Too Much To Ask (hp fic)

Chapter One- New Old Beginnings

I sat stiffly at the end of my bed, wrapping my blanket around myself. I stared hazily around my room and flinched as my alarm clock sounded and flickered to 7am. I hadn't slept a wink all night.

In just a few hours I would be boarding the Hogwarts Express again and going back to school for the first time in nearly a year. I was scared to go and face all the questions
and knowing I'd be behind in class and worrying that my friends may have forgotten about me. I'd ignored everyone's owls for months after my mother's death and one day they just stopped coming.
As I was deep in thought, my dad knocked softly on my door.
"Are you awake yet, darling?" He said in a hushed tone, he pushed open the door and his eyes flitted around my messy room.
"You should pack the rest of your things, we'll have to leave soon." He said. I nodded and stood up as he left the room again. I got ready into a simple jumper and skirt and stuffed my final few belongings into my trunk. I sighed as I stroked my soft duvet and wooden bedpost for what would be the last time for a long time that I'd be in my own room.

My dad had made me coffee in my black travel mug and handed me a piece of toast.
"I'm not really hungry, Dad." I said quietly.
"Don't be silly, you've got a big day today!" He insisted. He loaded my things into the car as I stood on the doorstep, taking small bites of my toast. My dad was a muggle and to an extent I had been living like one too since I'd left Hogwarts. I'd been totally disconnected from the Wizarding world in order to keep a low profile.

The drive to King's Cross was uncomfortably quiet, I felt deep down that I wasn't quite ready to go back, considering I hadn't been practicing any magic. I was also nervous about being away from my dad after spending all this time with him. I watched the city roll by from the car window and said a silent goodbye to my time as a normal girl. I got out of the car at the station and began to take my cases out of the car.
"No need to walk me to the platform Dad, I'll manage." I said with a weak smile. He sighed and began to tear up.
"Your mother would never let you carry all of that without our help," he chuckled softly "but I understand if you're ready to do this alone." He hugged me tightly. I thanked him for the ride and promised to write to him before making my way inside the station.

I held my breath as I stared at the brick wall ahead of me, it had been so long since I had done something magical. I hoped that I still had it in me. I ran, bracing myself and opened my eyes at Platform 9 and 3/4. I sighed with relief and smiled at the sight of the Hogwarts Express. My bags were loaded and I caught sight of Hermione as I approached the train to board it.

"Nuala, I can't believe it!" She exclaimed with a large grin, throwing her arms around me in delight. Despite the rivalry between Slytherin and Gryffindor, I was very close to many of them. Mainly because a lot of Slytherins weren't so... accepting that I was a half blood.
"You look amazing, everyone's so excited to see you." She held my arm and led me into a train compartment. Harry and Ron stood up excitedly to greet me and trapped me in a group hug. I studied their faces and realised how much can change in a year, they all looked so much more mature and put together.
"We missed you, you know." Ron blushed, putting his hand on my shoulder sympathetically. "We're all really sorry about what happened..."
I shook my head and gave him a teary-eyed smile.
"I'm feeling better already, just seeing you all again," I said. "I might need some help catching up on work." I looked to them all. Hermione nodded kindly as we sat down and she handed me some of her well-worn notebooks to study from. We chatted happily for a while until the door burst open and shocked us all. I looked up and saw two handsome, almost identical faces staring back. The twins. I practically jumped out of my seat to hug them both.
"We heard you were back and practically ran!" Panted George.

"I can't believe how different you all look!" I giggled, gazing at my friends.

"I don't think anyone's changed as much as you, Nuala" Fred said, looking me up and down. George elbowed him in the ribs and muttered something about claiming me under his breath. But Fred silently shook his head, still fixated on me. I couldn't help but blush, there was no point in denying that Fred and George were gorgeous.

They sat in the compartment with us and told us all about their eventful summer of partying and pranking. I yawned involuntarily.

"Sorry boys I wasn't being rude, I just didn't get any sleep." I laughed.

"Get some rest, we'll be quiet." Harry grinned. "We'll wake you up when we get close."

I thanked him and rested my head against the wall. I closed my eyes and thought about how lucky I was that my friends had accepted me as if I'd never been gone. I felt guilty for never answering their owls or even reading them. It seemed as though they forgave me so I felt extremely grateful as I drifted off to sleep, comforted by the whispers of my friends.

I awoke to the sound of Hermione softly whispering my name and tapping my leg. I stood up and went to change into my familiar Slytherin robes. I re-did my hair and touched up my makeup. As I stepped out of the bathrooms, the corridors of the train filled with old faces as the train slowed to a stop. Fred came up behind me, gripping my waist.
"You're home, flower." He spun me around and passed me my handbag, his lips curling into an attractive smirk. I took my bag from him, making a point of brushing my fingers slowly against his. Then I swiftly turned around again, disembarking the train alone.
I got into a carriage with some fellow Slytherins, Adrian Pucey and Daphne Greengrass. Daphne gossiped to me about how good looking Draco Malfoy had become recently and how he and Pansy had broken up. I wasn't listening very closely as I wasn't interested in Draco, who often made nasty comments about my blood heritage.

I saw Hogwarts in the distance and felt a wave of both relief and panic wash over me. My fifth year was going to be an interesting one.