"Wotcher, Issy," Tonks says, sporting long pink curls, tied back loosely in a half-up, half-down hairstyle that suits her quite well.

The metamorphagus grins broadly and slings an arm over the French girl's shoulders.

"I missed ya, pranking bud," she says, ruffling Isabelle's hair.

The golden-haired girl can't help but beam in return, giving Tonks a one-armed embrace, Olivia and Isaac coming over to greet her with a proper hug each, the two of them gushing at the stories they've heard about her trip away.

"Now now, class, settle down, settle down!" Professor Sprout's jolly voice calls out throughout the greenhouse.

Isabelle and her little group immediately fall silent, all of them still grinning, Tonk's arm wrapped determinedly around the French girl's shoulders.

"I would like to say a warm welcome back to Miss Leblanc," Professor Sprout continues, smiling down at Isabelle. "You had a good time away, I'm sure?"

"Oh, oui, professor," she smiles straight back, her eyes sparkling.

"Good, good," Professor Sprout says cheerily, before turning to the rest of the class.

"Now, as I'm sure you're all aware, your NEWTs are coming up at the end of next term, and while we still have a couple of plants left to cover this year, I want to get as much done this term so that you have these holidays and the majority of next term to study if you wish, which I highly suggest you do — use your time wisely," she warns, saying practically the same thing as Professor Kettleburn.

"So this lesson we're going to be moving on from the Bouncing Bulb and starting to focus on the Sneezewort, which will be our second-last plant to cover this year in Herbology," Professor Sprout continues.

"Who can tell me— ah, Olivia, go ahead," the teacher smiles down at the brown-haired girl next to Isabelle.

The Ravenclaw girl pushes her glasses up further on her nose before beginning, a broad smile still plastered upon her face.

"The Sneezewort is a species of herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the genus Archillea. It's poisonous to cattle, sheep and horses, and its leaves can be used as an insect repellent," she recites.

Professor Sprout beams.

"Excellent! Take ten points for Ravenclaw!" she exclaims. "Now, can anyone— yes, Isaac?"

"These plants are also most efficacious in the inflaming of the brain, which is why the Sneezewort is used as an ingredient in the making of various potions, such as the Befuddlement Draught, and the Strong Invigoration Draught," the black-haired boy says with a smile at Olivia.

"That's most correct! Take ten points for Hufflepuff," Professor Sprout says, before continuing on with the lesson, showing off the white-flowering plant to all the students and explaining how and why the plant does what it does and is used the way it's used.

The lesson flies by, Isabelle hugging her Herbology friends goodbye and heading up to the Great Hall for lunch, sitting with the Gryffindor trio, as per usual, which is now joined by Charlie.

In fact, over the next couple of weeks, Charlie becomes more and more part of the group, until Maisie, Ollie, Noah and Isabelle hardly go anywhere without him. Charlie and Noah really hit it off, talking nonstop about quidditch, the other three sharing an eye roll whenever the two boys get together to talk about their sport.

Charlie feels so much better over the next couple of weeks as well, having realised just how much having a good group of friends can improve your mood and make you feel like you belong. Of course, even with his three new friends, Charlie prefers Isabelle's company above all others, him hardly ever not being around her now.

Isabelle makes her way down to the edge of the Forbidden Forest, Charlie in tow, just breathing in the slightly warmer air, looking around happily at the buds blooming on the nearby trees. Spring is certainly on its way.

"Welcome, everyone, welcome!" Professor Kettleburn's usual jolly voice sounds from the tree-line, before he appears a moment later, hobbling along into view.

"Seeing as we only have a number of weeks before the end of this term and we have two more creatures to cover before then, I think we ought to move away from Mokes now and turn our attention towards Jackalopes! Can anyone tell me— Thomas!" Professor Kettleburn points, as usual, to the Ravenclaw boy standing at the front of the class.

"The Jackalope is a North American magical animal that resembles a Jack Rabbit with antlers similar to that of a small antelope. Its antlers were also used as wand cores by wandmakers in the seventeenth century," Thomas says easily, catching Isabelle's eye and winking up at her as soon as he finishes.

"Excellent, excellent!" Professor Kettleburn exclaims. "Ten points for Ravenclaw!"

As per usual, the lesson flies by quickly, all the students gathering together to take notes as Professor Kettleburn informs them how to spot one of these creatures, how to approach them, how dangerous they can be and most importantly, how to care for them.

"I'm guessing you're not going home for the holidays?" Charlie asks Isabelle as they head back up to the castle together after their Care of Magical Creatures class.

She shakes her head.

"Non, I am staying 'ere," she replies, turning look up at him. "Are you going 'ome?"

"Nah, I'm staying, too. Looks like you'll have to put up with me again these holidays," he teases her, grinning at the smile that appears on her face.

"I do not 'ave to put up wiz you," she says indignantly, "I love 'anging out wiz you."

Charlie smiles.

"Good," is all he manages to say.

Even though he wants to say more. Even though he wants to tell her that he enjoys her company more than she could ever imagine. Even though he wants to just be able to tell her how he feels. Even though he's been thinking for several weeks now about telling her and about how she'll react.

Deep down, he knows that even if she doesn't feel the same way she's not one to ditch him. She'll still hang out with him and they'll still be friends. Knowing this, he's been beating himself up over why he can't just grow a pair and tell her.

Bottom line is, he's scared.

And he hates it.

"To the library?" Charlie questions, forcing himself to snap out of his thoughts, the two of them once again having a free period together.

Isabelle hesitates, before slowly shaking her head.

"'Ow about zee lake?" she asks, turning to gaze at the Black Lake that stretches on for at least half a mile.

Charlie catches up to her, standing by her side as she gazes out over it, the water almost mirror-like as it reflects the brilliant sun rays beaming down on the surface.

"Ever heard of the Giant Squid?" Charlie asks, somewhat teasing the French girl.

"Zee Giant Squid?" Isabelle repeats, turning to look at the red-haired boy with wide eyes.

He grins.

"C'mon, I'll show you," he says, before grabbing her hand and pulling her down the hill with him, towards the vast expanse of the Lake.

They slow to a stop on the Lake's shores, at the base of a large, old tree with twisting branches and a canopy of leaves providing shade for the both of them.

"The Squid is semi-domesticated and sometimes allows students to tickle its tentacles on sunny days, when it basks in the shallows," Charlie says, letting go of Isabelle's hand and approaching the water's edge.

Isabelle watches him from the tree as he peers out over the water, before he turns around to face her, excitement dancing in his eyes.

"I can see it! Come on!" he says, taking off his shoes and socks, before wading into the shallows of the Lake.

Isabelle bites her lip, smiling softly to herself at his enthusiasm and excitement, before she follows suit, taking off her black boots and socks, leaving them amongst the roots of the tree, before following him into the water.

She lets out a small gasp.

"Eet eez freezing!" she cries, and Charlie turns around to grin at her.

"C'mon!" he says again, going back to grab her hand and pull her further into the water.

It reaches just above her knees by the time they stop, and Isabelle moves her feet around, laughing and holding onto Charlie's arm with both hands as the mud squelches between her toes.

Charlie can't help but smile down at her, his eyes soft as she turns her pretty, laughing face up to beam at him. He points off to a short distance in front of them, and her eyes follow his hand.

"Just there," he says quietly. "See? It's basking in the shallows."

Isabelle's eyes widen and her grip tightens on Charlie's arm as she beholds the sight of the Giant Squid peacefully laying only a few feet away from them.

One of the Squid's giant eyes opens, its eyeball turning to stare at the two of them. Isabelle freezes under its gaze, still clutching Charlie's arm. The Gryffindor boy grins, starting to slowly move forwards, Isabelle walking with him towards the massive creature.

The French girl gasps as the Squid moves one of its giant tentacles out of the Lake, lifting it up into the air next to them, water cascading down and splashing the two students slightly.

Charlie's grin only widens, and he steps forwards, reaching out a hand to stroke the now-exposed tentacle, turning back to face Isabelle, his eyes bright. She smiles, following his lead, gently stroking the tentacle, chuckling at the sliminess of it beneath her fingers.

The Giant Squid suddenly drops its tentacle back into the water, splashing Charlie and Isabelle, covering them with freezing cold water. The French girl lets out an involuntary shriek, looking over at Charlie, their eyes meeting, both of them dripping wet.

There's a moment of silence, both of them just staring at each other, before Charlie lets out a howl of laughter, clutching his stomach with one hand.

Isabelle smirks, before bending down and using both hands to splash water up at Charlie, getting him square in the face.

He turns to look at her, stunned, and it's the French girl's turn to laugh, the sound loud and pure, filling Charlie up with warmth as it enters his ears.

"Oh, you're in for it now," Charlie says, leaping through the water towards Isabelle, who just keeps laughing, trying to run away from him, the two of them splashing each other as they run around in circles in the shallows.

A couple of weeks pass, both Charlie and Isabelle having claimed the spot under the tree by the shore of the Black Lake as 'their spot'.

Every time they have a free period together, instead of going to the library as they usually would to finish up homework or study for their upcoming NEWTs, they bring their work down to the Lake and do it there under the shaded canopy of their twisted tree.

Every time Isabelle walks down to Care of Magical Creatures with Charlie, she looks over towards the Lake and that tree, smiling softly to herself each time she does so. And every time she smiles because of it, Charlie notices and can't help the fluttering that enters his chest.

"Good afternoon, everyone, good afternoon!" Professor Kettleburn's jolly voice greets his class, his hobbling figure appearing out of the Forbidden Forest not a moment after his voice does.

"As we have very limited time this term to cover our last creature that we're meant to, I think today is the perfect day to move on from Jackalopes and turn our attention to the Knarl," Professor Kettleburn says, still ever-cheerful.

He looks around at his class of four, smiling and clasping his flesh hand with his metal one.

"Who can tell me what they know about— Thomas, of course! Go ahead," the teacher says, turning to the Ravenclaw boy as he raises his hand.

"The Knarl is a creature that greatly resembles a hedgehog — so much so that there's only one known behavioural difference between the two: when food is left out for a hedgehog it will appreciate and enjoy the gift, but a Knarl will see it as an attempt to lure it into a trap and hence savage the garden of the householder who left the food. I've heard that Muggle children have often been blamed for the damage committed by a Knarl," Thomas says, smiling straight back up at his professor.

"Well done, Thomas, well done! Take twenty points for Ravenclaw!" Professor Kettleburn exclaims excitedly.

Thomas grins, turning up to wink at Isabelle as per usual. She beams right back at him.

Charlie clenches his fists.

"I think there's only one thing you missed, Thomas, which is that Knarl quills have magical uses, whereas hedgehogs', obviously, do not," Professor Kettleburn says, oblivious to the silent goings-on between his students.

"And now, we will spend the rest of this term learning everything there is to know about Knarls, and will only have one more creature to cover next term before your NEWTs!" their teacher continues, still gazing around happily at his class of four.

He starts rambling on about Knarls, his students taking out their quills and jotting down everything he says, Isabelle catching Charlie's eye many times during the remainder of the lesson, smiling as she does so.