Ea sighed for the umteenth time, her boredom taking over most other thoughts. She cringed again as she remembered the spectacle in the hallway.

"Hey, you're that newly transferred girl aren't you?" A boy that had accompanied Brogan had asked, "This is a Third Year class. Your class must be next hour or whenever. You're in the wrong place."

Ea had chosen to ignore him altogether, instead focusing on her classmates, who seemed agitated at this guy. One of her upper-classmen stepped forward.

"If she's here, then here is where she's supposed to be. One of her own house would have told her otherwise already. You should mind your own business, Dorian." 

Ea was mildly surprised at the other Hufflepuff and it must have show because the student, Henry, if she remembered correctly, spoke to her next, "We Hufflepuffs look after our own." he stated matter of factly, and a few of her surrounding House nodded sharply. 

Dorian scoffed and turned back to talk to Brogan, who had watched the entire scenario without intervening. Ea frowned but turned away, ticked off that people would go out of their way to harass others. 

At that time, a short, stoutly old man waddled up to the group and opened the class door.

Now she was confident she was wasting away until the hands-on part of the class. Which seemed to be starting finally. Sitting up from her previously hunched over position, she listened more aptly to what Professor Flitwick was saying. 

"Now I know many of you have finished your summer homework, but didn't do much after that. Who would like to demonstrate what they have, or have not learned? Volunteers?"

"I think the new girl should show us why she's in our class, Professor." Ea whipped her head around to glare at Dorian, who grinned snidely at her. 

Fine, two can play that game, she thought.

Professor Flitwick looked at Ea, "How about it, my dear?" 

Ea smiled sweetly, "I don't suppose I could pair with someone, could I?"

Flitwick beamed at her, "Yes, yes, of course my dear! Who would you like to accompany you? One of your House I suppose? Let's see..."

"Actually, can Dorian assist me? He seems to understand the subject well and I'm sure he can correct me if I'm wrong," she asked. She turned in her seat to face the now wide-eyed Dorian.

Ea stood and moved toward the empty area of the classroom and waited while everyone watched as Dorian faced her. She looked him in his eyes and didn't blink. Her opponent was not affected, but that wasn't the only trick she had up her sleeve.

Spinning suddenly, she whipped her wand through the air elegantly, and as she came about, let her spell fly. The spell quickly sped towards its target, causing pretty sparks and jets of lights to fly in all directions. 

Dorian caught it just in time to avoid a faceful of feathers. As it was, the spell had been cast to go off whether or not the target was hit, and the feathers flew around the large Slytherin, who was fuming now.

"She didn't use an incantation! That's unfair! We don't learn that until later in the school year!" It was odd that it didn't sound like whining in his deep voice. 

Professor Flitwick laughed, "Then maybe that's why she's in an advanced class," He said dismissively before turning to Ea, "Thank you for that beautiful display of skill, Miss Dursley. 5 points to Hufflepuff, for staying on top of the ball." 

Ea turned sharply on her heel to return to her seat, but when she stepped forward, her right foot slipped out from under her on a feather, and she gasped, her lips barely starting to form an incantation to suspend her fall, when a warm band of steel wrapped around her waist. Her head fell back, filling her vision with gray eyes and a smirk that made her irritation melt. 

"Feathers," he said as he pulled one out of her hair that must have caught in the flurry of falling, "They're equal opportunity tricksters." Ea's face flushed and she stood quickly.

"Thank you Brogan, but I'm quite confident in my ability to catch myself." she grouched. She hadn't meant it to come off so aggressively, but damn if he didn't affect her nerves somehow. She returned to her seat and practiced the charms they were learning with little interest. 

At the end of class, she was writing down her homework when a familiar shadow fell over her. Sighing, she stated without looking up from her parchment, "Is there something I can help you with Brogan?" 

His soft chuckle met her ears, "How did you know?" 

"Because," she said evenly, putting her book and supplies away and standing, "The smell of dog precedes you. Speaking of, I would appreciate it if you kept your mutt on a leash," she continued, glaring at his waiting friend.

Brogan tossed his head back and laughed, "I'm sorry, he's just... aggressive in his method of introductions. I can walk you to your next class as a recompense?" 

"I don't believe that our classes are near each other," she told him. 

He laughed again, "Actually lass, we have the same class after the break," he had the right idea to look sheepish, "Sorry, you're stuck with me. Actually, we have several classes together if I remember correctly."

Ea sighed, "Then I really don't have a choice now do I?" She looped around to a courtyard and sat on one of the walls. Brogan sat in the grass in front of her and sprawled out, picking at the grass around him. Ea looked at him, then at Dorian, who had followed them away from the class.

"Can you go away please? I'm finding it nearly impossible to study with your hound glaring daggers at me." She said acerbically, only to have him chuckle at her. 

"I can't promise anything. He's his own person, and just between the two of us, he's much less if a dog than I-"

"Brogan! Brogan, what are you doing?" A very feminine voice called, "Don't you have class soon?"

Ea looked over to see the gorgeous ruby-haired girl from the sorting ceremony walk over. And promptly kicked his leg.

"Why are you floozing around instead of heading to class? You can't just..." And then she saw Ea, "Who's this Brogan?"

Dorian made another day view, "She's no one special. Just some fresh meat to gnaw on." He probably wasn't expecting the hand that flew across his face. What he most definitely wasn’t expecting were the ears that sprouted from his head. 

"What the fuck? What the fuck!?" He pulled at the rabbit like ears that were now hanging uselessly from the sides of his head, while Brogan and the girl laughed relentlessly, clutching their sides. 

Ea left the minute her hand connected with Dorian's face. She knew she would pay for it, but she could barely see past the red tint that had grown across her vision at Dorian's insult. Her hand still tingled and she vowed that she would punch him next time.

She whipped out her map and quickly navigated her way to her next class. She could fume and study in the quiet of a classroom where she wouldn't be bothered.

The break ended with several of her house wrestling each other into the room. When they saw her in the corner they marched over and dragged her to sit with them. Ea was laughing hard at one of Matthias's jokes and didn't notice when the Slytherins made their way into the classroom.  What she did notice was a hot spot on her back where she figured someone was staring at her.

Instead of acknowledging the owner of the burning stare, she sat forward in her seat as their Professor walked in. Ea was mildly shocked when she saw Fleur enter the room with the air of sophistication she always had. While Ea had only met Fleur a few times, she was always stunned by her elegance and beauty. 

“Good morning class. Please take out your books and turn to page ten,” she paused as she turned to do a quick and simple sketch on the blackboard behind her, “and I need a volunteer to demonstrate the homework that they finished over the break.” She turned sharply towards the class, and waited. Susan, one of Ea’s housemates, elbowed her and nodded her head toward the center of the classroom where the seats were lined around for a practice area.

Ea shook her head shortly, and kept her eyes on her Aunt. Thankfully some of her house felt like they could talk a little more in class, and Professor Weasley brought them forward.

“If you’re both comfortable enough to speak in class, then you can demonstrate what you’ve learned over the summer.” The pair laughed nervously and moved to the center of the room. 

Fleur continued as she began to walk around the room, “If you would look on the board, I have drawn a rough picture of defensive and offensive spells that you should have gone over during the summer. Now, if you would, please show us the correct ways to cast and defend against these spells.”

Claire and Spencer smiled and nodded, then turned towards each other. Claire smirked and sighed, “I do hope your behind likes this floor, seeing as they’ll kiss soon.” There were several chuckles and snickers from both houses.

“I’d rather hear more about your own behind, Claire, as I’m more likely to meet it than the floor.” A few gasps from the class were drowned out by the laughter that erupted. Claire took it in stride and they began to circle each other. After only a few steps, Claire simply said “Flipendo Trio,” and the spell went hurtling through the air. 

Spencer wasn’t fortunate enough to be as quick as Claire was, and the spell hit him directly in the chest. He would have flown back had it not been for Fleur’s quick flick of her wand to keep him from flipping over the desks.

“Well done, Claire. Five points to Hufflepuff if Slytherin can’t best them two times.” Instantly, one hand went up, on the Slytherin side of the classroom.

“All right Brogan, show us what you’ve learned this summer,” Fleur said. Brogan moved to the center of the room and winked at Claire.

“Be gentle with me?” he asked cheekily, causing Claire’s face to inflame. Saluting to her, Brogan began to walk in a circle. The predatory gleam in his eye made him seem wild, feral, almost as if he was stalking his prey. 

Poor Claire, Ea thought, she doesn’t even know she’s being hunted… All she could do was watch quietly, and see who this boy really was. She was in her element now, in an offensive environment. All she wanted was to be able to defend herself and those she cared about, and she made sure that she could. 

Too quickly it was over, and although Claire withstood Brogan’s initial three attacks, she hadn’t stood a chance. Ea could see it in the way that Brogan carried himself. There was a reason he commanded a room the way he did. There was something strangely magnetic about him, something that made anyone and everyone keep their eyes on him. 

So when Professor Weasley asked for another Hufflepuff candidate, Ea found herself in the center of attention, unable to stop herself, as she had stood at her desk rather suddenly in response to the question, and boldly marched out to meet a worthy opponent on her field of battle.