Another Day, Another Adventure

Charlie grinned for the pure pleasure of seeing her wolfy best friend again. Boring. The concept was enough to bring a low laugh into her throat. The amount of unboredom in her summer was absurd. What she wouldn't give for her life to contain such mundane activity. For the first time Charlie longed for normal and boring rather than excitement and adventure. Not that the redhead would ever accuse Grace of being unaccustomed to hardship. The other girl had experienced much of the same as Charlie, only her pain had come at a much younger age.

Before Charlie could comment, another Hufflepuff entered the carriage. He greeted both her and Grace and Charlie gave him a wide smile. After Grace responded, Charlie joined with a smile. "Hey Jackson! Mine was fine. A little crazy, but when isn't it?" No. This was not normal crazy. But Charlie wasn't sure how much people had heard, and if it wasn't brought up she didn't intend to fill in the entire school on certain events. Not that she was ashamed.. it was just.. unfortunate. The whole thing.

Darcy, a girl in the year above her, entered moments later. It was a full house reunion going on in this compartment. Charlie felt vaguely sorry for Sonia and Baldric, who she guessed must feel very out of place among such a strong showing of badger power. Charlie greeted her and took a seat next to Sonia just as a third person entered the compartment. Charlie recognized this girl from the party at Nathan's as Tris and she offered the cute blonde a smile. There was something about the Ravenclaw girl that Charlie took to, though she wasn't quite sure Tris felt the same way.

From her newly claimed seat, Charlie was able to survey the scene that was unfolding before her. She began to wonder with amusement how many people it would take before the compartment exceeded full capacity and exploded from sheer volume of bodies. Though the group of teenagers, Charlie caught Grace's eye and winked. After years of a small, tightknit group of friends, their circle was finally expanded to the numbers that Charlie had always considered she should have.

With few reservations about her own praise, Charlie didn't question why she was suddenly in the center of one of the largest cliques in Hogwarts. It was only natural. She knew they would all get over the whole 'I'm-a-wolf' thing eventually.

The compartment door opened once again and Charlie's stomach dropped slightly. A despicable mixture of happiness and dread filled her stomach as Baird McLaggen stepped into the compartment and, in his usual fashion, pushed past everyone on his way to greet Sonia. After everything - after the blood, murders, and (if you believed her) an orphanage as bad a prison, Charlie still hadn't gotten over a stupid childhood crush. It was ridiculous. But it still felt like a little knife twisting as she watched Sonia's nose kissed from such a close proximity.

Baird spoke to her and immediately Charlie shrugged, quite exaggerated. She raised her eyebrows and replied "No idea. Haven't heard from him yet, but I've been instructed to save a seat. So I'm sure he'll be through."

Charlie turned to Jackson as he addressed the entire carriage and her eyes lit up with the prospect of her new classes. "Herbology." she said firmly. "And they're making me take some other stuff too. But really, when will I need Astronomy?" she rolled her eyes, but a pleasant smile remained on her lips and she considered the upcoming year. Hopefully some of the group would be in the classes she was less enthusiastic about. That would make it all bearable.

Why was it always so hard to get up in the mornings? Especially when there was something really important to do that same morning? It was obvious that there was no real reason, unless you stayed up late, which was something Nathan Finch-Fletchley hadn't done the night before. Yet he'd still had trouble getting out of bed.

"Nathan!"

He opened his eyes and turned in his bed, groaning as he heard his father's voice. He looked at the clock on his bedside and jumped up as he saw the time that it displayed. He was supposed to wake up an hour and a half ago, yet somehow he hadn't. It always happened when he had something to do. But every other day, he laid in bed wide awake without anything else to do.

"Come on, get up already Nate! Dad says we have to go!"

His little brother called shortly after his father and Nathan got out of bed. He quickly changed clothes and ran down to the door where everyone was waiting for him already. All his things were already down there along with his brother's things and their father walked out of the door without another word, going toward the car with their things.

Nathan walked out with Ares and the two of them got in the car quietly. It was obvious that their father had just had another fight with his wife and Nathan sighed. He wasn't sure how his father could stand being with that woman for as long as he had. He never understood how he could even marry her in the first place, all she wanted to do was take his mother's place.

"Dad. Don't forget we have to pick up Liv. Her parents aren't around and no one else could pick her up."

His father nodded and drove off to the girl's house. They got there rather quickly and Olivia was already waiting outside with her things next to her. She held her right arm like she always did and Nate sighed again. He got out of the car and grinned at the girl. She never changed, especially with him.

"Missy!"

He called, using the nickname he'd given her the last time she was at his house with the rest of their friends. He wrapped his arms around her and she immediately pushed him away like always. All she said was a simple 'hi' and Nathan grabbed her trunk as she got into the car next to his brother. The sixth year put her things into the trunk of the car and they left as quickly as they had arrived.

They were all dropped off at King's Cross Station and Justin left to do something that neither Nathan nor Ares knew what it was about. Without many words, Olivia followed the boys to Platform 9 3/4. "Come on Missy. Be happyyyy. We're going back to Hogwarts!" Nathan said happily. Olivia looked at him quickly before dropping her gaze and sighing. "Something happened with your parents, right?" he asked. She nodded but didn't say anything to him.

The two sixth years parted ways with Ares after getting onto the train and they made their way down the hall of the Hogwarts Express, looking to the compartments for their friends. They finally came upon the one where most of them seemed to be and Nate poked his head in. "Hihi!" he exclaimed suddenly with a wide grin and pushed the reluctant Olivia into the compartment before stepping in himself.

"Hi..." Liv said softly with a small wave to everyone else that was already in there. Nate looked at everyone and tilted his head to the side. "It's crowded in here." he laughed softly. "I call sitting on the floor!" He plopped down on the side of the compartment near the window and smiled at Liv. "So you can sit there!" he pointed at the seats.

Sonia had arrived at King's Cross early and uneventfully. Her father had sent her off with a pat on the back and a confident nod, her mother with a slightly teary hug and kiss to the cheek.

She had found herself an unoccupied compartment towards the back of the train and quickly made herself comfortable. Slowly the train's volume began to increase as more and more voices and footfalls echoed down the hallways. Before it felt like any time had passed, Sonia was joined by Grace and Baldric. There was an odd sort of unspoken tension between the three. Sonia and Baldric had an old rivalry from Quidditch do to their vocal support of different teams but it had been swept under the rug over the last couple of years as the Slytherin girl had been incorporated into his group of friends by Charlie.

With Grace, it was even stranger. Sonia genuinely liked the werewolf girl but always got an odd vibe from her, as if she was always on guard when the brunette was around. She had never analyzed this, but rather took it as how things were and simply greeted Grace with a lazy smile after months of summer apart.

Somewhat mercifully, Charlie bounded in not too long after and Sonia burst up to hug her. From the few, far-too-vague owls that she had received from the redhead, some serious things had gone down over the summer and she had never strayed too far from Sonia's mind. Sonia whispered in her ear, desperate for the full story of what had happened over the last couple of months. But now, in a train full of other Hogwarts students, was not the time or place for the type of conversation Sonia was sure was coming.

Charlie's attentions shifted to the other's in the compartment and Sonia returned to her seat. After Charlie they came in rapid fire - Jackson than Darcy than Tris. Sonia was forced to drop her feet from the seat across from her in order to make room for the others to sit down. Charlie took the seat beside her and the brunette smiled, glad that even though they were going to be packed into the carriage like sardines she would have her friends company over the next few hours.

Just as Sonia was about to speak, Baird entered their carriage. He greeted Tris (or rather, passively insulted her and walked past) and moved to Sonia, sitting on her other side. She wrinkled her nose as he kissed it, a laugh bubbling over her lips. They had been together long enough that the public displays of affection no longer bothered Sonia and instead she enjoyed the marking that he was hers. Rolling her eyes slightly as he pulled away from the kiss she turned back to observe the rest of the compartment.

This was where she belonged - with Charlie on one side and Baird on the other. Even as a Slytherin in a Hufflepuff world she still managed to fit in with the rest of them, and she couldn't help but be excited to return to Hogwarts. It may be school, it may be work, but it was where her life really began. Hogwarts was a second home and she never realized how much she missed it until the excitement of her impending return began to build.

Two more students entered the carriage, a Hufflepuff and a Ravenclaw, both in her year. She hadn't had more the a handful of conversations with the former, and wasn't sure she had ever been introduced to the latter. The nameless Ravenclaw girl was being ushered towards the seat across from Sonia. The Slytherin smiled and waved. "Hi!" she greeted, "I'm Sonia, this is Baird and this is Charlie."

Charlie piped up - "We've met. Hey, Liv. Nice to see you again. How was the rest of your summer?"

Sonia shrugged, a bit put off at her position at the fringes of the group and settled back into the seat. Baird's lap was looking incredibly comfortable for sleeping but she resisted laying down. The train hadn't even left the station. There would be plenty of time to rest later.

Jackson grinned, waving a hand up and saying 'Hello!' to Nathan. Jackson and Nathan shared a dormitory and had done or five years, shah means they knew each other fairly well. They could rely on each other for almost anything whether it be keeping a secret, help with school work or simply doing random favours.

'Oo! I'm doing Herbology too!' Jackson announced, his eyes wide and excise at the prospect of knowing at least one person in an NEWT class. 'Yeah. Astronomy isn't really much use, I suppose it's interesting if you're into that sort of thing.' He replied before waving a hand in front of his nose. 'Achioo! Oh, gosh, is there a cat anywhere? I forgot what I was like around them.' He asked before noticing a cat sneaking through the compartment door.

Perhaps the cat belonged to someone, or maybe it was just hunting for food. If it was hunting for food it wouldn't find it in here the compartment was crammed! There was no way they could stay like this for the entire journey, but chances are that they would separate and look for other people to catch up with.

Jackson had barely spoken to anyone all summer. Of course he had Avery to write to but the number of letters that he had sent and received was a lot fewer than he would have liked, then again he had been on holiday for a month in Australia - hence his sunburn. Because of this he had no idea what had happened to everyone of the summer, there were bound to be the odd tragedys or dramas, after all it was Hogwarts! However, whatever the stories happened to be Jackson wasn't going to change his view of the friends he'd maybe. They were friends afterall.

It had never seemed possible to have so many friends yet here they were, fanned out around Gracelyn Llewellyn like a delectable spread of cards, each one slightly different and bearing a completely different numerical value and back-story as to the pretty picture in the middle. Baird was the Joker, the bastard McLaggen who wore it like a badge of honour. Baldric was the King, a Wood and a proud Gryffindor. It wasn’t decisive who was Queen - a mix between Sonia and Charlie. As with all decks of cards, there were four to choose from and while Sonia was Queen of Hearts, Charlie was Queen of Spades.  

Grace prided herself quietly on her numerical insignificance, perhaps a seven or an eight at best but delving down into the lower numbers. She preferred the idea of being a five, somewhere squidged in the middle neither insignificant nor wholly important. Darcy, she felt, would head towards the upper echelons, perhaps a Jack or a proud ten. Jackson would be a seven, she was sure, just as Trish would dance around Baldric and be his Queen for a time before becoming an Ace, an important, pivotal part to finish them off. Liv, not wholly comfortable, would finish them off, round them up amongst Grace as either a six or a four. They’d be all such a wonderful deck and Grace was sure that in time, they’d come to fill all sixty-four slots by hook or by crook.

It had the potential to make for a quiet train journey. The Full Moon hadn’t been forgiving to Grace and had woken in the Forbidden Forest the following morning abominably sore with a horrendous amount of scratches and bruises as well as a few cracked ribs. The Centaurs she vaguely remembered hounding the night before were still in the area, their tracks fresh in the mud, and Grace followed them, picking her way carefully through the undergrowth, to the clearing which had been abandoned earlier that morning, clearly sensing the autumn chill. Eventually, she made it back to Hogsmeade and thankfully, a Healer was on hand to repair much of the damage she’d done to herself.  

The ribs were easily repaired and the scratches more or less wiped away with a wave of a wand. The bruises lingered in her skin, though, and the hoof marks from Centaurs where she’d gotten just a tad too close for comfort still marked her skin, threatening to scar. It was something that the thought of made Grace grasp for her forearm where the aforementioned wound was still fiery and irritable beneath the jumper she wore over her dress. It was gaudy, the jumper, but long in the arm and did the job she wanted it too so despite the awful way it clashed with her hair, Grace was grateful to have it.

Looking up, the redhead smiled at Darcy. She’d always found the quiet sailor quite interesting and while she knew that the girl wasn’t quiet, what Grace meant was that Darcy wasn’t particularly social with the others in her year or, really, in any other year. Grace had always quietly found her very interesting and at the mention of the Indian Ocean, the young werewolf perked up immediately.

“You need to tell me about your adventures,” Grace told the girl, her smile broadening on her freckled face. “I read about the Lakshadweep Islands. They’re on the other side, aren’t they; nearer the Arabian Sea? I thought they were awfully pretty.” Grace felt a heat rise to her cheeks and she played with the corner of her book before smiling again at Darcy. “Perhaps you could take me on one of your adventures some time?” She asked, feeling awfully cheeky for it but brave despite herself.

Turning her head, Grace looked at Jackson and felt her embarrassment grow exponentially. Hufflepuffs weren’t, as a rule, particularly studious. No, that was the forte of Ravenclaws but that did not mean for a second that Hufflepuffs were inane or behind in some way. It had Grace quaking in her boots, her options form and she’d all but crippled beneath her Head of House’s gaze when the Professor pointed out her electives were, first of all, impossible to maintain - let alone what she planned to do outside of that. Needless to say, it was called into question whether or not the sorting house had been right.

Unlike Ravenclaws, Grace wasn’t especially gifted in all subjects. She had her strengths but what made up for her lack of ability in other subjects was her determination to do well and to, at the very least, try. It had certainly got her quite a few brownie points for her troubles over the years.

“Only a couple,” Grace informed Jackson with a slight twitch of her lips. Grace looked over at Charlie and frowned. “Astronomy is interesting, Charlie!” She scolded. That wasn’t one of Grace’s strengths, either, but it certainly kept her attentive and enthralled and while she hadn’t done so well in her O.W.Ls, the Professor was more than happy to keep Grace on, knowing how the girl enjoyed the subject despite her trials.

Grace turned her disapproving look onto Jackson but let it go immediately when he sneezed. Her eyebrows shot up and she looked round, her expression darkening at the sight of the feline. It was brave to walk into a room now filled with Werewolves. She’d smiled at Olivia and Nathan when they’d walked in, finding it ironic that the answers to Baird’s question appeared almost as soon as he’d asked. That was four. Four werewolves. It made her wonder who knew and who didn’t. Baldric knew. Sonia knew, she was quite sure. Baird knew as soon as he met Grace and Charlie and he teased Nathan endlessly for being a puppy - Liv, he hadn’t quite had the opportunity to be as cruel to yet. But, nevertheless, werewolves! Werewolves everywhere!

She wouldn’t change it for the world, though. Here, her friends were.

Nate and Olivia arrived a remarkable short time after Baird had voiced his question and Charlie's already bright smile widened at the sight of her other best friend. It was the appearance of his companion that put knots in her stomach. The last time Charlie had seen Olivia.. Well, she wasn't exactly sure what had happened. The memories were all flashes. A piercing scream, a gash torn in someones side, a flash of curly red hair, a dark pool of blood expanding on the ground, the pounding of paws on the ground.

The next morning Charlie had woken up in a small patch of woods, completely naked and alone. The smallest traces of blood were smeared on leaves but most of it had disappeared along with her wolf form. But even from just the scattered memories of the night, Charlie knew what she had done. She walked for probably about a mile before she recognized the landscape from her first trip to the house. Charlie grabbed a sheet off of the clothesline outside of Nate's house before summoning up her courage and walking inside.

She hadn't stayed long, but it was long enough to confirm what she already suspected.

Now, face to face with Olivia, Charlie was just happy to see her face was in one piece. The other redhead looked un-mauled from this distance and that put a little peace in Charlie's heart. Maybe Nate had gotten it wrong.. maybe she hadn't been turned and the whole episode had been in Charlie's head. Nate directed Olivia to the seat next to Sonia and a small part of Charlie's head thought this was a good thing. Werewolfs and the one that turned them often had a strong bond. Charlie really hoped Olivia didn't feel one.

Luckily, there were others in the carriage to distract her. Jackson and Grace spoke, and Charlie stuck out her tongue at the second's comment. "Not really." she commented, wrinkling her nose. "Unless the stars cease to shine I really have no interest in their formations." Last year the professor had given her an P in Astronomy, leaving a bitter taste in her mouth towards the entire subject. Charlie leaned over and gave Jackson a high-five. "Woo! That'll be great. We will rule the class, won't we?" she grinned. Charlie and Jackson had never been best friends but whenever they spoke Charlie liked him well enough and was excited to have at least one other person to share the class with.

"Anyone else have Herbology this year?" she addressed the entire carriage. The only thing that would make her favorite subject better would be to have all of her friends present too.

There were plenty of things Olivia could tolerate from any and everyone. Even from guys. She'd been having to tolerate five of them for a while now. None of them had been that bad to her, only the constant teasing from Nathan about how she was cold toward the five guys in their group. She was also rather forgiving to all five of them, even if she was mean before she finally forgave them. But what had happened on the full moon the month before was something she couldn't and wouldn't forgive.

The only problem was that Liv was convinced Nathan had beenthe one who turned her. She had been the first person - creature, she saw when she had finally woken up after being attacked. She didn't remember what had happened before, all she knew was that there had been a lot of blood and now she had a long scar running along her side. That's why she'd been reluctant to have Nate pick her up when her parents didn't want to take her to the station.

When Nathan sat on the floor and motioned for her to sit in the seat Charlie had saved for him, she looked away from him and sat down. She smiled at Charlie and her scar started to burn a bit. Liv brought her hand to her side where the scar was and she held it, hoping the pain would pass quickly.

Nathan sighed and glanced at Charlie when Olivia looked away from her. He wondered how long he could keep the facade up. How long he could continue to convince Liv that he'd been the one who changed her, so she would never suspect Charlie. Andso Charlie's record wouldn't be any worse than it already was.

He grinned when the other Hufflepuff asked who else had Herbology and he jumped up a bit. "I do!" he said, lifting his hand excitedly. "This year's already turning out to be exciting. And it hasn't even started yet!" He laughed and grinned at Olivia, who in turn frowned at him and turned away. She'd been so cold and mean to him lately and frankly he didn't like it. But he knew the reason he kept her believing he was her creator was more important than anything else.