The next morning, Kara stumbled out of bed and down the stairs into the common room with her eyes only half-open. Just as she was about to flop into a large chair by the fire, she heard loud, angry voices coming from the hallway near the exit.

"Fuck off, Slytherin!" a fifth year was shouting.

"Yeah, right!" another said. "Like we'd ever believe you."

Kara could hear the sound of someone else speaking more quietly – likely from outside the common room – but she couldn't tell who it was or what they were saying, so she hurried back to her feet and rushed to the common room door where four Gryffindors were blocking the exit.

"Hey!" Kara called out, in her more dominant listen-to-me-I'm-a-prefect voice as she whipped off her glasses. "What's going on? Break it up."

"But Kara!" the youngest boy cried. "There's a Slytherin trying to—"

"And she said—"

"And then—"

"Enough!" Kara shouted, nearly losing her cool but not completely. "Move aside."

When Kara parted the four students to peer out of the common room door, her eyes went wide.

"Lena," she breathed, staring.

As early as it was in the morning, the girl looked positively radiant, even in the dim candlelight of the hallway.

"I was just—" Lena started, face red from the frustration of dealing with the rowdy young Gryffindors.

"She said you let her borrow your sweater, Kara!" the fifth year blurted.

"And we all know you'd never give anything to a Slytherin… Right, Kara…?" a fourth year Gryffindor asked.

"I did give it to her," Kara said simply, not taking her eyes off Lena's.

"But she's a Slytherin!" one gasped. "And she threatened to kill us!"

"I did no such thing," Lena quipped, shoving her wand back into her cloak pocket.

Raising an eyebrow, Kara looked at Lena with curiosity, rather than accusation.

When the fifth year boy opened his mouth to speak again, Lena drew the wand again and said, "But I could."

"Lena!" Kara gasped, rushing the brunette and pressing on her forearm to get her to lower the wand. Then, without taking her eyes off Lena, Kara ordered the younger Gryffindors, "Leave us."

Staring in disbelief, they returned to their common room, leaving Kara outside, alone, with Lena.

"So… You're certainly making big waves early in the morning," Kara teased gently.

Lena rolled her eyes and grumbled, "Hardly. Your stupid little Gryffindor buddies almost beat me to death with their wands, which is just about the only way your lot know how to use them."

"Hey!" Kara cried, offended. "That's not true! We have some very good students in this house!"

"Not those ones," Lena laughed.

Scowl fading, Kara shrugged, conceding, "Alright. Maybe not them. They're kinda… Well… Let's just say they're still young."

"So are you," Lena pointed out with a smirk.

"You're only a year ahead of me," the blonde huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

Lena shrugged and told Kara, "A year is a long time. People change a lot in a year."

As Kara gazed at her thoughtfully, Lena's expression remained mostly serious, until the silence became slightly awkward, and Kara couldn't help but speak.

"So how did you even find the Gryffindor common room? And why are you here so early?"

"I was just… I, um… I came to bring your sweater back, and it was the only time I could be mostly sure you'd actually be here."

Casually, Kara answered, "You didn't have to bring it back. It was given without expectations of anything in return."

"Well, that's hardly customary. When people give things, they always want something in return."

"It's hardly customary to find someone sitting in the hallway, reading, by themselves, freezing their ass off, without a sweater," Kara pointed out. "And I wasn't looking for anything. I honestly just wanted to help. You looked cold and…"

"And?"

"And a little lonely, I guess. I don't know. I won't assume that. It's just the impression I was getting at the time. I know full well that Miss Lena Luthor can take care of herself. You made that clear yesterday."

At first, Lena looked somewhat embarrassed as she wondered, Was I too harsh? But this faded when she saw Kara's warm, welcoming smile. She wasn't judging or making an accusation. Just an observation.

"I wasn't… lonely," Lena lied.

Kara, sensing the lie immediately, simply nodded, not wanting to push Lena to say something she didn't want to.

"I'm glad you agreed to have hot cocoa with me, nonetheless," Kara told her brightly.

"Anyway…" the brunette said, after a strange pause. "Here's your sweater."

When Lena held out her hand that was clutching the sweater, Kara looked at her curiously.

"You could keep it, if you wanted."

Lena chuckled and shook her head, saying, "It's really alright. I do have sweaters. I just didn't think to bring one yesterday."

"You sure?" Only when Lena nodded did Kara take the sweater and say, "Thanks."

"Why are you thanking me? You're the one who let me borrow the sweater. I should be thanking you."

"Not looking for thanks," Kara explained, shrugging her shoulders. "Like I said, I was just trying to help."

Tilting her head slightly as she took in the sight, Lena considered Kara's words. She'd never really known anyone who did kind things simply for the sake of being good. But here Kara was, breaking all the rules Lena had ever learned about people. About Gryffindors, even.

"Anyway…" Lena finally said, after taking a surprised moment to appreciate just how kind Kara had been to her. "I should get going."

Kara offered a little nod, after which Lena looked away and averted her gaze. Luckily for Kara, this meant that she didn't notice just how disappointed and sad she looked in that moment.

"Have a good day, Lena," Kara said softly. "Thank you."

Lena mumbled a quiet, "Thanks," before turning her back on Kara, but it didn't take long for her to stop in her tracks. She didn't hear Kara turning around, or the sound of the portrait reopening to reveal the door to the common room. Which meant… Kara was watching her leave.

"Hey, um…" Lena bravely started, clearing her throat. "Do you, um… Do you want to grab breakfast?"

"W-What?" Kara gaped.

Was Lena really asking her to join her for a meal? Kara had been sure that they'd seen the last of each other the night before. She could tell Lena wasn't the type to make friends. But here she was… offering to spend time with her.

"Sorry," Lena muttered. "That was dumb. I shouldn't have asked."

"No, wait!" Kara blurted, very gently grabbing Lena's wrist as she turned away again. "I'd love to. Can I have a minute to go upstairs and get changed?"

Lena's lips parted, surprised by Kara's reaction.

I'd love to.

Blushing only slightly, Lena agreed, "Of course."

Kara took hardly any time to get ready before leaping down the stairs, three at a time, holding on to the banister to swing her feet down the stairs. By the time she reappeared, bolting out from behind the portrait to join Lena in the hallway, Lena had already begun to wonder if she was coming back (despite how little time had passed).

"Ready!" Kara said cheerfully, straightening her prefect badge.

"Ugh," Lena groaned, noticing Kara's attention to this detail. "Prefects."

Kara laughed, not taking this to heart, and continued down the hallway towards the Great Hall.

"So, what do you do for fun?" Kara asked over breakfast.

Lena shrugged, replying, "Read, mostly."

"Anything else?"

"Not really. What about you?"

Kara smiled and answered, "Quidditch is my life."

Lena visibly rolled her eyes, causing a look of confusion to flood Kara's features as she responded, "What's wrong with quidditch?"

"It's no better than muggle football."

"Well, that's bologna."

"Hardly."

"Excuse me, but do football players fly?"

"Well, not, but that's not—"

"Then there you go. Automatically better. Plus, it's a blast to play."

"I've never watched a game," Lena confessed. "Always thought it was stupid."

Looking somewhat downtrodden, Kara dropped her gaze.

"I'm a seeker," Kara elaborated. "People tell me I have natural talent, but in actuality, I've just worked really hard to be good at it."

"Explains why you're so popular, Miss Seeker," Lena teased.

"I don't know why people like me," Kara confessed. "I'm obnoxious."

"No, you're not," Lena told her, suddenly serious. "Why would you say that?"

"I dunno. I just am, I guess."

Shaking her head, Lena replied, "I don't find you to be obnoxious at all. You're quite bubbly, and very energetic, which can be exhausting, but you're most certainly not obnoxious."

"Well… Thank you, Lena. I appreciate you saying that," Kara thanked the girl, wearing a crooked smile as she pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose.

"You are pretty dorky, though," the brunette made sure to add.

Kara just continued to smile, basking in Lena's playful teasing, knowing full well that this attention was far better than no attention from the Luthor.

"Hey, um… Lena…" Kara started gently, just barely looking up to peer at the Slytherin.

"Yeah?"

"Weren't your mom and dad Head Girl and Head Boy?"

Lena's face flushed as she grabbed hold of the edge of the table, knuckles going white.

"Yes. And?" she replied, gritting her teeth from her intense desire to not talk about her family.

Kara raised an eyebrow, noticing Lena's reaction, but decided that she was curious enough to press on lightly, with just a slight change in direction.

"And your brother, wasn't he Head Boy as well?"

"Yes. And?"

"So, I'm a little surprised you're not."

"What?" Lena gaped, staring blankly.

"I'm surprised you're not Head Girl," Kara said simply. "It seems like it runs in your blood."

"I was adopted," Lena muttered, looking down. Then, raising her gaze, she asked more confidently, "Besides… Who wants to be Head Girl anyway? Gross."

Kara's mouth hung open slightly. This conversation was going nowhere near where she'd expected it to.

"I, um…" Kara started, lowering her head. "I've always wanted to be Head Girl. Since First Year."

Swallowing a large mouthful of steaming embarrassment, Lena's cheeks darkened.

"S-Sorry," she mumbled. "I just meant—"

"Nah, you're right. It's a pretty stupid dream. I'll never make Head Girl, anyway," Kara said, her voice betraying her dejectedness.

"Why not?" Lena asked gently.

Kara just shook her head, feeling a lump rising in her throat that closed in all the words she didn't really want to say anyway.

"Hey… Kara," the brunette whispered. "Kara, look at me."

But Kara was feeling such an intense rush of shame and emotion that she couldn't lift her head, couldn't think, couldn't talk… couldn't process. Chest tightening, Kara felt her lower lip begin to quiver, a sure sign that she was about to cry.

Fuck no. I will not cry in front of Lena Luthor, she promised herself. I won't do it. Suck it up!

But Lena, feeling a sense of overwhelming guilt for upsetting the sweet sixth year, bravely reached out and touched Kara's hand from across the table.

"Kara," she said softly. "I'm sorry."

Kara shook her head again, not looking as she fought hard to force the tears back as she choked out, "D-Don't be."

"You'd make a great Head Girl. Not like my parents."

This statement was the final prompt Kara needed to meet Lena's gaze as she asked, "What do you mean?"

"They're on the power trip of the century. I know how they are, and I can guess how they were as Head Boy and Girl. And I know how Lex was. You wouldn't be like that. My view of Head Boys and Girls has been tainted by my experience with others, and with my parents, and I'm honestly very sorry that I let that bleed out onto you. I didn't mean to pass judgment or insult you, Kara. It just came out. It's my own shit, and I'm sorry."

"Please, stop," Kara said, voice cracking. "You don't need to apologize. Like I said, it's a pipe dream anyway."

"Kara, come on. You'd be so different."

"What does that mean?"

"It means you wouldn't throw your weight around to get control. You wouldn't be on that power trip like my family members."

"How do you know that?" Kara asked shyly, genuinely curious as to what Lena was thinking.

"Because I get the very, very strong sense that you do everything you do because you care."

Kara nodded and agreed, "That's very true. I don't do it for attention, even though some people think I do. I'm a prefect because I care about the safety of my classmates and helping others. And I just do Quidditch because I love it. It's not for the limelight."

Lena smiled warmly at Kara and told her, "I know."

Then, they both realized, at the exact same moment, as silence fell between them, that Lena's hand was still resting on top of Kara's, unmoved.

"I, uh," Lena blurted, quickly pulling her hand away. "Sorry."

"Please, don't apologize," Kara said sternly. I loved it, she was thinking.

"I didn't mean to overstep. I was just worried," the brunette explained.

"Well, you certainly got my attention," Kara told her, a small smile returning.

It was then that Lena noticed – really noticed – just how pink Kara's lips were. Just how soft they looked. How inviting they were.

But that was well beside the point, and she refused – completely refused – to allow herself to think that way about anyone. Even the adorable, sweet, perfect Kara Danvers.

"We should get going," Lena announced, mostly to distract herself from her own intrusive thoughts, upon noticing the time.

Kara looked at her watch and nodded, saying, "I suppose you're right. Thank you for having breakfast with me, Lena."

"You don't have to thank me," the older student chuckled. "It was my pleasure, to be honest."

"Really?" the blonde asked with a smile, regaining a small amount of confidence.

Lena nodded and rose from the table, barely noticing the strange looks coming from their classmates as the Slytherin and Gryffindor interacted, saying, "Let's get to class."

Upon standing, Kara hesitated before asking shyly, "May I walk you?"

Lena hesitated too before replying, "If you'd like, I think that would be okay. You won't be late for your own class?"

"I'm a prefect. I'll get away with it," Kara said with a playful grin. "Besides, I'll just say I was getting a Slyhterin in trouble and the whole class will cheer. Plus, my professor will definitely say, 'Ten points to Gryffinor,' and who the hell doesn't want that?"

"Okay, fuck you, Gryffindor. You're not winning the house cup. You haven't since my brother was here."

"Ouch!" Kara cried, dramatically clutching her chest. "You wound me!"

Lena couldn't help but laugh, her whole world brightened by Kara's smile and playful nature. She couldn't have been happier that the girl's smile had returned, especially since she still felt incredibly guilty for causing her pain.

Along the way to Lena's first class, she told Kara, "I am really sorry, you know. And I definitely wouldn't say that if it wasn't true."

"Even if you did say it, I'd know if you didn't mean it," Kara chuckled. "You're a terrible liar, remember?"

Rolling her eyes, and without thinking, Lena leaned to the side and playfully knocked into Kara's shoulder. Kara felt her heart flutter, and it stunned her so much that she nearly stumbled. She had to look away. Her own cheeks were feeling warm, and the last thing she wanted was for Lena to notice.

When they finally reached Lena's classroom, Kara stopped and hesitated before saying, "Lena… I really enjoy talking with you. Thank you for tolerating me enough to offer me your time."

"You're… You're not upset with me?" the brunette asked apprehensively, making Kara shake her head.

"Not at all. Like I said, I'll never get picked for Head Girl, so it's fine."

"Your dream isn't stupid, Kara, and I think you really do have a chance. I mean, look at you. You're a teacher's pet. Everyone loves you. And you're genuinely good. That's the perfect blend of qualities for a Head Girl to have. And besides, you're already a prefect, which increases your chances."

Kara shrugged and changed the subject, asking, "I'll see you around?"

Lena paused and looked at Kara. Really looked at her. Saw the way the sun streamed through the window and reflected off her glasses. Watched the way Kara's gentle nature was displayed all over her face. As she stared, she forgot to respond.

"Lena? You okay?" Kara pressed, touching the girl's shoulder and shaking her from her trance.

"Huh? Oh. Yeah. I'm good. Anyway, yes. I'd love to see you again."

What was this, a fucking date? Lena silently scolded herself. Hardly. What the fuck am I saying?

"Me too," Kara confessed, her smile making Lena melt further into a dazed stupor. When Kara noticed she wasn't replying, she asked, "Lena? You sure you're good?"

Lena nodded and mumbled, "Sorry. Anyway… M-Maybe we could hang tomorrow?"

"Sure! I'll be studying in the library tomorrow night if you feel like joining me."

Lena agreed and offered Kara a weak smile, feeling her chest tighten as they said their goodbyes. Being near Kara was the first time she'd ever not felt lonely. Reluctantly, and only after Kara walked away, Lena entered the classroom.