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As the school year continued, Sparrow’s usual hyper-chattiness had quieted to a few cheerful words, and while she used to be seen--or more likely heard-- around the castle, she would return directly to Gryffindor Tower after studying with Chadwick. She slept early, steeped her tea for longer in the morning, snacked throughout the day, but still sometimes had to hide tired dark lines under her eyes with makeup. “It’s just all the new classes,” Sparrow would say with a weak imitation of her 7000 watt grin, but she slept through half her classes and hadn’t even written anything new for drama club since March.

Summer meant Sparrow spent every weekday-- and sometimes Saturdays--at theatre camp with her old troupe. She had some kind of extracurricular in the afternoons-- this summer it was just reading stories to little kids at the library on Wednesday. The other days she’s have for extra practice or tutoring with Big Sis Aspen. There were no boys in the Hill Family aside (from Professor Marshmallow himself) for her sweet, jealous boyfriend to be afraid of, Sparrow adored Willow and Aspen, and Wren didn’t mind taking her and even occasionally helping out. And then of course, church and volunteering on Sundays. Despite the extra-busy schedule though, the exhaustion Sparrow denied seemed to magically lift away after the first week.

Of course, the whole thing meant less time to spend on dates. Sparrow still carved out at least an afternoon or Saturday every week to spend at her beloved Chadwick’s side. This week her troupe was taking a half week--naturally, Sparrow had owled Chadwick with an invitation to go shopping in Hogsmeade after her tutoring. She had imagined clothes shopping. Or visiting Finley. He and Chadwick were getting along much better, right? But she had seen Wren pop into this shop a few times before, and finally had enough energy to be curious.

"Winchparrow, I don't know why we're here but we better hurry up. I do not want to be in here all day."

”Oh! We can leave?” Sparrow offered immediately, but her thoughtful Chadwick just turned her to him, kissed her and told her to find something she liked. ”Thank you, my sweet Knappwick. Wren comes in here sometimes so I thought I’d take a look.” she replied, flashing him a cute smile. Sparrow browsed the store offerings, her steps measured and even, one hand in Chadwick’s and the other daintily holding the strap of her purse-bag.

She reached out for a music box that opened to a little floating broom and heartwarming melody. Sparrow picked it up after a moment and hummed softly.”Honey, isn’t this cute?”

Sparrow jumped a little when Chadwick hissed a warning in her ear. That was another rejected nickname. ”Sorry. I’ll think of a better one,” she replied quietly.

“Oh! Right. Sorry.” It took all 9 years of acting training for Sparrow to bite back angry tears and manage a chuckle and smile when Chadwick said her troupe was silly—Chadwick’s Sparrow wouldn’t disagree with him, she reasoned. Chadwick’s Sparrow wouldn’t cry about it. He even had to remind her she wasn’t to hum out loud in public—she silenced immediately. This character—the Chadwick-Sparrow—did not hum in public. The other remarks slid off her. Bird-brain wasn’t particularly novel—although Wren usually preferred “sparrow-brained”-- but Sparrow didn’t have to be super smart—she could memorize anything she was given, mimic anything she had heard, and figure out roughly how to play her roles. Well, except this one. Playing herself was obviously the hardest role Sparrow had ever done

“Is it that childish?” Sparrow asked, setting the closed music box aside when Chadwick disapproved. “I thought a quidditch-themed music box might be something Wren would appreciate. But you’re right. Too noisy for him.”

She dared not mention she thought Chadwick himself might like it. And Wren didn’t like childish things, so maybe not that. Maybe if she got it for Nim and he got it for Wren then her brother wouldn’t mind. Surely Wren didn’t reject presents from his own boyfriend, did he? Or Maybe Yukon would appreciate it. He liked silly things.

But it was too tiring thinking of how she might secretly get the box and wrap it and pass it to a friend to give to someone else—she had other things to remember now, evidently, like not singing. ”Ooh, what about a Remembereese?” she piped, holding up a rememberall with shaped like a cheese wheel. ”Mr. Chadder Cheese, would you care for a Remembereese?”

”Owwwwwww!! Chadwiiick,” Sparrow whined with a yelp when Chadwick slapped her arm, banning all nicknames altogether. It wasn’t that it particularly hurt or anything, but to be hit for her transgression--twice!--stung her pride. She relinquished the cheese rememberall like she had the music box.

”Okay, okay…No nicknames at all...and no knicknacks,” she promised, tempering her reply after her initial outburst into a more reserved tone--more fitting of Chadwick’s Sparrow. Chadwick drew her close again and continued, saying she needed to be a little smarter.

“Ayaka Nakano?” Sparrow echoed, listening to Chadwick’s comparison with a contemplative frown and a sort of pang in her chest. Sparrow wasn’t particularly close friends, but she did pride herself on knowing (mostly) everyone at school, and of course she knew the Nakano family. The mental image she pulled up was friendly and gentle, athletic, but not in the quidditch way. She would obviously need to observe Ayaka more. Another reference! Maybe she could owl her to hang out sometime. For now, she honed in on what Chadwick had pointed himself: social, but not too much. And focused.

Yeah. Social, but not too much. Focused. She could make that work. It was her job as Chadwick’s girlfriend to be his ideal girl. Social, but not too much. Focused. Smart and mature. Reserved, but not too quiet. Softer, studious. No outbursts of song. Modestly dressed. Tastefully dressed. Long hair, undyed. She didn’t even miss having beautiful, rainbow-colored hair anymore, and could ignore the more odd pieces of clothing that caught her eye. It was things like smart that she couldn’t wrap her character around. So much to remember, but obviously she hadn’t mastered this character yet.

Chadwick wrapped his arm around her comfortingly and offered to get the music box for her dresser. ”Nah, that’s fine. I mostly just wanted to see what Wren might be so interested in and do some window shopping with you.”

Sparrow didn’t want to be dumb, girly and babyish if that wasn’t who Chadwick wanted. Sparrow felt something hurt, so she swallowed the feeling like it was a complaint during practice. She was an actress. She would perform to the best of her ability, no matter what. She could do this, because true love always, always, always won out in the end.

Sparrow rubbed her arm and pulled Chadwick along with a sweet smile as though that would cover for all her mistakes today. It was time for a change in scene!”Hey, you know what’s not a knicknack? Cake! Want to get some?”