A/N: Part one of a two shot. Set in the HP verse, with Annie as a Slytherin and Armin as Gryffindor. Obviously, it's AruAni. Part two will be posted by the end of the week, though I actually wrote the second part first... orz. Anyway, hope you enjoy!

"Reading again?"

Annie chose to keep her head down, trying to ignore the semi-circle of Slytherins gathered around her. Her fellow housemates weren't very accepting of her; she did her best to avoid them but they always had a way of catching up with her.

She would much rather read than bother trying to beat the bullies up, which would be all too easy.

"Yes, Patrick," she replied evenly. "It's part of the normal school curriculum." She turned a page and the book was rudely snatched from her hand.

She stared up into a crooked smile. Patrick dropped the book and he and his cronies laughed as Annie bent down to pick it up.

The hairs on the back of her neck tingled and she was ready to block the blow coming, when a shout rang out behind her.

"Hey! Leave her alone!"

She snatched up the book and stood up, stepping away from the group. Armin moved in front of her, wand drawn.

One of the other bullies, Derick, sneered. "Look out, Annie's girlfriend is gonna get us!"

"Just buzz off," Armin replied evenly. His grip shook ever so slightly. "Annie never did anything to you guys."

"She's a snake," Patrick snapped. "A treacherous snake, who belongs in Azkaban, just like her father."

Annie clenched her fists. "Funny thing to say," Armin said slowly, "when her dad was convicted because your guilty parents had to bribe their way out of a one way trip to Azkaban for their crimes."

The group fell silent and Annie felt her face flush as she gazed at Armin; Patrick's face twisted into an ugly scowl. "I'll teach you to say that again, you—" He rushed forward and gripped Armin's collar in his fist.

Later on, Annie would claim her body acted of its own accord. She hardly remembered it, really.

But at the end of it, her knuckles were slightly bruised and Patrick was lying in a bloody heap, screaming and swearing as he was dragged off by his friends, who gave up carrying him half way to the castle and ran full speed away from them.

Armin stared after the retreating figures. His blue eyes were wide. He looked at Annie and took a step back. "W-wow," he said quietly. "That was—"

"Nothing," Annie said, absently dusting her book. The last thing she needed was Armin thinking that she was a freak. "It was nothing."

"Are you kidding me?" Armin's hand landed on her shoulder and he forced her to turn around.

"That was… that was amazing!"

She shrugged off his hand and continued walking, trying to deny the way her cheeks flushed — again. "Nothing special."

"Who taught you how to fight?"

Annie hesitated, then said, "My dad."

Armin twiddled his thumbs. "Do you think… do you think you could teach…" She turned around to face him, raising an eyebrow expectantly. "Eren," he finally said. "Eren wants to learn to fight, and… you're amazing, Annie… I mean, you'd be a really good teacher… you're amazing… a-an amazing... fighter…"

They both stared at each other in silence, faces flushed. Annie was brought from her daze by the snowflake that landed on her nose. She shivered a little. The snow was falling slowly, but surely; beautiful white sprinkles, slowly frosting the earth.

"Maybe," she finally said. "Maybe." She sneezed into her hands and shivered again.

Armin suppressed a smile. Annie sent him a glare but that only seemed to make him laugh harder. "Come on, let's go inside. It's getting cold."

She raised an eyebrow as Armin walked beside her but she said nothing. She enjoyed the company, to be honest. "You really need something to keep you warm, Annie…"