If wasn't too long before others left to go up to the common room. Fred and George were among the first, followed not long after Ron and Harry. Percy ran off to tend to "perfect" duties, leaving Kara and Neville alone in the Great Hall.

Leaning over, Neville let his head drop down til it met the wood of the table with a loud thump. Kara couldn't hold back a quiet giggle as she watched this, and leaned over rubbing her hand into the thick mat of hair on the back of his head. "Neville, are you feeling alright now?"

Looking up slowly, Neville rubbed at the red mark on his forehead from where he had smacked his head on the table. "I'm alright now. I suppose I just got a little carried away." He reached over to his wand that was lying neatly beside his plate. "It's a good thing you guys stopped me, I don't know…" Kara cut him off by standing up and grabbing her bag.

"Neville, you need some sleep." She reached over and patted his shoulder, trying her best to comfort him.

Neville merely nodded in agreement and stood up, straightening his robes. "Do you mind if we walk to the common room together?" When Kara shook her head, they walked towards the end of the table and then out of the large doors.

"It's so easy to get lost in here," Kara commented quietly, looking around as they walked silently through the halls.

Neville nodded in agreement as he noticed Kara walking closer to him. A flush of heat rose through him, it was startlingly new. The only time he'd ever felt that was…dare he say it…never. She was so innocent yet not too much younger than him. "So where did you transfer in from?" He asked it so bluntly, intending it to break the silence between them. Something in the back of his head chided in that it only added to the awkwardness of it.

"I transferred from a place up in the north. It was a girl's only school, but after my mother's death and because of my father's lack of control over his job and family life, I was sent here." She shrugged lightly as she explained her situation, "He died shortly after I left; a malfunction with his wand, so I am told."

Neville closed his eyes as he felt a pang of regret in his chest. "I'm sorry, Kara." He was caught off guard as she let out a laugh and opened his eyes, looking at her with his eyebrow cocked up. "What's so funny?" he inquired as the strangeness of this girl soaked into him.

Kara shrugged her shoulders once again, stopping mid-step and smiling widely. "I've heard it so many times, I find it sometimes funny." She felt a heated blush erupt across her cheeks once again and she tried her best to hide it by lifted up both her hands and covering her mouth. Her robes were roughly a size too big and the sleeves covered her hands all the way past her fingertips.

She pretended to hide another laugh as she turned away and fumbled with her bag. Opening it, she pulled out a small tin and opened it. Reaching inside, she pulled out a small wiggling thing that appeared to be a worm, disregarding the fact it was blacker than a cauldron and bit at her as she spun around and offered the tin. It was full of those strange black worms, all wiggling against each other. "Licorice Bites," She named them, shaking the tin at Neville, "Want one? They don't bite after the first chew." She popped the one she held in her hand into her mouth and with a quiet chomp, the thing stopped wiggling.

"They can't feel it." She added as she watched Neville's face scrunch up with distaste, "That's the only reason why I eat them is that they are simply possessed and can't feel pain." She smiled again as Neville slowly took one of the worms and placed it between his lips. Suddenly he jumped and made a noise that again made Kara squeal with delight. It had bit his tongue and he stood there flailing his arms about as he tried to coax it off. Finally, he bit down and the worm faded into a small hard candy that sat quietly on his tongue. For the first time, Kara saw him smile.

Placing the box into her bag, they continued up the stairs to the common room. It took them a moment to remember the password before they were let in. Once inside, Neville reached out his hand to Kara in a friendly gesture. "Thanks for the treat. I really look forward to getting to know you better." Kara smiled and shook his hand, slowly. She was savoring it.

After what seemed like and eternity to her, she let go and took a step back before walking to the staircase that led to the girls rooms. "Goodnight Neville," she cooed softly, offering him a smile as he walked to the opposing stair. "Goodnight Kara," He replied as she ascended the staircase. With one last smile, she disappeared up the stairs and into the girl's rooms.

Finally, he made it. Up the stairs and into the boy's room without any problem. It was a good thing the other boys were asleep or else he would have been pelted with questions. Did you kiss her? Where's she from? Do you fancy her? Just the thought made him cringe, but it wasn't the thought of her. No, it was the thought of telling anyone about just how wonderful he thought that walk was. Pulling off his shirt and trousers, he exchanged them for his sleeping clothes and crawled into the soft sheets of the bed. Tugging the curtains that hug loosely from the bedpost, he reveled in the darkness of the room.

Rolling over onto his side, he stared quietly at the flickering of the candle's flame. His last thought was not just his own. Someone else was thinking the very same thing at that moment.

Should they have kissed?

He blew out the candle and rolled over, closing his eyes and trying his best to fall asleep. Though something inside him stirred, he knew it wasn't the end. That night, what was shared, that was just the beginning.