I Can See You

Prologue

Natasha Strauss dashed into the empty Slytherin dormitory and slammed the door behind her.

Her heart was pounding furiously against her chest and she felt herself gasping for air. Her head was spinning and she felt nauseous.

"It can't be. They're pulling my leg," she muttered to the empty room, trying to steady herself as she made her way slowly to the cupboard next to her bed at the corner of the room. She took a deep breath and yanked open the cupboard door.

She felt blood draining away from her face as she faced the full-length mirror mounted in the inside panel of her cupboard. There was no reflection. It was as though she wasn't there at all.

*

More than an hour later, Natasha was still standing in front of the mirror. But this time, she was staring back at a sixteen-year-old girl with long blonde hair and eyes that took on the rare shade of violet.

She was trying to assure herself that she had had a hallucination earlier, when she heard loud footsteps and the voices of the girls who shared her dormitory.

Kathleen Curtis, a girl with bright green eyes and dark wavy hair that hung just below shoulders, was the first to notice her. "Nat! Where were you? We thought you were walking with us!"

I was with you. I followed you right into the common room, Natasha cried silently.

Tessa Holmes frowned. "I could have sworn you were walking right behind me. How did you disappear without us noticing?"

You're quite right. I disappeared. But I don't know how.

"We thought you were playing hide-and-seek with us!" Pamela Dawson chipped in.

I was with you. Only that you couldn't see me.

Chapter 1: I Am Watching You

"Nat, are you coming or not?" Kathleen frowned at her best friend. She had caught Natasha daydreaming - something she had been doing a fair bit of over the past few months.

Natasha flashed her an apologetic grin. Scooping up her bag, she followed Kathleen out of the castle, into the courtyard. Her mind drifted to the day she first discovered her special gift. She had been alarmed, horrified and fearful. Fear had been the key word. Now, more than three months later, she had not only accepted the gift but had also learnt to control it. She had spent every possible moment laboriously combing through the books in the library - any book that bore the slightest relevance to her 'condition'. And she had practice. Lots of practice. She began to learn the trigger of her gift and how to use mental strength to control it and use it to her advantage. She had practiced it to close perfection, able to be unseen by the naked eye at will. There was always a danger, of course. She had to take pains to ensure that she was alone before willing her mind to control her body. Ensuring secrecy was always a challenge.

But there was one thing that was still bothering her. How did this ability come about? None of the books in the library could offer a satisfactory explanation.

"Look! It's them again!" Kathleen grabbed hold of Natasha's arm. Natasha knew exactly what Kathleen was referring to even before she followed her friend's glance and caught sight of the most notorious, feared and yet most popular foursome at Hogwarts - James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew. "No," Natasha corrected herself silently. "They're the most popular threesome, with an extra guy sticking out of place."

Natasha stood beside her awestruck friend and observed the boys who were making themselves comfortable under the oak tree - the spot that was reserved for them by unspoken rules.

There was James Potter and Sirius Black, chasers and the stars of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Both were known for being exceptionally talented in all the subjects of magic taught at the school, especially Transfiguration, Defence Against Dark Arts and Charms. The duo were easily the most feared students, as they often made sure that those they disliked would not enjoy a peaceful time at Hogwarts.

Natasha's eyes swept over to Remus Lupin. The Gryffindor prefect with light brown hair had neither the charms of Potter nor the incredible good looks of Black. But he was the one who fascinated her the most. Natasha had been at school with them long enough to know that while Potter and Black were the ones with the talents of practical magic, Lupin - the most intellectual member of the group - surpassed them in magical theories. Whatever he lacked in nature, he made up for it with diligent hard work, a thirst for knowledge and cool quick thinking. Then there was Peter Pettigrew - the odd one out. The one whose greatest strength was his ability to hide in others' shadows. In fact, Natasha often wondered how someone as unremarkable as Pettigrew could be part of the group.

She was rudely jerked out of her reverie when she felt Kathleen's nails dig into her arm. "Ouch!" she grumbled, snatching her arm away and rubbing the sore skin.

"Oops, sorry, I didn't mean to." Kathleen looked sheepish before returning her attention to one of the Gryffindors. Her eyes took on a dreamy look. "Isn't he perfect? If only he were in Slytherin!"

Natasha let out a soft sigh. She knew exactly how Kathleen felt. Her best friend had had a serious crush on Sirius Black since first year. But Slytherins and Gryffindors were not friends and never should be. It was an age-old tradition that must not be tampered with. Slytherins and Gryffindors either knocked the daylights out of one another, or steered clear of each other's way. That was the way it was supposed to be.

Natasha's eyes returned to the group. She could not tear them away from the boy who was now leaning against the tree trunk, eyes closed in relaxation. She chewed her lower lip thoughtfully as an idea came into her head. Since she had no idea how her newly-bestowed gift came about or how long it would last, she should make full use of it while she still could.

Perhaps this was time to get to know the world of the Gryffindors and Remus Lupin.