Blue Beauty

~Search for an Empty Compartment~

"Is there spa-"

"Nope"

The compartment door slammed in her face even before Millie could finish her question. It was the 18th compartment she knocked onto. 

As Millie strolled through the thin corridor, dragging a rather large bundle of luggage, she lost all hope for finding an empty compartment.

She stood in front of the last compartment. Beyond that carriage was the place for the self-proclaimed 'superior' students.  

All those years, she traveled alone. So sharing a compartment with someone was not a good idea for her. But she had no choice. After all, she was the one to blame for her condition. 

Only if I had not smashed my alarm clock...

Mustering all her courage she raised her hand and softly knocked three times on the carriage door. A muffled shuffling could be heard from inside followed by a yelp. 

Millie frowned and began to lean her head towards the door.

Before her ear could touch the hardcover, she jerked back, eyes wide, heart pounding against her chest, as the carriage door suddenly got opened. A tall boy with sandy-brown hair stood in the doorway. If she was a little more slow to retract, then she would have ended up on his chest. 

Could this day get any worse?

"uh...I...I was...wondering...if there is..uh.. space.. for..um..one more person?", Millie stuttered out, inwardly praying to Lord that he didn't notice her trying to eavesdrop on them or he could hear her rapid heartbeat.

"You see, almost all of the compartments are full and I couldn't find an empty one and this was the-"

Her rambling was cut short by soft chucklings. "It's okay. You can join us.", the boy reassured her, with an amused smile, and made way for her to get in.

After releasing a relieved sigh, she shuffled in with her bags. Inside Millie found three boys. A bespectacled one sitting by the window, snickering at a long black-haired boy sitting far away from him, painfully rubbing his arm, a frown and pout decorating his face. Opposite to them sat a short, round boy leaning against the window, with both his legs stretched across the seat, enjoying the drama unfolding before him.

The boy she talked to earlier cleared his throat. "Guys, we've got company."

All eyes turned towards them. With no idea what to do next, Millie gave them a quivering wave and muttered a weak "Hey..."

"Here, let me help you with that." The sandy-brown-haired boy hurled up her luggage and placed it on the rack above the seats. 

"Is she riding with us?", the short boy squeaked out.

"Yes, Pete. She is.", the luggage helper replied and took a seat beside 'Pete'.

Feeling really out of place, she took the only seat left in that room, which was between the bespectacled and the long-haired boy.

"Hi! I'm James. James Potter.", the boy with spectacles exclaimed, radiating a rush of energy.

"Sirius. Sirius Black", came a response from the long-haired, giving her a dashing smirk.

"Remus. Remus Lupin", the luggage helper said with a suppressed smile.

When 'Pete' didn't respond, Remus nudged the small boy. He abandoned staring at her with dread-filled eyes and squeaked out, "P...Peter Pettigrew"

Like on a cue, all the other boys groaned.

"Come on, Wormtail!! We were creating a James Bond effect.", Sirius explained to Peter. "You know, the muggle movie Moony showed us this summer...", he added when Peter gave his friend a confused look.

And once again Millie found herself under the eyes of the four boys, who looked like they were expecting something from her.

"Uh... Nice to meet ya'all?", tried Millie, thinking it was what they wanted to hear, but it came out as a question.

Sirius laughed, "Of course, you must be lucky to ride with the four amazing boys of all time. But your name?"

"Oh! oh, my name. Yes. uh...I'm Millie. Millie Turner", she told them, smiling sheepishly.

"She got it", Sirius exclaimed to Peter, pointing towards Millie. 

"You are not Gryffindor, are you?", enquired James.

"No. I'm a Hufflepuff", Millie stated proudly.

"Are you a third-year?"

Millie's cheeks flushed red. "No... Fifth year". She couldn't blame them. She was really short. 

"Really?! We are too. But we  have never seen you before."

"Prongs, she was in our Charms class last year. I'm sure you remember that."

Millie was shocked to know that Remus knew about her. She was really quiet in most of the classes. She never liked the attention of others. So there was little way for them to know about her, unless-

Her train of thoughts was interrupted by a chorus from the three boys. 

"Oh! You are the infamous 'Inferno Girl'!!"

Yes, this day could get worse.