*Haruko fastened her cloak around her; she could tell from the ceiling of the Great Hall that the weather was cool and cloudy, and the chilly temperature certainly matched it. She patted the silky black bun fastened up at the back of her head to make sure it was in place, though she already knew it was, and made her way towards the Slytherin table. It was almost empty: looked like it would be dinner for one tonight. Haruko didn't mind especially, but some company would be nice. She glanced down at the lumpy, cooling potatoes. If I had someone to talk to it might distract me from how godawful this food is. She clawed gingerly at it with her fork, but she knew already that she was fighting a losing battle.*

Erika trugged into the Great Hall her blue eyes studying the place seeing all who was there. She didn't see anyone who she cared for at her own table, but decided not to let that bother her as she took a seat near a girl, who she could tell was not British at all. Turning her gaze away she covered her mouth and yawned when after she filled her glass with some pumpkin juice.

*Haruko glanced up at the other girl as she edged her way onto the bench nearby. She seemed familiar, but she couldn't quite place her. Her attention returned to the dire state of the food. Maybe if I had a drink to wash it down, it wouldn't taste so bad, she thought. There was a jug of orange juice near the other girl*

"Would you mind passing the orange juice?" *she asked*.

Erika had been in her thoughts when she heard a girls voice ask to pass the orange juice. She glanced up her eyes landing on the girl beside her. Thinking it would be rude not to she leaned over the table and grabbed the pitcher with orange juice handing it to the girl. "Here," she told her.

Haruko watched indifferently as the other girl handed her the orange juice. She poured it into one of the small, crystal glasses that stood waiting nearby, watching the line of orange peak up as it filled. She was rather sure that the other girl wasn't in the mood to talk, but there was no harm in trying. "I think I've seen you around before", she said. "What's your name?"

Erika was putting food onto her plate as she heard the girl speak. She knew she must have sounded rude to the girl so she turned her eyes on the girl as she spoke. "Yes, we just probably haven't met. I'm Erika Hastings," she answered the girl then giving her a questionaing look as if asking 'And what is yours?'.

"I'm Haruko Sakamoto", said Haruko, tossing back her shiney black hair. "My dad was Japanese", she added. She had found before that people didn't like to ask about her name, but were curious all the same and knew it had something to do with her high cheekbones and slanted, almond eyes.

Erika nodded toward Haruko in her way of saying it's a pleasure. As the girl went on to say she was Japanese she half smirked. She knew from the beginning she wasn't from around her.

"I thought it was something like that," she told the girl. "I knew you weren't much English, no offence." Erika added with a light shrug as she took a drink of her pumpkin juice that had been left untouched.