Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own Harry Potter or anything else that is owned by someone else that I put into this story.

Chapter 10

Settling In

The next morning, Katharine vaguely remembered a dream about her standing in the middle of an arguing father and son. They both looked strikingly similar, both with black, messy hair and wore identical glasses; however, behind each pair of glasses sat completely different eyes... Completely gorgeous eyes each that made Kat weak to her knees... She realized shortly after that they were fighting over her, and that she was torn between which one to choose. Thankfully, she was brought back to reality shortly after this discovery by a strange feeling that someone was watching her.

Slowly but surely she became more aware of her surroundings. With her eyes still closed, she heard voices around her.

"You really should stop staring at her, Jordan. It's just weird." Katharine heard a girl speak with a bored tone.

"But, I find it so interesting! She was talking too, I love listening to people talk in their sleep!" Came a much louder, ecstatic voice that awfully felt like it came from directly in front of her face.

Katharine slowly fluttered her eyes open. At first, her vision was of some peachy skin with freckles and bright blue eyeballs. Then, the eyeballs widened in shock and the girl shrieked and leaped backwards, falling onto her butt.

"Told you you'd wake her." The girl with the bored voice said.

Katharine turned her gaze to the girl that spoke. She stood across the room with her arms crossed. She had curly black hair that barely grazed the top of her shoulders and very pale white skin. She had a slight goth look to her along with her lip ring. The girl that had apparently been watching her sleep was now back on her feet and stood next to the other girl. She had fluffy blonde hair that was very layered and rested on her shoulders. She had fairly large teeth for her petite body, and was practically bouncing up and down with excitement.

"Erm, good morning." Katharine said as she sat up and rubbed her eyes. "I'm Katharine Parker."

"Hi Katharine! I'm Jordan Baham and this is Laura Hunter," the excited blonde girl said as she introduced the black haired girl next to her. "So sorry I woke you!"

"You sure are chipper for someone up so early in the morning," Katharine said as she threw off her covers and sat on the side of her bed.

Laura laughed, "Oh, she's always this hyper. It's not that early anyway, it's about nine o' clock. We've already been to breakfast and back. We thought you'd be up when we got back but then we didn't have the heart to wake you... You seemed so tired, even as you were sleeping."

"Oh," Katharine chuckled. "That's alright, I guess I needed the sleep then." Katharine started to stand up when Jordan asked her a difficult question.

"So who's Harry?" Kat looked up, eyes wide. Laura elbowed Jordan in the ribs, however, she went on anyway. "I mean, we have a pretty good idea of who James is, I mean, who doesn't dream about James Potter," she said dreamily, ironically enough.

"Oh, um..." Katharine stalled. She figured she should be honest at least on certain things that she was able to be honest about. There was no reason for her to lie to her roommates. "Harry was my boyfriend back at home."

"Oh noooooo," Jordan dragged on the last word. This girl was a hoot, Katharine thought. "That's so sad, you had to break up because you were transferred, didn't you?"

"Uh, yes," Katharine agreed. "I'm still not quite over him," she admitted.

"Well, sounds like you've moved on already. You were trying to choose between James and Harry." Laura laughed, "Sorry, but we couldn't help but listen to you."

"Oh, that's quite alright," Katharine said awkwardly. She didn't normally talk in her sleep. It must have been a pretty traumatic dream then.

She then stood up and picked out some clothes from her drawers.

"Ooo, ooo! Wear this that I gave you, please!" Jordan strode over to her side and began rummaging through her clothes. Katharine grinned from under her fallen hair, entirely amused by this cute, little person.

She pulled out a pretty purple flannel shirt with black plaid stripes on it.

"Thanks. Purple is actually my favorite color," Katharine smiled at her. She pulled herself out another pair of jeans and a black spaghetti strap tank to wear underneath.

"Well, I'm gonna go take a shower. Maybe we can hang out some today before classes start tomorrow?" Katharine offered.

"That's what we were planning on, actually! Laura, Renee, and I can show you around the castle," Jordan exclaimed.

Katharine hesitantly agreed to it. She knew the castle like the back of her hand, but figured it would probably be best to let them escort her around so she could play along with the "new student" title.

After her shower and scrunching her long wet hair, she headed down towards the Common Room where her three roommates waited for her. The Marauders were no where in sight, to Katharine's disappointment.

"Here, I saved you something to eat. Sorry it's kinda cold now." Renee said as she handed her a bacon and egg biscuit wrapped in a napkin.

"You're so sweet. Thank you." She said, accepting her breakfast.

"Come on, you can eat it on the way. We're gonna show you around the castle first and then we'll head towards the grounds," Laura explained.

The four girls walked leisurely around the Hogwarts campus, Renee holding Katharine's class schedule that was the same as hers. They showed her all of the classrooms that she would be in, where the Library was, etc. Katharine had always known how big the school was, but it really dawned on her now just exactly how BIG it really was! It took them over an hour to walk around the entire castle and she felt as if she had already burned off that biscuit.

Then they headed towards the grounds. They showed Katharine the Herbology greenhouses, the Black Lake, the Forbidden Forest and explained all of the rules to her about that and also filled her in about Mr. Filch and his annoying ways. From the forest, they walked to Hagrid's hut and said hello to him.

"Hi Hagrid!" Jordan greeted him cheerfully.

"Well, hello there ladies! What brings you down this way?" Hagrid greeted them back. He was tending to his large pumpkin patch in front of his hut. He had some pumpkins growing that were twice the size of all four girls combined. Katharine supposed they would be for Halloween coming up next month.

"We're just giving Katharine a tour of the grounds and such and we just had to bring her by, sir!" Jordan continued.

"Ah, yes, the transfer student! How are you feeling?" He said, looking down upon her.

"I'm feeling loads better, thank you. Ready to start my classes tomorrow."

"I bet you are after sitting in the Hospital Wing for a week!" Hagrid said. Katharine's eyes bulged out and she turned toward her friends, who's expressions were thoroughly confused.

"You've been here for a week?" They all sang.

"I thought you just arrived yesterday," Renee said.

"Why were you in the Hospital Wing?" Laura asked.

"If we had known, we would have said hi!" Jordan rang.

"Guys, it's alright. I was in an accident on my way here, that's why I was a little bruised up. No worries. Professor Dumbledore just didn't want everyone visiting me for that very reason," Katharine added with a smirk at Jordan.

"Aaaahhhh, I understand," she sighed.

"Well, we best be moving on, Kat!" Renee ushered.

Before she followed them back up the hill, Katharine asked, "Can I visit you more often, Hagrid?" She found that she rather missed his company and realized she felt this warm feeling of home when she was around him. She would love to spend some time with him and get to know the younger Hagrid.

"Of course, you may! Come by any time!" He beamed from ear to ear.

Katharine waved goodbye and followed the girls up the steep hill back towards the castle. They immediately engrossed in conversation.

Kat was shocked at how much she was enjoying their company. They immediately started up a conversation and she enjoyed how easy it was for her to talk to them. Aside from having to keep her time traveling a secret, she was able to be herself with these girls.

"So where to now?" Katharine asked after she had just explained to them about her Quidditch days.

"Well, now that you mentioned you played Quidditch, the last place we have to go is the Quidditch field. Practice starts next month, but I know some people like to get a head start." Renee winked at her.

Katharine took that as "James and Sirius."

"I've already been with James, but that's okay, we can go again." Katharine smiled for obvious reasons but only Renee could really pick up on it since she had been around her longer. Oops.

They arrived at the Quidditch field and sure enough, there were a few players flying around.

The girls walked up the stairs and sat on the high bleachers. They watched the players goof off in the sky as they continued chattering, enjoying the fresh air.

Katharine, of course, got caught up in watching James up in the sky. He frequently stopped to turn back at the bleachers, probably looking to see if she was watching. He flew around and bumped into Sirius quite often just to piss him off. Sirius chased after him, who weaved in and out of the high columns surrounding the oval field. Sirius was a fair flyer, but definitely not as quick as James.

"Kat?" Laura called her name, pulling her out of her daze.

"Sorry?" Kat asked confused.

"I said that you should try out for the Quidditch team!"

"Me? No, I don't... I don't think so..."

"Oh, why not?" Jordan pressed. "You were just going on and on about it, you totally should try out! Ask James, he's the captain. See if they're looking for a chaser!"

Then, as if his ears had been ringing while they were talking about him, James suddenly swooped down out of no where and landed right in front of Kat.

"Hi," he said breathlessly, looking her right in the eyes. "It's great to see you again," he smiled crookedly.

Katharine's cheeks turned bright pink and she could feel all three girls intensely staring at them.

"Yeah... Feels like only yesterday since I last saw you," she teased. He smirked in return and ran his gloved hand through his already ruffled hair.

"Hey Kat, weren't you about to ask James something right before he landed?" Renee said with the biggest grin on her face.

"Reneeeeeeee." Katharine hissed under her breath. James lifted one eyebrow and waited for her to ask.

"I... Uh... I..."

"Damn-it, Kat, just ask him already!" Laura pressed as she appeared to be getting annoyed.

"The girls think that I should try out for the team." Kat blurted out quickly, making sure she blamed the other girls for asking.

"Of course! Why hadn't I thought of that when you told me you played? That would be awesome!" He nodded and placed a hand on her should, "Right then, you are trying out for the team in two weeks, after we go talk to Madam Hooch, of course." He said with finality.

"Uh, no I'm not." Kat interjected.

He laughed boisterously, which she found rather annoying. "Oh, yes you are."

"But you'll put me on the team whether I'm good or not!"

"Kat, I've seen you fly. I think you're really good."

"But, you'll put me on the team either way, you know you will. That's not fair, I won't do it."

James gasped dramatically as he clutched his chest and attempted to look offended, "I can't believe you actually think that I would jeopardize my team's chance of winning the Quidditch Cup, just to have the girl that I fancy on my team!"

"I can't believe you just said out loud that you fancy me," Kat said without thinking at all. Damn. She had been doing that a lot lately.

This stumped James.

"Well, uh, you know... I mean, everybody knows already... I mean, come on. Pshh." He attempted to cover up but the girls began giggling hysterically, except for Kat. She watched the infamous James Potter, whom apparently flirted with every girl in the school alongside Sirius, stump at the fact that he fancied her. Shit!

James eventually got fed up with his humiliation. He threw his hand up in the air and said, "Whatever, laugh all you want. You just wish it was you I fancied!" And he mounted his broom again and kicked off.

The girls laughed a little longer as Katharine stared after James, completely dumbfounded. What did he see in her that was so great? She didn't get it.

"Wow, Kat. You should feel lucky. I don't think I've ever seen James so tongue tied. Not even when he was talking to Lily!" Renee said after she regained composure.

"Yeah... Thanks a lot, guys."

"Oh, honey, what's the big deal anyway?" Jordan asked.

"Nothing..." Kat lied. Thankfully, the girls didn't pursue the subject, so Kat tried to strike up another conversation.

"So who are the other guys playing with James and Sirius?"

"That one over there that's tall and lanky with dirty blonde hair," Laura paused to point at the guy and Kat nodded as she spotted him, "is Eric. He's captain of the Ravenclaw team... And might have a little crush on Jordan over here, who refuses to admit that she likes him back."

Jordan was about to protest again but Laura spoke over her, "And that other boy who's kinda beastly with brown hair, he's my fiancé, Daniel. Beater on the Hufflepuff team."

"Ah, cool." Katharine said nonchalantly.

Then all of the boys in the sky started to decline towards the ground. They all dismounted and headed for the Quidditch tent.

"Come on, lets go meet them down there," Renee said as she stood up.

"Uh, you guys go without me. I think James is still a little ticked off at me and I don't want to make it worse..." Katharine said.

"Oh please, James doesn't ever get mad. He was totally teasing you there. Oh, girl, you still have much to learn about his flirting style." Renee winked at her again.

That didn't really make Kat feel any better. If anything, it made her feel worse. His flirting style? Was that really his reputation here?

"Oh, just come on," Laura grabbed her hand and drug her down the stairs, Renee and Jordan right on their heels.

"Hey baby! Like what you saw out there?" Sirius greeted Renee with a small peck on the lips as they entered the tent, Katharine lingering in the back.

"Oh yes, you guys were marvelous, as always," Renee grinned. Apparently she had it down with the compliments that seemed to boost Sirius' ego.

James laughed and clapped Sirius on the shoulder, "Yeah, we know."

Laura and Jordan both walked over to "their" men. Jeez, what's up with all of them going after Quidditch boys?

Then James started to walk over to her.

"So, Kat," he was all smiles as he approached her, "about you trying out for the team..."

"James, now that this is between you and me, I really don't think I should try out for the team. What if I get to go back to my own time?" She tried to reason with him.

"Oh whatever," he attempted to blow off the chance of her ever going back, "I think it's safe to say that you will be here for a while and deserve to be a part of something you enjoy. Come on, you know you wanna, Sweetie." He grinned at her mischievously. That was the second time he had called her Sweetie, and about the quadrillionth time he had made her blush. She gave in.

"Okay, James. Have it your way."

"Ha! I knew you'd come around," he beamed. He then wrapped his arm around her waste and pulled her alongside.

"Sirius, mate, let's make a quick run with Kat here to Madam Hooch. She'd like to try out for the Quidditch team!" He hollered across the tent to Sirius, who was hugging Renee pretty closely.

"You mean you'd like me to try out for the team," Kat huffed.

"Oh, hush." James said as he squeezed her closely. Gosh, everyone was so bossy here!

"Right!" Sirius hollered back. He skipped up to them and he and James linked their arms into each of Katharine's arms, and the three of them trotted out of the tent back to the castle. Katharine got the feeling that they each had a hold of her arm in case she tried to run away and/or back out. Surprisingly, she found this rather amusing.