Never Alone
Chapter One
No one paid attention to the drove of families arriving at the King's Cross station, no one noticed the odd animals in cages ranging from owls, to cats, to toads. They were too involved in their own world to acknowledge others. A bespectacled boy pushed a cart with a broomstick protruding from it and after glancing around walked straight through a wall followed by a group of red-haired boys with their mother and then a brunette with a cat in a wicker basket. On the other side scarlet steam billowed from the Hogwarts Express, students milled around shouting to friends, first years milled around as the experienced students pushed by to choose their train cabins.
"Ripley!" A British accented voice shouted; a seventeen year old girl with light brown wavy hair waved wildly from beside a loaded cart and the train. "Bloody hell," Rae Neavu muttered to her companion Alice Bennett. "She's deaf!"
"I'll get her," the petite girl cupped both hands around her mouth and bellowed. "Todd!"
A dark haired head turned, sharp brown eyes searching the crowd, a scowl on her face; finally the American bred witch spotted her friends. She lifted an arm in greeting. "Hey guys!" She moved through the hoards of people and finally Ripley Todd was reunited with her British friends. "How was your summer?" She asked them, leading the way onto the train, taking only her backpack and her cat, Bauer.
"Amazing," Rae grinned, perfectly content with her summer spent in the French countryside. "A full holiday of drawing and painting. And I met a boy!" She pranced around in a small circle, grinning like an idiot. Ripley wagged her eyebrows suggestively. "Not like that." Rae scolded.
Ripley smirked and looked at the smallest of the trio. "Alice?"
The more demure member of the group shrugged her shoulders and spoke softly. "I went to a drama camp, the one at the Rose Theater. What'd you do?"
The seventeen year old American turned, walked backward as she spoke. "That would be hockey, all goddamn summer, AKA, my summer was awesome, beyond awesome, I feel almost Godlike." Rae snorted at the response, earned a glower. Ripley pirouetted and opened a compartment door, tossed her backpack onto the rack above their seats, set her carrier down and collapsed onto the seat. "Flew into London this morning around five AM, went home, got two hours of sleep and came here." She let Bauer out of his carrier; he promptly plopped down beside her, purring in contentment.
"That's what you get for living in the U.S. and not going to school there," Rae replied putting her black shoulder bag onto the rack beside Ripley's bag.
"Family lives here that's where I go to school, end of story," her friend replied stretching out on the seat. "But as much as I hate to rain on your parade, hockey was held in Quebec this year…that's in Canada Rae."
"I know where Quebec is!" Rae snapped as she cracked open a window, waving at a group of Ravenclaw's.
"Touchy," Ripley smiled, held up her hands in surrender.
Alice smiled, putting her pink shoulder bag on the other rack. "Well, at least we're home again."
"Not there yet," Ripley replied, closing her eyes, arms tucked under her head.
"Oy!" The door opened to the shout of the last Gryffindor to join them. Jess Gerry kicked the bottom of Ripley's sneakers. "Get your feet off the seat!"
"Oh blow me." Rip muttered as she swung back into a sitting position.
"I'll pass, Rip," Jess sat down across from Ripley and Rae who had taken advantage of Ripley sitting up. The American merely grinned, propping her feet up on the other seat. "So, hockey was good?" Jess asked, settling in. "Got to see the boys?"
"Of course," she answered. "The guys are doing great, Quinn's really improved, coach was around though, he had some kind of by pass or something, he's fine though. The teams hanging onto the idea that I'm in a school in Ireland, so we're clear."
"One more year and you won't have to lie anymore. It's just our seventh year, what could go wrong?" Rae asked with a shrug. The train began to move, the four Gryffindor's joined the rest of the students hanging out of the windows waving to families and younger children who wouldn't be going for another couple years.
0-0-0
It was only an hour into the train ride when Ripley rose from her seat, stretching her long body. Jess twitched in her sleep across from her and Rae glanced up from her sketch pad where the outline of Alice absorbed in a book was in the process of being shaded. "Where're you going?" She asked softly.
"See whose back," Ripley answered, ran a hand through her curls hanging in her ponytail. "Take a piss, scare some first years, so on and so forth."
"Lovely," Alice muttered taking a moment to move her blue eyes from the text of Macbeth to the face of Ripley. Her friend grinned and ducked out of the room, sliding the door shut behind her. Rae leaned back, letting her eyes and hand rest from the sketch. She combed her fingers back through her loose hair and said. "She lost weight."
Alice nodded, as she too gave her eyes a break. "She played hockey all summer. She mentioned that they played for three hours a day. Spread out of course. I still think she's a loon for doing three hours of it. "
Rae nodded in agreement, but being always neutral she added, "Think about it this way though, how long do you spend on stage?"
"Point taken," Alice smiled, laughing softly. "She loves it."
Rae smiled. "Yeah, remember when she made us come to the U.S. that one summer and watch her play a game."
"Good times." Alice grinned.
"And then of course she came to the art exhibit and your play."
"I'm still embarrassed from when she got up on her seat to cheer for me during last call." Alice laughed.
0-0-0
Ripley left the onboard restroom, brown eyes glancing out the window to watch the scenery pass. She rolled her head around on her shoulders, loosening her neck muscles, fixed black polo tee and went on her way. She was so absorbed in her own thoughts and watching the scenery that she ran smack dab into a wall of flesh and muscle. "Jesus!"
"Beg yer pardon," a deep Scottish brogue immediately spoke; large, warm hands clasped her bare forearms. He looked down at the brunette curls corralled into a ponytail and grinned. "Ripley?"
"Hi Oliver." She said with a laugh. Ripley lifted her face, beaming with joy at seeing the Gryffindor captain, and her crush. Yes, still the same old butterflies, and heart beating faster. So much for outgrowing that, she thought bitterly.
He gave her a quick strong hug that left her warm. "It's good to see you," Wood turned around and motioned the boy standing in the door of their cabin forward. "New student from the highlands of Scotland, his names Carson Beckett, Dumbledore said he'll be in our house."
"Nice to meet you," Ripley reached around Oliver to shake the boys hand.
Carson grinned, blue eyes twinkling. "Likewise."
"Anyways," She smiled at Oliver, "I have to get back; Rae will bite my head off."
"See ya around."
"Bye." Ripley waved a hand, and let her hips sway as she sauntered away, praying that it wasn't for nothing and laughing at herself for even doing it.
Carson watched her walk away and let out a breath in a short laugh. His companion arched a brow in question. "She's not bad lookin'."
"Who, Ripley?" Oliver snickered. "You're lookin' at the wrong lass, Carson. She's picky, too be perfectly blunt."
"No wonder," Carson said cryptically sitting back down in the cabin.
"No wonder what?"
Carson rolled his eyes, and opened a chocolate frog as he spoke."She likes you, idiot."
"What are you talkin' about?" Oliver asked laughing as he sat back down, arms behind his head. "She's never—no, no, just no, that-that's impossible."
"I'm only tellin' ya what I saw." Carson replied, blue eyes gleaming with mirth. Oliver's brows crunched together and he rubbed the back of his neck in thought, was it possible?
0-0-0
"Oh my god!" Ripley finally snapped when they were an hour away from Hogwarts. Bauer jumped from his solid sleep, and turned green eyes on his mistress. "I am so freakin' bored!"
Rae looked up from her drawing. "Calm down, Rip."
"I can't take it anymore freakin' more. I'm going nuts! This whole sitting still, in one crowded cabin, I have to do something!"
Alice opened her eyes from resting them she had finished Macbeth and was now reading Romeo and Juliet, "You know the whole train does not need to hear you."
Ripley pouted. "I can't help it."
"Go shag Oliver." Jess snapped irritably. She was still cranky with Ripley from being woken up by the prank that the Gryffindor had deemed worthy enough to bestow on her.
Ripley grinned, "Love to."
Rae sighed heavily and slid her sketchpad into her bag, and glanced out at the darkening sky . "Ladies, we're almost there, so do us all a favor Ripley and go wander around, torture Slytherin's, do whatever it is you do best."
"Fine," Ripley rose with a large, dramatic sigh. "I understand when you guys don't want me. Do not mourn the passing of the wolf, instead drink and be merry," She opened the door backing out, "Laugh and love, be free and—" Her words were cut off as she tripped back into the arms of someone. The door slid shut and Rae winked at her. Strong arms hauled her to one side of the darkened corridor, the wall hard against her back. "Hey! Back off, buddy." She lifted a fist in an instinctive gesture to defend herself. A callused palm covered the entirety of her hand.
"Ya always were feisty." Oliver said, releasing her. She chuckled softly, thankful it was Oliver and not anyone else. "What was that speech about?"
She smiled innocently. "I may or may not have had a tiny, itsy, bitty little outburst."
Oliver chuckled. "Bored again?"
"What do ya mean again?" Ripley asked as she walked along with him towards the snack cart that was stationed in the hall. "
"Lass, it happens every time we come back to Hogwarts, like clockwork I might add, an hour into the ride you have to stretch, another hour and you start getting restless, after that you, uh, ya know, have outbursts." Oliver hadn't meant to prove he knew so much about her, but it was hard not to as they walked side by side, arms brushing. It baffled him, especially because Carson's words were still fresh in his mind, gnawing at his conscious.
She smiled in the dim lighting. "Well, I feel special." She bumped her hip against his in a companionable gesture that summed Ripley up perfectly. "So, we winnin' the cup this year."
"You bet your ass we are," the Quidditch captain replied cockily.
Ripley raised both eyebrows in surprise. "Picked up some phrases from me, huh?"
He smiled sheepishly. "Hard not to, lass."
The Gryffindor smiled they arrived at the candy cart. "I'll take that as a compliment." She stated proudly. He grinned at her and paid for two bars of chocolate, held one out to her. She eyed it suspiciously and with a hint of lust.
"Take it," Oliver ordered, with a slow reluctance she obeyed. "Don't give me that look." He added as she gazed at him, unwavering in an accusing stare.
She scowled. "I lost weight Oliver, I don't wanna—"
"Todd, you were fine the way you were, don't start." He pushed her gently on their way, his hand resting on the small of her back. They walked a little longer in silence which he broke as he thought of something to share. "So, Puddlemere United has been looking at my records, and talking to Madam Hooch about my Quidditch skills."
Ripley's brows winged up in a pleasant surprised way. "Y-you think you'll play in the big league?"
"Well, sort of, let me put it in your terms," Oliver thought long and hard. "Your national teams are the, uh, the—"
"NHL." She finished.
Oliver nodded and continued. "Right, and the not so—"
"AHL."
"It'll be like that one."
"So, you'll be the baby team of a bigger team?" Ripley emphasized to help out the Scottish man.
He grinned. "Hopefully."
"That's great, Wood!" She smiled widely at him, brown eyes gleeful. Oliver realized at that moment that she understood everything about him, his passion for the sport he played, what it was like to be captain, to rely on the team, how many times had he heard her talk of the team back home? He stood, hazel eyes studying the face in front of him. How many times had he seen those expressive brows furrowed in worry over something that she had no control over? How many times had she turned to him in class and made him laugh with a snarky comment or a silly expression? She made him smile, laugh—she made him happy.
"Rip," Oliver felt his heart quicken as the question of them being together rose in his throat. "Would—" The trains brakes engaged so quickly that Ripley let out a yelp as she and Wood were thrown onto the floor of the corridor. "Mother fuc—" Ripley's curse was cut off as he landed on her. "Ow my back."
"What the bloody hell is going on?" He asked, arms braced as he towered over her.
"Ripley!" Rae shouted whipping the door to their compartment open as the lights flickered. "Oh thank Mer-Oliver get off of her!"
"Sorry," Wood got up, reached a hand down, and pulled Ripley up with ease. "What's going on?"
Rae shrugged her shoulders, gray eyes worried. "I was hoping you two would know."
"Bloody buggering hell!" Carson stumbled out into the hallway from four cabins down. "Oliver!"
"Aye?" Was the answer as he finally let go of Ripley's hand. Rae arched a brow at Ripley, who shook her head.
"You alright?" He walked down the hall even as others began to emerge, a growing uneasiness among the students.
"Fine."
"Everyone in here, quick." Jess turned from the dark rain spattered window. "We're not even at Hogsmead." Her quick dark brown eyes took in her friends reactions. Rae looked like a scholar in deep thought, Alice wore her worry on her face, Oliver looked confused, and Ripley—as stone faced as ever. Jess' eyes landed on the newest member to Gryffindor. He looked at ease with the world, relaxed on the seat he was occupying. He caught her glance and winked one bright blue orb. Automatically she dropped her gaze, cheeks warming.
"Why would we stop in the middle of the tracks?" Ripley closed the door behind her as everyone got resituated. She could all but feel how unsettled her friends were, and hell she was one of the ones ill at ease.
"Rip," Jess turned frightened brown eyes onto her friend, the American stood tensely, shoulders squared for a fight. The train shuddered and rocked gently. Alice gripped Jess's and Rae's hands in hers. Carson and Oliver waited, on guard. Ripley turned toward the door as it slid open, a black figure floated in front of her. The group of Gryffindor's stared, breath coming out in plumes of white smoke. "Dementor." Alice whispered.
"Get out," Ripley commanded as she stepped forward, shielded her friends. The Dementor turned its head to one side. Oliver stood up, pulled her back gently. "Out!" She yelled.
"Ripley, shut up." Wood whispered in her ear. "Dementors aren't the kind of thing you want to make angry." It hissed after a moment and turned. The door slid shut, slowly, as if taunting the woman's attempts. Ripley trembled beneath Wood's hand, and in the darkness he wrapped an arm around her. "You're fine," He whispered loud enough for only her to hear. "You're fine."
The lights flickered to life, the chill in the air lifted and the train began moving ever so slowly. "Who wants chocolate?" Ripley asked, pulling out the bar trying to lighten the mood. Jess took it and ripped the wrapper open. She took a small piece before she passed it.
"That's the best cure," Alice said taking a chunk, "That's what my book I was reading—"
"Nerd," Ripley teased before she could finish. The chocolate suddenly felt like a rock in her stomach. "Oh shit, oh shit." she jumped out of her seat.
"What?" Oliver went to his feet after her.
"Jackie, I forgot about Jackie," With those words she sprinted from the cabin.
"What's a Jackie?" Carson asked.
"Bugger all," Rae muttered, and answered, "Her cousin, they were supposed to meet in here before we got to Hogwarts." She nibbled away at her square of chocolate. "Kids probably scared to death."
Oliver took his own candy bar out and split it with Carson, wondering how much Jackie was like Ripley, and if the kinship was even close to identical it wouldn't make for a boring year.
0-0-0
"Squirt, take a breath and calm down," Ripley held the eleven year old still, crouched in front of her seated cousin. Jackie took a shuddering breath, deep blue eyes bright with tears. She was slowly eating the chocolate Ripley had given her. "Now listen, you're coming to my cabin, we'll get in uniform and then we'll go to the castle—"
"What were those things?" Jackie's lower lip jutted out, trembled. Ripley nudged her hand to keep eating the chocolate.
She rocked back on her heels. "Dementors." She glanced around at the other two girls in the cabin, all nibbling away on chocolate. God bless Alice and her books. Ripley thought to herself.
"Why were they here?"
"I don't know, kiddo, but Dumbledore will tell us." Ripley rose, grabbed her cousins' bag and opened the door. She held out her hand for Jackie to take, the moment her cousin's hand was in hers she moved towards her own cabin.
"So?" Rae asked softly as she and Ripley changed in the cabin. They had been taking turns, going two by two. "How is she?" she referring to Ripley's cousin, Rae had seen the tight lines around Ripley's mouth when she had arrived.
"Scared shitless," Ripley answered pulling on the gray tweed skirt.
"You were protecting us," Rae stated as she buttoned up her white shirt. "Did you notice? The minute you knew something was wrong."
"And?" Ripley asked as she began buttoning her own shirt. Rae pulled her Mary-Janes on, then her gray sweater. "Rae?" Ripley held her hands up. "And what?"
"You wonder why you're animagus is a wolf."
"Don't start this again."
"You protect us, Rip, what is so bad about that?" Rae turned her friend around; Ripley looked down on her from her height of 5'10. "You've fought for each and every one of us, and if I know you well enough, which I think I do, you'd dive in front of an unforgivable curse if you had to."
"Drop it okay? It doesn't mean anything." She tugged her gray sweater on angrily, opened the door and called the others back in officially ending the conversation. Carson and Oliver had long since gone back to their cabin to change and she and Rae had been the last ones to dress.
"It means everything in the long run, Ripley," said Rae taking the final word on the matter. Jackie sat beside her cousin, pale with nervousness at the sorting ceremony that was soon to come, and she wished, as she glanced up at her cousin, she wished she had Ripley's brave face. As if reading her mind Ripley leaned over and playfully tugged a strand of light brown hair, and finished with a wink of a doe eye.