AN: this is our first story and we are going to try and stick to updating once a week, but no promises. Also, we are keeping some of the facts from the book, while changing others. Thanks!


Jolene (Jo) Zocchi P.O.V.

Prologue

Fifteen years. Fifteen years since I last saw Fred and Cas together. But now, well, there they are. I see them and I can't help but remember how close the four of us were. Fred, Cas, George, and I. Something drew us together that first day we met. A train, a secret, a castle, and the four of us. We used to think of the four of us as just another fact of life. We would always be together. Of course, we had our problems, but we stayed together… Fred and Cas. It's been so long since I've seen them together- since I've even mentioned them. We had been so close at one point, then i just...it's almost like I let them die. Fred and Cas. Yet-here they are. The four of us, together. Fred and Cassidy and George and Jolene.

The past fifteen years have been rough. George is always there for me, but he struggled too. I could see it, especially when when we were with Fred and Cas. They were inseparable when we were little, not unlike George and myself. But they were different. Where George and I were a balance, they were gunpowder and a spark. Always a new idea, new scheme, each one more intense than the last. You always hear people talk about the point of no return. Fred and Cas never believed in that stuff. I miss them. Cas especially. We had something-something different. Something deep that connected us. I was her line in the sand. I thought she'd never cross me. But Cas...she was like the wind. She could blow right by me and I'd never blame her- it was just her nature. She could appear and disappear on the drop of a dime, and I wouldn't notice. She was that special kind of person who you were never really conscious of until she left you. She'd be pulling the strings and you'd never know. That was her with Fred.

So seeing Fred and Cas again, it hurts. There's no other way to describe it. I love them. I loved Fred and Cas so much, so seeing these two, it hurts. I can see that George feels the same way. No matter how happy we are now, the scars of the past will always run just a little deeper.


Chapter 1

So...you two seem like fast friends…"

I looked up. A guy, my age. Trying to start a conversation. Okay. This is good.
"Uhhh, actually-"

"Yep. Real fast friends. Just met, just clicked. You know...like magic." That was Cas. Cassidy Walker. And yes, in a way we were fast friends. She beams, putting a little too much effort into being friendly. I turn bright red. I come up with idiotic mumbling and she rips off one liners like nobody's business. Like magic. As if. But I let her go on.

"Speaking of magic, how'd you end up here?"

That makes the guy happy. He shimmies himself into a sitting up straight position and leans across the train car toward me and Cas, pushing his shaggy brown bangs away from his eyes. He has that dopey twelve year old grin on his face, so proud that he got our attention. "Well, both my parents are wizards, I was kinda born knowing this was coming. When the letter came in, well-it wasn't exactly a surprise. I wanna be Ravenclaw- I'm gonna be Ravenclaw. What about you two- what're your stories?"

Me first. Cas's done enough talking. "Half blood- my dad went to Hogwarts. Mum isn't a witch. I'm Jolene Zocchi-"

"And I'm Cassidy Walker." I give up. Cas can have her way. She looks at me, grinning. I roll my eyes. They match so well: two proud, boasting grins. Cas ignores my eye roll and keeps running on. "Also half-blood. Also my dad's side. I don't know where I'm going to end up. Don't care. Ravenclaw sounds cool though. Dad was a Hufflepuff. As long as I'm learning magic, you know?"

"Cassidy Walker, Ravenclaw. I think you'd make a perfect Ravenclaw. I can tell. Both my parents were Ravenclaws." He's smiling at her...he has a nice smile. Genuine and all. A tad vain, thinking that because both his parents were Ravenclaw- that both of his parents were wizards- that he practically owns the place. It's cute.

"Call me Cas. What about you, Jolene? What's your story?"

I roll my eyes a second time. Now she sends the conversation to me. "You can call me Jo. My dad was a Gryffindor" I give myself a pause to glare at Cas, who looks back with innocent and inquisitive eyes. "I'm hoping to follow his lead. Gryffindor, quidditch, maybe even go professional with it. Or go to the ministry. I don't know." Short and honest. None of the cutesy stuff. Of that, I am exceedingly proud. I must look it too, judging by the chortle Cas is failing to conceal.

"What about your letters?" The guy asks me.

But Cas takes it right back- I swear this guy was asking me, but off she goes. "Just like you- Dad made sure I saw it coming a mile away. My magic, I got it early. Couple of...accidents in muggle school." Cas starts laughing at herself. "What about you, Jo?"

"I wasn't sure where I'd end up, actually. My Mum lived in America a while- when she knew I'd be going to wizard school, well, she kinda wanted me to go to the States. But I got the letter from Hogwarts, and, well, I didn't want to leave for America. So here I am."

The guy smiles. I smile back. And Cas, being Cas, gets up and exits the car. Just walks away. Great. I'm not going to be Ravenclaw, but it's still a shame to leave this guy. He seems nice. But, like he said, me and Cas are fast friends. So I follow her.


And follow her, and follow her. As far as we can make it before hitting a crowd of people older than first years. I'm still not actually caught up when Cas ducks into another car...one that I can see is clearly occupied. I stumble as I try to get to Cas, but it's too late- I pivot to look into the car and I see three people: Cassidy, curled up in an ball in her robes pretending to sleep and being incredibly rude, and two identical boys. I stare for a minute, the way only kids my age can without it being weird. The one boy is staring back at me, the other is staring at Cas.

"...Hello...Sorry-about her, no well, I mean…"

"I'm sleeping Jo go away."

"You're being a child, Cas, and I was talking to the people."
She picks her head up and looks to see a boy staring at her. She nuzzles deeper into her robe, now doubling as a blanket, and defiantly shuts her eyes again. The boys haven't said anything, so I slide into the car, shut the door, and sit down. I am now across from the boy who is still staring at me. Everything about him is bright- bright orange hair, shining brown eyes, radiant smile. I smile back.

"Hi. Sorry again, about Cas. Cassidy."

"Cas!" her shout is muffled by the robe. I ignore her.

"I'm Jo. Jolene Zocchi" Cas loosens up after that, maybe even actually goes to sleep. I stop paying attention to her.

"George Weasley. This is my brother, Fred." Fred nods warmly. There is no way I will ever be able to tell them apart. We start talking, a repeat of the conversation Cas and I had with the Ravenclaw boy, minus Cas. Fred, George, and I swap stories about getting our magic, our letters, our expectations of Hogwarts. I make them tell me all about being twins, and that really sets them off. They talk about their huge family and they wave their hands around and start shoving each other and laughing and soon we're all having fun (save 'sleeping' Cas). Fred keeps looking over at her, but she is burrowed deep in angst and her robes. The boys leave the compartment to get their own robes, leaving me alone with Cas for a few minutes.

I poke her. "Cas?"

"No."

"Cas you're such a child."

"I like sleeping."

"I thought you wanted to make friends."

"I made a friend. A fast friend. You. Now I'm tired. It's sooooo much work making a friend." I roll my eyes, not that she sees, but just for my own satisfaction. The twins get back, and I am struck with the immediate terror of not knowing which twin is which. I squirm and squint, trying to see if I can sense it.

"George sat across from you again." Cas. George gives a semi-embarrassed, semi-amused grin. Fred just jerks his head over to the enigmatic Cas, probably amazed that she actually talks. Not that she repeats the trick until we get to wherever the Express stops, and I poke her again, she grumbles and gets up. Fred and George lead the way out of the train, up to a giant calling out for first years. He takes us to what I assumed was an ocean and puts all the first years in magical boats in groups of four. Cas and I and Fred and George end up together. I smile at Cas, who gives me a small smirk back. She's excited, I can tell. I am too. We all are- Hogwarts, so close!