September the First of 1976

[lizzy]

Catherine trudged along with her heavy cart, regretting when she let her dad tell her “Let’s make your last safe.” It was like a new revolution of overprotective fathers. She had a magical spell cast on her clothing to keep boundaries. Was her father afraid of spells, or pervs? Anyway, the additions had made Catherine’s cases extra heavy. Magic wasn’t light.

She went through the red-brown brick wall dividing platforms 9 and 10, avoiding all muggles. She knew she was late, and if the train left without her, she’d have to take broom, and Merlin knows how long that would take. She was thankful to see the train still in place, but just about ready to go. With all of her strength, she lifted the luggage and rushed to the door. The bags were so heavy that Catherine forgot she could use magic to help.

Almost all of the compartments were full, except for a few with those Catherine either had never seen or that were her acquaintances. She finally settled in a compartment with a Slytherin on her quidditch team that she would talk to at practices. They weren’t really friends, but they weren’t strangers to each other.

Catherine opened the latest edition of Quidditch through the Ages and skimmed through the pages, extremely bored with it. She felt a jerk as the train started to move, and bent her head back on the seat. This was one of those really hot, lazy days. She wanted to take a nap.

Catherine started to think about her previous summer, remembering her encounter with Chase and Selena. And what they said came back to her and never left her mind, like the tattoo on her right ankle. Was she really bad at being a Slytherin? The thought had never occurred to her until then.

Sure, Catherine wasn’t the meanest person around, but she wasn’t a Hufflepuff, right? She was brave and strong, not weak-minded and fearful. She wasn’t the best at comebacks, though, no one had ever really been that mean to her for her to have the need for them.

Slowly, Catherine’s eyes closed as she drifted into sleep. It was something to do, although she wasn’t really tired. She started to dream about her last year of Hogwarts and what she would do in the future. What job and families, the standard thoughts. Suddenly she saw Selena and Chase together in her mind, hurting her a little. She was alone while Selena and Chase were standing together, laughing at her. Was this her future?

[Molly]

Molly laughed and caught at the door frame as Vera hugged nearly tackled her, "Careful, Vera, I'm still suffering the effects of my brothers' latest prank." She hadn't taken the time to dry her clothes off before reaching the end of the train, no doubt her brothers had found a way to make the water impervious to the normal charms for drying out clothes. Molly let out a short laugh as she started wringing out her sweater, creating a small puddle at her feet. Vera would inevitably be a bit sodden from the contact, Gideon and Fabian were getting very good at creating large scale enchanted water balloons.

Her trunk was heavy, but Molly hoisted it up easily enough at slid it onto the shelf, pushing it against the wall so there would be room for others. "Well now you're done babysitting, go run off to your Ravenclaw friends. Ed's most likely found a compartment by now. If you hurry, he won't be asleep before you get there." She had noticed the circles under his eyes. Sure he didn't seem tired, but she knew he hadn't slept for very long that night, he always procrastinated everything, and he wasn't very skilled at household magic, so he usually packed like a Muggle would. Molly stepped sideways and sat down next to Peter, it'd be better than sitting beside Vera, where she'd have to sit sideways to talk to her. She glanced apologetically at the seat before making herself comfortable.

[Katie]

<sup>Just as Molly had said, Vera was now wet. Not that she cared. Once they got closer to Hogwarts she was going to change out of her street clothes and into her Hogwarts uniform anyway. Vera shook her head and laughed. "I don't mind. Your brothers are adorable in an evil and manical way. I can't be mad at them. " she joked. She chuckled as Molly wrung out her clothes, leaving a puddle on the floor. She was glad to see that Molly was as happy and Molly-ish as ever. Good ol' Molly, always cheering everyone up!

She rolled her eyes at Gerry's babysitting comment. "Jerk." she mumbled under her breath. At least now she'd be rid of him while he was still cranky. "Yeah, beat it, Gerry!" she said motioning for him to leave. "Go on! Scram!" she added in just for good measure. That'll teach him for being mute in her presense.

Gerry laughed as Molly wrung out her clothes. She was a funny chick, that Molly. She mentioned Ed being there and already with a compartment. He had almost forgotten how close the two were. They'd probably arrived together. "Alright! Well, in that case I'm off!" he said waving to everyone and heading for the door. "I'll be back again later though. Don't have too much fun without me!" he added. He sidestepped Molly and walked out the compartment door with another little wave.

He searched the train but it didn't take long for him to find Ed's compartment. Just as Molly had said, Ed was looking a bit drowsy. "Brother Ed! You look a bit tired. Benn partying it up?" he said jokingly as he entered the compartment and took a seat.

Peter watched as Gerry left. Which now made him the only boy in the compartment. He never liked girls. He never had any idea what they were thinking which scared him a bit. He cleared his throat and looked around, praying for some guys to arrive.</sup>

[Selena Belvidere]

Selena’s perfectly shaped eyebrows raised, unsure of what she had just heard. “Really?” Selena replied with a suspicious air to her voice. Laughing a little, she heard Chase swear and move on. Rolling her chocolate brown eyes, Selena leaned closer toward the male in front of her, leaving hardly any space between them. “I get it. I didn’t think you meant anything else.” Selena purred soothingly, trying to wash over the events that had just occurred, for his sake, of course. On her end of the conversation, she had found that tidbit quite funny and intriguing. Selena loved the fact that Chase seemed to be extremely shy around girls. It gave her a certain upper hand, diminishing ever so slightly the strong hold he had over her.

As Chase sat in embarrassment, Selena used the quiet time to think. Think over what the hell she was doing. Selena wanted him. Yet it would be forbidden. Not only was she destined for a future she didn’t even want, she couldn’t even have what she wanted in a mate. Although Chase probably had no feelings for her whatsoever, Selena liked to imagine that he did. In some faraway land, Selena’s dream world, she and Chase were inseparable. They spent every waking moment together, laughing, talking, and just hanging out. Ever since their encounter in Diagon Alley, that was all Selena really ever thought about.

She had imagined Chase coming over to her house, lounging around by her clear pool. Relaxing under the large oak tree on a checkered blanket, watching little minnows swim around in the pond. Selena could picture it all, but could never make it reality. None of her dreams would ever be tangible, much less anything in the realm of possibilities. Sighing ever so slightly, Selena brought herself back to the present, the still embarrassed Chase sitting across from her on the maroon cushioned bench. Cocking her head ever so slightly to the left, Selena gazed at the boy, her imagination world taking over again.

Selena would have to tell Chase how she felt. It wasn’t usually a think that she, of all people, would do. She wasn’t one of the girls that would make the first move. He needed to know though. This stupid infatuation of hers could go on no longer. Either he would accept it and say he felt the same way, or he would laugh and walk away. The latter option sent shivers of fear down her spine. Not only did she not want that to happen, but if it did, Selena had no idea what would follow. What if he went out and told everyone that Selena Belvidere was crushing on Chase Wilkins? She would be the laughing stock of the school, if not the rest of the century.

Giving up, Selena got up and ordered the Pumpkin Pasties and lifted the bag daintily from the trolley. Swirling around, making sure her neat curls flipped around and brushed against Chase, Selena returned to the small compartment. Making her way back over to her seat, Selena stretched out her legs and leaned her slim form against the wall. Popping open the small bag, Selena stuck her fingers in and pulled out a small orange candy. It was coated in a sugary covering, making the little treat stick to Selena’s forefinger and her thumb. Selena stuck the thing in her mouth, instantly filled with a satisfactory feeling. Being one of her all time favorite candies, Pumpkin Pasties always put Selena in a good mood. In this case, it improved her good mood.

As Chase re-entered the compartment, Selena watched as he maneuvered through his piled up suitcases back to his seat. How his movements brought out a flexible sense to his strong body made Selena want to purr with satisfaction. She didn’t know why, though, she had no hold over him. But when Selena Belvidere wanted something, she usually got it. Mentally gathering her thoughts, Selena prepared herself to admit her feelings to Chase. Why not any better time than the present? If Chase did feel the same way about Selena, and why wouldn’t he, she was gorgeous, then they could spend the whole school year secretly dating. And if he didn’t feel the same way, well, it was going to be just a risk she would have to take.

As she parted her perfectly shaped lips to tell him the truth, her little moment of courage vanished. Had he really just asked if Eli wanted to come sit with them? He really was determined to kill her, wasn’t he? Selena sighed, making it seem prolonged, signaling that she did not want Elijah to come sit with them. If she was going to admit her feelings to him, Selena couldn’t do it in front of the guy she was supposed to marry, now could she? That just wouldn’t work out at all. “Sure, why not?” Selena tried to make her voice sound alluring, playful. It didn’t necessarily come out that way though; she was still suffering from the blow of his invitation. “I would love it if Eli came and joined us.” Selena added sarcastically, hoping that not too much sarcasm actually leaked in to her voice. Hopefully, though, Chase could take a hint, but probably not.

[Sirius Black]

Sirius gave up on trying to drag his trunk along the corridor - he was getting in the way of everyone coming in the oppposite direction (and the same, now he thought about it) and had been stepped on, climbed over, and one fifth year slythering poked him so hard in the ribs he dropped his trunk on his toe. It was at this point, as he yelped in pain, muttering swears under his breath as the cackling slytherin departed, that he pulled out his wand and levitated it along the corridor to his egular compartment, guiding it carefully over his friends' heads onto the rack, before beaming (albeit somewhat strained) at his friends. He glanced fondly around the compartment, chuckling at Peter's expression. Peter was somewhat girl-shy, and here he was, with Miri, Molly and Vera. Poor guy.

"Once more unto the breach, drear friends," he joked, sliding into a seat next to Molly, peering at her with intrest. "You seem to have sat in a puddle, Molly." he commented, taking one shoe off with dificulty, tapping the large purpe swelling that had been his toe with his wand. It deflated with a crunch, and Sirius winced, then sighed with releif, replacing his shoe. "Sorry." he said as an afterthought, wrinkling his nose.

"Hi Miri, Vera, Peter. Now," he looked up, leaning back in his chair, "let's get the inevitable out of the way. How was everyone's summers?" he asked, grinning. He was, he realised, incerdibly sad. This was to be his last ever Hogwarts journey, and despite whatever he and James said about how they couldn't wait to be done with school, the fact remained that Hogwarts was the first place he had ever felt truly at home, felt appreciated, felt like he belonged. He would be sad to see that go.

[Chase Wilkins]

As Selena laughed, Chase suppressed a groan and ran his fingers through his hair. Wonderful. Now she was laughing at him. This is just great. He chuckled darkly under his breath, glancing out the window. Shouldn’t the train be moving by now? The commotion of underage witches and wizards were bustling about outside. Maybe he hadn’t been as late as he thought. He told himself to let it slide, it hadn’t have seemed to bother her, so he should forget about it and move on with the train ride. He sincerely hoped that she would not be leaving him alone. If worst comes to worst, he could go and sit with Gerry and Ed, his Ravenclaw House mates, like he had so many other train rides. But something was keeping him here with the raven-haired beauty. He felt some sort of a magnetic force that was drawing him to her, He couldn’t explain it properly. It was different than he had felt around any other girl before, not that he had spent much time in the presence of a girl since Leanne died, but you get the picture. He returned his attention to her, only to find her face several inches from his.

At that moment, Chase had a sudden urge to kiss her. Her lips were mere inches from his, and it wouldn’t have been too difficult. He may have carried out the action, had she not started speaking again. Unaware of what she was saying, he leaned back against the cushioned seat, distancing himself from her. It was better that way, he couldn’t make an entire fool of himself in front of Selena Belvidere. Had he tried (unless she had feelings for him) she would have been disgusted, and most likely have left him. Not only that, but she was known as a gossip queen. So everyone at Hogwarts would know what had taken place before they had even arrived at the school. He would have been shunned, and had to live out his wonderful final year alone in his dormitory. But there always was that slim chance that she felt something too, that she had some sort of feelings for him. She had spent part of her day with him in Diagon Alley, and she could have left. She could have told him to leave, but instead, she simply asked how his summer was. Maybe he was thinking to much into this, or maybe, she was simply trying to be polite.

What the hell was he thinking? She’s a Slytherin, and beautiful at that. He’s just some lowlife Ravenclaw who’s Death Eater father killed his Squib sister, forcing him to live with a depressed Muggle mother. He could push this stupid dream away. It would never happen. There was no way, in heaven or in hell that he was going to tell her how he felt. Guys shouldn’t care about relationships anyways; it was purely about getting laid with most of the guys he had met, save James Potter. The man should just give up already, Evans would never have feelings for him. Wait he thought to himself. This is so stupid! I’ve turned into bloody James Potter. I’m chasing after a girl that will never have me! Every year, Ed and I have made fun of the prat, and now I’ve turned into him! Chase groaned at the realization. He was a mixture between James Potter and Severus Snape. His Potter side coming from the fact that Selena was too good for the likes of him. The Snape side coming from an insane maniac who is crushing on someone despite house borders. He rolled his eyes, sighed, and tried to figure out a way for him to be Chase L. Wilkins again.

Selena returned to the compartment, he raven curls brushing up against him. It made his heart ache. He had fallen so fast, for a girl that he couldn’t have. Sure, he had had classes with her before, but he had never actually had a conversation with the beauty before him. She was different; she wasn’t like the rest of the Slytherins you meet. She was kind, when she wanted to be, yet at the same time, she didn’t seem to care what other people saw her doing, or who with. She was a free bird. Almost. There was still the subject of Elijah Peterson, her arranged husband. He was a year younger that she was, he wasn’t that good looking, and his hair took more time that Selena’s did. “Fine fine fine.” Chase laughed, holding up his hands in surrender. “I get it, We won’t invite him. Deal?” He chuckled again, hearing her sigh. What he would do to be the cause of that sigh. “So, Miss Belvidere, what do you want to do then. We’ve got an awfully long way to go until we arrive at Hogwarts.” Something was tugging at his mind thought. Only seconds ago, she looked like he was about tell him something. Something rather important too. But she had stopped when he had mentioned Eli. Curse him for being so arrogant. “Was there something that you wanted to say?” he questioned. “I’m sorry I interrupted you.”

[Selena Belvidere]

The old woman rolled her cart away slowly, the wheels grinding together with that horrid nails on a chalkboard sound. It hurt Selena’s delicate ears. She cupped her hands to her ear, a grimace spreading across her face. As the cart passed and made its way down the long hallway, Selena’s face turned back to its normal pallor. How much she abhorred that sound, no one knew. It was one of her secret fears. Every time a teacher did that in class, Selena would just about freak. It was a rare occasion, but when it did happen, Selena was near to the act of fainting. In fact, one time in Transfiguration, Professor McGonagall was not very happy at the Gryffindors goofing off in the back of the classroom. Of course, for the past six years, the Slytherins have shared Transfiguration and Potions together. Anyway, after McGonagall was annoyed, she ran her cat claws across the board in the front of the room. That day was one of the worst for Selena.

Selena hoped that she hadn’t overreacted for Eli’s case. He was nice, at least, and he had always been kind to her. He didn’t deserve this kind of treatment. But, sadly for him, Selena wasn’t all that nice to anyone she didn’t really like, so he wasn’t going to receive the royal treatment, if you will. If she didn’t favor a person, they would not get any favorable thing from her. But it was her personality, and if you didn’t like it, well sucks for you, because she wouldn’t change her whole person for someone else, if she didn’t have feelings for that person.

Although she did feel bad about overreacting, Selena seemed to get a vibe that Chase was a bit relieved. Why would that be, though? Of course, the first conclusion that Selena wanted to come up to was the fact that Chase could possibly like her too, but could she pull that conclusion from just one reaction to a sigh of hers? No, you really couldn’t. Sadly, that was all Selena could get from that, and hopefully her reaction to it was just about dead on. Then again, it could not be. Only he could be the complete victor of that.

“Fine.” Selena grumbled, sticking her hand back into the sugar coated bag. Chewing ferociously on the little pumpkin flavored candy, Selena thought of all the reasons she didn’t want to have Elijah with her in the compartment. The main reason she could think of was that she wanted to be alone with Chase. Hopefully they would have no other interruptions, unless he wanted to be the death of her. He would probably find a way to spin it around and bring someone else into the conversation. But for right now, Selena stretched along the bench, Chase sitting across from her, and the only other living creatures in the compartment being feathered, well, it felt nice.

What would she like to do? Don’t ask her that question. What Selena wanted to do would probably make him want to slap her. Of course, what she wanted to do was curl up in his lap, rest against his perfectly muscled chest, or maybe make out a little bit. Her fantasy world took the better of her. Why was she so weak? No other male being had ever made her feel like this, and it was such an odd experience. Most of the time she hardly ever had feelings for the people she went out with. And, just like in the fairytales, the one she wanted wasn’t in her class or spectrum even. She had had dreams of a Cinderella moment, with a flowing gown and a handsome prince. Until just recently, the prince’s face was indistinguishable. But after her run in with Chase in Diagon Alley, Selena knew exactly who was in that tuxedo dancing the night away with her.

“I dunno.” Selena shrugged, bringing on her ever so famous air of nonchalance. “What did you bring with you?” Selena asked, hoping he brought something for entertainment purposes. Selena was always very energized and hard to keep focused. She always tried to hide that nature of herself, but on long trips, like the Hogwarts Express ride, always bored her. The only thing she had brought were books, and you can’t really read while someone else is just sitting there. It wasn’t polite. And there was no way that Selena could concentrate on the words of the pages whilst Chase Wilkins sat across from her. It just wasn’t do-able.

Of course, Chase would bring her back to where they started, the subject that she didn’t want to touch on. She had to though, or he would never know. A few moments passed as Selena prepared herself mentally, a bead of sweat forming on the nape of her neck. How could she do this? It wasn’t like Selena to be afraid of much of anything, much less a boy’s reaction. “You can do this.” Selena muttered under her breath, too softly for Chase to have heard what she said. If he heard anything at all, it would have just sounded like an exhale.

Selena set the bag of Pumpkin Pasties down on the seat, swinging her legs in front of her so she was facing Chase in an upright position. “Chase,” Selena paused, wondering where to go from there. She definitely didn’t want this moment to sound in the least cheesy, like some bad sitcom would do it. Selena Belvidere was about to admit her feelings to a half-blood Ravenclaw! This moment could not sound a bit stupid or washy. A few more seconds passed as she thought over how she would word this, making it sound in the most way professional. “Ever since that day in Diagon Alley…” Selena breathed deeply, trying to relax her nerves. Although Chase couldn’t see, Selena’s pulse was going as fast as the speed of light. That couldn’t be healthy.

Alright, she would just have to cut to the Chase. Selena sniggered internally at her little pun. No more beating around the bush, going on about how she liked the day, the flirting wasn’t just a joke she really did like him. No, that would take too long to explain. Selena would just have to come right out with in a friendly way and tell him how she felt. “Chase, I like you. And not just in a friendly way. I really do like you.” Selena sighed and leaned back against the seat, glad that the hardest part for her was over with. The only thing she had to deal with now was his reaction to it all.

[Chase Wilkins]

“Are-Are you okay Selena?” Chase asked her as he watched her cup her hands over her ears. He had no idea what made her react in this way. Was it something he said? Then, after listening for a second, he heard the trolley cart leave, screeching as it did so. So that’s what it was, he had to agree, that sound was horrid. He slid the door closed, shutting it tight. “There, that’s better, now isn’t it?” He asked questioned with a smile, hoping that he was able to take that nasty grimace off of her beautiful face. He was relieved to hear that she didn’t want Elijah in their compartment. And it very well have been for purposes that had nothing to do with him. But he didn’t care, for the moment, he had Selena all to himself, and nobody could ruin that. He could have his little dream fantasy for now, but things would surely change when they arrived at Hogwarts. He would go to his Ravenclaw table, and she would head to her Slytherin table, separate from each other. She would probably never speak to him or about him again. She wouldn’t dare tell all her Pure-blooded friends that she hung out with a half-blooded Ravenclaw willingly. She said nothing more on the subject, simply returned to chewing on her orange candies.
Chase leaned up against the closed door, resting his hands behind his head. He kicked his feet up on the bench in front of him. This way, he was able to relax, and face Selena at the same time.

He continued to gaze upon the beauty in front of him, as she chewed fiercely on her Pumpkin Pasties. What had her so aggravated? What had he done now? She was being no help in deciding on what to do. Chase hated the train rides. He was an of age wizard, why couldn’t he just Apparate into Hogsmeade and walk from there? It would be so much quicker and easier. “Well, um. I’ve got my broom, Percival, that’s my owl, textbooks, and that’s about it. My mom doesn’t allow me any sort of wizarding or magical items in our house. I guess I’m just lucky to be able to keep Percy during the summer.” He said with a sigh. A part of him wished that he still had his dad around, someone who could hang around with him, play Quidditch with, a fatherly figure. But no. Since his second year, that was something he had never had. Professor Slughorn and Dumbledore had been the only men that had taught him anything in his life. He needed to have a father. Dads were supposed to teach you about girls, show you the ropes of how to impress and talk to one. His dad had only been around when he was like seven, and at that age, girls still had cooties. He needed a father now, this year, this summer. He needed Richard to let him know what he should do to make Selena fall for him. What kind of a crapshoot father had he had?

He seemed to have said the wrong thing, because it looked like she was having a panic attack. She was breathing heavily and looked as though she had been hit by a train. She exhaled deeply before swinging her legs out, so that she was once again sitting on the seat properly. Chase did the same, looking directly into her chocolate brown orbs. She murmured his name, then paused, as if unsure of what to say. What was she going to say? Her expression was unreadable. He couldn’t decipher what she was trying to say to him. She mentioned the day in Diagon Alley. That was when his feelings for her had really blossomed. He nodded, not saying anything so that she could continue. She inhaled slowly, before continuing. Chase listened avidly, soaking in her words. He had to be dreaming! There was no way that Selena freaking Belvidere had just admitted that she had feelings for him. He ran his fingers through his hair, taking a deep breath before responding to her. He wanted to choose his words carefully, he couldn’t screw this up.

“Selena” He started, taking a deep breath. A multitude of things were running through his mind. Had she felt this way in Diagon Alley? Was that really all just for fun? Or was there more to it that he didn’t realize? “I, hm, How do I say this.” He asked, more to himself than to Selena. “I feel the same way about you. I didn’t know whether or not to tell you.” He gave her a roguish smile. “It’s good to know that the feelings are mutual here, huh?” he breathed a sigh of relief. What to do know though? He had never been in a relationship before, he didn’t even know if that was what she was looking for…

[Selena Belvidere]

“Yeah, yeah. I’m fine.” Selena muttered as she uncupped her ears. As Chase shut the door, rather forcefully, Selena was filled with a sense of relief. The sound was long gone down the hallway and she had to hear it no more. Selena plucked another candy from the bag, noticing that there were hardly any left. After her nervous eating, though, there were bound to be a few missing. With a small frown, Selena crumpled up and tossed the little bag on the floor, not caring about the whole littering thing. If someone else wanted to pick it up, more power to them, but she definitely was not going to.

Sighing, Selena thought about what sat in her bag. There was a pack of Exploding Snap cards, but you needed more than two players. She had a little spin the bottle toy, but again, that was for a group. The reason she had that was because she expected to be sitting in a compartment with all seventh year Slytherins, boys and girls alike. Not that she liked anyone in that compartment, and she was much happier in this one alone with Chase. For some reason, Selena was more nervous alone with Chase than she had ever been alone with any other boy. The only other thing she had was books, and that wouldn’t do. It wasn’t like she would have story time with Chase or anything. That would be a good way to turn a guy away. The only thing that they could do was talk, or not talk, but Chase probably wasn’t interested in doing that. And Selena definitely wasn’t going to go up to Chase and ask ‘Do you want to make out?’ No, that would never do.

Selena’s heart was racing again, her palms sweating ever so slightly. She had done it! Selena had told Chase how she felt. What was this stupid reaction of hers, though? There was no way that this odd reaction was from a boy. Well, unless it was Chase, of course. A weight was lifted off of her shoulders, making her feel much lighter. At least she had admitted her feelings to him. All there was left to do was wait. It was an odd feeling, though; Selena rarely had to wait for anything. She wasn’t one of those that had to dream about what she wanted, Selena usually just got it right after she asked for it. Not with Chase, though. That would probably be a much different story. Way to put a damper on Selena Belvidere’s win streak. Selena sat patiently, crossing her thin ankles in anxiety, hoping for the best, but prepared for the worst.

Instantly, her heart stopped. Did he really just say that? Maybe it was true, Selena did get everything she wanted. Selena felt like one of those Victorian women. The way they felt absolute relief right after they took the corset off. It was sort of that feeling, like she took off all of the scares that Chase might not have the same feelings for her, that this might actually be real. A smile crossed her cherry red lips, lighting up her chocolate brown eyes. “Well then, so what does this mean?” Selena asked, adding the alluring tone to her voice, a simple seductive sound. She was hoping that Chase would actually want to go out with her, but it would have to be secret. They could only meet in abandoned classrooms, other empty rooms, or hidden in the forest on the grounds. There was no other way this could work out for them. It was an interesting thought, though. Selena wanted to be able to be sneaky again, be able to snake around without being seen. She could experience that fun with Chase again, sneaking out, running for their lives so no one discovers. That was what Selena was hoping for.

[Chase Wilkins]

“Good I’m glad.” Chase said as she uncapped her ears. “That’s good to hear.” It gave him an odd feeling in the pit of his stomach to know that he had been the one to cause her to relax. She continued to quickly eat her candy, soon, they would be all gone. It was strange. Selena didn’t strike Chase as the piggish kind, she seemed like someone who would want to take their time with their food. He picked up his uneaten chocolate frog from besides him. He wasn’t hungry. Holding out to Selena, he asked, “Do you want my frog? I’m not going to eat it.” For some reason, he wasn’t hungry. It had nothing to do with being depressed over Leanne either. It was odd, he had a different sort of feeling filling his stomach now, what was it though? Animosity? Nope, that wasn’t it? Anxiousness? Maybe that was closer to what he was feeling now. He needed Selena to know how he felt, yet, he was afraid of being mocked for the rest of eternity because of it.

So… what were they going to do? His broom would be of no help. There was no room to fly it here. None at all. She had her own owl, so Percival wouldn’t be needed. He had a game of Wizards Chess, now that he thought about it, but he didn’t mention it. He would much rather simply sit here and talk… or not talk, the silence gave him time to think about things that hadn’t crossed his mind in a while. The main topic being Leanne, her small pink teddy bear still residing in the bottom of his trunk. He wished now that he hadn’t brought it with him. If Selena ever saw it, there would definitely be rumors going around about him. He thought back to his younger days, when his mother and father were still young, and in love. He loved seeing them happy, he always thought back to those times when he was conjuring a patronus. His father had been a very romantic person before Voldemort came into the picture. Chase remembered coming home from preschool more than once, and his mother finding a note and a dozen roses attached to it.

Maybe that’s what he should do. It was the best example to go by. He could give her roses, all girls like fresh flowers, right? He thought of something that he had in his trunk that he could conjure into a beautiful bouquet of flowers. He had an old, old snitch in his bag, he had nicked it from Pettigrew last year. It was worn down and the wings barely flapped anymore. Maybe it wasn’t the most romantic thing, but it showed that he was willing to change himself for her… in a twisted sort of way. He fished around in his trunk and discovered the decrepit snitch in the bottom, with a simple flick of his wand, the snitch turned into a bouquet of red roses. He handed them to Selena. “For you, M’lady” He said with a grin. Everything was out there now, there was no going back now.

She smiled at him, her honey brown eyes lighting up as she did so. Chase shrugged, “You’re asking me? I’ve never been in an actual relationship before. You decide.” He left it to her to choose. She most likely had more boyfriends than he had had girlfriends. He regretted what he said though. Maybe he should have left out the part where he had never been in an relationship before. If this is what she wanted, things were bound to get a little tricky. He reached over and took her hand in his. “You do realize what this is going to mean, right?”

[Selena Belvidere]

Selena accepted the flowers gracefully, taking in the aroma. Roses were her favorite flowers. Glancing at Chase through her long lashes, Selena smirked. “Thank you. They’re beautiful.” Selena twirled the bouquet around in her hands, looking at the spinning dark red petals. The bouquet brought back fond memories of last summer. It was the summer she took a dance class with this large academy in London, and she learned how to tango. The instructer said that a rose matched her personality and her image overall perfectly. The red and green of the rose went well with the raven color of her wavy locks. She had a picture of her and her dance partner in her wallet. It wasn’t kept there because of the partner, it was kept with her because she loved how she looked in it. Secretly, Selena hoped Chase knew how to dance, and she also hoped that the school would be holding a dance this year.

“Well,” Selena shrugged, wondering where to go from here. She, unlike him, from what he had just said, had been in many relationships before. Most of them had started at parties and whatnot, and they started by ‘Hey. How are you? Want to go hang out?’ Then you talk for a little while and eventually end up sucking on each others faces. Well, not really, but that is what it looks like from the bystander point of view. Of course, that was probably not how Chase would want to start a relationship, and he probably would be kind of scared of her if that was how she started. This was one of those things that would just have to be taken slowly. Selena didn’t know how slow she could go though. No relationship of hers had taken little baby steps, and they only lasted about two weeks. Maybe this one would last a whole lot longer, because, unlike the rest of the relationships Selena had been in, she actually cared about Chase.

“And yes, I know what this means.” Selena walked over to the door gracefully and shut the blinds, making it unable for everyone else to see into the compartment. Slipping out her wand from her back pocket, Selena muttered a spell against ‘Alohamora’, so no one else could get in unless you want to get out from the inside. It wasn’t for anything bad, of course, Selena’s intentions were innocent. She just didn’t want anyone else knowing that she was in a compartment with Chase Wilkins, and they weren’t just in there as friends either, were they? Did this mean that they were actually a couple now?

Selena went back and sat down on her bench opposite Chase, the bouquet still in her hand. “Since you don’t have experience with this,” Selena replied watching their interlocked hands sway ever so slightly, “I don’t know how fast, or slow, you are willing to go.” With an internal sigh, Selena went on. “But we have to be evasive, and no one can know about this. Alright? As long as we are at an understanding. And it isn’t that I am embarrassed by you, it is just… er… yeah.”

“For example.” Selena stood up, keeping their hands clasped together and moved over to Chase’s lap. “Is this acceptable?” Selena breathed into his ear, keeping her voice at a whisper. “Unless this is too fast for you.” Their faces were about an inch away, but Selena didn’t mind. She finally got what she had been wanting for quite some time now. Selena was curled up in Chase’s lap, leaning against his muscled chest, and even holding hands with him. For now, everything was just about good.

[Chase Wilkins]

Chase was glad that she liked the flowers. He thought that they would be something small, yet significant to give to her. His mother seemed to have liked it enough when his father had given them to her. The red of the petal meshed nicely with the black of her hair. He watched as she twirled the thin petal in between her fingers. She seemed to be enjoying them. He was glad that he was the reason that she had a smile on her face once more. By the look on her face, it was easy to tell that roses were her favorite flowers. He was glad that he had made the right choice for her.

Chase had never been in a serious relationship before, and he really didn’t have any thing to go by either. His dad had stopped being all lovey-dovey in Chase’s second year of grammar school, so he didn’t have much to remember there. The only thing he did recall, were the flowers, and after that, numerous weekend visits to grandmas. He had no idea what ‘pace’ this relationship should go. He didn’t want it to go so fast that they were screaming at each other in a matter of days, but at the same time, he didn’t want snail relations to pass them. He felt as their relationship was a bad Cinderella spin off. Where the handsome prince charming turned out to be a poor lowly peasant. One where the lowly Cinderella, turned out to be a high-end rich princess, with an arranged husband. There was no way that this was going to be easy. But he’d be damned if he let her slip through his fingers without a fight.

Selena stood, closing the blinds on the compartment so that no one could see in, after that clever little idea, she blocked out any sort of entry to the small room with a reverse spell to the oh so famous ‘Alohamora’ Why hadn’t he thought of that? Afterwards, she slid her wand back into her pocket, returning to her seat across from him. He wished that she would sit next to him, so he could wrap his arms around her slender frame snuggly, just to make sure that she was real, and he hadn’t fallen asleep on the way to Platform 9 ¾. Her eyes were locked on their intertwined fingers, not making contact with his. Did this mean that they were a couple now? Selena noted the evasiveness that had crossed his mind more than once. He nodded, tilting her chin up so she had to look at him. “I understand Selena. I’m not offended in any way. Trust me; the last thing I want is to be on a Death Eater’s hit list.” He internally, and maybe externally, cringed after the words left his mouth. That was definitely not the right thing to say. “Besides, I’m Chase Wilkins. Anybody would be lucky to have me.” He said with a cocky grin, clearly playing with her.

Selena surprised him when she moved over into his lap, he didn’t mind though, not one bit. He unlaced their fingers, wrapping his arms tightly around her small frame. Chase leaned back against the compartment window, keeping his arms snugly around his Slytherin beauty. “This is just fine.” He whispered huskily in her ear, tucking her chin beneath his head. Her hair smelt like strawberries, invigorating and inviting, yet at the same time innocent and sweet. “How do you want to go about this?” He asked softly. He hated bringing up the inevitable, but they needed to have some sort of a plan to go by. This could get tricky.

[Molly]

Molly couldn't help laughing at Vera's comment, "Oh yes, their evil mastermind ways are ever so endearing. I almost forget to be mad whenever they pull a prank." Molly looked up with a dreamy, wistful look on her face, laying the sarcasm on thickly. Most people thought her brothers were cute or sweet or funny, and Molly always agreed good-naturedly and usually with a sarcastic comment. Sure her brothers were cute, funny, and occasionally sweet, but there was also an evil conniving side that was reserved for Molly. Poor Ed just ended up being dragged along because he was unfortunate enough to live next door.

An eye roll, was all Gerry would get in response to his comment before he left. How very nice of him. They were allowed to have at least some fun while he was away, just not too much. Molly shook her head and laughed, how very Gerry-esque of him. Hearing Peter clear his throat, Molly gave him an apologetic look. He always seemed so alone without his three comrades.

As if her thoughts had materialized him, Sirius ended up in their compartment, sitting next to her, and commenting on her attire. "Didn't you know? This is my new style now, I figure everyone will want to be drenced from head to toe all the time once they realize how amazing this look is," Molly started laughing at her own explanation, glad to be laughing about it with the friends she'd missed over the summer. Sure the wet-cat look could catch on... if everyone wanted a cold, "Or it could just be the effect of a prank that caused my brothers to be jinxed." Molly refrained from answering Sirius' question about summer immediately, knowing how everyone else would reply right away. But that was fine, because she was about to ask the same question, wanting to know everyone's answer.

Ed was listening to the footsteps passing the doorway when a pair stopped and opened it, so he knew someone was there, he just hoped it was one of the Ravenclaws and not some lost second-year. Miracle of miracles though, it was Gerry. 'Thank the Lord,' he thought drowsily, any longer and he'd have fallen asleep. Ed let out a loud snort of laughter at the question asked of him, "Oh yeah, you know those socks, can't hold their liquor for anything." He pushed himself back into the seat and put his feet back on the floor so Gerry could get in.

Stretching his arms, Ed realized that he probably did seem pretty tired, "Naw, truthfully, I only spent a few hours asleep last night. I can't pack a trunk to save my life." He thought about his feeble attempt at the only packing charm he knew. His robes had wiggled a bit, but remained laying on his bed. It had been a sad, sad attempt. Ed raked his hands through his hair, trailing drops of water as he pulled them away, not that it changed much else, the rest of his clothing was still soaked from the Prewetts' prank. He'd have to come up with something very good to get back at them, that something would have to be thought about later when he was more rested and less drenched.

Not liking the feeling of being completely wet, Ed flipped his wand a few times and summoned a towel from his trunk. It had been a last minute item to pack, something he'd thrown in that morning before they left. He had seen it folded on his bathroom counter with all the other half-sized towels and decided to bring it to Hogwarts with him. What a stroke of luck it had been too, that sudden feeling of nostalgia. He started drying off his head making it a mess of brown hair, not really all that much better than usual.

The silence that followed her last statement began to get a bit uncomfortable, so Molly decided to share her summer stories. "More of the same with my brothers. They ended taking a cheap shot and putting spiders in my tennis shoes. I'm pretty sure Gideon's ear is still swollen from the stinging hex," being reminded of her brothers and hexes, she remembered her most recent wandwork. "Uh, speaking of my mischievous brothers... did anyone see them get on the train? I sort of left them on the platform..." Molly felt her cheeks coloring, maybe a Jelly Legs Curse was a bit rash. She shook her head, they always deserved whatever light-hearted jinx Molly sent their way.

[Sirius Black]

Sirius nodded. "One of thier mates must've undone it." he said, loungeing in the chair. "More's the pity." he sniffed. "Speaking of pranks, has anyone seen James?" he asked, in a too-casual voicefor which he immediatley berated himself. "Dang, I'm out of practise!" he exclaimed, mildly surprsied. "No-one go telling him, or you'll be on the receiving end of my next prank." he warned, grinning handsomley. "And don't go asking me what it is," he winked, "it's my surprise." he got up and stuck his head into the corridor, then withdrew it, sighing. "He'd better hurry or he'll miss the train." he mutterd, tapping his long fingers on his wand, looking thoughtful. He had everything he needed in his suitcase, but at this rate he would have to wiat until they arrived to pull hs prank - a prank which involved honey, whipped cream, elastic and a bucket. Back to basics.[/size]

[Swifty]

Shannon had arrived at the platform late, and she stared at her feet as students from the train watched her board. Lateness was customary for her, but usually when it came to catching the Hogwarts Express, she was cautiously early. Was it only paranoia that made her think she'd cursed the whole year by narrowly missing her deadline? She shook her head and struggled onto the train.

With the peculiar sense of doom behind her, she took a deep breath and waited for a moment. It was time to find her friends. She was particularly looking forward to seeing Vera. The last time she'd seen her was in rainy Ireland when she'd come to visit. Shannon shuddered, remembering the cold wetness that was home. It was about time she went back to school.

Though there were many people she was eager to see, there were some that she wasn't quite ready for yet. Her arms went limp with fear as she realized it was possible she might see some of those people before she made it to Vera. The less-than-social witch took off down the train in search of her friends compartment.

She carefully looked side to side, keeping her eye out for her friend without making eye contact with anyone else. Shannon hated being so afraid of people, and she often found it frustrating. Being with Vera usually helped, and finding her was her first priority. Finally she saw her, and a sense of relief washed over her.

"Vera!"

[/color]