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Sarah hopped out of the bus with a loud yawn, stretching her arms and turning a small circle. They'd arrived at their destination, an art museum that Harry had wanted to visit for years. It had taken a few hours longer than they'd expected (mainly due to the map being read upside down for nearly twenty miles and the Doctor's insistence that they knew a better route), but they were finally here.
Harry followed her out, wearing the sort of awestruck smile that she could never help but return. "I say, I swear I only mentioned this place once," he said, carding a hand through his hair.
"Well how could we forget?" she said.
As she spoke, the Doctor sprung out of the bus after them. They tossed the end of their scarf over their shoulder and said, "Especially when the idea excited you so much! C'mon-" They strode towards the entrance, and Harry and Sarah followed close behind; from the looks of the place, it wouldn't be too hard to lose them once they were inside.
Harry lit up like a Christmas tree and the Doctor followed him towards a wall of paintings, dodging a tour group. Sarah grabbed a pamphlet from a stand nearby, smiling as she watched Harry take the Doctor's hand. She thought for a moment before joining the tour; Harry and the Doctor would keep track of one another. The group made its way into another room.
A large sculpture hung from the ceiling, the walls were covered in beautiful landscapes, and the tour guide dutifully began their duty of contextualizing it all; Sarah hardly noticed any of it. Her attention was quickly stolen by something else.
A woman with straight blonde hair sat on a bench, holding a pamphlet and looking up at the sculpture. She wore a red jacket and a red pair of gloves, with beige pants and black boots, and she met Sarah's gaze with a quizzical half smile.
Sarah felt her cheeks turn bright red as she followed the group's lazy path through the room, barely listening as the guide continued their lecture. She caught her eyes flickering back up to the woman with the red jacket, and much to her surprise, she was looking back, poorly hiding a smile behind her hair.
The group finished the room far too quickly for her taste, and as they left for another part of the gallery, she stayed behind. The woman was looking up at the sculpture again, and as Sarah stepped closer, she spoke up.
"Lovely, isn't it?"
The woman jumped slightly and gave her a smile. "Yes, quite," she said, and her voice was beautiful and stern. She moved over on the bench to give her room, and Sarah sat down next to her.
Sarah looked down at her pamphlet for a moment, her heart thundering in her chest before she spoke again. "My name's Sarah, Sarah Jane Smith," she said, pausing before offering her hand to shake.
The woman smiled again, showing off her large front teeth. "That's got a nice ring to it," she said, "certainly better than mine."
"Oh? What's that?"
"Romanadvoratrelundar."
Sarah blinked and said, "But that's pretty! Do you like it, anyway?"
"I like it well enough, I suppose. I used to think it made me sound like some sort of fairytale princess but I'm sure that sounds silly. Most everyone calls me Romana."
Sarah smiled. "It suits you."
Romana smiled down at the floor (and was she blushing? Sarah couldn't tell.)
They sat in silence for a moment, looking at the sculptures and paintings before Romana stifled a small chuckle. Sarah raised an eyebrow and turned to face her.
"Oh, it's nothing, really. Usually the name is such a giveaway," Romana said, "especially in spots like this."
Sarah paused for a moment, confused, before Harry and the Doctor entered the room. Harry strode towards their bench and said, awestruck again, "Sarah! Hi! I didn't know you knew Romanadvoratrelundar!"
"Actually, we just met! I didn't know you were friends," Sarah said.
Harry gave Romana a bashful smile and said, "Oh, I don't know her personally, I've just read her interviews."
Romana returned his smile. "I'm surprised anyone read that nonsense, but I'm flattered all the same."
"I wouldn't say nonsense, those interviews are some of my favorites," Harry said, before telling Sarah, "This is her gallery. She made everything in here, I mean."
Sarah's jaw dropped.
"You- you did all of these?" she said, standing up from the bench and looking around. "That's incredible! Why didn't you tell me?"
Romana smiled. "I think it's a bit rude to open with something like that. But yes, I'm an artist."
The Doctor, finally finished examining every single piece of art, bounded over with an armful of pamphlets. They gave the entire group a wide smile and said, "I'm going to put these in the bus! I'll be right back," meeting Romana's gaze before leaving the room.
Romana gave the Doctor a small wave as they left, patting the bench on her other side for Harry to sit.
"The three of you have a bus?" Romana asked, and Harry and Sarah nodded. A thought occurred to her, and she lit up. "Are you all on a road trip?" she exclaimed, "Oh gosh, could I tag along?"
Sarah hesitated but Harry spoke up immediately, "Sounds fine by me!"
"I mean, we'd have to ask the Doctor but they'll be alright, I'm sure of it," Sarah offered.
"Yes, quite, the more the merrier!" Harry said.
Romana held her knees and smiled giddily. "I've never been on a road trip before, but I've heard about them! What do you do?"
Sarah shrugged and began to speak before the Doctor strode back into the room with another armful of pamphlets. "What've I missed?" they said.
“Could Romana come with us?” Harry blurted out, and while Sarah normally would have criticized Harry’s perpetual lack of tact, she could hardly blame him.
The Doctor shrugged and said with a smile, "The more the merrier," and Sarah wrapped Romana in a hug that she felt her return.