Lumos

Chapter Five

December 20, 1987

Hogsmeade

Between keeping up with her classes and slowly becoming friends with the Slytherin girls from her potions class, Katherine was startled when she realized that Christmas was right around the corner.

"I don't see how you're surprised," Leah was munching on a sandwich she had stolen from the Great Hall.

"I'm not surprised!" Katherine protested. "I just wasn't expecting it to come this quickly."

"At least I warned you last night. You would have missed the train this morning if I hadn't!"

And it was true - when Leah had asked her what she was doing for the holidays, Katherine had mumbled something vague in response, focusing on a History of Magic essay. When Leah told her that the train left tomorrow morning, Katherine had panicked. 

Luckily, one of the other girls in her dorm had let her borrow an owl, and Katherine sent a harried letter off to her mum explaining the situation.

The wintery countryside flashed past them as the train neared London, the comfortable silence broken here and there as the two girls worked.

"Katherine?" Leah asked hesitantly.

"Yeah?" She asked, determined to finish her last bit of homework assigned over the holidays. She wanted to be able to spend the most amount of time she could with her mum.

"Did your mum ever tell you who your parents were?"

At that, Katherine looked up. It had been at the back of her head since the Sorting, when she had gotten the tiniest glimpse at to who her parents were.

"No," Katherine said slowly, setting her quill down. "I think it still upsets her to think about it, so I try not to ask."

"They're your parents though!" Leah argued with her.

"Yeah, but Mary has been the best mum I could have ever asked for," Katherine laughed. "I don't my parents abandoned me, they just chose the best path for me."

"You're way too optimistic," Leah informed her, shaking her head in disbelief.

The city of London flashed into view as the train started to slow down. Katherine stood up and started to gather her work, making sure it was neatly placed into her knapsack.

There was a loud thump behind her, and a muffled swear.

"What the hell?" Leah cried and Katherine couldn't help but to start laughing when she turned around.

Leah had obviously tried to pull her trunk down herself, something that they always did together - for this exact reason too.

Leah was scrunched up in a ball on the floor, her trunk resting on top of her shins. Katherine suspected she would have some nasty bruises in the morning.

"See, this is why we do this together!" Katherine attempted to say sternly, but she couldn't keep a straight face as she started giggling again. 

"Are you sure one of your parents weren't in Ravenclaw?" Leah grumbled as Katherine, still laughing, dragged the trunk off of her.

Though as the train ground to a halt inside of the station, Katherine couldn't help but wonder how much truth there was in that question.

*

"You seem distracted," Her mum nudged her side as they sat in front of the television, watching Christmas movies. Startled, Katherine nearly yanked the entire blanket off of her godmother's lap.