Ravenclaw Common Room

Stefan chuckled.

"Isn't that the truth." He glanced at Brisa, Blaire and Aiden.

Blaire was trying to un-hook Brisa from Aiden.

"Yeah it is her sister. I think she's just shy from new people. She loves Aiden though."

Jenny giggled. "I can tell."

Stefan smiled down at her.

"I missed you a lot over the summer. It wasn't the same."

She moved ever so slightly closer to him, smiling contentedly. "I know what you mean." Jenny's summers were never great, she didn't have the best parents, but this one had been worse than usual. She had been wishing almost constantly to be back at Hogwarts with Stefan.

He grinned and pulled her into a hug.
"Another crappy summer?" He whispered into her hair.

She sighed. "I survived on letters, but that doesn't mean I enjoyed it." His arms were warm and comforting around her, and she didn't want to pull away.

"That's not surviving Jen. That's like dying but not." Stefan replied.

She laughed. "Isn't that what surviving means? And anyway, I'm much better now." she said.

Stefan laughed "You're right. You look better."

She grinned and spoke playfully. "Are you implying that I didn't look good before?"

Riley sighed as she waited outside the door to the common room. What if they'd all turned on her? She took a deep breath and answered her riddle, stepping into the room confidently.

Stefan laughed and pushed her away playfully "Of course. You looked absolutly horrid."

Blaire glanced up at the opening door. She raised her eyes and casted a looked at Aiden, Brisa was still clinging onto him.

Jenny was about to respond when she heard the door open.

Riley looked around the room. Blaire. Aiden. Was that...Jenny and Stefan? Cute. And someone else. Probably a first year. "Ciao."

Blaire glanced at her "Riley?" She asked.

Stefan looked at the door. So Riley had returned.

Brisa peared out from Aiden's legs.

"Well, I'm back." She said, grinning at Blaire.

Jenny smiled. "Riley! Wow...it's been so long!"

"I see that." Blaire responded trying to descipher her thoughts.

Stefan nodded beside her tightening his arms around Jenny.

Riley stood there, letting Blaire and Stefan think things through. She smiled at Jenny, who looked truly happy in Stefan's arms. Then she looked at Aiden, who didn't seem to have reacted yet.

Aiden glanced up from Brisa and nodded. Still his sullen self.

She laughed quietly at Aiden, he was just like she remembered. Riley looked uncomfortably at the others. She thought at least Stefan would have heard about this, his mom worked at the ministry. But everyone around her looked shocked. This wasn\'t going as planned. Well, there hadn\'t really been a plan, but if there had, it wouldn\'t have involved this. Things changed a lot over three years, and she knew that now.

Aaron Gabe and Marcus walked down into the Common rooom to a whole bunch of talking and laughing. Marcus was almost tempted to go back upstairs but he sat down on the couch just as Kayleen had sulkily walked downstairs. Angie had come back too. Seems like everyone was here. aaron said a quick "hey everyone" and sat down next to Marcus. "It'll be okay dude I mean I'm sure she wouldn't blame you..." Marcus just looked at his lap. Angie walked over to the boys, kinda sad herself. Kayleen walked over t0o the bookshelf with Gabe and started imersing herself in the titles.

Some people walked into the common room, and Riley swore her relief was tangible. None of them had seemed to take particular notice of her-it was Aaron, Marcus, Gabe, Kayleen, and Angie. She walked over towards Marcus and Aaron. "What's wrong?"

Marcus looked up and saw Riley, a pretty girl, who was actually talking to him. "Um..I'd tell you but you'd probably think it's stupid..or at least not serious" He sighed and returned to stairing at his hands.

She rolled her eyes. Everyone here was exactly the same as they had been three years ago. "Maybe, but I'm still going to sit here and bug you until you do tell me."

"My sister died this summer and it was basically my fault." He said in a barely audible whisper.

"Okay, soooo far from being stupid." she said, moving over and sitting down beside him. "What happened?"

"She got run-over-" he said the word angrily,"-by a hit-and-run driver while I was buying ice cream for us.." he felt like crying again but he wouldn't do it in front of her.