pretty it was.

What in Merlin's name—

"Lily, that was wicked! We should punch Seamus more often!" A voice called, and she turned to see Artemis running towards her, Baylee and Faye hot on her heels.

Lily couldn't help the smile that made its way onto her face, and she sighed dramatically as they sat in front of the fire with her.

"You're welcome." She said sweetly, and the three girls laughed.

After they settled down, Baylee cleared her throat, eyeing Artemis.

"Artie, you never told us how you knew about Erica." She said without preamble, and the laughter in Artemis' eyes died. Glancing down, she bit her lip.

"I know her because…because my family supports her."

OH SNAP

tumblr (that keeps changing and i'm so sorry): trashben