Authors Note and Disclaimer: The only thing I own here is Charolett and I don't even really own her. The story's idea is my friends, i'm just writing it. Also, the first chapter is always a kind of filler for me so yeah. Enjoy! Hope the beginning isn't too confusing.
"Harry Potter" McGonagall's voice rang through the quiet class room as she took roll. There was no reply.
"Harry Potter?" she asked again, looking up from the parchment to scan the class room.
"O-Oh, here" the youth in question raised his shaggy head, bespectacled eyes set on the teacher. There would have been no answer to her call if not for Ron who nudged his friend with a quiet concern. McGonagall went on with roll and Harry looked back down ignoring the bothered looks that bother Hermione and Ron gave him.
'I almost forgot she was calling me' Harry thought. 'This is starting to get annoying.' Thoughts trailing off he almost jumped when Ron nudged him again.
"You alright Harry?" he asked in a hushed tone.
"Yeah, fine" he replied distractedly.
"You don't seem fine" the red head muttered back.
"Ron, I'm fine, drop it"
"But-"
"Mr. Weasly, Mr. Potter" McGonagall's voice broke in as she appeared beside them. "Is there something you'd like to share with the class?"
"No ma'am" they both replied in unison.
"Well then I will ask you not to speak out of turn."
They sunk down into their seats slightly, Ron crossing his arms over his chest in a pouting gesture, Harry breathing out a sigh. He spent the remainder of transfigurations staring blankly at his desk, barely noticing when the bell rang.
Slowly he collected his things, rising stiffly from his seat. He left the room with his two best friends and suppressed another sigh as Ron spoke up.
"Are you sure you're okay Harry? You've been really out of it lately."
"I'm fine Ron, just… really tired okay? I'm going back to the common room." Leaving no room for argument, or even another word from his friends, Harry stalked off.
Passing through the common room he made his way to the bathroom, set on a nice long soak in the tub.
Door shut firmly he ran the water and undressed, a ghostly figure in the far corner catching his eye.
"What is it Harry?" Pulling his shirt up and off the previous Harry, the living one, exposed her tightly bound chest and stared closely at her identical twin. "Well?"
The ghost shook his head and walked over to the sink, sitting on it while she slid into the tub.
This was great, just what she needed, her dead brother intruding upon what was supposed to be her moment of alone time. Sinking down further into the water she let her head tip back and her eyes close.
"Stress, stress, stress" she muttered. "Life as Harry Potter, the boy who lived, is far less glamorous than people would think."
She opened her eyes and rolled over, looking at the ghost across from her, he looked a bit upset and she sighed. "Sorry, sorry, I forgot you were there… It just really sucks you know, having to pretend I'm you. Nobody even knows my real name." Sitting up in the tub she ran her hands through her wet hair, disappointed that she'd never been able to grow it out like other girls.
There were a lot of things she'd never been able to do pretending to be her brother. She'd never been able to dress up or play with real dolls, never gotten to have a crush or a boyfriend. Her life had been seriously limited by this. 'I've never gotten to be myself' she thought. 'Never gotten to be Charlotte Potter, nope, always Harry Potter.'
Drowning in her inner musings she was not expecting the bathroom door to suddenly slam open, or for Ron to burst in. She gave an admittedly girly yelp and sunk down in the tub, being sure to submerge her chest fully.
"Ron!" She shouted, dropping her voice to its practiced pitch. "Bloody Hell, what are you doing?"
"Hu? Oh, sorry Harry!" Ron said turning swiftly away from his friend toward the sink, oblivious to the fact that he was now standing partway inside the real Harry's ghost. "I guess I forgot to knock."
"Really? You think?" She frowned. "What're you doing anyway?"
"Cleaning up one of Fred and Georges pranks" he sighed. "I need a couple of towels."
'And so of all the bathrooms in the whole school you had to pick the one I'm in' she thought tiredly, waving dismissively at him.
Ron gathered a few towels in his arms and started on his way out a moment later, pausing at the door to look over his shoulder at his friend. She stared back at him, wishing he would hurry up and leave. He seemed to pick up on this because he turned back and walked right out of the bathroom, closing the door behind him without a word.
Charlotte released a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding and, sure no one else was going to burst into the bathroom, got out of the tub.
It seemed she didn't have any more time for such inner musings today. As she walked into the common room Hermione walked up and proceeded to pull her along to the library, letting her know Ron would be along as soon as the mess was cleaned up. They had a test in potions, it was time to study and study hard.
'At least it puts my mind on something else.' She thought.