Anna slowly made her way up to the portrait hole, taking as much time as possible to try and postpone being in the Common Room as long as possible. She'd wasted a ton of time down at the feast, but now there was nothing else left to do besides retreat to the Common Room, make sure all the new Gryffindors were settled and none of the old ones were tearing the place apart, and then get herself to bed sometime before midnight.

The problem was, for the first time in five years, she didn't want to retreat to the Common Room. Anywhere but here would be nice at the moment, as a matter of fact. The Common Room, you see, was probably where Cale was at the moment, and Anna wasn't ready at all to face him. Maybe she would get lucky, and he'd be off wandering down the halls or something. Maybe she could get in there and race to the dorms before he could make his way in.

Oh, but lo and behold, just as she finally made her way all the way through the portrait hole and into the Common Room, she saw him. There he was, happily chatting away to a few fellow Gryffindors. Nice. Thanks for looking concerned, jerk.

Oh, no! Where was Liesel? Allie? Astrid? Alexis? Usa? Sabrina? Via? Gwen? ANYBODY? Why did the place have to be filled with people Anna didn't even know yet. Oh, no! Wait! TRAVIS, the boy Anna had met at the feast! Good 'ole Travis! Anna made her way over to Travis, and then addressed him in nothing louder than a whisper. "Travis, right?" Anna asked. "So, erm, how's it going?"

Nathaniel heard the sweet voice he was used to hearing back home. He looked up and saw Sophia. "Gosh she was beautiful in her school robes" he thought to himself. He hadn't sat by her in the great hall and not felt like troll snot. He looked up from the conversations he was having and said "Come over here!!". He watched her walk across the room. As he ran his hand through his hair he hoped that he didn't look absolutely disgusting from the trip to the Hogwarts.

"Hmm?" Travis turned his gray eyes to whoever was addresing him. "Oh, yes, hello Anna," confused, he glanced at Cale and back to Anna. "Everything is fine, I guess. How've you been since I last saw you an hour ago?" He gave her a small smile.

Sophia headed towards Nathaniel. That boys hair was always a mess she thought as she laughed to herself. She sat down next to him and kissed him on the cheek. "Where have you been Mister?" she said trying to be serious but failing horribly. She looked at the older boy that was talking to Nate and said "Hello, I'm Sophia."

Nathaniel smiled at Sophia and squeezed her leg. "Well I ate and then headed up here." he said looking into her eyes. They had learned to read each others eyes over the years. Nathaniel had already been up to some roaming and mischief and would tell her about it later. "How was dinner for you Soph?" he asked yawning again. "Wheres the unnamed kitty?" he asked wondering where the fur ball was.

"I haven't checked out the grounds yet. I guess I can do that tomorrow... right?" he said looking at Sophia. "Sophia and I grew up together. Right next to each other and didn't know the other was from a magical family..weird huh?". "I'm looking forward to all of the classes. Who is your favorite teacher?" he added

Shaylee smiled at Maggie and replied. "My friends Lizzie and Erica I met at the feast. She smiled. How about you? Shaylee was super excited and couldn't wait for everyting to start.

"Thats good." Chris told Travis. He saw Anna walk in. "Hey Anna." He said to her.

"Oh... right." Sophia said, staring into his eyes. She was a little disappointed, but no matter. She had sat with several other girls, trying to get to know the rest of her house. "Dinner was fine, I think I ate a week's worth of food. I don't know where she is, I'm assuming upstairs with the rest of our things?" Sophia gave Nathaniel a quick hug and then leaned back into the sofa, relaxed, with her legs curled up underneath her.

"I hate to have to run Soph but I'm mega tired. I'm gonna go to bed!" he said mad at himself for not spending time with Sophia. "I'll see you in class soon!" he said hugging her good night.

Anna bit her bottom lip and nervously looked off in another direction. "Yeah," she replied. "I guess we did just talk about an hour ago. Well, erm, glad to hear it's all going well for you!" So yeah, her end of the conversation was lame, but she needed some sort of a distraction from Cale.

She hoped Travis would understand, but right now Anna just felt really upset and a little nervous around Cale. Maybe she should just stroll on off to the dorms now.

Then there was Chris. Good 'ole Chris. She had to hand it to him for showing up at a moment when she needed someone to talk to the most. Geez, where were the other girls she knew?

"Hey, Chris!" Anna greeted, as enthusiastic as she could. "I don't think I've talked to you in quite a while. How's life been treating you?" Ugh. Maybe she shouldn't have asked that. Of course Chris was tell her that he and Melinda were coming along beautifully, and she'd have to sit here and listen all about how someone's else's relationship was great, while her's was all gone.

Usagi climbed into the portrait hole with a little bit of difficulty due to the amount of food she have stuffed in her mouth during the feast. Seeing Anna talking with someone, she strolled over to one of the very comfy armchairs and sat down.

One stubby leg stepped over the portrait hole before the rest of the body followed, a top it a bouncing set of blond curls ruled the legs actions as it slowly made its way into the middle of the common room. In the girl's hands was a beat up book and she looked up from it to spot several unfamiliar faces and two familiar ones--but the last didn't look entirely too happy.

Breathing out a sigh, Daphne Hopton lamented the loss of chair space letting her hazel eyes fall to the dark corners for a comfortable and safe location to finish her reading. Content with having spotted a nice ledge she could lean on, the stout 12 year old hurried in that direction, almost completely hidden by her book.

It was best to remain concealed for now.

"No I don't think we've talked in a while." Chris agreed. When Anna asked how life was treating him, he thought well great at the moment, but he knows what just happened between Anna and Cale, he probably shouldn't bring up the whole thing with Melinda. "Lifes fine." He said. "So knowing you, you probably can't wait for classes to start?" He asked her.

Allie came in the common room from the hospital wing, with Astrid, glad to have her ankle fixed. She took a seat on the couch, glad to be in the common room.

"Hey, Usa!" Anna called out, noticing one of her friends come in. Oh, thank Merlin. The place was finally starting to fill up. Before long, Mister Newell would just be a Gryffindor lost in the crowd.

Anna turned her attention back to Chris to finish their conversation. Oh, good, he hadn't mentioned anything that would possibly trigger a few tears from Anna. She'd have to ask him about his relationship with Melinda later on, but now just wasn't the time.

"Erm, actually, Chris, you weren't around me last term. I'm not so much into studying anymore. I'm more into b-----, erm, friends. Yes, friends," Anna said, catching herself before she could say boys. "But, erm, yeah, classes are cool, I guess."

"Chris, I'll catch you later. I'm going to go say hello to a new Gryffindor. Well, new to me. I'm actually not sure if she's ever been to school here before or not," Anna said. "See ya!"

Anna made her way over the window ledge where the still unknown girl sat. She'd seen her at the feast a time or two, but they'd never actually talked. Hopefully this girl would be at least a little on the friendly side. Anna needed a friend right now, for sure.

"Hey, erm, is this half of the ledge taken?" Anna asked, pointed to one half of the long ledge that was currently unoccupied. "I just wanted to officially introduce myself. I'm Anna Greingoth, the female prefect."

Astrid walked into the Common Room, with Allie at her side. She was glad that Allie's ankle was mended and that they could finally relax with their friends. She heard what had happened with Anna during the feast and she hoped that she would get a chance to talk to her. Even for just a moment, to tell her that she was here for her, no matter what. She didn't know how she was going to react when and if she saw Cale. As much as it was none of her business, it was still going to be hard to try and keep neutral in this situation. She loved Anna after all and he hurt her.

She took a seat next to Allie on the couch and lean over close. "Allie, don't you think we should talk to Anna? She looks so terribly sad." she whispered. Anna was putting on an excellent show, but they were her friends and well, friends know better. "I can't stand to see her like this." she added with agony in her voice.

Walking into the common room Alexis struggled with the golden dog in her arms. "TK! Bad!" She said with a slightly annoyed sigh as the dog struggled to get out of her arms. Losing the battle to the dog Alexis watched as he finally out away from her and began to run around the whole common room. It looked like she wasn't the only one happy to be back.

Watching TK run around Alexis barley got time to think before the dog had began pestering random people. Lex could only watch as TK jumped on a girl reaching a book that Anna seemed to be talking to. "Opps. Sorry!" Lex said stiffing a laugh as she rushed over picking up the dog again.

Daphne was just rolling her eyes at Romeo as he tried to woo Juliet from outside her window. "But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the East, and Juliet is the Sun!" Whispered Daphne in slight disgust. She had read the play several times and still couldn't quite get over Romeo's goosebumps inducing proclamations of love. "Honestly," she huffed, wrinkling her nose in the process. "As if that nonsense actually works."

Interrupted by whom she had recalled to be the female Prefect of Gryffindor, Daphne shut the book, cheeks tinted soft pink. "It's a ledge without an owner," she replied with a wry smile. "Feel free to adopt it," continued the Gryffindor and extending her hand warmly. "I'm Daphne Hopton..." hesitating, Miss Hopton chewed on her lower lip, even as she left her hand outstretched. Normally, she'd introduce herself as the great Bruce Hopton's daughter but she doubted someone like Miss Greingoth cared nor knew her father. "Just your run of the mill second year. It's really nice to meet you."

Well it had been really nice until they were unduly interrupted by a mutt. Jumping up from the ledge, fright clenching her chest, Daphne clutched the wall as much as she could as if that would save her from the fangs of pestilence that were threatening to consume her. Of course, the dog was simply playful but fear had warped reality in the girl's hazel eyes and Miss Hopton could only hyperventilate and pat her robes with her free hand in search for that life saving asthma pump

Allie nodded, "Yeah, we should." she whispered back." But lets not bring up Cale in anyway possible."
She got up from the couch, walking gently on her ankle, and made her way over to Anna.
"Hey Anna!" she said cheerily.

Hannah walked into the room. Right away, she saw her friends Allie and Astrid walking over to talk to Anna. Good idea, she thought. Anna's probably not very happy after that little scene in the Great Hall. "Hi Anna, Allie, Astrid," Hannah said, walking over to them. Anna looked so sad. Hannah's heart went out to her. Better not bring up Cale at all, I'm sure she doesn't want to hear anything about him. Hannah thought.

Astrid nodded to Allie and followed her over. She surely wasn't going to do anything that might hurt Anna more. She put her best, fake smile on her face and got ready to put on the performance of a life time. Anna!" she said. "My goodness, I missed you girl!"


Just then she heard Hannah voice. She waved at her and said, "Hannah, HEY! Its so good to see you! How was your summer?" She grabbed her and hugged her tightly. The joy of seeing Hannah might be just what she needed to pull this off. This time, when she looked back at Anna, her smile was genuine.

Anna wrinkled her eyebrows and studied the young girl for a moment or two...or three or four, waiting to figure out whether or not she was actually going to turn around and acknowledge Anna's presence. It didn't seem that she was, in fact, it actually seemed more like the girl was going to sit, stare out the window, and talk to herself.

"Well, yes, it is a ledge without an ownder, but I didn't want....oh, nevermind. That's not important," Anna replied. She put the bag she was carrying down on the floor and then pushed herself up on the ledge, sitting opposite Daphne. Anna smiled as she saw that Daphne had extended her hand. She extended her own, as well and shook the girl's hand. Wow. She seemed really nice and polite. Just the type of friend Anna needed. "I'm a fifth year. No one special, just regular everyday Anna Greingoth." The girl who just lost her boyfriend, she felt like adding, but with the way word spread around here, she figured Daphne already knew.

"DAPHNE!" Anna exclaimed, having not seen the dog and wondering what in the world had happened. She looked down to see the dog that given Daphne such a scare running playfully throughout the Common Room.

"Alexisss!" Anna called out. "Can you please grab TK while I peel Daphne off the wall?"

Hannah walked into the room. Right away, she saw her friends Allie and Astrid walking over to talk to Anna. Good idea, she thought. Anna's probably not very happy after that little scene in the Great Hall. "Hi Anna, Allie, Astrid," Hannah said, walking over to them. Anna looked so sad. Hannah's heart went out to her. Better not bring up Cale at all, I'm sure she doesn't want to hear anything about him. Hannah thought.

"Oh, hey, Alli. Hey, Hannah" Anna said, glancing back and forth between Daphne and the other girls. "I'm so, so glad you're here. Astrid, too. I've been looking for you all..."

"My summer was pretty good. How about yours?" Hannah smiled at Astrid. She was so happy to see all her friends again. "Hey Anna," she said, and grinned broadly.

Allie took a seat on the floor underneath the ledge Anna was sitting on.
"Oh you have?" said Allie, surreptitiously. "What do you need?"

Picking TK up Alexis eyed him. If only had had actually listened to her for a change. Sure that wouldn't have been really fun but at least he wouldn't have given this girl a heart attack. "Ahhh really sorry about that. He gets excited about....everything. I think he likes you!" Lex said happily and she watched the girl as she clung on to the wall. Saying that TK liked this girl probably wasn't saying much. TK liked EVERYONE. "He's not dangerous at all, really."

"Annnnnaaa. First time I see you this term and you yell at me? Ohh how nice. " Lex said jokingly. "I said I was sorry! To erm....Daphne is it? Yeah sorry." Sighing Alexis didn't know what to do. Of course if she put TK down he would probably scare Daphne again but she was NOT going to lock her dog up. No way.