a.n: hello, this is a much needed update/reboot of this story, if you've read this before you know that my writing was pretty mediocre. As of May 2017 I've started to rewrite most of my published stories on this site! That being said, you can expect a short update pretty soon with publishing dates attached! I'm sure in another six years, this will be mediocre to me again. To all of my new and old readers, thank you for reading and please leave opinions/criticism/anything at all.
A small note about the timeline: they will be going to narnia, this is a fanfic so I've changed a few things around:)
UN
Penelope didn't like train stations. No, they were crowded and filled with goodbyes for the most part. Thankfully this time she wasn't at a train station saying goodbye, this time it was filled with students heading for school, herself included. Her fingers reached toward her black socks, originally they belonged to her older sister Rose, on the younger sister they fit just over her knees, although that was covered fully by the grey skirt that lay over her knees. She didn't mind, they were warmer this way, and it saved the money their family needed. Every family needed money these days, the war was heavy and taxing. The least she could do was accept the hand me downs.
"Pen!" a younger girl tackled her from behinds, she stumbled a step before turning around at the familiar voice.
"Meg," she said, taking the girl in for a proper hug, while Meg had been at her grandparents all summer, Pen had been stuck in Totteridge dying of boredom.
"Can you believe it? Another school year, another chance at love." Meg swooned dramatically, the blonde practically draping herself over her friend. Penelope scoffed, pushing her off.
"Right," She nodded, putting a sarcastic look on her face. Penelope did in fact like boys, in fact she had quite the romance with Colin last year- but nothing compared to the ever present longing that Meg had developed for a Peter Pevenesie.
"You know who looks good this year, Edmund, I saw him earlier." Meg replied, that was new. Everyone knew Edmund never really spoke to anyone outside of his siblings and a choice two friends. He was unapproachable, he didn't have many suitors because of the stand off-ish attitude of his. The few times they were able to talk last year, Penelope felt as if she was troubling the boy. Now, she could admit that Peter was an attractive man, two years their senior, but anyone who'd been going to the same school as them as long as they had noticed. Two years ago Peter turned from this bashful semi-confident boy into- well, a man in a sense. He picked fights whenever someone disrespected him even in the slightest, holding his head higher than everyone else. It was an odd attitude. It didn't stop girls from fawning over him, due to his good looks and charm. Unlike Penelope, he never had a romance in the past years, at least not one that they'd heard about. In fact, none of the siblings did. Lucy was too young to start dating, but Edmund and Susan certainly weren't.
"-n over there?" Penelope turned her head, only catching the end of whatever Meg had been saying. Before she could get out another word Meg dragged the strawberry blonde girl behind her, and much to her distaste, though a crowd of people until they were front row to a fight.
"Look!" Meg pointed, putting her other hand over her heart. In the middle of the fight was, predictably, Peter. He was attempting to fight off three of their other classmates, he was losing, but not by much, scarily enough.
"Colin!" Penelope yelled, identifying one of the boys who was about to punch Peter. The brunette turned to her quickly, hearing her voice- unfortunately it left him open and Peter took advantage of it, swinging at Collin and sending him stumbling back a few steps. Penelope rushed to him, pushing him back when he attempted to go back to the fight. Her hands ghosted over his face, taking in any damage. They might not be together anymore but that didn't stop her from worrying. Once she noticed he wasn't very injured except for the slow trickle of blood from his left nostril she put her hands down, apparently too early. A push came from the inside of the fighting circle sending her to the ground. Collin helped her up quickly but her knees still stung and her hands felt like they had scrapes on them from the fall. Collin looked furious and he joined back in, this time Edmund was there also, Meg would later tell Pen that Edmund was the one who pushed one of the other boys square into her. The fight didn't last long after that, soldiers came to separate them and everyone ran off at the whistle.
"Are you okay?" Meg asked for the third time, Penelope nodded once more. "You know what, you should go talk to Edmund, it's a perfect opportunity. Do it for all of us, besides you even said yourself that he looks fit."
"Meg- I don't even know what I'd say," Penelope retorted.
"Well, you better think fast, " Meg said, pointing over to where the four siblings had gathered. Penelope hesitated only for a moment before saying her goodbyes to Meg with the promise of sitting together on the train.
"Hey!" Penelope said, walking over to the bench. Edmund mostly kept to himself in school, besides the occasional comment about note taking they'd never really spoken. Besides, Colin made it clear before they even officially started going out that she was off limits to anyone.
"Hello?" Penelope said, waving her hand across his eye sight. His eyes met her hazel and she lost her breath for a moment before continuing.
"I just- wanted to say sorry for Colin, he can be a real big wanker sometimes." Penelope explained, Edmund couldn't help but roll his eyes, looking over to where his siblings sat yelling at Peter. Start the conversation with talking about your ex boyfriend, really clever.
"I'm pretty sure Peter was the one who started the whole thing, but it's fine." Edmund said, nodding his head. "You've been- uh, going out for quite a while."
"Oh, no," Penelope said, waving her arms almost comically. "We broke up almost 4 months ago. I didn't mean to come over here to apologize for him either," she said, running a hand through her loose hair. "I just-" she started, "I guess I just wanted to talk to you,"
That seemed to have shocked Edmund, because he didn't say anything for a few seconds, seeing that he wasn't speaking she decided to go again.
"I think it's pretty cool how you stood up for your brother like that." She complimented, "I'm Penelope, by the way." She extended her hand, Edmund took it, shaking it firmly before letting go, he opened his mouth to introduce himself-
"I'm Lucy," a higher voice replied, jumping into the conversation. Penelope let out a small laugh, waving at the girl with dark blue eyes.
"Hello," With Lucy's introduction came the rest of the siblings, Peter first and then Susan. It wasn't as if she didn't know them, the siblings were called the Royals at St. James, not that anyone said it to their faces.
"It's nice to officially meet you all," she mused, before she saw a bit of blood still remaining on Peter's temple, reaching into her pocket she took out her handkerchief, handing it to him.
"Sorry- it's a bit dirty but I had to wipe my own hands from that scuffle of yours." He took the fabric, saying a thanks but still sending her a confused look.
"Your hands?" He asked, it was almost puppy like the way he tilted his head, Penelope stifled a giggle before showing her scraped hands.
"When Edmund pushed Matt, he pushed him right into me. Since I had my back turned I landed pretty harshly on the ground," she replied bashfully, "I know it was an accident though- no worries."
Edmund still looked guilty, sending a harsh look towards his brother. If he hadn't been so thick headed to get into the fight in the first place, he wouldn't have hurt her indirectly. Susan nudged her younger brother, clearing her throat.
"Right- well, my apologies either way." Edmund said rather quickly. Penelope shook her head, brushing the apology off. The train behind them sounded again, warning them to board now. Penelope's strawberry blonde hair moved with her when she turned to motion towards the train, "I suppose that's my queue- or our queue rather- I believe Meg saved a compartment for me, you can join us if you'd like."
"No thank you, I'll be sitting with Ophelia and Jack, I'll see you all at school." Lucy said, practically skipping away. Lucy was the most sociable of the siblings, making friends wherever she went. It only made sense that going into her 9th grade of school she already had plans to sit with her close friends. Susan, already knowing this only hugged her sister goodbye, watching her board the train. The three older Pevenesies' seemed to share a silent conversation before Susan nodded, sending Penelope a kind smile. The opposing girl had known of Susan's beauty but it even made her pause for a moment, his rich dark brown hair fit perfectly with her ocean like eyes, Penelope found herself smiling back without even noticing.
"Meg Richenfield?" She asked, walking beside Penelope who stepped onto the train. The two boys trailed behind them, talking to each other in hushed tones.
"No Megan Teller, she's in the 11th grade with Edmund and I." Penelope explained, it was fairly large school so she wasn't surprised the clever brunette had confused the two. Penelope absently looked into compartments, looking for her short haired friend. They'd passed Lucy's compartment, Susan waving as she saw her sister giggling with her new school mates.
"Ah, there you are!" Meg yelled from three compartments town, a hand firmly placed on her hip, "I thought you'd left me!"
"Never," Penelope replied, taking Megs outstretched hand and waving the siblings into the compartments. Peter and Edmund sat on one side, the girls sitting on the other. Meg winked at Penelope discretely when Susan directed her gaze out the window, a book already on her lap.
"How was your summer?"
"Uneventful. How was yours?" Peter replied, Edmund nodded, she supposed they all spent the summer together, much like her and her own sister.
"Besides the far and few get togethers, about the same." Penelope agreed, "For the past few years school has been the most exciting part of my year."
"That's just sad, Pen." Meg shook her head, "sort of your fault though, I told you, you should've gone on the road trip with my family but you refused."
"Maybe I don't live for adventure like you do." Penelope retorted, as she turned her meet Edmunds gaze and smiled, he looked away quickly. Had she done something weird? Peter seemed amused, a lopsided smirk on his lips.
"What's life without adventure?"
"No life at all," Meg quickly replied, shaking her head. The rest of the hour filled with mindless chatter. Edmund chimed in a few times, a few more times than Susan did. The other three held no qualms about holding up the conversation, easily speaking about almost everything. Peter didn't seem as royal like then he had before, Meg told her this after they got out, now walking to the entrance on the school.
"He's- approachable now," Meg mulled, "boring."
"And another infatuation bites the dust." Penelope joked, waving her hand in the air as if bidding it farewell. She wiping an imaginary tear. "You will be missed."
"Shut it, but Jason did stop in the compartment before you did-" she dragged out, "maybe he'll be my next object of affection."
"Such a weirdo, you are." She laughed, pulling the key out for her dormroom, Meg followed her in, her luggage dragging behind her.
"Hey, think about how many boys switch their sights everyday, I'm just-" she paused, thinking of the right way to phrase, "I'm just evening out the score, yes?"
St. James School
Orientation had gone as expected, truly boring and monotonously. They'd almost gotten in trouble, Meg had been rating all of the students in each row and Penelope had let a few giggles slip, thankfully the headmaster couldn't identify where it was coming from and they got away with their innocent crime. The pair of them got up once the headmaster finished his ending remarks, Meg harshly nudged her back, an excited tone following.
"Move, I'm going to have Jason walk me back." Meg said, pushing her aside. Penelope scoffed, almost tripping over her feet. Thankfully her balance didn't let her down, her reflexes grabbing the chair beside her to balance out the shove she'd received.
Unfortunately, she was still stuck walking slow as a turtle as half the school attempted to leave the auditorium all at once.
"Fancy seeing you here,"
"Peter, Edmund." Penelope greeted, the two were in the row behind her, standing as well, waiting for their turn to exit. "Stuck in human traffic, I see?" She teased, "I'm just the same."
"That's one way to phrase it, I suppose." Peter said, before someone in the row over tapped his shoulder, striking up a conversation with him. Edmund stood beside Penelope, the row of chairs separating them.
"Where'd Meg go? Did she get in trouble for you lot laughing during the reading?" Edmund asked, his eyebrows furrowing. Penelope felt the heat rise to her cheeks, letting out an embarrassed laugh.
"No, she went ahead to talk to Jason," she said, pointing to where the pair were now almost exiting, "How'd you know it was us?"
Edmund shrugged, allowing a grin, "You laugh quite a bit, and you weren't that far from Pete and I."
"Is that such a bad thing?" It seemed like some students were picking up the pace, now the pair were standing side by side walking up the aisle.
"I don't think so," he informed, "I think- I think your laugh is nice."
Heat rises into her cheeks and she gave him a wide grin, "Means a lot coming from the prince."
Edmund looked at her weirdly and Penelope registered what she'd just said, covering her mouth with one hand. She whispered a curse, breaking their eye contact and looking ahead instead.
"Are you-"
"Prince?"
"Did I say prince? No, no I meant-" she paused, usually her mind was racing and now of all times, the reflex word her brain had come up with disappointed her immensely, "I mean, prix, like the races." Somehow it came out more as a question than a statement as it was meant to. He didn't acknowledge that possibility, instead only easing an eyebrow as they approached the hallway.
"It's not meant to be mean or anything, it's just this thing that goes around the school. That you and your siblings are St. James royalty. Peter, you know, would be the king. Susan would be the Queen, and you and Lucy and the prince and princess. It's just- no offense, but it's not like you lot are the most approachable people. And it's not that you're rude or anything of the sort, rather that drinking and playing spin the bottle seems a bit out of your tastes." She rambled, until the end her gaze was on her shoes, that was until she heard laughter. It was warm sounding and came from the chest. She quickly decided that she liked the laugh.
"That's-" he laughed again, "Would you mind coming to lunch and telling my siblings that? I doubt they'll even believe me." Edmund asked, Penelope hesitated only for a moment before nodding, "Come on, we go to the roof- they're probably waiting already."
"Waiting?" She asked, Edmund pulled a key ring out, it only contained one key dangling down on his palm.
"I've got the key."