The train station was as crowded as ever; parents fussing over kids, first years bumping into everyone as they tried to figure out what they were supposed to be doing, students mulling around, meeting and greeting their friends.
Jace stood off the side, leaning against the gritty smoke stained wall of King's Cross station, staring at the large red locomotive spitting out its thick black smoke. She inhaled deeply, savoring the smell. She always did enjoy the train station here for some reason. She waited there against the wall, one foot bent against it as she balanced on the other, twirling a lock of black hair around a finger.
"Why do you always insist on standing over here by yourself?"
Jace didn't turn her head, she knew the voice well, ever since she was six.
"Because you and I both know I'm not exactly a people person, Bel." she replied.
"You could be. You just don't put enough effort into your social life, Jace."
Jace finally turned her head to look at her friend. Annabel was tall, with bright blonde hair and big brown eyes. She had all the looks that would deem someone beauty queen, but yet she chose to stay by Jace's side, something for which the darker girl was grateful for.
"Why bother? You do enough talking for the both of us. It'd be a bit redundant, don't you think?"
"It's very hard work, since you prefer not to talk at all sometimes. I feel so used."
Annabel grinned at Jace who shook her head with a small smirk, turning back to look at the train.
"Can we at least go find a compartment, Jace? I mean, I know this dirty place is your scene and everything, but I can already feel my lungs turning black from the smoke, and I'd like to get inside before they shrivel up and die. I've come to believe they're important organs, despite what you may think." Annabel said, shifting her position to stand in front of Jace and get her attention.
Jace glanced at Annabel before shrugging her shoulders and pushing herself off the wall. She silently followed Annabel, heaving her luggage after her, carelessly knocking several skiddish first years over in the process. Eventually they found an empty compartment and both girls dropped onto the seats.
"So, how're the boys?" Annabel asked.
Jace shrugged again.
"The boys are the boys. Jasper got a new job waiting tables at Mario's, and Johnny has a new girlfriend...Ellie...or something."
"Is she nice?"
"She dresses like a slag, just like all his other girlfriends, and I don't expect them to last long. She's probably shagging some bloke out by the dumpsters by the clinic right now while Johnny's sleeping, but I judge not."
Annabel snorted.
"Judge is all you do, Jacinda."
"Shut up. I don't judge."
"You do to. You have an opinion on everyone and share it, even if it's horrible, which it normally is."
Jace rolled her eyes. It was a few more minutes before the train started moving. Jace reached into her arm bag, unzipping it and pulled out a fluffy gray and white ball of fur.
"Jacinda Gamble! You had a live animal zipped up in your bag!" Annabel chided.
"Animal's got a name, Bel. She's Effy. Adorable, isn't she?" Jace asked, holding the kitten between her hands, right in Annabel's face.
"Poor thing...she better not end up like your goldfish did." Annabel warned, picking up the little kitten.
"It's not my fault. It was a mere act of fate." Jace defended.
Annabel raised an eyebrow.
"What? The light fell into the tank on its own! And then the next thing I know...BOOM! No more goldie." Jace said; making an explosion with her hands.
"So it had nothing to do with the bludger that was running mad around your house?"
"Johnny set that off, I didn't."
"You encouraged him. And then if I'm not mistaken, that bludger knocked a picture frame onto the tank and then said light bulb fell and fried your fish."
Jace scowled and rolled her eyes again.
"Water under the bridge." she said, waving her hands dismissively.
"And fishes down the toilet. Heart of gold, Jace, heart of gold." Annabel said, shaking her head.
"Sorry, we can't all be saint Annabels." Jace muttered.
Prince, Annabel's Eagle Owl, hooted dolefully in his cage beside them as Effy watched him intently.
"I didn't get to see you much this summer." Jace said.
"I know. Jacob and Jason and I went on a vacation, giving the parentals some alone time, you know? Jacob asked Jasper if you guys wanted to come, but he said no. I think it was because one of the twins was sick...?" Annabel asked.
Jace groaned. She spent the summer trying to occupy herself with Johnny and his mental antics instead of with Annabel because of the little twerps?
"Yes, Johanna was ill. She stayed out all night at a friend's slumber party and Jamielyn shoved her in a pond or something, and somehow managed to catch a cold. Bloody brats." Jace muttered.
"The twins are cute."
"They're horrible. It's like they never got out of their terrible twos."
"I like them."
"Then you can have them."
Annabel rolled her eyes at Jace who slumped in her seat, heaving her leather-booted feet up onto the seat across from her, beside Annabel and folding her arms behind her head.
"Bel, we have to do something great this year." Jace stated.
"Why? Wouldn't that be what we'd do seventh year? You know, go out with a bang? We've still got a year left, Jacey."
"I know, I know. But we should have reputations now, don't you think? I mean yeah, people know us, and you've got quite a decent amount of friends. But...we've just slid through life, don't you think? We need to do something great, something we normally wouldn't do. We need to live." Jace decided.
Annabel watched her friend curiously.
"Why the sudden urge, Jace? And besides, you already do what you want, like I do. What's the difference?"
Jace shrugged.
"Dunno, really. I mean, it's Johnny's philosophy, you know? I figure, why not? Give it a go. Live life. We need to really live. Why not start this year?"
Annabel looked thoughtful.
"As long as we don't get expelled, or thrown in Azkaban or something, then sure." she said finally.
Jace smiled and the two fell into easy conversation.
"Were we that tiny when we were first years?" Annabel asked as she peered down the Gryffindor table at the new students.
"We weren't." the twins chorused.
Jace looked a few seats away from her and Annabel to see teh Weasley twins, examining the firsties too.
"Yeah, you've always been tall and gangly, haven't you?" Jace quipped.
They pouted in unison. She wondered if they rehearsed that.
"Well, you've always been on the small size, haven't you?" they retorted.
Jace grinned.
"It's a proven fact that short girls have the bigger boobs, boys. What I lack in height, I make up for in beauty." she said, sticking her tongue out, her tongue ring glinting in the light.
The twins grinned and Annabel looked flushed. Jace looked curiously at her as the twins turned to talk to Angelina Johnson and Lee Jordan.
"What's up, Bells?" she asked.
Annabel glanced down the table before looking coyly back up at her, a blush on her cheeks and Jace's mouth dropped, reading the look. It was the same look Annabel had gotten when they were eight and she thought she would marry the boy from down the street.
"You fancy them, don't you!" Jace cried incredulously.
"Shhh! Keep your lousy trap shut, Jacinda! And no...I don't like them...just..."
Jace couldn't help but give a laugh.
"Which one?" she asked brightly.
Annabel looked suspiciously at her but answered anyways.
"Fred..." she said quietly.
"I don't know how you can only like one of them, they're pracitcally the same person." Jace said.
"No, they're really not Jacey, they're...they're unique individuals...Fred's teh more outspoken one, you know. It's rather cute..."
Jace bit her lip and looked curiously at the two unsuspecting gingers.
"Got it." she said suddenly.
Annabel looked up at her. "Got what?"
"That big thing we're going to do this year." Jace replied.
Annabel furrowed her brows.
"How so?"
Jace smirked.
"I'm going to get you the title of Fred Weasley's girl, you twit." she said.
Annabel opened her mouth in a horrified fashion.
"No, no, Jace don't...just leave it alone." Annabel pleaded uselesly.
"Not gunna happen, love. You're gunna really live life this year, and the way you're gunna do that with by that little carrot top's side." Jace said firmly.
"Ooh, but Jace, he doesn't fancy me!" Annabel moaned.
"He will, by the end of this year, he definatley will, love. I'm officially making it my mission to get you and Fred Weasley together, by any means necessary."