Rhapsody of a Veela

Part 49 - A fat Toad and a Quibbler

As you walked down the cramped aisle of the Hogwarts express, looking for somewhere to sit, you still had butterflies in your stomach. Along with the fluttering, there was an immediate ache in your heart. Knowing that you would not see Fred, until late in November. Which seemed impossibly far away into the future. Yet there in your hand you held the roll of lavender parchment he had pressed into your hand only moments ago, it still felt warm to the touch even if the train was speeding away far from the station.

Everywhere seemed to be occupied as you made your way down the aisle, you felt a little bad about it but you had hurried past the compartment Harry Potter was moping in alone by himself, as Hermione and Ron were meeting up with the other prefects. Ever since you had learned the truth about your father, you had felt a terrible weight of guilt upon your shoulders. It was horrible to even admit to yourself but, a part of you could not even look at Harry without feeling like you had been punched to the gut. As a result of this you avoided him when he was alone, the only times you ever spoke was when you were hanging out with Hermione as well.

So your search continued, while moving through the open seating area of the train several boys jumped up to offer you their seats, or otherwise pushing their luggage away to give space but you politely refused. Truthfully at that point, you just wanted to find a compartment all to yourself. As you were nearing the end, someone tripped you.

You fell unexpectedly to the ground, somehow managing to break the fall before you hit face-first. Turning around to see what or who had tripped you, you met the grinning face of none other than Pansy Parkinson. She looked quite her usual sadistic self again, since back when you had last seen her in Umbridge's office you had thrown a Pimple jinx at her and Ginny had hit her with a Bat-Bogey hex just to top off the erupting boils.

"Down on the ground just where she belongs" Pansy spat, to the harrowing laughter of her friends. Indeed this section of the train seemed to be primarily filled with Slytherins, they were all a loyal bunch afterall. You tried to take a deep breath, and got up starting to gather the things you had dropped in the fall. Your calm did not last long enough however, her laughter would not let you.

"I see your skin has healed rather nicely, would you like another set of boils or perhaps a pumpkin head to go with that spite?"

Someone laughed, and then immediately shut up and you could see that she needed to prove herself after such a hit. She immediately got up from her set, pulled her wand out of her robe while muttering,

"You filthy half-breed, I can't wait till they get you"

Unfortunately, with the news having hit about the return of the Dark Lord, such threats against muggleborn's and otherwise different students were sure to be a common occurrence.

"You don't even deserve to be here!" she continued taunting,

If only she knew.

"Sit down Parkinson" a voice commanded, and you turned to see a tall blonde figure having entered the open compartment. It was Draco, and you could not read a single thing from his blank, pale expression. It merely seemed like the fight in front of him was an inconvenience he had stumbled upon on his way back from meeting with the other prefects. And Pansy, she defiantly sat back down in her seat as everyone else around turned quiet, and back to their own business.

It was awkward to say the least, when Draco passed you by without a word in the cramped space of the aisle, where he literally had to press himself past without even looking at you. Now your "friendship" had always been strangely fleeting during the school years, but he had always been there. Never before had he ignored you, if anything you were the one who had many times ignored him.

So you hurried out of the open compartment into the next section of the train, trying to seem as unaffected as possible. You would not let anything as stupid as this get you, now would you?

You resumed your search for private compartments when you found yourself in front of one where the door had been left open. Two faces looking up at you with enthusiasm, Neville with a fat toad in his hands and Luna peeking up at you from her Quibbler magazine.

"Can I sit here?" you sighed, and they practically begged you to indeed do.

By arrival at Hogsmeade Station early in the misty evening, Luna had successfully talked a hole into your head.