Disclaimer – I don't own Puella Magi Madoka Magica
A fast update; albeit one that I think is lacking. Well, I shall call it filler and leave it at that. I have reasons! I'm bored and bedridden with the flu, so without college to keep me busy; I decided I may as well get writing XD Now then, this got a LOT more attention than I thought it would – positive attention at that. *Faints from shock* Thanks for all the reviews, everyone :3
Now, on with this chapter!

Chapter 2
Puzzlement

Having arrived to school a few hours later; Hitomi she sighed in mild exasperation.

"Of course. It's typical that my appointments would clash with the most interesting thing that's happened this year." She had spotted the new addition to the class soon after walking into the room a few minutes ago. Naturally, she had come straight to her friends for explanations to clear up her questions.

"You didn't miss that much," Madoka mumbled, a thousand miles away from the conversation as she fiddled absent-mindedly with the button on the cuff of her shirt.

Sayaka looked sceptically at her pink-haired friend. "Are you kidding? Hitomi, you should have seen her in maths class. She was going through algebra equations like I go through pocky!"

"She sounds interesting…" The class representative looked considerate. "…I wonder what school she went to before."

"Someplace in Tokyo. A fancy academy, I'll bet."

Madoka wanted to slam her head down on the table as the two girls around her desk continued to converse about the new student. It was the last thing she wanted to be trapped listening to.

For some weird reason that was beyond her, she couldn't get the transfer student out of her mind. She kept re-living their short lived interactions, wondering that if she hadn't been such a nervous wreck that she may have got to know Homura a little better. That only raised further questions though – why did she want to know more about the transfer student? More to the point; why was she so nervous around the girl?

Madoka shook her head, dragging herself out of the inner-turmoil. She was letting this bother her too much. It couldn't mean anything important. She hoped.

"I got caught up in something and let the break run on, I apologize. Everyone, hurry to your next class before you're late!" There was an obvious edge to her voice.

She hadn't even noticed Saotome-sensei enter the room until she spoke – efficiently breaking off the chatting between Hitomi and Sayaka.

"I bet she called her boyfriend and got into a fight," Sayaka snickered as she reached under her desk and grabbed her bag.

"What class do we have next?" Hitomi questioned, hanging back to wait on the other girls as they stood up and collected their things.

"Gym; then literacy, and then we're free for the day. Hey, Madoka, you still with us?" The blue-haired girl waved a hand in front of her face.

"Oh – yeah." She rubbed the back of her neck, grinning crookedly. "Sorry, I was just thinking."

*X*X*X*X*

"Amazing!"

"So cool!"

"Did…did she just break the school record?"

Several girls were clustered by the long jump alongside the gym teacher; gawping and cheering at the sight of Homura effortlessly performing the perfect run-up, jump and backwards break roll.

"Damn, Akemi can really move. She must've been in an athletics club before." Sayaka reclined back, lying down. Sprawled on the grass by the side of the track, the three friends watched as the rest of the class did the long jump, having already taken their turn.

"Wait – Akemi? That can't be right." Having been relatively quiet for the past few minutes, Hitomi perked up with an expression of confusion.

"What do you mean? That's how she introduced herself."

"I missed the student council meeting this morning on account of my doctor's appointment, but I ran into Kazuki-san – the representative for the ninth grade class - on my way in. He said there was mention of a transfer student to our class, but her name wasn't Akemi."

"Really? So we're getting another transfer? They must be breeding."

"I don't think that's how it works, Sayaka-chan," Madoka murmured, breaking her silent streak with a look of weak amusement on her face. She opened her hand and let the grass that she had been pulling out of the dirt flutter back to the ground.

"She speaks! To what do we owe this honour?" The blue-haired girl's words were laced with playful sarcasm. "Let me guess – you were `thinking,'" she cut in just as Madoka opened her mouth to speak.

"I think class is over. Everyone's starting to go inside." Pointing to the girls who were clustering together and walking towards the locker rooms, the green-haired girl rose to her feet. The other two followed suit, equally eager to get changed and get through their last class of the day.

Lagging behind the pair – Madoka found herself being the only one to be called back by the gym teacher.

"Kaname, can you gather up the equipment? I'm a bit busy."

Nodding obediently, she turned on her heel and went to start collecting the various things lying around the track, barely bothering to note that the reason the sensei was busy was because she was talking to another student.

*X*X*X*X*

Dropping the last of the heavy equipment into the correct boxes in the store room; Madoka rubbed her sore upper arms and jogged for the locker rooms to get changed. Unless she hurried, the ten minute swap over time between classes wouldn't matter; and she'd be late to double literacy.

Though she had disregarded that while she was held back to clean up; someone else had been delayed by a talkative athletics teacher.

So when she stepped into the should-be-deserted locker rooms; she was understandably surprised when she found Homura standing there. Apparently, the surprise was mutual. Half-way though slipping into her shirt, the dark-haired girls' head snapped upwards to see who was barging in.

"Oh – I…didn't know anyone else was in here…" Shrugging uneasily, Madoka pushed the door shut and made her way to the bench that her uniform and gym bag was sitting on. She was doing her best not to think about – or look at - the transfer student, who still wouldn't get out of her head.

But her no looking rule was broken when she found herself watching the dark-haired girl out of the corner of her eye – and not just for perverted reasons. She had noticed it when she walked in the door, but could get a better look now that she was closer.

Starting in the center of Homura's collar bone and trailing right down under her purple bra and to the top of her midriff was a scar. A very prominent, narrow red scar that contrasted sharply with the girl's otherwise unblemished pale skin.

That looks...really painful… Was all she could think before the shirt was buttoned up fully and hid the mark from sight once again.

"Stop looking at me like that."

The aggravated words brought Madoka back into reality and her throat went dry. She found that watching from the corner of her eye and turned into blatant open staring; which inevitably hadn't gone unnoticed. Though instead of getting a dirty look as she would have expected; Homura actually appeared to be caught in a stage of bitter embarrassment.

Hastily shoving her used kit into her bag and slinging it over her shoulder, the girl grabbed the tie and sweater she was yet to put on. Without another word, she was gone with the slam of a door.

"…I'm Sorry." Madoka apologized several seconds too late, to the empty locker room.

Good grief, this was terrible. *Slams head on table* I swear it'll pick up next chapter, where things aren't so filler-ish. ('~') Though it'll give you some things to be curious about, won't it? *Insert Twilight Zone music here* Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading to some degree. Even if Madoka was about as talkative as a brick wall. Reviews are loved! *Blatant winking*
-Obsidian
X3