Leah sighed and looked around her room, wondering for a moment why everything was upside down and then remembering that it was in fact, upside down. She swung her legs down off the bed, sliding easily across the silken sheets and falling onto her side with a thump.

"Boreddd." She groaned loudly, reaching one arm out and beginning to drag herself across the floor as if she had lost the ability to walk.

After several minutes and two metres away from her original position, Leah rolled on to her back and stared up at the clouds and birds painted on her ceiling. It hadn't changed since she was born, as was the same with most in her room. She'd added things on herself as she grew older, but baby toys still littered the selves and her old cot still sat in the corner. Her mother had mentioned before that she was too old to keep such things but even Draco's teasing wouldn't persuade her. All her friends had long since abandoned rocking horses and rattles and Valentine had once remarked that it was a waste of space. Leah paid no mind to that seeing how Valentine's room was larger than her own and she had never even attempted to fill it. Their rooms were quite opposite in appearance.

Valentine's walls were dark wood and wallpaper while Leah's were brightly painted. Valentine had an orderly bookcase against one wall, while Leah had a tall display cabinet near overflowing with everything from trinkets to photographs and pretty rocks she had found in the garden. Valentine's bed was large and four-posted with black bedding that had once been pale purple before she had won that particular argument against Narcissa. Leah's bed was white and sky blue with a quilted headboard taller than herself, her bedding every colour imaginable although one would have to look under the formidable mountain of stuffed animals. Valentine's desk, despite being expensive and finely made, was simple, used for study and always neatly sorted and kept clear. While Leah's held a large ornate mirror with golden filigree designs and was constantly cluttered by hair ribbons, clothing and jewellery. Yes, it was quite possible they were the best example of opposites.

Leah, still on the floor, rolled back on to her stomach and tucking her arms under her head, she pouted. Leah hated the holidays. She missed her friends. She missed sharing a room with Olivia and Valentine. She missed Liam and, despite his teasing, even Blaze. She wished to see Valentine and Draco although she had spent all day with them yesterday. Mr Malfoy had been in one of his bad moods recently and she knew her mother preferred she keep some distance. She hoped that meant all she had to do was wait out this dull and dreary morning and then she could go visit in the afternoon. If she was really lucky than she could convince them to come and visit her next, then Lucius wouldn't be a problem. And yes, Leah knew all about that.

She had never been the most observant of people, but even she could see what was right in front of her. She'd seen the bruises and marks that Narcissa hadn't healed yet, the kind Draco always did his best to hide. Draco's father had a temper that hers didn't. Draco's father used pain as punishment while her own had never raised a hand to her. She had once asked her mother why things we're so different in their family and she had received a sound scolding. These were not the kind of things little girls we're to speak of and she should certainly never say a word against their friends the Malfoy's. Leah had never gotten a real answer to her question. She supposed Lucius must have liked doing it or else why would he do it at all? This easily made her not like him, but to disobey her mother and say something was unthinkable. She was told it wasn't any of her business and she supposed, that until Valentine or Draco asked for her help, that it would stay that way.

Leah missed Hogwarts. At Hogwarts, she didn't have the time to lay on the floor and wonder about things that gave her a headache. Something was always happening at Hogwarts, even if it was one of her best friends suffering from a mysterious nose bleed. What would she do if Valentine had died? She frowned. She didn't want to think about that. Valentine said she was fine, but she wasn't so sure. She may not have been as smart as Valentine and Olivia or as witty as Blaze and Draco or even coolheaded like Liam, but she knew when something was wrong with her friend and it killed her too not be able to help.

She felt like that often. Like she was unable to help. Whenever she tried things usually ended up worse than before. When she got mad or upset her brain would get all muddled and she wouldn't be able to think straight. She was glad she had Valentine and Olivia and Liam. They could get things done without getting so confused or frustrated. Leah wondered, for not the first time in her life, what it would have been like to be capable of such things. To only have to read a book once to have all its knowledge. To step into a tense situation and immediately know what to do or say. To have people come to her for help or advice. The supposed this line of thought as rather pointless. She was Leah and Leah wasn't capable of a lot of things. She didn't mind so much when she remembered how many responsibilities capable people tended to have.

Leah's stomach rumbled loudly and she remembered that she needed food to survive. So with a tremendous groan, she hefted herself up off the floor and headed out into the hall. Then she shut the door behind her, laid down on the hallway floor and began to roll.

She rolled down the entirety of the hall, humming the whole way along to a tune she couldn't remember learning. When she reached the end of the hall and neared the top of the stairs Leah pondered on her next move. Upon deciding that rolling sounded much more fun than walking, she heaved herself as hard as she could and went tumbling down the forty-foot flight of stairs.

"Ouch!" She hissed as her head cracked against a marble step.

Perhaps this had not been her finest idea but walking would have been so dull and ordinary.

"Miss Leah! Are you okay?" Penny, her maid, gasped as Leah landed with a thud at the bottom of the staircase. "Oh, why do you do this?"

Penny knelt down beside the giggling girl as she fought to make the room stop spinning.

"Because it's fun!" Leah rubbed at a steadily growing lump on her head.

"One of these days your antics are going to kill you." Said Penny, tucking a lock of blonde hair behind her ear.

She was a fairly ordinary looking type of person, blonde hair, blue eyes, average height for her stocky build. Leah thought she was wonderful.

Penny had been in service to the Lovat's since shortly before Leah had been born. Leah had known her just as long as she had known Valentine and Draco. The difference was that she knew they weren't really supposed to be friends. Valentine had once explained to her that it the help was beneath them and not worth their good grace but Leah didn't care. So long as her parents didn't try to stop her, she would treat Penny as she always had.

"Nah. It'll take more than that to kill me!" Leah sat up with a grin that quickly turned to a pout. "Besides, it's not like there is anything else to do here."

"Miss Leah, you have the entire manor and it's grounds." Penny rolled her eyes. "Surely you can find something better and safer to do then roll down the staircase and almost splatter the floor with your brains."

"Meh. Blaze says I don't really have one. I don't know why he's so cocky when his brain is in a jar." Leah's eyes suddenly lit up. "Oh! Oh! I know! I could tame dragons and ride on their backs like a fearsome warrior!"

"No. You already had that idea two years ago. Broke your arm, remember?"

"Oh, yeah."

"Perhaps you could do something that won't end up with you breaking any bones?"

"Well, that doesn't sound like any fun."

"I swear you'll be the death of me." Penny sighed, chuckling lightly.

She knew Leah like the back of her own hand, having assisted in raising her. Leah often felt as though Penny was her older sister, looking out for her no matter how difficult she got. She thought the same of Valentine and had always been jealous of siblings or even Valentine and Draco themselves. They had each other night and day while Leah would return home alone.

Then Leah's stomach rumbled loudly echoing around the foyer. Penny laughed.

"Let me guess you came down to get something to eat and then forgot?"

"No!...maybe...okay, yes!" Leah jumped to her feet. "But the point is that I remember now!"

Leah grabbed the maids hands and tugged her to her feet as well. Standing at five foot five, Leah was already as tall and as a full-grown woman beside her. She rather enjoyed being tall. Crowds and high shelves were never a problem although beds could occasion by something of an issue.

"Now!" Leah proclaimed, thrusting her fist into the air. "Onward, men! To the kitchen!"

Leah ran on forward pulling Penny along with her.

The maid just rolled her eyes and smiled. She was very well accustomed to Leah's strange and often difficult personality.

"We shall slay the vicious beast know as my internal hunger!" Leah declared. "My weapon of choice shall be a cheese and ham sandwich!"

Leah picked up speed and dragged them down the hall with terrifying determination.

"We should slow down," Penny warned. "You could trip."

"Awe! You sound just like my Olivia." Leah cooed sweetly but didn't make any move to do as suggested.

With the frantic and unnecessary pace, they reached the kitchen's in no time at all.

"At last!" Leah cheered. "Our destination!"

"Where do you get your energy?" Penny huffed, resting her hands on her knees and trying to catch her breath.

"From the mystical powers of breakfast, lunch and dinner!"

"Oh." Penny wiped at her forehead. "Still in character then."

Leah threw open the kitchen door with an expression far to valiant to be in proportion to the situation.

It was a large room lit by an open window looking out at the grounds behind the manor. Dishes cleaned themselves in the sink and the basset hound, Sebastian, dozing in the corner.

"Frog!" Leah called out, cupping her hands. "Frog!"

"Over here, Miss!" came a strangled, raspy voice. "Frog is over here!"

The small, wrinkled House Elf stuck his head out of the oven and Leah immediately burst into laughter.

"Are you trying to cook yourself?"

"No, Miss. Frog is just cleaning the oven, Miss." The elf explained, his head still sticking comically out of the oven.

"Hello, Frog." Penny enjoyed them, cheeks red from the exertion. "You know using magic would be so much easier."

"No, no." He shook his head. "It's Frog's pleasure to clean with his hands."

"Really though." Penny placed a hand on either hip. "You don't have to."

"Frog only wishes to give the Lovat's the best of his service." Frog inclined his head respectfully to Leah.

"Well, you can't serve at all if you get grilled alive!" Leah giggled and gestured for him to get out.

Frog nodded and immediately rolled out of the oven and onto the floor.

"Why is everyone rolling today?" Penny sighed.

Frog had been around even longer than Penny and Leah's fondness for him was even more taboo than her friendship with a maid. House Elf's in service to a family were slaves. Leah knew this because she had once asked Valentine to explain the difference between a slave and a servant. Penny was a servant a with paid salary and allowed to quit whenever she pleased. Frog was bound to the Lovat's as property, was not paid and was not allowed to leave without permission. Frog was so nice to her and it all seemed so utterly unfair to Leah, especially if you were like Dobby, the House Elf that had belonged to the Malfoy's and treated even more roughly by Lucius then Valentine and Draco. But luckily for Dobby, things had changed.

Valentine had told her and Draco all about how she had overheard her aunt and uncle talking. Harry Potter had tricked Lucius into giving Dobby his freedom. Valentine had laughed darkly and called her uncle a fool.

House Elf's could be given their freedom so long as their master presented them with clothes, but Leah couldn't imagine her father ever doing that. He wasn't cruel to Frog like Lucius Malfoy and treated him quite the same as any of their servants. But did that making keeping Frog here okay? Maybe he wanted to do something else with his life? Leah realised she had never asked and wondered if she ever could. She wasn't meant to be friends with Frog, it was against the rules her mother had drilled into her. Could she break that rule without having her mother be mad at her?

"Can Frog do anything for you, Miss?" The elf blinked up at her expectantly.

"I need the ultimate, super-amazing, mega-ultra, awesomest ham and cheese sandwich!"

The House Elf looked confused for a moment, slowly digesting her words.

"She means a ham and cheese sandwich, Frog." Penny cleared her throat, laughing under breath.

"Oh! Yes, yes. Frog can make you a sandwich, Miss." The elf nodded.

"With ham and cheese!" Leah exclaimed as if she needed to remind him.

"Yes, yes. With ham and cheese."

"And lettuce," Penny added, pulling out her wand to clean the oven. "This one hasn't been eating all her vegetables at dinner."

"As long as I still get my ham and cheese I don't care!" Leah beamed, skipping over to the wicker basket, where the dog sat. "Hello, Sebastian!"

Leah cooed giving the dog a genital pat on the head and then amusing herself with playing with his large floppy ears.

Sebastian just blinked at her tiredly. He was an old dog and used to her poking and prodding hands. Just like the other, he was had always been there.

"So, Miss Leah. Are enjoying your holiday?" Penny asked.

"No." Leah pouted.

"And why not?"

"It's boring! Mama doesn't want me to visit Val and Draco so much right now because Mr Malfoy is in a bad mood and Liam's grandfather is making him study all summer because of how low his Defense Against the Dark Art's grade was even though that's all Lockhart's fault! Blaze is ignoring all my letters even though he said he would write to me and I'm not even allowed to see Olivia just because her family is common! It's not fair, Penny!" Leah exclaimed, clenching her fists. "Why does it even matter if Olivia isn't rich? She's nice and smart and we all like her so shouldn't that make up for it? She's special. She isn't like other common people so it shouldn't matter!"

"I..." Penny blinked, surprised by the emotional outburst. "...who knew that was such a loaded question?"

"I just want to see my friends," Leah grumbled, tears beginning to cloud her vision.

She pulled her knees up to her chest and Penny sighed, kneeling down beside the girl.

"Hey, now. Look, you're just upsetting yourself." She ordered softly. "I know you want to see them but things aren't always that simple."

"I just miss my friends." Leah sniffled and rubbed at her eyes. "I want my Olivia."

"I know, Miss." Penny balled her white apron in her fist and dabbed it at Leah's eyes. "But getting all worked up won't make the summer go any quicker. Remember that you'll see them all again once you go back to school."

"I don't want to wait, I want to see them now."

"Like I said, it isn't that simple. No one can get what they want all the time." Penny smiled ruefully. "Even powerful families like your's."

"That's stupid," Leah grumbled bitterly. "When I'm in charge I'll make everything simple."

"Well, for now, at least you have us, right?" Penny touched her cheek lightly.

Sebastian bumped his nose against Leah's leg as if asking for attention, but looked up at her with the most pitying of eyes.

"Frog has made Miss ultimate, super, mega, awesomest ham, cheese and lettuce sandwich." The House Elf was suddenly there as well.

Leah looked at the plate. It was her favourite one with the blue roses painted around the edges and the sandwich was cut into four triangles like she preferred.

"Thank you." Leah sniffled, taking the plate from him. "But you left out amazing and ultra."

"Frog is welcome." He nodded, wrinkled lips lifting up into a weary smile.

Leah grabbed one of the four sandwiches and bit into it hungrily. She'd forgotten again how badly she needed to eat something.

Penny and Frog went back to work so she sat there with Sebastian and finished her sandwich. She still missed Olivia and Val and Draco and Liam and Blaze but Penny was right. She had friends here as well and she loved them no less than the others.

-----A Day in the Life of Leah Lovat-----

After her sandwich, Leah had spent an hour aimlessly following Penny around while she completed her chores. She rattled on and on for she had a lot to say. Leah couldn't ever imagine being speechless...to not have something to say...it was completely unthinkable to one that had fifty different trains of thought tooting away and trying not to collide inside her head.

When she had tired of following Penny she'd returned to her room to pull out her paints and crayons and spent another hour and amusing herself.

Leah smiled at the drawing in her hand. It was a picture of a battle fought between an army of muffins and an army of carrots. She was quite proud of the shading and wanted to show it to her mother.

Her mother always appreciated her fine art skills, even when they were pieces that would make Blaze laugh at her or Valentine roll her eyes. Her mother said that artistic talent was very favourable in a lady. Leah didn't much care about that but drawing was fun and making her mother smile with them was always a food way to pass the time. Especially when she left like she was on house arrest.

Her mother was sure to tell her how unique it was and kiss her on the head, so she was beaming when she threw open the doors to the extravagant greenhouse. When she saw what was inside, that smile dropped. That wasn't her mother.

Rose was elbow deep in a large potted plant. She had a smear of dirt on her cheek, her hair was tied up out of the way and she was wearing a pair of trousers and a cotton shirt. When she caught sight of Leah she gave her a lopsided grin.

"Hello."

"Hi." Leah chewed on her bottom lip, "I wanted to show my mama this drawing."

"Afraid I'm a bit busy at the moment." Rose looked pointedly at the potted plant.

"Okay." Leah pouted and turned to leave.

"Just leave it here." Said Rose. "She'll see it when she's around next."

"Oh, okay. That makes sense." Leah nodded and left the drawing in the branches of a nearby plant.

She headed for the door again and Rose had already returned her attention back to her work. Leah lingered for a moment. This woman was her mother but also wasn't at the same time. It was her families best-kept secret. First kept by her mother's parents and now by Leah and her father. Rose was a well-known woman, but those who only knew her as Rose Lovat didn't really know her at all.

Leah called this one The Gardener. She'd come up with the names when she was five, shortly after her father had explained the situation to her. The names helped her kept things straight.

Everyone thought that Leah couldn't be trusted with secrets, that her mouth was bigger than her brain. The only way to prove them wrong would be