"What's your name?" he asked.
"Rose Walker" I lied. "What's yours?"
"Nathan Abbott" he said.
There was a silence. Kind of awkward.
"So… what house are you in? I can't remember seeing you around school."
I looked at him. The air was warm, he wasn't wearing a scarf or anything to indicate which house he was from. I couldn't make the mistake and say I was from his house.
"No surprise, since we aren't in the same house. It's hard to keep track of all the students at school" I said with a laugh.
"Yeah, I mostly know Hufflepuffs, you know, since they are all in the common room. The rest is kind of a blur."
Hufflepuff. Great.
"Yeah. I am a Ravenclaw but I barely know the people in my own house. Guess I am kind of a lone wolf."
"Really? Doesn't seem like that to me."
I raised an eyebrow. "I am hanging out here, by the Shrieking Shack, all by myself, on a Hogsmeade weekend trip."
"Okay, I guess you are. I just wanted to say something nice."
I laughed. "Thanks."
"They say it's haunted, you know that? Apparently the villagers can some nights hear noises from inside. Someone running around. Things breaking. That's what I've heard, at least"
"Yes, I have heard about that." I said, leaving out the fact that I haven't heard a noise from inside that house during all my life, and neither have my mum. But we never tell the tourists that. "Scary stuff."
"You reckon it's a ghost?" he said.
"My guess is maybe a ghoul. Or a poltergeist. Ghosts aren't very noisy."
"That's true." he said. "This house must have been here for… years. Why don't they tear it down? Get rid of the scary stuff."
"It attracts tourists." I said. "as do the view of Hogwarts, the shopping street and the fact that it is one of very few all-wizards villages."
"At least that's what I read." I added.
"Would you like to join me to the Three Broomsticks?" Nathan said nodding down the path down to the village.
Yes, said my head, but I had to stop myself. I was silent for a moment. Was there any way I could go with him without blowing my cover. I couldn't think of any way, except giving Madam Rosmerta a hint in advance. And it was no time for that. And besides from that, someone from the village could come up to me and talk. No, I couldn't go.
"That would have been nice, but unfortunately I will have to pass. I… This is enough human interaction for today" I laughed. "No offence. Nothing… personal, I…"
"I get it. Introvert. Why do you think I walked away to this place, instead of shopping with my friends?"
"Yeah. Introvert" I smiled. "Will we meet again?"
"Of course, Rose. I'll see you in the blur."
He walked away, and I stayed, watching him go. Then I turned, leaned down to the fence and looking at the Shrieking Shack. I wiped away an uninvited tear, unsure of what provoked it. Happiness, from talking to someone my own age for the first time in years, or sadness that it had been years since the last time?