Denying Draco

60 - Home For Christmas

The snow was falling fast and thick now that they were into mid-December and Poppy's final week at Hogwarts drew to an end. Most students had began to leave each day throughout the week and by the time Friday arrived, Poppy was packed and ready to go. Because she had to ride the Hogwarts Express back to London and then endure the long drive home to Tinworth in the car, she'd had to stay the full week to await the train journey.

As she made it to Hogsmeade station with her things, she threw them onto a trolley and turned to see Luna Lovegood piling her own belongings onto one too.

'Hey, Luna,' Poppy said, smiling at her.

'Hello, Poppy,' Luna replied, a soft and gentle smile spreading onto her face. 'It's a beautiful day, don't you think?'

'You find the snow beautiful?' Poppy questioned, as the two girls began pushing their trolleys down the platform to await the train arrival.

'Oh, yes,' Luna replied. 'It's strong and fearless, don't you think?'

'I'm not sure,' Poppy murmured. She didn't find the snow any of those things at all. She found it beautiful and fun to play in, but after a while she prayed for it to melt.

'It falls with grace and elegance and it doesn't give a damn what it touches,' Luna told her. 'The appreciation of it is always so temporary. Everyone adores it's first fall, then we wish for it to go, and then when it's gone, we miss it.'

'I suppose you're right, Luna.' Poppy nodded in agreement.

The sound of chugging and an echoing whistle came from the distance and Poppy felt her whole body fill up with sadness. The train was arriving and she was leaving Hogwarts. It rolled into the station and everyone on the platform began moving to prepare to board. They clambered forward to try and be the first in line to get on to find themselves a good carriage to sit in.

'People are so impatient,' Luna sighed. 'I really don't see the rush. We're all going to get on the train.'

'I don't see the rush either,' Poppy agreed. 'I have no idea why anyone is in a hurry to get home.'

'You don't want to go home?' Luna asked.

'It's not that I don't want to, I just...' Poppy felt guilty to even be thinking about how she didn't want to see her mother. 'I'm just going to miss Hogwarts.'

'It's only a few weeks,' Luna told her. 'We'll be back before you know it.'

The porters began taking luggage and loading it onto the train and Poppy and Luna finally boarded and found a carriage for just the two of them.

'Quibbler?' Luna offered, holding up a magazine.

'Sure.' Poppy took it from her. 'What is this?'

'If you enjoy publications that expose the truth on undermined theories and magical creatures then you will love it,' Luna explained. 'My father is the editor.'

'That's really cool, Luna,' Poppy said, as she flipped through it.

'I think so too.' Luna smiled cheerfully at Poppy's compliment.

'Your father seems...quite the character,' Poppy said, but she rested her eyes on an article called "Hogwarts Secrets Revealed" and fell quiet as she read.

Luna left her to her reading and read her own copy of the magazine, the two girls remaining in a comfortable silence as the train pulled away and travelled back down the country towards London. The further away from Hogwarts they got, the sadder Poppy felt, but she tried to distract herself from looking out the window by focusing on the words in the magazine.