Chapter 5

As soon as she had walked through the door Claudia knew no amount of makeup and pretty dresses would make her like the other girls here. Everyone all still ignored her. She stood behind Pansy and heard all the compliments she got and there was nothing that came her way.

That's fine she thought I should of known I would be the only one who would see a difference in me.

She wasn't upset but she was a little disappointed. She'd expected at least one person to notice.

She had thought she'd seen a Gryffindor boy, she thought his name was Longbottom, staring at her from the other side of the hall but had concluded it must of been Pansy he was looking at. She did look ravishing.

Pansy was soon dragged off with the girls from slytherin and left Claudia on her own. That was fine by her. She always came prepared for these sorts of occasions.

She made her way over to the very back table on the left hand side of the doors. It was nearly empty other than a couple of first years who were chatting quietly among themselves so she sat down and proceeded to pull a book from her tiny clutch bag which she'd magically enhanced with an extension charm. All through the meal Claudia sat like that. All on her own at the back of the hall eating her food and pretending the rest of the world never existed.

"Students have you enjoyed you meals?" Professors Dumbledore's loud voice penetrated the near silence at Claudia's table and she looked up. The students around her cheered in response to his question. "I'm glad to hear that. Now i only have a few quick announcements to make this evening before you can get on with your fun. Number one is that all 1st and 2nd years are to be back at their dorms by 10:30," there was a chorus of whine's and groans at this but the headmaster quickly silenced them with a look which meant no arguing, "3rd, 4th and 5th years are to be in dorms by 12 and 6th and 7th years are to be in dorms by 1:30. There will be no excuses. Now without any further ado enjoy your dance." With a swish of his wand the halls walls vibrated with music and the students who were inclined to, moved to the designated dance floor.

Claudia stayed where she was.

She could see everyone standing on the dance floor, dancing and she wondered to herself how anyone could find that fun. Most of them just looked like they were having a seizure.

She could see Pansy jumping around and laughing with a few of the girls and she caught her eye. Pansy beckoned for her to join them but Claudia just held up her book and Pansy laughed. Claudia just smirked.

Neville, who was sitting on the other side of the hall, had seen Pansy reach the dance floor and was looking desperately to see the mysterious girl in purple. That was when he caught the exchange between Pansy and someone on the far side of the hall from her, on the opposite side of the hall from him. He looked over there desperately and sure enough there she was holding up a book, clearly telling her friend she wasn't going to dance. He also saw the smirk and he thought he'd never seen anything sexier. Those lips, pouted and glossy looking, pulled into such a sarcastic little smile was enough to pull a small smile from his lips also.

The night wore on and eventually Pansy near enough dragged Claudia out to the dance floor and away from her book. She danced a while with Pansy and even managed to loosen up enough to laugh at her own bad dancing. Soon enough though a slow dance began and Pansy was tapped on the shoulder.

"Umm hi. I um... was wondering if-" Ron Weasley never finished his sentence.

"Yes she'll dance with you." Claudia answered for her friend who had seemed to of turned into a tomato and had lost her tongue.

"Umm thanks?" Ron said laughing and Pansy just shot her a greatful look to which she shrugged and walked away towards the punch.

She didn't feel like returning to her seat so decided to loiter and observe her friend and the other dancers on the floor at the moment.

They were all swaying from side to side and they looked like a group of penguins stuck on the same sheet of ice.

"It's a funny thing to watch huh?" Came a voice from her side and she jumped with her hand to her chest to face the person who had spoken.

Neville Longbottom needed courage. He simply couldnt let this night go without speaking to that girl in purple. He needed it and that was a rare feeling for him. So when he saw her heading off of the dance floor towards the punch he saw this as his opportunity to buck it up and do for it. He knew the punch was spiked. Everyone did and he had a suspicion it may of been professor Snape's way of trying to get one of the students in trouble. Never the less he headed for the spiked punch for some dutch courage and then made his way over to where the girl was standing.

After watching her a short while and seeing she was eyeing the dancers with amused eyes he took his moment.

"It's a funny thing to watch huh?" She jumped as soon as he said it and her eyebrows furrowed at the sight of him.

As she turned to look at him he recognised him. What is the Longbottom kid doing talking to me?

She eyed him and took mental note of what she saw. He was tall, much taller than her, perhaps 6 foot 1 inches. He had medium length almost black hair which was scruffy but in a cute way rather than looking like he'd not washed. His jaw showed signs of light stubble that she didn't think would ever go no matter how much he shaved. His face was angular and masculine but also kind looking at the same time. He was pale and had a few light freckles dotted over his nose and his build was lean but toned. All in all she was impressed but no way was he going to know that so she looked away and pretended to be uninterested in him.

"I suppose they are." She said noncommitally.

He just chuckled and it was a deep rich sound which she decided she liked immensely.

"Don't you want to be up there dancing with them?" He asked.

"Was that you asking me to dance?" She answered cheekily, expecting him to be embarrassed and say no then go away. She still wasn't even looking at him. If she had been she might of seen the cheeky glint that crossed his eye.

"Depends whether you say yes or not." She nearly choked but managed to keep her cool.

"And if i say no?" She retorted. Am i flirting? Is this flirting? I'll have to ask Pansy.

"Then i'll be wholey disappointed." Her cheeks heated a little. Is he having me on? Why would HE want to dance with me? She decided he was joking and decided she wasnt to be made a fool of but before she could say anything he had grabbed her hand and was walking towards the dance floor.

She was too stunned to stay anything until they stopped and she found herself on the dance floor with Neville Longbottom's hands on her hips and her hands on his shoulders.

"I didn't even say yes!" She exclaimed as he began to lead her around the dancefloor and they joinded the other penguins around them.

"Now you don't have to." He answered with a cheeky grin and a wink and she thought she might buckle at the sight of it.

How had she not noticed this man before. He was so... different. All the other boys in their year were just that, boys not men. They were loud and disruptive quite often rude and nearly always idiots. This Longbottom kid wasn't though. He was smooth and gentle and seemed quick witted.

She needed answers.

"How come I don't see you around school?" She asked.

"I could ask the same of you." He replied all to quickly.

"I asked first." She stated simply. He nodded then spoke again.

"I keep myself to myself. I don't like crowds really so i tend to stay away from where the majority of people are. If there's a lot of people around I probably won't be involved." She marvelled at the similarities between them. "What about you. I don't think i've ever seen you around. I don't even know your name!"

"Claudia Weissemann, and you don't see me around school because you don't look." She stated. Blunt and to the point.

His brows furrowed for a second, as he wondered is she realised how sexy and mysterious that made her sound, then he nodded in what she assumed was admittance that he hadn't been looking. What she didn't know was he definitely would be from now on.

Not long later the music changed and the pair, not seeing the need to seperate, moved over to the table which still held Claudia's bag and book. They sat down and just watched as the others danced again. Neither of them said anything or felt the need to say anything. They just sat together.

Soon enough the dancers became boring to Neville and he didn't see the point in looking towards them when he had such a vision beside him. She, by now, had reverted back to reading her book.

Close up she was even more of the beauty he'd witnessed beforehand. Her skin was flawless, no blemishes to be seen at all and he was floored by how silky and soft her hair looked and found his hands itching touch it to see if it was that impossibly smooth. Those eyes were something else entirely though. They were the eyes of an intellegent woman, he thought, they were sceptical and truth seeking eyes and they were so very dark blue.

"You know its rude to stare." She said suddenly, not even looking up from her book. He didn't even have the decency to look away. He just kept looking.

"How long have you known i was staring?" He asked. She smirked.

"How long have you been staring?" He laughed and she smiled at the sound.

"I'm sorry I can't help it." He said simply, now finally looking away.

"Why have I got something on my face?" She asked, half joking half paranoid. His thick brown eyebrows furrowed.

"No. I was just looking at you that's all." He said honestly, probably more honest than he would of been had it not been for the dutch courage. She was looking at him now instead of down at her book and her eyebrows were furrowed and her eyes were confused.

"Why would you look at me?" She asked.

"Why would I look anywhere else?" He asked looking at her straight in the eye. Her eyebrows rose dramatically at the sincerity in his voice and the lack of deceit in his eyes.

She looked away hurriedly to disguse the blossoming blush and turned back to her book while he went back to watching the crowd. They sat in silence like this for the rest of the night.

At 1:30 on the dot Dumblrdore turned off the magic music and told everyone to head to bed. Before Neville could even turn his head to say goodnight Claudia had jumped out of her chair to go and find Pansy so she could unwrap the riddle that was Neville Longbottom. She didn't notice she left her book behind.