Snow fell heavily outside, meaning students were mostly huddled in their common rooms. Not Lena Luthor, though. The seventh year had far more interesting events to engage in. Independently, of course. Lena didn't need friends to have fun. Or snow. Or anything else. All she needed was a good Defense Against the Dark Arts book from the restricted section and she'd be all set.

So she sat cross-legged on the floor in one of the castle's long, lonely hallways, hunched over the book she'd just snuck out of the library, glasses sliding down the bridge of her nose, and read diligently.

One hour passed without incident, and without much notice from Lena, and two more after that, before she was interrupted.

"Hey," a bright voice called out.

Ugh, Lena thought. Stupid Gryffindor Prefects.

"It's not past curfew yet," Lena said curtly. "What do you want?"

The girl blinked several times, giving the Slytherin a serious, analytic once-over.

Irritated by the girl's silence, Lena said, "If you're wondering why I have a book from the restricted section of the library, I can assure you that I have a note. Not that it would be any of your business anyway, Gryffindor."

Taken slightly aback by this, but hardly frightened by Lena's bark, the girl simply shrugged her shoulders and said, "Hi. I'm Kara."

"Okay, Kara. What do you want?" Lena huffed, frustrated by the girl's lack of response to her original question.

Kara shrugged again and said, "Just wondering why you're out here all alone. It's cold out here."

Lena blinked, staring up at the beautiful, blonde prefect, and didn't move. What the hell is wrong with this girl? she wondered. Why is she talking to me?

"It's none of your business why I'm out here alone," Lena finally managed to quip back, after taking a pause in an attempt to clear her confusion.

"Aren't you cold?" Kara pressed.

Lena looked down at her arms and noticed goosebumps. She was a bit cold, but hadn't really noticed, as she'd been exceptionally engrossed in her book for the past three hours. But she wasn't about to tell a random Gryffindor Prefect that.

"Here," Kara said softly, kneeling in front of Lena as she shrugged her cloak off her shoulders and removed her sweater. "Take this."

Dumbfounded by the girl's forwardness, Lena just stared at her while she held her hand out. To Kara, it felt like forever before Lena spoke.

"I'm fine," Lena lied, visibly shrinking away from the gesture.

Kara bit her lip, hesitating, and gently protested, "You're right by the window."

"I know I'm right by a window!" Lena shouted, finally snapping.

She was hardly used to the extra attention, let alone the kindness this girl was showing her. There had to be something in it for her, Lena reasoned.

"What do you want?" Lena repeated, a scowl furrowing her brow.

After a moment of hesitation in deciding how to proceed, Kara carefully set her own sweater down beside Lena on the floor and returned to a standing position.

After putting on her cloak and making sure her prefect badge was on straight, Kara answered, with the question, "Why does someone have to want something from you, just to talk to you?"

Eyes going slightly wide at this, Lena considered the prefect's words. So… this girl didn't actually want anything from her? Wasn't trying to bother her, or get her in trouble, or taunt her at all? Lena found that very hard to believe.

"Everyone wants something," Lena argued, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Okay, I guess you're right. I really want a hot cocoa. Want to come with me? They're serving some in the Great Hall."

Is this girl fucking stupid or having a go at me? Lena wondered, nearly gaping. Lena had to admit that she was cold, and she did like hot cocoa… but there was no way in Hell she was going to get up off the floor and follow some preppy Gryffindor prefect into the Great Hall like they were some kind of friends. I don't have friends, Lena reminded herself. And I'd definitely never be friends with a Gryffindor.

House pride had been instilled in her from a young age by her family. Both parents and her brother, Lex, had been Slytherins, and although she was adopted, she felt that Slytherin pride was engrained in her DNA. Being friends with a Gryffindor? Her mother would strangle her and her father would roll over in his grave. Lex would disown her.

But Kara was incredibly – stupidly – kind. It would be a bit rude to ignore the offer, when she was exceptionally freezing, and sitting directly next to the prefect's only sweater.

"You okay?" Kara asked, shaking Lena out of her extended stupor.

Clearing her throat, Lena offered a single affirmative nod before answering, "I'm fine."

"You coming, or…?"

Biting her lip, Lena hesitated. Then, looking down at her book, Lena thumbed the page, unsure of whether or not she wanted to give up on her reading for the day. Well… maybe just a little break wouldn't hurt…

"I… I could go for a hot cocoa," Lena said shyly, suddenly feeling her confidence waver.

She hated the sound of her voice then. Hated the way it was small and unsure. But this girl… this random, sweet girl was being kind to her, something Lena wasn't used to. She didn't even know why she'd agreed. Maybe it was because she was so used to hardly speaking all day, except to answer questions in class. (She wasn't a know-it-all, but she wanted her professors to know she was doing the work.)

Kara smiled brightly, and Lena couldn't help but notice that it lit up the dim hallway like dawn breaking over morning, dew-covered hills.

Slowly, she rose to her feet.

"Come on, then," the prefect cheerfully urged her. "I'm so ready. Do you have yours with whipped cream or without?"

Lena almost laughed at this. At Kara's bubbly personality and good-natured interest in her.

"With…" Lena answered slowly. "You?"

"Absolutely and indubitably with," Kara replied, looking over to grin at the Slytherin falling in step beside her.

"Would you mind telling me your name?" Kara asked cautiously, offering Lena an encouraging smile.

"I'm… I'm Lena Luthor."

"Kara Danvers. Pleasure to meet you, Miss Luthor."

Miss Luthor.

Lena thought she might faint, thinking, Is this girl for real?

Once in the dining hall, Kara fixed a hot cocoa and put whipped cream on it. To Lena's surprise, the mug was handed to her. Kara had made sure she had her drink first. Nearly blushing, Lena mumbled a soft 'thanks' and waited for the prefect to fix her own.

As soon as they sat down across from each other at the table, Kara gently asked, "So, what were you reading?"

She could tell that Lena wasn't one to share, but she was hopeful to engage her in a conversation. It was clear that this girl was complex, and so many things about her had intrigued Kara already, the magnetic pull too strong for her to resist asking questions. All of the sudden, Kara felt a deep longing to know anything and everything about this girl. Not only was she beautiful – her dark, smooth raven hair shimmering in the candlelight of the Great Hall, and her green eyes shining brightly – but she was also mysterious and guarded, which only made Kara's desire to know her more intense.

"I, um…" Lena mumbled, dropping her gaze to her drink.

"It's okay. I don't judge," Kara assured her. "And I won't tell that you snuck it out of the library without a note."

"What?!" Lena gasped, mouth agape with shock.

How the hell did she know Lena had just taken it?

"Listen," Kara said, smiling warmly. Chuckling, she explained, "I'm a good judge of truth, and you seem to be a terrible liar anyway. If I'd wanted to get you in trouble, I already would've, so you might as well just tell me."

Shock rocked her body as Lena stared in disbelief. The audacity of this girl! To call her a terrible liar. Lena hated it, but she was starting to blush from embarrassment. Was it really that obvious? she wondered. But Kara was right; had she wanted to get her in trouble, she would've done it already.

So, taking a deep, steadying breath, Lena confessed, "I wanted to learn a few things about the mirror of Erised."

Kara tilted her head in confusion and asked, "The what?"

Rolling her eyes slightly, Lena enlightened the prefect, "It's a mirror hidden in the castle somewhere that shows you what you want most in the world. Dumbledore hid it years ago, and I'm just dying to know where it is."

"You think the book will tell you that?" Kara asked curiously.

Lena shook her head and answered, "No. But I want to know more about it before I go looking for it."

As soon as the words were out, Lena covered her mouth. Oh, shit, she cursed silently. I just told a prefect I'm going to sneak around the castle looking for a fucking forbidden object.

Seeing Lena's reaction, Kara couldn't help but laugh as she vowed, "I'm not going to tell. Besides, if Dumbledore hid it, I don't think you'll ever find it. He was a genius."

Lena rolled her eyes, telling Kara, "Nothing's impossible, Kara. Nothing."

Kara shrugged, offering her signature warm, inviting smile and replied, "Maybe you're right."

Tilting her head slightly, Lena asked the girl, "You really aren't going to tell?"

"Nah," Kara told her. "No point. Just try not to get caught or get hurt, yeah? The castle can be dangerous, especially at night. And Peeves won't hesitate to fuck you over."

"Why do you care?" Lena asked suddenly, her face returning to its original dark expression.

Kara shrugged again and explained, "I dunno. I just care."

"You don't even know me."

Another shrug from Kara was followed by, "I usually get a good read on people pretty quickly."

"And… what's your read on me?" Lena asked, voice becoming soft and shy.

With a warm smile, Kara answered, "You're complex."

"I don't know what the Hell that means, but… thanks?"

Laughing, Kara shook her head and said, "No need to thank me. Anyway, you should drink your hot cocoa before it gets cold."

Lena looked down, noticing that her hot cocoa was, in fact, no longer steaming from the heat. Taking a sip – thankfully, it was still warm at least – she savored the sweet taste of the chocolate. Kara did the same, both of them enjoying the beverage for a while, before Kara's personality got the better of her, and she could no longer refrain from talking.

"So, what year are you?" she asked cheerfully, trying to be gentle in her questioning as her excitement burst through her.

Kara was definitely a sociable person, to say the least. Making friends? Probably the best part of her day. Not to mention… this girl was gorgeous. But that was a problem that Kara felt the need to shove down and pack away for now. She was all too aware that Lena was about as warm and fuzzy as a basilisk.

"Seventh," Lena finally answered, using a napkin to wipe a bit of whipped cream off her lip as Kara did the same, but with her sleeve.

This girl is a barbarian, Lena thought, watching as Kara's lips left a small white spot on her robes. Why does she have to be so cute?

"I'm a sixth year," Kara told her with a smile, setting her empty mug down on the table.

"Aww," Lena teased, feeling her inhibitions fading. "You're just a baby!"

"Hey!" Kara cried. "I'm not… a baby. I'm just… Hey, wait a minute! You're only a year older than me! How does that make me a baby?"

Smirking and shrugging her shoulders, Lena answered, "It just does. Anyway, it's getting late. I should… get going, I guess…"

Kara blinked a few times at Lena's sudden desire to exit.

"Did I… Did I say something wrong?" Kara asked softly, looking somewhat shy.

"No," Lena assured her, involuntarily offering gentle smile. "It really is getting late."

Kara looked at her watch and noticed that it was, in fact, close to when she generally went to bed.

"You're right. I'm sorry to have kept you," Kara told Lena graciously. "May I walk you back to your common room?"

Lena's eyes widened at the request. And it really was just that: a request. Kara wasn't insisting, like other boys she'd known had previously done. She wasn't imposing. She was asking permission.

"I, um… I'm really alright," Lena told her. "I'm capable of finding my way to my own common room."

"Oh, I wasn't saying you weren't. It would be my pleasure just to make sure you make it there alright." When Kara looked around the room, she noticed that they were the last ones in the Great Hall and added, "The castle can be dangerous at night, and you shouldn't be seen in the halls without a prefect after curfew."

"So you've said, about it being dangerous" Lena chuckled. "I'm really okay, though. I'm not scared." When Kara nodded her head respectfully but looked visibly disappointed, the brunette sighed under her breath and said, "Alright. You can walk me."

Kara's face brightened instantly, for more than one reason. First, she would get to spend more time with Lena. Second, she'd be getting to do what she loved best: looking out for someone else.

"You know, I'm older than you and can take care of myself," Lena mused as they fell in step in the hallway, walking towards the Slytherin common room.

Giving an immediate, affirmative nod, Kara answered, "I know."

Kara walked slowly, without much pep in her step, wanting to make this walk last as long as possible. After all, she wasn't sure if Lena would ever give her the time of day again. Lena did her best not to look over at Kara as they walked and instead kept her eyes mostly on the floor in front of them. Each time she caught Kara's eye, her heart started to race, and she hated it.

After a few more minutes of polite small talk, they found themselves at the entrance to the Slytherin common room.

"Well… Goodnight," Kara said softly, looking at Lena.

"Yeah…" Lena said slowly. "Goodnight."

Offering a smile, Kara whispered back, "Thank you for a lovely evening."

Somewhat taken aback by this, Lena nodded and, not daring to say 'can I see you again?' whispered the password to the portrait and stepped through the common room door, leaving Kara standing alone in the hallway.

The whole walk back to the Gryffindor common room felt long and lonely to Kara, and that was not a feeling she was used to. Kara had plenty of friends. She was never really 'lonely.' At least, not like this. Unable to place exactly what was missing, Kara simply felt an emptiness she couldn't explain. It was like losing something you just had in the other room, that you know you want, but just can't find.

As Kara found herself lying in bed that night, she realized what was missing: Lena. There was something about her companionship that was different. More engaging. Something that made Kara's stomach flip. But that was all over now, Kara reasoned, because they'd likely never speak again. A Slytherin and a Gryffindor? Friends? Now, that was a laugh. Of course, it didn't bother Kara in the slightest, but to everyone else, that kind of friendship seemed impossible. Besides, Lena hadn't asked her to spend time with her again. So whatever chance they had was gone. They didn't have any classes together. They had no reason to come into contact with each other again, if not intentionally. That ship had sailed.

I should've asked her to hang out tomorrow, Kara scolded herself, hating that she'd let the beautiful girl walk away from her so easily. At least I know she's safe in her dorm.