Please keep sending me your predictions - I love reading them!

To keep you excited: in the next chapter, we'll be seeing Snape's Worst Memory. I wonder how Ginny will play her part/react...

Form and Function

Chapter XV - Familiar Faces

May 28, 1976

"You're so lucky that you missed the Slug Club tonight, Gin," Lily groaned, collapsing on her bed. "It was somehow worse than usual. Belby went on and on about the uses of Aconite; even Snape was bored out of his mind!"

"I should owl Hitchins right away to thank her, then," Ginny replied with a smile, her detention excusing her from the monthly torment that was the Slug Club.

"Professor Hitchins," Lily chided. "But you did miss one thing: in lieu of the regular meeting next month, he's actually having an end-of-the-year party. He had one at Christmas, before you came. It was fine; he brings in former students and you get to listen to them drone on about their boring jobs while getting drunk off elf wine - and you get to bring a date!"

Ginny remembered Slughorn's Christmas party all too well. It had taken place just days before Ginny was catapulted across time, and it was….interesting.

"You're taking Davies?" Ginny asked casually.

"Yep," Lily responded quickly. "Who do you want to take to the party?" Lily asked before suggestively adding, "Potter or Black?"

"I don't want to subject either of them to the Slug Club, but especially not James after…." Ginny trailed off.

Lily nodded knowingly. "And Black?"

"Why would I take him?"

"No reason," Lily said in a way that indicated there was a definite reason.

"What about Severus?" Ginny asked.

Lily's eyes shot up in concern and a tinge of anger before receding. "He never brings anyone, I'm sure he'd be happy to go with you."

"And you?" Ginny asked softly.

"What about me?"

"Would you be alright if I asked Severus?"

"I don't see why you'd have to ask me. He's his own-"

"Lily," Ginny interrupted. "Even if you're upset with him, you two are still mates."

"I know," Lily replied softly. "I do think it would be nice for him to have someone to go with. Whether he and I are friends or not, you don't have to ask me. You're my friend too."

May 29, 1976

"Just the man I wanted to see."

"What do you want, Prewett?" Severus groaned, not looking up from his notebook like the rest of his mates, who stared up wide-eyed at the Gryffindor who marched over to their table with ease.

"A date to Slughorn's party. With you."

There was a mix of shocked silence and quiet grumbles around him, before Carrow spoke up sharply, "And upset dear Golden Boy Potter?"

Not wanting to explain the "Potter" situation again, she instead replied, "Oh, Amycus," her voice laced with pity. "If Slytherin won more quidditch matches, I daresay you too would understand the feelings that overtook me last week. It's a shame that you likely never will."

The table erupted in a sound that was eerily similar to the hiss of a snake. Nott was looking at her like he wanted to devour her that minute, and Crouch glared as if she were the bane of his existence.

Severus looked up then, eyes filled with amusement, even if his face didn't show it. Few Gryffindors understood sarcasm, and even fewer knew how to use it well. How Ginny had managed to impress a table of Slytherins with her own sarcasm, well whomever found out how or why she did it would certainly dedicate a page to commemorate this day in Hogwarts: A History.

"Not even Black? I'm sure the mutt would dissolve to tears to know that his pet is attending a party with me," Severus baited her.

Unfazed, she replied, "That's tough, considering that we're going to Slughorn's party together."

"I don't remember agreeing, Prewett."

"I don't remember asking, Severus." The tension in the air was palpable, especially as Nott's appreciative gaze at Ginny turned to a look of hatred directed at Severus. "Good," she said, looking down the table a bit. "Cissy, mind coming to help me pick out dress robes today? I simply wouldn't look the same without your help."

Narcissa sat tall with pride. "Of course. I need to get dress robes for myself, anyways. Lucius will be returning to attend the party, after all."

"Wonderful," Ginny smiled.

Narcissa rose to meet the redhead, but as they turned to leave, Severus called out, "You're infuriating, you are aware?"

Without flinching, Ginny and Narcissa continued to walk away arm-in-arm as Ginny yelled, "You wouldn't have me any other way!"

The group of boys watched the two witches flounce from the hall. Narcissa walked gracefully, as she always did, as if she knew how she might look from every angle, her emerald robes flowing all around her while her blonde hair didn't move at all. Ginny juxtaposed Narcissa perfectly, her red hair flowing as she walked the way it might in a gentle breeze, the tendrils wrapping around her shoulders like soft caress. She was, as she always seemed to be, in muggle clothing, which somehow didn't bother Severus's companions. He theorized that they liked the way it hugged her petite form, and that they enjoyed the last few years of seeing her in the clothes, knowing that when she inevitably married one of them, she'd be resigned to robes for the rest of her days.

"I don't know how he does it," Mulciber remarked, breaking Severus from his thoughts.

"Pardon?" he replied simply.

"How you have these pretty little Gryffindors wrapped around your finger," Avery clarified. "The Mudblood was one thing, but this one?" he cut himself off with a low whistle.

"She's a whore," Alecto Carrow whined. "It can't be that difficult to get a piece of-" her sentence was cut off when she received a death glare from Nott. "I didn't mean, I just-she's not worth it!"

"And you are?" Nott asked in a calm voice, one that meant you have exactly thirty seconds to explain yourself. When Alecto squeaked, Nott continued, "That's what I thought, Carrow." Nott relaxed his muscles, and from the look on his face, relaxed the anger that he was doing his best to keep at bay. He looked directly at Severus and said, "Take care of the future Madam Nott."

"Where's Pandora today?" Ginny asked, her arm still looped tightly with Narcissa's.

"With that boyfriend of hers."

"You know?" Ginny asked in shock. It wasn't a secret that Pandora's parents were negotiating a marriage contract with Geoffrey Goyle. It also wasn't a secret that Xenophilius Lovegood was, at the very least, a nut.

"While I can't say I approve of Pandora's choice," Narcissa said, her eyes blank as she thought carefully about her words, "not everyone is lucky to find a good match. I find myself hoping that she gets to enjoy her happiness until she's bound with that oaf Goyle."

"Is Lucius that way?" Ginny asked hesitantly.

"We cannot expect the world of our husbands; they have so much to deal with that we do not," Narcissa told her. "That said, I do believe he tries his best with me. He is affectionate in private, and I enjoy it that way. Our lives are not on display for the rest of the world."

"I'm glad to hear it," Ginny replied earnestly. Even if Lucius Malfoy was a man of Ginny's deepest nightmares (being the man who slipped Tom Riddle's diary to her at the tender age of eleven), she was hopeful that he would treat his wife well, especially because Narcissa was uncharacteristically kind for a Death Eater's wife, even if her kindness was subtle.

"Have you put any more consideration into your own marriage, Ginevra?"

"No," Ginny admitted.

"Hm," Narcissa huffed noncommittally as they made their way into Gladrags. "Well perhaps we shall find you the most dashing robes in this establishment, and you'll find yourself with a handful of offers to look through." Narcissa released Ginny's arm and ran a delicate hand over the racks of robes. "Perhaps red?"

"It is my signature color," Ginny replied deviously.

"Of course it is, you ruddy Gryffindor," Narcissa jested.

"Are you poking fun at me, Cissy?" Ginny feigned a gasp. She turned to the rack and pulled out a handful of red dresses, but they were all either too formal or too casual for the party.

"I've found it!" Narcissa declared.

Ginny smiled at her new friend (friend? Yes, friend)'s quick find, only to turn around to see the blonde witch with an armful of robes, nearly covering her own face. "And which is the one you have 'found'?"

"It's in here somewhere," Narcissa replied smoothly. "I suggest you try the lot on and figure out which is the one I had in mind."

With a swift eye roll, Ginny conceded, but not before quickly pulling out a yellow gown and hanging it back on the rack. Narcissa raised a questioning brow, to which Ginny said, "I think you and I both know that I cannot pull off yellow."

Despite this, she found no less than three more yellow sets of robes in her dressing room.

After what seemed like hours, Ginny emerged in a whimsical robe. Like everything in the 70s (so it seemed), it was a print, but it was more tasteful than many of the other dresses she had tried on, with small light blue flowers adorning the darker blue background. The front dipped in a 'V' towards her breasts, but the surface area was made up for by the sleeves, which floated around Ginny's freckled arms as if they'd been charmed.

She turned to face Narcissa, who was adorned by her own new dress robes, a predictable but beautiful black, tight up to the shoulders, but flowing around her ankles as if there was a draft. As the two witches looked at one another, Ginny could have laughed - their dress robes, and general looks, perfectly highlighted the severe differences between the two.

Narcissa, surprisingly, was the first to break out into laughter, with Ginny quickly following suit. Their laughter was quickly cut off at the sound of a small bell, signaling the entrance of another customer.

"Sister," the woman greeted.

Narcissa paled while Ginny caught the sight of a small child in the woman's arms - a small child with bubblegum pink hair. Tonks.

"You must be Andromeda," Ginny said, happily rushing to the witch's side. "It's wonderful to meet you, your cousin has spoken so highly of you."

"Cousin?" Andromeda asked, her surprise not masked as well as her sister's.

"Sirius," Narcissa clarified from behind Ginny. "They are housemates."

"A Gryffindor?" Andromeda looked over Ginny with appraising eyes before turning back to Narcissa's. "I'm surprised to see you've made friends outside of your own house, sister."

"Oh, dear!" Ginny called in fake distress. "I haven't introduced myself - how rude. Ginny Prewett."

"I was not aware that Molly had a sister," Andromeda remained suspicious, her grasp on mini Tonks tightening.

"A cousin, actually. I'm afraid I've never even had the chance to meet Molly." Before Andromeda could respond, Tonks looked over to Ginny and happily gurgled as her hair morphed from its patented bright pink to a sharp shade of red. "Oh, you sweet thing," Ginny cooed, inwardly laughing at the thought of how older Tonks, the one she regarded as a friend, would react to Ginny's present behavior.

Tonks's grubby little hands reached toward Ginny, clawing in an attempt to make it into her future friend's arms.

"I apologize for my daughter," Andromeda said stiffly.

"Oh no! It's no bother. She's positively adorable," Ginny grinned, thinking, Tonks will definitely kill me if she ever finds out about this.

"Ginevra," Narcissa cautioned from behind her. "I wouldn't, it's-"

"You think I don't know Andromeda was burned off your family tree?" Ginny growled before realizing the words had tumbled out of her mouth. Her eyes opened wide with alarm, before trying to remedy the situation as quickly as possible. "This little one is a half-blood, and I don't mind her one bit," she said, happy to finally be able to stamp on pureblood supremacy, something she wasn't always at liberty to do in this time period.

Both Blacks stared at the witch with wide eyes, but little Tonks remained unaware, still grabbing at Ginny's red hair.

"Do you mind?" Ginny asked, looking up towards Andromeda, whose eyes asked: Who are you, witch? Despite this, Andromeda held Tonks to her, whose tiny hands clasped around Ginny's neck with a strong grip. "Her name?" Ginny asked softly.

"Nymphadora," Narcissa answered quietly, watching with surprise as her friend cradled her niece.

"Oh, Nymphadora," Ginny cooed, knowing that she had already gotten away with so much, and that the use of the little witch's full name was really pushing the whole experience over the edge. "What a wonderful gift you have. I will say - I think I preferred the pink on you." Ginny looked up towards Andromeda, who was frozen in her spot, and offered, "I can change out of my robes really quick; I've already decided to buy these, and then I can watch her while you shop if you like." Then turning, as if she'd forgotten Narcissa was there, added, "If that's alright with you, Cissy. I wouldn't want to keep you, of course."

Narcissa was speechless, merely nodding her assent as Ginny quickly ran back to the dressing room, tearing out of the blue dress, throwing her shirt and jeans back on, before coming back to collect her miniature friend.

"You're sure you don't mind?" Andromeda asked, unsure.

"Of course not! I'm sure you rarely enjoy alone time with this one around, so take your time. I'm in no rush," Ginny smiled brightly.

As Andromeda began to make her way around the store, shooting concerned glances at her daughter in Ginny's arms every few minutes, Narcissa emerged from her own dressing room, back in her regular robes, as she found the seat next to Ginny.

Slowly, Narcissa reached a hand towards Tonks's red head, prompting the little girl to turn towards her aunt before her hair erupted, turning icy blonde. Narcissa let out a sob before she could stop herself, her eyes tearing up at, what Ginny imagined was, her first meeting with her niece.

"She is precious," Narcissa gritted out quietly.

June 4, 1976

Severus Snape's hooked nose was buried deep in his book, his quill brushing across his brow as his hand scribbled. With an increasingly familiar plop across the table, he was alerted to the presence of his most annoying friend (but a friend nonetheless).

"I've never asked why you got a copy of Advanced Potion Making when we both know it's not part of the OWL curriculum," she said as she pulled her own books out of her bag.

Without looking up, he drawled, "You cannot expect me to explain the appeal of attaining knowledge."

"Too many Ravenclaws have already told me all about that, but that's not what I meant. You love that book, Severus. I can only assume you've written some nasty hexes in there - am I right?" Finally, he met her eye, causing her to gasp. "Severus," she shrieked in a low tone, "Who - bollocks. I told them to leave you alone."

"I don't know what you're implying, Prewett," he returned.

"I'm implying that my idiot housemates are the reason my party date has a black eye, and if you argue with me, I'll know I'm right."

"I don't see why it matters," he said, his eyes (well, eye - considering that he could really only open one) returned to the page in front of him, his grip on the flimsy book tighter than it had been before the entrance of his redhead friend.

"It matters because I specifically told them not to, for one, and also because you don't deserve it," she said matter-of-factly.

"I don't deserve it? You believe that?"

"You believe that?" she countered.

"Their accusations were correct, I am studying the Dark Arts - even you know that much. Even if you claim to be able to look past my interests - a claim I do not believe, by the way - their reasons, however negligible as they always seem to be, were, for once, accurate."

"That doesn't mean they should bully you," she said, her voice raising despite the dangerously close presence of Madam Pince. "As for my 'claim', as you put it….well, you clearly don't know why I'm here."

"I assumed you were here for the same reason you're always here."

"And what is that?" she asked.

His eyes returned to hers for a moment, locking her in an intense gaze as he quipped, "To annoy the living hell out of me."

She laughed despite herself and replied, "I suppose you're at least partially correct, but I actually have an alternative motive this time." He put his book down and gave her a look that said something like: speak, girl. "I want to talk about the Dark Arts."

His eyebrows shot towards his forehead as he was momentarily unable to conceal his surprise. "For the purpose of….?"

"For the purpose of understanding your own interest."

"And I'm expected to believe you?" he asked.

"Of course not," she laughed. "I would check you for Polyjuice if you did."

"Why the sudden interest, witch?" he asked, suspicion lining his face.

She shrugged noncommittally. "I could ask you the same, but I'd wager it wasn't a sudden interest on your end." Before he could respond, she continued, "I've grown up with the Dark Arts all around me, and I think it's about time I tried to understand it."

Surveying her entire body, he noticed the determination in her face, her relaxed shoulders, her unflinching hands, and decided that if she was lying, at least she was getting better at it. Taking pity on her, he sighed. "What do you know of cursed objects?"

Leaving the library, Ginny headed towards the seventh floor. She hadn't revised for her OWLs as much as she probably should have, but she had never done particularly well at written exams anyways, much preferring to use her wand, knowing that her intuition served her far better than studying ever had.

She had been practicing in the Room of Requirement for at least a few weeks now, despite the bitter nostalgia that hit when she walked in the door to find the DA practice room the same as it looked the last time she had been there.

Crossing the corridor several times, she knew something was amiss when the door didn't appear. With a playful scowl, she walked paced once more before the door appeared. Stepping through, she was completely unsurprised by the sight of a massive black dog bounding across the grass, hilariously slamming into a white wall when he got distracted by her entrance.

"Red," he greeted, back in human form once again. "Fancy meeting you here."

"You know that the weather's gotten nicer, so your excuse of wanting to run around in the grass without getting cold isn't applicable anymore, yeah?" she asked with slight annoyance.

"One," he said, throwing his cloak back around his shoulders, "just because the weather is agreeable doesn't mean I want to be caught dead in the Forbidden Forest by whatever creature Hagrid's hiding now." Strutting over to reach her, he continued, "And two - I would have missed the pleasure of getting to see you upset. Your cheeks really are pretty when you're mad, Red."

"Oh, Sirius," she softened, a hand reaching up towards his face. He softened as well, his eyes betraying his comfort and….anticipation as her thumb caressed his cheek bone. She ran her fingers across his soft skin, which peppered with goose pimples in her wake, until a long finger pushed his long hair behind one ear. Without warning, she gripped his ear firmly, her face glowing with a new rage as her voice stiffened, "If you wanted to make me upset, you could have begun by maiming my dear friend. Oh wait - you already did!"

His eyes widened in a split second, his mouth dropping as he tried to search for an apology or a defense, though she wasn't sure which he'd choose.

"He - the git's a Death Eater!"

Defense it is, she thought. "Oh, is he?" she asked sweetly. "Funny thing, he occasionally takes off his robes when we study together - even rolls up his sleeves sometimes." She pulled her other hand (the one not painfully gripping his ear) to her lips, as if in thought. "Hm, why is that important? It was on the tip of my tongue, but now I'm wondering why I brought it up. I suppose all of these revisions have gone to my brain; making me bring up facts that are inconsequential. Wait!" she shouted as if remembering something again, though he knew her long enough to know that this entire speech would not end well for him. "I remember what it was! It's important because it's inconsequential, because I can assure you that his forearm is remarkably bare."

Gawking for a second, Sirius said, "But, but that doesn't mean-"

"It doesn't mean he's not a Death Eater? I suppose you're right, but then how do I know you're not a Death Eater?"

Her glare was murderous, and he mused that he'd be lucky to make it out of the room without bat bogeys accompanying him. Guilt surged through him as his shoulders sank. He didn't reply, but she must have noticed, as she promptly let go of his ear, though a shooting pain replaced the spot her fingers had been.

"Now," she said, throwing her bag on a table that had, quite literally, appeared out of nowhere, growing out of the grass as if it were a plant. "I'm planning to practice for DADA. You're welcome to stay if you've agreed to stop being a git. Actually, if you're determined to continue being a git, you'll make an even better dueling partner."

Refusing the urge to shutter, he nodded, getting into position. He began hesitantly, not ever having seen her duel before, not wanting to hurt her, but he quickly discovered that this was not a worry on her end as much as it was on his.

The curses she sent his way came in rapid succession, an array of colors missing his skin by hastily thrown shields and sheer luck. He had never heard of half of them, and quite frankly, it wasn't the time to play detective. What shocked him most was the determination that glossed over her pretty features; he had never seen her concentrated like this, and it made the glare she gave while hitting Marlene with a bat bogey hex look like a bright smile. Her lips were pursed, her eyes focused, her hair wild behind her.

In short, she was beautiful.

Distracted, he didn't realize he was hit until his body had already met the ground. Happy as he was that the grass hadn't disappeared, breaking his fall to an extent, the pain of the stinging hex coursed through his chest. With a grunt, he slowly made his way to his feet.

"Merlin, Red," he huffed, the words near impossible to get out even as the pain subsided. "I'm almost glad Hitchins is as bad of a professor as she is - I hope I'm never on the end of your wand again."

"Try easing up on Severus. Might be a helpful start," she replied swiftly. "Do you want to stop?"

"No," he shook his head as the sting reduced to an uncomfortable tingle. Shaking himself out like the dog he was, he took in a breath of air and made his way back into a fighting stance. "Let's go again."

She seemed to have gotten most of her anger out, because the hexes didn't come as quickly as they had last time. She was still incredible as she held a Protego while firing other curses, while Sirius was stuck trying to alternate shields and offensive spells.

Finally getting out a particularly harsh stunner, he watched as the blue light rammed into her shield, the force knocking her over. He hesitated, expecting her to pop up again within seconds, but realized that her ankle seemed unnaturally red.

"Bugger," she mumbled.

"Shite, Red, I'm sorry," he cried out, not registering the sound of his own voice as his sole focus fell on the pretty girl lying on the ground.

Waving a hand at him, she groaned, "No, it's really my fault. I knew this would happen again."

"Again?"

If he wasn't mistaken, she was blushing, but it was hard to differentiate from the flush that had emerged on her cheeks as a result of their duel. "I broke my ankle last year; it was really nasty. It's still not as strong as the other."

"I'm sorry," he repeated, "I really didn't-"

"I know, Sirius. It's alright," she said as she attempted to stand. He grabbed hold of her arms when it looked like she would topple again, but she shoved him off. "I'm fine, Sirius. It's really not a big deal."

"Big deal or not, it's not you I'm afraid of." At her questioning look, he answered, "It's Madam Pomfrey. Woman's out to get me, she is. So I'm taking you down to the Hospital Wing before she finds out I left you like this."

Instead of protesting further, Ginny just laughed, allowing Sirius to run his arm around her back, as she placed her own over his shoulder.

When they got to the Hospital Wing, Poppy did all she could to prove Sirius's earlier point that she would have killed him had he not brought Ginny down, which kept Ginny laughing throughout her treatment.

"Did the healer who healed this originally tell you to worry about it further?" Poppy asked.

"Yes," Ginny blushed, attempting to suppress a grin that did not go unnoticed by Sirius. "She was as thorough as she could be, but I'll admit that I ran on it after breaking it originally, so she knew it wouldn't heal quite right."

"When did this injury originally occur?"

"The beginning of last summer," Ginny replied pensively.

"And this injury reoccurred tonight because….?" Poppy asked, sending Sirius a glare from the corner of her eyes.

Ginny quickly came to her friend's defense, "It wasn't his fault. I wasn't paying attention and fell on it, honest. He's the one who dragged me down here."

"Hm," Poppy replied, still eyeing Sirius suspiciously. "Thank you, Mister Black. I do not believe I'm mistaken when I say Miss Prewett's ankle would have suffered far worse had she waited."

As Poppy left to go fill out Ginny's chart, Sirius took the seat beside Ginny. "I should thank you, you know," Ginny said, "For making me come down here."

Sirius shook his head, "I feel bad that it happened at all."

"You couldn't have known," Ginny smiled at him. "It's far from the worst reason I've found myself in the Hospital Wing."

"Oh yeah? You've intrigued me now, Red. What's the worst?"

"Would you believe it if I told you I was possessed by a cursed book?" she asked, her tone ambiguous enough to not sound serious.

Barking out a laugh, Sirius said, "I'd say that's almost as crazy as the rumor going around that one of the students here is a werewolf."

June 9, 1976

As much as Ginny hated Professor Hitchins, it seemed like Professor Hitchins hated Ginny just a bit more.

Ginny was quick with her wand, and had a certain kind of intuition that only came from facing death and surviving it, all while knowing, despite survival, that Death had now marked your door - that it watched you closer than it had before, and that it was only a matter of time before your name appeared on its list.

It didn't help that Ginny's appearance halfway through the year had rocked the school. Gone was the status quo, and in its place was an infatuation with the pretty new pureblood witch of Gryffindor, the one with a fierce bat bogey hex and a look in her eyes that warned you not to cross her.

She was courageous, like any Gryffindor, but her courage was grounded; it was not baseless like it was with many members of her house, who were prone to stupidity in the sake of….well, whatever they decided it was in the sake of that day. She had done something, seen something, been through something that no one else had, and she knew it - maybe she had already made a colossal mistake, a mistake she wasn't going to make again.

It was unnerving to all who met her, but especially to Kendra Hitchins.

Kendra graduated the past year. While incredibly young for a Professor, the former Ravenclaw's NEWT scores spoke for themselves, and she was let on staff with little fuss. She hadn't seen much of the world, but she was happy with the status quo she had found in Hogwarts, the one torn apart by the very witch sitting in front of her in detention.

Glowering at the young girl, she watched as Ginny scrubbed the bottoms of desks by hand. The little witch had slowly gotten on Hitchins's nerves, but the professor's patience broke the day that Sirius Black's muscled arm was thrown tightly around her, a gentle kiss placed on her freckled cheek.

Kendra Hitchins, much like most of the witches (and some wizards) at Hogwarts, had a massive crush on Sirius Black that hadn't been deterred much by her new position. Sirius had never been one for commitment, so it wasn't news to hear about his reputation with the professors (and Filch; Merlin knew how much Filch hated the pretty Gryffindor wizard), who had all walked in on him in this broom closet or that empty classroom.

He hadn't been found with Ginny.

It wasn't like he had been with every witch in the school, but it was the way he treated Ginny Prewett that started rumors, carried by students, portraits, and professors alike.

Not only was the girl loved by her professors, especially Flitwick, who could rattle on about his hopes for her to pursue a Charms Mastery for hours, and Slughorn, who was impressed by the girl's ability to make friends with members of his own house (a rare feat for a Gryffindor), but there was currently a three-way wager in the staff room about Ginny's relationship with Sirius Black. Pomona Sprout swore that it was a brotherly love, while Septima Vector threw down two galleons and three knuts that it was a secret but passionate romance, while Poppy Pomfrey (never one to take bets on students) was convinced that Sirius had finally found his match.

Even Kendra could admit that it was quite a feat for a member of Gryffindor to catch the eyes of Slytherins and of Sirius Black (those two were usually mutually exclusive), she refused to believe that it was anything more than the excitement of a new fish in a relatively small pond.

Then, the kiss happened. The kiss. The one that everyone was owling their mums about.

Weirdly enough, instead of deterring the Slytherins, as Kendra suspected it might, it brought out a new sense of determination in them, as if they had to pull her back into the fold, but not before carefully digging out of the Gryffindor claws that were so tightly wrapped around her.

Hitchins found all of this disrupting at best.

Then, after months of hearing gossip, for Ginny to waltz into her classroom and all but insist that she'd be a better Professor….that was it for Kendra Hitchins. It renewed her drive to make it past one year with the position, as all others had failed to do before her, if only to give the girl enough detentions to last her the rest of her Hogwarts days.

Coincidentally, it also made Kendra Hitchins incredibly stressed out.

"Professor?" a boy called entering the large doors at the back of the classroom. Ginny didn't even look up, her gaze transfixed by the wooden bottom of the desk she was polishing. Her body was hidden almost entirely by the large desk, the toes of her shoes just sticking out on the end. The boy bound up the classroom towards Kendra, but she was firm, unmoving, and he luckily caught the hint.

"Mister Davies," she replied coolly, "I believe I told you I would not be able to help you with extra spellwork tonight as I'm serving detention."

His gaze followed hers to see the redhead underneath the desk before he straightened. "Are you sure, Professor? It would only take a moment."

With a nod, they disappeared into her office.

June 12, 1976

The weeks passed by quickly with all of the revisions they were doing to prepare for their OWLs, which were set to begin on Monday. It was hard to feel relaxed and in a "party mood" with exams right around the corner, but Lily and Ginny made an entire day of it - a day which began, of course, with another threat to the Marauders involving the sanctity of Snape's face, and how all four boys would be hurt in a far more sinister place if Ginny discovered evidence of their continued bullying.

With a final lip gloss check, Ginny openly praised Lily's muggle heritage for introducing her to the cosmetic, and the two made their way towards the dungeons.

Evan Davies met them on the way, and shared a peculiar look with Ginny, who had never quite liked him, but was certainly far more suspicious since his interruption to her detention. Ginny had, of course, told Lily about the experience when she returned to the dorms that night, but Lily had gone out of her way to change the topic of conversation, which was very un-Lily-like. Nevertheless, the Ravenclaw was her best girl friend's boyfriend, so she would be civil.

Ginny finally caught sight of Severus a few corridors away from Slughorn's office. He looked brilliant, surprisingly, in black robes that weren't quite as intimidating as his future teaching robes, but that fit very well, accentuating his height and….presence. His hair was greasy, yes, but it was clear that he had washed it thoroughly, as it hung on the sides of his face.

Not even noticing the way that Lily and Evan quickly slipped away, Ginny ran over and hugged Severus (much to his dismay). He stood stiff as a board, but allowed it, and didn't even grimace, which was a "win" as far as Ginny was concerned.

"Ginevra," he said formally, deviating from the "Prewett" that he usually called her, but not quite slipping into the "Ginny" that she received when they were in front of Nott.

"Severus," she smiled. "You look lovely." He snorted, but she quickly (and sternly) told him, "You will not laugh at that. I am many things, but you know I'm not a liar, or at least not a good one."

"I suppose that is true," he drawled. "But if you think I'm going to pay you a compliment, I will not."

"Thank goodness," she smiled. "I would think you ill!" Holding his shoulders, she leaned back to look over his form. "Have you ever considered cutting your hair?"

"Too greasy for you?" he bit, though he tried very hard to keep his hurt from showing.

"No, it's not that," she quickly said. "I think you have lovely cheekbones, and it's a shame I cannot see them better from behind your hair." He looked skeptical but didn't move to stop her when she pulled a leather strap from….well he wasn't sure where from, not seeing any pockets in her robes. She moved behind him slowly, softly pulling his hair from his face into a bun at the nape of his neck. Turning him back to face her, he was greeted with a massive smile as she said, "Brilliant."

Not in the mood to argue, he held his arm out to her, and the two made their way into the snake pit.

The party was in full swing by the time they arrived, with Slughorn's office feeling even smaller than it normally did on account of the crowd that was gathered there. Ginny couldn't help but think how surreal it was that only six months ago, she was at a party almost identical to this one, but now she was accompanied by her potions professor rather than Dean.

Narcissa's call to her was bizarre, as it likely would have been recognizable as a squeal had it not been layered with poise. The two hugged tightly, but Narcissa's arms released her much sooner than usual, and Ginny couldn't help but think that the cause was the blonde man at Narcissa's side.

Lucius Malfoy. The last time she saw him, he had thrown a hex at her before Rabastan Lestrange wrapped his arms around her, and the time before that, it had been to plant a book in her cauldron that nearly killed her.

Needless to say, she hated Lucius Malfoy - but she couldn't show that tonight, as much as she desperately wanted to.

"You must be Ginevra Prewett," he said, reaching a hand out to her with a slight bow. Slowly building up courage, she allowed her own hand to fall in his, and desperately fought the urge to vomit (or punch him - honestly, her reaction could have gone either way) when he brought the hand up to his thin lips to bestow a kiss on her knuckles. "I have heard so much about you."

"And I, you," she replied stiffly.

Luckily, before other words could be exchanged, Severus and Lucius grasped hands firmly, as Severus said, "It is good to see you, friend."

"Yes," Lucius replied. "Tell me, Severus - how did you manage to wrangle such a fine lady tonight?"

"I do not believe you will get an answer to that question," Regulus said, appearing at Ginny's side. "It is my understanding that it was pure persistence on Ginevra's part that got Severus here."

"Is that so?" Lucius's eyes glittered.

Ginny hated this. It was the dance of purebloods, or maybe just Slytherins, who would rather speak in riddles than just say what they meant, but unfortunately, it was a dance she had to learn.

"He is not an agreeable man," Ginny said, her eyes refusing to leave Lucius's.

"No," he smiled. "He is certainly not."

As if Narcissa could sense Ginny's discomfort (though Ginny desperately hoped that she couldn't, seeing as she was trying her hardest not to let it show), she quickly butted in, "Ginevra, come with me. We should leave the men to their conversation."

Instead of responding, Ginny gave a tight nod, interlacing her arm with Narcissa's as fast as possible as she headed towards the dessert table.

"You look stunning tonight, Ginny," Narcissa said, her stiff elegance unwavering as it normally might.

"We both know I would not have managed it without you," Ginny said, drawing on Narcissa's energy.

"Miss Prewett!" Slughorn called, diverting the attention of both girls. "Come, come. I have someone you might be interested in meeting."

Narcissa clung to Ginny's side as they made their way towards their jolly professor. "Good evening, Professor," she managed.

"It is a good evening, indeed! I hope you young ladies are enjoying yourselves."

"Quite," Narcissa responded.

"Miss Black, it is so good to see you and your intended here tonight," Slughorn said, noticing Narcissa for the first time.

"It is wonderful having him here," Narcissa replied tersely.

"Yes, yes," Slughorn continued, an expert in the game of Slytherin conversation. "Well, Miss Prewett, I have heard nothing but high praise from Professor Flitwick about your charms abilities. While I do believe you might have a future in potions if you chose, I thought it best to introduce you to an old student of mine. He has a Mastery in charms, you see-"

Slughorn's voice faded out as Ginny finally saw the man in question. He was moderately tall, with a short, dark beard covering his face. There was a scar on his eyebrow, thin and purple as if just kissed, and a deep fire in his eyes.

Her professor's voice returned to Ginny's ears at the end of his monologue, "-Antonin Dolohov."

"Miss Prewett," Dolohov said, reaching out his hand to replicate Lucius's earlier action. As he kissed her hand, images of Fred crying over Hermione's body in the Hospital Wing flooded to her mind. This was the man who had invented the purple fire that nearly killed her brother's girlfriend, who survived only because she had the sense to silence him before being cursed. She remembered Remus pulling Hermione into his arms, carrying her as if she weighed nothing, and she remembered the deep purple gash that ran from atop Hermione's breast down to her opposite hip. Most of all, she remembered the obsession that began that day, the whole team of Aurors sent to Hermione's home in muggle London to build wards to stop the crazed man from attacking the muggleborn that he desperately wanted, and the intense fear Hermione had of the Russian man who had nearly killed her.

"Mister Dolohov, a pleasure to meet you," she replied, unsure of how she even managed to say such a thing.

"Narcissa," he greeted, dropping Ginny's hand to kiss Narcissa's cheeks.

"Antonin," she replied back. "Will we be seeing you over the holidays?"

"I do hope so," he said, his eyes returning to Ginny's form. "I hope to become more acquainted with you as well, Miss Prewett."

"You and all of Slytherin," Narcissa quipped. "Though you should know she has already received an offer from the Nott family, and l would expect more to follow."

"Lucky that I'm meeting you now, then, yes?" he asked, his gaze predatory as it refused to leave the dip in Ginny's robes.

"Oh, stop it, Antonin - you're horrible!" Narcissa replied playfully.

"You have an interest in charms, then?" he asked Ginny, ignoring Narcissa's comment.

"I wouldn't call it an interest," Ginny said, making sure to play down her strengths as much as possible. "I would doubt what you have heard, as I can assure you I am only skilled with a bat bogey hex, which is no impressive feat."

"Modesty is unbecoming for a Gryffindor," he replied, stepping closer to her.

"I think you'll find my date is quite unlike any Gryffindor you've ever met," Severus said, stepping to Ginny's side.

Thank Godric for these Slytherins and their timing, Ginny thought, shoving off the feeling that Ron would hex her for thinking positively about any Slytherin, no matter the circumstance.

"I believe I promised you a dance," Severus said to Ginny, placing a hand on her back. She smiled, knowing that he had promised no such thing, taking his hand as he led her onto the floor.

"Thank you," she whispered in his ear as they moved.

"For?"

"For getting me out of a conversation with Dolohov, and for not stepping on my toes," she smiled, thinking about Neville.

He grunted, "It was hardly difficult, especially as I find myself at odds with Antonin as well."

"You know him?" she asked.

"Unfortunately," he drawled, pausing to spin her once before she returned to his arms. "He was in the same year as Lucius, and was a member of my house."

"You're friends with Lucius?" she asked, knowing that they were at least acquainted, but unsure of the depth of their friendship.

He didn't nod, nor did he shake his head. "He was the first in my house to welcome me," he said, surely knowing that it was a non-answer.

"I can understand that," she said, thinking of the kindness Remus bestowed to her before she was thrown to the wolves at the beginning of term. She looked up at Severus and smiled, feeling grateful that she had him to lean on throughout all of this. It was too bad that he was a miserable bastard while he was older, but she figured she might be a miserable bastard too if she had to constantly deal with her childhood bullies while risking her life for them.

Glancing across the room, she saw Lily and Evan dancing with one another, though they were not huddled close the way she would have expected a loving couple to be. When she looked back to Severus, it seemed that he was looking at the same couple.

"Your hair suits you like this," she told him. "You should tie it back more often."

"I doubt it will ever look like this again," he said honestly. "I doubt I would be able to pull it back like this on my own."

With a snort, she teased, "You can brew a perfect Strengthening Solution but you can't manage tying back your hair?"

He glowered at her, and replied, "You can manage a perfect Disillusionment Charm yet you cannot speak to Slytherins without shaking?"

"Touché," she said, her smile unwavering, even with his insult.

"May I cut in?" Regulus asked, appearing at their sides. Severus stepped away from her, giving a slight bow, and gesturing towards Regulus to take her place.

Ginny raised her arms, placing a hand on his shoulder, her other falling into his own. As she felt his own free hand grab her side, she looked into his eyes, never noticing before that they were more blue than grey, like his brother's were. "I didn't see you bring a date," she said softly, as if afraid to insult him.

"Ah, well the person I wanted to bring was unavailable," he said, a slight blush appearing on his pale cheeks. "It was quite enjoyable, however, to see you drag Severus here. You managed to annoy half of my house, which takes a great deal of effort to do, you see, all while making my dear friend more flustered than I've seen him in some time."

"It's not difficult to annoy the members of your house," she told him. "Sirius does it daily."

With a laugh, Regulus replied, "I cannot say you're incorrect."

"As for Severus, I don't see why he would have a reason to become flustered."

"Because a beautiful witch nearly forced him at wand-point to attend a dreadful party?" Regulus suggested.

"We're just friends," she said pointedly.

"I know," he said, aloof. "Nevertheless, it was enjoyable to see him so worked up." The music faded and Regulus stepped back from Ginny. From the corner of her eye, she saw Dolohov make a move towards her, but luckily, Regulus said, "Could you spare a moment alone?"

Surprised, she nodded, following him off the dance floor, towards a secluded corner. She watched with uncertainty as he fumbled with his robes, eventually producing a small, sealed letter. "What-"

"It's for my brother," he answered. "I have no way to give it to him otherwise; we are not seen with one another, and I doubt he would take it from me even if we were. Would you mind giving it to him?"

"Is it cursed?" she asked, but he shook his head. Her eyes narrowed as she asked, "What's it about?"

"I'm sure you will find out soon enough," he replied before stalking away, disappearing into the crowd.