The Challenge | James Potter

Chapter 1 - The Train

SEPTEMBER 1ST HAD QUICKLY COME AGAIN, the year was 1977 and platform nine and three quarters was unsurprisingly packed with witches and wizards getting ready to leave for Hogwarts. 

Meissa was simply exhausted as she observed the busy platform and as Regulus gave their mother a quick hug goodbye. Meissa waited in silence and didn't so much as make eye contact with the woman known as her mother. As she turned to leave, Meissa was pulled sharply back with the familiar claw like fingers that had imprinted her skin many times before, she let out a quick gasp as her mother purposefully gripped her arm filled with bruises and scars from the eventful summer gone by. "Now don't you dare forget about what we discussed this summer," her voice was barely above a whisper but was laced with venom "Unless you want to repeat your punishments" Meissa looked the woman directly in the eye and yanked her arm quickly out of her tight grasp, "Goodbye Mother" was all she could muster through gritted teeth as the pain in her arm began to make her feel light headed as she felt a painful wound reopen.

On the other side of the platform, a loving family with two older children were seen sharing their goodbyes as their Mum kissed both the boys cheeks twice and consumed them both in a big lovable hug. "Come on now Mia, you have to let them leave at some point" stated the amused father as he was laughing at his wife's dramatics. "I know, I'm just so proud of yous both and I can't believe your head boy James, I'm the luckiest mother in the world," the curly headed boy stood proud as the other stood slightly uncomfortable and as they spotted their other friends they were forced to leave their mother and father as one shouted "Oi Moony, Wormtail over here mate" a tall scrawny boy walked over with a slight limp, and a short round boy with blond hair came slightly jogging over to keep up, as they walked to board the hectic train for the last time.

"This is going be the best year yet lads, I can feel it" the rest sighed as one remarked "Pads you say that every year", Sirius looking taken aback, said "And have I ever been wrong?""Yeah with basically every decision you ever make" " Ouch, now come on Prongs lighten up" as the one with the shiny badge was seen trailing behind the rest as he walked down the train with his head held significantly lower than before, "Look, now that Lily dumped you, you have the whole of Hogwarts finest birds to choose from and as you will see, there's plenty of fish in the sea mate, and plus I think a rebound would be the perfect way for you to get over the girl you have been desperately pining over for the past six years" "Oh for fucks sake Pads, I thought we were going to do it a little bloody gentler than that," argued the tall one "Yeah Jesus Christ Padfoot that was a bit fucking rough" piped the smaller boy, the three began to argue and they didn't seem to notice the disheartened one staying back looking out the window at a girl and her mother. He watched as the mother roughly gripped her arm and the small gasp of pain she exclaimed went unnoticed, he couldn't take his eyes away and observed until the girl uncertainly and dizzily entered onto the train.

"I'm going to look for my friends, bye Regulus" Meissa quickly said to the younger boy and just as she was leaving she heard him mutter "I'm sorry Meissa", Meissa didn't want to hear it and as the pain progressed in her arm she was just focused on sitting down.

"Fuck me" "Oh for fucks sake, watch where your  bloody going would you", "Why the fuck were you standing in the middle of the fucking corridor like fucking David" James and Meissa were found in a lump on the floor cursing each other into oblivion, with James on the top as they struggled to get up with the small space of room in the hall. As Meissa put her pressure on her hurt arm to get up she immediately fell back down with a small yelp and James locked eyes with her for a moment with a strange look of concern in his eyes. Meissa finally regained composure and came back to herself as she roared "GET THE FUCK OFF ME RIGHT NOW POTTER OR I SWEAR TO MERLIN YOU WON'T MAKE IT OFF THIS BLOODY TRAIN ALIVE!"

Unsurprisingly a crowd began to gather at the commotion and laughs and chuckles were heard all around them with a couple of crude remarks relating to Meissa and supportive ones to James. "She's not even stepped foot in Hogwarts and she's already shagging someone" "Way to tame the shrew Potter." James quickly found his feet and clumsily stood up with the faintest blush of red spreading across his cheeks and Meissa shot up like a spring after him readjusting her blouse,  which James took a quick glance at, as she tamed down her scrunched skirt. "Wow Black, and I thought we really had something special" commented a cocky boy coming up beside her in a sarcastic manner, " Fuck off Mulcilber " And with that Meissa Black strutted away with her head held high ignoring the looks of awe,disbelief and especially ignoring the excruciating pain in her arm.