A/N: Here's a little Hogwarts AU for y'all :)

"Jude! Jude!"

I heard someone calling my name and my head snapped up. The minute I saw who it was, my face broke into a grin. The same cheeky grin, the same brown hair…

"Connor!" I said, running towards him. My heart fluttered as he got closer and closer. The first thing I noticed was that my best friend had been working out. Like, seriously hitting the gym. Before summer, Connor had a little bit of muscle and mostly boyish features. Now, he was all broad shoulders and biceps and chiselled jaw and…

I swallowed hard. Now was not the time to drool over my best friend.

"I missed you so much!" Connor said, hugging me as soon as he got within arms distance. Butterflies erupted in my stomach.

"I missed you too!" I replied, returning the hug. "Summer was so boring without you."

"I doubt that, you have like a million people in your family. Wait a second- did you grow?" Connor asked. I noticed that Connor was looking me up and down.

I blushed under his gaze and looked down at my body confusedly. "I don't think so, why?"

"We're almost the same height now." He said, and I noticed he was right. Before we had left for summer break, Connor was almost a whole head taller than me. Now, we were roughly about the same height.

"Huh. I guess I did grow."

"I'm still taller though." Connor said teasingly, putting an arm on my shoulder and standing up straighter to try and look taller. Jerk.

I rolled my eyes. "By like an inch!" I protested, knocking Connor's hand off my shoulders.

"Still counts!"

"Whatever. You ready?"

Connor grabbed his trunk off of the ground. "Yep!"

Mariana came up to us just as we were about to leave. "Hey Connor." She said cheerfully, giving him a hug. She took one look at his arms and asked, "Have you been working out this summer?" I shot her a look. She winked back at me.

"Yeah, I guess. I've just been training really hard for Quidditch season." He replied, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Ready to get on the train?" She asked, grabbing her trunk.

All of the sudden, I was pulled into a headlock. Jesus.

"Jesus, do we really have to do this here?" I choked and squirmed as the older twin messed up my hair.

"Hey, as your older brother, it's my job to torment you." He said, continuing his torture. Connor and Mariana laughed. Traitors. I pushed away from him one more time and he released me, laughing. I huffed, trying to straighten out my clothes.

My moms walked over. "Hello Connor!" Lena said warmly as they approached us.

"Hi Mrs. Adams-Foster!" He replied, giving each of my moms a brief hug.

"So, Connor, Jude told us that you made prefect! Congratulations!" Stef complimented.

Connor beamed. "Thanks, I'm so excited! Hopefully Jude and I can patrol together. Plus, prefects have a really cool bathroom."

"Typical boys," Mariana scoffed, "You give them an academic honor and all they can think about is the bath the size of a swimming pool." She looked down at her own shiny prefect badge and adjusted it so that it was perfectly straight on her pink cardigan.

"Goody two shoes." Jesus mumbled under his breath, looking at the badge with distain.

Mariana glared at him and punched him in the arm "Hey!"

Stef guided them away from each other before a real fight broke out. "Alright you guys, you better get on the train." She said, checking her watch for the time. "It's almost noon."

I nodded and picked up my suitcase, giving my moms one last hug before heading over to the train. "Bye mom! By mama!" I yelled over my shoulder as Connor and I started to board.

"Bye sweetie! Be safe!" I faintly heard Lena say as Connor and I got on the train, starting to head to the prefect's compartment. After we got there and dropped off our trunks, we changed into our robes. I stepped out into the hallway, straitening out my green and silver tie. Connor came out soon afterwards, and we began patrolling the isles of the train.

We easily fell into a conversation about what we had done over the summer.

"There's no way-" Connor started, looking at me incredulously.

"I'm telling you! They have a whole department full of glass balls with these little fog things inside-"

Connor looked at me skeptically as we walked down the isle of the train to the candy trolley. "There's no way that you've been to the department of mysteries!"

"I have!" I defended, "I hung out at the ministry all summer because Stef was working, and-"

Something hit my shoulder, causing sharp shooting pain. I cut off with a little yelp, stumbling into Connor a bit. He steadied me and looked at me concernedly, causing me to blush.

A cold voice cut through. "Watch where you're going, princess."

I stiffened. I knew that voice anywhere. Blake Edwards. Gryffindor. He's tormented me ever since first year.

"Blake-" Connor spat, his hands balling into fists and his jaw locking.

I placed a hand on his fist. "Connor, it's not even worth it." I said gently, looking at him pleadingly. Please don't… it's not worth it…

Blake and Connor had a stare down for a couple of seconds before Blake started to walk off. As he was passing me, he glared at me and muttered, "One of these days, he won't be around to protect you."

After he was out of earshot, Connor turned to me. "Why do you let him get away with it?"

"What good will conflict do?" I said and shrugged. "Besides, I've survived five years with them. I'm sure I can survive three more."

"Sometimes, I think that you're too nice." He mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck as we continued down the isle.

I smiled softly at him. "Shut up." I said, pushing him jokingly.

The rest of the journey was filled with small talk, exploding snap, and loads of candy from the trolley.

"The feast is over. Prefects, please lead your students to the dormitories. You are dismissed." The headmaster announced with a wave of his hand.

I caught Connors gaze from across the Great Hall. Ledge? He mouthed. I smiled and nodded back to him.

The ledge was a sit-in windowsill in the astronomy tower. It was kind of like our designated hang out spot, since it was right in the middle of the Gryffindor and Slytherin common rooms. Plus, it was usually abandoned which gave us the freedom to be our weird, geeky selves. Well, actually, I'm not sure Connor qualifies as geek now with all of that muscle he gained over the summer. Those biceps…

Ahem. Anyway…

After leading the Slytherins to the common room and making sure they were all settled in, I went out to meet Connor. By the time I got to the ledge, he was already sitting there waiting for me.

"Are you scared?" I asked him, taking a seat next to him on the ledge, our knees brushing.

"What?" He asked confusedly.

"Are you scared? Of the future I mean." I clarified.

"Not really." He said and then shrugged. "You?"

"Yeah." I said, picking at my fingernails. Nervous habit.

"You have nothing to worry about, Jude. It's going to be an awesome year. I can feel it." He assured, placing a hand on my back. I felt my heart leap and start pounding wildly. Now was really not the time… "Who knows?" Connor added, "Maybe you'll even get a girlfriend this year."

I stiffened and bit my lip. "Yeah, sure…"

If only he knew…

"We're going to kick your ass in Quidditch this year, though."

I scoffed, "You wish! You guys are going down!" I pushed him lightly and laughed.

"We are going to take home the trophy again. Just as we did last year. And the year before that. And the year before that-"

"Shut up! We're totally going to win this year."

Connor smiled and rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say, Jude."

We sat together in comfortable silence for a little, our shoulders lightly brushing, enjoying each other's presence after the whole summer apart. After a few minutes, I checked the time and broke the silence. "We should probably get to bed."

"Yeah, we have early classes tomorrow." Connor said, standing up and offering me a hand. I took it and he pulled me up off of the windowsill. "See you in Potions, bright and early."

I nodded and started walking down the hallway before I head Connor call my name.

"Hey Jude?"

I turned around. "Yeah?"

Connor looked at me for a moment with a serious expression on his face. He opened his mouth as if about to say something, but then a few seconds later decided against it. He dropped his serious expression. "Goodnight"

I looked at him suspiciously, but let it drop. "Goodnight" I answered back, giving him a small wave. He smiled and started to walk the other direction towards the Gryffindor dormitories.

I bit my lip as I watched his retreating figure walk down the hallway. The butterflies that seemed to manifest in my stomach every time Connor was around just reiterated the fact that I already knew.

The fact that I had known since the middle of fourth year.

The fact that could ruin our friendship forever

The fact that…

I'm in love with my best friend.

A/N: So i'm thinking that this thing will have like twenty chapters. Bear with me, I know the beginning is a little slow but i promise that it will pick up pace soon!

Review please!

Bye 3