Hogwarts UnderExposed - A New Girl In Town

Hogwarts UnderExposed - A New Girl in Town

A wound allowed to fester, never heals and can only become worse. Sam had allowed the hurt between her and Ron to go untreated far too long. Tonight it had to end, one way or another.

Chapter Five
Gone Astray

Sam had shuttled Timmy off to spend the evening with Harry and Hermione so that she and Ron could be alone and make an effort to work out their differences.

"Dinner smells good," Ron said impassively as he entered their quarters. "What made you decide to cook for us tonight instead of eating in the Great Hall? Where is Timmy hiding?"

"Hermione has him for the evening," Sam explained. "Ron, we can't go on like this; we need to talk."

"About what?" Ron said, his pent-up anger already bubbling to the surface. "Why waste our time talking when you do just as you damn well please anyway without the slightest regard to my feelings?" He stared crossly at Sam, who stopped midway through preparing the salad.

"That's not true, Ron. I'd never do anything to deliberately hurt you."

"You wouldn't?" What about going to dinner in the Great Hall totally starkers and humiliating me in front of my friends and colleagues?" Ron barked.

"Humiliating you?" Sam said, flabbergasted. "You weren't even there. I was the one that was embarrassed to death. I'm not like Hermione and the girls; I'm not at ease being unclothed in a room of fully dressed people."

Ron gave a sarcastic laugh. "You couldn't have been that discomfited. You paraded all the way to the Great Hall totally exposed and then sat there eating dinner completely naked after I had expressly asked you to give up naturism."

"You didn't ask me anything!" Sam shouted, finally losing her temper. "You ordered me. You said that you didn't want Timmy running about nude, nor did you want me exposing myself in front of him or others." Sam shook her head. "You made me out to be some sort of a pervert because I allowed my son to be nude and see me the same."

"You're not a deviate," Ron said, trying to calm his voice. "But it isn't right for Timmy to run about nude or for him to see you that way."

"In your opinion?"

"Yes, my opinion," Ron retorted. "But I'm your husband."

"And that makes your opinion law?"

Ron was about to say yes, but changed directions mid-word.

"Yeh - no. Not law, but it should give it more weight than the views of others," Ron sputtered.

"And what about how I feel?" Sam asked. "Is my opinion of any significance?"

"Of course, your feelings on the subject matter, but ...."

"My feelings matter so long as we ultimately end up doing things your way," Sam interrupted. "Ron, you're just like your mother."

"You've never met my mother. What's she got to do with this? Why are you bringing my mother into this?" Ron protested.

"No, I've never met your mother, but you've told me enough stories about her for me to realize that you are just like her," Sam declared. "She was a very loving woman who'd give a person the shirt off her back, but she was also an inflexible matriarch. There was only one way, hers."

"My Mum wasn't like that," Ron insisted.

"She wasn't?" Sam retorted skeptically. "Did she once sit down with Fred and George and discuss their desire to open a joke shop or did she simply insist that they forget their dream and go to work in the ministry? Was she willing to let you, Harry, and Hermione learn about the Order of the Phoenix or did she maintain that you were all too young, despite all the quests the three of you had successfully completed? Was she supportive when your dad experimented with Muggle medicine or did she belittle him?"

"My Mom was a good woman. I won't have you criticize her," Ron said, firmly.

"I'm not disparaging her," Sam insisted. "I'm just pointing out how much you are like her. You're a wonderful man and I love you a great deal, but I can't be like your dad. I won't bow to your every belief just to keep the peace. Marriage is a 50/50 partnership. We discuss things and compromise; we don't dictate to each other."

"How do we compromise on naturism?" Ron asked, harshly. "There isn't exactly a middle ground. You're either dressed or undressed."

"There is always room for give and take," Sam said firmly. "But this isn't just about naturism; it's about our whole marriage and our future together. I won't stay in a subservient relationship; you either accept me as an equal partner or ..." She couldn't bring herself to say it.

"Sam, I love you," Ron cried, tears swelling in his eyes. "You're having my baby! You can't possibly seriously be considering leaving me!"

"Ron, I love you, too. Timmy loves you. Leaving is the very last thing I want to do, but staying isn't an option if we can't talk and work out our differences." She turned her back on him. "We better eat before dinner is ruined."

Ron, uncharacteristically, had no desire for food.

* * * * * *

It was near nine when Ron knocked on the door to the Potters' quarters. He was flustered, but not surprised when Hermione opened the door unclothed. Hermione looked at him anxiously; he tried his best not to look at her at all.

"Timmy fell asleep on the Chesterfield," Hermione informed him. "Harry is in the kitchen. Do you want to talk?"

Ron nodded meekly and followed Hermione to the kitchen, finding it extremely difficult not to gaze at her flawless arse. His discomfort was not at all relieved when he discovered Harry to also be completely nude. It was only after they all took a seat at the table that he regained a smidgen of composure; now he only had to avoid staring at Hermione's gorgeous full chest.

"How did it go?" Hermione asked, worriedly.

"You knew why she wanted Timmy to stay here?" Ron asked, not truly surprised.

"Girls talk," Hermione answered shyly. "Sam and I have become best friends. We don't have many secrets."

"I don't know what I'll do if she leaves me," Ron muttered. "My life wasn't worth a shit until she and Timmy entered it; and she's carrying my child."

"Do you think she'll actually leave?" Harry asked.

Ron merely nodded. "Am I really opinionated and domineering like my Mum was?"

"Sometimes, just a teeny weeny bit," Hermione replied meekly, "but your love and loyalty outweighs it."

"Sam says I don't know the meaning of compromise and partnership." Ron shook his head despondently. "You two never argue. How can two people possibly agree on every subject?"

"We don't?" Harry replied quickly. "We often have disagreements, especially when it comes to raising Emily and Caitlin."

"But we try to reach a compromise before the situation gets out of control and we never go to bed angry with each other," Hermione added.

"I doubt Sam and I will be sleeping together tonight," Ron said despondently. He didn't say it, but a part of him feared that he'd never get to hold Sam in his arms ever again; never touch her. "I blame this all on naturism."

"You can do that if it makes you feel better," Hermione replied. "That may well have been the final straw, but it wasn't the cause of your troubles. You and Sam come from different countries, different cultures, and different lifestyles. Obviously you won't agree on every issue. Unfortunately neither of you chose to discuss your dissimilarities, but instead allowed the hurt that they caused to fester. Now instead of a little scratch, you have a deep wound."

"This is all easy for you two because Harry lets you do anything you please," Ron retorted. "Hell, he'd let you accompany Caitlin and Emily into Hogsmeade totally starkers if you wished."

Harry nodded. "I wouldn't stop her from doing anything she deemed important."

"And it's for that very reason that I won't do anything that will upset him," Hermione said. "Do you think for one minute that Sam actually wanted to be naked in the Great Hall? She only did that because you forbid her. You're both stubborn hotheads. Admit it before it's too late and learn to give and take."

* * * * * *

By the time Ron returned to his lodgings most of the candles were extinguished; evidently Sam had already gone to bed. He carried Timmy to his bedroom and gently tucked the boy in bed, being careful not to wake the toddler.

After kissing Timmy good night, he crept across the hall to the room he shared with Sam. Quietly, he opened the door and slipped inside. For a short time he just stood staring at the naked goddess asleep on the bed. From her positioning, it appeared that Sam had likely flung herself on the bed and cried herself to sleep. I've fouled so many things up in my life; I can't screw this up, he thought to himself.

He moved stealthily toward the bed wondering if he dare touch her. She looked so beautiful in the dim candlelight. Why did it upset him so greatly for others to see her nude? She was beautiful, a living treasure. He should be grateful that this engaging creature had agreed to be his wife. He leaned down and kissed her shoulder. When she didn't stir, he got down on his knees next to the bed and gently stroked her bum and then caressed her legs.

"Now that you've woken me up so nicely, why don't you crawl in bed next to me so that we can make love properly?" Sam asked, suggestively.

"I thought you were angry with me; I expected to be spending my night of the couch."

"I was angry; I still am for that matter. Ronnie, we have differences that must be smoothed out, but that doesn't mean I no longer love you. I don't think I could ever stop loving you."

"Me either," Ron replied sheepishly. "Hermione and Harry think that we both have a mulish streak."

"I might be mulish, but you're more pig-headed," Sam joked, giving Ron a playful embrace.

He didn't argue the matter. "I'm sure we can come up with sort of a compromise on the naturist issue," Ron said, optimistically. "I was wrong to tell you that you couldn't be nude when in our own quarters. Truth is, I sort of like being able to see and touch you without any clothing barriers."

"I like you being able to touch me, too," Sam said, blushing. "I'm sure we can reach a comprise on that and most of our other concerns as long as we're both willing to talk about our problems, and keep in mind that compromising means that we both must give in a little." Sam hesitated. "Of course there might be some times when one of us has to do all of the giving in."

Ron looked at her questioningly. "Such as?

"Such as right now," Sam smirked. "I'd like you to make love to me, but I'm naked and you're fully dressed."

Ron smiled. "I think that in this case I can be persuaded to go the extra mile."

* * * * * *

Caitlin just stared incredulously at Claudia. "Why are you dressed like that and what the devil is all that gook all over your face?"

Caitlin had just entered the dorm after taking her shower to find Claudia completely shrouded from head to foot. Only her eyes weren't covered with cloth and they were hidden behind overlarge sunglasses.

"We have Care of Magical Creatures and Herbology this morning," Claudia explained. "They're both outside and I have photodermatosis."

"Photo who?" Caitlin said.

"Photodermatosis," Claudia repeated. "I get really bad skin rashes following exposure to the sun. It is due to an abnormal immune system reaction to sunlight. By and large if I put on a thick coating of sunscreen and keep my body cloaked, I'm okay outside. I just hope it isn't so warm out that my heat syndrome acts up."

"You have heat syndrome, too? Are they both a result of your exposure to the Nundu's breath?"

"No, I've had both afflictions my entire life," Claudia explained. "That's why I'm rather an indoor person, generally shy away from direct sunlight, and avoid going outside at all on extremely hot days. When I'm exposed to external temperatures greater than my body temperature I become weak and sometimes even pass out due to the pain."

Caitlin tried not to show it outwardly, but within she was overcome with sympathy for Claudia. The girl had never gotten to enjoy a normal childhood and now she was destined to spend the remainder of her life in the body of a ten-year-old, an ailing ten-year-old at that. She wished that there were something she could do to help Claudia, but knew her Hyperempath abilities were limited to physical injuries. She could do nothing to cure disease or remedy birth imperfections.

"You definitely have to dress like that?" Caitlin asked concernedly. "Couldn't you at least wait until after breakfast to cover up?"

"I would have preferred that," Claudia admitted, "but the ceiling in the Great Hall is nearly the same as being outside. Fortunately the last two days were moderately cloudy, but this morning there isn't a cloud in the sky."

Caitlin nodded woefully. "We have Herbology with the Hufflepuffs; they're an okay group. But we take Care of Magical Creatures with the Slytherins. They'll be merciless."

Claudia nodded her head despondently. "It never gets any easier, but I've grown accustomed to being scoffed at."

Caitlin prayed that the Slytherins would limit their abuse to merely poking fun at Claudia.

Evan, Matt and Randy were all waiting in the common room when the girls entered. None of the three verbally questioned Claudia's bizarre appearance, but their gazes asked a million questions.

"Claudia is extremely sensitive to the sun," Caitlin said, offering no further explanation. She grabbed Evan's hand and the couple headed out the portrait hole. Claudia floated out close behind them, followed by a perplexed Matt and Randy.

Once in the hallway, Randy and Matt robotically assumed positions on either side of Claudia; it more or less appeared as if they were acting as security guards, who expected imminent disaster.

At the opening feast and again yesterday, Claudia had attracted a good amount of interest from the students. On both occasions, however, most people at least had the courtesy to not gawk. That was not the case this morning. Students were staring, pointing and in some cases laughing shamelessly.

Matt reached out and clutched Claudia's hand. "Don't pay them any mind."

At first Claudia flinched. A boy had never touched her hand, not for any reason. Then she relaxed a little; she liked the feeling of his hand holding hers. It felt nice, reassuring. Could Matt possible like me? No! That was ridiculous! He's just being a chivalrous Gryffindor.

Breakfast went by without any true problems, as did Herbology class. Often on the receiving end of obnoxious comments, the Hufflepuffs tended to be a very tolerant group. They occasionally snuck quick glances at Claudia's outlandish getup, but they steered clear of making any offensive remarks.

Many in the class actually seemed envious of Claudia's full skin coverage, when Professor Longbottom assigned them the task of collecting bubotuber puss. This was a truly disgusting job that required the popping of swellings on the slug-like plants. The swellings contained a large amount of thick yellowish-green liquid that smelled strongly of petrol and could do funny things if it came in contact with the skin in its undiluted form.

The students caught the liquid in bottles provided by Professor Longbottom, and by the end of the lesson had collected several pints. A booming bell echoed from the castle, and the class separated, the Hufflepuffs climbing the stone steps for Transfiguration, and the Gryffindors heading in the other direction, down the sloping lawn toward the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

This was the moment Caitlin had dreaded. Not only would they be having Care of Magical Creatures with the fourth year Slytherins, but also, they had to pass the third years Slytherins, who had that class the previous period and were now heading up the hill toward the greenhouses and Herbology.

Emily and Kim waved to Caitlin and her friends as they passed; most of the other Slytherins ignored the Gryffindors. Or at least they did until they took notice of the overly dressed Claudia floating by on her cushion.

"What the hell is that supposed to be?!" Denise yelled snidely, pointing toward Claudia. "I always knew Gryffindors were pathetic, but I didn't realize you guys were desperate enough to consent to having a crippled, underdeveloped mummy in your house."

"Just ignore her," Caitlin advised. "She's just trying to start trouble."

"Janice, have you ever wondered what a mummy looked like when you unraveled its cloth?" Denise asked, an evil glint in her eye.

Before anyone knew what was happening, Denise had raised her wand. "The little mummy looks awfully hot. I think we should 'unwrap' her."

Denise quickly pointed her wand at Claudia, but then just as quickly froze. Tyler had walked up behind her and now held his wand firmly against her back. "Denise, I'm certain you don't mean any harm and that you are just teasing the new girl, but I think I should warn you. If you make her clothes evaporate, I guarantee you that she won't be the only one that ends up nude."

"You wouldn't dare," Denise hissed.

"Oh! Wouldn't I," Tyler laughed. "Try me if you're so positive. It would put an end forever to the question of whether or not you stuff your bra."

Denise scowled and then without hurry lowered her wand. "Our paths will cross again freak," she said before stalking off.

Emily ran up to Tyler and gave him kiss. "For that you deserve a special reward."

Tyler smiled, looking at Emily keenly.

"That was Denise, the girl that attacked Emily last year," Caitlin said as they continued on her way.

"She's a dreadful person," Claudia sighed. "She ought to be boiled in undiluted bubotuber puss.

"I'm afraid Madam Pomfrey would consider that a waste of an excellent acne remedy. Emily and I would rather see her fed alive to a Blast-Ended Skrewt."

"What's a Blast-Ended Skrewt?" Claudia inquired.

"You don't want to know," Caitlin said with a chuckle.

Claudia gave Caitlin a feeble smile. She feared that Denise would prove to be a constant thorn in her backside unless the wicked girl was permanently eliminated.

* * * * * *

The Slytherins hadn't been nearly as nasty to Claudia during Care of Magical Creatures as Caitlin had feared, never the less, she was still relived when the period lastly ended. The foursome hurried back to Gryffindor tower so that Claudia could wash off the many layers of sunscreen and change clothes before lunch.

"That's much better, Claudia." Matt said, as Claudia and Caitlin entered the common room. "It's a sin to hide that beautiful face."

Claudia went red. "Thank you Matt, but I'm far from beautiful."

"Evidently you've never taken a proper look at yourself in a mirror," Matt said, emphatically. "Not only are you pretty, but you have the smoothest, most exotic skin I've ever touched."

Claudia turned an even deeper shade of red.

Caitlin grinned and shook her head. "Come on, Matt; let's get down to lunch before you embarrass poor Claudia to death."

They all scurried down to the Great Hall and joined Evan at the Gryffindor table. It seemed like they had no more than sat down to enjoy their lunch when the bell was already ringing to signal the start of afternoon lessons.

"I'll see you after classes," Caitlin said, giving Evan a parting hug and then hurrying to catch up with Claudia and the boys.

"Caitlin, move along," Randy called out, anxiously. "You know how your Mom gets went students are tardy. I don't fancy starting the year out with a detention from her just the second day of classes."

Professor Granger had repute for being a fair but strict teacher. The students had learned fast in first year that this clever witch was not a teacher to cross. She considered Transfiguration to be some of the most complex and dangerous magic taught at Hogwarts and thus did not tolerate anyone messing about in her class.

After Transfiguration they had Charms, the class Caitlin had been looking forward to most. She was quite eager to see what Jamie would be like as a teacher. It was strange to take a seat and see the young woman she thought of as a big sister sitting at the teacher's desk. It was even stranger to realize that she would now be obliged to address Jamie as Professor Zacherley.

"I can't get over how greatly she looks like your mother," Claudia whispered, as the remainder of the students filed into the room. "She's truly beautiful."

"They've been mistaken for each other on a number of occasions," Caitlin said, but she didn't furnish any additional details.

It was evident that Claudia wasn't the only one impressed by Jamie's exquisite looks. Most of the boys were staring goggle eyed at Jamie, some virtually drooling.

"I hope you all had a pleasant summer and are now prepared to get down to work," Professor Zacherley said, pleasantly, but austerely. "You are now entering a most important phase of your magical education and there will be a noticeable increase in the amount of work you will be required to do this term."

This pronouncement was met with a collective groan, which Jamie ignored.

"You are now entering a most vital phase of your magical education!" she continued, her eyes glinting sternly. "Your Ordinary Wizarding Levels are drawing closer -"

"Excuse me Professor, but we don't sit for O.W.L.s till fifth year!" Randy interrupted.

"Perhaps not, but it hasn't been that long since I sat for my own O.W.L.s and, believe me, you need all the preparation you can get! Two Charms that you will unquestionably have to demonstrate your proficiency at during the practical exam are the Summoning Charm and the Banishing Charm. Both are rather difficult and entail a great deal of concentration. Today we will begin working on Summoning Charms."

The students quickly realized that Professor Zacherley hadn't been exaggerating when she alleged that the charms were not easy. The students spent the entire class trying to get various objects to fly across the room toward them with only modest success. It was reasonably easy to get books to slide off the shelf, but they tended to drop like stones rather than fly across the room.

"I like her," Claudia said, as the Gryffindors headed back to their dorm. "She's a really good teacher, but I don't think I'll ever be able to do a Summoning Charm correctly."

"Yes, you will," Caitlin said encouragingly. "It just takes a lot of concentration. My dad said he was really horrible at them at first. The objects kept losing heart halfway across the room. Eventually he was able to summon his broomstick all the way from his dorm room to the Quidditch pitch."

"For now, I'd settle for my quill sliding across my desk," Claudia grumbled.

As the leaves changed color and the weather turned nippy, Claudia's ability at Summoning Charms improved dramatically. Unfortunately, one thing that did not get any better was her rapport with Denise. The Slytherin girl had evidently decided that Claudia would be her new whipping child and therefore took every possible opportunity to harass the unfortunate girl. Things got so bad that it was unsafe for Claudia to pass through the halls of the castle without being accompanied.

"I never thought I'd say this about someone, but I hate that girl," Claudia said, after yet another maddening encounter with Denise. "I'd really like to see her get what she has coming to her."

"It's Friday and classes are over for the week," Caitlin said. "Forget about that evil bitch and let's enjoy the weekend."

"How can I when I feel like she is constantly stalking me? I don't feel safe anywhere in the castle," Claudia whimpered. "Denise and her wicked friends won't be content until they have me hanging by my ankles, totally naked, in the Great Hall."

"I guess that's one of the advantages of being a naturist," Caitlin sighed. "The hanging by the ankles bit would most certainly piss me off, but being naked wouldn't phase me in the least."

"Well, I'm not a naturist," Claudia reminder her tartly. "I'd rather die than be seen naked by the entire school."

"Look, I have an idea," Caitlin declared. "How would you like to spend the weekend someplace where Denise can't possibly get near enough to jinx you?"

"Sounds great, but we're not allowed to leave the castle grounds," Claudia sighed despondently.

"We don't need to leave the grounds; my parents already have," Caitlin explained. "They Apparated to Paris for the weekend and won't be back until late Sunday evening. Emily and I are going to spend the weekend in their quarters. I know Emily has invited Kim. Would you like to be my guest?"

Claudia shilly-shallied. "Won't we get in trouble?"

"Nah! My parents trust Emily and me. Kim's almost an adopted sister and they both like you. They won't have any problem with it at all. Plus, you won't have to see hide nor hair of Denise for the next two days. We can even eat our meals there. Dobby the house-elf would be happy to pop in with food for us."

"Sounds great," Claudia said excitedly and then she paused. "I imagine you'll be nude the entire weekend. What about Emily and Kim?"

Caitlin looked at Claudia, a rather guilty expression on her face. "Beyond a doubt Emily will be; almost certainly Kim, too. That doesn't mean that you're obliged to, Claudia. None of us are like that. We'd never try to force our way of life on you."

"I know," Claudia conceded. "It's just that it will be a little weird - you know - the three of you running around in the buff. I won't know where to look."

"You'll be fine," Caitlin insisted. "None of us are exactly shy. Besides, you've become comfortable with me prancing about starkers in our dorm. Girls all have the same parts. When it comes right down to it, Emily and Kim are just variations of me. Who knows, maybe you'll even decide to give naturism a try."

Claudia laughed. "I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you. Okay, when do we go and what do we need to take with us?"

"In my case, I only need to grab my toothbrush," Caitlin chuckled. "You'll probably want to take a change or two of clothing."

After a quick visit to their dorm room, Claudia and Caitlin were ready to take off for their secluded weekend. They were at least until Caitlin ran into Evan in the common room and an extended good-bye ensued. After what to Claudia seemed like an eternity, they finally exited through the portrait hole and headed in the direction of the teachers' quarters.

"Caitlin, can I ask you a personal question?" Claudia queried.

"You can ask," Caitlin joked, as they continued to walk. "Whether I answer or not depends on the question."

"You and Evan, how did you guys ever get together? As pretty as you are, you could almost certainly get any guy at Hogwarts; what attracted you to him, a second year?"

"I'm not so sure about my being able to get any guy," Caitlin replied modestly. "But as far as Evan goes, it all just sort of happened. We started talking together, became friends and finally both realized we wanted to be more than friends." Caitlin nodded her head. "I know people talk about us behind our backs; call us the odd couple, but I really don't care. There is a lot more to a meaningful relationship than outward show. I think...."

But Claudia never got to hear what Caitlin thought. A female voice shouted, "LEVICORPUS!" There was a flash of light and Claudia's cushion floated empty next to Caitlin. Claudia was suddenly hanging upside down in the air, her robes falling over her head to reveal bare, smooth legs and a pair of tiny blue panties.

"Help me!" Claudia begged in a panicked voice. "Please, don't let anyone see me like this."

Caitlin pointed her wand and in quick succession yelled, "Finite Incantatem! Wingardium Leviosa!" Claudia remained inverted, but began to slowly float to the ground, like a feather floating on the wind. As soon as she was able, Caitlin helped upright the girl and assisted her back onto her cushion.

"It was Denise, wasn't it?!" Claudia shouted.

"Probably! It sounded like her voice, but I actually didn't see anyone," Caitlin confessed.

"I know it was that bitch," Claudia cursed. "I've had it with her. This is the final straw; it's time she got what she deserves."

"But what can we do?"

"You can't do anything, but I ...." Claudia paused. "It's payback time."

Caitlin kept asking Claudia what she planned to do, but Claudia wouldn't answer. She just kept mumbling about paybacks. Finally they reached the Potters' quarters.

"I wonder if Emily and Kim are here yet?" Caitlin said, as she magically unlocked the door and ushered Claudia inside.

"What took you guys so long?" Emily shouted, running to the door to greet them. Kim followed closely in her wake.

Caitlin quickly explained the reason for their delay while Claudia stood speechless, trying frantically not to stare at either Kim or Emily; both girls were totally nude. She had primed herself for this eventuality, but at the moment no amount of preparation seemed adequate. She considered making some sort of lame excuse to leave and then bolting from the room, but she couldn't. She desperately wanted the friendship of this trio. They had accepted her with all her idiosyncrasies; somehow she had to get by this hurdle.

In order to avoid gawking at Emily or Kim, Claudia turned back in the direction of Caitlin only to discover that her new best friend was now in the process of disrobing. It seemed that no matter what direction Claudia turned, she wound up looking at bare breasts.

"Claudia, why don't you get comfortable?" Emily asked earnestly.

"Me! You said I didn't have to," Claudia protested. "I could never."

"I just meant take your school robes off," Emily sniggered. "No one here expects you to get totally undressed. Of course, if you get the urge, feel free."

"I seriously doubt that will happen," Claudia responded, categorically. "Right now I'm having a hard enough time knowing where to look without one of you thinking I'm into girls."

"No one is going to think that of you," Kim cut in. "Caitlin and I know what it's like to be around unclothed people for the first time. It's impossible not to stare and want to make comparisons. I still find myself doing it at times."

"Just try to relax," Emily said, sympathetically. "You'll be surprise how quickly you'll become adapted to us being nude."

Claudia nodded in agreement although she doubted this exceedingly. At that moment there was a crack like a whip and Dobby, the house-elf appeared.

"Dobby has brought dinner for the Miss Potters and their friends." Dobby was bearing a large silver tray laden with food and drink. ."Dobby will sit it on the kitchen table. Would the Miss Potters be wanting anything more before Dobby returns to the kitchen?"

"No! Thank you, Dobby. Everything looks delicious," Emily commented.

"If Dobby can be of further assistance, just call him. Dobby is always happy to help the daughters of Harry Potter." There was another crack and Dobby vanished.

"Was that a house-elf?" Claudia asked, stunned. "I've never seen one before except in pictures."

"Yes," Caitlin answered. "But Dobby is more than merely a house-elf, he's a good friend of the family."

"He didn't seem at all shaken to see all of you unclothed."

"He wouldn't be," Emily laughed. "In the case of Emily and me, he'd be more surprised to see us clothed. Once we enter that door, we're home and the clothes come off until we're ready to leave."

"What if you have visitors?" Claudia asked.

"They accept us as we are or they don't visit," Emily replied straightforwardly.

"Come on, lets eat before the food gets cold," Kim suggested. "We have all night to swap gossip."

And gossip they did. They talked about boys, Denise, boys, professors, boys, classes and finally about boys. Except for the subject of Denise, Claudia had remained moderately silent, although listening intently to the conversation of the other girls. Finally around midnight they decided to turn in.

"Kim is going to share Emily's bed," Caitlin pointed out. "I hope you don't mind sleeping with me?"

"Not at all," Claudia said and then cursed.

"What's the matter?" Caitlin inquired.

"I forgot my pajamas," Claudia moaned. "I don't suppose you have any that I could scrounge?"

"I'm afraid you're out of luck in this household," Caitlin said.

"Then I suppose I don't have much choice but to sleep in my underwear," Claudia said grudgingly. She slid off her cushion and stood wobbly next to the bed.

"Do you need any help?" Caitlin asked.

"No, I can manage." Claudia sat on the edge of the bed and removed her shoes and socks and then swiftly slid under the covers before reluctantly shedding her blouse and skirt.

Caitlin stared at her, bewildered.

"I can't help it if I'm bashful," Claudia protested. "You saw how tiny and sheer my panties are and I don't have a tee-shirt on. You would all laugh if you saw my immature body."

"No we wouldn't," Caitlin insisted. She grabbed Claudia's hand and held it tightly. "We're your friends. Friendship isn't predicated on the size of your breasts."

"By the way, did I tell you guys that I invited the boys to drop by tomorrow afternoon after lunch," Emily said, trying to take the attention away from a noticeably tense Claudia.

"Mum and Dad won't be pleased about that," Caitlin said.

"I didn't intend to let them know," Emily announced. "Besides we're not going to do anything immoral. At least I'm not. I don't know about you and Evan"

"Who all did you invite?" Caitlin inquired, ignoring Emily's snide comment. "Just Tyler, Evan and Randy. Oh, Matt is coming, too. He sort of invited himself when I was talking to Evan and Randy."

Claudia flushed at the mention of Matt's name.

"I figured that by tomorrow afternoon we'd be bored with gossip and ready for some distraction. We can play some board games. It seems like years since we've done that."

The others agreed and then after a bit more discussion they finally settled down to sleep, everyone but Claudia. She waited until thoroughly convinced that Emily and Kim were asleep before whispering, "Caitlin, are you still awake?"

"Yeah. For some reason I can't sleep. Are you having the same problem?"

"Sort of; I wanted to ask you a question."

"Go ahead."

"It's completely over between you and Matt, right? Neither of you have any lingering feelings?"

"I can't speak categorically for Matt, but I unquestionably no longer have those type of feelings for him. I'm actually hoping that Evan and I have the opportunity to make love before the year is out."

Claudia was momentarily taken back by this startling information, but plowed on. "Then you wouldn't mind if I asked Matt to have sex with me?"

To say Caitlin was flabbergasted by this question, would be putting it mild. "But he's never even asked you out on a date. You barely know him. How could you possibly consider doing something so special, so intimate with him?"

"Because he's the first boy that's showed an ounce of caring toward me since I can't remember when," Claudia retorted. She sat up, took a deep breath and dropped the bedclothes covering her chest. "Look at me! I don't exactly ooze sex appeal. I'm sixteen year olds with no breasts at all, just two puffy little nipples. I've looked like this for the last six years and I'll look like this until the day I die.

"My circumstances aren't going to get any better. In ten years I'll be in my mid twenties and attracted to men of that age and older, but somehow I doubt any of them will be much interested in someone with this body. If he says yes, it might be the only opportunity I'll ever get to experience what it feels like to be a woman."

Caitlin wanted to disagree, but couldn't come up with any logical arguments. Claudia's intellect and needs were maturing while her body remained at a standstill. The gap was only going to increase more and more as the years passed.

"He's a teenage boy," Caitlin said. "I seriously doubt he'd turn down the opportunity to have sex with you; it's not like you're some repulsive old hag. You're very attractive for..."

"For a little girl." Claudia finished the statement for Caitlin. "I know what I look like on the surface, but I'm not a little girl within. I'll come of age in the Wizarding world in another year. Can't you understand what I'm going through, being trapped in this body?"

Claudia sighed. "Some days I think it would have been better if I had died."

"Don't talk like that," Caitlin protested. She paused briefly, weighing her words. "Assuming Matt is agreeable, is your body physically able?"

Claudia snorted. "Unless he's quite overly endowed. It will undoubtedly be tight and probably hurt at first, but I'm prepared for some discomfort. I've already done the deflowering charm so that won't be a problem and obviously I'll never have to worry about pregnancy."

"You seem to have it all covered," Caitlin said, marveling at Claudia's almost businesslike approach to something she consider romantic and cherished. "When are you going to broach the subject with Matt?"

"I'm not sure; I'm never actually alone with him," Claudia said. "It's not something I'd want to bring up when Randy is about."

Caitlin agreed, but didn't comment further. She wasn't sure how she felt about Claudia's plan or whether or not she wanted to become involved. Before she drifted off into a fretful sleep, Caitlin came to the decision that she would speak with her mother and solicit her opinion.

- - - - - -

She wasn't sure what disturbed her sleep, but it was only three in the morning when Caitlin checked her watch. It was when she rolled over to go back to sleep that she realized something was amiss; she was alone in her bed.

Caitlin was about to throw back the covers and look for her friend when she spied Claudia creeping back into the room.

The girl practically jumped out of her skin when Caitlin whispered, "Where were you?"

"I had to go to the bathroom," Claudia replied tensely. "I'm sorry if I woke you."

"You didn't," Caitlin yawned, turning once more to go back to sleep as Claudia undressed before getting back in bed. Caitlin smiled as she drifted off to sleep; only Claudia would get fully dressed, including shoes and socks, just to go take a pee.

* * * * * *

The girls all slept late Saturday morning and then enjoyed a delicious brunch served by Dobby.

"What time did you say the boys would be here?" Claudia asked anxiously.

"I told them any time after lunch," Emily replied. "It's noon now so they'll probably be here in about an hour."

"If that's the case, don't you guys think you should get dressed?" Claudia asked.

"Why?" Emily asked, at a loss.

Claudia stared at Emily as if she had gone mad. "You're all nude in case you've forgotten. Certainly you don't want the boys to see you like that."

Emily chuckled. "This is our home, our turf; anyone that enters that door sees us in our contented condition, nude. Besides, the boys have all seen us naked before, although it's been awhile."

"Did I hear the door?" Kim questioned. "Do you think that's them already? They're early."

"They wouldn't just walk in," Caitlin said. "What's more, they don't know the pass word." But it wasn't any of the boys; it was Hermione and Harry.

"Mum, Dad, What are you doing home already?" Emily exclaimed. "I thought you said you wouldn't be home until tomorrow night?"

"That was our plan," Harry said, sounding slightly put out. "I was hoping that perhaps you girls knew what was going on. We got an owl a short time ago from the Headmaster asking us to please return to the castle immediately; that there was some sort of urgent situation."

At that moment the magically magnified voice of the Headmaster echoed throughout the castle.

"All students to return to their House dormitories at once. All teachers report to the staff room. Immediately, please."

"He sounds really upset about something," Hermione asserted. "Harry, we best hurry to the staff room. I'm sorry girls, but it looks like your little get-together is over. Scurry and get dressed and then hasten back to your dormitories. I'm sure your head of House will be in contact as soon as possible to let you know what is going on."

Without another word, Harry and Hermione turned and rushed out of the room. The girls quickly dressed and then without delay hurried back to their dormitories, their plans for the day instantaneously forgotten.

When Harry and Hermione reached the staff room, Ron and a few other teachers were already in attendance.

"Do you have any idea what this is all about, Mate?" Harry inquired of Ron.

"Not the foggiest," Ron replied, "but it must be awfully important for Snape to go as far as summoning you two back from Paris."

Hermione questioned Katie and Neville, but like Ron, they had no clue what was going on. As they waited for the Headmaster, Draco, Ginny and the other teachers arrived.

Harry noticed that Draco was looking even more pallid than normal. The Head of Slytherin House looked under the weather; gone was his normal arrogant better than thou expression.

Neither Draco nor Ginny acknowledged anyone; instead they quickly took seats and sat quietly, not even chatting to each other. Some of the staff, Jamie for instance, looked puzzled, others appeared out-and-out scared.

Finally after what seemed like hours but was only a matter of minutes, Professor Snape entered the room. He appeared much older than his actual age and was noticeably troubled.

"I have distressful news," he said, without preliminary remarks. "A student has been reported missing."

"But how is that feasible?" Neville asked. "A student couldn't possibly leave the Hogwarts grounds with our high level of security. Besides all the charms and wards, the gates and walls all have anti-intruder jinxes on them."

"I am well aware of our impressive safety measures Professor Longbottom," Snape said sarcastically, evidently annoyed by the interruption. "Never the less, preliminary searches seem to confirm that we are indeed short one student. That is why I have called you all here and restricted the student body to their Houses."

"We need to conduct an all out search of the castle," he continued. "Each floor must be searched thoroughly. We must search the dungeons, the Astronomy tower, Professor Trelawney's tower room; even the Owlery. Harry, if you could go and get that marvelous map of yours it could be of great assistance."

"Excuse me Severus, but who is it?" said Hermione, who had sunk, weak-kneed, into a chair. "Which student is missing?"

Snape couldn't believe that in his panic, he had forgotten to inform the staff exactly who was lost. He shook his head doubtingly. "The missing student is ...


End of Chapter Five


My thanks go out to my betas for this chapter: Ken, Don and Mistri-Tonks' Admirer. I'm still looking for an additional beta: if anyone would be interested in becoming a beta for this series, please contact me at [email protected]. Please be a good reader and take the time to review.

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