𝐁𝐚𝐝 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝 ➸ (ᴍ.ʀɪᴅᴅʟᴇ)

𝟏.

THE TRAIN TO Hogwarts screeched against the rusty rails, bumping along the coast. I looked outside the window, staring down below. The waves crashed into the pillars that were holding the railway up, and I almost shook with discomfort at the thought of it breaking.

I felt someone's arm link through mine, gently resting their head on my shoulder. Looking down, I noticed it was Ginny. Her ginger curls were swept back into a ponytail, but her hair tickled me nonetheless.

"I can't wait to start our first year," she said.

Hermione hummed in agreement as she studied me somewhat intensely. She could read people like the back of her hand - it was something that always both annoyed and comforted me. I knew that she would always be there for me, but I could also never hide anything from her.

"How about you, Lilia?" asked Hermione to which Ginny lifted her head to look at me.

I shrugged and looked to the side.

Harry and Ron had fallen asleep ages ago. Ron's snores merged with the various other noises inside the train, and it had long became background noise. Harry's glasses were askew on his head - Ginny adjusted them before looking back at me to hear my response.

"Nervous, honestly," I said plainly.

I didn't want to tell them just how anxious I was about starting college. About how I was scared because I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life - how I felt like I was miles behind all of my friends. How I didn't feel like I belonged.

Hermione was smart and kind - she had ambition and was the most empathetic person I knew. Ginny was brave, beautiful and she knew she wanted to pursue Quidditch professionally since she was 14. Harry and Ron wanted to be Aurors, and Fred and Weasley had opened their joke shop since before we even graduated.

Me? I didn't even know who I really was. Sure, I knew I was a Slytherin - and that I was pretty good at potions. Besides that I had no clue about where I wanted to be in life.

I didn't even feel like I fit in with my own friends, let alone a whole college full of people with ambitions and goals. With real, true goals.

Hermione always reassured me that I was still young and I had ages ahead of me to figure it all out. Yet when everybody around you is already at the stage of growing up and moving on, its hard to believe that.

I knew I was only 18 but that fact provided little comfort to me.

"Ron, Harry. Get up!" shouted Hermione as she pulled on her robes in the unstable carriage. We had arrived outside of Hogsmeade station, the yellow lights of the street lamps illuminating the black abyss of the water before us.

We all walked onto the platform, Harry yawning as he tried to press his unruly hair flat down. He always had messy hair. It grew impossibly fast even when he cut it. At some point he gave up and just let it grow; which led us to now, as his hair almost reached his shoulders. Ron had followed in his footsteps, letting his mane grow out, too. Their matching shoulder-length curls was just one of many things that they shared in common.

A giant of a man trodded his way forwards, introducing himself as Rubeus Hagrid, Groundskeeper of Hogwarts. His long beard was frizzy, long, and dark - but not as long as the hair on his head. He could give Harry a run for his money.

Self-rowing boats made their way towards us, the darkness of the lake being broken every once in a while by the ripples of the oars.

"Four to a boat! Move on, move on," said Hagrid.

All five of us looked at each other before glancing at the boat. I honestly didn't mind being alone, so I wrapped my robe around my shoulders before nodding at my friends. Ron asked if I was sure, offering to give me his seat.