Pretending not to love you

And So it Begins- Chapter 1

'Grace! Can you at least stay for a goodbye?’ Groaned my mother loudly, my father wincing at her pitch. My sister’s blonde mane bobbled toward the rest of us. My mother shuffled towards Grace and squeezed her tightly. A tear leaked through her eye as her grip on Grace began to seem evidently tighter. ‘Remember, homework is a vital part of graduating school, so not too many differing events. OK?’ Lectured my mum, trying to catch Grace’s eye, who was rolling it around in differing directions. My mum leaned in for another kiss on her cheek before my older sister ran off in to the distance.

‘One child down, three to go-!’ Her words were intervened by the sight of my two younger twin siblings who were now standing at the tip of my father’s feet, both looking non-identical in every possible way. They both had honey-dipped hair, straight and sleek. Probably the only physical detail they maintained in common. My brother had large green eyes, with a look of excitement and mystery to them. His nose was hooked and his features more playful-looking. My sister had naturally narrowed eyes, and although the black pupil swelling in the middle was large, you could just make out the electrifying blue, twinkling around the surroundings of the pupil. Her features were sharper than my brothers, and she looked more prominently gifted with her facial details. My mother brushed her hand against my sister’s chin before whispering, ‘You be good now, Harriet. I expect very good marks from the two of you, and-‘ My mother’s voice was drowned out by the sight of my best friend running toward me. Her eccentrically coloured red hair was flying above her hair, and the curls danced vibrantly in the wind.

‘Alice! Al! Hey!’ Rose called out, shifting a number of people’s heads to her. I wrapped my arms around the sight of Rose. I hadn’t seen her for ages, and the sight of her made me feel so warm inside. She giggled edging from the happiness evident in her voice. ‘Prefect! Go Al! That’s so great!’ She congratulated me through a genuine beam. The smile made me feel relieved, as I had been worried that she would feel jealous, if not a little enviable about the situation of prefect-ship.

‘Thanks Rose! Pretty pumped about it!’ I said, with a mocking pump of my fist against my other knuckle. She grasped my hand and lead me somewhere, me following her like a dog on a leash. In front of me stood her mother, her frizzed hair streaked back in to an untidily combed bun. ‘This girl right here,’ Rose motioned to me. ‘Prefect! Prefect with Albus!’ The mention of his name made me momentarily stop my thoughts. As if on cue, a tall and gangly boy pulled me in for an especially awkward hug. He groped my shoulders and threw me away, his beam almost as prominent as his fluorescent-lit emerald eyes. ‘Prefects! Go us!’ He yelled, lifting my hand in to fist pump. On my behalf, the pump failed, looking more like a half-hearted High-Five slash accidental hand rub. I saw my mother walking speedily towards us, her light-oak hair lengthening around her shoulders.

‘You ran off, Al! Oh, Hermione! How great it is to see you!’ Watching mothers mingle was maybe one of the strangest sights I will ever view. They kiss and cuddle like a reunited couple, then they become deeply engrossed in a conversation about lots of meaningless things, then they leave the event like nothing ever happened. ‘Hi, Mrs Cuda!’ Greeted Albus enthusiastically. ‘My Mum’s just over there.’ He pointed to a short woman with vividly vivacious red hair. My mother fancied over Albus with the usual comments. ‘Oh my, how you’ve grown!’ or, ‘How are your parents?’ or maybe if your mother is in a particularly embarrassing mood, ‘Why, Alice! Have you seen how handsome Albus looks today?’ And of course, since my mother is maybe the definition of embarrassment, she said all of the above. Fortunately, Albus was used to the voluntary craziness of my mother, so he just laughed it off.

A loud choo-choo noise echoed through the platform of 9 ¾. ‘That’s it for now, Mum. Love you.’ My mother lunged forward and grabbed hold of my head, then pressed it against her chest. ‘Love you too, hon! Same things go for you, no silly behaviour! And keep an eye on your siblings, won’t you, Darl?’ It took a great requirement of effort to push myself away from my mother. I waved goodbye to my Father, who seemed deeply engrossed in a conversation with Albus’ famous father, Harry Potter. The Hogwarts Express trailed away, leaving the only visible thing in sight a wall of moving scenery.

We sat in a compartment, and begrudgingly did I sit next to Scorpius Malfoy, Rose’s (obviously mutual) crush and Albus’ best friend. If you ask me, I think he’s a pompous down-right git. ‘Did you have a big celebration when you found out you got to be a Prefect?’ Asked Rose, leaning forward on her seat. Whether the question was directed at Albus, Scorpius or me, the blonde annoying one answered. ‘My Dad was really happy. Said I was continuing the family heritage, whatever that means.’ I rolled my eyes at his comment, recoiled by Albus’ withering glare. ‘Mum said she’d be happy either way. Still had a big party, though.’ Scorpius said with a flick of his hand, gesturing something like, I’m so rich, we have big parties all the time! ‘How about you, Al?’ Asked Albus, his stormy-green eyes piercing in to me. I felt nervous withstanding his eyes on me, those eyes always concentrated. ‘Al?’ If Rose hadn’t pushed me on, I would’ve been evidently staring. ‘Oh yeah, well Grace was pretty mad considering she didn’t get it, but really, she had no chance of getting it anyway to be honest.’ Albus let a throaty laugh, echoing all around the small compartment. 'That's the same with James. I mean, he wasn't really angry, more embarressed. But I'm sure he knew he probably wouldn't have gotten it anyway.' Exclaimed Al. He would always become deeply emmersed in to his own words, which seem to lift the spirits of his surrounding peers excessively. Especially me.  'The way you two talk about your older siblings, it sounds like they're the same people.' Rose spoke in a matter-of-factly voice, as if sounding off an irrational thought. Come to think about it, Grace and James were very alike. The two of them didn't care too much for schoolwork, and were both quite popular in the Hogwarts-Food-Chain. For a couple of years when the two were younger, they both had crushes on each other. Now that they're in 7th Year, they've moved past those thoughts. Personally, I think they're too alike each other to be each other's loved ones.

For the rest of the ride to Hogwarts, we talked about meaningless topics like chocolate frog cards. When we arrived at Hogwarts, we were ushered in to our seets warmly by our Head Master, Professor Longbottom. 'Abrest, Renee.' A small-structered girl walked up to the Sorting Hat, her shaking vividly eccentric. 'Hufflepuff!' A roar boomed from the Hufflepuff Table, along with loud clapping from nearly everybody in sight from the house. I looked at the Headmaster in his seat. A smiled tugged from across his face. 'Longbottom was in Hufflepuff,' A whisper echoed through my ear. I turned around to find Albus leaning over me, his eyes fixated on Professor Longbottom. 'Dad went to school with him.' He added. He looked down at me and grinned. Albus had always been my best friend. We'd been this way ever since I stole his Chocolate Frog on our first Hogwarts Express ride at 11 years old. We were then both sorted in to Gryffindor, I was warmly welcomed by his cousin, Rose, in to friendship, and we've been tight friends ever since.

'Zhobes, Zachary.' A boy with fluorescent white hair sat down begrudgingly in the seat. 'Ravenclaw!' He burrowed his eyes in to his forehead and puffed before resuming to the Slytherin Table. Albus and my snickers were interrupted by Professor Longbottom's entrace speech. 'Welcome boys and girls, to another wonderful year here at Hogwarts.' I tuned out of his words to think. I always do. Thinking had become an enevitbale system of my mind to co-operate lately. Whether it be thinking about work, or thinking about boys, it's always on my mind. HA, get it? See what I did there- My hilarious joke stopped thinking - I'm on fire with these jokes! - when my arm was grabbed harshly before I recognised Rose's dragging. 'Did you hear what he said, Al?' Whined Rose, the look on her face stern. 'Studying will be as ever now, with our  O.W.Ls...' Rose continued to gabble things I didn't really listen to.

I was dragged to my Dormitory, the curtains obided open revealing a slight light from the moon. The moonlight reflected on to a tall girl crouching besides her bed. Her strawberry blonde hair fell to her ear, barely visible in the dim light. 'Tessa!' I welcomed the tall girl in to my arms. Her hair smelt of dampened flowers, the type you find soaked in your backyard after a thundering rain-storm. She nodded at Rose, completely deadpanned. 'Rose.' She said. 'Willow.' Rose replied bitterly. I giggled at their unlikeliness of the two, of which never liked each other. Some girls frolicked in the backround of the room, and I could just make out the figures of Mathilda and Adriel. 'Hey guy,' I yelled from across the room. If they waved, I couldn't tell.