Susan drew a sigh as she looked back. Lucy ran back to her brothers who were bidding their parents farewell. It was a little mean to shut her out, she thought, but she didn't want to hear another word about that place. She was done with thinking about it. It was just a childhood memory now, nothing more. Besides, after visiting America a few years ago, she felt she had found true purpose to her magic. She got to experience the gift from a whole new perspective and at the same time saw what the American muggle world had to offer. Which, to put it bluntly, was a lot indeed. Of course, getting to spend alone time with her parents didn't hurt either. The result of that trip was renewed zeal for life as she went through her fifth year. She reconnected with her friends, brought her grades up, and passed her O.W.L.S with flying colours. She even shared some of the new muggle products from America with her friends, and surprisingly found pleasant feedback. Susan was moving forward in life, and as she levitated her trunk behind her, all she could think of was the upcoming year at Hogwarts. That was, until she collided into another student.
"I'm sorry Mist-" she began, only to her an all too familiar laugh.
"No worry darling, I didn't realise I was that distracting," the taller boy said, shooting her an amused look.
"Gus, you prat!" she exclaimed, mildly blushing at her boyfriend's teasing.
"Sorry darling, I should be more respectful to a lady," he said giving her a deep bow, exaggerating his pureblood mannerisms. He quickly followed up by kissing her hand gently, causing her blush to redden.
Augustus Rookwood had asked to court her early in the spring, and the summer had not pushed them apart, even though all their communication was by owl. She had visited him once in the summer and missed him dearly. Despite her status as a muggleborn, his parents seemed to approve of their courtship, which was a definite relief. Now, staring his smiling face, she could see that he was still being rather silly.
"Yes, you should," she reprimanded lightly. "But come; let's go get some seats before all the compartments fill up." She waived her wand and levitated her trunk once again, it being relatively unscathed by their kerfuffle.
"I saw Isla, Claudia, Trevor, and Ekua in a compartment at the end of the car," he mentioned.
"And I assume your trunk is already there," she asked, beginning to follow him to the hall.
"Of course. Wouldn't want to miss out on the pre-NEWTS notes," he responded, navigating around younger students trying to find their own compartments. Susan used her peripherals to make sure her siblings weren't following her to talk about a childhood game she wished to put behind her.
"You know, I think we're the only house that does those," she noted.
"Well, then the 'puffs, snakes, and lions can cry when exams rear their ugly heads," was his response, glancing toward her as they neared the compartment door. "Where's Athena?"
"I sent her flying ahead to the castle, and shrunk her cage," she replied before sliding into the boisterous compartment, pulling her boyfriend in with her. Her friends had been joined by another three of her classmates and they were laughing at poor Trevor who had the misfortune of not moving fast enough to avoid his cards exploding. He was covered in a bit of soot, and didn't look too pleased but quickly changed expressions upon seeing the compartment's newcomers. However, it was Ekua who reached Susan first.
"Susan! It's so good to see you," she said as she hugged her, quickly joined Claudia and Isla too, leaving Augustus to awkwardly maneuver around them to sit down next to Trevor. The girls quickly disentangled, and Susan floated her trunk to the luggage rack, setting it down gently before she went to sit down between Gus and Isla.
"By the way, I win the bet this year," announced Ekua proudly. Susan sighed.
"What was it this year?" she asks. It's been this way ever since they found an arrowhead in her hair in third year. She doesn't linger too long on that now unpleasant memory.
"A boy," Ekua says simply. Claudia is outraged.
"He wasn't in her hair!" she exclaims.
"But didn't you say that was how the idiomatic expression is used here in England? You try to get people out of your hair?" Ekua counters, her bright teeth flashing from behind her dark lips. Claudia's eyes narrow.
"She has a point, Claudia. We didn't specify figures of speech as off limits," pipes Isla, finally joining the conversation again, while Trevor watches the whole thing with amusement. Susan noticed at that moment Gus' hand was reaching for her hair. She shot him a baleful glare and his hand retreated to his side, eliciting laughter from the whole cabin. The train finally began to lurch forward, beginning its journey through the sombre neighbourhoods of wartime London. Susan glanced back at the station, relieved she had said good bye to her parents earlier, and joined in the conversations of summer vacation's adventures. Each one was unique, from Ekua's epic travels ("I finally understand why my sister says Jamaica is like Takoradi!") to Claudia's great parties ("The summer ball was all the rage, Domitia Gamp was so jealous!"). Isla spent her time on the beaches of Devon ("In spite of all those arrow-plains, it was peaceful,") and Trevor told them of his summer romance ("She was from Beaubâtons, and since the school's exiled to Whitby, I thought I might as well try"
"Trever Ross, just cause you're from Whitby doesn't mean she'll automatically fall for you, ya know?")
That last story made all the girls roll their eyes at their friend's mild cluelessness. Eventually with all the tales out of the way, and as they made their way through the Midlands, the compartment quickly filled with books, as now it was time to see what they all needed to brush up on for N.E.W.T.S. Nearly all of them had chosen to keep Transfiguration, but beyond that there were many differences in their choices. The only person's schedule who matched with hers was her boyfriend's, an intentional choice. Even so, they all had a lot to learn, so they reviewed rigorously.
The sweets trolley came and went, as did the lunch trolley. The grey skies gave way to light rain, as their train passed through Lancashire. Everyone was in varying stages of fatigue, Susan noticed as she struggled to keep her eyelids open. Slowly the words of her Ancient Runes textbook blurred into darkness and she welcomed this well-deserved nap.
Yet soon enough she quickly regretted falling asleep as she found herself caught up in long buried memories. The sun's rays streamed through the halls of Cair Paravel, giving it a peaceful aura of early morning. Her siblings were preparing the last of their supplies, ready to embark on the Hunt of the White Stag. Most of the court was still sleeping, but Peter insisted they depart early, having bid loved ones good bye the night before. Edmund and Lucy had been ready to go for over an hour, calling for Susan from across the courtyard.
"Fair Sister, you need not sharpen your arrows a thousand times. Come down!" She recognized Lucy's exasperation and Edmunds deep laughter in the background. While she was ready to go, she wasn't ready to say good bye. Not yet. She turned to the small alcove hidden in the corner of her room. There seated on the dark blue chair was a sweet familiar face, deeply engrossed in a book on centaur magic.
"You're in my spot," she chided jokingly. Dark eyes looked up from the book, and she saw him smirk mischievously.
"I believe the last time this argument came up, we agreed to a…little exchange," he replied smoothly. "Or did I somehow imagine the whole thing?" She laughed at his penchant for the dramatic.
"Oh you definitely imagined the whole thing," she replied. "Complete fiction."
"I know your toying with me." He moved to put his book away.
"Can't get anything past you, can I? Well, at least with your telepathy."
"I wasn't reading your mind; I was simply reading your face"
"Susan! Peter is halfway to Beruna already! Hurry up!" cried Lucy from outside. Susan sighed as she looked into her husband's eyes. He came and held her close.
"I will dearly miss you," she said softly.
"I know," he replied, "as will I. But I'm sure the Hunt won't take more than a few days. Besides, you've needed a chance to spend time with your siblings for quite a while. Take it!" She saw the sadness in his eye replace quickly by a cool smile. He was definitely making it harder to leave, but she knew he was right. At least this once.
"Alright love, I'll see you before the solstice next week," she replied, giving him one last kiss before picking up her provisions and rushing to join Edmund and Lucy.
She felt a sense of foreboding as she became aware she was reliving the Hunt. Time seemed to speed up as they rushed to find the Stag, coming up to the Lantern Waste far faster than she wished. The memory of approaching the ominous lamp post struck fear in her heart. The dreadful feeling as she counseled her siblings to turn back in vain returning quick. Just like that, she tumbled out of the wardrobe. The shock of no longer being a queen, but a young school girl made her numb. Her siblings looked just as horrified. Peter opened the wardrobe door quickly, as though he wished to rush back to Narnia. She joined him quickly, only to collide with his back as he slammed into the wooden back wall. Both the elder Pevensie siblings desperately tried to find an opening, a crack, a hole, anything that would let them back into the homeland of their hearts. She saw her brother slumping to his knees in defeat. She wouldn't dare give up so easily. There had to be a way. She felt the tears streaming down her face as Edmund and Lucy pulled her back from the wardrobe. Sobbing for her loss, all she could hear was her siblings call her name.
"Susan," they pleaded.
"Susan!" That did not sound like Edmund anymore.
"Susan, wake up!"
She jolted awake in cold sweat. She glanced around the compartment and saw all her friends glancing at her. Still half dazed, she wondered what had happened. Glancing at her boyfriend, she saw his furrowed brow and worried eyes.
"Susan, are you under the weather?" asked Isla. "You look like your burning up."
"I'm fine," she mumbled. The dreams had her on edge.
"Make sure to get your inoculations at the infirmary when we get there," Claudia remarked casually. She nodded mutely as everyone settled back into stilted conversation. A few Slytherins in their year passed in the hall laughing. Trevor stared at them as they slipped from view, pausing before speaking up.
"Say, didn't there used to be another Slytherin when we first started here?" Ekua looked pensive at his remark.
"Now that you mention it, I am remembering there was." Susan tensed for a moment, though no one noticed.
"What was his name, again?" pondered Claudia aloud. "He definitely was not high society or I would've heard what happened to him ages ago." Susan continued to shift uncomfortably, trying to think of something to divert the conversation. She was on the cusp of asking about their proximity to Hogwarts when Gus exclaimed, "RIDDLE!"
"Yeah that's the one," agreed Trevor. "Tom Riddle." Susan blanched. This wasn't happening. He wasn't real.
"Whatever happened to him?" asked Claudia, glancing over to her pale friend. "Susan, I vaguely recall you telling me once you lived near him."
"I don't remember that," she replied far too quickly. Yet her friend was not picking up on her discomfort.
"I think you said he lived in…Kennington or something like that?"
"Kennington is nowhere near Finchley!" she snapped. The girls were surprised as Susan was usually the least temperamental of the group. At least that's what she'd let them believe.
"Or was that Islington? See I get all my London neighbourhoods mixed up," Claudia said in an attempt to defuse the tension.
"You should see how I felt when I first got to London," added Ekua. "We took the Underground the wrong way and ended up at Victoria Station, not King's Cross! Do you remember how I nearly missed the train that first year?" The boys started chuckling, and soon they had all returned to normal conversation.
"I'll go to the infirmary with you, if you'd like," whispered Isla, giving her an understanding smile.
Susan nodded and put on a brave face but she felt shaken. It had been years since anyone had mentioned that name here at Hogwarts. She hoped they'd all forgotten him. And yet his name still haunted her. Reminding her that perhaps that other place was more than child's play, loathe she was to admit it. Reminding her of the life she lost. The hope he was still alive crushed by the subsequent visit.
'No', she mentally declared, 'not again.' There was only Hogwarts now; one real magic and nothing else. Yet she couldn't help but feel worried that others might acknowledge his existence. If his name ever came up again, she would retell the official story. Tom Marvolo Riddle died in a bombing raid. Tragic, but a reality in London these days. So once again, she clamped down on any thoughts of the husband she pretended to have, in a land she pretended to live in, and excused herself to change into her uniform as the conductor announced their imminent arrival at Hogwarts.