Author note: this chapter is during summer break! Em's POV. Stacey is introduced in this chapter!

Well here it is...

Almost there! I'm almost home where Stacey is waiting for me. Soon I'll get to laugh and talk with my best friend, other than Cedric. Stacey is the only one out of my three friends who knows about me. I didn't tell Ella because she isn't good with keeping secrets and Nick wouldn't believe me at first. Then she would probably freak out when she would believe me, so I'm not going to tell Nick. Life is just complicated sometimes.

I look out the car window and see that we're pulling into the driveway! Oh my gosh, Stacey is jumping up and down on the driveway. "Emerald!" she screams.

"Stace!" it's a nickname.

I open the car door and run to Stacey. She's smiling and has her arms outstretched, ready to trap me in a hug. I run right into her and guess what? She traps me in a hug. "It's so nice to see you! A whole school year without you has proven itself tough." Stacey says while letting go of me.

"I know! I sometimes wanted to escape Hogwarts and run home, just so I could talk to you!" I say.

"Hogwarts! It's still a really funny name." Stacey says while laughing.

"Laugh all you want but it's an amazing place." I cross my arms over my chest. I think I do this a lot when I'm mad, I don't know.

"So, do you have any proof of you making friends?" she asks me.

"I made a friend!"

"Emerald, you and I both know that you're not a people person."

"But I really did Stacey! Do I have proof...? I have his coat!" I exclaim.

"Wait, did you just say I have his coat?" Stacey asks.

"Yes, I kind of took his winter coat. You know I hate the coats they offer for girls in my size!"

"Emerald you are special, you know that right?" she says.

"Yup!" I say while doing a little hopping thing on one foot.

Stacey laughs then walks over to my house's front door. "Come on, you need to do some unpacking."

"Crap." I hate unpacking as well.

It has been three weeks since summer break started and I haven't seen Ella yet. Stacey and Nick told me that she's been busy with family parties and stuff like that. Today I finally get to see her though.

"Hey Emerald!" she yells while running up to me.

"Hi Ella!" I say happily.

"Nick told me about you making a friend, he's a boy! Do you like him? Is he cute? Is he your age? Is he like seventeen because that would be gross!" she says quickly.

"Slow down Ella! I like him as a friend and no, he isn't seventeen! He's our age!"

"Ok! But is he cute?"

I sigh. "Take a look for yourself." I saw this coming. Ella is the one out of the group who can't stop talking about boys. So I take a small unmoving picture of Cedric out of my short's pocket.

She grabs the picture and takes a long look at it. "Ooh, he is cute! He's really cute!"

"Sure, whatever." I say.

"So, has Jessica been bugging you?" she randomly asks while giving back the picture.

"Not really I guess. I just want her to leave me alone."

"Jessica isn't a person I would want to be with if I was stuck in an elevator breakdown." Ella says while smiling.

I laugh. "Me too."

"Well let's go get Stacey and Nick! I haven't talked with Stacey in forever!" Ella exclaims while grabbing my arm and pulling me to Nick's house.

I can't believe summer is already over! I've already gone to Diagon Alley to get my things for second year. At least I'll be with Cedric. It's just hard saying goodbye to my three friends. I'm going to have to get used to it though.

Second year. I'm going to be in my second year tomorrow! Holy cheese! I'm excited, obviously.