Up and Down

Journey and Destination

"Four tickets to Liverpool, please. First class."

"O'course, madam."

Ominis is standing by her side and with his tall stature, sharply tailored suit, Homburg hat, cane and easy air of superiority, he more than convincingly looks at least four years older than he actually is. The young man keeps his hand on her shoulder, and the ticket clerk looks over at her companion as if to ask why is the woman doing the talking and handling of the money, and not him.

Noticing the pale haze over his unseeing eyes, however, the man behind the counter quickly punches out four brightly coloured tickets.

"Next!"

She leads them away and takes a steadying breath. Sebastian and Anne are waiting on a bench nearby, with Anne dozing on her brother's shoulder.

"Got  the tickets," Anna gives out the little slips of paper to her friends  and peers at a giant station clock, "the train should be here in half an  hour."

"Why first class?" Ominis asks her as they take a seat to wait.

"That way we will have a whole compartment for ourselves," she shrugs, "we'll be able to speak freely and won't have to share. Besides... we all are a  bit overdressed for the second class."

"It was your idea."

"People will tend to think we're older if we are dressed well."

"That is fair," Ominis agrees easily, resting his hands on top of his cane, "not that I would know what we look like."

She nudges him with her elbow, smiling.

"Oh shush."

Glasgow  Central Station is buzzing with people, from labourers to noblemen with their servants in tow. Anna keeps her eyes peeled for trouble. She had never been to Glasgow before, but railway stations anywhere can be dangerous places.

Of course, with Sebastian and Ominis next to them, most troublemaking men would give them a wide berth. She had heard plenty of horror stories about unaccompanied women travelling by rail,  however.

She has her wand, and she is far from defenceless now.  But before, she would have had to rely on such weapons as concealed truncheons or even hat pins. Not that her family would ever let her set a  foot on the train alone. If her uncle couldn't accompany her, he'd sent a trusted manservant. Mr Bert was one such man and was the one to accompany her and her aunt and cousins on railway journeys.

She longed to see his kind face and broad smile. He used to give her piggyback rides when she was a little girl, and she and one of her cousins, Amelia, would have mock jousting matches, laughing and shrieking on the backs of Mr Bert and another footman.

Mrs Chase,  the other member of staff that would help her pull off the ruse, used to be their nanny before the governess Mrs Ashburn took over their care.  Mrs Chase wasn't simply let go, of course. She transitioned into a  housekeeper role and stayed with the family.

Soon enough, half an hour passes. She can tell Sebastian is nearly vibrating with nerves, and  Ominis at her side is also very tense.

"Stay close," she whispers and Ominis nods, "be very careful to not trip. Hold onto my shoulder."

"Anne," Sebastian gently shakes his sister awake, "the train is coming."

The girl blinks her bleary eyes and smiles.

"It's so exciting. Living so close to Hogwarts, we never needed to use the train. I actually never thought I'd get to ride one. The technology is  fascinating!... wish we had more time to look around... and I had enough  energy to do so."