The One That Got Away -D.M

the feeling of home

September 1st had quickly arrived and both Annabelle and Remus ensured that they savoured the little time that they had left together. Annabelle found it extremely thrilling and exciting to be lacking to go to Hogwarts, whereas Remus was not so excited for this adventure. He had never really been away from Annabelle since the moment that she was born and now that he had to let her grow up and venture out into the big wide world scared him more than the secret that he had been keeping  from her for 11 years.

They both arrived at King Cross station and were instantly met with muggles walking and hurrying in all different directions to get to their trains, Remus helped steer Annabelle's trolley with all of her belongings nearly placed on top to the wall between Platforms 9 and 10. Annabelle looked up at him with an extreme amount of uncertainty sat upon her face about what they were about to do.

"We'll do it together,"Remus smiled at her as he positioned himself at the side of her trolley gripping onto it tightly. They both ran at a fast pace at her wall whilst Annabelle clamped her eyes shut wondering when the impact of them both crashing into the wall is going to happen; much to her surprise it didn't.

She peeled open her eyes slowly when she was met with the sight of a ginormous, shining red steam train with the words Hogwarts Express plastered along the side of it. Annabelle looked up at Remus with her mouth gaping and in complete and utter awe of what she was witnessing, he again helped her to steer her trolled towards the direction of the carriages where her items were quickly boarded onto the train.

Remus immediately pulled Annabelle into a tight hug, "I will miss you more than you can ever imagine Belle.'

"I'll miss you more Dad." She released herself from the hug when she saw Remus' eyes beginning to tear up.

"Please don't cry, it will be Christmas before you know it and then I'll be home." She held his hand, he softly chuckled.

"I know, I know." He gave her a final hug before letting her board the train.

"You better board the train otherwise it will—oh wait.." He stopped mid sentence and pulled something out of his pocket. A small blue box which housed a silver charm bracelet with a book and a rose delicately hanging off it.

"This is for you, a little congratulations and going away present."

Annabelle clasped the bracelet in her hand and held it close to her heart, "Thank you Dad. I love it so much." She embraced him in a final hug and he held her so tightly as if he did not want to let her go.

"I love you Annabelle Rose."

"I love you too Dad".

Annabelle released herself from the hug and quickly boarded the train as it was getting ready to depart any minute then. Once the train began to move slowly away from the station, Annabelle stood in the nearest window and continue to wave at Remus right until he was a tiny ant-like dot in the distance: and then with a small sigh, she proceeded to head off and find a spare, quiet carriage where she was able to sit down, take in the views and spend sometime reading her favourite muggle book.

Once Annabelle settled into an empty carriage, she pulled out her favourite muggle book -which was significantly battered and torn from the amount of times she had read it- and proceeded to read in peace and silence. Not meeting any other first years at this precise moment did not really bother her as she knew within a few hours she will be meeting those people and making friends with them who he will be with for 7 years; just for a moment she wanted to be alone with her book. Just like it always had been.

"Guys, come in here." An older boy, presumably in forth year entered the carriage not even batting an eyelid that Annabelle was sitting quite comfortably in the corner hidden behind her book. Three more teenage boys entered the carriage and proceeded to make an extreme amount of noise which Annabelle was feeling quite uncomfortable about.