A/N: So before going on a break I also decided to write down a little oneshot, before it escaped my imagination completely. It is not a crossover, just a few themes from Harry Potter are used here. I don't know if there are many Harry Potter fans in the HSM fandom, but if there are, please, enjoy:)

17 year old petite brunette tried to make her way through the crowded school hallways, which was a hard task. She wasn't so smart what it came to maps and basic spatialization; her height only making it worse, limiting her eye sight to the level of everyone's chests and backs.

- Excuse me, - She said, brushing past two freshmen who seemed to be spinning something in their hands, spotting the right door.

Getting into the classroom the girl sighed in relief. As much as she loved studying and academic research, she absolutely hated school. There are simply too many people in there. And throngs of people have always brought her in some sort of distress ever since childhood. With years coming, she was learning to conceal her distaste for crowds better and better though. Her friends probably didn't even know just how much she hated going to public places.

As she looked around the classroom her heart skipped a beat.

- Gabriella! – A blue eyed boy called, looking at her with a joyful grin on his face, turning away from his bushy-haired companion instantly.

- Hey Troy, - Gabriella waved, blushing a little. – Hey Chad, - She greeted more shyly.

Chad Danforth didn't seem to like the way his best friend's attention shifted constantly to this girl; it was all fine and dandy while simply waving at each other in the classroom, but it was more dangerous on court. The captain of the basketball team needed to remain focused, 24/7. He held nothing against her personally though; more than that, there was a certain someone in whose good graces he hoped to get, maybe even with Gabriella's help.

- Hey Gabs, say hi to Taylor for me. – Chad said nonchalantly, tossing his basketball in the air and catching.

- You do know that I seat two seats behind you? – Taylor asked incredulously.

- Yes, but that way I get to greet you twice in one morning. Doesn't that make you feel special?

- Uh, no? Doesn't that make you feel stupid? – She said, rolling her eyes. – Wait, don't answer that. You probably don't even care.

- That's cuz all I care about is you, darlin'- Chad drawled.

It certainly wasn't the first time the two engaged in such banter; it was almost a daily occurrence. That's why it didn't faze their friends one bit, making them laugh at them instead.

- Hey, - Troy said, making Gabriella look at him. – What are you doing during your free period? I was thinking we can hang out in our place again.

His referral to 'their place' made Gabriella forcibly keep her head straight, refraining from ducking in shyness. Instead she smiled at her best friend in apology.

- I'm sorry, Troy. I was thinking on going to library during free period. There's something I need to look up; Computer at home has gone mental, so I didn't have the chance to make research at home. – She replied, sounding sincerely upset. She cherished every moment they spent together; partly because he was a great friend to her, making her laugh even if she was feeling down, always supporting and even protecting her; partly because she knew that she loved him and not just platonically. She enjoyed their conversations too much for it to be a 'just friends' thing. Her heart went crazy every time he stood near her, or turned his gaze on her and only her. She still could remember his touch and smell from the two times they actually hugged; Gabriella clutching him so tightly that it later resulted in continuous teasing from her best girl friend, Taylor McKessie.

- Oh. Never mind, I'll just come with you to the library then. – Troy grinned at her.

- Troy, you don't have to do that… I will be quite boring there, doing my homework. – She warned, though internally hoping that he will stick to his words.

- Gabi, you could never be boring. It sucks enough that we almost don't have classes together and you have so much homework that we barely have time to hang out outside of school. I'm not going to miss the chance to spend time with you, even if it means just sitting quietly.

Gabriella couldn't help but smile at him, trying to keep that warm feeling that was spreading in her chest at his words in check.

- Ms. Montez, there is a perfectly fine seat besides Ms. McKessie, no need standing in the middle of the classroom. – Ms. Darbus' voice came loudly out of nowhere, making Gabriella flinch and hurry up to her seat. Placing down her bag she looked up, only to catch Troy staring goofily at her, seating sideways behind his desk. She giggled and waved her hand.

- Mr. Bolton! I am right in front of you, so I suggest you seat correctly. Mr. Danforth! – Ms. Darbus called for Chad, resulting in nothing, because he was too preoccupied with his silent fight with Taylor. – Mr. Danforth. – Ms. Darbus sounded madder now, finally catching the basketball player's attention. - Theatre is a no place for a hockey puck. – She said, taking away Chad's basketball, leaving Chad staring at the empty place it had previously occupied, gaping in shock.

It was 10 minutes into free period and Gabriella sat busy in the library, typing away on the computer before her. Her hand jerked a little, as she heard a loud slump in the chair beside her, and then two hands covered her eyes.

- Guess who? – Somebody asked in a high-pitched voice.

- Troy, what are you doing? – Brunette asked, laughing.

- Aww, man. – Troy took his hands away, sitting in the chair, kicking away the bag he had thrown beside it before. – How did you recognize me?

- Lucky guess – She said sarcastically, giggling as he shown his tongue at her.

- You are lucky I'm gracing your presence. – He grumbled, jokingly. – Do your homework, I won't bother you.

So it remained that way for the next 15 minutes; them seating beside each other: her focusing on the monitor in front of her, him shuffling through his player, doodling something mindless on the sheet of paper. Pressing the 'print' button, Gabriella leaned back in her seat, letting out a breath.

- All done.

- Already? – Troy raised his eyebrows in surprise. He smirked. – Such a geek.

Gabriella dropped her jaw.

- Hey! – She exclaimed with mock offence, slapping him on the shoulder.

- Ouch! – Blue-eyed boy laughed, rubbing the place where she hit. – Don't worry, I want tell anybody. Your adorable geekiness is safe with me. – He gave her a toothy grin, showing dimples on his cheeks. He scooted his chair closer to hers, making Gabriella shift in her seat uncomfortably. As she saw him hover above her, leaning closer to her face, the only thought that ran through her head was "Oh my God, he's sweeping down! He's SWEEPING DOWN!"

It was probably because of her cowardice that they remained just friends for such a long time. It didn't exactly mean that she was 100 % sure that Troy reciprocated her feelings. There just always were those little moments, which probably would have made other girls go for it. Like the time this morning when he dropped his conversation with Chad, sparing her his undivided attention the moment she entered the classroom, not lessening the heaviness of his gaze even despite Ms. Darbus' constant callings for his attention. Or the times when coach Bolton made the class play team games during P.E., Chad and Troy taking turns in calling out for players; Troy always picked her first, even before his friends from basketball team, even though he knew she was awful in team sports. He always tried to help her carry heavy things, always texted and PMd her, starting various topics of conversation even if they were completely pointless. And of course, there were times when he tried to corner her, leaning close, staring at her face but a little lower then her eyes, the air around them thick with his intent. Much like right now. And for some reason it made Gabriella jumpy, scared for no real reason, looking for some kind of an escape. A light bulb flashed in her head.

- Hey, did you watch those reruns of Harry Potter on TV yesterday?

Troy slumped back in his seated, sighing exasperatedly. She always did it. Whenever he tried to bring them closer, to kiss her, she blew him off. This always left him confused, because he was almost sure that she liked him. Even if not by his own notice, he managed to interrogate Taylor, getting confirm that he needed. And still this girl continued to push Troy away, driving him crazy. He could never understand women.

- Wasn't really watching it but yeah, it were on. Why?

- There is this site, where you can complete a quiz in order to find out to which Hogwarts house you belong. Wanna try it?

Her mocha brown eyes shone with such adorable curiosity, that he simply couldn't say 'no' to her. Nodding his head, he chuckled, as she clapped her hands with excitement.

The cafeteria rumbled with laughter and voices of hungry students, eager to get a break from classes and to have some sustenance. The light and joyful mood was spreading through the room like fire, avoiding one boy in particular.

Troy Bolton looked at his tray with an almost mournful look on his face, picking on his French fries dejectedly. The only thing that made him feel slightly better was concerned look of his very beautiful brunette best friend, who reached out her hand to rub his back consolingly.

- Yo, Hoops. What's up with you, man? Eat up your lunch or we're gonna help you. We are starving. – Chad said, earning nods of agreement from his friends. Troy rolled his eyes in reply.

- We completed a little test before, you know, one of those Harry Potter tests, about where you belong and well… Troy didn't really like the results. – Gabriella said, answering Chad's questioning look.

- That's it? You're behaving like you've lost your beloved championship trophy, or something, because of some stupid on-line test? – Taylor asked, bewildered. – God, you guys are such lunkheads.

- It's pretty important okay. And I refuse to admit that it gave the right results. – Troy sulked.

- Why? Where did you get in? – Taylor asked. Troy turned away, refusing to reply. – Gabi?

- Well. I turned out to be a Gryffindor, even though I was almost positive that I'm a Ravenclaw. And Troy is.. a Hufflepuff.

Chad burst out laughing and even Taylor had a surprised expression on her face.

- Dude! Always knew you were a softy. – Chad nudged Troy in the shoulder, making him sulk even more. – Wait, does that mean that the founder of your house is a chick? – Troy groaned in his hands, making Chad laugh even harder. - I bet I'm a manly Gryffindor!

This made Troy perk up.

- Yeah? Why don't you try it then? Since you're all so high and mighty.

- No problem. – Taylor said taking out her laptop, after shaking her head at their antics. –Just a matter of seconds. Well, for me; Chad probably won't be able to read that fast. Wait, can you read at all?

Pushing on each other, the president of student club and co-captain of basketball team completed each of their tests. Their results made Troy drop his head in distress, making Gabriella return to her task of rubbing his back.

- Hell yeah! I knew it! – Chad called out as the computer screen showed red screen with 'Gryffindor' written on it.

- In order to not insult Gabriella, I can't even say that you're only there because you don't need much brain in that house. – Taylor shook her head at him. – But Slytherin? Seriously? I thought I'm a Ravenclaw too.

- Well you are pretty ambitious. – Gabriella said, thoughtfully. – It is more weird that I'm a Gryffindor. Never would have described myself as a brave one.

- You are braver than you think. – Troy mumbled, looking up, rubbing his face. – And I am, apparently, just a cowardly stupid Hufflepuff, who can achieve nothing. – He said bitterly.

- But that's not true! It is so obvious you've never read the books. It's not like it's a house full of fools. Many great wizards graduated there. – Gabriella argued hotly.

- Yeah, whatever.

The bell rung, successfully ending their argument, making them hurry up for their classes.

Gabriella sat completely bored in her History class, already having presented her homework, now trying to pay attention to her classmates. She heard something buzzing in her school bag.

Carefully, as not to make teacher suspicious of her actions, she leaned down to retrieve her cellphone. Pressing the button, she saw messages coming from Troy.

So

I decided that it simply can't be true

And decided to do it again

Gabriella scrunched her face in confusion, typing in reply:

What do you mean?

I created new mail addresses. 24 to be exact. Google just doesn't allow me to have more.

And guess what?

All 24 a Hufflepuff.

Gabriella snorted out a laugh so loudly, it drew everybody's attention to her. She blushed quietly muttering 'sorry'. When her classmate resumed his speech, she looked at her phone again.

Guess I'm just meant to be.

Oh Troy. You are crazy, Wildcat :))

Crazy badger, you mean

Swallowing down another fit of laughter Gabriella shut her eyes tightly. He was so adorable. She needed something to bring his mood back up. Thinking of something, Gabriella got out a sheet of paper.

Come to my house after practice?

Beware, badger is on the way ;)

The doorbell rung, making Gabriella rush down the stairs. Opening the door, she beamed at her friend.

- Hi!

He didn't reply, instead sniffing the air.

- Gabriella… is that the smell of brownies that I feel? – He said looking at her suspiciously. After the brunette nodded, biting her lip to try and hide the smile on her face, he threw his hands out in victory. – Score!

- Come on in. – She giggled, tugging him by his hand to her room. Entering it, Troy saw a little coffee table in front of her bed, filled with brownies, homemade pizza and drinks. Troy's stomach rumbled.

- You. Are amazing. – He looked at her adoringly, going to sit on her bed.

She nodded in satisfaction at his reaction. She actually had to ask her mother for help, explaining to her the situation. It made the woman smile and shake her head at her daughter, non the less helping her with her surprise dinner.

- That's not all of it, though. I made a list.

- A list? – Troy repeated, his mouth already full with pizza.

- A list. – Gabriella smiled nervously. She took out the sheet of paper she had been working on, giving it to Troy, taking a seat on her bed beside him.

The reasons for you being the most amazing Hufflepuff in the world

1. You are loyal to your friends and team. Remember the times when you helped Jason work on his free throw, or defended Kelsi before Sharpay?

2. You are hardworking. You never leave the court before you think that you have done everything you could.

3. You are kind. You have a heart of gold; you will never leave someone in trouble.

4. You have a green thumb. Ever wondered why you made our hiding place a rooftop garden?:)

5. Everybody wishes to become your friend. Because your warmth attracts everybody's attention, drawing them closer to you.

6. You are brave. You just never fight until you deem it completely necessary. And then, who would dare to stand in your way?:)

7. You are smart. You just don't like to brag about it, or think that it is something special; you just do your thing quietly, achieving everything you want.

8. No matter who you are or what you're doing, you will remain the most amazing, most wonderful person to me. Because I love you.

Slowly, Troy looked up from the least to look at the girl beside him, slow grin spreading over his features. Ignoring the crazy beat of his heart, he took a long pause, making Gabriella fidget under his scrutiny.

- Well. – She broke the silence anxiously, chewing her lips. – How do you feel now about being a Hufflepuff?

- Oh I am a Hufflepuff, alright. – He nodded confidently, still looking at her attentively. – Now I just doubt how much of a Gryffindor you really are. – He paused, cocking his head to the side, blue eyes shining with longing. – I think I need one final proof.

That test may have shown her that she wasn't a Ravenclaw, but Gabriella certainly wasn't dumb. She took the hint, her own heart beating wildly in her chest. Letting out a breath she made the little space between them disappear, placing her lips tentatively on his. She froze for a moment, not knowing what to do, before Troy took they lead, gently kissing her. They scooted even closer to each other, Gabriella reaching her hands out to circle his neck, moving her lips slowly to his. They broke apart after some time, Troy leaning in to nuzzle her nose, making Gabriella giggle happily.

- See, that wasn't so scary. – He said softly, touching her forehead with his.

-Yeah. – She matched his voice. – I say you're not so bad after all. – She laughed at his scandalized look, leaning in to brush her lips tenderly against his again. Troy gave out a little moan, tightening his hold on her.

- If you even think now, that you will be able to get rid of me, forget about; this badger will get you anywhere you are. – She only giggled again, not wishing to relinquish her hold on him just yet.

- I'll hold you to your word.

Hearing out a cry of distress Gabriella became wary. It sounded like her mother's voice. What could possible make her cry at this time of the day, or make her cry at all? Feeling concerned, brunette ran down the stairs, searching for her mother, finally spotting her in the kitchen behind a laptop, wearing a distraught expression on her face. Gabriella's heart dropped. What could possibly happen, to make her mom feel this way? Is it work? Is something wrong with grandmother?

Do they have to move again?

- Mom? – Gabriella asked, wearily. – What's wrong? What happened?

- Gabi – Maria said, tears shining in her eyes. – It can't be true. I can't believe it!

Feeling her toes growing cold, Gabriella managed to ask again.

- What is it, Mom? – She said, stepping closer to the laptop her mother was looking at. Glancing at the shining blue monitor, Gabriella froze in shock, looking at her mother in disbelief.

- I can't be a Ravenclaw! I am a true Gryffindor! – Maria wailed.

Gabriella just continued to stare at her mother, feeling bubbles of hysteric laughter coming up. She tried to calm them down, unsuccessfully so. Turning away as not to make her mother feel worse, she let out a silent laugh, tearing up because of it. It didn't escape Maria's attention though.

- Gabriella Marie! This is a no laughing matter! – She said sternly, wiping away her own tears.

Of course it is. Sorting to Hogwarts Houses is very important, after all.

A/N: Loosely based on real life. No joking. My boyfriend really registered 24 accounts in order to get that test tell him that he is a Slytherin and not a Ravenclaw. He failed, obviously, because sorting hat knows her job well:) And my mom really nearly cried when she wasn't sorted into Gryffindor.

And me… I'm just a happy Hufflepuff, hoping that you liked this oneshot and that you will leave a review with your thoughts about it:)