The Start (George/Closed)

[MAI...x]

~~Beth Kiamil~~Gryffindor~~

I was in Gryffindor. Typical really, seeing that my mum and dad were both in this house. But then again, I was glad I was in Gryffindor. It seemed a friendly house, well from what I'd heard anyway. My mum would be proud of me, but my dad, well maybe not so much. I wanted to write home, to James, to my mum, but I couldn't. They were long gone and there was nothing I could do about it. I felt so alone, it didn't seem right. I'd had friends back home in the muggle school, but here I had to start all over again and I wasn't very good at starting over. Not good at all.

I didn't know what to do with myself in such a grand place as this, so I had decided to just go to the common room and relax. To try and be around people, so that I could try and forget about home. Of course my dad wouldn't be missing me. He would be having the time of his life, and that was the thing that upset me the most.

The common room was fairly busy, but it was a large place so there was plenty of space. There was a chair over by the fire that I decided to go and sit by. It was the most vacant area of the whole room. Sitting there I got cosy and looked around at all the groups of friends and wondered if at some point I might be like them, with friends and being able to laugh and smile. During my thought I found myself looking into the blazing fire, just listening to the hum of the room around me. It was very relaxing indeed.

[Kira]

George Watson~~Gryffindor

I was so excited, I was finally here, finally at Hogwarts. I no longer had my mother to fuss over me and the annoying squeals of my sisters although i did miss them, slightly. I was so pleased i was in Gryffindor, my father had been in Gryffindor and my mother in Hufflepuff. I was excited to start lessons and to learn magic and to be able to play Quidditch and do all the things mum and dad wouldn't do at home because the muggle patrons would notice.

I was in the common room with a big smile plastered on my face. I had already made a few friends fro the boys i'd spoken to on the train. They seemed nice and they said they would be up for a laugh. This was going to be the best school year ever, so much better than my Primary school. Although i knew i had been luckier than some, my Primary school had had both muggles and magic kids in it. In the Gryffindor common room i could tell that there were different types of kids here, i studied the 1st years mainly. They would be classmates.

I wanted somewhere to sit, some of my friends were playing cards with a few older kids, i could tell they were trying to show off but the older pupils were beating them and winning the bets. I didn't like cards so i looked for somewhere else to go. There was a girl, she was really pretty and a first year. I recognised from the boats, she was sitting on her own by the fire. There was a chair opposite, i decided that i might as well make some more friends and she seemed pretty and nice. I smiled as i walked over to the fire. "hi, can i sit down?" i asked her, indicating to the air opposite.

[MAI...x]

~~Beth Kiamil~~Gryffindor~~

I was taken out of my daze by someone asking me a question. I slowly looked up from the fire to see a boy standing there looking at me. He was smiling so widely it looked like his face would split if he smiled any wider. I didn't smile back though. I recognised him from the train, the boats and the fact that he went up to the Sorting Hat after me.

I looked up to him and nodded. Do I say something or just nod? I decided just to nod. But then I wanted to make friends didn't I? And her seemed friendly enough. So I decided to say something. But not a lot. "Do you see anyone else sitting there?" He seemed to find that funny when all I'd done was state the obvious. I just looked at him and then back to the fire. That was where I was most comfortable right now and if he wanted to talk to me, then I would talk back.

[Kira]

George Watson ~~ Gryffindor

I smiled at her, i wanted to make a good impression and besides what she had said was funny. I sat down opposite her and looked across but she was gazing into the fire.I looked into the flames to try and find what was so interesting, the flames were mesmerising i would admit that but i could see nothing that would cause such an intense stare. I looked up at the girl but she was transfixed.

I decided that i would try to make conversation, i wanted to get to know her briefly before i decided whether i would want to stick around. I didn't want to make any stupid mistakes. I smiled, "I'm George by the way, George Watson," i introduced myself and held out my hand, "and you are?" i inquired with a grin. I waited for her to look up before catching her eye, she had beautiful big brown eyes which seemed so full of life but i couldn't quiet decipher what she was thinking.

[MAI...x]

~~Beth Kiamil~~Gryffindor~~

I pulled myself away from the fire again and looked at him. Why was he always smiling? He'd told me his name now I had to tell him mine. This was either a good sign that I could have finally made a friend, or a bad sign that it was all just a joke. After all I'd had plenty of jokes played on me before just because I was quiet, but ever since the accident people seemed to leave me alone. I enjoyed being alone most of the time, but sometimes I had that twist in my stomach that made me yearn for someone to talk to.

Before I left my dad had told me not to hold too high hopes about making friends. He told me no one would want to bother with someone like me who hardly spoke to anyone and was a freak. Most of the last year I'd gone around believing that, but now was a chance to show my dad that I wasn't a freak and that I could make friends on my own.

I held out my hand and shook his. He had a firm grasp and I looked at our hands briefly before looking to him. "Nice to meet you...I'm Beth. Beth Kiamil."

[Kira]

George Watson~~ Gryffindor

I smiled at her, "it's nice to meet you Beth Kiamil," i said with a cheeky grin. I liked her, i didn't know why, maybe it was because she was pretty or the fact that her brown eyes seemed to hold a whole host of secrets which made me want to know more about her.

I sat back in my chair and smiled again. I was smiling a little too much i realised but i was trying to make a good impression. I wanted to find out more about her, i just needed to find a way to approach the topic. "so, what do you think of the school so far?" i asked in a friendly tone. I was going to be bold next i decided and before she replied i added on the end, "I'm the oldest of my family and it's obviously been a while since my parents were here so I had no idea about what it would be like," i smiled, "but i like it so far, can't wait to start lessons. how about you, got any siblings?" i asked.

[MAI...x]

~~Beth Kiamil~~Gryffindor~~

He really did smile a lot. Maybe he was just a happy person or he found something funny about something or other. I didn't know, but I wasn't going to put myself out and be rude asking why. So I didn't.

This time I made a point of looking at him. The one thing I really noticed was his eyes. They were brilliant blue and I'd never seen anything like it before. They were quite out of the ordinary, but then magic and this school weren't ordinary either. I hadn't smiled yet, but I just didn't feel the need to. I felt lost in such a large place and sitting opposite someone that smiled all the time made me not want to smile at all.

He was the oldest. He wanted to know what I thought about the school so far. He wanted to know if I had any siblings. What on earth do I say to that? It was too much of a long story and could I really take talking about it. I never had done and I wasn't planning on telling that story to a complete stranger. I answered his first question though with, "Big..." Then I stood up, wrapped my arms around me and said, "If you'll excuse me." I ducked my head down and walked out of the common room.

[Kira]

George Watson~~Gryffindor

I stared after Beth, well that had gone well. I was a complete idiot and i had started to like her but obviously she didn't feel the same way. I hated this feeling, i felt awful. She evidently didn't like my company at all, she hadn't smiled and now she'd just upped and left. I could feel a lump in my throat, why did i hurt so easily when it came to people?

I stared into the fire just like Beth had done, i didn't really know what to do now, i couldn't follow her because she'd most likely gone to the girls dormitory and i couldn't go in there. I wasn't going to wait outside either. I felt like a complete fool, it wasn't that i was embarrassed more that i was disappointed. Beth was pretty and i had wanted to get to know her but she didn't feel the same way and there was obviously somehting wrong with me. I watched the fire.

[MAI...x]

~~Beth Kiamil~~Gryffindor~~

That had gone extremely well. I was on the verge of making a friend, all on my own, and I'd gone and blown it by getting up and walking away. That's what I did best though. I ran away from the things that scared my now. But hadn't I been brave in the accident. Hadn't I tried my hardest to save those I loved. I had done. So why couldn't I just talk to some boy that talked to me.

I knew why. I was scared to open up about how I felt. After a year of my dad telling me it was all my fault and being ridiculed for feeling upset about the accident, I had just lost the ability to speak.

Later that night everyone was going off to bed after dinner, but I took my place by the fire again and watched it crackle and glow. I'd seen George at dinner but he hadn't looked my way. Not that I knew of anyway. I just hoped he would try and talk to me again, because I don't think I would be able to freely talk to him off my own back. For me that was unheard of.

[Kira]

George Watson~~Gryffindor

I had waited at the fire until dinner, which was amazing! I could see Beth at the table and i kept looking her way but avoiding my gaze if she looked up, i didn't want her to notice.

When we were meant to go to bed i found i couldn't sleep, i kept thinking over everything that had happened. I was tryig to discover my fault, work out what i did wrong. It was no use. Felling impatient i got up and left the dorm, i headed down to the common room and planned to sit by the fire but as i reached the bottom of the stairs i noticed Beth. I could have stopped and turned back but i guess i thought that maybe this was my second chance. I smiled but only slightly as i walked across the room to the two chairs by the fire.

"I'm not stalking you i promise," i said trying to be light hearted, "I just couldn't sleep," i said, sitting down.

[MAI...x]

~~Beth Kiamil~~Gryffindor~~

I looked up from the fire to see George again. I wanted to smile so I let a small one spread across my lips, for me to only take it away as soon as he was looking at me.

"It's alright..." I looked at him for a little while more before turning my attention back to the fire. "I don't really want to go to sleep. I have to be tired before I even think about it."

I didn't know what I found so mesmerising by the fire, but it was just something that seemed to keep me here. Something that seemed to let me relax and take the images away of the accident. I was still haunted by that day and I don't think it will ever ease up. Still looking into the fire, for some reason I find the courage to ask him a question. I don't know how or why I felt the way I did, but I asked a question, and voluntarily. "Why can't you sleep?"

[Kira]

George Watson~~Gryffindor

I nodded my head, i understood what she meant, well sort of. I looked up from the fire at her question, it surprised me, first she'd smiled-which was amazing- and now she was asking me a question. I couldn't tell her the real reason which was that i was thinking about her. I thought for a moment.

"do you want the truth?" i asked and she nodded her head. I took a deep breath because i knew she would think i was weirdo after i told her. I didn't need to tell her but i felt as if i couldn't lie to Beth, i felt like i wanted her to trust me, "well...um...i..was..thinking about you too much," i said, i felt myself blush and i looked into the fire. I didn't know what she would say or think about what i had said.

[MAI...x]

~~Beth Kiamil~~Gryffindor~~

As soon as I heard what her said I looked at him, but he wasn't looking at me. I'd heard what he said but how could that be true? It was such a strange thing to hear and I didn't know whether it was a good thing or not. "Me?" I managed to get out of my mouth.

This time I kept my eyes on him. He was embarrassed. I could tell by the red in his cheeks. It was either embarrassment or the heat of the fire. I chose embarrassment. I didn't really know how to deal well with people so I said what I thought the best thing was. "I think about things too much too. That's my downfall I guess."

At that point he looked up at me and I let a very small, lopsided smile spread across my face.

[Kira]

George Watson~~Gryffindor

I smiled at her, i decided i might as well open up, it would do no harm if i did. "umm, yeah...i do that a lot and i guess well tonight..was..um..you.." I said, trying to hold her gaze. Even though Beth's smile was small it was still amazing and i realised then that i really liked her but i couldn't say that. I wanted to be her friend and i really hoped she felt the same.

I smiled back and looked into her eyes, i was going to be bold too. "so, what was keeping you up tonight?" i asked her. I hoped she would give me an answer and nit just walk away like before. I feared that she might do, it seemed to me that Beth removed herself from conversations that she didn't want to be in, which was fair enough but i just hoped it wouldn't be like that.

[MAI...x]

~~Beth Kiamil~~Gryffindor~~

I stopped smiling then. This time it was a different question that from the one earlier, but it still had exactly the same answer. I didn't want to answer it so I stood up and was about to walk away when I saw his face. It was one of dismay and hurt. I then stopped and thought. I wanted friends. The accident happened. There was not point in running away from something that had happened and I didn't want to ruin another chance at friendship.

So instead of walking away this time I slowly sat back down and looked at him. He seemed pleased that I'd stayed. "Just thoughts. The same thoughts that have kept me up for the last year."

I looked to see his face but I had given him an answer. It was true, just not the whole truth. At least it was a start.