Moonlight Sonata

One

Pulling from Hermione's embrace, Amy smiled tiredly. Pushing a strand of dark hair from her eyes, Amy sat down beside her. Taking a deep breath, she leaned against her friend's shoulder.

"Had a full summer?" Hermione asked without looking up from her latest read.

"I fell asleep constantly," she replied, yawning heavily. "If that's what you mean."

Smiling briefly, Hermione turned her attention to the Sorting. Listening to Amy's steady breathing, she rolled her eyes when Harry and Ron sat down.

"And where were you guys," she demanded in a whisper.

"For some reason, Snape thought we'd flooded his office," Ron replied. Glancing up at the Sorting which was nearly done, he stretched an arm. " I hope they finish soon. I'm starved!"

"You're not starved," Amy murmured. "Those kids in Africa are."

"Yeah, so?" Her and Ron hadn't ever really gotten along, it was a matter of one annoying the other; to the deepest extent. But they were both friends with Hermione.

Opening her eyes halfway, Amy smiled meekly. Sitting up, she stifled a yawn.

"Probably nothing," she replied.

"I hope this year can be very enjoyable," came Doumbledor's voice, stopping Ron from retorting. " I have taken extra precautions to assure that you will all be safe. Now eat!"

Pulling a cup towards her, Amy filled it halfway with water. Sticking a roll halfway into her mouth, she sat back and bit a piece off of it.

"Hope we don't get Potions as our first class," Ron muttered. Cutting a piece off of his pork chop, he stuck it in his mouth. " We're gonners if that happens."

"Yeah, but we always were," Harry muttered. Staring into his glass, he thought about his summer. For the first part, he'd been at the Dursleys of course, and then he went to Grimmald Place. It wasn't the same as the first time, and it left him feeling hollow. His godfather was gone now, and nothing would ever be able to bring him back.

"So how're your lessons going, Amy?" Hermione asked. She'd gone home in the beginning also and both girls had telephones so they talked frequently.

Raising her head from it's place on the table, Amy smiled, finally finding a place in their conversation. She had trouble with those things, it she only had a sentence or less to say, her mind wouldn't let her say a word, so she was left to daydream.

"Oh, fine," she replied. Raising her left hand, she wriggled her fingers. "But my fingertips are still a bit sore."

"What lessons?" Ron asked, though pointing it more at Hermione.

"Piano," Hermione said simply.

"My dad made me take guitar but I wanted to learn piano," Amy explained. Pushing a lock of hair from her black eyes, she yawned again. "So we sold all the guitar stuff to get a really used piano."

"That's what you did to pass the time?" Ron asked, disbelievingly. He didn't think people could be so carefree these days.

Smiling one of her few smiles Amy shrugged. "I can be as carefree as I want to be, Ronald," she said, hearing the underlying meaning of his words and knowing her hated being called by his full name.

"Shut up will you?" Ron muttered. Turning away, he concentrated on his food.

"What'd I do?" Amy questioned stupidly.

"You annoyed him," Harry replied. Shrugging her stupidity off, he turned to the Staff Table. "So who's the new Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher?"

"They didn't announce anything," Hermione said. "But I do hope it isn't like Umbridge."

"I don't like female teachers," Amy murmured. "Well, McGonagall's okay and so is Sprout but still."

"What's the problem with them?" Hermione asked her.

Dipping her pinky into her cup, Amy stared past Harry and shrugged. As a strang of dark brown hair fell in front of her black eyes, she sighed.

"Hell should I know," she said stoicly. "It just annoys me when guys have crushes on them and not me."

Ron snorted. Getting a glare from Amy, he turned away. It wasn't like he'd had a crush on any teachers, who was there? All the female ones were old and that would be disgusting.

"Then let's say it's a man," Hermione said, raising her index finger. "Hypothetically."

Amy blushed and put her hands on her cheeks. Staring off into nowhere, she awwed.

"Then he'd have long hair," she said breathlessly. "Tied at the nape of his neck. Blue or green eyes and he'd be so nice. Tall and have one of those not so nasel, not so deep voices. Just right."

Sighing, she heard Ron snort. Turning, she glared daggers at him. Sticking her hands on her hips, she smirked.

"Jealous?" She asked. Chuckling, she flicked a strand of hair from her eyes. "Well, who wouldn't be? Even that teacher would want me."

"Amy," Hermione warned. Putting a hand on her friend's shoulder, she tried to make her sit down.

Brushing off her hand, Amy smirked at Ron. "Really now, Hermione. I'm just going to have a little new year fun," she said. "That's all."

"Nobody in this school likes you," Ron said, loud enough for the people around to hear. "You just attached yourself to us like a leech."

"Shut up, Ron!" Hermione said, trying to stop a fight from starting. "Just let it alone and eat."

"Stop trying to defend me," Amy interrupted. Grinding her teeth, she became stoic and looked down at the table. " If he wants to be that way then let him." Sighing, she collected herself and let her hair fall back around her face. "I mean, it's probably true. I'll see you guys later. Probably."

Walking past the Slytherine Table, Amy heard jeering from Malfoy as he told his 'fans' what he had planned for 'Potter and his little friends' that year. She was about to defend them but closed her mouth and turned away. It was pointless.

Holding the doorknob, she looked back over her shoulder to find Hermione and Harry watching her, trying to communicate with her through their eyes. Shaking her head, she left the Great Hall and turned to a staircase that lead to Gryffindor Tower.

'They just don't get it,' Amy thought. Standing in front of the mirror, she brushed her hair back into a low ponytail. Smiling, she turned away and collapsed onto her bed.

Hands behind her head, she stared up at her canopy. She'd known Harry, Ron and Hermione since their fifth year; two years ago. It wasn't like she could be able to trust them, them keeping so many secrets from her. And besides, she knew if one hated her, they secretly all hated her. Where was she to go though? No one else would come up to her and talk to her for some reason. She would be all alone and yet, she wanted to shun them, to be friendless again.

Rolling onto her side, Amy closed her eyes and held in the sob that was in her throat. No one deserved her as a friend. Yes, that was it. They all knew it so they didn't even bother trying to talk to her. And she could get along perfectly fine without friends as she'd done before her former ones.

"Yepppp," she murmured.

Sitting up, she gripped the curtain, stopping to stare out the window at the half moon. As clouds rolled past it, she sighed and shut it out. Placing her head lightly on her pillow, she almost instantly fell to a dreamless sleep like always.