The autumn leaves swirled and floated dreamily in the cool wind, scattering the grounds of Hogwarts with burning colors of yellow, red and orange. October had just begun and Harry Potter was home at last, or so they say.

[Lorna's POV

It's the 3rd of October already and it seems as if just yesterday I was packing my bags as I said "Goodbye" to Noah. It had been a bittersweet goodbye, of course I was glad to be leaving my job, going back to school and not having to worry about my next customer until winter hols began (Thank god; not that I don't love my job). But at the same time I had to leave Noah... People would call me crazy if they knew the whole story, but, maybe I am. They just wouldn't understand, hell I don't even think I understand this...

I can't say I expected him to be anything more than what he is with all the scantily clad women that come 'round at all hours of the day [and night... I saw it coming too, that one day when I turned 15 and he approached a topic that he had never gone near before with me, sex.

Noah gave me what I assume was a slightly distorted version of "The Cats and the Owls" He tried though. It's not like I didn't know what my eventual fate was to be, I think I knew all along, and sometimes, I wonder why I never tried to runaway if I knew... At least Noah was having me finish my schooling at Hogwarts and let me pick which customers I wanted to... "Service", I had a lot of choice in the matter. It's been 2 years since that started...

Its part of my life now and it doesn't bother me, weirdly enough. Noah had a laugh at my expense the night before I left for my last year at Hogwarts, my seventh. That night we stayed up late getting absolutely piss drunk together, he'd said, "Bloody Hell Lor, you are probably the ONLY girl in the ENTIRE wizarding world who is actually "okay" with being a prostitute! You are most definitely my favorite whore, we're kindred-spirits we are! I was the ONLY little boy who dreamed of becoming a magical pimp when he left school, all the othersssz waanted to be aurorsssss, ssscrew themm" His speech had been so slurred and hilarious that night, I don't know why, but I seem to find sloshed men quite attractive... Anyways, after that he continued on with his little... err speech? "I think I got the better deal, I got you!" He finished, after that speech I ended up in a bed I'd never been in before, Noah's. So as you can see, Hogwarts is my second home, part of my.. let's call it... 'double-life'. Outside school, I'm given money to do things you read about in enchanted books and such. But at school? I've never even had a real boyfriend... Well, this year? I vow, that's going to change, no longer will I be the shy little Ravenclaw with perfect marks and the lost smile, this year, Lorna Weeks is going to shock.them.all.

[Ron's POV

October, bloody hell, ruddy weather making you actually feel that school has begun! I didn't think Harry, Hermione and I would be back at school this year, but at the last minute Harry decided that we would be safer with the older Order of the Phoenix members, besides, he could always get McGonagall to let us off in order to search for the remaining horcruxes so we can finally kick He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's ARSE!! I almost fainted with relief, there was no bloody way I could last numerous months in a small tent with Harry… trying to keep each other warm how ever we could… oh, and Herms of course. The point is, this [meaning school is a welcome distraction from my newly occurring and distressing fantasies about Harry's strong physique, er, I mean my distressing dreams about the war against the Dark!!

October 4th I woke up groggily with a huge hard-on, which was quite alarming since I clearly remember only dreaming about playing Quidditch in the rain with Harry… shirts vs. skins. And by the toll of the clock from the main entrance I knew that it was already 11am and I had missed breakfast, fuck, this Saturday was already turning out to be utter bollocks…

I sat up, stretching my gangly limbs and pulled open my bedside curtains, I immediately regretted it. Blinding light from the window near my bed shot into my corneas like daggers. I fell off my bed in sleepy shock, instinctively shielding my eyes from the suns assault on them. I hit the stone floor with a thud that was soon accompanied by a rather angry "Bloody fucking Hell!!" I was too exhausted to get up so I decided to give falling asleep on the floor a shot… well that is till I heard laughter quite close behind me.

I squinted and turned my head a bit to see who it was, and there before me stood Seamus Finnigan in all his glory, dripping wet. I quickly averted my eyes and groaned inwardly, I knew that by now I was blushing like crazy… bloody redhead skin… "Fuck Finnigan! Put some bloody clothes on!" I croaked, my voice protesting having to work properly again after the nice nights rest it had just experienced.

Seamus just laughed more and proceeded to walk onwards to his own bed. "We're both guys Weasley, it's no big deal!'Sides, I'm not be the one who's fallen to the floor crawled up into the fetal position after being punched out… by a bloody ray of sunshine!!"

"Glorious, just glorious…" I thought as he continued chuckling, as he got dressed for the day. Now Seamus was going to tell all the guys… and that includes Harry!!

[Maddie's POV

Here I am again. Gods Hogwarts makes me want to scream every time I come back to it after the summer. With happiness, anxiety, confinement, joy... You name it. But I still love it, I mean really, how could I not? It's more of a home to me than back in Dublin with my scary parents… Anyways this year isn't starting out so fantastic already, my Slytherin 'chums' decided they were not going to sit with me this time on the Hogwarts express, so Bang, I've already started my year off with my foot in the loo. Great… now I've got to find another compartment to sit in…

Every single compartment I passed had someone in it and I was already nearing the back of the train, bloody hell, I better be able to find a seat! Then all of a sudden I passed a compartment, out of the corner of my eye I saw not one, but TWO redheaded figures sitting behind the frosted class windows of the compartment… could it be? No, they wouldn't be back here, they're already successful enough without graduating… but still… those two shapes look a little too big to be first years and the Gods know there hasn't been two boys with hair like that since… Gods almighty I hope he's back!

[Later that night

Anyways, I got over my friends ditching me on the train and being forced to sit in the freaking aisle the whole ride… near the loos… whatever I'm stuck here till I graduate in the spring and I need friends so I'd better put my cheery cap on, and start to smile again…

As I made my way to the Slytherin table for the start of the year feast and sorting of the first years… I passed the Gryffindor table, walking a little too slowly for some of their likings I guess because I earned myself a few too many jibes like "What do you want, you dirty Slytherin?" or "Go back to the dungeons where you belong!" and many more dirty looks. But I didn't stop, I had to know if it was true, was he back? I reached the end of the table where my fellow 7th years sat and my heart stopped and started climbing up my throat. I stopped walking, which probably wasn't the smartest thing and I stared, and I stared until someone snapped me out of my trance. "Slyther-bitch! What the hell are you looking at?!" Seamus Finnigan yelled at me. My Pureblood upbringing kicked in right then, in the knick-of-time too. "I was just in awe of how much uglier you got over the summer, I didn't think it was possible!" I replied snidely, crossing my arms protectively over my chest, a gesture that reminded me way too much of something Pansy would do. And that was that. I walked quickly towards my table, but not before I caught Fred Weasley grinning at me.
[October 4th

It's been about a month since school has started, and I haven't talked to him once… and what am I doing? I'm sitting here, at the Slytherin table eating toast. Bloody bad Saturday morning, there wasn't even any jam left for me to use. If there's one way to make me angry, it's to take away my jam when I'm having toast on a morning where I'm tired and angry and PMSing! I got up, finishing my disgustingly bland toast in one bite and walked out. Well, more like stormed out. I didn't know what to do with my day, I was too angry to go back to my common room, where Malfoy would no doubt kill my mood even more, so for about an hour I walked around the school, trying to get mean-ish thoughts out of my head, and put niceties in it. Everywhere I went there were lovey-dovey couples being… love-dovey together and it made me want to puke and it possibly just made me angrier… Gods knows why though, I've never been one to yearn for a man to complete me, no, just no way, I'm enough on my own! Or maybe not…I passed a girl wearing THE most skanky clothes I had ever seen, fuck, she didn't even have anything to PUT in them! Thoughts of her followed me as I stalked onto the grounds heading towards my favorite willow tree.
"Who the hell does that girl think she is? Look at her, walking around in those...clothes...if you call two pieces of cloth clothes. "
"NO think NICE thoughts!"
"I am thinking NICE thoughts."
" These are not nice."
"…"
"Well, I guess you could call them an improvement..."
I inwardly argued with myself over my temper. Why was it so out-of-hand these days?!

A flash of red went by me, and I turned with anticipation. But damn, it wasn't Fred, or George for that matter and by heart sank. I started walking again, a few minutes later I was in my safe haven, under my willow by the lake. It was my serenity. If anyplace could clear my thoughts, it was this one. All of a sudden I decided I wanted to paint. Yes, I admit it, I have major ADHD (if you were wondering, its some Muggle thing). I reached into the huge beat-up messenger bag I always carry with me and pulled out a box of paints, a small cup and a large pad of paper. I was always prepared for my ADHD and I carried around almost everything I thought would strike my fancy that day, no I am not weird, so shut up. Painting, good stuff, it lets you see what you're thinking of most if you're confused, even the colors you chose show what you're feeling too. I walked down to the lake and filled my cup with water to mix my paints with and walked back. I sat down and got to work. Lots of orange-y red paint would be used and some greens and golds, yes, that's it. I wasn't drawing tomatoes by the way, I was just… drawing what came to me...

As I drew I thought about my life. Gods, I hated that I had to leave work to come back to school. Honestly, getting paid to paint and draw all day, now that's the life. Not this. Not learning. What am I going to need History of Magic for? Anyways. Back to the drawing board. Literally. Well… I guess in this case, painting board… but you get what I mean…