Firstly, I will take this space to thank my friends. Without you I don't know where I would be.

Secondly, I thank my readers, for taking the time out of their day (or night).

I have started many things without finishing them. To breaking the habit...

Stirring

Hermione waited in the cold morning breeze for Mariana to walk out of the entrance they had agreed on at Heathrow. Gerald and Kimberly sat in the Volvo, reading the papers silently. Feeling that she'd rather be in bed, Hermione let out a rogue moan, rolling her eyes. She just had to agree to take an exchange student. And she would not be getting any student, but a girl who was already writing to her about being in trouble with the police.

Mariana Apparated into an abandoned hangar just outside the terminal. Undoing the shrinking charm on her trunk, she pulled it along toward the terminal. Hmm, guess airports are the same anywhere in the world, boring and unwatched, she thought amusedly.

She took the picture that Hermione sent her out of her pocket.

Over her head soared a grey spotted owl.

"Better not make yourself too conspicuous, Mint."

Harry once again ran up the steep stairs, smelling of mold and ancient spices embedded in the walls. There was shouting upstairs on the seventh floor; a man and a woman were having a fight.

I've got to stop them, thought Harry as he ran down the corridor. Why he had to stop them, he did not know.

"A double life!!! A double life!!! And all this time you promised you would be there!!"

"But it's fine time to go crying into the bastard's shoulders, is it bitch?"

"I-gave-up-everything-for-you!! He loved me and you were the bastard."

Harry struggled to open the door but couldn't. He heard the loud sound of a slap, then a thud, then the yelp of the woman.

"If not mine, than no one else's."

"You're sick!! Noo!! Don't touch me, you monster!!! Hijo de puta!! (son of a bitch!!)"

Harry felt another thud and was now growing panicky. How could he help her? He needed to help her, to stop this...

"Come back here Isadora!!! Come back or you will regret it!! I am not denied, never rejected!! You're mine-aaagh!!!"

The sound of running footsteps rushed closer to the door. Instantly, a chair came crashing through the door, sending Harry diving for safety. A very pregnant woman ran out through the hole, clutching her belly and crying. Harry jumped up and ran behind to help her, following the figure in a lavender dress with long, thick, wavy brown hair. Suddenly the woman turned around and Harry gaped at her.

The face of Hermione was stern and annoyed. "Harry, wake up!! Harry we don't have all day!!"

Suddenly he was back in Ron's room, looking up at Ginny dressed in jeans and a t-shirt

"Harry what's wrong?"

Harry sighed and shook his head at the realization that it had all been a dream. Suppressing the urge to rub his aching scar, he put on his glassed and held the shirt Ginny had thrown him.

"You sound like Hermione!!" Harry complained.

"Get dressed!!!" sigh

Mariana walked out of the terminal wearing an artfully ripped yellow tank-top with a crop denim jacket over ripped denim jeans. She had her hair mostly out with a barrette holding back several strands of hair. Her spike-heeled boots clicked loudly in the silence, startling Hermione from her thoughts.

Looks harmless enough, thought Mariana as she walked toward Hermione, disturbed by the increasing palpitation of her heart.

The two suddenly ran towards each other and embraced as if they were friends of old.

Hermione could not understand why she was smiling. But she was. She was grinning, and the two got in her parents' Volvo and drove home.

"I've always wanted to go to Diagon Alley. Angelica told me there's a wand shop, and a bookstore where many famous Wizards appear. She aldo told me that there's and ice cream shop that makes some of the best ice cream in the world." Mariana was excited to be in England.

"Who's Angelica?" asked Hermione.

"Forgive me, I should have shown you a picture of my family." Mariana reached into her hand bag and pulled out a picture of her sitting at the foot of Angelica, who was holding a basket full of flowers.

"Wow, she's-" Hermione was about to say "old" but stopped herself from being so mannerless.

"Yeah, well, she adopted me." Mariana knew what she was about to say. "She's my mama. I was a baby and never met my real parents. My mama died when I was born. No one knows about my father." Mariana spoke in a business-like way, having a serious expression. She took the photo and put it back in her bag.

"I'm-I'm sorry. I have several friends who have lost one or both parents." Hermione patted Mariana on the shoulder and watched her with a concerned expression.

"It's not so serious now. I came to find a new life, in England and at Hogwarts." Mariana laughed.

Harry and the Weasleys flooed to Diagon Alley for last-minute shopping for supplies. Harry and Ron made their usual visit to the quidditch supply shop, admiring the new flying robes. Ginny met with Luna Lovegood and the two went off on their own way. Molly Weasley relented control of her family for the moment, demanding only that they gather by Ollivander's at noon.

"And that's how Nott disappeared." said Ginny, over a cup of hot cocoa.

"Why did you do it? You could have told me." Luna frowned over her cup.

"Oh yeah, just splendid. "Hey Luna, Neville and I are going to cause Nott's death, wanna come?" I figured you'd back down."

"Did I back down in the Ministry?" Luna retorted. "I guess he deserved his punishment. In the end it was Voldemort who killed him."

Ginny looked to the distance. "I don't ever want to feel helpless again." Her jaw clenched.

Luna patted her arm and drew her into a hug. "You're not alone; don't make your own loneliness. You have us."

Ginny smiled into Luna's shoulder. "You're crazy."