FANG HOPPED UP with more excitement than usual and that could only mean one thing.

The train had arrived and dinner would be starting soon. The whole mess of first years would be preening under the attention of being sorted.

"Harry must be back!" She realized as she threw her covers off and rushed out the door.

"Ay! Shoes lass! 'Your shoes!" Hagrid exclaimed, trying to get her to wear shoes was like wrestling with a grizzly bear to get a Tu-tu on it.

"I have a pair in the common room." She called back, the soles of her feet pattering against dirt and old stone slabs. Rushing up the hillside to find her dearest friends.

Harry had subsequently met the girl during his late night detention with Hermione, Ron and Draco.

Though they really bonded, when Harry Potter had stayed back for Christmas his first year. While Ron was great company, Harry did crave to have more than one friend for the break.

He had been sitting in the court yard when a girl suddenly swung down from one of the branches.

Her hair falling downwards, a few frizzy pieces scratching his face. He blinked and backed up further against the tree trunk.

"Uh hello?"

"Hi! Im Annette." She exclaimed, still hanging upside down, legs curled around the branch, keeping her suspended in the air.

"Im Harry." He introduced, though if he'd learned anything those first few months at Hogwarts, it was that no introduction was truly needed in his case.

He awkwardly began to extend his hand, before pulling it back. Completely unsure what to do in this odd greeting.

Only for her to grab it and shake it crazily. Making his arm wobble up and down. Reminding him of jello.

"Nice to meet you!" She chirped.

Her response made him happy. The lack of intruding questions was what really stood out to him.

From then on, everyday of the winter break. Harry would meet her at the same tree in the courtyard. Some days they'd talk, others she'd read and he'd simply enjoy her company. She never asked about his scar, or his parents...it brought him an odd sense of comfort.

Giving him a break from the high standards imposed on him since birth— apparently.

One evening he even brought a set of wizarding chess for them to play, after Ron taught him how to play. It's how they found out that she was absolute rubbish at the game.

"Miss Annette. You are well aware there are rules at the school." McGonagall' voice rang out suddenly.

Making the girl wince and frown, freezing on spot.

"Shoes?" She guessed as to why she might be gaining a detention or at the very least a reprimand-mint.

"Dog." McGonagll summarized, mimicking the girls single word response.

"Shoot." She mumbled, glancing back to see that Fang had in fact followed her up the steps and into the halls of the school.

"Detention Miss Annette. My office. I'll let Hagrid know you'll be home late."

"Yes miss."

McGonagall left, shaking her head. "On the first day of school. Honestly." McGonagall mumbled.

"Go home Fang." Annette ordered the panting dog.

The dog whined, wanting to go see Harry too.

"I'll bring Harry by next time. Alright? Go home." She dictated the dog's actions.

It let out another short lived whine and began trudging his way back to the Hagrid family home.

Annette stopped by the Gryffindor common room, before uttering the password to the fat lady.

She headed inside and snatched a pair of shoes to slide on over her mismatched socks. One with rainbow stripes, the other with black and white poka dots.

Annette began the journey to the main hall but was interrupted when she ran into exactly who she was searching for in the first place.

"Harry! Ron!" She smiled big after taking a step back and realizing who she had bumped into.

"Annette." Both boys chorused in greeting.

"Merlin, you two look awful." She stated, eyeing their disheveled state.

"Thanks." Harry uttered sarcastically. While Ron pouted a bit and tried to fix his hair.

"Don't worry. You two still look the same as always." She interjected quickly.

"That isn't helpful Annette." Harry grumbled.

"Erm, you have some dirt on your—" she pointed out, tapping her left cheek for good measure.

"Oh- uh- here?" He wiped his right cheek.

"No- umm. May I?" She asked, albeit a bit nervously.

Harry nodded and she wiped the spot of dirt off his cheek with the pad of her thumb.

"Thanks Annette." Harry smiled grateful that he didn't look as awful as when he first arrived- at least to her. Which honestly made him feel satisfied with his appearance.

"How did you two get here so late?" She asked in her confusion "The train arrived an hour ago." Annette continued.

"Thanks for that Captian obvious," Ron mumbled and Harry discreetly elbowed him. Causing Ron to make a face of annoyance, rubbing his forearm where he had been elbowed.

"We took a car. —We got locked out the platform and had to find another way. I'll tell you all about tomorrow?" Harry offered.

He knew they were friends, or at least they had been. He wasn't sure if she'd still want to be his friend after being unable to answer any letters sent his way over the summer.

"Same place?" She retorted with a little confirming nod.

"Yep." Harry agreed happily, a bright smile taking over his tired features.

Getting jail broke from the Dursleys, Hijacking Ron's family car and crash landing late at the feet of the whomping willow had taken a lot from Harry. Yet he still smiled whenever she looked his way.

"I'll see you then Harry."

"Your not coming to dinner?" Harry asked confused.

"I am but I'm sitting with Fred and George and I reckon you two will be with Hermione."

"Oh." He mumbled.

As she left to head to the feast. Ron and Harry made their way to the common room to change before heading to the main hall.

"Annette!" Fred smiled, seeing the younger girl for the first time since the last school year. As she made her way over to their table.

"Hello Weasley." She replied smoothly.

"What am I then?" George grumbled.

"Weasley two." She quickly retorted, sitting beside Lee, across from the twins.

Lee chuckled at the younger girls nick-names for each twin. "Oh that's perfect. I reckon I'll be stealing that," He laughed out.

The twins glared his way as Annette smiled, honestly quite flattered at the thought.

"So, Whats your guess?" Fred asked her.

"My guess for...?"

"How many Gryffindor' we're gonna get." George supplied the proper context.

"Mmm, 12?" She guessed with a minute tilt of her head. Her hair sliding forward with a tiny swish.

"I say 11," Lee bet after her.

"Between him and me, we guess 10." George added.

"Between me and him." Annette corrected. "Grammar."

Fred's eye twitched. "Watch yourself Annette. Or you might find an unpleasant surprise under your bed later." He threatened flashing a stink bomb in the palm of his hand.

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