Magic (5sos/l.h. Hogwarts AU)

Chapter 51

~A/N~ fun fact: Zara in this book is based off of me, which sort of says something about who I am, but Leila's feelings towards her are based off my feelings about my older cousin
Enjoy the chapter!
Leila xx

Deathly quiet fell over the ivy strewn walls decorated with graffiti as Calum and I walked through the tunnel. Every step echoed loudly, bouncing off every wall, and our suitcases occasionally bumped behind us but there was no background noise of people's conversations, gossiping and discussing what was for dinner.

Even the sound of trains was barely audible, as it was rare for one to stop at such an unpopular destination, but we were confident we wouldn't miss the one that would.

"Do you ever find the quiet kind of eerie?" I whispered to Calum, my voice made louder from the vibrations.

"A bit, but this is Castle Combe so I wouldn't expect anything less," he replied. "It would be weirder if the platform was covered in people, like King's Cross."

"Still, there's usually a few people here at least. There are commuters that work far away and have to take the train."

"There's barely anyone on the roads," he pointed out. "It would be so much cheaper to drive around here. The only people that take the train are the teenagers that need to go places, like us."

Opening my mouth to reply, I was cut off by the whistling of a train slowing to a stop and Kika's alarmed hooting. A blur of azure whirred past me, gradually coming into focus as doors became visible.

"Leila! Calum!" Michael yelled, eyes sparkling from one of the doorways. "Come over here!"

Fortunately, he wasn't far so we managed to board the train before it continued to zoom across the countryside, and greet our friend. He seemed happier than he usually was in the holidays, perhaps due to the fact that he hadn't actually been at home with his parents the whole time, and we spent the whole journey laughing and joking in the sparsely packed carriage.

Luke lived in a city a lot further north, and as soon as I stepped off the train I could feel the culture. The train station was packed with people laughing and milling around in huge groups, hugging family members and greeting friends. People holding bags filled with brightly coloured sweets streamed out of the corner shop nearby, and my stomach rumbled as I scanned the platform desperately.

I felt Luke before I saw him, wrapping his arms around me in a comforting bear hug that lifted me off the floor, accompanied by one of Ashton's easily-recognisable giggles. Joy rushed through my veins like adrenaline - we were all together again, in this unfamiliar place that looked so much fun to explore.

Liz Hemmings was one of the sweetest women I had ever met, close to Anne-Marie on my list of best mothers, and Andrew was polite and clearly a hilarious presence. There was no awkward silence on the drive back to Luke's house, mainly because of the constant stream of Quidditch chatter during which Michael and I made various bored expressions at each other.

"Ash, when did you get here?" I finally interrupted, earning a relieved sigh from Michael and the adults.

"Literally just before you," he giggled. "Luke came to get me in the car, and we arrived at the station about five minutes before your train arrived."

And the conversation went back to Quidditch.

There was a warm welcome set up for us at the house in the form of Luke's older brother, Ben. He greeted us at the door with a gentlemanly flourish of a non-existent hat, a tray of freshly baked cookies in his hand which he graciously offered us.

"Where's Jack?" asked Liz. "He's in, isn't he?"

"Jack! Come down!" Andrew yelled to the middle Hemmings child.