Astray

Chapter 5

"Get up. Get up! GETTT UPPPP!" Coralie felt someone jump on her bed and hit her with a pillow. It was the day they got on the Hogwarts Express and rode to Hogwarts. If she was honest with herself she would have to admit that she was very nervous, but she decided she wouldn't let her nerves get to her.

"I'm up!" She giggled, pushing herself into a sitting position under her light pink comforter. James bounced off of the bed and mentioned something about breakfast but she was too preoccupied with playing with Artemis, who was prancing around in her lap with his head held high, to listen so she just nodded and sent him on his way.

She went into the bathroom, grabbing her clothes along the way, and turned on the shower. She took a nice, warm shower bathing in all of her favorite vanilla scented products. When she got out she put on a plain black pleated skirt and a white long sleeved button up. She pulled up her black stockings and slipped on her black shoes that buckle over the top.

She walked back into her room and sat in front of her white vanity mirror and pulled out a brush. She started to hum as she brushed her hair, the tune was one she did not recognize yet sounded eerily familiar. She had definitely heard it before but could not place were. A small smile graced her freckled features as she could almost feel a motherly embrace.

It was just then that a knock on her open bedroom door startled her out of her thoughts. She jumped as she turned to see James standing in the doorway.

"Sorry, I didn't hear you come in," she said softly. She scooted over on the bench she was sitting on and patted the seat beside her. He walked over and sat down.

"It's fine, but I was wondering what song that was that you were just humming? It sounded very beautiful," he replied watching her reflection as she ran her fingers through her hair.

"Thank you, but I don't know. I started humming and the song just came to me. I feel like I've heard it before, but I'm not really sure when or how," she answered tearfully, though she had no idea why this overwhelming sense of sorrow overcame her. She laid the brush down as she took in her appearance in the mirror. James seemed to be doing the same as he reached over and took her hand in his and squeezed it.

This surprised the young black haired girl as her blue eyes widened, but then she turned her head to smile at him and squeezed his back. Then let go and stood up.

"We should probably go eat breakfast before it gets too late. You did finish your packing, didn't you?" she said raising an eyebrow at him.

"Of course," he lied. In reality, he was just glad she was back to being her cheerful self again. 'The song must have something to do with her parents' he thought. He had known better than to ask about her parents because he had earlier in the summer and she hadn't talked to him for three days after that.

-Flashback-

It was a warm Saturday afternoon and Coralie and James were both laying in the grass in the backyard. They each had an ice cream cone and were talking about Hogwarts, which seemed to be a hot topic among the two.

"So, you think you'll be in Ravenclaw, huh?" James said with his signature smirk. She twirled a strand of her hair on her index finger. A habit she had developed when thinking.

"Well, Mr. Albus seems to think so. I spend most of my time reading so I'd agree as well," she replied as she looked at the clouds in the sky that was a shade of blue rivaling her eyes.

"You always talk about Dumbledore. What about your parents, what houses were they in?" He said absent minded as he stared at the sky as well. When he saw a shadow being cast over him he looked over at Coralie, who was now sitting up and he did the same.

"I don't know," her long hair blocked her face from view, but the way her voice trembled he was sure her eyes were full of tears.

"What do you mean?" he continued. Despite not wanting to hurt his new friend his curiosity got the best of him and he just had to ask.

"I mean I don't know! Okay? I don't know anything about my parents! Don't you get it? I don't know what houses they were in, what they look like or even what their names are!" She snapped at him as she jumped up and ran off sobbing.

When she ran off he went in to look for her, but instead came across his mother standing in the kitchen baking some cookies.

"Mom? Can you tell me about Coralie's parents?" James asked. He wanted to find out despite not wanting to hurt her feeling because he felt as though he would be able to understand her better that way.

"Well, James, take a seat because this might take a while to explain," she gestured to a stool sitting at the island in the middle of the kitchen.

He sat and listened intently holding on to every word as she explained how Coralie was found by Albus. She was unconscious on the side of the road as when she came to she had no memory of anything other than her first name. She then went onto explain how even though they knew her name they could not find her in St. Mungo's records and since they could not figure out who her parents were Albus took her in as his own and raised her.

For the next few days after that, she refused to talk to him or anyone for that matter. She barely ate any of her food and spent most of her time in her room with the door locked. A few times he walked by her door contemplating on apologizing when he could heard her sobs and decided not to.

Then one day she knocked on his door and apologized for snapping at him just because he was curious and he apologized for asking about such a sensitive topic. Then they were fine for the rest of the summer and just acted as if it never happened.

-End Flashback-

They walked downstairs to the kitchen and sat at the island. She piled some leftover pancakes and bacon onto her plate and James did the same. They ate in silence except for the sound of their forks hitting their plates.

When they finished it was time to leave for Kings Cross Station. Coralie put on her grey sweater and helped load her trunk and Hermes, that Ginger had brought down for her, into the trunk of Fleamont's red muggle car. James did the same with his and they climbed into the backseat as Euphemia got in the passenger's seat and Fleamont was driving. Coralie got into the car with James but held the door open for Artemis to jump in with her. As she closed the door they took off down the driveway.

The ride there was filled with silent anticipation as both Coralie and James were excited yet nervous about their first year at the school of magic.