A kiss from the moon

Sofia

"Remember the rules?"
Sofia nodded, unfortunately not bothered by her mother's cold voice.
"Not to tell anyone about my illness. Don't get close to anyone. Don't make any noise or make a show out of yourself and you'll be fine."
Amelia Bones patted her daughter awkwardly on the shoulder while Sofia just stood there just as awkwardly.
"Good. I'll see you next summer then I suppose."
Her mother's face seemed to trace a bit, as if she was trying to crack a smile at her. But as Sofia smiled back at her the woman, she looked just as cold as before.
"Yes mum. See you"
And just like that her mum turned around and disappeared in too thin air. Not very unusual for her but it still made Sofia jump a bit.
"Alright, let's get on this bloody train shall we"
She muttered to herself as looked over the sea of people in front of her. Parents were hugging their children, whispering advice in their ears that they probably had heard a million times before. But still, Sofia wished she had gotten to hear that. Without thinking much more of it she rushed on the train, on her way to find the compartment were her friends usually resided.

The train corridors were packed with people and it wasn't easy for Sofia to make her way almost to end of the train, where many hufflepuffs usually sat. As she walked, she couldn't help but overhear some of the usual chatter and gossip that was going around Hogwarts. As usual, most of it was about Harry Potter and what he and his friends had been up too last semester.
"He opened up the bloody chamber of secrets I heard!"
"Yeah and that Weasly girl was in on it as well!"
All a load of bollox thought Sofia as she finally reached her compartment. With a swoosh she opened the door to find her closest friends chatting about already.
"Well I snogged his girl didn't I?"
Said zacharias smith, his mouth already full with candy.
"You are so bloody full with lies aren't you!"
Exclaimed Hannah Abbot who was staring intensely at him, trying to get him caught in his obvious lie.
"Yeah Smith, if you had snogged anyone your mom would have told me about it, we talk every night you know!"
Exclaimed Sofia as she threw herself on the seat next to Hannah. Zacharias turned pink while Hannah bursted out in laughter.
"Alright enough with the bloody mom jokes. When you visited last summer I could barely look at her when you were in the same room. It was totally weird!"
Hannah and Sofia looked at each other and giggled a bit.
"Weird of you to say that Smith, because your mom doesn't really seem to think it's uncomfortable at all!"
Said Sofia as she threw up her legs to rest on her giant suitcase that was in front of her. But she couldn't do it for very long as two new people entered the compartment. Ernie Macmillan and Susan Bones, both looking a bit flushed. Susan smiled brightly as she saw Sofia.
"Hey you! Why haven't we talked all summer?"
She said as Ernie at the same time pushed her suitcase out of the way so that they all could fit.
Sofia shrouded looking apologetic.
"Mums.. mums been all over me about studying and stuff."
Susan nodded, but she felt a bit uneasy about it since she knew her aunt very well. And her aunt was a very harsh woman.
"Could have at least let you write to me?"
Sofia dodged Susan brown eyes and answered her while staring down on the carpeted floor.
"Well you know mumsy. The woman basically locked me up and forced me to do nothing but study 24/7!"
Sofia looked up again to see Susan crack a smile.
"Anyways! Did you lot hear what Harry Potter did last semester?"
Said Hannah, who was quite invested in this Harry bloke it seemed like. When Sofia had started at hogwarts last year, Hannah couldn't stop talking about her dear Harry Potter and his grand adventures.
As her friends started chatting about Harry and this Weasly girl, Sofia's attention changed and she found herself mindlessly staring out of the compartment window, counting the students that passed their little window. Every single one seemed to look a bit the same. The Weasly twins were noticeable though, tall as they were, walking down the same corridor and knocking on doors trying to sell filibusters. And as she kept staring, she seemed to get eye contact with a pair of brown eyes. Well the eyes weren't floating, they were connected to a head with bright red hair on. But Sofia couldn't determine who it was, as the person rushed by to quickly. With red hair like that, it had to be a Weasly? Her thoughts were interrupted by Hannah punching her on the arm.
"What do you think Fia? Any new Hufflepuffs this year?"
She asked with a smile. Sofia had been one out ten new hufflepuffs last year, including Ernie. Meanwhile, Hannah who was in the year above her had a rocking five people in her year. Including Zacharias and Susan.
"Yeah I sure hope so! Hufflepuff could use some new people."
Said Sofia with a smirk.
The rest of the group looked offended.
"Oh really? Miss Sofia over here is already tired of us!"
"Only second year and she's already getting so brave!".

The only weird thing happening on their journey was that their train had stopped for a bit and the air had turned cold as ice.
"Dementors"
Had Ernie exclaimed and then he almost passed out. But no dementors had passed by their own compartment. The only trace of these dementors was Susan's water bottle, that was slowly defrosting.

As Sofia and Ernie had hoped on the carriages for their first time, there had been chatter around them of a new defense against the dark arts professor and Harry Potter almost getting kissed by a dementor. Sofia was sure that the students at this school had to be lying sometimes.

Sitting down at the tables, Sofia spoke to the other two girls in her year. Both of them were absolutely thrilled to be back another year. She liked both of the girls. Their names were Marja and Poppy, but she had somehow gotten quite attached to Ernie in her firs year. But poor Ernie was still too traumatized by these dementors to talk to her and since her other friends where third year sitting a bit down the table, she was just halfheartedly participating in the conversation happening. But, Sofia absolutely loved sitting at the Hufflepuff table. It was such a harsh contrast to the glum everyday at her own home that she had experienced this summer. Everyone was talking to everyone, everyone was friendly helping each other out with whatever little thing could be wrong at the moment. God she loved being a hufflepuff.
The sorting ceremony was unfortunately quite short for the hufflepuffs this year though, a whole six small first years had one after one wandered over to the hufflepuff table, were they had been welcomed with applauds and cheers that had been loud enough to make the poor first years blush.

"Hey Fia!"
Ernie was finally looking a bit less pale as he whispered to her.
"Yeah ern?"
He gulped and looked up from his sausages.
"Do you recon that they could see my worst fears?"
Sofia shook her head.
"No earn, seeing as there was no dementors close to our compartments even, I don't recon they saw your biggest fears."
Earnie nodded.
"Alright good"
Another girl who was sitting right next to him patted him on his shoulder.
"Don't worry about them Ernie! I bet you could take a dementor down if you had to!"
Ernie smiled at her.
"Yeah? I'd like to think so at least!"
The girl, who Sofia knew was Marja Rosegarden nodded enthusiastically and Sofia couldn't help but smile at Ernie who looked a bit more content with himself.

"Ahem"
Dumbledore was knocking on his throat, as if it was a microphone and hew wanted to see if it worked.
"Hello students! We are all in the middle of a magnificent feast right now, but I have just a few thing's that I would like to add before we continue feasting! First of all, I'd like to welcome all students back for another year at Hogwarts! To you who has already been here, I welcome you back and too you who has come here just this year, I welcome you here for the worst time! As for some unfortunate news, there will be dementors guarding Hogwarts this year! Because of the unfortunate escape of Sirius Black, they are I believe a must. We have also welcomed a new defense of the dark arts teacher to our school today! Mr Remus Lupin!"
As Dumbledore said that he pointed at a shaggy looking man that waved at the students who were looking at him.
"Anyways! Mr Filch is going to be reading the list of all things that are forbidden at this school, then you are free to continue eating!"
As soon as mr filch started reading his list, the students continued eating. Sofia on the other hand, couldn't help herself but stare a little extra at the shaggy looking man. He had a kind face but he looked weathered. Like he had been through decades and decades of grief and sadness. Sofia could after while think of why she couldn't stop looking at him. He reminded her of herself.
And while she was deep in her thoughts, she was far to preoccupied to notice a pair of brown eyes staring at her from the Gryffindor table.

Later in her dorm, Sofia was staring up at the ceiling while she was trying to fall asleep. She had never had a easy time sleeping. In fact her mother used to tell her story's about when she was a kid and she would whimper and wave her arms while she slept, as if she was trying to fight an invisible enemy. Sofia felt sad as she thought about her mother. Did she feel lonely right now? All alone in their big house. They way her mother spoke to her you would think that Sofia wouldn't care as much as she did for her mother. But she did. She was a hufflepuff after all. Sofia continued to stare up the wooden ceiling while she listened to the soft snoring of the other girls in the room. After a while, Sofia must have fallen asleep without realizing because suddenly she had been woken up by Marja saying it was time for breakfast