Always - Welcome to the Wizarding World

Part 4

The station was swarming with Hogwarts students, in addition to the Muggles that were absolutely everywhere, who remained none the wiser. Amos led the way through the masses of people struggling through to catch a train around London. I nearly lost them but Ced reached his hand out to me and I took it, smiling the whole way. It was then I realized who I smile a ridiculous amount when I'm around Ced.

"We're looking for platform 9 ¾, alright?" Amos shouted over the hustle and bustle of commuters. I nodded and watched as we walked past the different platform numbers. I saw 6, 7, 8, 9 and then 10. No 9 ¾? We stopped at Platform 9 and Amos gestured to the wall.

"Off we go then!" he said. I looked at him like he was crazy.

"Er, Amos, that's a wall" I said. He nodded.

"Indeed, Radia. Just run at it, you'll be fine!" he told me. I thought he was mad but Ced nodded with him. He grabbed his trunk and ran at the wall.

"Cedric!" I screamed, but he had disappeared. Gone straight through the wall. I looked back at Amos, terribly concerned, but he just laughed at me.

"It's perfectly safe, Radia" he assured me. He walked over and gripped onto my trolley, which was holding my bags and Noctem. "Shall we go together?" he suggested. I nodded abruptly. We both turned to face the wall. I could do this, I could do this. "On three, Radia. One, two, three!" We ran at the wall so fast, I was afraid of tripping over my own feet. I closed my eyes and squealed under my breath, but then we came to a halt. I opened my eyes and we were on Platform 9¾. We'd passed straight through the wall and I barely felt a thing. I smiled to myself. That was one hurdle overcome. However, I dreaded to think what would follow.

The platform was swarming with Hogwarts students, almost all of them in uniform and no Muggles in sight. I felt very out of place, like everyone was staring at me. I walked on and gave my bags to a man in uniform, who I presumed would load them onto the train. I took my rucksack and Noctem's cage with me. I looked around for Cedric as I swerved between the people, but I couldn't find him anywhere.

"Aah! I don't know where Cedric might have got to, but I'm sure he won't have gone far. Just get in a carriage and find a seat. Make friends!" Amos instructed.

"I'll try, but what about..."

"Don't worry about him, you'll find Ced at Hogwarts, I'm positive!" he assured me. I heard a whistle blow and smoke blew up from the train's chimney. "Quickly now, Radia" Amos said, ushering me onto the nearest carriage. The door was shut as soon as I got on the train and I felt the wheels begin turn beneath me. The other students near me leaned out the windows and waved goodbye to their loved ones, so I decided to join them. "Good luck, Ray. Tell Cedric I said goodbye! Oh, and say hello to your uncle Severus for me!" Amos yelled over the shouts of the parents and noise of the moving train.

"I will. Goodbye, Amos!" I yelled back. He waved at me one last time, then the station was out of sight, as was he.

I walked along the train, trying to find a compartment in any carriage that wasn't full. The amounts of times I said "excuse me" to students blocking the walkway was countless. I'd walked through about three full carriages when I felt someone grab my arm. They pulled me inside a compartment and shut the door behind me. My long, black hair had fallen in my eyes during the struggle and I had pushed it out of the way to see who my captor was. "What the hell are you playing at, you..." I looked up to see Draco sitting next to me, staring.

"Nice to see you again, Ray. It is Ray, isn't it?" he said, his unfamiliar, but enticing voice caressing my ears. Then, I remembered what Hermione had told me about him. "You mustn't get involved with him. He's awful". I decided to listen to Hermione and try to escape from Malfoy.

"Yes, it is, you know it is, Malfoy" I replied shortly.

"Ooh, not very friendly!" he exclaimed, making the others in the carriage laugh. I turned to see who else was accompanying him. Two boys who had very similar faces, except one was short, round and fat and the other was tall, rectangular and, well, fat. Malfoy leaned in towards me, his eyes capturing mine again, shining just as they did the first time we met at the Quidditch World Cup. "I only pulled you in here to keep you from being lonely. It didn't look like you had anyone with you" he murmured. I smiled at him snidely, then stood up from my seat.

"How very kind. But if you don't mind, I will be going. I'm looking for someone..."

"The Diggory boy, am I right? I wouldn't bother, Ray, I saw him get on the train with all his other...older friends. I doubt it's personal, but I don't think your search will amount to much" Malfoy informed me. I looked out the compartment window into the one opposite to see...Cedric, with all his friends, completely oblivious that I was nearby. I can't lie, that hurt, but I shrugged it off and turned around to face Malfoy. I couldn't let him win.

"He can have other friends, can't he? I don't own him, I don't care that he doesn't spend every minute of the day with me" I protested. Malfoy grinned at me in a strange sort of way, like he knew more than he was letting on.

"Diggory is a Prefect, Ray. Don't you think it would be a bit inappropriate for him to go out with you, a girl much younger than he is?" Malfoy asked me. My heart jumped in my chest, but I simply stared at the floor, trying to hide my shock.

"How did you know?" I muttered. Malfoy leaned in even closer to me so he was right next to my cheek. I tried to ignore the entrancing smell of his cologne and the warmth from his skin radiating onto mine.

"Intuition" he whispered. He leaned back into his seat, smiling at me, this time not obnoxiously, but kindly. "Ray, please stay here. I, er, I don't think there's space elsewhere, anyway" he said. It was that smile. It beguiled me once again. I simply nodded, but he carried on beaming back at me, clearly elated that he had got his way. I looked nervously at the two boys opposite us, who were looking very dazed indeed, like they hadn't a thought in their heads.

"Oh, of course, I'm forgetting to introduce you. This is Crabbe" Malfoy said, pointing at the short, fat one. Crabbe smirked at me and looked at Malfoy in an uncertain way, as if to say "what the hell are you doing!" Malfoy glared back at him and Crabbe averted his eyes. Then, Malfoy pointed at the other boy. "And this is Goyle". Goyle smiled and nodded at me, clearly not as bothered by Malfoy inviting me to sit with them as Crabbe was. Malfoy then turned back to me.

"Crabbe, Goyle, this is..."

"Radia, Radia Snape. But you can call me Ray, if you want" I finished. Malfoy stopped and his grin fell.

"Sorry, Ray, you're Professor Snape's daughter?" Malfoy implied in complete befuddlement.

"Niece, actually" I corrected him. He smiled again. Every time he smiled, I felt my heart leap. I knew it shouldn't have and I knew this was purely a physical attraction, but I couldn't seem to control it.

"Well, Professor Snape is a fantastic wizard, even if he is a bit of prat sometimes!" Draco said, laughing with Crabbe and Goyle. I wasn't sure what to do, I didn't know my uncle Severus, so I chuckled under my breath and sat there. I sat there for ages until we reached Hogwarts.

Malfoy's "goons" didn't talk to me much, but Malfoy wouldn't leave me alone. He kept asking me loads of questions, like how long I had had Noctem for or what house did I hope to be in and if I was okay. He'd ask me the latter question every few minutes, especially if I hadn't spoken in a while. I wasn't sure why he did that, the whole experience was quite strange really. Nevertheless, I went with it, but I was still bloody thrilled to get off that train! Before I could escape the compartment once the train had stopped, Malfoy tapped me on the shoulder to make me turn around.

"I will be seeing you again, won't I?" he asked me. I pursed my lips, not quite sure what to say. I hadn't made up my mind about him quite yet, but decided it was best to keep him happy.

"Of course, Malfoy" I replied. I turned to leave, but he stopped me again.

"Call me Draco" he requested. I saw Cedric get out the carriage with all of his friends, smiling and joking with them. My chest burned as I opened the compartment door. I had to catch up with him. I grabbed my rucksack and Noctem and stood in the doorway.

"As you wish. Draco".