After a long Summer travelling with my family, I am ready to settle in one place for a while. With all the travelling we do nowadays it is nice to have a constant in my life to return to - always like coming home, every September 1st.

Boarding the train in the exact middle carriage (okay so I have slight OCD, but who can blame me? It runs in the family...) and quickly finding an empty compartment I immediately curl up with the newest book in my collection (part of an ongoing series by muggle author Sarah J. Maas - I just love the way I can get lost in her words so easily, as if I am actually there in the room with her characters).

Fellow Hufflepuffs, a few Ravenclaws and the odd Gryffindor pass by: some stopping to wave as they spot me in my usual postion. I have always prided myself on my ability to make friends and the fact that I am fiercely loyal to those friends has always helped me to connect with people (when I'm not studying or reading of course!) I have never really had any close friends other than my mother. Somehow I prefer it that way.

Taking a pause from my reading, I stare idly out at the passing scenery, not really taking it all in as the sun sinks its way laboriously towards the horizon. Thoughts of the coming year fill my head as I contemplate the songs Professor Flitwick sent which arrived with this year's equipment list. At least I had some of the scores at home in the family library and had been eagerly listening and following along with the music. I wonder if I might be able to get permission to set up a society to help people who struggle with reading music. I don't know if I am the best person, but I can at least try right?

I sigh gently as I let that thought drift away and turn my attention back to my book. *I must slow down reading this, or else I will have nothing left by the weekend!* but I can't seem to stop myself from devouring the words page by page *just one more chapter, then I'll stop. Just one more...* A soft knock on the compartment door snaps me out of the alternate world trapped within those pages.

I don't recognise the face at the window, but notice with a start the deep emerald green eyes that stare, pleading, into mine. Seeing that expression, I immediately get up and slide open the door to let him in. HIM. I have never seen anyone like him. His long flowing dark hair, skin so perfectly clear that I instinctively moved to cover my mottled arms and their hideous scarring - years of a nervous tick few knew about. But those eyes... they made the wonders I had seen this summer look pale in comparison and something tugged at the back of my memory. Just as I thought I could get lost in his eyes: "Well it took you long enough to open that door." he drawled in a refined and well practiced manner, "now be a good little 'puff and hand over the goods." I stared at him, confusion etched onto my face as his words sunk in. "I...I don't have what you are looking for" OF COURSE the first guy to catch my eye since ... well since the last time had to have been a Slytherin trying to rob me of my food I thought with a tinge of sadness as I subtly glanced at his robes to check. His robes. Shoot. I had been so lost in reading that I hadn't noticed how close to the station we were. I needed to get him out of here, and fast.

"Fine. If that's how you want to play it..." he purred menacingly, taking a slow, predetorial step towards me, my food. "Stop! Please. Just take them." I cringed as he reached over and grabbed the pumpkin pasty and two chocolate frogs I had bought with my spare pocket money earlier.

I reached into my pocket and felt the pack of Bertie Bot's Every Flavour Beans that I had been saving for later in the dorm with my friends. As he turned to leave, I slowly and and carefully said: "Would you... like to ... er ... maybe share them?"

There was a flash of surprise in those glimmering eyes, replaced swiftly with caution and wariness. "W-why would you..." he queried. "Because it's what I do. I'm an amicabilier. I make friends with anyone I meet." I sighed. "Look, I saw your expression when you were outside the compartment, and I know that this isn't the real you." I said gently as I looked up at him from my window seat. "W-w-w-hhattt???" he spluttered with surprise. "It's part of my gift," I replied, motion in for him to sit across from me and handing him a few beans. "I can sense people's true characters - their auras too if they are strong enough."

"Wow. That's... quite a gift." The awe I saw in his heart now plastered over his face. "It has been in my family for generations. Although none since my great great great great grandmother Hildegard has fully mastered it." His curious gaze again searched my face. "So what sort of colour is my aura?" I shook my head "A question for a question - What were you trying to achieve?" His gaze lowered and I had to strain to hear his response. "It was... I ... they said I would lose my position if I didn't go through with it." It was then that I realised that flicker of recognition when I'd first spotted his eyes. Why hadn't I seen it before - Slytherin's finest upcoming star - for the West End that is. Francis Julien - ever-popular leading man in Hogwart's plays and musicals (I know - Hogwarts has certainly changed since the '90s!).

"The answer to your question is the night sky by the way." I glanced at Francis over the top of the pumpkin pasty we had split to gauge his reaction. "So black and cold then?" I shook my head gently. "No. Beautiful lilacs, dark blues and purples, all swirling together like a hundred galaxies" I replied, a faint blush rising to my cheeks. When I looked over at him again, I saw what looked like relief in those devastating eyes. We were silent for a while after that, when I suddenly realised that I was still sat in my scuffed skinny jeans and my favourite purple tie-died top. I quickly excused myself to the bathroom at the back of the carriage and hurried back to our compartment. Only to find it empty. Had I dreamt it? Possible. I did have a bit of an overactive imagination. Whatever happened, it would have to wait until tomorrow for me to start to figure it out I thought absently as the train finally pulled into the station.

As I headed towards the carriages awaiting all students barr first years, I couldn't help thinking that this was going to be a very interesting year. But all of that could wait for a while. I was finally home again.