A/N: I don't own Harry Potter or any related characters

Word count: 1452

Eileen hadn't expected to be popular at Hogwarts. She'd known from a young age that she wasn't good looking. Her face was too thin, her nose too long, her black hair refused to be styled into anything save limp strands. She often plaited it just so it looked maybe a little better. That's why when the girl sat down next to her in the library she wondered if there had been some mistake.

"What do you want, Warren?"

"Heard you got top marks in Sluggy's class. I need help."

"You need a lot of things," Eileen commented, keeping her face from showing any emotion. Myrtle Warren was in Ravenclaw, same year, and they both lacked friends, beauty, and popularity. The only difference was Myrtle didn't seem to understand she should just accept her fate and keep her head down. She was a clinger, clinging to Olive Hornby's group of beauties, trying to fit in by doing their work for them. Apparently, she was dismal at best at potions. Eileen found the whole subject wonderful! And in turn, she was quite a stunner at creating perfect potions, even if she tended to not follow the instructions their professor wrote in sloping letters on the board.

"Please? I really need to at least past the subject, Prince. I know you're the best, but if you really don't want to help me, I guess, well, I could ask Riddle?" Myrtle said, shrugging her shoulders a bit and looking as if she'd rather suck on a lemon than talk to Tom Riddle. Eileen didn't really blame here there. Riddle was handsome in a way that made any girl nearly swoon if he decided they were worth this time. Eileen had never had that kind of luck, and she knew he's probably put Warren down even more than she already had if the girl could even find the courage to ask.

"Fine, just because he's a git and I'm better than him anyway," Eileen finally said with a sigh. She knew Riddle could best her, but Merlin forbid she'd ever admit it. Besides, if she got Warren to a passable level, maybe Riddle would notice her. Maybe.

"Great, um, so I already asked Professor Slughorn if I could use the practice room in the evenings, I'm free tonight if you are?"

Eileen debated lying. She was always free, part of not being popular. Well, there was still gobstones club, but her team was out of the running for now anyway.

"Fine, seven? Make sure to bring your book," she said, sliding her books into her bag and leaving Myrtle sitting there alone.

Eileen was sitting on the teacher's desk of the empty classroom when the door squeaked open and Myrtle stepped inside. She was carrying her book, a small cauldron and a bag of ingredients.

"Right, let's see what I'm working with, go ahead and start the brew and I'll see where you're going wrong."

Myrtle set herself up and Eileen watched her like a hawk, finally grabbing the other girl's wrist.

"You missed a line, if you add the wings now, it'll be unstable, here," she said, pointing to the line Myrtle had missed on the page. She watched Myrtle's eyes squint at the writing, even with the thick glasses the girl wore, Eileen realized she couldn't read.

"Here, maybe if I read it out loud," she said, grabbing the book and reading the instructions. With Eileen's help, Myrtle's potion was at the very least the correct color.

"Thank you!"

"I won't be able to be there to read in your class. Can't you see the words?"

"I can see the letters, but the move about the page, making little sense sometimes. I can do better with the writing on the board, but even then, it's hard."

"Interesting, can I see your glasses?" Eileen asked. Myrtle handed them over, and Eileen studied them for a moment before smiling.

"I have an idea! What if we can use these to make the letters hold still?"

"Is that possible?"

"They can make them bigger, not so blurry, so why wouldn't it work? Besides, I want you to pass your exam, don't I?" Eileen asked, smiling at Myrtle. Tom would really notice her if she could figure this out. It had to be some sort of complex magical solution, something big and impressive. It was Myrtle who managed to find something first. She'd reached for a book only to have several fall on her head, one being about muggle disease and disorders.

"You alright? Knock some sense into your head?" Eileen asked, trying to sound snarky but actually caring about if Myrtle was alright.

"I'm good! And I found something, look at this Eileen!"

Eileen walked over, sitting down on the floor next to Myrtle.

"What?"

"Some muggle doctor, I think that's their version of a healer found something in muggles, something in their brains where they have trouble reading, he called it 'dyslexia'."

"But you're a witch!"

"I'm a half blood, so I could have a muggle problem?"

"Let's not tell anyone that part of it, you're already unpopular enough."

"I'm starting to not care about that a bit, I mean, you've started helping me, so it kind of feels like maybe I have a friend?"

"Really? I'm just trying to impress Riddle."

"He's a jerk, Eileen, did you hear what he said to Nott."

"I might have heard something about it," Eileen admitted, knowing Myrtle was right. Riddle wasn't nice, he wasn't the kind of person she really wanted to be with. Even if she did impress him, he'd use her until she had outlived her purpose and leave her broken hearted. Maybe she should start looking for someone a bit closer, or maybe someone who wasn't part of this world altogether.

"Apparently, there's no cure for this, but look! There's ways to help me with words, can we try them?"

"Why not? Nothing to lose, right?" she asked, helping Myrtle to her feet, her fingers lingering slightly on Myrtle's hand. Closer...she wanted Myrtle to be a little closer.. no, it wasn't right, was it?

"Eileen?"

"Two witches...they can't..."

"Can't what?"

"Never mind, let's try some of these and if you can pass Friday's test," Eileen said, shutting her mind up, and wondering if there was a way to shut her heart up as well.

Friday dawned grey and drizzly. Eileen had potions in the morning, but Myrtle didn't until after lunch.

"I think I can do this," she stated, meeting up with Eileen outside the Great Hall. "I feel like I can do this, I used the tricks and memorized parts of the book. I have the potion memorized, and I think I can do this!"

"Good, let me know how you do, he'll have them graded by the end of the day, he said so in my class. Don't worry, Myrtle, you'll do fine," Eileen promised, slipping off to join the rest of her house at their table. She wondered what it would be like to sit with Myrtle, to sit with someone who actually seemed to like her, who wanted to be around her. Not for the first time, she thought the whole houses thing was kind of stupid, separating people because of some magical hat. Part of her wanted to be the first one to cross the lines, to slide onto the bench at the Ravenclaw table, ignore the stares of everyone. She'd never do it.

"Grades are out," Myrtle said softly, finding Eileen hiding by the lake, tossing stones across the dark waters. There was a slight breeze creating waves. The rocks usually hit one and went under.

"And?" she asked, putting down the stone she'd just picked up.

"I don't know, I wanted to open it with you," she answered, holding up her folded test. Eileen nodded and Myrtle unfolded the sheet of paper, a bright red A gleaming across the top. Myrtle threw her arms around Eileen, hugging her, their faces nearly touching, until they did. Eileen's lips were the ones that found Myrtle's. The kiss was brief, the girls pulling apart, both blushing almost as brightly as the ink on the page.

"I don't think, maybe we..."

"Muggle girls do, I've heard about it, about them kissing," Myrtle said, biting her lip as she looked into Eileen's dark eyes.

"And you are half muggle, so it's acceptable?" Eileen responded, putting her arms around Myrtle's waist and pulling her close again.

"I think so, if not, who cares, I liked it!"

"I did too," Eileen admitted, bringing her lips to Myrtle's again, this time, neither wanting to break the kiss as Myrtle's fingers curled around the parchment in her hand.