It was only Harry's second night at Hogwart's but he felt strangely elated. He searched himself for a possible cause of his peculiar euphoria. Samantha Monroe, American and quite possibly his soul mate. Since he and Cho Chang had tried dating and found they were better off as friends. He wondered how he had gone without noticing her all these years. Well the fact that he had been obsessed with Cho might have something to do with it, he thought sarcastically to himself. And Samantha was in Ravenclaw and he associated mainly with Gryffindors. Harry walked to his room and waved at a startled Ron. He laid awake for long moments before falling asleep with Samantha's smile in memory.
It was now a month into the new year and Harry continued to lose sleep over the matter of Samantha. Harry walked slowly through the halls of the castle after everyone had gone to sleep. He wondered if Hermione would help him with his Potions homework this late at night. He walked to the girls dormitories and began up the stairs. He had just gone up five steps when the stairs dissolved into one huge slide. He fell forward onto his belly and slid down the huge slide. Brushing himself off he groaned and fixed his crooked glasses. Grateful that no one had been around to see his display of inelegance, Harry walked back to his own shared room.
The morning began with Hermione looking over both Ron and Harry's Potions homework.
"Ron this is wrong right here," she pointed at a small cluster of words near the top of the scroll. "You use nettles not aloe. How could you have got that one so wrong?" Hermione corrected the mistake not seeing Ron's comical imitation of her until Harry chuckled a bit too loudly. "What's funny Harry? Ron! Honestly you act like such a child sometimes." The stern expression on her face melted after a few seconds and the three friends laughed.
"Let's go eat now." said Harry. Hermione nodded and handed both boys their scrolls back.
"About time I was starving." said Ron shoving the scroll in his bag. Upon arriving at the Great Hall, the three friends were met with a unwelcome sight.
"Potter watch where you're going." came Draco Malfoy's cold voice as Goyle deliberately bumped into Harry.
"Malfoy tell your oafs to watch where they're going." said Hermione
"Watch what you're saying mudblood." said Draco walking past the trio. Goyle and Crabbe stared menacingly at the three friends as they pushed roughly between Harry and Ron.
Harry watched as Draco smiled at a girl with long brunette hair and pretty facial features. Samantha Monroe smiled back at Draco and frowned as he whispered something in her ear. She shook her head and for a moment Draco's normally sneering face fell. Her face softened and as Harry grew closer he heard her say softly
"Maybe tomorrow."
Ron attacked the feast of breakfast foods with a huge appetite. Harry ducked a forkful of scrambled eggs as Ron reached for another cinnamon roll.
"Sorry mate." came Ron's muffled voice.
Hermione shook her head as she ate her food daintily. Although no one could see her behind the massive leather bound volume in front of her. Harry let out a small smile and sneaked a look at Samantha. His brows came together in surprise to find her looking back at him. Her eyes widened and she looked away but too slowly.
"I bet she fancies you Harry." said Ron taking a swig of juice.
"Well obviously Ron." said Hermione reaching for her own glass.
"Do you think? Honestly?" said Harry his voice showing his obvious doubt
"Well Harry when you're not staring at her, she's burning a hole in your head." said Hermione finally closing the book.
"Really? I never noticed." said Ron his voice incredulous.
Hermione laughed and went over to the Ravenclaw table where Samantha sat with her friends. Hermione whispered in Samantha's ear while gesturing to Harry, whose ears' turned a beautiful shade of pink. The surrounding girls giggled and shot shy looks at Harry and Ron.
"I feel for you mate honestly." said Ron finally setting down his silverware.
Hermione came back to the table after receiving a long reply from Samantha. After seating herself and eating the rest of her cinnamon roll, Hermione delicately wiped her lips.
"She does like you Harry, but she's not going to do anything about it." said Hermione watching Harry's reaction carefully.
"Well why not?" asked Ron jumping ahead of Harry.
"Well she fancies Draco Malfoy also. She knows how much Harry despises Malfoy and she doesn't want to do anything that would hurt either one of you. Oooh Harry I'm sorry." said Hermione.
"Don't worry yourself Hermione; it's not your doing. I'll just have to convince her that she should choose me." said Harry.
"Liking a little rat like Malfoy. I don't understand it. It's a bit unnatural, really." said Ron shaking his head.
"Sometimes feelings don't have logical explanations Ron." said Hermione her voice a bit tight. She reached for the great book in front of her and stalked off to the library.
"What's bugging her?" asked Ron half to himself looking after Hermione.
"I don't know." said Harry also a bit lost in his thoughts.