Calypso had never really cared much about Halloween as she didn't have a particularly strong sweet tooth—to both Aunt Gloria's and Junior's disappointment—and last Halloween had soured whatever fond feelings she had towards it—a warning glistening on the hallway wall, Mrs Norris stiff and hanging from one of the torches flashed across her mind—and Harry had ruined even her more mild mood when it came to the Feast.

He had used her as a replacement, treated her as she was a better version of Hermione just because Calypso didn't automatically trust or respect adults, and Calypso wasn't happy. She was her own person, she was not a replacement of anybody and refused to be seen as one, by anyone.

Her place had been made for her, carved out for her, she did not replace anyone, and she would not be used as a replacement. She was not Hermione, she was not Ginny, and she was not Luna, she was Calypso Tonks and she was damn happy about it.

A forkful of chocolate fudge cake was waved in front of her face and broke her from her thoughts.

"A forkful of chocolate helps keep the Wrackspurts away," Luna sung as she directed the fork towards Calypso's mouth.

Her lips twitched before she opened her mouth, trying not to laugh when Luna made a train-noise as the fork was placed gently in her mouth.

Luna beamed at her as Calypso pressed a hand against her mouth and tried not to choke on chocolate cake and laughter.

"You're impossible," Calypso finally said fondly after she swallowed, a smile spread across her lips.

"Thank you," Luna told her happily as she handed the fork back to Calypso, "so are you."

Calypso laughed, mood greatly improved, and ignorant of the fact that Harry was watching her across the Hall.

'So-chan,

Remember that foolish dog you wanted me to find? Well, I found him. Lucky, I did as he was about do get into trouble, such a naughty pup. The family is looking after him, he wasn't in a good state when I found him, but Victoria-ba-chan is confident he'll make a recovery—he'll need several baths though as he stinks.

Don't worry, we'll take good care of him.

Love, Akira '

"Calypso?" Harry called out, jogging up as Calypso stopped in the corridor and turned to him with eyebrows raised. "Hey,"

"Hey," Calypso replied, voice flat in a way that made him cringe.

"So, I messed up," he admitted.

"Yes, you did," she informed him bluntly, watching him evenly.

"I didn't mean to, but I still upset you," Harry said because he didn't believe he had actually hurt Calypso, upset her? Yes, hurt her? No, Calypso had too a thick of skin to be hurt by his thoughtless words and actions. "I'm sorry."

"I know," she told him, "and I forgive you, but I will not be so nice if you ever do that again."

"I won't," he promised her before finally asking what he had wondered for a while. "Why are you so nice to me?"

"Are you saying I'm not a nice person?" she questioned back.

"Well," he hesitated under her narrow eyes. "Not really? Not like you are with me anyway."

"Are you saying I shouldn't be nice to you?" she asked, a blush rising on her pale cheeks.

"No, I just wondered why," he shrugged awkwardly, feeling like he was making another blunder and yet unable to stop himself. "It's kind of weird that you are only nice to me."

Calypso scowled at him, cheeks still red.

"Weird, is it?" she asked tightly, "well, don't worry, I won't make that mistake again Harry Potter."

"Wait, I didn't mean it like that!" he told her a bit frantically.

"How else could you mean it?" she demeaned. "You think it's weird I'm nice to you, so I'll stop being nice to you if that's what you want!"

"No, that's not it," he protested, "I just wanted to know why you are nice to me more than anyone else."

"You are such an idiot," she told him, a heavy blush and scowl on her face, before turning sharply on her heel and speed walking away.

"Calypso!" he called out, almost tempted to chase after her, but he was certain that she would hex him in that very moment and he had seen her hex the twins—unlike them, Harry actually wanted to survive the year.

"She's right you know," a familiar and much unwanted voice told him as two familiar arms wrapped around his shoulders and back. "You are a bit of an idiot."

"A bit, brother? More than a bit," a similar voice sniggered.

"George, Fred," Harry sighed.

"He can't help being blind, Gred," George argued, ignoring Harry for the moment.

"There's blind and then there is blind," Fred replied, "and Harrykins is very much the latter."

"Perhaps, Forge, perhaps," George said thoughtfully. "But he's still young, there's a chance he'll get a clue."

"A clue about what?" Harry questioned, but was ignored.

"Maybe, if he doesn't keep upsetting her," Fred said doubtfully. "I don't think even Ron's this bad."

"Bad about what?" Harry questioned, and again he was ignored.

"Ron's thick," George informed his twin, "Harry's just blind to what's right in front of him."

"Will you stop talking about me like I'm not here?" Harry was once again ignored.

"I don't know how," Fred shook his head, "I think even Ron has some sort of idea of what's going on."

"I wouldn't go that far," George argued. "Ron can't see much beyond Hermione, their fights, Harrykins, food and how Slytherins are awful."

"True," Fred nodded. "But mostly Hermione."

"Will you tell me what you are talking about?" Harry almost shouted and two pairs of brown eyes blinked down at him.

"We could," George said thoughtfully.

"But it's unlikely to get through your rather thick skull," Fred actually knocked on his head making Harry scowl up at him.

"And it's funnier this way," George added, "if a bit sad."

"Oh well, gives us more chance to woo our thorny rose," Fred smirked, and George smirked back.

"Good luck, Harry." George told him brightly.

"Can't wait to see how you drag yourself out of this hole," Fred almost cackled before the twins left him alone in the corridor.

"You two are the worse," he called to their retreating backs making them laugh.

"Miss Tonks," Professor Snape called over the clatter of his second-year class—Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, a blessed change from his third-year class of Gryffindor and Slytherin as the Lions didn't automatically hate the Eagles and the Eagles didn't bother to subtly sabotage the Lions' potions in revenge for some slight or grudge. "Stay behind for a moment."

Severus Snape still didn't know what possessed Dumbledore to almost continually pair up the Snakes and the Lions together for the most dangerous class amongst the core-subjects—potions were hard enough for the dunderheads to learn without adding in House rivalry—and was just thankful that he had been able to argue for the Houses to be assigned together differently for each year.

Unfortunately, that victory hadn't helped when it came to Potter, no, he just had to arrive the year that Dumbledore paired Gryffindor and Slytherin together, forcing Snape to deal with Longbottom's incompetence, Potter's bullheadedness, Granger's overwhelming need to show off and Malfoy's pettiness with dashes of the youngest male Weasley's temper to liven it all up.

Those lessons remained Severus why he had never and would never like children.

His second-year class of Ravenclaw and Gryffindor was mostly calm, beside the almost expected displays of incompetence and ruined potions. The female Weasley kept her temper, Creevey was his normal amount of annoyance and enthusiasm that gave Severus a head-ache, Lovegood kept a careful eye on her potions despite her unique personality and Tonks the younger actually had a respectable tongue in her mouth, asked intelligent questions if needed and was a more than adequate brewer unlike her sister that had just scrapped by.

Tonks the younger also seemed to have an actual brain in her head and good instincts with her instant and on-going dislike of Lupin. Unlike with Lockhart last year—what a waste of space and magic he had been—there was no reason in the eyes of the other Professors' and students' eyes for her to dislike the new and quickly beloved Defence Professor.

Severus, however, had several reasons to dislike—hate—Lupin and to distrust him, and only one of them was because of Lupin's affliction.

Remus Lupin had and would always be a coward when it counted, Severus knew as he had witnessed it first-hand. Oh, he would fight the good fight and do what was needed, but when it came to his friends? He closed his eyes and shut his ears to their crimes and sins, turning his face away from those that had suffered under the so-called righteous hand of the Marauders and had turned towards him for help, for him to reason against the casual cruelty that Black and Potter had dealt out with the insufferably encouragement of Pettigrew.

"Professor?" Tonks called, hair braided back sensibly and her natural dark shade that marked her as a scion of House Black, none of the bright and sometimes head-ache inducing colours that her elder sister was fond of, and broke him from his thoughts of years gone by. "Was there something wrong with my essay or potion?"

Her eyebrows furrowed together as she no doubt attempted to figure out what could possibly be wrong with her recent work.

"Your work, as always, is adequate," Snape informed her, pleased when she smiled in slight pride and nodded without huffing that she was more than adequate like certain students would—Tonks at least understood that high praise would never pass his lips and actual praise was rare, she knew to take his words as they were meant. "I have noticed you don't seem to be as enamoured with Lupin."

"I don't like him," she scowled, setting her chin stubbornly and refusing to take back the blunt statement she had given him.

He almost wanted to smile, her blunt honesty may sometimes annoy him as a Slytherin, but it was also something that had been entraining last year and was something to be admired.

"Good," he nodded, "it seems I'm not as surrounded by dunderheads as I thought, keep a wary eye on Lupin, Miss Tonks. He is not someone I would trust to be close to me."

Her dark eyes—with none of the insanity of her aunt, thankfully—gleamed with intelligence as she inwardly chewed over his words.

"You may also want to review your knowledge of Chapter Nine of your Defence book, it would be most helpful," Severus informed her making her dark eyes narrow slightly. "Dismissed."

Tonks nodded, adjusted her bag strap over her shoulder and left on swift feet.

Dumbledore may have banned him from actively telling the students of the monster in their halls, but that didn't stop him from prompting certain students to work it out themselves.

AN: Again, another short chapter, as you can probably tell I'm struggling with this fic more than I've struggled in my other fics I believe. Curse you writer's block! And ill health and wandering mind with other ideas.

I still hope you like this chapter, please read and review.