Winifred's week had been stressful. Moreso than usual. The letters she had been writing back and forth with her uncle- seeking advice on how to handle her break up with Zel- had gone horribly awry. After getting a fake letter saying he didn't work at the ministry anymore- and her aunt reassuring her that he was just teasing her (mean spiritedly, but teasing all the same)- Winnie took her parchment and ink down to the lake after dinner, along with some homework she needed to work on, and settled beneath a large tree to write him back.

It was a hard letter to write[1], and did little to lift her spirits. Self confidence had never been Winnie's strong suit. She was always worried about her appearance or her grades or fitting in with her peers. And now that fourth year was almost over, and she knew that the next year would be OWLs- which was the start of deciding her entire future- she was starting to panic. And the panic, low self esteem, and recent break up with her boyfriend was making life hard.

And she felt like NOBODY understood.

And after she finished the letter and folded it up, shoving it in her bag to carry to the owlery later, Winnie tried to work on her Astronomy. But it was hard. Star charts were hard. Math was hard. The very precise nature of the subject was hard. It was all hard. And she was frustrated and stressed and it was the last thing she wanted to do.

When she had plotted the same star four different times- in a different location each time- each of her equations coming out differently- she groaned loudly, balled up her chart, and threw it into the lake. The parchment floated for a few moments, and as it soaked up water began to slowly sink. Winifred threw herself backward dramatically- laying out beneath the tree- and pressed her fists to her eyes. She was not going to cry. She was not going to cry. SHE WAS NOT GOING TO CRY.

1.	this letter

Josh was wandering about in his animagus form on the grounds near the lake. It was relaxing sometimes. It was fairly stressful-  between worrying over who would be the new Quidditch Captain after Raine left, his work and prefect patrols, Josh was having a tough time of things. He was coping, but barely sometimes. That was when he saw someone throwing a piece of parchment out into the lake, and throwing themselves down beneath a tree. Ok, someone looks stressed. Heading over there, he noticed it was Winnie Oliver. he couldn't resist brushing  p against her, then sitting down next to her, purring.[1]

1.	he's still in his animagus form, in case it isn't clear

Winifred was in the midst of woe when a cat decided to sidle up next to her, brushing against her and then purring at her. Leave it to animals to be cute, adorable, and make her feel better! And, since her own cat (Lord Flufybutt) was currently locked away in the Hufflepuff dorms, she settled for this strange cat who had decided to come along and be friendly. "Aren't you adorable!" she cooed. She sat up and reached out, then grabbed the cat and hugged it tightly.

She cooed at it affectionately- in the tones most people used with cute animals or small children- gave it a loud smooch on the nose- then set it back down. "Thank you, mystery kitty, for cheering me up. It's just... sometimes life is hard and school is hard and I just want it to be summer so that I can go home and RELAX for once."

Whatever Josh had been expecting, it wasn't to be grabbed up and hugged. He probably should have, but hadn't. he sympathised with Winnie's plight- though he assumed she had forgotten they usually had summer homework, so she wouldn't be able to relax as soon as they got home- and made a quick decision. It sounded like Winnie needed someone to talk to, so he moved slightly away from her, then transformed back into human form.

Winifred was more than a little surprised when the cat turned from being a cat... into being Josh Harcroft. She suddenly felt quite deceived, and more than a little awkward at having hugged Cat-Croft so tightly and smooching him loudly on his furry nose. She blushed a dark shade of red when she made that realization, and covered her face with her hands.

"Good Godric, Harcroft! I'm so sorry. I ... I didn't realize that was you! That you were a cat! If I had known... I mean, I wouldn't have..." Winnie gesticulated wildly, and blushed an even darker shade of red when she realized she had basically just nestled Cat-Croft in her bosom. "I wouldn't have... I mean." Winifred couldn't even find the words to express her feelings at the moment. She felt so awkward.

"Please don't hate me for snuggling and smooching you?" she finally said. "If I had known that you were you I wouldn't have been so... grabby." Winnie frowned a little. Hopefully he wouldn't be offended. Or read too far into it.

Josh couldn't help but be slightly amused by Winnie's reaction to him transforming back. Sitting down near her, he smiled. " Don't worry about it Winnie- you couldn't have known." Josh said, smiling to show he wasn't offended. "Actually, I'm glad that I act enough like a cat that you didn't know it was me- I've been an animagus less than a year." Josh mused.

She felt relieved when he didn't seem particularly bothered by her reaction. "I just really love cats, and you were very convincing," she said. "And I'm just... You know, not feeling so great lately." She gave a shrug and shifted her gaze to her lap, plucking at the grass a little.

"It's just hard to believe that my fourth year is almost over, and I'm really worried about fifth year. That I'll just be very bad at everything and won't pass any OWLs. And I know that's an awfully long time away, but I still worry about it. Especially with how hard I've been trying to get caught up with classes and practice with my wand. Did you know I can do third year spells now?" Winnie asked him. "That's how hard I've been working. I just wish I could practice more over the summer. I really want to get caught up. It's just so hard."

Confiding in Josh was not something Winifred had expected to end up doing- but once she started, it was like the flood gates had opened. "And after Zel broke up with me I've just been very sad. It's really hard, you know, constantly feeling like you're not good enough. Like I'm not smart enough or pretty enough or ... well... anything enough really. I hate that feelings. And I've always felt that way. I don't know what to do to make it go away."

" As I said, I don't mind." Josh commented when Winnie explained why she had grabbed him.

"Winnie, I wouldn't worry too much about your OWLs. First worrying too much will actually make it harder for yo in the exam. Second, you've made a lot of progress over the past year. If you want help, I'm always available." Josh said, trying to comfort the 4th year.

"Winnie, I know Zel. If I may say so, it's far more likely that he broke up with you because he was scared of the effect of his lycanthropy on you, rather than anything you did. He's being pretty stupid, if you ask me." Josh replied, hoping Winnie would be comforted by his words.

"I know you are. I just worry that my hard work won't be enough. I'm afraid I won't do well enough on my OWLs to stay at Hogwarts. I don't want to Troll out of Hogwarts! I mean, I don't even know if that can happen or not. But I'm really only good at Divination and Muggle Studies. I don't think I can stay a whole seven years with two classes that aren't even core classes." Winifred sighed again. "I know I can't do anything about it now. But it's just hard not to be good at anything. I mean look at you! You're already an animagus! And that's like, a HUGE thing! I can't imagine being that good at something. If I ever tried that, I'd turn into a newt or something and get stuck."

When he offered his opinion on Zel, Winifred frowned. "That's what he told me- that he didn't want me to get hurt. But breaking up with me hurt, you know? And I mean... I know that being a werewolf is a big deal. But that's not all Zel is. He's not just a werewolf. He's nice, and he's smart, and he's thoughtful, and he's generous and caring and compassionate and kind... He's so much more than lycanthropy. And so long as he keeps going to the ministry and keeps following the rules, it's not going to hurt me. I know I'm not always the easiest person to get on with and sometimes I can be petty and even mean... But I just really like Zel. And even so- like even if his reason is legitimate, to him anyway- who dumps somebody on April Fool's Day. It was like a cruel joke gone wrong because it wasn't a joke at all!" she wailed.

"Winnie, First, I don't think you're working at a Troll. Second, if you fail your OWLs, then you'll be able to retake them 6th year. As for being good at divination and Muggle studies, that suggests to me that your main issue is with wandwork, not theory.Work on that, and you should be able to get a decent grade." Josh said. "You shouldn't compare yourself to me though- especially my animagus form. It more or less requires being ridiculously talented at transfiguration."

"Winnie. I know. But Zel is probably still thinking about the risks- and even if he follows the rules, there is a risk." Josh said to Winnie. " Though he seriously dumped you on april fools day? that does seem a bit much. the only worse day I can think of to dump someone s Valentine's Day."

"Well, maybe not. But I mean, every teacher is different. If I was a teacher, I wouldn't want me in their NEWT class. And a lot of NEWTs don't you have to make an E to move on? I don't think they'll even take the Acceptables if I manage to make them." She bit her bottom lip and groaned. "I should have worked harder when I was younger! It's my own fault for putting it off for so long. Hufflepuffs are supposed to work hard! Why did it take me so many years to get that trait? Isn't that just part of being a Puff? My Uncle Archer says that it's better late than never. But even late seems like a hassle these days. But I guess at least I'm not exploding classrooms or anything anymore." Not that Winifred had ever caused a full blown explosion... But her spells had backfired marvelously in the past.

Winifred nodded. Yes, there was a risk with Zel. But... it was easier just to pretend it wasn't there. To ignore the fact he was a werewolf. "I don't think he'd do it on purpose- I mean, do it as an April Fool's Day thing. I think it just kind of happened that way. It just makes me sad. Like- what if I never find somebody else who wants to be my boyfriend? What if he was the only chance I'll ever get and I end up a weird old cat lady?" Winnie's concern about this fate was a genuine one. "No other boy has ever liked me. Lots of girls my year have had boyfriends or boys who like them. The only other boy who tried was a muggle boy I met when I was with the Trishna's for the holidays. And he gave me a bunch of numbers that apparently is the muggle equivalent of having someone tell you to owl them. And there's nothing wrong with muggles, I like them, but I can't have a muggle boyfriend while I'm at Hogwarts! I can't owl a muggle! It's against the law to tell people I'm a witch!"

"for a lot of NEWTs, yes, you do need an E or an O. You told me you've made a lot of progress in the last year, so you may well be able to get E grades if you work hard. You still have just over a year to improve- I think you can do it." Josh said, hoping to cheer Winnie up.

"Winnie, I've had a few girlfriends. Let me tell you one thing. Hogwarts romances tend to be short, especially before 6th year. There will be other boys for you. I can guarantee you that the girls who have boyfriends in your year will have broken up with them at least once by the time they graduate." Josh said.

The fact that someone like Josh Harcroft thought that Winifred might be capable of getting an E in a class was surprising- and encouraging. "You really think so? Well, maybe, if I keep working hard. I bet there will be lots of study groups next year, more than there are now, and a lot of extra help for students like me. I mean, OWLs are a big deal and I'm sure it helps the professors out if we do well. I'll keep trying. I'm just scared of failing. I mean, I didn't used to care. Because I always thought I was just bad at magic and I couldn't do anything to change that. I'm glad I started trying. I feel a lot better knowing I won't end up a totally inept witch when I grow up."

She didn't know Josh had had girlfriends. Then again, as much of a gossip as Winnie was, if things didn't directly affect her or her friends she tended to forget. "But some Hogwarts romances end in marriage and end in forever. I mean, it happens. I guess I just hoped I'd be one of those. And you know. It was nice. To have a boyfriend who was a Prefect and a sixth year and had so many great qualities. I don't know what Zel saw in me, or how it ended up happening, but you know- I liked him, and I liked us being together. It was nice. He was nice."

"I guess it's just, you know, it's important to have a boyfriend. It's important to have someone who can go to Pudifoot's with you at Hogsmeade or to send you a Valentine or buy you nice Christmas gifts. It's important to me, anyway. It made me feel so much better about myself- to think that someone actually liked me and saw good qualities. I think most people don't see me as anything more than a silly, stupid Hufflepuff." Winifred frowned. "You're lucky not to have to worry about this kind of stuff. You're smart and you're not bad looking and people like you."

"Yeah, there are quite a few study groups- I've helped out at a few myself. But put in the effort, and you will pass, and pass well. Some of the most powerful wizards around have been bad at classes- and didn't you have a wand that didn't work properly for you last year? That wouldn't help." Josh said.

"Yeah, some Hogwarts romances end in marriage- but not usually the ones in 4th year. My parents got together when they were in 6th year. But even if you aren't in a relationship when you leave hogwarts, it doesn't mean you're condemned to eternal spinsterhood- it just means you've yet to meet the right person.  know there is someone out there for you, Winnie." Josh said.

when Winnie mentioned her insecurities, then mentioned how lucky he was, Josh couldn't help it. he roared with laughter. "Winnie, quite a few people consider me to be stuck-up, rules-obsessed, and just a bookworm. Some people, unfortunately, will do anything to put somebody else down. If you want universal popularity, you'll never get it. Juts keep being the kind girl I know you are, and you will have friends- even if you don't realise it." Josh said.

Winifred felt a lot better. I twas strange. She knew Josh was good at magic, but had never really stopped to consider the fact that he might be good for advice and other stuff too. "Yeah, I had a weird wand. Because when I first went to Ollivander's in my first year none of the wands chose me. But I got a new one from Ollivander's! A proper wand! With a normal wand core and everything. And I've worked really hard. And I'm going to keep working hard. I'll join a study group next year."

And he even thought that there was a someone out there for her. "Maybe. I mean, I know I'm young. Uncle Archer keeps reminding me that I'm only fifteen and how silly this all is but it doesn't feel silly right now. Nobody has ever broken up with me before.And I mean I've had loads of crushes on boys, but I've never actually really liked one the way that I like Zel. I keep hoping maybe we will get back together. But I feel like it's pointless to hold out hope for too long. He's been avoiding me ever since. It sucks."

Winfred blinked at him when he laughed.But he quickly explained why. She'd hear dpeople call him stuck up before. (She'd thought it herself.) And rules obsessed was a given- he WAS a prefect after all. "I have lots of friends," Winnie told him. "I know that. It's just, having friends isn't the same as having a boyfriend. But I guess I have time for that," she conceded.

"You know, you've really made me feel a lot better about things. I just get so stressed out sometimes and overwhelmed and I never thought being a teenager was going to be HARD. I thought it would just be tons of fun and enjoying Hogwarts and having friends. Witch Weekly never tells you about how much work it is to be the kind of witches they write about and print."