Disclaimer – The original Harry Potter characters and the world of Harry Potter are not of my own invention and I do not claim ownership of them. KC

Aubrey left the library sadly, holding her books to her chest. Even though they were only in their fourth year, Henry was already studying for his O.W.L.s and didn't want any interruptions, even from his best friend. They usually had a great time studying together, making it as enjoyable as they possibly could. But lately Henry had taken on a very serious mindset towards his studies and had decided that he wanted to study alone from now on. So here she was, without her friend to study with and feeling quite downtrodden about it.

As they were in different houses, she and Henry weren't able to spend as much time together as she would like. They only had two classes together (Potions and Study of Ancient Ruins) and had to sit on different tables in the Great Hall at meal times. With most of the Hogsmeade trips being cast aside by Henry so that he could study, they only had a small amount of time to spend together. Now he had further shortened that time by cancelling their study sessions.

She sighed gloomily and walked absentmindedly down the hallway. She was just trying to remember when she and Henry had last had one of their heart-to-heart chats when a tall boy came around the corner and she crashed straight into him.

She fell to the floor, her books and notes scattering everywhere. Almost as suddenly as she had hit the ground, she was being pulled back up by her elbow. The boy helped her to stand and she looked up at his face.

"You okay?" he said quickly and she nodded, blushing. His hair was sandy gold in colour and his eyes were bright blue. He had a chiseled jaw and he was well-built. Aubrey couldn't help but think that he was extremely good looking.

"I'm late for Quidditch practice," he said, looking distracted, and started to move away from her.

She watched his back as he continued to walk down the corridor, stepping over her notes and books, and she smiled dreamily at him. He was very handsome…

"I know just the guy you're talking about," said Nell when Aubrey had described what he had looked like. "His name is Mitch Conwell and he is the Gryffindor Keeper from the fifth year. I can understand why you like him."

"Like him? I don't... I mean... I just bumped into him, that's all," said Aubrey, blushing scarlet.

"And it looks like the love for him got bumped right into you too," Nell commented, raising her eyebrows at Aubrey's stuttering. "It's a crush, nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, you should ask him out."

"Me?" Aubrey squeaked, sending the text book she was reading tumbling to the floor of the dormitory. "I couldn't possibly… he's in the fifth year."

"He's only a year older. I'm dating a Sixth Year," Nell pointed out, referring to her current Ravenclaw boyfriend. "Otherwise you could influence him to ask you out."

"How?" Aubrey asked, feeling slightly queasy.

"Just put yourself out there. Go up and talk to him, comment on his excellent flying skills, congratulate him the next time Gryffindor wins, flirt a little, that sort of thing," Nell listed, making it sound simple.

But Aubrey soon discovered it was not very simple for her. She tried to say 'Hi' to him one night when she walked past where he was sitting with his mates in the Great Hall. But as soon as she met his eyes she blushed and shuffled away quickly. Then the next time Gryffindor's Quidditch practice was held she went along to watch and tried to compliment him on a good save. But the most she could get out that time was "Nice um… save," before she skittered off in the opposite direction. As she was not usually a shy person, it was very unusual for her to suddenly become nervous at the thought of talking to him and she hated herself for blushing every time she saw him. Then during a game where Gryffindor was playing Hufflepuff, she waved at him enthusiastically from the stands and then had to hide her head in embarrassment when he raised his eyebrows questioningly at her.

After the game, which Gryffindor had won stupendously well, she went back to her dorm room so she could hide under her pillow for the rest of the night. Nell found her lying on her stomach with her pillow over her head and went over to comfort her.

"What you need it a confidence booster!" declared Nell.

"You're not going to suggest Felix Felicis are you?" asked Aubrey from underneath her pillow.

"Nope!" said Nell and Aubrey sat up to face her friend. "A makeover!"

"A makeover?" repeated Aubrey, screwing up her nose.

"Nothing much, I promise you," said Nell, searching through her makeup bag. "Just a bit of eyeliner and mascara to highlight your eyes."

"Don't worry. I'm not going to make you look like a clown!" Nell continued, seeing the reluctance on Aubrey's face.

Sighing in defeat, Aubrey allowed Nell to work on her face.

Twenty minutes later and after a lot of squirming, Aubrey looked at her reflection. Her face still looked natural but her eyes now looked wider and brighter. Aubrey was stunned to find out that she liked the new look.

"Now, for your hair," said Nell, reaching for Aubrey's long auburn pony tail. But Aubrey had jumped from her seat and run to the other side of the room.

"Seriously, Aubrey! What do you think I'm going to do, shave your head?" Nell exclaimed. "Just pull out the pony tail."

Aubrey pulled the hairband out of her hair and let her auburn locks fall on to her shoulders. She went to push a strand behind her ear but Nell stopped her.

"No, leave it where it is. If some of your hair is over your face it will make you look mysterious," she said, wiggling her eyebrows. "Now you're good to go!"

She and Nell entered the Great Hall for dinner where the Gryffindor table was celebrating happily. They sat down towards the middle of the table and immediately began serving themselves plates of food. Aubrey had already noted that Mitch and his teammates were sitting on the opposite side of the table, about ten people down from them, and she tried not to look at him every second.

"Look confident," Nell whispered to her and they saw the Gryffindor Seeker approaching them. Nell took the first step.

"Great game, Roman!" she said to the Seeker, Benjamin Roman, who was in their year level.

"Thanks, Nell," he said smiling and sat down next to Aubrey. She liked Roman, they often talked in class and he always had the best jokes to tell. But with the look on his face now she could tell he was not in the joking mood.

"Aubrey," he said, addressing her. "If Mitch Conwell was to ask you out, would you say yes?"

His question caught her off guard. "I… er-"

"Why doesn't he come over and ask and see for himself?" interrupted Nell, prompting Roman to take her message to Mitch.

"What did you say that for?" Aubrey hissed as Roman walked back towards where the Gryffindor team was sitting.

"He can't send a messenger," said Nell. "That's cowardly."

"Too right!" proclaimed a voice and Aubrey almost choked on her juice when she saw Mitch Conwell sitting opposite her.

She immediately started to blush when she met his eyes.

"It's Aubrey isn't it, Aubrey Jones?" he asked and she nodded, not able to say a word.

"I saw you cheering the team on today at the game," he said and she felt herself get redder at the thought of her waving fit. "That was you who was waving at me, wasn't it?"

"Yes," she croaked softly, "That was me."

"Well I was wondering if you would like to go out with me?" he asked coolly. "We could go to Hogsmeade together next weekend."

Nell elbowed her in the stomach after a couple of seconds when she still hadn't given him an answer; she was still getting over the shock.

"Yes!" she yelped when Nell's elbow jabbed her painfully. "I mean, yes, I would really like that."

"Great!" he said, giving her a smile. "See you next weekend then," and he stood up and walked back to his teammates.

She watched him walk away and swooned. Henry met her eyes from across the hall and raised an eyebrow questioningly. But all she could do was smile.

The next weekend almost came too quickly for Aubrey as she felt quite unprepared to go on her first date. She had never dated before, let alone have a boyfriend before, and so she was at a complete loss about what she should expect.

But never the less she met Mitch at the town signpost in Hogsmeade after trying to make herself look as presentable as possible in her large cold weather jacket. Nell had done her makeup for her and then had walked with her into Hogsmeade where she would also meet her boyfriend in the Three Broomsticks. Her friend wished her luck and then entered the pub, leaving Aubrey to walk further into town by herself.

Mitch was sitting on the bench seat next to the sign post and stood when she approached. He handed her a Honeydukes bag and looking inside she found several sugar quills. She thanked him politely and then followed him as he led her down the street. She soon found herself standing out the front of Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop and Mitch held the door open for her. The waitress sat them at a corner booth and took their orders. Then she left them, making Aubrey feel very much alone.

Aubrey looked around the shop to see many other couples either holding hands, snogging or deep in conversation. She met Mitch's eyes, who smiled brightly at her, and she hoped that they would be starting off with the latter.

"So, you're a Muggle-born," he said and she nodded in confirmation. "That's got to make Muggle Studies an easy subject. I'm from a long line of wizards and witches so I have no idea what we are discussing in that class sometimes."

She smiled shyly, not knowing whether to add anything. She wasn't usually at a loss for words, or at all shy for that matter. But sitting here with her potential boyfriend she suddenly felt very self-conscious. But her awkwardness was covered up as the waitress had returned with their teas. She sipped hers, feeling the warmth spread to her numb fingers and toes.

"Have you ever played Quidditch?" Mitch asked her.

"No, not yet. But I enjoy flying," she said and, to her relief, hit a good topic as Mitch beamed at her.

"It's the best, isn't it? We should go flying together sometime. I could even teach you how to play Quidditch if you like."

She smiled and nodded eagerly. "I'd like that."

"Me too," he said softly and reached for her hand. His hands were large and incredibly warm while hers were small and, at the moment, as cold as ice. Her hand in his felt very nice and she relaxed, feeling comfortable.

"You know, you are very pretty," he murmured, meeting her dark brown eyes with his bright blue ones.

She started to blush again as he scooted closer and soon he was sitting right next to her. They had already progressed from conversation to hand holding and she could feel that he was going to go to the next step.

Sure enough he lent in and kissed her softly on the mouth. As it was her first kiss she didn't really know what to make of it at first, but she liked feeling the pressure of his lips on hers. After a while she started to kiss him back but they kept their kiss on the tender side.

Now that the ice was broken, they chatted freely about their families, friends, hobbies, subjects and Quidditch, which was Mitch's favourite subject. Aubrey discovered that she felt quite comfortable in Mitch's company and even held his hand as they walked down the street. They browsed the shop fronts together but only actually went into one, Spintwitches, where Mitch spent a lot of time looking at the new racing brooms and team merchandise. Mitch told her that the Quidditch team he followed was called the Montrose Magpies and bought her a banner and pin for her so as to, in his words, start her off with the right team.

"I want to play for a professional team one day," he told her. "I probably train longer and harder than anyone else in the Gryffindor team and I hope to become Captain next year."

Every now and then he would give her either a peck on the cheek or one on the lips. Strangely she didn't feel at all embarrassed by this and kept her hand securely in his. If she was ever allowed to flaunt her new boyfriend, today was the day she decided. However not everyone was impressed with her and Mitch's new relationship.

Walking past the bookshop she looked in the window and saw Henry, a book open in his hands, staring back her with a strange look on his face.

"I just need to go in here for one second," she said to Mitch and he agreed to stay outside.

She entered the shop and found Henry standing in the Ancient Ruins section. He looked strangely miffed to see her there.

"You didn't tell me that you were dating Conwell," he said frowning. "When did that happen?"

"Just today actually," she replied. "I was going to tell you the next time I saw you. He asked me out last week."

"Is that what he was doing talking to you after the game at dinner last week?"

"Yes," she said, smiling dreamily.

"You shouldn't dress up for him, you know," he said, commenting on her makeup and lack of ponytail. "You looked fine before."

"Maybe I want to look more than just 'fine'. And anyway, I like it," she said, defending her new look.

"Just… don't let him change you."

"Change me? He hasn't changed me."

Henry flicked the Montrose Magpies pin on her jacket in response.

"He's going to teach me about Quidditch and recommended to me that I follow a team," she said, now defending her pin.

Henry snorted with amusement and Aubrey could feel herself becoming annoyed.

"I'll see you later then," she said to him, just keeping her voice even, and she left the shop.

Mitch smiled when she returned and Aubrey felt a fluttering around her heart. She beamed back at him and took his outstretched hand again. Even if Henry wasn't happy with her new relationship, she sure was.

CHAPTER 6 (YEAR 5) NOW AVAILABLE

As a first-time FanFiction writer, I would love a review or feedback from you on my writing. Just like Aubrey I am very excited to be setting out on a new journey and I can't wait to share more of my ideas with you.

KC