POPPY
The train ride home was different this time. It wasn't just the excitement of going back for the fall holidays; there was something else hanging over me—this knot in my stomach that had nothing to do with missing Hogwarts. I had this strange feeling that something big was waiting for me at home, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.
Eva and Isla, my closest friends, sat across from me, their conversation easy and light. Eva was talking about a new spell she'd mastered in Charms, her dark curls bouncing as she gestured wildly. Isla, as usual, had her nose buried in a book, though she managed to throw in a comment here and there between pages. Isla was quiet like that, but she had this sharp wit that always caught people off guard.
"I swear, Professor Flitwick is going to lose his mind if anyone sets something else on fire in class," Eva laughed. "Did you see his face when Daniel nearly singed his eyebrows off?"
I chuckled, even though I was only half-listening. My thoughts kept drifting back to home.
"Poppy, you alright?" Isla glanced up from her book, her blue eyes narrowing slightly in concern. She could always tell when something was bothering me.
I forced a smile. "Yeah, just thinking about home."
Eva rolled her eyes, though not unkindly. "Well, I'd be a little distracted too if I had your parents. George Weasley? A legend! And your mum's like... well, she's a total badass."
I laughed for real this time. "You should see them at home. It's not as glamorous as you think."
Eva winked. "Bet your dad still pulls pranks, though."
I shrugged. "Sometimes. He tries, at least."
They went back to their conversation, but I kept staring out the window, watching the rolling hills and forests blur past. I thought about my parents—how things had been different since the last time we were all together. They weren't the same as they used to be. Maybe it was just something that happened to all parents, but I couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to it. They acted normal, mostly, but it was like they were always walking on eggshells around each other. Like they were trying too hard to act like everything was fine, when it wasn't.
By the time the train pulled into King's Cross, the platform was buzzing with activity. I grabbed my trunk and made my way through the crowd, waving goodbye to Eva and Isla, who were meeting their families. As I walked, my stomach knotted tighter. I hadn't seen Mum and Dad together since... well, since before things got weird. They'd always been close, always so in sync, like they could read each other's thoughts. But now, everything felt off.
I spotted Mum first. She stood by the barrier, scanning the crowd, and when her eyes landed on me, her face broke into a smile. I couldn't help but smile back. Mum always had this way of making me feel like everything would be okay, even when it wasn't. Her brown hair was loose around her shoulders, and she wore that comfortable, slightly frazzled look she always had after a long day of work.
"Poppy!" she called, waving as I pushed through the crowd.
"Mum!" I ran to her, dropping my trunk just in time to be pulled into a tight hug.
She held me for a moment longer than usual, and when she finally pulled back, her eyes searched mine. "How was the ride?"
"Long," I said, my voice muffled in her coat. "But good. Where's—?"
I didn't even need to finish the question before I saw Dad standing a few feet away, hands shoved into his pockets. He smiled when he saw me, that mischievous grin that was so typically him. He hadn't changed much—still the same bright eyes and the mess of red hair that never seemed to stay in place. But there was something about the way he stood, almost like he wasn't sure if he was supposed to come closer or hang back.
