Orange Trees | Fred Weasley

Chapter Twelve

September 1st, 1994

The next day dawned crisp and cool, the first sign that autumn was beginning to seep into the air. Jericho and his family navigated the bustling chaos of Kings Cross station, their luggage carts laden with trunks and bags. Cedric was pushing his own cart with ease, while Jericho's dad handled his. In the youngest Diggory's arms, his cat, her soft purr a soothing rhythm against his tight chest. His mind was a whirl of thoughts, haunted by memories of the previous day. Fred's smile, the feel of his hand on his waist, the laughter they shared under the orange tree and in the lake - all replayed endlessly in his head.

"Jericho, keep up! We'll miss the train, and I'm not going to be very happy if I have to book a charter carriage to the school!" His mother's voice cut through his daydream, sharp and without hesitation. Jericho rolled his eyes, but quickened his pace, hustling along to keep up with his family. They approached the barrier between platforms 9 and 10, the magical gateway to Platform 9¾. With a final glance around, Jericho watched as his family smoothly walked through the portal, and then followed suit, feeling the familiar tingling sensation as he crossed over.

On the other side, the platform was a hive of activity. Hogwarts students and their families milled about, hugging goodbye, and loading their luggage onto the scarlet steam engine of the Hogwarts Express. Cedric, noticing Jericho's absentminded demeanor, asked, "What's got you so distracted?"

The boy shrugged, trying to sound casual. "Nothing, just pre-school jitters." It was a half-truth, but Cedric seemed to accept it for the moment. As they made their way toward the train, Jericho couldn't help but scan the crowd for any pops of orange. He saw plenty of familiar faces - students he knew from classes and clubs - but none that belonged to the Weasley family, who would be very hard to miss.

Cedric, once again catching Jericho's darting gaze, asked, "Looking for anyone?"

He deflected quickly. "I hope we get a cart to ourselves again this year." He forced a smile, but Cedric wasn't fooled. His older brother knew him too well, and the youngest brother's habit of changing the subject when talking about a certain someone, didn't go unnoticed. However, he chose not to press the issue, and simply nodded.

"Yeah, that'd be nice." The eldest brother said, though Jericho could sense the unspoken curiosity in his eyes.

They reached their parents who were standing by, ready to speak their last words before the holidays. Jericho's mother gave him an awkward hug, followed by the fixing of his hair. She looked him over, eyeing each detail as if she styled him herself. Without saying anything else, she gave him only a critique. "Jericho, there's cat hair all over you." He gave her a small smile, knowing this was all he was going to get from her.

His father, on the other hand, enveloped him in a tight, reassuring squeeze. Crushing the small boy between his arms with ease. "Take care, son. Have a great term."

Jericho nodded, pulling away from his father's tight squeeze. He stepped back, clutching Jojo, close to his chest like a lifeline. He watched as his parents enveloped Cedric in a tight group hug, their bodies entwined like a family of bears in the heart of a forest. The image was both tender and painful, a bittersweet tableau that played out at the start of every school year.

A twinge of sadness sparked in Jericho's heart, a small, sharp pang that echoed the familiar wish to be hugged with the same fervor and affection that his parents reserved for Cedric. He knew he shouldn't feel this way - had long told himself that he shouldn't - but the feeling was persistent, gnawing at the edges of his mind. He was used to it by now, the ritual of departure that seemed to underline the unspoken hierarchies within their family. Every year, he endured the half-hearted goodbyes, the distracted pats on the shoulder, the quick, impersonal embraces that felt more like duty than love.