but a voice within that calls me home

Luna smiled when she sat down at her table and was included in the conversation that Ainsley was having with a pretty raven haired girl, she was certain her name was Adma. Luna hadn't ever spoken to Adma before but if Anisley trusted the girl then Luna would too because she mustn't be a horrible person if Ainsley was spending time with her. However their conversation came to a end when the first years were brought into the Great Hall, Luna watched on with excitement as she loved seeing what houses the new students were placed into. She clapped every time a student would be placed into Ravenclaw, her smile never leaving her face as she listened to what Professor Dumbledore was saying. Even when the two schools arrived, she was still excited as this meant there was more people to get to know for however long the Triwizard Tournament went on for. She hadn't heard of this tournament before but as Dumbledore explained it, she didn't like the sound of it. Why would anyone want to willingly put themselves through anything dangerous? She had no idea why but it should still be fun to watch, as long as none of the three students became hurt. Then she begun to wonder who would be the Hogwarts student that would be chosen, she couldn't pick out any one student as there were many brave students in the school.

She smiled at the sound of the boo's, she knew there would be some students who tried to get their names into the beautiful chalice. But knowing Dumbledore, he would already have put a spell on the chalice to not allow any names of underage students. Shortly after the two school's arrived and settled in, Dumbledore continued to announce who the two judges would be: Bartemius Crouch Sr and Ludo Bagman. He then explained some rules of the tournament and how long the students would have to place their names into the chalice, once all of that was over with Professor Dumbledore begun the feast. The delicious food appeared on the four long tables, Luna glanced over to see that the students of the Durmstrang Institute were sitting comfortably at the Slytherin table. A spark of jealously flooded Luna's body as she noticed who Viktor Krum was smiling at, it was Ainsley.

---

Eleanor smiled as she sat beside Hermione at the Gryffindor table, she would sneak in a few glances over to the Slytherin table to make sure her sister was alright. Eleanor enjoyed the beginning of the night like she did every year, it was a night where all the students could relax and have fun before they needed to get serious about classes and studying. She listened intently as Professor Dumbledore spoke, she had heard of the Triwizard Tournament but knew that it had been stopped a long time ago because too many students were dying from the dangerous tasks. So she was a little unsure about it being brought back now, but she watched as the girls from the Beaxbaton Academy of Magic arrived and she did glance over at Harry just to make sure he wasn't drooling over them like most of the boys were. She smiled when Hermione smacked Ron with a copy of the Daily Prophet, then it was the Durmstrang Institute to arrive and she had only heard the name Viktor Krum from Ron on the train ride to Hogwarts. She honestly didn't see what the big deal was about him, he was alright in appearance in Eleanor's eyes.

Once Dumbledore finished his speech and sat down, the feast begun and Eleanor filled her plate with all kinds of food. The entire Great Hall was filled with talking, joking and laughter. She smiled and laughed at something Ron mentioned while he held two chicken drumsticks in his hands, she was surprised he wasn't the larger with how much he ate. She shifted slightly as she felt something, like someone was watching her so she glanced around at the other tables. All the students were eating and talking, even her sister was talking to Luna and Adma. But as her eyes trailed down the Slytherin table, her eyes landed on one of the Durmstrang boys as he was looking right at her. She quickly turned away before her cheeks grew hot and flushed, she didn't really get much male attention. A few of the Slytherin boys continued to bother her, they probably thought they would be able to change her mind or it was her Mother who put their families up to it because she was desperately wanting her daughters to both marry a Slytherin boy.

Sytherin house had earned themselves a great number of students this year, most of them looking quite devious, but there were some Ainsley had paid attention to, and decided she would take under her wing, if she were to need to. One girl, a dark haired mousey looking kid was very giggly, and Ainsley decided right off the bat that she liked her, although her name escaped her.

When the new schools came piling in and were introduced, the Durmstrang boys sat at the Slytherin table, looking completely at home with some of the Hogwarts students. The Beaxbaton ladies sat with Ravenclaw, probably talking about school stuff. Ravenclaw students were known for being smart, and the girls at Beaxbaton were likely very studious.

Ainsley paid no attention to the Durmstrang boys who were seated at their table, she would find time to give them courtesies another day. Today was her one day to relax before classes began, although with the Triwizard Tournament, she was sure classes wouldn't be as harsh as usual. She was excited to get started with school, but once December hit, she knew she would feel swamped, and begin to miss summer break. She wanted to stretch out the time until then as much as she could. Tonight she was going to spend chattering with Luna and Adma, and sit around the Slytherin common room with the friends she had in Slytherin, and most likely discuss the Triwizard Tournament.

"Who do you think the Hogwarts champion will be?" Adma asked her eagerly. Ainsley thought it over, and shrugged. "I don't know too many people in 6th and 7th year," she stated, looking over at Luna. The pale blonde had been eagerly clapping for all the new Ravenclaw students, which she found adorable. She was smiling at all them now, and welcoming them into Hogwarts. Ainsley grinned at her.



Harry was excited for the Triwizard Tournament, even if it meant he couldn't compete. It would be great fun to watch, he already knew. And he was sure that the Tournament meant that classes would be shorter, or they would have more breaks this year. There was no way Dumbledore could expect a bunch of young witches and wizards to sit still through classes when something so exciting was happening in their own school. It was just impossible.

Harry hoped that Quidditch would still be able to happen this year, though he expected not. Quidditch was likely his favorite thing about school, as it was a great sport, and one that he was actually good at. He was never any good at Muggle sports, like football or croquet, but he was appointed to be the youngest seeker in the last century by Professor McGonagall herself when he was in his first year. That had gotten many of the students talking about him more than they already were, considering the first years weren't even allowed to try out. Even for second and third years, getting on the team wasn't easy, let alone being a seeker. The seekers had the hardest job.

Harry noticed one of the Durmstrang men looking at Eleanor, and he couldn't help but feel... well... jealous. Eleanor was beautiful, and she had a lot of the Gryffindor boys talking. Even though they weren't together, Harry wanted them to be, so it was natural that he felt jealous, especially with the way Eleanor was blushing. It was a very nice colour on her, and he wished he could see it more. Harry nudged Eleanor, and held up some cranberry sauce with blueberries. "Did you try this yet?" he asked, hoping to draw her attention away from the Durmstrang guy. "It's absolutely delicious."

Luna was even more excited now that her house had picked up so many bright young students, she was looking forward to getting back to the common room and watching all the first years try to take everything in with their wide eyes. She was exactly the same in her first year, since then she always made sure to help the younger students even if they weren't in Ravenclaw. Hogwarts was a lot to take in so she wanted to make sure that all the new students were welcomed in and help whenever they became lost, even having a map of the school didn't help as it was very easy to get lost in. Luna quickly piled food onto her plate was she was getting hungry now, she took small bites however and turned back to Ainsley and Adma as they continued to talk. "I just hope our student is someone nice and who deserves to be in this tournament," She hoped it wasn't a Slytherin student, although Luna knew there were some Slytherin students who are nice people like Adma but most of the house wasn't.

"I can't wait to see what these tasks are, but I hope they aren't too dangerous. I would hate if someone got hurt," She said sweetly as she looked at Ainsley and Adma, both girls seemed to be just as excited as Luna was about the school year and the Triwizard Tournament. She smiled at the girls as she wished she could move over to their table and join them, but that wouldn't end well with her at dinner time. During lunch the students didn't have to sit at their table which was nice, it gave friends time to eat and talk without feeling unwelcome at another house's table so Luna would just have to wait until she shared a lunch time with Ainsley. She really hoped that Ravenclaw and Slytherin would be sharing core classes this year, they hadn't the previous year as Luna had been in class with Gryffindor which she liked because she always found Gryffindor students to be friendly and it had been then where she really learnt more about Eleanor.

After Luna swallowed another mouthful of food she looked at the two Slytherin girls again, "I'm looking forward to watching all the underage students trying to put their names in." She smiled as she knew there would be students who tried to get past Dumbledore's age line spell, she knew the Weasley twins would be the first to try.

---

Eleanor smiled brightly when Harry offered her the cranberry sauce with blueberries which she couldn't think about refusing, "Yes please." She smiled as she used the spoon to scoop out some cranberry sauce onto her plate of food, "Do you think there will still be Quidditch? It'll be strange not watching the games," She looked at Harry as he now held her attention, the Durmstrang man was still in the back of her mind but she was more focused on Harry. She made it to every Quidditch game as she loved watching, she had never tried to play the game as she didn't really think she'd be good at it. Having a quaffle ball flying at her wasn't something she would find to be fun, she never was one for sports unless she was safely watching from the bleachers. She didn't know if there would be time for Quidditch now with the tournament happening, the students time would be filled quickly once classes started but hopefully the Professor's would go easy on them while the tournament was on.

She continued to eat her food but noticed the smile that appeared on Harry's face when she mentioned Quidditch, she knew it was something he loved and he was a natural at playing the game. She always did love watching him in a game, but she doubted that she'd get that chance to watch him this year. "I really don't know how you or anyone does it, if a quaffle ball was coming right at me. I'd be flying away in the other direction," She told Harry smiling as she reached her hand up and brushed some of her curled dark hair away from her face, she was enjoying talking to Harry more than she expected to. She wanted to know everything about him and she wanted to spend all her time with him, he was different then what she thought he would be like. She hadn't expected him to be this nice and friendly towards her, but she was more than happy that he was giving her a chance.

Ainsley giggled, knowing Luna was right about the Weasley twins. Fred and George were good friends of hers, they spent a lot of their free time together planning things, and pranking other students and teachers. They were good natured boys, and they loved to have fun, which was all Ainsley needed in a friend, honestly. She believed that's why her and Luna got on so well. They were able to just talk, and not worry about if they were fitting in, or that there were differences to them, like most of the other Slytherin girls did. She looked down the long table, at the rest of her house and sighed. Almost all the girls were fawning over Draco Malfoy, for whatever reason he was giving them this time. Draco was bad news, and Ainsley had always known that. But of course, most Slytherin girls liked bad news. Even Adma, one of the sweetest people Ainsley had ever met had a crush on Draco, she said it was the "air of confidence" he had. That part certainly couldn't be true, considering every time something didn't go his way, he was screaming about his father, a well known and feared wizard among the Death Eaters. Ainsley shook her head. In her opinion, Draco Malfoy wasn't worth it.

"I wonder how Dumbledore has the spell set up," she wondered. She was sure it was going to be fantastic and hilarious, she was more than excited to see what the greatest wizard of all time had in store for people who tried to put their name into the Goblet of Fire before they were of age. It was then she heard Draco boasting.

"I'm sure whatever the old oaf has in store won't be able to hold me back. I'm putting my name into that Goblet, and I'm going to win the Triwizard Tournament!"

Ainsley rolled her eyes, and threw a breadstick at Draco's head. "Shut up, Malfoy," she growled. Half of the Slytherin table chuckled, and the boys from Durmstrang threw their heads back and roared with laughter. "You're not going to get into the Tournament. How daft are you?"



Harry grinned when Eleanor began talking about Quidditch. "I hope we have it this year, but with the Tournament going on I don't think it'll happen," he told her. "Besides, it might be a nice break, not having Malfoy trying to kill me on a broomstick this year." Harry hated Draco Malfoy from his first day at Hogwarts, when he noticed the blond boy trying to be better than everyone else, which he later found out was because he had "pureblood" parents, and was raised to believe that he was better. Harry had never been so disgusted. Despite the fact that he was orphaned to a terrible family, Harry believed that there could be good in everyone, but Malfoy changed that course of thought for him. He would rather put up with the Dursley's than deal with him on a regular basis. He was glad they hadn't shared core classes since year one.

Harry heard Malfoy speak up about the Tournament and turned around. He sneered, hating the words that came out of his mouth. Not only was he insulting all the students who were actually eligible to compete in the Tournament, but he was also insulting Dumbledore, who was the greatest wizard that the magical world had ever known. He was about to stand up and shout to him when he noticed Ainsley throwing a breadstick at him, and telling him to shut up. He smiled, taking pleasure in the fact that a good amount of Slytherin house and all of the guys from Durmstrang were laughing at him.

"Well, that oughta humble him a bit, do you think?" he asked Eleanor. Ron and Hermione were across from Harry, chuckling at the scene they just witnessed. Harry glanced up at the headmaster, to find he hadn't even been paying attention to the musings of students, but was eagerly engaged in a conversation with Madame Maxime and Hagrid, whom Harry knew he would have to pay a visit to tomorrow.

Luna never was one to laugh at the misfortune of other's, but Draco was different. He could have been a nice boy if his father didn't believe he and his family were far above everyone else, he even thought they were better than other pureblood families which to Luna didn't make any sense. "If Dumbledore made the age spell, then it won't end well for anyone trying to trick it." She smiled as she did know that the Professor did hold a great scene of humor, she couldn't wait to see what the end result will be when a student tried to cross the line without being 17 or older. She had opened her mouth to speak again but her attention was captured by Draco who was running his mouth once more, which he usually did at every chance he got. Luna didn't even bother listening to what he was saying, she knew it wasn't going to be anything important.

However it was Ainsley's voice to shut Draco up before deep laughter filled the room from the Durmstrang students, she looked over at Ainsley again and sighed softly. "Did you need to waste that bread stick? Now no one is going to be eating it," Luna smiled as it came off as innocent and sweet, no matter if Luna did say something mean which she wouldn't do. But if she did, it wouldn't say mean because her voice was so soft and delicate. Luna finished eating her dinner along with many other students, which meant the feast would be winding down shortly and Dumbledore would be dismissing all the students after that.

Which Luna was looking forward to as she would be able to relax, but it also meant that she would have to bid Ainsley a goodnight which she didn't want to do. She wanted to spend more time with the pretty brunette who Luna was growing more fond of every second that she was close to Luna.

---

Eleanor smiled at Harry, "I'm sure Draco wouldn't be able to catch you." She told him sweetly but it was the truth, Harry was a wonderful Seeker and Draco just played the game because his father either told him to or he wanted to try and harm Harry. She frowned as she looked over to where the blonde was and rolled her dark eyes at what he was saying, but a smile replaced her frown when her sister shot Draco down with her words and a bread stick. "I really hope so, but I'm sure after a few days he'll go back to his annoying self." She looked at Harry, "At least Professor Dumbledore isn't paying any attention to him." She grinned as no one seemed to care about what Draco had said, well the girls who threw themselves at Draco would agree with him but that was about it.

Eleanor didn't see why he had so many girls fawning over him, he wasn't good looking to her and he was a selfish little brat. But she didn't want to even try and understand what girls say in him, she'd give herself a headache if she did bother to try. She watched as Draco sat back down and she'd need to keep an eye on him, if case he wanted to teach Ainsley a lesson for what she just did in front of the whole school. But if it hadn't been Ainsley then it would have been someone else, probably Harry as she had felt his body tense slightly from it.

Once Eleanor finished eating she did grab some chocolate pudding as she had been wanting it since she arrived at the castle, she sighed in delight as the creamy goodness hit her tongue and lingered there for a few seconds. She did have the biggest sweet tooth ever and would be more than happy to live off sweet treats and deserts, although her waist wouldn't be very happy with her if she did. "Try some, it's so good this year." She offered Harry her bowl of chocolate pudding so he could try some.

Ainsley giggled at Luna's remark. "The bread stick was destined for Malfoy's head. It was specifically made to hit him." She squealed with delight as the desserts filled the long tables, her and her sister had a shared sweet tooth, and she just knew Eleanor must be digging into the pudding this year. She filled her plate with slices of pies and cakes, scoops of pudding and different types of fudge. She tried different concoctions, like dipping slices of cake into the pudding, and putting fudge on top of pies. She must have looked like the biggest pig, but she didn't care. Ainsley was able to consume sweets like it was her job, and manage to not gain a pound. You could almost always find the brunette with a lollipop or a bar of chocolate in hand.

Once the feast was over and the desserts had cleared the table, Ainsley sat back against the table, hand resting over her flat tummy. "That was fantastic," she exclaimed, looking at Luna with a lazy grin on her face. "Best dessert ever." She knew she had said that after every dessert she ever had, but no one seemed to quite understand her incredible love for sweet treats other than her sister.

Dumbledore began to dismiss the students, and Ainsley grabbed Luna's wrist. "Let's meet tomorrow by the pond to compare schedules, yeah?" Ainsley hoped she wasn't being over exuberant with the blonde, she was enjoying spending time with her, and hoped that their classes at least made room for them to have lunch together.



Harry shook his head, tearing his eyes away from the scene over at the Slytherin table. He looked up to Eleanor, and smiled at her comment. "Thanks, but I'm not that great a seeker," he said bashfully. He had never seen his father play, but he was sure he didn't compare to him. He would have to talk to Dumbledore, or even McGonnagal. They would likely have photographs of his father playing for him to look at. Maybe he could learn some tricks by watching.

He smiled when he was offered the pudding. He had a rather large sweet tooth, and definitely enjoyed a taste of chocolate here and there. Harry took the bowl from Eleanor and scooped out three spoonfuls onto his plate. He tried some, and was immediately satisfied by the sugary explosion he was experiencing. "This is so good," he said as he reached for more of the pudding.

All of the sudden, the desserts were gone, and Dumbledore was dismissing the students. Harry looked to Eleanor and smiled. "Shall we make our way towards the common room?" At least they were in the same house, they could sit in the common room and talk all night if they wanted to. He rose with her, and together, they made their way to the Gryffindor common room.

Luna giggled softly to herself as she watched Ainsley fill her plate with dessert, Luna herself was more a fan of savory food but she did treat herself with something sweet now and again. Once the feast was over, Luna stood up and turned to look at Ainsley. "I will be at the pond, but are you sure you'll be able to make it out of bed." She teased playfully as a warm smile spread across her face, she had seen how much food Ainsley had eaten and she was surprised that the Slytherin girl hadn't put on any weight over the years. But it was good to see as many girls cared to much about being fit and slim, that they never enjoyed the food that was cooked for them and Luna hated that as it made no sense to her. "I might have to roll you to the pond," Luna giggled quietly at her own joke before she looked at Ainsley.

She decided that was enough joking about the amount of food that Ainsley ate, so she gave her hand a gentle squeeze and held it afterwards as it felt really nice. The brunette had the softest hands, at least that is what Luna thought but it gave her such a warming sensation that she didn't want to let go. "I do hope that we have classes together, this year will be much better if we can sit together and study together." Luna's eyes brightened at the thought of sharing classes with Ainsley, she would deal with the other Slytherin students if it meant she could spend more time with the brunette that she was crushing on.

It wasn't long before a sea of students was leaving the Great Hall, but Luna didn't want to move towards the common room. She wanted to talk to Ainsley more and really get to know the girl, but sadly that would have to wait until another day. The Professor's would begin to make sure that all the students arrived at their common room safely, as no one but the Professor's were allowed in the corridors after dinner.

---

Eleanor knew that Harry was just being bashful, she knew that he had great talent but he didn't believe it. She didn't press him any further as she offered him some chocolate pudding, once he had taken some spoonfuls she then filled her plate with some apple pie and a variety of cakes. Her sister's plate would mirror her's perfectly as they both shared the love for sweets, something that they got from their father. She remembered how he used to sneak some cake or chocolate to the girls from when they were young, their mother always scolded him for it but he continued to do it and she loved him even more for it. But it did teach the twins a bad lesson, they now always ate dessert but Eleanor had also seen what bravery was as their mother could be pretty mean when she wanted to.

Eleanor had always looked up to her father, much like Ainsley had as he was really the only one who constantly showed them what love was. Once she had finished off her plate and was completely full, Eleanor waited until the feast was over before she pushed herself onto her feet. She may have eaten a tiny bit too much, but she regretted nothing. "Yes, I just want to get into my pajamas and be comfortable." She smiled at Harry as students headed towards the big double doors so they could head to their common rooms, she usually went over to Ainsley as they always waited until the last second to get to their common rooms.

But this year Eleanor noticed she was standing with Luna and she didn't want to interrupt them, so she walked with Harry so they could leave the Great Hall. She checked to see if Hermione and Ron were following them, but they were talking to the Weasley twins and Ginny. She smiled as her hand grabbed onto the sleeve of Harry's robe, she didn't want to get separated from him in the crowd of people. "You better not try to get rid of me," She joked with him as someone accidently bumped into her.

A warm rush of happiness filled Ainsley's soul as she felt Luna's hand grab hers. She tightened her grip almost immediately and grinned at her - she wasn't sure if this was just Luna being friendly, or if it meant something else, but she was truly excited to find out. When they reached the great oak doors that lead into the great hall, Ainsley looked up and shared a momentary glance with her sister; they usually met here and put it off until the last possible second to leave, but this year was different. Eleanor was with Harry, and Ainsley was walking with Luna. She knew she would see her sister tomorrow, tonight was a night for new traditions.

The Slytherin girl and the Ravenclaw girl walked together, hand in hand, giggling about gossip that was already going around, speculating about the coming up Triwizard Tournament, and reminiscing about the feast they just had. It was certainly an odd sight, seeing them together. Slytherin's almost never talked to anyone outside of their house, they were a bunch of purebloods who thought they were better than everyone else. Ainsley took a vow to never be that way, and she tried her hardest to branch her friendships out throughout the different houses, but she had never been this close with anyone, save her twin sister. Her best friend at Hogwarts was Adma, and they shared a house. It may not have been so odd if it wasn't Luna Lovegood she had chosen to take company with, but Ainsley wouldn't have it any other way.

Finally, the dreaded time of night came. Ainsley came to the top of the basement stairs, where the Slytherin dorms were. She knew Luna had to go further down the hall and all the way up to the Ravenclaw tower but she wasn't ready to say goodbye. They chatted until every single student had dissipated from the halls, and the teachers began to patrol the corridors. "I don't want to get you in trouble," Ainsley told the blonde. "Let's meet tomorrow, before first class." She gave Luna's hand a final squeeze and smiled at her before disappearing down the basement steps for the night.



Harry pushed through the crowd of people, grinning when he felt Eleanor grab his robes. He slipped his hand into hers, and pulled her up the stairs to the Gryffindor common rooms. By the time they arrived, the portrait of the Fat Lady was already swung open, and Harry looked down to see that he and Eleanor were still conjoined, a feeling he very much enjoyed. He stopped in the center of the stairs leading to the dorms, and told Eleanor he would be back, he was going to change from his robes and put something more comfortable on.

Ron had followed him upstairs to change as well. "What's up with you and her anyways," Ron asked, pulling his shirt over his head. "I dunno," replied Harry honestly. "I like her, Ron. But I'm just not sure she feels the same way for me." Harry slid his red plaid pajama pants on and pulled on the string to keep them from slipping off. Ron shook his head. "You have to tell her then," the redheaded boy said, a slight grin on his face. Harry shoved him a little, pulling the loose grey shirt over his skinny frame. "I will, someday," he promised. "I have to wait and see if she's for real."

The boys walked back down the stairs, and sat down in the common room next to the blazing fire, waiting for Hermione and Eleanor to come back down the stairs. Seamus was playing a game of Wizard's Chess by himself, and he asked Harry or Ron to join. Harry declined, his gaze drifting back towards the fire. Ron accepted graciously, as he fancied Wizard's Chess more than anything else in the magical world. Harry watched the two, as Ron decimated the game in under five minutes. "Well that's the last time I play with the likes of you," Seamus joked. Ron's face turned a dark pink as he shrugged; you could tell he wasn't used to getting any sort of attention.

Unfortunately, attention was something Harry dealt with a lot since coming to Hogwarts, which was very strange and overwhelming at first, considering the Dursley's did their best to make sure Harry received no attention unless it was bad attention. But since his arrival at Hogwarts, everyone knew of the famous Harry Potter and most people treated him differently. That's what was so nice about Eleanor. She treated him like a real person, and not like a valuable collector's item to be stored on a shelf and never touched again.

[I'm just going to skip to the next morning, I hope that's alright.]

Luna was awake bright and early which was normal for her, she never liked the thought of sleeping in and wasting hours of the day. So she moved quietly around the dorm room that she was sharing with another girl in her year, however she was still fast asleep and Luna didn't want to be rude and wake her up. She gathered her uniform before she headed towards the girl's bathroom, while she was getting herself ready she listened to what a few of the other Ravenclaw girls were talking about as they too had woken up early. It was mostly gossip and who they thought was cute, which wasn't of any interest to Luna but she continued to listen in anyways. Once she finished showering and getting dressed, she brushed her long blonde hair to get all the tangles out. She did notice that she was taking her time in getting herself ready for the day, it was obvious to her why she was and that was because she wanted to look nice for when she saw Ainsley.

Excitement ran through her as she hoped that they at least shared the core classes with her, in fact Luna would be happy to share any classes with Ainsley but she still hoped that there was a decent amount of classes. She knew there would be students in both Ravenclaw and Slytherin who wouldn't like the friendship that was being made between the girls, but Luna couldn't care less about what other people thought of her. She could do whatever she wanted and she wanted to be friends with Ainsley, which is exactly what she was going to be doing. She decided that she would do something with her hair, she usually just left it down and that was it. But today she braided two pieces on either side of her head, and pulled them to the back of her head where she pinned them securely.

Unlike a lot of girls, Luna never wore makeup and she wasn't going to be starting. She just didn't see the point in covering her face when she didn't need to, she wanted her natural beauty to shine through for everyone to see. After she was finished she straightened her skirt before carrying her toiletry bag and pajamas back to her dorm, she put everything in it's place before she once again left the common room. By this time there were more students wandering around the corridor, as she walked towards the basement were Ainsley would be waiting for her. Luna greeted many of the Beauxbatons girls who all seemed lovely, it was a nice change for Luna as most students never paid her much attention.

Upon reaching the basement, she leaned against the wall so she could wait for Ainsley to join her which didn't take much time. A wide smile spread across Luna's face when she saw the brunette stepping through the door, "Good morning Ainsley. How did you sleep?" She asked sweetly as the pretty brunette moved closer to her.

---

Eleanor had spent a good chuck of time last night talking to Harry, Ron and Hermione. Even Seamus, Dean and Ginny joined them by the fire as they all talked and joked around, it wasn't until Eleanor was struggling to stay awake that they all decided to head to bed. Eleanor was sharing her dorm with Hermione this year which was nice, she had always missed sharing a dorm with her twin sister. If she had just been placed in Slytherin then they could have shared a dorm, it was something that Eleanor was always disheartened over but she learned to deal with it as nothing would suddenly change for them.

Eleanor had the best night's sleep in a long time and before she knew it, it was morning time and she was waking up. Blossom was curled up in a ball at Eleanor's feet, a soft purring could be heard and she was also still fast asleep. Eleanor placed a gentle kiss on Blossom's head before she got herself ready, Hermione was already awake and dressed so she headed down to the common room. While Eleanor went to take a shower so it would wake her up even more, she brushed her curly hair and tied her locks up in a messy ponytail with a few strands framing her face. She pulled on her uniform and made sure that she looked good before heading back to her dorm, she smiled when Blossom was stretching herself out on the bed.

"Good sleep too, Bloss?" Eleanor cooed to her little cat as she scratched her small ears for a few moments, she always wished that she could take Blossom to classes but that would end in a big mess. She did miss her cat when she had class or needed to study, she had tried to study in her dorm but Blossom never liked not getting any attention from Eleanor and would always be a distraction. "You behave," Eleanor smiled as she walked down to the common room where Harry, Hermione and a tired looking Ron were waiting for her.

They all started heading down to the Great Hall so they could eat some breakfast before a day filled with classes begun, she did keep an eye out for Ainsley but after last night she assumed her sister was with Luna. Those two looked awfully close after the feast, it was something Eleanor was dying to ask her twin about. "How did you two sleep?" Hermione asked the boys and only got a mumble in return from Ron, a mumble that Eleanor didn't catch but from how sleepy Ron looked it was clear that he hadn't had the best nights sleep.

Ainsley's eyes popped open to sunlight flooding her room. She had slept so easily and peacefully, she hardly even noticed that she fell asleep. Gwenyth was already up and about, batting things around the room, waiting for Ainsley to get up. She let out the loudest meow her little voice could muster and pounced into her. Ainsley laughed and caught the kitten, stroking her soft black fur. She placed Gwenyth gently on the bed, and headed for the showers.

Ainsley brushed out her long brown hair, and decided to leave it down for the day. The long waves fell down to her rib cage, and she finished drying them off with a towel. Once she finished getting ready, Ainsley went back to her dorm, which she was sharing with Adma again this year. The Slytherin girl was still asleep, so Ainsley left, with Gwenyth following close behind. "You know you can't come to class with me, right?" she asked, staring into the kitten's green eyes. She responded with a little chirrup, and continued to follow Ainsley out of the Slytherin common room.

As she ascended the stairs from the basement, she saw Luna had already been waiting for her, looking lovely with her hair pinned back. Ainsley grinned and greeted her. "I slept well, and yourself?" she asked, making her way towards the front of the castle. She still had a good two hours before her first class, Charms started, and she wanted to grab something small for breakfast and go walk the grounds while the weather was still nice.



When Harry woke up, there was sunlight flooding the dorm he and Ron were sharing. He sat up, rubbing his eyes and reaching for his glasses. Hedwig was perched at his window, and he opened it to let her in. She cooed at him, and he rubbed her soft feathers before heading for the showers.

He managed to be fairly quick, knowing that he had to save water for Ron, too. He headed down the stairs once he was dressed to find Hermione and Ron already in the common room. Ron was half asleep on the couch, and Harry wondered if he even made it up to bed last night. They were all up for a great amount of time, talking and laughing and just enjoying their first night back in the castle. Harry knew better than anyone that it was better than home.

Harry nodded at Hermione, proclaiming that he slept well. He sat on the couch just as Eleanor came down the stairs. Harry grinned and jumped up from the couch, looking towards her. She looked beautiful today, as she always did, Harry noticed. He stepped towards her, breathing in the smell of her shampoo.

"Shall we go grab breakfast?" he asked, her, gesturing towards the common room door.

Luna smiled as she admired Ainsley's beauty, she was always beautiful but Luna always thought the brunette grew more beautiful every day. "I slept very well, thank you." She smiled as she knelt down for Gwenyth to get a rub, "Morning precious." She cooed at the pretty little cat who quickly made her way over to stand on Luna's thighs, she rubbed behind Gwenyth's tiny ears and listened to her purring. Luna spent some time with Gwenyth before she stood back up, "Are you hungry?" She asked Ainsley as she did eat breakfast very morning but it was only ever something small, she just wasn't hungry in the morning but she knew it was important to still eat something.

"I really like your hair down," Luna smiled shyly as she gave Ainsley a compliment, something Luna had been wanting to do for a while but she was always too nervous. She hoped that Ainsley took the compliment nicely and if she did, then Luna would think about giving the girl more compliments. A slight pink tint appeared across her cheeks, she tried to not look at Ainsley as much as she didn't want the brunette to see that she was blushing. But she didn't have any control over it, so she'd just keep herself calm so her blush didn't get any worse.

The two of them begun heading towards the Great Hall so they could grab something to eat, "Maybe after breakfast we could take a walk around the grounds? Before classes start," She suggested to Ainsley hoping that she would have the time this morning.

---

Eleanor smiled as she noticed how quickly Harry stood up from the couch, "Yes. Breakfast will be good," She told him as she stepped through the door, she greeted the Fat Lady like she normally did to the ghost. She smiled as she walked beside Harry, with Hermione and Ron following them down the moving staircase. They talked about what they were expecting from classes, Eleanor was smiling as Ron yawned before saying this day was going to be the longest. It was then that Eleanor noticed the Durmstrang student that had been looking at her last night at the feast, her eyes caught his as she walked through the corridors with Harry, Ron and Hermione. Apparently it wasn't just her who saw him, as Ron whispered about wondering where the Krum guy was which caused Hermione to roll her eyes at the red head.

"I'm sure he's somewhere around here, Ron." Eleanor smiled at her new friend before she gave the Durmstrang boy a sweet friendly smile, she then turned to look at Harry who was walking beside her. "I wish we got a another day off to settle in before classes," She did love classes but she wanted to spend more time with the small group, mainly Harry but she wasn't about to admit that to anyone yet. The only person that knew about her crush on Harry was Ainsley, she didn't really have anyone else close enough to her that she felt like she could tell them about who she was crushing on.

She had some other friends but she never got that close to them, she usually just found her sister and Adma who surprisingly was fine with Eleanor. It wasn't long before they reached the Great Hall, breakfast was already covering the long tables as there were some students there eating. She sat down on the wooden bench with her friends and picked out some toast with butter and strawberry jam, before she poured herself a glass of juice. "Anyone want some juice?" She offered the jug to the other's.

[So I moved, and I was unable to connect my laptop to wifi for like two weeks, on the account that the movers lost my router.... But I'm back for good now!]

Ainsley grinned at the blonde, loving the way her cheeks turned slightly pink with the compliment. "Thank you," she stated, reaching over to scoop her kitten up to head to the Great Hall for breakfast. "Yours looks lovely when it's up; it frames your face quite wonderfully." At that moment, Ainsley's stomach growled. She giggled, and said to Luna "breakfast sounds wonderful. Shall we go find Eleanor and the rest of the Gryffindor gang?" Upon seeing Luna smile and agree, the two girls headed off to the Great Hall to enjoy some breakfast before classes started.

When they found Eleanor, Harry, Ron and Hermione, Ainsley grinned. It was the first time she had ever gone to bed without saying goodnight to her sister. The brunette practically skipped over and flung herself down next to Eleanor, practically bursting with excitement. Ainsley knew it would be a fantastic day, as she was back at Hogwarts, where she belonged with her favorite person, and new friendships were forming. Ainsley reached for some juice, and grabbed herself a plate of eggs with toast and bacon. There was nothing Ainsley had loved more than food, save for friends and certain family members. Ainsley began to construct herself a breakfast sandwich as she turned to everyone at the table, and asked them how their night was.

From the sounds of it, Gryffindor had a much more interesting night than Slytherin house did. Ainsley had sat in her common room and listened to Malfoy drone on about his summer, and all the expensive things his father had bought him, while in another corner, a few Durmstrang boys had made themselves comfortable. Viktor Krum was among them, and he wouldn't stop trying to get Ainsley's attention. Had she decided that enough was enough, Ainsley crept upstairs, where her and Adma chatted for awhile before drifting off to sleep. She wished she had more friends in her house, but at least she had Adma. Pansy Parkinson wasn't terrible company, but she was also engulfed in the idea of Malfoy, which was rather annoying to hear her talk about.

Suddenly, the owls arrived. Ainsley squealed with excitement, because it meant their schedules were included. A tawny owl dropped a copy of the Daily Prophet down in front of her, and there was an official Hogwarts sealed letter. She eagerly scooped up the letter and tore it open, looking down at her schedule for the rest of the year.

Her first class of the day was Potions, a fantastic start to her mornings, and also a core class she shared with Ravenclaw, meaning her and Luna would be together. Potions was followed by Transfiguration, then came Charms with professor Flitwick. She had an hour break for lunch after that, and then went to A History of Magic, which wasn't going to be an interesting class, but she noticed she would at least be sharing it with her sister. After that came Defense Against the Dark Arts, which she imagined would be loads of fun; she had always loved that class. Next came Herbology, then Arithmancy. She had never taken Arithmancy before, she wondered what the class would consist of. Her final class of the day was Care of Magical Creatures, and then she was taking Astronomy at night, which she was also fairly excited for. She looked up, excited to compare schedules with her friends.



Harry nodded when Eleanor held up the juice and poured himself a glass. He listened to the idle chattering of early morning breakfast conversation, and smiled when Ainsley joined their group. He responded to her "good morning", and was the first to speak when she asked how their night went.

"Oh, we had loads of fun. We stayed up pretty late playing Wizard's Chess, and talked about how great classes were going to be this year." Harry was eager to receive his schedule, and find out what classes he would be sharing with his friends. He knew he would have Ron, Hermione and Eleanor in his core classes, but what would those be? Would he share others with his friends? Almost like it was planned, the owls came to drop their schedules. Harry opened up his letter, and began to read his schedule.

His first class was Arithmancy, which he imagined would be quite boring. Followed was Herbology, which Gryffindor and Hufflepuff would share together. Third would be Charms, which he noticed he was sharing with Slytherin. He had his break for lunch at that point, and then went to Potions, which he dreaded. Professor Snape was never kind to Harry, and always tried to make sure that he would not succeed in his lessons. Trying to ignore that, he noticed his next class was Care of Magical Creatures, which he was greatly looking forward to, as it was taught by Rubeus Hagrid, his favorite teacher on the grounds. Then came Transfiguration, Defense Against the Dark Arts, A History of Magic to wrap up his day, and finally, Astronomy later that evening. He noticed that Hermione was taking nearly every class she could without needing to use the Time Turner again, and she seemed to be glowing in that fact. He switched schedules with Ron briefly, and noticed that they had every single class together again. Harry smiled, glad he had his best friend next to him for the whole year. Harry looked up to Eleanor, excited to see what classes they were sharing.

(That would have been so annoying and those stupid moving people should do their jobs better, but I'm glad you are back now.)

Luna sat down at the Gryffindor table across from the twins and beside Hermione, "My night was good too. I sat by the fire and read a book that I found," Luna softly spoke as she also grabbed herself a plate of pancakes to eat for breakfast, she cut the pancakes into small bite size pieces before she took a few mouthfuls. She did stop when the owls flew in and dropped letters and a few issues of the Daily Prophet in front of student, she quickly opened her letter and looked over her classes for the year. She had matching core classes with Slytherin which she was only happy about because it meant she would be able to see Ainsley more often, but she also was taking Arithmancy which she was interested to see what the class was like and also Care of Magical Creatures which she took last year and loved it. "This year is going to be so fun," She smiled as she handed her schedule over to Ainsley so they could compare, a wide smile formed across her face when she noticed the Arithmancy and Care of Magical Creatures lined up at the same times.

"We have a lot of classes together this year, that's going to make this year even better for me." Luna quietly spoke to Ainsley while the other's were busy comparing their own schedules, she smiled at the beautiful brunette that was sitting across from her. Reaching over she took her schedule back, although this time her fingers accidently brushed over the soft skin of Ainsley's hand and for a second Luna got lost in Ainsley's deep eyes. Her skin had to be the softest that Luna has ever felt in her life and she wanted to feel more, but she bit down onto her bottom lip as she felt embarrassed as she pulled her arm back. Although Ainsley didn't seem to be bothered by their hands touching as she didn't say anything.

"We should get to class early this morning, Professor Snape always catches students who are late. I've heard he gives out detentions for anyone who is late to his classes during the first week back," Luna looked over at Ainsley as she didn't want to be late and get into trouble, but she also wanted to head off to class earlier than normal in the hopes that maybe Ainsley would want to share a desk with her for the class.

---

Eleanor looked at her sister with excitement in her eyes and a wide smile across her face, she missed seeing her twin last night when the feast was over but she hadn't felt worried about it. She grabbed herself a plate of food and quickly begun to eat it as she was hungry, she smiled as she listened to how Luna spent her first night back at Hogwarts and it sounded really nice. She sipped her juice when a grey owl dropped her Hogwarts letter on the table in front of her, she grabbed it and quickly ripped it open so she could check over her schedule. She shared all her core classes with Hufflepuff which she was happy about, she liked the students from Hufflepuff although she didn't get to share classes with her sister but she couldn't always have that.

Although she did see that she did share Charms class with Ainsley, she checked over Harry's schedule and smiled when she noticed they would be sharing Arithmancy and Care of Magical Creatures with Harry and Ron this year. She would be sharing lunch with her friends and her sister, she checked over Ainsley's schedule before she saw how many classes that Hermione was taking that year and it honestly didn't surprise her but she really didn't know how she could study that many classes and still had all her grades up. Sure Eleanor could do the same but she would feel like she never had time to see her friends and her sister, which she didn't want as they all deserved to have some fun on their time off.

"Looks like you're stuck with me now," She smiled as she looked at Harry as they shared most of their classes together, which she really liked as she only had a small handful of friends. Those friends weren't overly close to her, she could hang out with them but she wouldn't tell them her secrets nor would she spend all day with any of them. But she already knew that Harry, Ron and Hermione were different, so she did want to be around them as she knew and felt like she could always be herself.

A wide smile spread across Ainsley's face when she noticed how many classes she was sharing with Luna this year. She couldn't remember a single time when they had a class together, which may explain why the two girls had never really spoken before. As their fingers brushed each other, Ainsley's heart skipped a beat. It was almost like an electric current had blossomed from Luna's fingertips and directly into Ainsley's lungs. She paused for a moment, lost forever in the blue sea of Luna's eyes, and she felt herself grinning. The blonde pulled back, almost looking embarrassed. Looks like Ainsley would just have to show her that there was nothing wrong with the situation.

She nodded when Luna suggested they get to class early. Professor Snape had always liked Ainsley, but she had also never been late for one of his classes. She didn't want to ruin that reputation the first day back. As they finished eating, and laughing, and sharing their general excitement for the year to finally begin, Ainsley took one last sip of her juice and rose, looking pointedly at Luna. When the blonde also rose, Ainsley grinned and began to make her way out of the Great Hall and towards the dungeons, where the Potions class was held.

They were among the first students there; Adma and Pansy had taken a seat together in one of the front rows, and a few Slytherin boys were goofing off with some Transfiguration spells at the back of the class. Ainsley reached down for Luna's hand and pulled her towards a desk next to Adma and Pansy. "I'm going to sit here," she stated, setting up shop. "You're welcome to join me if you'd like." She smiled when Luna sat next to her. Ainsley pulled out her Potions book and a fresh piece of parchment, and set up her quill and inkwell, making sure to leave plenty of space for Luna to set her stuff up. Ainsley put her wand away, knowing she would not need it for a Potions class, especially the first one. The 10" unicorn hair and dark cherry wood wand would just have to wait for her next class to be used. It was a very whippy wand, and Ainsley fondly remembered the time when her and her sister went in to get their wands when they received their Hogwarts acceptance letters.



Harry laughed, pleased as punch to learn that Eleanor would be sharing most of his classes with him. He was very lucky indeed that she was in his house, so they got to spend a lot of time together, which was something he was very excited about. Harry knew that he was going to enjoy getting to know Eleanor a lot more, and he hoped she would grow to like him as much as he liked her. He took his schedule back, and smiled at Eleanor. "Looks like you're going to have to tutor me all year," he joked. Harry was a very brilliant wizard, but oftentimes he found himself failing the classes he liked the least, mostly because they were boring and he was always busy goofing off with Ron instead of paying attention to his lessons. But Harry knew he was going to have to shape up this year, because he would be taking his O.W.L.s next year.

Harry hadn't really given much thought to what his career in the wizarding world would be, but he knew he would love something in the Ministry, most likely. He had also thrived in the Defense Against the Dark Arts classes, so he thought it would be great to do something along that path, but what jobs were open for him? These were things he was really going to need to get serious about in the next couple of years.

When Ainsley and Luna stood, Harry looked to his friends and suggested they get going to their first class as well. He figured Arithmancy was likely to be his most boring class of the year, yet Hermione was raving about how excited she was. "Arithmany is my favorite class," she excitedly proclaimed on their way down the hall. She was charging at full speed, a good 5 steps ahead of Harry, Ron and Eleanor. "I don't know why she's got herself all worked up over numbers," Ron muttered, obviously also dreading the start to his morning. Harry shrugged, knowing better than to discourage Hermione from something she loved. He assumed Hermione was great at math in the muggle world, it was a subject that Harry was okay with, but he never enjoyed. All Arithmancy is, is predicting the future using numbers. Harry assumed it would be a difficult concept to grasp.

Luna couldn't believe how lucky she had gotten this year, not only was she becoming closer to Ainsley but now they also were able to share many of their classes together. She had been nervous when her hand touched the brunette's as she had never felt so many sparks before, in fact she hadn't ever really had a crush on someone before. Luna never went for a person's appearance, she always went for their personality and what they were like as a person. But considering not many people gave her a chance, she never found someone that she could develop feelings for until Ainsley walked into her life just yesterday. She finished eating her breakfast before she walked out of the Great Hall with Ainsley by her side, they made it to class with plenty of time to spare which she knew they would but it was always better to be early than to be late. "Of course I would love to," Luna smiled as she sat down at the desk with the pretty brunette, she noticed how organised Ainsley was being as she set out her belongings on the desk surface. Something that Luna also always did because she liked to be prepared for the class and have everything she could possibly need for that class.

"I thought I was the only one who was this prepared," She smiled as she to begun to set out her Potions book and a piece of parchment with her quill and inkwell not far behind, she made sure that her belongings were neatly placed on the desk and was easy for her to reach for. A lot of other students often gave Luna a strange glance because of how she set out her desk, but now she could sit beside someone else who did the exact same thing. "I knew there was something about you that I really liked," She smiled as she looked over at Ainsley, "I know that this year is going to be the best one so far." She looked into Ainsley's eyes and watched as so many emotions filled them, she wasn't sure how many people noticed that about Ainsley but Luna sure did.

She didn't know what came over her, but the next words that came out of her mouth just did it. "You're going to make this year amazing for me, I'm glad we started talking yesterday." Luna looked at the brunette before a pink blush tinted her pale skin, she had never been so forward with anyone before. But it felt right and she did want Ainsley to know how she was feeling.

---

Eleanor smiled as she looked at Harry, "I'd love to be your tutor," She told him honestly as it meant they could spend more time together, she also wanted Harry to do well in school as so far he had been distracted by everything that he has gone through already. She quickly finished eating and joined the small group of friends as they headed towards their first class for the year, she was interested to see what Arithmancy was all about and how numbers could predict the future. Hermione was the only one out of them who was excited about this class, but Eleanor was more curious then excited for now. "She gets excited about most classes, I thought you would have learnt by now to never try to understand how a girl's mind works." Eleanor smiled as she teased the redhead, it was much to easy to tease Ron.

But it was true, why did Ron even bother trying to understand Hermione? He never would but it was adorable to watch him try, she smiled at Harry as they continued to follow Hermione towards the third floor where the classroom was located. As she stepped inside she noticed how quick Hermione was to find a desk and to physically pull Ron down onto the chair beside her, it was obvious to at least her but she thought nothing of it. She sat at the desk behind their's and pulled out the Numerology and Grammatica textbook that the class needed to have for the subject.

"I hope this class isn't to hard," She spoke quietly to Harry, if it was Hermione's favourite subject then Eleanor knew it was going to be tough. But hopefully not to hard for the rest of them, even if Eleanor was smart she never liked to think of herself in that way. If she could handle the concept then hopefully everything else flowed easier after that.

Ainsley grinned at Luna. "You've already made this year great for me," she told her. Ainsley was always straightforward, she believed it was a Slytherin thing. They were brave and cunning, and they always spoke what was on their mind. The same held true for Ainsley. She never hesitated, as she didn't believe in denying anyone the truth, even herself. "I'm glad we started talking, too." Before either of the girls could say anything else, Professor Snape whirled in and strode heavily up to the front of the room. Ainsley checked the watch on her wrist, thinking he was early, but Snape was just on time, as usual. She turned around to notice that the class had filled while the girls were talking. Amazing how quickly time went when you were enjoying yourself.

"Welcome to Potions 4," Snape droned in a monotonous voice. Most of the kids found themselves falling asleep throughout the year, but if Ainsley could have just one class and one teacher all year, it would be Potions with Snape. He was there to teach the students, and he did it diligently, even though it was a job he didn't want. He likely could have gone anywhere to teach the subject that he wanted, yet his loyalty to the school, and to Professor Dumbledore held up. Ainsley respected Snape more than any other teacher at Hogwarts.



Harry grinned at Eleanor, and found a seat next to her in Arithmancy. He wasn't looking forward to this class, but he figured it would at least be better with Eleanor. He was going to do well in his classes this year, he didn't want Eleanor to think he was failing intentionally just to get her to tutor him, though the offer seemed tempting. He pulled out his Numerology and Grammatica text book, and half a piece of parchment to get started. When the Professor walked in, Harry couldn't say that he recognized her, but she introduced herself as Professor Septima Vector, a name he did recognize.

The lesson began, and he had to admit, it was a bit more interesting than he imagined it would be. He was never a fan of arithmetic, but he felt like this class could end up being interesting, maybe even useful. But it was also just the first day. There was a good chance the class would end up boring him, but he knew he would have to push through. This year was going to be great, and nothing could stop that.

When class was over, he stood and stretched. "What's next," he asked lazily, pulling up his schedule for the year. "Oh, Herbology. This should be fun. Hopefully Madame Pomfrey doesn't make us deal with the mandrakes again," he joked.

Luna didn't understand how she could have made Ainsley's year great already when it was just the first day back, but she didn't have any time to say anything because Professor Snape glided through the room and over to where his desk sat. He begun the class quickly as he always does, it's part of the reason why students needed to be on time because he never repeated anything that he had already said. The other part was because he could be scary, at least to Luna he could be when he wasn't in a good mood. Which he never seemed to have.

She wrote down some notes when she found something that Snape said to be interesting, or if she thought it could help her in any tests or exams that Snape surprised the class with which he did enjoy doing throughout the year. Thankfully he didn't start the year off on a difficult foot, although everyone knew that tomorrows class would be different as Snape believed in never wasting any time. He was a really good teacher, Luna would admit that but he still wasn't the happiest person around Hogwarts. Once Snape dismissed the class, Luna quickly packed up her belongings as her next class was also with Slytherin and the subject was Transfiguration which she had always been interested in.

"Professor Snape wasn't as bad as he could have been, although I do wish he wasn't always so grumpy." She glanced over to Ainsley as they followed the rest of the students out of the class room, the two girls walked together as they made their way to Professor McGonagall's class room.

---

Once the class started and Professor Vector explained what Arithmancy was and what would be taught through the year, Eleanor found herself listening to every word that the Professor was saying. Something about the numbers stood out to her and she grew more and more interested as the class went on, it was going to be a subject that she was going to look forward to each day. But sadly the class ended much too soon for Eleanor's liking, but she packed up her things and left the class with the others.

"I didn't mind the Mandrakes, they were a little cute." She smiled as she remembered having to replant them, Herbology was a subject that Eleanor enjoyed. Especially when it came to learning about the more dangerous plants, although they hadn't learnt about many because she wasn't old enough yet but she liked the idea of knowing how much different plants could help with potions and medicine. Eleanor didn't know what she wanted to be after she left Hogwarts, for a while now she has been tossing up between becoming a Healer like Madam Pomfrey or becoming an Auror.

Eleanor walked beside Harry as the four of them made it down to the greenhouse that they were going to use for the year, she stepped inside and found enough space at the table for the four of them to fit. She was in between Harry and Hermione as they waited for Professor Sprout to begin the class, as she was waiting for the students to settle down and find places at the long wooden table.

[Sorry, my computer crashed! Nothing seems to be going my way these days xD ]

Ainsley shrugged at Luna's comment about Snape. "He's highly qualified for the position he wants, yet he's stuck with one he doesn't like. I'd be bitter, too," she stated. They made their way towards the Transfiguration room, which was another subject that Ainsley loved. It was taught by Professor McGonnagal, who was completely fantastic in every way. She loved the idea of turning objects or animals into something entirely different. She fondly remembered her second year, when she shared a Transfiguration class with Gryffindor. She had sat with her sister, but she clearly remembered how Ron had turned his rat into a hairy cup with a tail. It was caused from his wand backfiring, and it was quite hysterical. Poor Ron had seemed mortified, but Ainsley had truly loved the cup he made. She almost thought of making her own, but then Ron would assume she was teasing him, and she didn't even know him. She decided to just keep the memory, which still made her giggle from time to time.

This year seemed like it was going to be relatively the same thing, they were just using bigger objects, which meant more concentration on the spell. It wasn't a class that left room for joking around, it required complete concentration. Ainsley sat down, arranged all her books and her parchment and quill, and got into her focus mode. When Professor McGonnagal entered the room, Ainsley's heart fluttered. She looked up to McGonnagal, and loved to see her brighten up a room with her magic and knowledge. Ainsley rightfully believed that she would love to be like her someday. Even though McGonnagal was head of Gryffindor house, you would never know it -- she treated every student with the same equal respect. She figured McGonnagal would make a great headmaster someday.



Harry scrunched his face up. "I remember the Mandrakes being awful," he recalled, thinking back to the day they potted them. "I think Herbology is fun and all, but I could do without the screaming plants." Even Hermione seemed to agree with him on that one. "Those plants were rather annoying," she confessed, eyeing the earmuffs that hung up on the wall adjacent to her. It seemed as if no one fondly remembered that time. Harry looked around to see all of the students staring down the earmuffs and hoping they wouldn't have to pick them up again.

Professor Sprout wandered in about 5 minutes late, seeming to be in a rush. Harry liked her all right, but she seemed very disorganized all the time. She could do with a Rememberall, Harry began to wonder if Neville's grandmother would send him another, and Neville could give it to Professor Sprout. Herbology was Neville's favorite class, and it would only make sense for Neville to give it to her. He was her favorite student.

When class began, everyone breathed a sigh of relief to learn that they wouldn't have to deal with the Mandrakes this year. "Those are just for the second years," Professor Sprout said, noticing the anxiety all of the students had surrounding the earmuffs. "I like to weed them out early," she said with a little chuckle. Harry smiled. He liked Herbology, and he knew he was going to need a lot of it in order to be a fantastic Auror.

[Sorry about the short reply, I had a long day and need to go make dinner!]

[No, that's completely fine. Don't worry about it.]

Luna just loved Transfigurations, the thought of being able to physically changed an object for any kind into something completely different, it had always fascinated Luna and she wanted to learn everything that she possibly could from the subject. She also loved Professor McGonnagal as she was tough on the students but she also made sure that each student kept up with the classes and would help out if a student needed it, she knew so much about magic and wanted to pass on her knowledge to as many students as she could which Luna felt like all Professor's should share her passion for teaching. As McGonnagal begun the class, Luna sat at the desk beside Ainsley and listened to every word that McGonnagal was saying. She couldn't wait to see what they were going to learn this year, she knew all classes would be harder than last year but Luna was completely ready for that.

Luna couldn't help but smile when Professor McGonnagal gave out her usual warning about the toughness of her class this year and how much work was going to be involved, it wasn't even like this subject was chosen by the students. It was a core class which all students had to take every year, which was good for Luna because she wanted to be there in class. Then class begun and Luna flicked through her text book until she came onto the right page that McGonnagal had told the class to turn to, for the first couple of weeks there wasn't going to be much magic being done by the students. They needed to learn the spell without their wands first, otherwise anything could happen and McGonnagal always kept control over her classes so no one became injured or worse.

She did sneak a glance over at Ainsley a few times throughout the class, only to see that she was completely drawn in to what McGonnagal was saying or what they were suppose to be reading from the text book. They had more in common than what Luna first assumed, and it only made her what to spend more time with Ainsley so she could know more about this gorgeous brunette girl.

---

Eleanor had to be the only one who actually enjoyed replanting the Mantrakes, but it seemed that would be happening anymore which seemed to please the rest of the class. She sat at the table and listened to what Professor Sprout was saying, she went over the subjects and plants that they would be learning about this year before she jumped right into the first subject. Which was learning about the Herbivicus Charm and what it was for, Eleanor opened her text book to the right page and read about the charm while Sprout was talking. She already knew this year was going to be a good one, the first day was really good so far and she felt much better about not having many classes with her sister.

That was because of mostly Harry, but also Hermione and Ron were helping make Eleanor feel better that her twin sister wasn't around her as much as she wanted. Harry seemed to take her mind off of Ainsley although that could also have been because of the crush she had on him, but that was something that only she knew about. She would tell her sister about it eventually if Ainsley didn't already know, she knew her parents would freak out just like they had when they learnt about her being placed in Gryffindor. Not that it mattered to her because she was her own person and was going to do what she wanted, she liked Harry a lot and she did hope that one day something would grow from her feelings for him.

But only time would tell, as she was nervous to do anything about her feelings. He was after all the Boy Who Lived and girls were slowly beginning to show some interest in him, for the wrong reasons of course and that made Eleanor uncertain about when or if she should ever tell Harry about how she felt about him. She really did need to talk to Ainsley about this as she was more level minded and thought about things less, Eleanor always overthought and then worried about things.

Ainsley grinned when McGonnagal told them to pair up and work in groups for the rest of the class. Ainsley turned to Luna and placed her hand over her arm. "This is so exciting, this class is going to be so fun this year," the brunette beamed, warmth coming from her deep brown eyes. She looked at the large cage in front of them -- they were supposed to turn it into a locket. "Are you ready to try?" Seeing the blonde nod, Ainsley turned to the cage, suddenly very serious, and attempted to turn it into a locket, without using her wand.

It took the girls a few tries, but they were among the first group of students to be successful. Ainsley let out a barking laugh with excitement, and congratulated Luna on her hard work. "You really know your stuff," she said, tucking a stray strand of brown hair behind her ear. "Thanks for working with me. You're really smart, I'm happy to have you on my side." The bell rang, signaling the end of class. "Ouu, it's time for Charms," she proclaimed, gathering all her things and jumping up. She smiled as Luna followed her, and they moved their way through the winding sea of students. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a familiar face -- Eleanor. "Excuse me," she said to Luna, moving away from the blonde to bounce up to her sister. "Hi, guys!" she said cheerfully. "Are you ready for Charms?" She grinned at her sister, happy that they would finally be sharing a class together. She felt a warm, familiar body next to hers and looked to the left. She smiled at Luna. This day was turning out to be perfect, and she couldn't have asked for a better first day back.



Harry dutifully did his work in Herbology, feeling sort of neutral towards it at this point. It was a very useful class, and he was going to need it to be an Auror, but at the same time it was tedious work that bored his mind. He tried to shrug it off, knowing that it was important for his future, but he also needed to stay on track this year. He didn't want to fall behind and let Eleanor think he wasn't smart. Harry knew he was smart, but sometimes his work ethic didn't prove that.

The bell rang, signaling the end of Herbology. Harry smiled, ready to head off to his next class -- Charms. He knew he shared this class with Slytherin, which meant Ainsley would be joining them. He smiled, because he thought Ainsley could become a valuable friend to the quad they had. And Charms was a fun class, it was easy work, and Professor Flitwick made everyone laugh most of the time, whether he meant to or not was a different question. Harry rose from his seat at the potting table and stretched, feeling the bones in his back pop. He stood straight, and looked to his three friends. "You guys ready?" he asked, gathering all of his things.

He made his way down towards the Charms classroom, leading the single file line for his friends. His robes billowed behind him, making him feel invincible on his first day back to the best place on Earth. It was then that Ainsley bounded up to them, as excited as a puppy dog. It was easy to see what her Patronus likely was. She asked if they were excited to get to Charms, and Harry grinned and nodded. "It's a fun class," he agreed, looking to Eleanor, who seemed incredibly happy to see her sister again.

[Sorry about the short response, I'm trying to wrap up all my RPs before bed!]