I gave Luke the thumbs up as he walked pasted us, looking quiet embarrased as he was so much bigger then all the others.
"You reckon that's a giant?" A guy from Slytherin laughed as every tried to keep their whispers quiet.
"Along with the normal sorting ritual of the first years, Hogwarts is also to become home to a new student." Mc Gonagall said as the students stopped before the hat. "A new fifth year student and he is no stranger as his family has one of the longest generation runs of students at Hogwarts"
"Guess your not holding the flame alone anymore" I grinned at Kira.
"So, could you please step forwards to be sorted, Luke Weasley" Mc Gonagall finished, taking her seat. There was a dull clap as several students turned around to look for Kira, Luke stepped up onto the stool and sat down, the hat being placed over his head.

I waited nervously as the hat was placed over Luke's head, I gripped my robes sleeve.
"GRYFFINDOR!" it shouted and I cheared along with the rest of the table as he walked over and sat across from me and Stevie next to Will.
"No surprise there," he smiled towards me and turned back to McGonagle as the first years began to get called up and the sorting continued...

"Well done, Luke" I said to him, smiling proudly. I then turned and looked over at the staff table, I didn't see any new faces, but was met with a cold glance from Snape who was watching us all.
"No new Defense against the dark arts teacher" I said in a low voice, the girls and Luke all looked over at the empty chair. "Probably late--"
"Or was eaten on the way here" Kira laughed whispering, it was common knowledge that all our Defense against the Dark arts teachers never hanged around too long.
"Ravenclaw!" The hat bellowed and it made us all looked back up at the front where a girl with black hair took the hat off and hurried over to the Ravenclaw table.

(Yea Ephram's in Ravenclaw)
I glanced around trying to make eye contact with Ephram, I finally did and he smiled, I smiled back, I had a feeling it was going to be a good year. But it striked me odd as there was no defense teacher sitting up front. Ephram waved to his mom sitting up front as she waved back I thought I saw Will rol his eyes. The Hat shouted "Hufflepuff!" "You Know I dont know what your- "Ravenclaw!" problem with Ephram is, unlike your little- "Slytherin!" girlfriend, Ephram isnt evil" I said to Will.

I stared at Stevie with a disgusted look on my face, how could she speak of Rachel like that?
"Yeah?" I asked, "Well, unlike you, Rachel wasn't a vile and tactless little--"
"Out!" Snape had shouted, standing up, the entire hall had gone quiet and I relised I was shouting. "Potter! Granger! Get out!" Snape shouted again. Mc Gonagall was watching us both with an intimidating expression. I turned and hurried out of the Hall. I walked over to the wall and kicked it hard, the door opened and Stevie walked out, she sat on the steps, watching me.
"What was that?" I asked, staring at her. The warm glow from the candles made her look prettier then ever, but I was mad at her. "How can you say that? After I had to watch her die?" She didn't answer. "And I'm about as nice to Ephram as you where to Rachel..."

"Rachel was a witch" I said angrilly. "True...but so is every other girl in this school" Will said. "You know what I mean" I said bitterly. Ephram walked over, he took my hair in his hands and ran them through them. He sat down next to me, "Are we going to bed, or are we going to sit here and fight with people not worth fighting with?" Ephram asked.

"Stephanie, I'll be in my room, I'm irratated with people who are extremely immature with their age" He looked Will and B over. "I'll see you in Choir pratice tommorow" he said and kissed me on the lips taking his bag and walking off.
I just shook my head and walked away heading towards the rooms.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
The next morning at Choir rehearsel, Kira and I stood in the soprano section, white Ephram was next to us in the Tenor's. The small man took out his music book and wand. "All right everyone, lets all sing!" He said excitedly. "We're singing Silly Love Songs you might now iT" He said with a grin. All right sopranos lets start us off "Some people wanna fill the world with silly love songs" I looked to Ephram and smiled, 'Bases-"I look around me and I see it isnt so"

"La... la la!" I smiled and sang quietly pretending I knew the words, Stevie looked away from Ephram and laughed at me a bit before gazing back at him.
Class ended and everyone filed out, Stevie stood with Ephram and I would have walked over if the short Professor hadn't called my name, "Oh Kira!" he said and walked over, "Unless you want a solo I suggest you learn the words..." he handed me a sheet and winked before walking away as my eyes widened.
"You think I'd be good at that class too - I mean all we do is talk, well actually sing, but not saying I always talk," I rambled on as we caught up with B and Will and headed to Potions class.

I looked over at Stevie for a second as we walked, and relised that she had been looking at me, we both looked away at the same time. As we got into Potions Stevie headed to the left of the room, while I pulled B to the right, as far away as possible. Kira seemed confused at which way to go.
"We're losing her B" I told her in a low voice as the class talked loudly.
"I know" She replied, as we got out our potion stuff.

I stared over at Stevie who took a seat, we couldn't get her back if we all stood over across the room, so I gave Will and B a hopeful smile and walked over and took a seat next to her, and got out my potions stuff as Snape walked into the room quickly and eyed us all, "I only hope I won't have to remind you all how to behave this year as you are in your 6th year... although some of you continue to act as childish as ever..." he said and turned around to the chalk board, writing the ingrediants to the potion with his wand.
"Glad to know Snape's his usual happy self," I smiled under my breath to Stevie.
"You can also find this on page 72," he said sharply and began to walked around the class as everyone began starting the potion.
"Have you got the Bruxelle worms?" Stevie asked.
"Only the finest..." I answered and scrunched up my nose as I picked up a dead black worm and tossed it in the cauldron.

I started to slice up the buckle-leaves with the small knife I had. I cut them as finally as possible, then put them to the side and light a small fire under my couldren.
"Here," Snape muttered, placing some papers on my desk, I looked at B who shrugged, then turned them over and read it.
"Advanced Newt Potions?" I said outload, looking at B once more, then turned to Snape, "What's this?" He turned and glared at me with great loathing.
"The headmistress believes that you should apply for an extra subject," He said simply.
"But I am already doing Newt Potions, whats advanced newt potions?" I asked again.
"It is a special after-school class set up by the Headmistress as she believes a few selected students are able to handle a slightly advanced class" He rolled his eyes "Unfortunatly I was not able to select the students, because personally I don't think everyone in the coarse could handle it" He turned and walked to the front of the room.
"Great" I muttered shoving it in my bag "Another two hours of Snape a week"

((Bye, Will! ))

I raised an eyebrow and looked over at Will, who threw the papers back on the table. "Wait, was he talking about just you, or both of us?" I asked and grabbed the papers to look at them: I had gotten an O+ at the exam last year, maybe McGonagall counted me in too. "Both of us!" I growned as I saw the names in the text. I popped to my seat, but then stood up again. "Looks like I've done something right in Potions that gave them reason to torture me like this. And you too..." I said. I got a glance from Snape so I shut up and started adding the horsefly powder to the couldron.

ooc: Lol, sometimes I just talk to myself, don't worry B!

A good hour later the bell rung and we packed up our stuff, after all we had finished with twn minutes to spare.
"We have Transfigeration next" I said as B and I headed up the stairs out of the dungeons. I turned and saw that Kira and Stevie where heading out, niether where looking for us so we continued up the stairs. "Look who it is" I sighed, spotting Ephram up ahead.
"Elephant!" B laughed in a whispered voice.
"I want to like him" I told B "I want to be okay with him around, but I'm not and I don't know why. This must be how Stevie and Kira felt when Rachel was around" I noticed B's face change slightly. "Come on, I had to mention Rachel to you at some point".

((Lol, I'll keep that in mind... This is going to be a tender post! Couldn't help it... lol))

I looked at Will. "I know, but I kind of feel that you lost her because of me! It was me why Tonks came to Hogwarts as her in the first place!" I said as we were still going towards our next class. "If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have never known her, and then you wouldn't have gotten so hurt." I said, looking at the floor beneath me. Will grabbed my arm and stopped me, pulling me away from the crowd.
"Don't be silly, B! I don't blame you! It couldn't have been your fault!" He said looking at me with an encourageing(sp) smile. I pulled him into a hug.
"I love you, Will! I never want to hurt you!" I said silently to his ear.

I patted B on the back as we hugged,
"Don't make me say it" I laughed, knowing she wanted me to say I loved her too.
"You don't have to say it" She smiled.
"Good" I said pulling away with a laugh "Cause I'm a guy, when I pat you on the back it means that I love you" She laughed aswell. We began to head back off to class. When we reached Transfigeration we took our seats.
"Morning Granger, Morning Black" Mc Gonagall said as she walked in, waiting for the other students to arrive. "Granger, I have been looking for you, I was wondering if you where interested in taking Advanced Transfigeration?" I looked at her for a moment as she handed me a sheet.
"I'm already doing advanced Potions" I informed her.
"That's alright, they are on different days" She said walking over to her desk.
"Lucky I don't have a girlfriend this year" I whispered to B, putting the sheet in my bag "Because I won't have ny social life this year"

"Come on Stevie - we'll be late," I reminded her as she waved to Ephram, even though we were normally late anyway.
"He's really not a bad guy, you know," she said as we walked into Transfiguration. I just smiled as we took a seat and sighed looking over at Will and B, Will had thought the same thing about Rachel. I didn't know what to think about Ephram though, he hadn't struck me as a terrible person, and I only didn't like Rachel in the first place because Will had liked her so much...
McGonagle settled the class down, "Quiet, quiet! Now class, before we begin, I would just like to inform you all we're offering a special course on Animagus creatures this year for the 6th and 7th years." she clapped her hands and turned to the board, "Anyone who's interested please see me," she finished and began her lesson and I looked as B and Will caught eyes.

ooc: Yay, happy new year to you too B, and Stevie and Kira!!

The rest of the lesson travelled at a slow pace, Mc Gonagall spent most of the rest of the lesson discussing the course for the following year. At the conclusion of the class the bell rang loud for lunchtime break.
"We have Defense Against the Dark Arts next" I grinned to B as we packed up our books, "Wonder who it will be".

"I have no idea!" I answered quite exitedly. When we had finished our lunch we exitedly rushed to the DADA classroom, hoping to find the teacher sitting at the table, but instead we found an empty classroom. Sighing, we dragged ourselves to our usual seats and waited for the bell to ring or the teacher to walk in. The class quietly filled with all the students, who were all chatting exitedly. Then the bell rang and everyone fell silent as a young red headed girl walked in with a big smile on her face. I just stared her, so did Will and everybody else. "Ginny?" I asked in shock. She just smiled with her eyes sparkling and stopped near our table.
"Why didn't you tell us?" Will asked as she leaned over.
"I wanted to suprise you!" She replied as exitedly. "By the way, McGonagall wants you both in the DADA Advanced Class on Wednesdays!" She added and put some papers on our table. We could alreadyhear some chatting from the Slytherins table. I rolled my eyes, but looked as Ginny started her first lesson with a smile.

My jaw dropped, "My whole family is invading Hogwarts, I swear." I whispered to Stevie and caught eyes with Ginny who grinned towards me and set her bags down at the desk as the class stopped whispering.
"So have you all got patronus' down?" she looked around at everyone, some nodded and others just caught eyes with friends. We had been cut off from learning about them once Snape had taken over.

I was looking through my notebook, there was doodles and other scribbles, but a picture fell ou onto the table, I tried to pick it up quickly as I didnt want Kira to see, It was a picture of Ephram and I sleeping, his mother had taken it when I was over. Kira looked at it for a moment, then looked away, she got up and went to sit with Will I could tell she was mad.
PS: Here's the pic she finds:

ooc: LOL, Pomfrey must be very comfortable with her son to take that picture! Just kidding!

"What's that, Kira?" Ginny asked, I turned around to see she had a picture in her hand. She quickly shoved it in her pocket.
"Nothing" Kira replied innocently, going slightly pink.
"Right" Ginny nodded "So, who demonstrate a patronus charm for me?" Her eyes went around the class, she seemed more nervous then I had ever seen her before. So I put up my hand. "Thank you Will!"
"No problem" I said to her, getting up and walking to the front of the class with my wand ready. I closed my eyes and thought hard for a good memory...
"Will, I'm sorry, I didn't think you would react like that" Stevie said, she was a lot younger, it was our first year at Hogwarts.
"Stevie" I smiled "I like you too" I closed my eyes, leaned in, and kissed her.
"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" I shouted at the top of my lungs. My wand vibrated in my hand as the silver light exploded from it, a sweeping wind blew past me. Slowly a serpent like creature came from my wand, it slithered around the air for a few seconds, before fading away as I lowered the wand. There was a small silence, I looked to Ginny who seemed to be quiet shocked by it all.
"V-Very good" She said simply, swallowing. I slowly walked back to my desk and noticed everyone staring at me slightly, I guess I wasn't the only one who hadn't expected a snake to be my patronum.