"From what I gather, you're not a woman of little intellect." He gave me a knowing look, "You know better than to play naive, I think we can be blunt here." "I don't know what you mean." "No? Would you prefer it if I said it outloud?"

"I had to save myself," I said simply. "No one would have been able to save me and that is what I did; I saved myself. All of a sudden I was overcome by this need to protect myself and the next thing I knew, he was crashing against the wall and bleeding out." He sounded every part the Auror who was rapidly making a name for himself, "I have to take your words as your confession."

"This entire debate is pointless," Draco said steadily, barrelling on when his father went to protest. "We were children when we forged the match and had no idea what we were doing. How could we possibly have consented to something that we didn't even understand? Am I wrong, Neal?"

"He told me, you know. That you knew that he stepped out on our marriage and that you thrashed him for it." With an exasperated sigh, Charlie asked, "Was he always so loose lipped?" "Bradley told me that it was why you both stopped being friends in the first place." "I should have told you." "You should've," I agreed. "But it's in the past now."

James rolled his jaw for a second, contemplatively before he sat up abruptly, "Okay, I'll bite. I'm not interested." "You're not interested?" I repeated, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean 'you're not interested?" "I'm not interested," he repeated again, just as firm and straightforward. To him, it made all the sense in the world. "If the person isn't you, I'm not i

Glancing away from him and pretending to study to plant in front of me as it continued to show off its aggression, I admitted, "I've got a black thumb." "A black thumb?" he repeated dubiously. "I do!" The force of my insistence had Longbottom stifling a smile, not that it worked too well. "I don't know how I do it, but I always end up killing every plant I touch."

"What do you think of my brother, Longbottom?" I studied him for a moment, trying not to narrow my eyes at him. James met and held my gaze, not looking away. Still, realising that I'd been silent for too long, and he was no doubt reading into my lack of answer, I asked, "Did your mum put you up to this?"

It was my turn to be insistent. "Listen to me Scamander, you are not strange." "I don't-" When he glanced up at me, I shook my head firmly, making him fall silent. I leaned across the table slightly, holding his eyes and speaking slowly so he understood each word, "You are not strange, you are kind and bright and wonderful, Scamander. Do not doubt that."

Shaking my head incredulously, I asked, "How do you always seem to get your way?" "Clearly it's my endless charm." He chuckled, leaning in slightly to nudge my shoulder with his, "Isn't that how I managed to get you to date me? I charmed you, Kim, and you know it."

"Well," Teddy said at last coming to my side. When he was close enough, his arms wrapped around me, hauling me unprotesting into his chest, "If I'm about to be relegated back to being the roommate, I'm going to have to bug you until it's time for us to leave for the burrow."

"Please don't," I blurted out before I could stop myself. Although I knew better, although I knew how selfish I was being, my mouth was moving before my brain could catch up. "Please don't go on this date."

Fred waited before he ducked his head a little to answer quietly by my ear, "I'm attracted to the fire hiding behind your innocent smile, Roosevelt."

My eyes fell onto the front page again - 2004. The paper was dated 19th May 2000 and fucking 4. My fingers clenched around the paper, squeezing it tight. My accident had been in 1999.

"Well, I mean, if I could find a man that can get me off the way you've said Wood's been able to get you off - I'd be eagerly waiting for his letter too," Mathis, the quietest of our roommates piped up so suddenly that it caught me by surprise. She returned to her breakfast as if she hadn't said anything. I just looked at her a moment longer; she hadn't been wrong.

"Besides," he continued steadily, his smile growing warmer - as if that was even possible - and wider until he looked so reminiscent of the kindhearted Gryffindor from my own time as a student not so many years ago. "Anything you need, I'll be there." "You'll regret offering that," I warned.

There, beside the dedication, was Newt's handwriting, fresh from mere minutes ago. Thank you for gifting me a new world of memories Newt

"A good muse inspires you to paint." He lowered the brush and sent me a charming smile, "And I really want to paint you, Zoller."

"I think you'd be good company, even if you're a Slytherin." His teasing words, paired with the one dimpled smile he was giving me, threw me for a moment. Despite looking like the usual Potter, he didn't look right … there was a vulnerability there, hidden behind his screen of arrogance.

"So, Professor Jones, you and Professor Potter..." "What about me and Professor Potter?"

"You're freaking out, aren't you Abbasi?" "I might be," I admitted reluctantly. "It makes sense," he assured me, sounding so reasonable that I almost questioned if he really was Zacharias. "You - the virgin have no experience with romance and so you have no idea how to write it."