Away from the spotlight

YEAR 2 - Back on the Hogwarts express

Esmeray raced down the stairs, ready for her second year at hogwarts, she had prepared everything a week earlier. Her mother had been quite surprised by her excitement but Esmeray brushed it off by saying 'the books are so interesting mother, i honestly cannot wait to try out all the spells and potions in class'.

Truth be told, Esmeray was feeling quite lonely. She realised that during her first year she had started growing comfortable around the people she called her friends and all so suddenly she was alone again. She hadn't given any of her friends her address since her home was called 'Moon Mansion", so no one sent her any letters.

She hadn't asked for anyone's address either because she was quite sure she wouldn't feel the want to send any letters, she was regretting that now.

But considering the fact that she hadn't mentioned any of friends to her parents, it was for the best that she didn't receive any letters.

When her parents had asked her about her school year, she had willingly told them everything about her classes and teachers, when her parents asked her if she made any acquaintances (yes thats the word they used ) Esmeray only mentioned her roommates and how they shared notes for the exams.

She didn't dare mention anyone else. The Malfoy's were quite the family, completely different from the Moons. Always trying to best others and stay in everyone's spotlight. Her parents wouldn't like knowing that Draco Malfoy even knew her.

Not to mention her other three Gryffindor friends, Hermione granger, Ron weasley and Harry Potter. When Esmeray's Parents mentioned Harry Potter, and asked how he was like, Esmeray described him as if he were a celebrity she had read about. She had kept quite a few things from her parents, but she believed it was for the best.

She watched her Mother talking in undertones with her father, sigh and then look towards Esmeray with a forced smile.

"Are you all ready darling?" She asked softly.

Esmeray nodded her head and asked if everything was alright.

Before her mother could speak, her father cleared his throat and said,

"My darling, we know that a child's parents dropping off their children to platform 9 3/4 is, well, a tradition, yes thats the word, but you see last year me and your mother foolishly wore the family crest to the platform and apparently some people spotted it" he paused

Esmeray waited him to continue, but he didn't.

Her mother sighed and said "We believe that this year people may be more alert, and that could well, I don't know what it could cause, but something unwanted. So, in order to protect all of us we believe that it is for your best that, you go to the platform without us."

Esmeray stared blankly at them processing their words slowly, they wanted to send her to the platform alone?

"You want me to go alone?" She whispered out.

" well not alone, my dear, you'll have Debby for you protection of course" her father said with a smile.

Esmeray looked at Debby who nodded at her. Looking at her parents faces she saw that their mind was made up, so there was no point in arguing.

She forced a smile and hugged them in way which she conveyed that she was fine with that idea. Her parents hugged her back tightly and sat with her for breakfast, where they talked about normal things like..... the weather.

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Esmeray tried to walk normally at the station, but it was quite hard when Debby was hidden in her coat, to not startle any muggles. Once she crossed the barrier, Debby jumped out of her coats and started to take Esmeray's trunk up on the train.

"Debby, its really alright, I can do that myself" Esmeray said quietly because her house elves grunting and the screeching of her trunk was bringing a lot of attention.

"Oh no, Debby must help Mistress, if Mistress likes Debby can use her magic to get her luggage inside" Her house elf said in a squeaky voice.

"No, thats quite alright, you were to accompany me to kings cross station, you did that, now please," Esmeray started but then remembered Debby would only listen if it was an order "you must go back and tell my parents that i am safely seated on the hogwarts express"

Debby nodded her head and vanished into thin air.

Esmeray took her trunk and boarded the Hogwarts Express. Making her way to the very back, to the same abandoned looking compartment she had sat in last year.

To her surprise, there was someone in there....

The person sitting inside looked very out of place in there. With her colourful clothes, funny glasses and striking blonde hair that reminded Esmeray of someone else, she didn't fit in with the musty and dull vibe of the compartment.

The girl looked and Esmeray, smiled and said in an airy voice "hello, you're free to sit here, don't worry there are no nargles here, I've checked"

Nargles? Even though Esmeray wasn't very fond of magical creatures, she believed she knew most of them. She had never heard off nargles.

Deciding that she would take her chances with this strange girl she took a seat in front of her.

"I'm Luna Lovegood, My father is the editor Of the quibbler"

Esmeray had heard of the lovegoods, not much but just that they were the 'oddballs' of the wizarding community. But she didn't mind, she kind of liked this girl, clearly they must have something in common for her to also look for a compartment like this.

"I'm Esmeray" she said to Luna with a smile

Luna gave her Toothy grin, "Esmeray is love your eyes, its like someone couldn't decide whether to give you the beauty of forests or oceans, and then just decided on both"

That was a nice description of her eyes, she had never thought of them in a positive way, she saw her eyes as a disease. Something that made her different.

and she didn't like being different

Esmeray smiled at her and thanked her. They sat in silence for most of the train journey. Sometimes Luna would pass on some comments and Esmeray would just nod at them. Luna didn't mind the silence, she was pretty used to it.

Halfway through the journey there was a knock on the door.

Esmeray opened the door and saw a very worried Hermione Granger standing at the door. "Esmeray its wonderful to see you again" she said going in for a hug. Esmeray stiffened and pulled away after a short time.

If hermione noticed she didn't show it, It looked liked something much more worrisome was taking up her mind.

"Is everything okay?" Esmeray asked

"Huh? What? Oh no, Harry and Ron aren't anywhere on the train, i even checked with the slytherins, Malfoy gave me such a look when i asked if he had seen Harry" She said with a disgusted face, she continued a second later "You were my last hope, but i wasn't counting on it" she finished with a sigh.

"I'm sure these friends of yours are fine, well unless the nargles got to them, then they may have wandered of in a daze" Luna piped in.

Hermione gave her a strange look and muttered in a confused voice "nargles? What?"

Then getting herself back together she said " well I'm sure your right, they'll be fine. I should be going I'm sitting with Rons siblings, did you know his sister joined"

Saying that she left without hearing Esmeray's answers, its fine, she wasn't going to give one anyway.

Soon enough they were back at Hogwarts. Luna and Esmeray separated where the first years had to go by boats and others by carriages.

Esmeray hoped this year would go smoothly and with less challenges.

But alas, one cant live without challenges, and her first challenge for 2nd year was to find a carriage, preferably alone.