Danielle gasped and looked down at her arm. Sure enough, there were a few small blood stains from her cut she had just healed. Hm, I guess I didn't heal it fast enough. she thought as she repaired the sleeve of her robe.

"'Kay you lot, tha's all for today. Class dismissed," Hagrid announced.

"Shoot, I've got to hurry," Danielle murmured as she hurried to grab her satchel. "I promised Professor Sprout I'd got to her right after class was over," she explained to Harry as she rushed to gather her things.

Said boy looked at his watch and then back at her. "Well, you have about five minutes before the classes are suppose to get out, so if you hurry, you can make it there just as they get out of class."

"Thanks," she whispered as she gave him a quick hug and told him she'd see him later before hurrying up the narrow path toward the Herbology greenhouse. Harry was right; she got there just as the first person, Hermione, began walking out of class. Hermione gasped silently when she saw Danielle before smiling and saying something to the person behind her. Danielle was able to catch the phrase 'can't get used to seeing you' before she turned her Time Turner back a half turn.

When she looked up again, she saw the backs of her three friends and herself as they walked down to Hagrid's hut. She smiled and casually walked into the greenhouse and stood beside Hermione. Said witch looked at Danielle and at the smile on her face. "Someone looks please with herself," she stated smiling. Danielle nodded but didn't say anything. "Care to elaborate?"

Danielle shook her head, still smiling. "You'll find out soon."

The class sped by as they reviewed for a quiz at the end of the week. A loud bell toll signaled the end of class, and Danielle and Hermione gathered their things to leave. As Hermione walked out first, she paused for half a second. Nearly bumping into her, Danielle asked her if anything was wrong.

Hermione smiled shaking her head and looked back at her. "I swear; I can't get used o seeing you twice at the same time."

Danielle smiled at the deja vu. "Somehow I knew you'd say something like that," both girls giggled at the comment. "You'd better get going; we'll be back up from Hagrid's any minute."

Hermione took a quick glance at the path to Hagrid's hut. "Yes, I guess you're right. I'll see you in Potions then."

"See you at Hagrid's" Danielle said with a smirk. She watched as Hermione disappeared and then waited for her friends to make their way back up from Hagrid's. In Potions, Snape had them creating a shrinking potion with partners. Ron and she worked diligently, or rather Danielle did. Ron worked very sloppily and often stopped to talk to Seamus. Danielle had to redo all of his work before putting it into the potion, all the while reprimanding him. "Look, Ron, all of these things have to be done precisely; otherwise, the potion won't be right."

Ron just rolled his eyes and turned to talk to Seamus while they let their potion simmer. When it turned a lime green color, Danielle ladled some of it into a small vile and set it on Professor Snape's desk. She contemplated leaving off his name, but she discarded that thought eventually. To make the class worse, Hermione lost Gryffindor points just because she was trying to help Neville even though he wasn't her partner. Danielle was glad to get out of there when the bell rang. She made sure to stay far away from Ron as they walked up from the dungeons. She didn't make it very far before realizing she'd left her book in the classroom.

When she got back down to the Potions room, her book wasn't on the table. She was beginning to search for it when a voice behind her grabbed her attention. "Your book is on my desk Miss Clayton," Professor Snape said as he came into view.

"Sorry, sir; it won't happen again," Danielle responded, half-heartedly respectful.

"See that it doesn't, Miss Clayton. Next time I will take points," Snape warned.

"Yes, sir," she answered politely before leaving. She couldn't understand, from what Harry told her about him, why he hadn't taken points in the first place. She didn't let her mind linger on this though as she hurried up the stairs again to catch up with her friends. When she got within earshot of them, she heard Ron complaining about her. She kept back to where they couldn't see her and listened in on their conversation.

"I mean she's horrible, honestly. Why are you guys even friends with her?" he complained loudly. "'Look, Ron, you have to cut everything precisely or else I'm gonna have a fit until I decide to do it all myself.' Honestly, she's a nightmare."

His impression of me is horrible,she thought. But as she watched Harry and Hermione look at each other smiling, her breath caught. They were smiling; they were laughing. Did they really think that of her? She didn't want to listen anymore, but the more she caught up to them, the more she was able to hear.

"And did you see the way she jumped to save Malfoy? Ya know, You-Know-Who should have gone after her instead of you, Harry," he finished finally.

That last comment made her stop short. He had overdone it. She knew she could be a bit overbearing sometimes, but she wasn't that bad, was she? What really struck home was that he was so close to saying what actually happened, and he didn't even know it. She had to get out of there, but she wanted a little payback first. Danielle quietly muttered an Accio for her Nimbus 2001; she knew this would only give her a few moments to get her payback before it got to her.

Aiming her wand directly at Ron, she silently murmured an incantation. The next thing he knew, an invisible hand was holding him upside down by his ankle. "So, You think Voldemort should have killed me, Ronald?" she asked rhetorically. Before he could say anything, she quickly put a silencing charm on him. "You know, maybe you're right. I mean I was the best student at my last school, and yet I was powerless to save my parents. So maybe you're right, Ronald. Where do you think I can find him to relay your message?" she asked sarcastically.

When she turned to Harry, tears formed in her eyes. "I thought you, of all people, would understand, Harry, but here you are laughing at his little joke," she whispered; her words were laced with feelings of betrayal and her voice shook, "so I guess I was wrong."

By this time her broom had gotten to her, and she flew off towards the pitch after making sure she let Ron down. When she was out of sight, Harry and Hermione rounded on Ron. "You idiot, Ronald!" Hermione screeched. "How could you say something like that?!"

"You don't even know anything about her. You have no idea what she's been through!" Harry thundered. "What do you do during your summer holidays, Ron?" he asked, deadly quiet. "Play quiditch, test your brothers' jokes, get rid of gnomes? Do you know what Danielle did until now? No, you don't because you never bothered to get to know her.

"Well I'll tell you. She would get up every morning at seven, and her parents would teach her magic until eight in the evening. She worked harder in the summer than you or I ever would combined. Now they're gone, and she has to live with the Malfoys. It wasn't dingos that killed her parents and gave her those scars. It was Voldemort. He tracked them down and eliminated them, leaving Danielle an orphan. Danielle's gone through hell, and yet she doesn't let it get to her. No, she's stronger than that. She's kind, smart, and independent. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go find her before she gets into trouble and our friendship is ruined because of you." With that said, Harry sprinted towards Gryffindor Tower to get his broom. Hermione wasn't through with Ron just yet.

"How could you say something like that about her, Ronald?" she asked softly. "All she ever did was try to be your friend and help. She saved your life, and you repay her by saying You-Know-Who should've killed her?" She undid Danielle's silencing charm and stood with her arms crossed. "So you need to explain just what the bloody hell you were thinking?"

Ron stayed silent for a while. "Did You-Know-Who really kill her parents?"

Hermione nodded silently. "She was trying to find the right time to tell you, but I guess Harry just let it slip."

"You're right," he muttered. "I was wrong to say that, but why did you and Harry laugh?"

Hermione laughed in an exasperated manner. "We weren't agreeing with you though. We were laughing because you called me a nightmare and horrible and all the other things in our first year. Now look where we are?"

Ron hung his head. You're right, Hermione," he repeated, "and I'll tell her that tonight at supper."

The two of them quietly walked back to the common room to study. Before they got inside, they caught a glimpse of Harry flying out of Gryffindor Tower. He raced to the one place he knew she would go after something like that, the pitch. His seeker eyes spotted her in the highest goal at the far end of the pitch. He sped towards her and spoke before she could yell at him.

"Danielle, let me explain!" he shouted so she could hear him. She wouldn't look at him, but he saw her give the slightest of nods. "I'm sorry Hermione laughed at what Ron said, but we weren't laughing at what you thought we were. We were laughing because it was deja vu from when he called Hermione all those things in our first year. She did the same thing you did...sorta. You had a lot more flair," he was relieved to see a tiny smile appear on her face. "It's just ironic because now they're best friends."

He guided his broom closer to the ring and sat on the side opposite of Danielle. She still wouldn't look at him, but he could see the tracks of her tears on her cheeks. When she spoke, it was so soft he almost didn't hear it. "You know, I believe I said I come up here when I want to be alone," when Harry went to leave, Danielle grabbed his wrist to stop him, "but the thing is, I don't think I want to be alone anymore..."

After a moment, Harry grabbed the top of the ring and used it as a stabilizer as he hoisted her up into his arms. "You're never alone, remember? You have so many people here who love you already. Ginny worships you; Hermione is like a sister to you; Neville looks up to you," he whispered softly.

Danielle lifted her head from his chest and looked up at him. "And what about you?" she asked quietly.

Harry gazed into her shimmering hazel eyes. "I adore everything about you," he whispered. His gazed flicked down to her lips the quickly back up. Danielle found her own eyes doing the same thing. She then noticed that Harry was closer than he had been and was getting closer. They were mere centimeters apart when the school's loud bell made them jerk apart.

The scuff on the toe of her shoe suddenly became very interesting to her. We nearly kissed! her mind screamed at her. If the bell hadn't rung, they would have. The strange thing, though, was that she didn't know if that was good or bad. "Er...we're going to be late for supper," she whispered softly.

Harry sighed dejectedly. "Yeah, Ron and Hermione will start to worry..."

Danielle heaved a sigh and looked back at him. "Erm...do you mind if we just use your broom? I already shrank mine."

Harry chuckled and nodded. Danielle mounted first and Harry right behind her. His arms automatically wrapped around her waist. As they sped towards the dormitories, Danielle was hyper aware of Harry's hands splayed across her stomach, his chin on her shoulder, and his breath on her neck. Between all that, trying to remember to breathe, and trying not to carsh into the side of the castle, it took all of her concentration to make it to the dormitories. The common room was empty when they flew through the window, and they rushed down to the Great Hall. Harry stopped her just before entering.

"Ron is probably going to try to start something when we get in there," he informed her. "Just don't let it get to you ok? He's just blowing off steam."


I know it's been a long time. haha sorry guys. been really busy with my anatomy and my trigg classes.