tangled hearts

||17|| - Returning

After the whirlwind of Christmas break back home, the journey back to Hogwarts came far too soon. As usual, the house had been filled with laughter, snowball fights, and far too many holiday sweets. But now, as we packed up and prepared to leave, a strange sense of melancholy hung in the air. The last night we had all slept in James's room. It had been a mix of restless sleep and a bit of late-night chatter that tapered off only when we all finally accepted it was time to get some rest.

The morning of our departure, we lugged our trunks downstairs, where Mum was already bustling about with her usual cheer. "Did everyone get enough to eat? I packed sandwiches for the train, so don't even think of leaving those behind!" she said, handing out wrapped sandwiches that smelled of ham and mustard.

We couldn't help but grin. Mum was the sort of person who made it hard to leave home.

As we all piled into the Potter's car—charmed, of course, to fit all of us plus our luggage—we shared groggy smiles and halfhearted attempts at jokes. The excitement of the break had faded into quiet moments, the looming return to homework and exams dulling some of the usual enthusiasm. Still, the sight of London creeping up in the distance brought with it a familiar thrill.

At King's Cross Station, we wove through the crowds until we reached Platform 9 ¾. It was as bustling as ever, with students reuniting, parents giving last-minute reminders, and house-elves hurriedly carrying stacks of luggage. Mum pulled each of us into a tight hug, one by one.

With one last glance back, we boarded the train. The Marauders quickly secured an empty compartment for us, Peter struggling with his trunk, which had somehow gotten heavier over the break, and Sirius laughing as he "helped" by casting levitating charms that only seemed to make things worse. By the time we finally settled in, the train had started moving, and a wave of anticipation settled over us. As much as we groaned about classes, it was always good to be back at Hogwarts.

Sirius stretched his legs out on the seat across from mine, crossing his arms behind his head with that signature smug grin. "Here we go. Back to Hogwarts, back to freedom, and back to pranking Slytherins."

I chuckled. "Sirius, when have you ever needed freedom to prank Slytherins?"

"Good point," he laughed, nudging my foot with his. "But the scenery is better when it's Hogwarts, don't you think?"

As the train rolled on, we fell into a comfortable rhythm. Sirius and James resumed their animated discussion about Quidditch tactics, while Peter tried his best to keep up, nodding along even when the conversation took a confusing turn. Meanwhile, Remus pulled out a book, something thick and serious-looking that seemed to almost glow with age. Every once in a while, he'd glance up to offer a wry comment on the conversation, causing James and Sirius to throw wadded-up bits of parchment his way.

The scenery outside transformed gradually from London's gray landscape to the snow-covered hills and forests, the countryside beautiful in the soft winter light. It was hard to tear my eyes away from the window, but every so often, my attention was pulled back to the lively atmosphere inside our compartment.

As the train ride wore on, a witch with the trolley came by, and James sprang up immediately, waving a handful of coins. "Best part of the trip!" he said, returning with an armful of pumpkin pasties, chocolate frogs, and Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. He tossed a chocolate frog my way, and I barely caught it before it leapt out of my hands.

"Careful, there," he teased, plopping down next to me as he bit into a pumpkin pasty. "Can't have you getting sloppy on the first day back."

Rolling my eyes, I peeled open the frog's packaging, and it promptly jumped onto my lap, where I managed to pin it down and take a bite. "Still a better catch than you, James," I replied, which earned a chorus of laughs from everyone but James.