Mischief Managed

1: Part One-The Hogwarts Express (EDITED)*

Note: Nearly all of the characters/plots/settings in this book were created by JK Rowling, only Bree and her family were created by me. Some of the dialogue in this chapter, specifically that on the train, was also written by Rowling (aka The Queen).

Additional Disclaimer: the characters, plot lines, and snippets of dialogue that do NOT belong to JK belong to ME.

❋ ❋ ❋ ❋

When you meet a person- whether it be a stranger on the street or some distant relative- you can never predict their impact on your life. They could become your best friend, worst enemy, or just some random face in between. And that's terrifying; perhaps if I had known half of what you would come to mean to me, I would have ran scared.

You have no idea how grateful I am that I didn't.

❋ ❋ ❋ ❋

ELEVEN YEARS BEFORE

I tucked a strand of blonde hair behind my ear as I stumbled down the aisle of the Hogwarts Express. Struggling to squeeze my school trunk through the train's narrow aisle, I sighed with relief when I finally spotted an empty compartment. 

Heaving the doors open, I hurriedly yanked my trunk inside and somehow managed to lift it onto the luggage rack.

After collapsing onto the seat, I wiped a thin droplet of sweat off my brow and peered out the window. I squinted, trying, despite the glaring sunlight, to find my parents in the crowd of frantic witches and wizards waving at the long line of train cars.

I found them. My father, tanned and handsome, had one arm wrapped comfortingly around my mother while the other was acting as a vizor. My mother's long blonde hair spilled over his arm, providing a humorous-looking contrast. Their faces lit up when they saw me and my father lifted his arm from my mother's shoulder to wave at me. Even from my compartment window, I could see my mother's face contort in emotion. I waved back eagerly then turned away from the window as the compartment door slid open.

A graceful girl with wavy red hair glided smoothly into the seat across from me and a slightly shorter boy lifted her trunk, then his, onto the rack above her head. The girl smiled kindly at me. "Hello. My name's Lily, and this is Severus."

The boy, Severus, sat beside Lily and studied me critically. I frowned and glared back at him. He had greasy black hair; a rather long, hook-like nose; and twig arms.

I looked at Lily again, mirroring her smile. "Nice to meet you, I'm Brianna. You can call me Bree though, all my friends do."

Lily laughed and her eyes brightened. "I do hope the train ride isn't too long, I can hardly wait to arrive at Hogwarts!"

After Lily had laughed, Severus's scowl had deepened and he tapped Lily's shoulder. She turned toward him, and he opened his mouth to ask her something when the compartment door slid open again.

This time, two boys strolled confidently through. They were both taller than Severus, about Lily's height, and one had long, gangly limbs and wire-framed glasses, while the other had a stockier build and dark, silky hair. They were both laughing at something, and, after easily lifting their trunks into the overhead rack, threw themselves leisurely onto my seat.

The long-haired one was rather handsome, and I nervously tugged my skirt over my too-long legs. The boys, however, weren't paying me, Lily, or Severus much attention. Lily's eyes lingered on them for a moment, but she soon turned back towards Severus.

I sighed softly and tried to find my parents again. They were standing in the same spot. My father's Muggle clothing marked him as an outcast from the crowd of witches and wizards- despite my mother's best efforts, he still refused to dawn any sort of wizard attire, so he stood stubbornly now clad in a gray-collared shirt and simple black pants.