Disclaimer: I'm J.K. Rowling and I own everything dealing with Harry
Potter… :: wakes up:: Darn it! I'm back to being an Alaskan. Shoot. Oh
well, onto the story!
Everyone had sat down at their tables, the teachers were at the High Table, Professor McGonagall was standing holding the Sorting Hat as it sang its tune, and all the new first years were waiting to be sorted. Cooper stood near the stage, where she had been told to stay, until Dumbledore brought her upstage.
"OH man! I really hope she gets into this house!" Ron said, crossing his fingers under the table as he watched the first years jumping from the stage to their rightful seats with their houses. Hermione was nervously looking around for her cousin, and kept glancing from one end of the first years to the other, hoping to spot Cooper.
"Hermione, I really don't think that Cooper would be up there with the first years. They'll sort her last, and she'll get into Gryffindor, don't worry!" Harry too was checking for any sign that Cooper was around, but wasn't as anxious as Hermione. Ginny and Oliver too had been searching for their new friend.
"I found her! She's over there! By Snape! And some new female teacher, I bet she's the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor!" Ginny exclaimed excitedly, making everyone jump. She frantically pointed to the left of the stage, and sure enough, there Cooper stood, nervously shifting her weight from one foot to the other, glancing around the whole room until her eyes rested on her friends. She gently waved, showing them that she had seen them, and received several waves in return. Cooper then turned her attention back to her shifting, and to the Sorting Ceremony.
"Professor Dumbledore has a few start-of the term announcements to make," Professor McGonagall stated matter-of-factly, quickly seating herself next to where Dumbledore's empty chair now sat. He walked around the table and stood in front of the school.
"Note to all new students: The Forbidden Forest is just that: Forbidden! Mr. Filch has posted all new rules for those who feel the need to break them," Dumbledore stated, winking at George and Fred who were laughing along with everyone. "And one more thing… We have a new student this year, so please welcome Miss Cooper Landing. Cooper, please have a seat here, and you shall be sorted shortly."
Cooper casually walked out to the three-legged stool, and sat calmly upon it, not even nervous anymore. She then felt Professor Dumbledore gently place the Sorting Hat on her brown-copper hair.
"Ahhhh. Lots of Integrity, its here all-right, and brave too, yes, very brave. You have a knack for getting into people's business... I can see that… You could do a lot you know, especially here… but I'll put you in GRYFFINDOR!"
The whole Gryffindor table jumped up and started clapping, Cooper's five new friends especially. After dinner they all headed back to the Common Room, and Cooper found it all very homey. She immediately plopped on the couch in front of the fireplace, Oliver next to her, Ginny and Hermione in the chairs, while the other two grabbed their spots on the floor.
"Oh my gosh! I'm so full!" Cooper exclaimed, rubbing her stomach. The others just laughed at her. They all began to talk excitedly, and then Hermione realized just how late it had gotten.
She and Ginny escorted Cooper to their dorm room where Lavender was already sleeping. They began to get dressed when Cooper brought up the subject of Ron.
"So, Hermione, you and Harry and Ron have been friends for a while now, right?" She pulled back the covers of her bed and rearranged the pillows to fit her needs.
"Yeah, since I first came here."
"You and Ron are pretty close, right?"
"Just what are you implying Coop?" Hermione glanced at her cousin from her spot on her bed. Cooper looked up and over at Ginny, who was grinning like a Cheshire cat. Cooper looked back at Hermione.
"I'm just saying that, well, you and Ron seemed to be having a lot of fun on the train, chasing one another around…" Cooper trailed off, watching Hermione's face change for a split-second and then go back to its previous look.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Hermione began to settle down in her bed as Ginny spoke.
"Plus, you and my brother seemed to hold on just a little longer than normal friends when you saw each other in Diagon Alley…" Ginny saw her friend blush slightly, then get an annoyed look on her face.
"You noticed that too?!" Cooper looked up in surprise at Ginny; she thought she had been the only one to have seen it.
"Will you get off of this subject, please? We did no such thing. It was all just your imaginations. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to bed!" With that, Hermione pulled the covers over her head and closed her tired brown eyes.
"What crawled up your butt?" Cooper asked irritably. She had just been having a little fun. Plus, she was curious, and last time she had checked, that wasn't illegal, in any realm.
"You! Now go to bed!" Cooper and Ginny just looked at each other and shook their heads. They settled into their comfy beds and fell promptly to sleep, dreaming sweet dreams.
The guys by now were just heading up the stairs into their room, which they shared with Seamus. They got to their respective beds and began to switch into their pj's when…
"Oliver, how are you enjoying being back at Hogwarts?" Harry was curious as to why he would want to come back. It didn't sound too appealing to him. Of course, Harry still had school to worry about.
"Its great. I got kind of bored just doing nothing out in the world. My mum kept wanting to me to visit her, but after a couple of her friendly chats, and little comments about how I could do so much more with my life… Well, it wears out fast." He crawled under his covers, and put his hands under his head.
"Cooper is pretty cool, huh? I mean, she's not like any other girl, is she?" Ron changed the subject, watching as Oliver got a dazed kind of look in his eyes when her name was mentioned.
"Yeah… she's awesome…" Oliver drifted off, and Harry noticed how he had a little grin on his face.
"You like her don't you?"
"What?!" Oliver jumped up at this sudden observation. He looked at Harry in surprise.
"You heard him, Wood. Now just answer the question!" Ron walked over to where Harry was and stood next to him. "We both saw how you kept sitting next to her the whole day. And the whole 'coming up behind her' thing? Classic!"
"You guys seriously ate too many Chocolate Frogs or something. You need to lay off of the sweets Ron, its getting to your head," Oliver said laughing in a hesitant manner.
"I don't need to lay off the sweets, and its not going to my head! You fancy Cooper! Admit it! Before we have to beat it out of you!"
"Yeah, I like Cooper, but as a friend. She's cool, but I don't fancy her. And what's this whole thing with you and Hermione?"
"What?! Don't try to change this around on me! We're talking about you Oliver!"
Harry was lost. "What thing with Hermione? What are you talking about Wood?"
"It seems our little Weasley here has a hankering for a certain Miss Granger…" Oliver grinned at this fact, watching as Ron went red from ear to ear, and got an annoyed look in his face.
"I do not ha-"
"Ron!? Why didn't you tell me?! Its great! My two best friends!" Harry was so excited he couldn't believe it.
"Yeah, okay, so I like her… That's not a crime now is it? Just leave me be!" Ron slipped into his bed and turned his back to the other two.
Harry just looked over at Oliver, who still had a grin on his face, and said, "You know, he's right… You can tell that you like Cooper… Now its just a matter before you realize it." He then got into his own four-poster bed and slept peacefully, thinking of how he hoped Snape had somehow brewed a horrible concoction over the summer holidays and had forgotten about the homework he had assigned them due to all the mishaps.
Everyone had sat down at their tables, the teachers were at the High Table, Professor McGonagall was standing holding the Sorting Hat as it sang its tune, and all the new first years were waiting to be sorted. Cooper stood near the stage, where she had been told to stay, until Dumbledore brought her upstage.
"OH man! I really hope she gets into this house!" Ron said, crossing his fingers under the table as he watched the first years jumping from the stage to their rightful seats with their houses. Hermione was nervously looking around for her cousin, and kept glancing from one end of the first years to the other, hoping to spot Cooper.
"Hermione, I really don't think that Cooper would be up there with the first years. They'll sort her last, and she'll get into Gryffindor, don't worry!" Harry too was checking for any sign that Cooper was around, but wasn't as anxious as Hermione. Ginny and Oliver too had been searching for their new friend.
"I found her! She's over there! By Snape! And some new female teacher, I bet she's the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor!" Ginny exclaimed excitedly, making everyone jump. She frantically pointed to the left of the stage, and sure enough, there Cooper stood, nervously shifting her weight from one foot to the other, glancing around the whole room until her eyes rested on her friends. She gently waved, showing them that she had seen them, and received several waves in return. Cooper then turned her attention back to her shifting, and to the Sorting Ceremony.
"Professor Dumbledore has a few start-of the term announcements to make," Professor McGonagall stated matter-of-factly, quickly seating herself next to where Dumbledore's empty chair now sat. He walked around the table and stood in front of the school.
"Note to all new students: The Forbidden Forest is just that: Forbidden! Mr. Filch has posted all new rules for those who feel the need to break them," Dumbledore stated, winking at George and Fred who were laughing along with everyone. "And one more thing… We have a new student this year, so please welcome Miss Cooper Landing. Cooper, please have a seat here, and you shall be sorted shortly."
Cooper casually walked out to the three-legged stool, and sat calmly upon it, not even nervous anymore. She then felt Professor Dumbledore gently place the Sorting Hat on her brown-copper hair.
"Ahhhh. Lots of Integrity, its here all-right, and brave too, yes, very brave. You have a knack for getting into people's business... I can see that… You could do a lot you know, especially here… but I'll put you in GRYFFINDOR!"
The whole Gryffindor table jumped up and started clapping, Cooper's five new friends especially. After dinner they all headed back to the Common Room, and Cooper found it all very homey. She immediately plopped on the couch in front of the fireplace, Oliver next to her, Ginny and Hermione in the chairs, while the other two grabbed their spots on the floor.
"Oh my gosh! I'm so full!" Cooper exclaimed, rubbing her stomach. The others just laughed at her. They all began to talk excitedly, and then Hermione realized just how late it had gotten.
She and Ginny escorted Cooper to their dorm room where Lavender was already sleeping. They began to get dressed when Cooper brought up the subject of Ron.
"So, Hermione, you and Harry and Ron have been friends for a while now, right?" She pulled back the covers of her bed and rearranged the pillows to fit her needs.
"Yeah, since I first came here."
"You and Ron are pretty close, right?"
"Just what are you implying Coop?" Hermione glanced at her cousin from her spot on her bed. Cooper looked up and over at Ginny, who was grinning like a Cheshire cat. Cooper looked back at Hermione.
"I'm just saying that, well, you and Ron seemed to be having a lot of fun on the train, chasing one another around…" Cooper trailed off, watching Hermione's face change for a split-second and then go back to its previous look.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Hermione began to settle down in her bed as Ginny spoke.
"Plus, you and my brother seemed to hold on just a little longer than normal friends when you saw each other in Diagon Alley…" Ginny saw her friend blush slightly, then get an annoyed look on her face.
"You noticed that too?!" Cooper looked up in surprise at Ginny; she thought she had been the only one to have seen it.
"Will you get off of this subject, please? We did no such thing. It was all just your imaginations. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to bed!" With that, Hermione pulled the covers over her head and closed her tired brown eyes.
"What crawled up your butt?" Cooper asked irritably. She had just been having a little fun. Plus, she was curious, and last time she had checked, that wasn't illegal, in any realm.
"You! Now go to bed!" Cooper and Ginny just looked at each other and shook their heads. They settled into their comfy beds and fell promptly to sleep, dreaming sweet dreams.
The guys by now were just heading up the stairs into their room, which they shared with Seamus. They got to their respective beds and began to switch into their pj's when…
"Oliver, how are you enjoying being back at Hogwarts?" Harry was curious as to why he would want to come back. It didn't sound too appealing to him. Of course, Harry still had school to worry about.
"Its great. I got kind of bored just doing nothing out in the world. My mum kept wanting to me to visit her, but after a couple of her friendly chats, and little comments about how I could do so much more with my life… Well, it wears out fast." He crawled under his covers, and put his hands under his head.
"Cooper is pretty cool, huh? I mean, she's not like any other girl, is she?" Ron changed the subject, watching as Oliver got a dazed kind of look in his eyes when her name was mentioned.
"Yeah… she's awesome…" Oliver drifted off, and Harry noticed how he had a little grin on his face.
"You like her don't you?"
"What?!" Oliver jumped up at this sudden observation. He looked at Harry in surprise.
"You heard him, Wood. Now just answer the question!" Ron walked over to where Harry was and stood next to him. "We both saw how you kept sitting next to her the whole day. And the whole 'coming up behind her' thing? Classic!"
"You guys seriously ate too many Chocolate Frogs or something. You need to lay off of the sweets Ron, its getting to your head," Oliver said laughing in a hesitant manner.
"I don't need to lay off the sweets, and its not going to my head! You fancy Cooper! Admit it! Before we have to beat it out of you!"
"Yeah, I like Cooper, but as a friend. She's cool, but I don't fancy her. And what's this whole thing with you and Hermione?"
"What?! Don't try to change this around on me! We're talking about you Oliver!"
Harry was lost. "What thing with Hermione? What are you talking about Wood?"
"It seems our little Weasley here has a hankering for a certain Miss Granger…" Oliver grinned at this fact, watching as Ron went red from ear to ear, and got an annoyed look in his face.
"I do not ha-"
"Ron!? Why didn't you tell me?! Its great! My two best friends!" Harry was so excited he couldn't believe it.
"Yeah, okay, so I like her… That's not a crime now is it? Just leave me be!" Ron slipped into his bed and turned his back to the other two.
Harry just looked over at Oliver, who still had a grin on his face, and said, "You know, he's right… You can tell that you like Cooper… Now its just a matter before you realize it." He then got into his own four-poster bed and slept peacefully, thinking of how he hoped Snape had somehow brewed a horrible concoction over the summer holidays and had forgotten about the homework he had assigned them due to all the mishaps.