Starlight |Neville Longbottom|

~Chapter Four~

Neville was right, as soon as I got into the dorm Stephen hugged me. Being mad at each other kills both of us, I guess.

After I made up with Stephen I ran back downstairs to talk to Neville, but he told me to take a week to make sure Stephen and I were okay. I'm now three days into that week and me and Stephen are doing great. The only problem is that I feel like I am suffocating him. I only ever hang out with him and he has other friends so I have decided to go and make a friend of my own.

I was sitting in the library when a certain redhead had walked in. Ginny Weasley.

If you went to Hogwarts, you knew about the Weasleys, especially the Gryffindors.

It was a typical day in the library right before a big test day...packed. The only seats left were one at my table and one at the table next to the one I am at. Ginny had sat at the table I was at so I took it as fate.

I looked up from my Ancient Runes textbook as she plopped down across from me. I gave her a smile and said, "Hi."

"Hello," she said back, taking note of my Gryffindor robes but clearly not knowing my name.

"I'm Starla," I replied, "you're Ginny right?"

"Yeah, how do you know who I am?" She asked.

"I'm in the same year as your brother," I answered.

"Which one?" She laughed, "I kind of have a few."

"Ron," I said.

"Oh okay. What are you studying for?" Ginny asked.

"Ancient Runes," I groaned, "How about you?"

"Potions," I need to memorize these ingredients and steps." She pointed to her textbook and I saw she was studying Skele-gro.

"Oh I can help if you want." I closed my book and glanced back at her.

"That would be so amazing!" She exclaimed, causing Madam Pince to give us a loud shush, "Let's go back to the common room."

"Good idea," I agreed and we packed up our things to leave.

I helped her study in the common room for a few hours until she had it down perfectly.

"Thanks Starla!" She hugged me, "how can I return the favor?"

"No need," I assured but then I changed my mind, "Actually you can tell me what you know about Neville Longbottom."

"Oh, Neville is one of kindest people I've ever met. He took me to the Yule Ball last year and we had a great time."

"Oh are you two?" I asked but Ginny cut me off.

"No, just good friends," she answered me, "Why?"

"We just seem to keep running into each other," I carefully chose my words.

"Ooooo," she teased me.

"Stop it!" I laughed.

"Okay now that I answered your question, can I ask one?" She questioned.

"That's not how this works, Ginny," I said.

"Oh come on Starla, pleasssseeee," she begged me.

"Okay, okay what is it?" I gave in.

"Are you new this year?" She asked.

"Sort of."

"What do you mean?"

"It's really complicated."

"Oh."

"I took a year off. Well actually my brother Stephen and I were advised to take a year off."

"Do you mind if I asked why?"

"Family things," I sighed. I was going to leave it there but I decided to be honest. I was going to give this whole "friend" thing a real chance...even though I wasn't sure if we were friends yet, "My parents died during my fourth year. I should be in sixth year but we took a year off in Liverpool with my aunt and uncle."

"Oh Starla, I'm sorry," Ginny gasped.

"It was hard at first, but we are working through it. Stephen seems to be doing better though. He actually is able to make friends."

"Why do you think you can't make friends?"

"Gee Ginny, you ask a lot of questions."

"Yeah, it's kinda of in my nature."

"I like that. I'm normally quiet."

"You are really kind too, just like Neville. I'm sure you could be the most popular girl in the fifth year if you opened up."

"I just push people away a lot."

"Well, I'll help you with that. Tomorrow after classes, come and meet me in the courtyard and I'll introduce you to my friends."

"Thanks Ginny."

"No problem friend."

Ginny and I hugged and then said goodnight to each other. Even though I thought I was smothering Stephen, he clearly didn't think the same thing because he asked me to sleep with him tonight.

I agreed of course and went to go get changed and sneak into his dorm.

We talked for a while about the time we spent apart and I told him about Ginny and my plans for the next day. He told me he was really happy for me and then he turned off his bedside-light so we could go to sleep.

Stephen fell asleep pretty quickly but I stayed up for a while just thinking. Mainly about how I totally blew off studying and how I was going to fail the Ancient Runes test the next day, but I realized I did care. I did something nice for somebody else for a change so I was happy. And I swore as I was finally drifting off to sleep, I saw Neville smile at me. I drew the curtains on the bed and fell asleep knowing, I had a good day.