Smiles hide more than you think

Disclaimer: u know what goes here, well, just imagine it for me, yeah? Don't sue!

Chapter 1: Hiding

Well, he's gone. He said he would be back. I've got to go somewhere I'm safe, somewhere he can't find me. Home isn't, anymore.

I went out today, looking for somewhere for a sixteen-year-old to stay. There's only this one place, a school - Hogwarts.

Well, I'm in! It starts next week! And the headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, completely understood my problem! He said I would be safe at Hogwarts. I'm to go to Diagon Alley (as if I don't know where it is! London rocks, man!) and stay there, to get used to the atmosphere of- well, you know what I mean. He said that although my other problem wasn't a problem, he's going to get the potions master to sort me out something for it, just so I don't have any problems.

I'm writing this in the sunshine outside Florean Fortesque's Ice Cream Parlour. It's so weird to be here and to be just like them. I keep getting all these smiles from men, men who wouldn't even have noticed me in my old state! It's quite refreshing! Mr. Fortesque himself gave me a free ice cream, "on the house" he said. I nearly went and ate it on the house, before I realised it was a phrase. These English-speaking wizards are so strange!

I'm on the train now. Dumbledore asked me if I would mind, but he said it would be the easiest way to protect me. "after all," he said, "we do want you to arrive at school in one piece!" I know it was a joke, but it reminded me how much influence that damn bastard had over my life. Notice the word had in that sentence. "Had" because I havn't seen him for a week now! It's amazing how good that feels! Oh! I have company! Some other students have just poked their heads round the door and asked if they could join me, as "all the other carriages are full." I nodded and in they came. There were three boys and two girls. One of the boys had messy, black hair and brown eyes, and was, I noticed, quite cute. He introduced himself as "Sirius Black". The other two were reasonable as well, one with messy brown hair, brown eyes and glasses- "James Potter", and the other, sandy-haired with blue eyes, "Remus Lupin". It was a bit strange the way the were staring at me and drooling, I was starting to wonder if they were cannibals. The two girls, one with curly red hair and green eyes ("Lily Evans"), the other brown hair and blue eyes, "Mary Boot", I noticed were looking from me to the boys in an ironic way. I introduced myself, "I'm Min Glimlachen." I was using the new potion. However, my looks stay the same. My short black hair, white skin and intense blue eyes were still as usual, thank goodness! The two girls exclaimed in delight. The boys and I looked at them, and I for one was wondering if they'd gone nuts. Mary, "You're foreign! I love your accent!" I replied, "Er, yes. Is sonething wrong?" Lily, "No, it's just, that is sooo cool!" Mary, "What language is your mother-tongue?" I answered, "Oh, what do you call it, Dutch I think." Both girls exclaimed, "Oh, cool!" The strangeness of the verheven volk. I sometimes wonder if their omvang affects their brains! Anyway, the boys were still staring at me and drooling. Lily asked, "Where do you come from? Which school, I mean?" I replied shakily, "Oh, you won't have heard of it. Lily, is it? And, Mary? Could I talk to you for a moment?" "Yeah, sure," they replied. "Your friends, they're not, cannibals or anything are they?" Lily, shocked, replied, "No. Why would you think that?" they were both giving me hard stares and the tension mounted. "It's just that they're all staring at me and drooling." They laughed. "Oh that!" Mary giggled. "They just fancy you!" My blank stare must have told them I had not a clue what they were talking about. "They think you look wonderful, really like you, have a crush on you." Mary explained. "Oh, you mean they bendenken me! But they hardly know me!" "So? That doesn't matter in their male testerone-mad minds!" "Um." Lily spoke up now. "If you are thinking of going for one of them, could you please not pick James? It's just, he and I have this thing going, and I really, really, like him." "Yeah," Mary joined in. "Remus is OOB too. He's almost mine." "OOB?" "Out Of Bounds." "Oh." Was I all I said. But I assured them I would not be "going for" any of them. I wasn't ready for another boyfriend, not so soon after- But then I shut up, remembering. "Wha-" Mary looked about to inquire more, but Lily, slightly sharper than her friend, cottoned on and elbowed her sharply. "Nice speaking to you, Min. Sorry, Mary and I need a little chat." Mary looked puzzled at that, but her friend dragged her off before she could put her foot in it even more. I turned back to the boys. They were having a pretty heated discussion, and after the little chat with the girls I could guess what it was about. Noticing me watching them, the boys all immeadiately looked charming and helpful, yet also trying to look mysterious, handsome, kind, and funny all at the same time. The effect was hilarious! But not wanting to offend them, I muttered something about needing the loo, then rushed off. Boy, did my sides ache!

I'm in the Great Hall, a great (no, really?) big hall (dur!), and the sorting has almost finished. I notice my friends from the train sitting at the Gryffindor table. They smile and wave at me. I smile back, picking up courage from their confidence. Dumbledore stands up, hushing the hall with a wave of his hand. "Now, we have a transfer student. This is Min Glimlachen, everyone. I hope that whatever house she is in you will be kind to her, and not too judging." None of them got that, luckily, but then, he knew they wouldn't. Didn't he? "GLIMLACHEN, MIN" That dry old stick has a loud yell. Inside my head, the "sorting hat" was talking to me. Well, at last, someone who commincates properly! "Well, you're certainly a strange one. What brings you here, so far from home?" I thought crossly, "Circumstances." Why should he care? "I'll tell you why I should care, but not now. Now, I shall sort you. This will give them a shock, I'm not sure if they know about it yet, but."

**************************************************************************** ************ *A/N: ooh, I love ending on cliffies! Please please please review!!!!!!! It's not so hard, just press the little button! Thanx! Dief Kattekop || || || || V