Harry sprinted down the stairs. It was a beautiful Sunday morning. It was cold, being December, but the sun was shinning and a touch of the cold which could be felt everywhere had gone. The reason Harry was running was a) because it was a Hogsmede day and b) because he wanted to see if Lera was down in the common room. Secretly Harry wanted to talk to her before Ron was awake. He checked his watch. That should give me about half an hour, he thought to himself. He stopped just before reaching the bottom and made sure he looked ok.
He walked off the staircase calmly and found Hermoine sitting in a chair, reading her book. A bag was next to her and she looked ready to be off.
'Where is Lera?' asked Harry.
'She is in the shower. She isn't used to this cold weather. In Australia it is really hot at the moment. We are going clothes shopping for some warmer clothes for her today. We didn't think you would want to come.' Replied Hermoine.
' Clothes shopping? I love clothes shopping!' said Harry. If the truth was to be told, he hated clothes shopping.
' You know, Harry, you like her, yeah?' stated Hermoine.
'I don't even know her,' said Harry a bit sadly.
' Why did she say something?' he asked excitedly.
'No, she did say that Ron had no subtly' Harry laughed 'I don't think she is used to having people look at her and in a school so big we should probably introduce her to them slowly.' Hermoine said 'she will have a chance to meet all our class on Monday.'
It was at that point that Lera walked down the stairs. Harry noticed that she had a good body. She wore a blue top and jeans with a long coat. Around her neck she had a silver 3-leafed clover with three diamonds in the middle. She looked plain and yet so pretty. He tried not to stare.
'It is so cold here.' She said. 'When is summer here?'
'We don't get summer like you do. Our summer is like your warm winter days.' Replied Hermoine.
' Well, lets go.' Said Harry.
'Aren't we going to wait for Ron?' asked Hermoine.
'He's sleeping, I'll leave a note for him to say that we'll be at Hogsmede waiting for him.' And with that Harry sprinted up stairs, grabbed parchment and a pen and scribbled something hardly legible to Ron. He sprinted down stairs to find the girls waiting by the door.
' Lets go,' he said
They walked out of the common room. For the first time Lera noticed how big the school really was. The previous day she had been more interested in not getting lost instead of looking up and seeing the size of the school.
' I'll never be able to find my way around here!' she stated
'You'll get used to it.' Said Harry. She laughed.
'How long will it take?' she asked dramatically.
'It will take at least a week but you may learn faster, my young padawan,' replied Harry. They both laughed and Harry fell in love with her again.
'They both are getting along fine' Hermoine thought to herself. Hermoine could see the chemistry and she smiled.
'Come on,' we'll never get there at that pace.' And she walked faster to the Entrance with Harry and Lera walking next to each other behind her.
They arrived in Hogsmede half an hour later and they went straight in to the pub. Lera was shivering and Hermione thought it would be best to warm her up before they attempted shopping. Lera sat there laughing and shivering, talking to Harry and slowly she felt her body warm up.
When Lera looked warm enough Hermoine bustled them out and onto the street. They walked in silence for a minute before they entered 'the fashion witch', a shop that sold the most fashionable in witching wear. Lera looked at the clothes and went through the rack on the left while Harry looked at the right rack and Hermoine looked at the bargain section.
Lera had picked out some nice clothes and was about to pay for them when Ron burst into the shop.
' Harry, Hermoine. Why didn't you wait for me?' he asked
' You were sleeping and we wanted to get an early start,' replied Hermoine.
'Yes but... why are we in a clothes shop?' asked Ron.
'Lera needed some winter clothes and we decided to help her out' was Harry's reply.
'Lera's here?' asked Ron, 'where?'
'Behind you.'
Ron turned around and saw the girl standing behind him in silent laughter.
'Um... hello,' he said 'I'm Ron'
'Hello Ron.' She replied. 'It is nice to meet you.'
'Good to meet you to,' said Ron blushing slightly.
''Um,'said Harry interrupting Ron, 'lets go and get some lunch. I'm starving.'
Although Harry hated to admit it he was really worried when Ron started talking to her and he spent most of the time placing himself between Lera and Ron. He didn't really have to worry as he found out later that night.
Ron and Hermoine had gone to bed. Hermoine because she was tired and Ron because Harry had put a little something in his pumpkin juice. Nothing strong but relatively effective.
Lera sat there in an armchair reading while Harry finished off his Potions essay. Something he would have done earlier but he had to have a reason to stay up.
'So... what do you think of Hogwarts?' he asked her.
'Its a lot bigger than my previous school.' She replied
'There are also some really nice people.
There was something pulling at Harry. 'Do you like Ron?' he blurted out.
'Um... no. I mean he is nice and all but not in the way I think you are talking about.'
Harry smiled. 'Ok'
'What are these teachers like?' Lera asked looking down at her timetable.
Harry took the timetable and saw that they were in almost all the same classes.
'Well... McGonagall is the head of this house, she is strict, Snape is head of slytherin and he is an evil twisted man, Treawalny is a fake, Sprout is nice, Hagrid rocks and I don't know this teacher.' He said looking at her muggle studies teacher. Ask Hermoine. She did muggle studies in 3rd year.
'Thanks.'
'That's fine.'
'I might go to bed now. I'm tired.'
'Yeah, goodnight,' replied Harry.
And with that Lera got up and walked up the stairs and into her dormitory, Harry's eyes following her all the way.
Harry sat there for a bit longer before he too got up and went to bed.
Lera entered the dormitory quietly. There were 4 sleeping forms in the beds. One person was awake and sitting up in her bed.
'So, how's Harry?' asked Hermione.
'Um... fine!' she replied.
'You like him, don't you?' Hermione stated rather than asked.
'I don't even know him, very well,' replied the girl.
' You spent all day with him!'
'That isn't enough to know someone!'
'Just answer the question.'
'Fine, maybe I do sort of like him.'
'I knew it. Ha. This is great!'
Lera looked at her oddly.
'Why is this great?'
'Cause... goodnight.'
And with that Hermione lay down in her bed.
Lera looked at her for a moment. She then went and changed into her PJ's and lay down on her bed.
Well this will be an interesting term.
Monday morning dawned grey and snowy. Lera had to be awoken by Hermione.
'If you want a shower before breakfast, you should probably get up,' she whispered in the girl's ear.
Lera got up
'I'll wait for you downstairs.' Said Hermione as she walked out the door.
Hermione walked down the stairs to find Harry and Ron sitting in their armchairs by the fire doing some last minute homework they had neglected on the weekend.
'Good morning sunshine,' she said to Ron. He growled at her.
'Good morning lover boy,' Harry's head snapped up immediately. 'What?' he asked
'Oh c'mon Harry, she likes you, you like her. Can you make it anymore obvious?' she asked him.
He too growled at her in response.
At that moment Lera walked down stairs looking slightly tired and caring her school bag.
'Ok, lets go down to breakfast,' said Hermione cheerfully.
Lera, who had no idea what Hermione, had said to Harry, was wondering why Harry was looking at her like that.
Harry who had no idea if what Hermoine said was true or not. So he walked behind Lera looking at her. Trying to pick up something from her body language if it was true.
As they entered the Great Hall Lera stopped dead in her tracks.
'It is so big. And the ceiling...' she exclaimed.
They walked over to the Gryfindor table. Harry noticed a few heads turning and for once they weren't looking at him. Lera had captured the majority of male's attention.
Even Draco Malfoy which Harry didn't like one bit.
They sat down and started helping themselves to food.
'Could you please pass the toast?' asked Lera
Harry passed it to her ' Could you please pass the jam?' he asked
'Sure.'
'Thanks'
They ate in silence for a minute before Hermoine said ' what do we have first today?'
'Double potions' groaned Ron.
'Is potions bad?' asked Lera.
'No, just the teacher. Snape is of the worst teacher we have. Except for Umbridge.'
'What does she teach?'
' Defence against the dark arts. She doesn't teach so we have our own Defence association. Our next meeting is tonight. You wanna come?' said Harry
'I'd love to.'
'It's just about time for potions. We should go,' came Hermoine voice.
They got up and started walking towards the entrance when a voice Harry hated.
'Why, mud blood, weasel and scar face. What are you doing?'
'Trying to get past an annoying thing standing in the way. You?' asked Hermoine sweetly.
'And who is this?' he asked his eyes taking in every detail of Lera.
' This is Lera. She is new. Go away Malfoy.' Said Harry
'I'll see you in class Lera,' he said in a nice voice. He turned and stalked away.
' Ignore him. He is pure evil,' said Hermoine.
They walked into the potions classroom. They sat down with Lera in the middle as a form of protection. Lera appreciated but didn't think it was necessary until Snape walked in and she saw why the hated him so much.
All through the lesson he ignored her until the end when he came up to her.
'Lera Arell.'
'Yes,' she said, cowering in her seat.
' You have missed a lot this year. You will start catching up. Tonight you will do the assigned homework and you can read this book and write a 3 page summary on what you learnt.' He said giving her a book entitled, potions and potion makers. Which was defiantly the thickest book Lera had ever seen. 'I expect that done by Wednesday.' He said and stalked over to look at Harry's potion. 'Pitiful. I expect a 2 page essay on how you went wrong and how you will fix it.' He stalked over to lavenders and started lecturing her on stirring a delicate potion.
Lera looked at the book, stunned. 'Will all the teachers do that?' she asked timidly.
' Don't think so. I suggest straight after lunch we go to the library.' Said Harry. Ron grumbled. He hated rushing his food.
The bell went and they all stood up.
'What's next?' Lera asked.
'History of magic.' Replied Ron.
They walked in silence to the next classroom, sat down and took out their books. Professor Binns came out of the blackboard, which startled Lera and he began his lecture. Within 10 minutes the whole class except for Hermoine and Lera were all in a stupor. Hermoine taking notes and Lera listening carefully to the dull speech about goblin Rebellions. Harry was looking at Lera out of the corner of his eye. He noticed how her hair fell down her back in long, dark waves. How her breath made her chest move, how her eyes stayed focus in their piercing gaze, how her beautiful lips opened slightly to breathe and how she seemed to be flawless.
In no time at all, the bell had gone.
Professor Binns said ' Is Lera Arell in this class? Please stay behind for a few minutes.'
Harry got up with everyone else.
'I'll wait for you outside,' he whispered in her ear.
'Thanks' she whispered back.
Harry, Ron and Hermoine walked out of the classroom.
'I'll meet you guys in the hall,' he said.' I'll wait for Lera.'
Hermoine shrugged and began to walk off. Ron looked as if he was about to stay but his stomach rumbled and he decided to trail after Hermoine calling 'Hermoine, wait up.'
Inside Lera walked up to Binns.
' Lera, you have missed a lot this term so I would ask if you borrow Hermione's notes and read through them to help you understand what we are doing. I would also ask that you write a 2 page essay on Goblin rebellions.
She nodded and walked out of the classroom. Harry was waiting for her and she smiled at him. 'Thanks for waiting.' She said.
'No problem. What did he want?'
'I have to write a 2 page essay on Goblin rebellions and read all hermione's notes. I don't think I can come to the D.A tonight. Sorry.'
'That's fine.' He replied.
'How is Hogwarts so far?' he asked.
'I love the people here,' she smiled.
'So, tell me about yourself.'
'What do you want me to tell you?'
'What about everything. From the start.'
'It is a long story.'
'We can dawdle.'
'Well I grew up in Perth. A city in Australia. I was 5 when my mother died.' She paused and then continued, 'my father raised me. He was a muggle so didn't really understand the magic thing, but he learnt to live with it. When I turned 11 my letter from the witches and wizards institute came. I was there for 4 years when my father had a serious attack. He doesn't even know who I am; he can't remember his name or anything. He was attacked by bad wizards.' She looked at her feet while trying to control tears; Harry put his arm around her. She rested her head on his chest. 'I went to live with my aunt and uncle. They decided that moving to another school would be a good idea. So we moved here.'
They were almost at the hall and they could hear the noise from it.
'My parents are dead too. They died when I was about one. I live with my aunt and uncle too.'
'I know. You're famous. Even in Australia.'
'Are you really hungry?' he asked the quietly sobbing girl.
'Not really,' she replied.
'Do you wanna go up to the common room?'
'Thank you.'
They made their way up to the common room. Harry's arm was still around Lera. They walked in thoughtful silence. They entered the common room and found it empty. They took a seat in one of the couches.
'You wanna talk about anything else?' he asked
'No. I don't want to scare you away,' she replied truthfully.
'I don't scare that easily,' he said with a touch of a grin.
'Stick around and you may discover more!' she said sweetly.
Harry leant over to her. 'I won't go anywhere.' He leant in to kiss her but she pulled away. 'Harry, I don't think we should.'
'Maybe we should,' he said his face still very close to hers.
'Maybe we...' but she trailed off as their lips met.
Her lips were as soft as they looked.
Lera's stomach did a back flip and it was like time stopped and nothing mattered accept the next moment. Reluctantly they parted.
'Was that so bad?' he asked
'No... but... maybe...'
'Stop making excuses Lera. I really like you'
Lera looked at him for a moment and Harry saw in her eyes something that wasn't there before. It was fear.
'No,' she almost yelled, ' I won't let it.'
And with that she ran up the stairs to her dormitory.
Harry sat there feeling bewildered. What had just happened? Why had she said she wouldn't let it?
A/n. pls read and review.
Luv ya all
The evenstar