Chapter4:

The Fat Lady swung forward and admitted them. The common room was round, with a beautiful fireplace and lots of squashy armchairs. Students greeted each other and discussed summer vacations. "Clara, would you like me to show you to the girls' dormitories?" Hermione asked, placing a hand gently on her arm. "Yes," Clara replied, smiling. The girls started toward the spiral staircase when suddenly she heard her name repeated from across the room. "Clara Edwards?" the voice asked incredulously.

Clara turned around to find a boy her age sitting on a sofa next to a black boy she didn't know. "Adrian Michaels?!" she asked as he stood and walked toward her. The two stood silent for a moment, each in disbelief of the other's presence. "Wh-...how...you...I...you!" Adrian sputtered. Clara laughed. "I've been wondering where you'd gone!" Hermione spoke up. "You know Adrian, Clara?" Clara looked at her, then back at Adrian, still trying to process the thought. "Yes...yes I do. We were something of rivals back at Eaglethorne, but then in our sixth year he didn't come back to school. Now I know why."

"Well, you heard about my parents' deaths...that was very difficult for me. But I had to go on with my life, so I moved to England to live with my grandma and came here." Adrian stopped there, looking with interest at Clara now.

"I never thought I'd say this, Adrian Michaels," she said quietly, "But I'm very happy to see you." She hugged him, and after a beat he hugged her back.

The two parted awkwardly, saying good night, and Adrian went back to the boy he'd been sitting with. Clara rejoined Hermione, Harry, and Ron. She failed to notice the way that Ron was eyeing Adrian suspiciously.

"Well boys," said Hermione, "We're off to bed. We'll see you at breakfast."

"Good night Harry, Ron," Clara said. Ron smiled at her and she blushed.

As she climbed the stairs behind Hermione, Clara allowed her thoughts to linger on Ron for a moment. She grinned to herself realizing how typical it was of her to become smitten with a boy she barely knew. The girls entered the dormitory, changed into pajamas, and retired.

"Hermione?" Clara whispered into the darkness.

"Yes?"

"I think I'm going to like it here."

The next morning dawned bright and clear. Clara sat up and pushed aside the curtains on her four-poster to see Hermione doing the same thing. The girls got up, dressed, and headed down the stairs into the common room. It was surprisingly empty. Clara spotted Adrian hanging around by the bottom of the boys' staircase. "Good morning, Adrian!" she said cheerfully. He gave her a small smile and a nod. They both turned as they heard footsteps on the stairs. The black boy from the previous evening appeared. Adrian took his hand, nodded at Clara once more, and they left the room for breakfast. Clara made a mental note to ask about him later. Upon deciding that Harry and Ron could make their own way, she and Hermione headed out of the common room.

The Great Hall was filled with students running back and forth to greet friends from other houses or else comparing their schedules with friends from their own. Clara found a couple of empty seats at the table near Neville, who was studying his own schedule. The girls sat down and Hermione began to discuss classes with Neville. Clara looked up and saw Ron and Harry enter the Hall. Harry caught her eye and she waved them over. They took seats on the other side of the table. McGonagall moved down the line handing out schedules as she went. Clara looked hers over carefully. "Does anybody else have Transfiguration first thing today?" she asked. Harry, Ron, and Hermione all examined their schedules. "I do," they all said at the same time. They looked at each other and laughed. "That's a relief," Clara said, giggling, "I have no idea how to get there."

As the four left the Great Hall, Ron hung back from Harry very slightly. He glanced at Clara, then looked away quickly when he realized she was staring at him. Clara felt herself blush and looked down at the floor. Hermione gave her an appraising look, then did the same to Ron. Comprehension dawned on her face and she stopped. The other three stopped too, confused. "I've...I think I've left something at the table..." Hermione said slowly and deliberately. "Well go on then, we'll wait for you," Ron said. Hermione gave Harry a very meaningful look, but he just stared blankly back. "Harry, would you come back into the Great Hall with me? I just want to see if I've left..." she trailed off unconvincingly. "I could go with you, Hermione," Clara offered. "No, you two can go on ahead, Harry and I can get it," Hermione said cheerfully, now dragging Harry away from Clara and Ron. Harry looked back at them and then at Hermione. "Trust me," she hissed, "I'll explain once we're in there." And with that, they disappeared into the Great Hall.

Clara looked at Ron, who immediately looked at the floor. They stood in silence for a moment.

"Well, er...shall we?" Ron asked awkwardly, motioning down the corridor nearest them. Clara nodded and began to walk next to him.

"You see, Harry?" Hermione said as they peeked out of the Great Hall.

"See what, Hermione? What am I looking at?" Harry asked, still confused.

"Them," she said, exasperated, "It's obvious that Ron likes Clara, and she couldn't keep her eyes off of him at breakfast!" she finished triumphantly.

"Oh...er...right..." replied Harry, "Um...yeah, I suppose it does seem that...uh..."

"You are impossible, Harry!" Hermione cried. They set off, keeping their distance from

Ron and Clara.

"So..." Clara said, "Who teaches Transfiguration?"

"McGonagall," Ron said, sounding relieved for the broken silence, "You remember - the one you met last night and who gave us our schedules this morning."

"Oh yes, a little bit frightening, isn't she?"

Ron laughed at this. "Yes, and I'd like to say that her bark is worse than her bite, but I don't think that's entirely true." The two laughed and the atmosphere between them became infinitely more comfortable.

Clara followed Ron into the Transfiguration classroom, which was already half-full with students from all different houses. They took seats near the back of the room. As she unpacked her bag, Clara looked around. She spotted Adrian a few rows up chatting animatedly with a Hufflepuff girl she didn't know. He looked over in Clara's direction, and she responded by waving frantically and accidentally dropping her inkwell. She cursed under her breath as she bent down to clean it up and knocked heads with Ron, who'd made the exact same move at that moment. Both swore loudly, and then began to laugh.

"How do you know Adrian?" Ron asked in what he seemed to think was a nonchalant fashion as he swept up broken glass bits with his wand.

"Oh, I used to go to school with him in the states. He and I were...rivals of sorts, I suppose," Clara explained. She stopped mopping up the spilled ink and studied Adrian a little more closely. So closely, in fact, that she didn't notice Ron watching her with a little more than a touch of jealousy on his face.