A/N

This has been floating around in my head for an age and I have finally decided that the only way to get rid of it is too write it down. So here we are. I hope you enjoy

Chapter 1

I like trains. I like their rhythm, and I like the freedom of being suspended between two places, all anxieties of purpose taken care of: for this moment I know where I am going.

- Anna Funder

She tugged at her left sleeve; subconsciously attempting to make sure her wrist was well covered. The platform was full of people, children screaming at friends, parents fussing over bags and hair. Taking the scene in, she blinked purposely, once, before taking a step and swinging herself up onto the train.

She walked passed the first few compartments until she came to one that was empty. Putting her bag on the overhead shelf she flopped onto the seat next to the window and closed her eyes letting her other senses take in the scene around her. The feel of the brushed cushion on the seat, the smell of fuel, sweets and a faint muskiness, the hum of conversation that slowly got closer to her compartment then ebbed away again.

The door slid open but she kept her eyes closed, breathing steadily- in through her nose and out through her mouth, slow and steady, in and out.

"Um do you mind if we..." It was a male voice, a hint of an accent on the vowels but it was warm, like he didn't want to intrude if it wasn't wanted. She just turned her head then leant it against the side of the compartment.

More voices filled the compartment, "4, no 5" she thought catching parts of the conversation.

"Yes" a female voice

"Well" another girl

"But don't they..." Back to the boy who had spoken first

"..Isn't it..." A second male voice.

"Can't believe"

"Oh look..."

The whistle of the train drowned out the talking and the train lurched forward. Soon it had settled into a steady rhythm. The talking buzz fell into time with the jolts and pattern of the wheels. She opened her lungs deeply before settling back down. Feeling the sleepy haze encroach onto her mind she moved her left leg ever so slightly, flexing the toes, pulled her arms further into herself as she let the train rock her to sleep.

"Oh Shit! Sorry" both the voice and something hitting her foot jolted her out of her slumber. Pushing herself up she looked at her foot pulling it from under the box that had landed with a thump onto her foot. Moving her toes and rotating her ankle she looked at her fellow passengers. They were all starring at her. Her eyes flickered over them all. The closest to her was a girl, whose curly brown hair was piled onto the top of her head a few curls escaping to frame her face. The girls eyes seemed to scan over her, her lips pierced but not overtly harshly. It was this girl who spoke first "I'm really sorry, is your foot okay?"

She just nodded, not wanting to use her voice. Her lack of verbal response seemed to unnerve the curly haired girl but yet she carried on regardless "Are you new? Be sure I don't think I have seen before" the girl paused, not long enough to wait for a response but long enough to gauge a reaction. She made a point to not give one so the girl just continued opening her mouth ever so slightly. "I'm Rosie by the way" the curly haired girl, Rosie, finished with a smile.

She moved her bottom further into the seat so she was sitting more upright. Taking a deep breath and pulling her neck straight up and looked the girl straight in the eyes "Belle" Her response seemed to alleviate some of the built up tension in the compartment.

"So you are new" the boy whose voice matched the one that had first talked when they had entered the compartment spoke, it was a question but said more as a statement. His mouth sat slightly lopsided at a grin, his black hair flopped partly onto his eyes, his legs were flung onto the seat opposite.

"Yes" Belle answered

The others waited for the rest of Belle's response; she sighed and said more "Yes I am, new, new to Hogwarts, new to the country."

That was probably too much information, Belle thought but information like that was bound to get out so it didn't matter in the long run.

"Oh how exciting" the blonde haired girl next to her exclaimed nearly bouncing in her seat, "Beauxbatons or Durmstrang?" She asked.

Belle got to slightly open her mouth before the girl continued, "I'm Delia" She pointed to the floppy haired black boy "that's Al and this" she jestered to the tall boy sat next to her "is John" she took a quick breath, "so what one?" She asked going back to the original question.

"Neither" Belle answered shrugging, "never been to school"

If they were shocked by the statement they covered it up very well. "Really?" Rosie, the curly haired one asked

"Really." She paused not sure if she should go on, "it was never..." She faltered and took a breath "never any point" Belle tailed off.

"Well that doesn't matter" the bouncy one, Delia, said, " What year you in?"

"6"

"Oh excellent them you can be our friend"

Belle lifted her eyebrow at this.

The tall one, John, laughed "Easy Lia, You'll scare her" he then leaned forward so Belle could see him, "what the twit was trying to say was that we are all 6th year Gryffindors and if you want a friendly face then we are your people" he smiled gently at Belle, "what house do you want to be in?"

"John" Rosie piped in "Belle here might not know what houses there are." She turned back to Belle, "do you?"

Belle just shrugged, "Um well Slytherin and you said Gryffindor."

Rosie smiled, "that are two more, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw"

Belle just nodded in response then turned to stare out of the window watching as the train hurled through the green countryside. Silence fell in the compartment; Rosie interrupted Belle's thoughts "are you looking forward to going to a school?"

Belle turned slowly away from the window and her thoughts; taking a deep breath she tried to gather her thoughts to answer the question. The truth was too complex for even Belle herself to begin to comprehend and she couldn't even begin to try and articulate it. "Yes and no." She settled on allowing a gentle smile to creep onto her face.

"That makes sense" Delia replied comfortingly

Just as the cabin settled once more into silence and before the group of friends could continue to chatter the door slid open with some force hitting against the side panel.

"Allo, Allo, young people" the tall boy at the door sung as he surveyed the compartment.

"Jamie" Al responded, shaking his head but smiling still

"Brothers," Belle thought, her eyes flickering from the two very similar looking boys

"Just came to check on you all, make sure you aren't blowing up bathrooms" this Jamie boy continued, smirking with a pointed look at Rosie.

"I told you it was a mistake. Think I measured wrong" Rosie responded huffing slightly.

"Hey hey" Jamie said holding up his hands in mock surrender, "not my bathroom", he surveyed the room his eye settling on Belle. "And who is this?" He asked smirking still

"Jamie, Belle, Belle my big bad older brother James Potter" Al introduced them.

"Charmed" Jamie said but Belle basically didn't hear him, her brain just repeated "Potter, Potter, Potter"

"Potter?" She said quietly, slowly. The sounds considered on her tongue.

"Yep" said James, "James and Albus Potter, sons of the chosen one, the great Potter, blah blah blah, we have a little sister as well you know" but his words died as Belle quickly rose and pushed past James at the door muttering about going to the loo. She was half way down the corridor nearly before she heard.

"Well I have never got that reaction before" followed by the ever quieting sound of laughter as she hurried further and further away.