For the past hour I have been staring out the cabin window on the Hogwarts Express. It has been raining hard the whole trip from Hogsmeade making visibility limited. But the rain can't dampen my excitement as every lighting give me a glimpse of landmarks that I recognize. Landmarks that tell me I was getting closer and closer to home. The home where I grew up. The home where I experience the most wonderful experience a young girl like me could have. As each lightning strike my excitement builds up exponentially. My cousins tease me as they plainly see it on my face. I can't help but smile at their teasing. They have no idea of the excitement that I really feel. An excitement that they cannot see - the tingling longing that have been building within me beyond their view. Yet if they have ever experienced what I have they would easily smell it. Smell the scent that I have been exuding since I woke up this morning.
"We're here!" I yelled, as a lightning fleetingly reveal King's Cross station to me.
My brother and my cousins jump up and look out the window hoping to see it too. Tease me as they will they cannot deny that they are also happy to be that much closer to home.
"I see it! I see it!" yells Lily.
"Me too!" adds my brother Hugo. They then proceed to do a silly dance that they have been doing since they were six. They sing "We're almost home! We're almost home!" as they dance around the cabin.
We all laugh at the two. My excitement goes up again. It starts to leak out of me, its scent threatening to overwhelm the cabin. James wrinkles his nose, a look of confusion on his face. I can tell he's smelled it before but cannot remember what is. Of course James would have smelled it before. I only hope that he doesn't recognize it or figure out that it's coming from me.
Just then the train's horn blares out signaling our arrival. James jumps out of the cabin and starts running down the corridor screaming "We're here! We're here!" How he is a prefect I will never know although I am for the first time thankful for his childishness.
The rest of us take our belongings and file out one by one. My excitement is beginning to overwhelm me. I struggle to keep my body from shaking and my legs from crumbling. It's almost here. That which I have been craving since Christmas hols is almost within my reach.
I exit the train and start scanning the station. "There they are" Hugo points out. I look where he's looking and I see them. I widely smile, "Dad! Mum!" They look at us and our eyes connect. My heart stops beating for a few seconds then I run to them. They open their arms as Hugo and I get to them. Hugo runs into Mums embrace as I jump into Dad's- wrapping my arms and legs around him. I hug him as tightly as I could putting everything that I feel into it hoping that he will fell it all. He pulls me off him a bit and I'm immediately disappointed. He looks at Hugo and then directly into my eyes, "How are you?" I stare directly into his eyes and tell him exactly what I've been feeling all day, "I can't wait to get home." He smiles that half-smile of his telling me that he is as excited as I am. "Me too" he answers.
"Well you are going to have to wait then" my Mum cuts in. I get off Dad and go to hug Mum while Hugo goes to Dad.
"Why's that?" Hugo asks. I look expectantly at Mum while trying to hide my apprehension. I don't think I can wait any longer.
"Well we're going to Granpa and Granma Granger's for dinner. We'll be staying there tonight and come home tomorrow." I slightly furrow my eyebrows at Dad silently letting him know of my utter disappointment at the change of plans. He slightly furrows his own eyebrows back at me and just ever so slightly smirks to let me know that he has already worked something out. Just then Mum and Hugo start walking towards the exit; either non-the-wiser to the covert communication Dad and I just had. Unsurprising as we have used and mastered it the past three years.
Dad comes to my side and puts his arm around me as we turn to follow Mom and Hugo out of King's Cross Station. He squeezes my arm letting me know to pull something out of his robe pocket. Keeping my eyes on Mum and Hugo I put my hand inside Dad's robe pocket and pull out a small parchment.
'Period. Need to clean up at Home.' I smile. I may still get what I've been craving for tonight after all.
We walk for a few minutes to our car in silence. My excitement has once again reached a fever high. I can feel a squish every step I take. My mind is swimming so much that I imagine that Mum could hear it. I try change my stride to keep the sound down yet I keep it just enough in hopes that Dad would hear. I then feel my Dad's breath on my ear, "I can smell it. So ripe and ready. I can't wait to put my mouth on it and eat it." He whispered it so light that I barely heard it yet every word was clear to me as if he was using the Sonorus charm. I grab his waist and pull his shoulder down so I can whisper in his ear, "You can eat it anytime you want. As often as you want. I want you to." He straightens up and looks at me, "Soon pumpkin, very soon." I look him in the eyes and lick my lips. "Tonight?" I ask. "Tonight" he answers. I can't wait.
I keep my arm around his waist as we continue on to our car. Hugo was already loading our trunks into the boot of the car while Mom was getting into the driver's seat.
"Mum can I talk to you?" I call out to her before she gets in. I put on a worried look on my face hoping to convince her of the little problem I'm about to pretend to have.
"Yes Rosie, what is it?" she answers, a tinge of concern in her voice.
"Can I talk to you in private?" I begin to walk to a deserted area a few feet away.
"Of course" as she starts to follow me.
"Mum" I begin as she gets to me, "Can Dad take me home first? I'm soaked" I nod my head down to show where, "and need to clean up and change before going to Grams."
"Oh my god honey, why didn't you change on the train?"
"I couldn't, it happened right as we were getting off. There was a long line behind to go back. Mum I really need Dad to take me home. I'm so wet I could feel my thighs squishing." It's all I could do to keep from breaking out in laughter. I am wet alright, if only she had any idea why.
"Are you sure you want your Dad to take you home? I could go with you. I know how your Dad gets uncomfortable with women's stuff."
"No Mum it's okay. I don't want Grampa and Granma to wait for you. They're always excited to see you and I don't want them to be disappointed."
"Honey they'll be just as disappointed if you're late."
"I know Mum, that's why I don't want you to be late too."
"Very well then, I'll go on ahead with Hugo. And thank you Rosie. I'm always proud of your thoughtfulness" she says as she smiles at me proudly.
"Thank you Mum. I love you. Tell Grampa and Granma we won't be long."
I hug Mug and kiss her on the cheek then head back to the car where Dad and Hugo were waiting. Mum goes over to Dad and they talk for a few minutes. He glances at me for a moment and I smile at him. A smile that I never give to anybody but him. He smiles back at me with that smile that tells me soon he will be giving me the most wonderful time of my young life.