Enchanted By The Thought

FOUR: Where's Harry

Once upon a time, a devil and an angel fell in love. It did not end well.

The group arrived at the train station early and Puffle rested comfortably in Beth's pocket, asleep. It seemed it was all he did; sleep. Kat and Maggie were there; Beth was relieved to see her friend. She was worried her parents wouldn't let her come. But Kat assured her friend that her parents decided Dumbledore could keep her safe and allowed her to attend. Mrs. Weasley hugged Beth goodbye, along with her own children and Hermione. Even George had shown up to see her off. He was smiling at her as she trotted over to give him a hug. Her palms grew damp and she suddenly regretted leaving the safety of her friends. She could feel Kat's and Maggie's gazes following her and knew they were analyzing every move. George wrapped his arms around Beth and crushed her face to his chest. "I will miss seeing your pretty face, LizzyLiz." He told her against her hair and she felt a thrill run through her at his words.

"I'll miss you too." She whispered, squeezing him tightly. He chuckled, the sound vibrating her cheek. Getting hit with a short spurt of boldness, she pulled away and leaned up onto her tiptoes, pressing her lips against his in a soft kiss. She darted away towards her friends, her face burning. Kat's mouth was hanging open and Maggie was full blown grinning. In Maggie's arms, Beth saw her calico cat, Elenfore; she loved Elenfore as if he were her own. It felt as though everyone was staring at her. She quickly boarded the train with her friends on her heels. Harry joined them, looking crestfallen. Beth quickly picked up on his longing and noticed why; Hermione and Ron had to leave to the prefect compartment. They couldn't sit with him and he couldn't follow. Luna waved to them, gesturing for the group to join her. As her brother joined her, Beth saw Neville slip into the compartment with them. Not wanting to tag along, she passed them. Besides, there wouldn't had been enough room for all of them.

Searching, she found her friends and hers usual compartment that they sat in every year and plopped down by the window. Maggie sat beside her, setting Elenfore down on the seat opposite of her and Kat claimed the other window seat. They both looked at Beth expectantly, leaning towards her. She gazed back, waiting for the inquisition. "So?" Kat demanded, her eyes wide in her excitement. "Details details!" She clapped her hands together like a little kid.

"What? You saw me kiss George. That's all." Beth answered defensively and shrugged, unable to hide her secretive smile. Maggie pointed a threatening finger at Beth's face, her eyes wide with threat.

"You can't just leave us hanging. Did anything else happen?" She asked, probing deeper. "Anything at all?" She frowned at Beth as she stayed silent.

They both groaned at the same time and leaned away from Beth, slouching in their seats. "Fine. Be that way." Kat said grouchily, crossing her arms and pouting.

Maggie rolled her eyes and looked away from Beth, staring at the door. "I will get you to talk." She added with promise and then she began to pet her cat, Elenfore. He started purring and as Beth watched the countryside whiz past, the two sounds combined allowed her to fall asleep. She dreamed of silver eyed boys.

~

Someone was brushing Beth's hair away from her face. Her neck was aching and she knew it was because she was in an uncomfortable position. "Does she look paler to you?" Someone whispered and Beth instantly recognized Maggie's voice.

"She has naturally dark skin, it'd be hard to tell." Kat answered softly. She cracked open an eye and saw her friends bent over her, staring. Totally not creepy. She started to open both eyes fully, focusing on them. "Mornin' sleepy head!" Maggie greeted brightly and pulled her upright. Beth's head spun suddenly at the movement and she closed her eyes, yawning. The world righted itself and she allowed herself to reopen her eyes.

"So what'd you wake me up for?" Beth asked her friends and they rolled their eyes, sharing a look. What was it?

"We didn't wake you up, you woke yourself up." Kat answered smartly, leaning away from Beth to sit back down.

Maggie crossed her eyes, mimicking Kat's movement. "We woke her up by staring at her. Duh. Didn't you know people can sense when they're being stared at?" She pointed out, raising an eyebrow.

Kat and Beth shared a look that clearly stated 'what?'. Maggie stuck her tongue out at them childishly. That was when Beth felt Harry's fear hit her like cold water. She jolted to her feet, immediately worried. Why was he scared? But the fear subsided and she was left feeling confused.

Maggie grabbed their robes and handed them out to Kat and Beth. Taking hers, Beth had Kat and Maggie block the door while she quickly changed. Anxious to find out why her brother was scared, she told her friends she'd be right back before she darted out of the compartment. She located Luna and Neville's compartment but she did not see Harry in there with them. Her stomach sank to the floor and she tried to reel in her growing fear.

Pulling her wand out of her boot, she gripped it tightly as she peered into different rooms. Every single one was filled with students but she did not see her brother.

Moving to the back of the train, she started peering into the windows, desperate to locate her twin. Glancing into another compartment, she spotted a flash of blonde hair and stopped dead in her tracks. Draco Malfoy was in the compartment, along with Pansy Parkinson, Crabbe, Goyle and another pretty brunette. They hadn't noticed Beth so she could not help but watch their exchange. "Astoria, that was bloody brilliant." Draco praised and the brunette smiled, tossing her hair over her shoulder.

Pansy sighed and continued to brush Draco's hair, who's head was in her lap. Beth was surprised at the small flicker of jealousy that pulsed through her veins. Disgusted, she shoved the emotion away, annoyed with herself. Jealous? Why the hell was she jealous? Harry's emotions were faded now and she knew he wasn't in trouble. While she was wrestling with her thoughts, she felt someone's gaze. She focused and saw Malfoy was staring at her intently. Cursing at herself, she ducked out of sight and ignored the butterflies that had decided to appear in her stomach. Sighing, Beth stopped her search and returned to her friends, who were gossiping about an American transfer.

When the train stopped, announcing their arrival to the school, she felt the fear spike again. Her heart racing, she sought her brother in the crowds but couldn't locate him. She could feel the fierce anger my brother was struggling with and she was frightened. Where was her brother?

Kat guided her along to the carriages and Beth saw the eerie thestrals, pawing the ground impatiently. "Have you seen Harry?" She asked Maggie but she shook her head. Maggie's eyes filled with sympathy at the worry in Beth's tone.

Beth felt obligated to stay to find him but her friends assured her that he was fine and managed to coax her into the carriage with them. As they made their way up to the castle, she glanced back but there was still no sign of her brother. The fear boiled in the pit of her stomach and she nervously chewed on her nails, glancing around. That's when the explosion of pain on her face hit.

Beth's nose was blazing and her eyes pricked with tears. She gasped and clutched her face, squeezing her eyes shut. "Oh my god, Beth!" She faintly heard Maggie's cry and she felt hands prying her hands away from her face. "What happened to your.." Her voice trailed off and Beth opened her eyes, blinking away tears.

Kat was staring. "There's... nothing..." She spluttered. "I thought..."

Beth's nose throbbed but even she knew it wasn't her; it was her brother.