"We have to stop meeting like this, Potter."

I flushed a deep crimson and managed to stutter an apology while I picked myself up off of Luke's hard body, my hand lingering on his hard biceps. Whoaaaa...down, Lily.

He got up and brushed the dirt off his robes while offering me a small grin. "Lily, relax. I just have to get used to your clumsiness."

I frowned slightly (mentally ignoring his adorable smile). I am not clumsy...well, I am only clumsy around him...damn, I really need to get my act together.

He seemed to realize he said something wrong so he quickly back-tracked, "I mean I just have to get used to it so I am always around to cushion your fall."

Hmmm...well played, Mr. Wood, well played.

"You better be, Wood," I grinned up at him. Merlin, was I flirting with Luke? Noooooo...wait. Was I?

He shot me a crooked grin and started to walk with me up to the castle, "So, was Malfoy bothering you?"

I looked at him surprised. "No of course not...well no more than usual. I just left James and Albus to get over their issues and Malfoy's carriage was the closest."

Luke nodded seriously. "Well just be careful. From what Daemon says, Malfoy is quite the skirt chaser."

At Luke's words I remembered the letter Scorpius had given me to pass on to my cousin now tucked away in my pocket, the heavy parchment seemed to burn a hole in my robes as well as lighting curiosity.

"Really I can handle myself, don't go all proxy brother on me please. James and Al are plenty to deal with."

"Believe me, I do not want to be your brother," Luke laughed but I blushed. He always managed to say things that could be taken as flirtatious and I never really knew what he was implying. As much as I wanted to believe Luke was showing some interest in me, I knew I was reading far too much into everything.

We parted ways once we got to the Great Hall, he to sit with Fred and I to sit with Roxanne, Edie and Samira.

Roxanne raised a dark eyebrow at me but said nothing as I slipped onto the bench. I sent her a grateful smile, while she simply rolled her eyes in return.

I heard my eldest brother's obnoxious laugh and I turned around in my seat to see James with his arm thrown over Al's shoulder and both were smiling and laughing. I shook my head. My brothers are so odd. Behind them Neville...errr...Professor Longbottom entered the Great Hall, trailing behind him a group of small first years all who looked as if they were about to piss themselves.

I sat distracted through the entire sorting, my hand pushed into my robe's pockets and fingering the letter. To open or not to open... that is the question. This letter has thrown my whole moral reasoning into debate. I, out of my whole family, respected the idea of privacy the most. With an Auror for a father and two noisy older brothers, privacy was a hard thing to come by in my house and I decided with a sigh that I would not jeopardize Rose's simply because of my curiosity.

Though I had made this decision, my romantic imagination went into over drive. My uptight and beautiful cousin Rose falling for the brooding and intimidating Scorpius, but due to old family feuds they had to hide their love for one another, initiating a snowball of lies and secret rendezvous.

The loud applause of the hall interrupted my musings, the sorting was over as well as the opening speech and delicious food magically appeared. The wood tables groaned underneath the weight and students eagerly piled food onto their plates.

My curiosity could not hold out any longer, so I ignored my rumbling stomach and made my way over to where Al and Rose were sitting. I shot a look at a small first year who immediately budged up closer to his friends and I took his seat across from my cousin.

"Lily!" Rose immediately scolded me and apologized to the first year for my rudeness while Al simply laughed.

"No wonder you were not made a Prefect!" Rose continued to berate my indifference towards lesser years. "Remember you were a first year once, too!"

I shrugged and rolled my eyes. I was none too fussed that I didn't get Prefect. Neither of my parents nor my brothers got a badge and Uncle Ron said the only upside of it is the use of the Prefects' bathroom which I knew the password to thanks to other family members who hold positions of authority.

"What's up, Lils?" Al asked leaning forward over his steak and kidney pie, his green eyes dancing with laughter behind his frames.

That's why Rose and Al are such good friends. He is pretty laid back (though James and I know how to rile him up pretty easily) so Rose's constant need for organization and order tend not to bother him.

"You and James made up pretty fast," I answered in a smug voice.

"Don't get up on your high horse, little sis. We are both men..."

Rose and I both let out very unladylike snorts at this point and Al shot us a scowl and repeated insistently, "We are both men and can get over our issues without holding petty grudges."

I figured Al was not going to tell me how they resolved their fight so I decided I would take the credit for it regardless.

"Al, do you mind if I talk to Rose for a minute?" I asked tentatively.

Al looked at me surprised. "But I just filled up my plate! And whatever you need to say to Rose you can say in front of me!"

I bit my lip. I doubted Rose would want to talk about illicit romances in front of Albus.

"I have to talk to her about...you know...that time of the month."

Al's cheeks tinged pink but he raised an eyebrow at me while he shook a chicken drumstick in my direction. "Shut it, Lily, that's your go to excuse for everything. You used it to get out of that one History of Magic class and to get out of practicing during that hail storm last year. James and Professor Bins may have believed you but I don't."

Shit. Albus is way too smart for his own good. I am definitely going to have to come up with better excuses.

"Fine. But remember I didn't want you here for this," I pulled out the letter and handed it over to Rose.

"Who's that from?" Al immediately demanded as he reached out a long arm trying to intercept the letter.

Rose waved away his grabbing hand and answered him, "Malfoy."

Al nodded. "Is that all this is about? Nice build up for no reason, Lils."

I ignored my brother, who went back to his supper and I studied Rose's face as she read the letter. She finished, folded it up and placed it back in her robes without betraying a single blink.

Privacy be damned. "Sooooooo... What did he write?"

Rose looked at me and leaned closer. "Okay, don't tell anyone but..."

Here it was, the confession of real life star crossed lovers, just like the couple that Muggle, Bill Shackspear or something, wrote about...

"Malfoy is worried about his grades for Transfiguration so he asked me to tutor him. This letter was just him letting me know when he is free to meet. He is embarrassed though, asking me for help. But I am the top student, so he had really no one else to go to. "

And just like that my whole romantic illusion crashed down at my feet. "Oh."

Rose laughed, sensing my disappointment. "What did you expect, Lily? I am dating Clar. Did you think you were helping him pass on love notes? That we were like Romeo and Juliet?"

I blushed at my foolishness. "Well, it would be horribly romantic..."

"Have you ever read the story?"

"Well, no...I just have heard you and your mum discuss it and Edie had to read it in Muggle Studies."

Rose scoffed. "They killed themselves after four days of knowing each other. It's hardly romantic"

Well isn't she the cynic.

I offered Rose an awkward smile and went to make my way over to sit with my friends again, trying to save the last of my dignity.

"Good luck with your time of the month Lily!" Al yelled down the table, an irrepressible smirk spread wide across his face while Rose punched him lightly in the shoulder.

Laughter erupted down the Gryffindor table while I threw a glare over my shoulder and flipped my brother off. Unfortunately, this did not get past the keen eyes of Professor Aldridge. "Five points off Gryffindor, Miss Potter, for offensive behaviour."

Bloody hell, this year is not starting off well.

"So, you thought they were having an affair?" Roxanne peeled over in laughter.

"It isn't so inconceivable!" I yelled at her as I threw a pillow off my bed in her general direction.

"Come on, this is Rose you are talking about. Eleven outstanding OWLS, Prefect, most likely candidate for Head Girl next year dating Malfoy the bad-ass? Highly unlikely," Roxanne turned her back to me and began to rummage through her trunk.

"He isn't that much of a rebel, he has really excellent grades, he plays Quidditch and most of the professors like him."

Roxanne nodded, "Yeah, but he seems to just exude rebellion and bad boy, especially since our family would be in an uproar if Rose ever brought him home. The only way she would date him is if she suddenly felt the need to piss off Uncle Ron."

I sighed in defeat and collapsed on my bed. "Whatever."

Roxanne laughed again and came over to my bed. "He is quite handsome though, isn't he?"

"That's an understatement. He is bloody gorgeous."

Roxanne smiled cheekily at me. "Almost as gorgeous as... say, Luke Wood?"

I ignored her and rolled over, putting my head in my pillow.

"I guess they are both considered 'forbidden fruit'. There is something dead sexy about that," she contemplated, pretending seriousness.

"Okay. Enough. Piss off," my voice came out incredibly muffled but Roxanne got the gist of it and laughed.

I felt the mattress jostle and looked up to see Roxanne sitting at the end of my bed.

"I'm bored..." she crossed her legs and looked at me expectantly.

"Yeah and I'm tired. Get in your own bed."

"Let's go nick some food from the kitchens, Lil! First time of the term."

"We just had a huge feast, I am stuffed."

Roxanne grabbed my feet and dragged me out of my bed.

"Fine, fine! I am coming! Merlin you are persistent."

"Just one of my many charms!" and with that, Roxanne raced out the door and down the dormitory stairs.

I glanced at Edie and Samira who were playing Exploding Snap on the floor, "You guys coming?"

They both shook their heads no, looking relieved that Roxanne had not focused her persuasive charms on them, convincing them to leave the warm dorm room.

"Lily Bean!" Roxanne sing-songed from the bottom of the stairs.

She was going to wake everyone up in the whole bloody castle if she continued to be this loud.

I ran down the steps, my dressing gown billowing behind me and when I got to the bottom of the stairs, Roxanne was almost out of the portrait hole.

"Roxanne, should we not get the map from James?" I called quietly after her.

"No! It's more fun without it! More of a thrill!" and with that she was out into the hallway skipping off to the kitchens.

I cursed under my breath and made my way across the common room, the stones cold on my feet. I looked at my watch, 11: 26 p.m., almost everyone was passed out after the filling meal. I wished I was asleep right now. Damn Roxanne.

I caught up to Roxanne and managed to stop her skipping like a bloody house elf and we quietly made our way through the dark, silent castle.

"Roxy, this is a stupid idea."

"Shut up, Lily."

I continued my stream of negative remarks and Roxanne pointedly ignored me until we finally got to the painting of the fruit bowl. She walked up to the painting, her long dark hair swinging with each step.

"What do we have here?" a disembodied voice cut through the darkness and Roxanne and I froze.

She looked at me, her dark blue eyes wide. I could see the decision between fight or flight running through her mind.

Before we could resort to any desperate plans the owner of the voice stepped into the light and I sighed in relief.

"Hugo."

"What are you two doing out of bed?"

I was about to answer when Roxanne cut me off, "What are you doing out of bed?"

Excellent, Roxanne, annoying the family member who can give us detention for being out after curfew.

Hugo gave us both an odd look, "I am a Prefect remember? I am doing my rounds."

I looked at my watch again, "Rounds finished half an hour ago."

Light footsteps on the stone floor interrupted Hugo's explanation, and I turned to see Rose, her hair in disarray and wearing a dressing gown over a ratty and rather short night shirt.

You cannot go bloody anywhere without running into a member of my family.

"Lily? Roxanne? Hugo? What are you all doing out of bed?"

Great, now we are all in trouble. Roxanne always manages to get me into bad situations.

Her younger brother rushed to explain, "Just finished rounds, Rosie."

Roxanne looked at Hugo shrewdly and put her hands on her hips, an action I found made her resemble her mother in an almost terrifying way. Indeed Hugo seemed to cower under her stare.

"Prefect rounds finished thirty minutes ago."

"Then what are you doing out of bed?"

Rose blushed and managed to stutter out a response, "Just saying goodnight to Clar."

Hugo's ears tinged pink and his face grew red, his freckles standing out more even in the dark. I swear you could play a never ending game of "connect the dots" on the kid's face.

"What? In that? The uniform you wore during rounds wasn't sufficient?" Hugo demanded angrily, throwing his hands up in the air.

I looked at Roxanne, surprised we had somehow managed to escape being told off by both Hugo and Rose. They were simply too caught up in their family quarrel to notice us slip past and into the cozy, inviting kitchen. The last thing I heard was the portrait slam close, cutting off whatever Rose was going to say to Hugo in retaliation.

"Dodged a curse there," Roxanne muttered to me as we made our way over to the small scrubbed wooden table.

A house elf immediately appeared at my elbow, "What can Mitsy do for you, misses?"

I wasn't even hungry. I glanced at Roxanne and could tell she only wanted to do this because of the cheap thrills. I rolled my eyes at her as she grinned sheepishly.

"Just two hot cocos please, Mitsy"

We were immediately served large mugs. I let the steam rise up around my face and embraced the warmth washing over me after running through the frigid castle.

We sat in silence for a while, watching the house elves bustle around cleaning the already shining surfaces.

Roxanne suddenly snickered and looked at me over her mug, her eyes dancing with laughter. "Did you see what Rose was wearing? Our Rose! I think this is blackmail worthy material."

I shook my head. "Uh uh, no way...I am counting on Rose helping me with my OWLS. I am going to be kissing the ground she walks on and staying out of her romantic life."

Roxanne shrugged her shoulders, seemingly unconcerned about the upcoming examinations that would dominate our entire year. Of course she is so nonchalant about it, I don't think she is ever stressed out.

She sighed and leaned back in her chair. "Maybe we should just skip tomorrow. I mean all it's going to be is the professors telling us how crucial our results on these tests are for our future. Let's go for a fly or something."

I thought about it, it was supposed to be a lovely day tomorrow. But tempting as it was I knew for sure with a family this large it would get back to our parents.

"You are a terrible influence on me, Roxy. We are going to class, we have to start this year off right."

"Come on..." she wheedled, "your dad skived class all the time, he even told us."

"He missed class because he was saving the wizarding world, not because he felt like some pick up Quidditch, it's a big difference"

She rolled her eyes. "Fineeee, if we must," she answered, though I distinctively heard her mutter that it was really not that big of a difference.

We drained our hot coco, thanked the house elves and began to make our way out of the kitchen.

Roxanne linked arms with me and looked at me seriously. "So, the only grounds we can cut class on are..."

"If the wizarding world needs saving, yeah."

Roxanne peeked around the corner to make sure the coast was clear before continuing our whispered conversation. "Promise?"

"Yeah."

She giggled slightly and shot me a grin. "Good."

We continued to make our way up to the common room in silence, Roxanne walking without a care in the world while I jumped at every noise. We entered the common room to find a dead fire and few candles lit. Deciding that whatever Roxanne had planned for the rest of the night I would not be a part of them, I hurried up the stairs not waiting for her.

I jumped in my bed and pulled the covers up over my freezing toes while I listened to my dorm mates in their sleeping state. Edie's loud snores dominated the room. For being that small, her snoring rivaled my Uncle Ron's.

The dormitory door opened and Roxanne floated through then jumped on her bed, the mattress springs creaking slightly with her movements.

"Night, Lils. Thanks for coming with me tonight," she said as she pulled the covers up over her chin. She rolled on her side to look at me.

"You owe me," I shot back at her halfheartedly; I had to admit I enjoyed our small-time adventures.

We both rolled over and I looked up into my dark drapings. "Hey, Roxy, what are the odds do you think that Rose would accept our excuse for missing class, you know 'having to save the world'?"

I heard Roxanne snort and pull her curtains shut, her words cutting through the thick material, "About as likely as her having a secret affair with Malfoy, Lily-Bean."

Wow! Okay so that update didn't take to long right?
Okay enough of the excuses how did you all like it? I know it was more of a filler chapter but please please please please review!

Much love...potterwriter340237.