Two Sisters, Two Loves

Time to Head Back

*Krista's Point of View*
   I felt the flesh of my hand start to burn as I pounded on Kenzie's door. My sister loves to sleep and takes forever to get ready.
  "Kenzie!" I shouted through the door, "Come on, we have to catch the train!"
  "Whyyy?" her muffled voice came from within.
  "It's time to get back to Hogwarts. I know you want to see our friends."
  I heard her groan and the creaking of her climbing out of bed. After a few minutes, she opened her door fully dressed, her strawberry blonde hair messed up, dragging her trunk behind her. I rolled my eyes and shook my head. She's unbelievable.
  "Don't shake your head at me," she teased, "You never get up either. You're just excited to see-"
  "SSSSSHHHHH!!!!"
  She grinned, "Fine, but it's not like anyone cares."
  "I don't care. I don't want mom and dad to know just yet."
  "Krista, we're fifth years this year. I'm sure they won't care," she said, yawning.
  I just shook my head again and started to head downstairs. I sat myself at the rich, reddish-brown table sighing. Kenzie's right. My thoughts began to drift to that one special person. His curly brown hair grew wildly from his head. I remember the first day as first years when he found his pet toad as we prepared to be sorted. Everyone laughed as his face turned bright pink. It was just so cute. Kenzie's always on me about crushing hard for people, even if it doesn't make sense. Kenzie and I are pretty similar, but different as well. We both love a lot of the same nerdy things as well as reading and writing. The only major difference is she's a lot more social when it comes to new people. I don't reach out of the social circle too often. I'm way too shy for that. Hence why I can't even talk to a crush for five years. I know Kenzie is crushing on someone as well, but I don't know who. She denies she does, but I know her better than that. She doesn't crush nearly as often as I do, but just as hard. Kenzie came and sat with me.
  "Speaking of crushes..." I started, "When are you going to tell me who yours is?"
  She immediately got defensive, "I told you I don't like anyone right now."
  Another difference about us is that my sister is better with eye contact, even with lying. She knows how to mask a lie just by giving direct eye contact. I still don't believe her, but I shrugged it off.
  "Ready to go, girls?" our father asked. His blue eyes dancing.
  "Yes!" we shrieked in unison, jumping up and grabbing our luggage.
  We ran outside, throwing ourselves into the white Toyota with our fifty pound trunks of our belongings. The whole way to King's Cross, Kenzie and I started going over a list we had created to present to Fred and George.
  Kenzie pointed to the list, "I think they'll definitely go for this one."
  "You kidding?" I smirked, "They'd do it all just because they could!"
  We broke into laughter as the vehicle reached a stop in front of the large train station, overcrowded with what seemed to be thousands of people.
  "Let's go, girls," our mom smiled.
  I breathed in the cold air as I climbed out of the back seat with my trunk. The cold pricked the surface of my skin, making the hairs rise. Kenzie and I raced into the station with our parents trailing behind.
  "Slow down, you two!" they hollered.
  We looked at each other and smiled as we reached the wall to platform 9 3/4. Our parents came up behind us gasping for breath.
  "Don't get so excited," dad huffed, "You're still a few minutes early."
  "Come on, dad," I smiled, "You know we love it there."
  Kenzie and I hooked arms and took off sprinting towards the brick wall, seeping through and into the bustling platform.
  "Ready, Krista?" Kenzie grinned.
  "Set."
  We hugged our parents and climbed aboard the gleaming, cherry-red locomotive. HOGWARTS EXPRESS screaming at its front in bold, yellow lettering. We searched the compartments, hoping to find someone we knew. Sure enough, we came across the Weasley twins, clearly plotting their next prank. I was just about to slide the compartment door open when Kenzie cleared her throat.
  "Hey, Krista. I'm going to go find Hermione and the others."
  "Fine, but hurry back," I told her, "I won't tell them the plans without you."
  She nodded. Her mossy green eyes danced with eagerness as she began navigating through more compartments. I’ll never understand my older sister. I swept my numb hand to the handle to slide open the compartment door, only to be greeted by two mischievous grins.
  “Hello there, Krista,” Fred smiled
   I smiled back, “Good morning, Fred. Hello George.”
  “Hey, Krista.”
  I allowed myself to collapse onto the plush red seat across from my favorite redheads in the whole world. I could just hear their wheels turning.
  “Krista, where’s Kenzie?” George asked, “We need to discuss pranks.”
  I shook my head, “She went to find the others. She seemed kind of weird about it.”
  “Weird how?” Fred asked.
  I laughed a bit, “As in, I know that isn’t whom she’s looking for.”
  Large, devious grins stretched across their faces. Oh no, I can only imagine what thoughts are running through their heads right now. I pressed my forehead against the cool glass window. My breath blurred my vision of the scenery that breezed by us. I pushed my glasses back into place as my eyelids were weighed down by lead. Thoughts floated through my half-conscious mind. Little wisps of memories, good and bad. Streams of hopes and wishes of what could be. Before slumber overtook me, I thought about the socially awkward boy in Gryffindor. Picturing his little sideways smile made my heart pound, heating up my cheeks. The awkward things that he’d done that made others laugh, made me smile. I imagined going up and talking to him for the first time. His eyes warm and inviting, giving me as many hugs as he could. Slipping through the grasp of consciousness, my last thought was back to when Kenzie first found out:
  “Aww, really?” she asked me.
  “Yes,” I had told her, “I am hopelessly crushing on Neville Longbottom.”
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   *Kenzie’s Point of View*
  I shuffled my feet nervously as Krista went to open the compartment door where the twins were.
  “Hey, Krista,” I managed to get out, “I’m going to go find Hermione and the others.”
  I knew she probably wouldn’t believe me. She never does. I just don’t want to break to her who I’m really going to look for. Not just yet. She turned to me, eyes looking through to my soul. A shine of suspicion reflected in her jade green eyes. I swallowed hard, holding my breath.
  “Fine,” she said, “Hurry back though. I don’t want to go over the list without you.”
  I nodded eagerly. I just wanted to hurry to the next car over. Where he usually was. I began to walk to the end of the car, pretending to look inside each compartment for Harry, Ron and Hermione. I swallowed hard as I reached the end, brushing my fingers across the handle to the next car. Adrenaline coursed through my blood, spreading like wildfire. My heart pounded against my ribs, as though trying to break free. I turned around to scan the walkway. Krista wasn’t watching me anymore, so I eased up a bit. My pulse echoed in my ears, my legs lead and hands shaking, and numb. My breathing stopped as I slid the door open and an entire car of cold-hearted Slytherins turned to me. I forced in a deep breath, pushing myself forward. Plastering a mask of unconcern as I walked through. I tried muting out the whispers and insults, but it was hard to ignore them all.
  “Filthy half-blood,” one girl hissed.
  “Corrupted muggle-lover,” another boy scoffed.
  “Get out of here, Gryffindor!”
  I kept a straight face, focusing on where I was going. I looked up toward the end, to see an outline of white-blonde hair. My heart stopped as I approached him and his buddies.
  “Hey, Lewis! I think you might be lost,” he sneered.
  I glared at him, “I’m not lost, Draco. I’m looking for my friends.”
  He lifted an eyebrow at me with a small grin. I tried to keep my cover, but it’s harder than usual. His stormy grey eyes weren’t cold as they usually were, and he had really grown over summer. His shoulders had broadened quite a ways and his face was more masculine than childish. He wore a solid black suit that hugged him in just the right places, making me even more nervous.
  I swallowed a hard lump, “Now, excuse me. I have people to find.”
  I refused to give him the chance to respond as I slid open the next door, stepping out to the cheers and insults of the other Slytherins. They didn’t bother me at all, I’m used to it. After a bit, I didn’t manage to find the trio, so I headed back the way I came. Ignoring thrown papers, venomous verbal abuse, and above all, refusing to look Draco in the eye. I didn’t want to return to Krista and the twins feeling like this, so I luckily found an empty compartment. I curled up on one of the benches and closed my stinging eyes. I just want today to be over…