Hi guys! I was struck with some sudden inspiration and had to write it down! let me know what you think :)

Evangeline xx

"Olive darling, you haven't touched your tea, Is something bothering you?"

Her mother looked at her with a thin eyebrow raised in false concern. Her father chose to look down at his tea as if the liquid held the answers to life's greatest questions…Suspicious.

The circular oak table sat just as it usually did, its worn varnish reflecting the light in a rather dull way...
The lavender scent of the biscuits her mother had baked wafted through the small dining room, invading her senses with their sweet floral smell; A very particular scent she had smelt on many occasions, no, not the biscuits.
Letting a small smile grace her lips, Olive looked over at her mother and father inquisitively, the saccharine smiles on their faces did little to quell her unease.
The usual red table cloth sat as it always did, nothing remarkable about it.
The chandelier? No, too obvious.
Running her fingers over the rim of her teacup, she kept on a face of stony indifference as she lifted it toward her freckled nose, hibiscus and rooibos, their usual Saturday favourite.

No steam, she noted. Very curious.

Could it be?...

Taking her wand out of her pocket, she tapped it to the base of the blue teacup, looking up at her parents inquisitively. The gold flowers decorating the porcelain sprung to action, they writhed and crawled around the cup as if alive. With the release of a dazzling white light, the handle extended and wormed around, fading from gold to a faint yellow, finally settling on pink.

Bingo.

"Very clever mother" She said, sincerely smiling up at her mother, yes, she'd love to have a nice breakfast for once, one where her parents weren't testing her in their unusual ways, but everyone had their idiosyncrasies…right?

A small frightened mouse appeared on the table with a high-pitched squeal, scampering off as quickly as it had appeared.

"Oh Lysandra! She's done it again, how did you pick it this time Olive? Really, I must know!" Her father finally bellowed as he stood up and gestured wildly with his long arms, his silver beard swayed in effort, moving almost in a hypnotic manner, like the pendulum of clock.

"There was no steam" She said simply, allowing her father to relish their last breakfast together before the new term, the compliments were nice, she wouldn't deny that – A bit of an ego boost would serve her well.

Now convinced that her biscuits were not in fact tainted with a rare Norwegian toxin that would leave her immobilized for seventeen hours (Third year) and that the table cloth was not actually charmed to try and envelop her like a snap dragon when touched (Christmas holidays) she could finally enjoy her last breakfast before the school year. Taking a bite of a crisp biscuit, she enjoyed the strange flavour as she closed her eyes in pleasure.

"Wonderful! That ought to help her loosen up!"

Freezing almost comically with the biscuit halfway to her mouth she stared at her mother. Oh no. No. No. No. This could not be happening. On her first day, really?

"Mum I…"
"No time for that dear! Hold onto daddy – we wouldn't want you to miss the train now, would we!"

She was sandwiched her between her parents before she could even process what was happening. Her hands felt clammy and her face hot, was she dying?

Her bags came whizzing down from her bedroom, managing to dislodge loose paper from every nearby surface as they came (Filbert meowed in displeasure, he was less than thrilled by the abrupt transportation).

She felt like she was toothpaste being squeezed through a tube, or perhaps like she was dough being stretched out beneath a rolling pin. Nevertheless, one second she had been fussing over her mother's apparent spiked biscuits and the next she was staring at a bright red train. Oddly dressed people bustled about and chatted animatedly to each other, there was also a horde of nervous first years clutching to their parent's arms.

"Mother about the biscuit…"

"Oh! Olive dear look at that young man, quite handsome, isn't he Kirk?"

The small woman grabbed onto her husband's hand, pointing very obviously at a tall brunette boy. Her husband pulled out his orange spectacles, perching them on his long nose as he leaned in closer, causing the boy to burn bright red under their conspicuous observation. He looked like a tomato.

"But pumpkin, as Dorian Hethersforth pointed out in his book Pride without Temptation, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I, for example, think you are the most beautiful woman alive, but let's think of a man who has a strange attraction to Hippogriffs, you are bipedal and smooth skinned where a Hippogriff is quadrupedal and covered in feathers…Do you think he'd find you attractive dear?"

The woman jumped in excitement, kissing her husband's cheek.

"Kirk you make an excellent point! Olive, you've been rather quiet, what do you think my little possum?"

"I…" people were always staring. If her Father's eccentric speech patterns and gesticulations weren't enough to draw a crowd, his strange purple fur coat certainly was. Not to mention her mother's nest of black hair, if she didn't know better she'd say a family of Jobberknoll's had taken up residence in there, the feathers she'd stuck in it for decoration certainly only fuelled that postulation.

"You've neglected to address inner beauty, regardless of someone's strange sexual preference for Hippogriffs a seemingly beautiful person can be made ugly by the personality contained within" She concluded offhandedly, standing on her tippy toes to try and spot her friends, maybe this year she'd make it onto the train without another ordeal?

"Marvellous! I see someone's read their Christmas presents over the holidays! Possum, you make me so proud sometimes."
Kirk ran a hand over his long beard, smiling down at the two women as Lysandra patted Olive's head in pride.

"She's really grown up over the holidays! Look at her chest! She certainly didn't get those from me!" Lysandra remarked conversationally.

"Or from me!" Her father butted in.

Merlin.
She truly did love her parents but sometimes they were just too much.

"Yes, well..." What was she even meant to say to that? It reminded her of the time she'd finally gotten her period, her mother had thrown her a bloody full moon party (No pun intended) and invited all the aunts and uncles.

"Have we embarrassed you Olive? No need, for the female form is of immaculate design and the biochemistry contained within is even more amazing!" She'd been waiting since second year to overtake her mother in height, all of her friends had shot up like shoots from the soil after a rainstorm… she hadn't been so fortunate; She was still a stupid seed waiting in the soil for her day of glory to arrive – though considering she was in her sixth year she doubted she'd ever get her day in the sun. At least she could squeeze into tight spaces – an ability that had saved her from detention more times than she could count.

"'ello Kirk and Lysandra, I agree Olive is looking positively radiant, and I can't keep me eyes off her chest" She jumped as she felt the familiar hand of her best friend grab her shoulder. Ever the shit stirrer it seemed.

"Thank you Beatrice" Her parents smiled warmly at the girl as she smiled teasingly at Olive. Cauldron stirrer.
"See Olive" Her mother started, smoothing down Olive's long black hair "my little girl has grown up into a beautiful young woman!"

Not a moment later her parents had trailed off, debating loudly, pointing out anything that took their interest, but mostly, drawing the attention of everyone both near and far.

"We've got to get on board Mr and Mrs Oberg but it's been so nice to see you again, I'd love for us to go through Olive's old pictures again, t'was me favourite dinner party yet."
Olive frowned at her friend, bloody Beatrice. Sighing, she turned to her parents looking them in the eye seriously.

"I'll write you, I promise. Please make sure you don't burn off your hair again mum? Dad, make sure she's careful. Mum, make sure Dad doesn't take of whiff of your potion fumes, Mr Jefferson won't be happy if he finds him in the Greenhouse again...Just...look out for each other. Ok?"

Her mother laughed her off, running her hands along the soft fur of her puffy coat.

"Bye daddy!" She said finally, hoping to run off, she looked at her father who had been gazing into the distance, he looked confusedly between the girls before registering what Olive had said, his signature grin returning.

"Humph…oh! I thought that was you Lysandra! My mistake"

"Why would she be calling you dadd…never mind" She didn't want to know.

Her mother pinched Beatrice's cheeks and flattened Olive's coat, fussing over the young girls and ignoring Olive's previous line of questioning.

"Beatrice she's such a worry wart, make sure our little possum has a good year, I remember when I was in my fifth year; we got caught making love in the great hall in our third week! We were testing the hypothesis that large wooden tables are conducive to improved blood flow to the male genital region! There were some confounding variables so we never did get our answer, but the point of the story is that it was a whole lot of fun!" Her father leant down as her mother was saying this, pecking her softly on the cheek and nibbling her ear.

For the love of all that is magical! if only the floor would open and swallow her whole, the young boy and his family who were standing next to them looked utterly mortified, the blonde woman shot her mother a nasty glare and covered the boy's ears. Merlin.

"Love you Mum, Dad. Bye!" She shouted as she pulled her heavy trunk behind her, her cat, Filbert, was glaring at her dangerously, a warning to her currently unscathed arms – 'She who dares to confine the mighty Filbert will pay dearly'. She'd make sure she gave him some extra treats when they arrived, maybe she'd be lucky and only cop a few scratches.

Beatrice let out a shriek as the much smaller girl yanked her by the arm toward the Hogwarts express, enough damage had been done already.

"I was only joking about the biscuit possum!" She barely heard her mother through the crowd, but blimey! thank goodness for that.

"Merlin Oli, your dad's coat was nice today, think he'd let me borrow it for the feast?"

"Oh quiet you Witch or I'll put a permanent sticking charm inside of it and doom you to an eternity of looking like a purple profiterole. Sound like fun?" She didn't look back as she addressed her friend, pulling her through the corridor, heading for the back of the train.

"I doubt it Olive, seems too vanilla for you; you'd probably cook up some three-year scheme that leaves me with no teeth and an elephant trunk and then laugh about it. It's not fun when you're missing the spontaneity, gotta live in the moment, you know, all that crap"

Olive glared at her taller friend, with parents like hers she'd made sure she taught herself discipline at a young age.

"I…" She started, trying to defend herself.

"Your humour is terrible, really"

Well retrospectively the teeth thing did sound like something she'd do, she was reading a muggle book on the importance of teeth health just the other week, it would be hilarious to see her best friend smiling gummily like an invalid.

"I…Ok that does sound like something I'd do."

She watched as Beatrice took the lead, heading down the hall to their usual compartment. Beatrice was a lanky thing with small, upturned eyes shaped like almonds. The unusual smattering of freckles across her tanned skin and her white blonde hair made her a sight to behold.

After an unfortunate run in with Beatrice's ex-boyfriend, they finally settled into the compartment. Olive pulled her knees up to her chest, tucking her loose hair behind her ears. She pulled out the book her dad had given to her for the train ride; Comparative Anatomy of the Nightshade Family – it sounded decently interesting, she had been wanting to research Belladonna in more detail this year anyway, what better time to start than now.

"Olive!"

Could she not just settle down and enjoy her book? Merlin… Olive looked up, ready to reprimand her bossy friend, but as she followed Beatrice's line of sight she realized her mistake. Oh. Her friend was pointing a thin finger with her eyes wide at the badge Olive held curled-up in her fist. She had forgotten about that. The bewilderment on her friends face was almost laughable. Almost. Time for damage control, minimise collateral damage and then change the topic as soon as socially acceptable. Good topics (From past experience) included how dazzling Beatrice's eyes looked that day, how silky her hair was, she'd usually follow that one up with a 'what shampoo do you use, I must get my hands on it!' and then finally, her personal favourite, why was it you broke up with William again? (The rant that transpired from the latter was rather annoying, but ultimately it paid off, life was about making sacrifices after all).

"Oh…I made prefect!" She said hastily, Beatrice was a right pain when she got into one of her moods.

"You absolute ninny, you didn't think to owl me? Dumbledore is off his rocker if her thinks you'd make a good prefect I mean your grades are good but you didn't even know we had a curfew until third year, how you didn't get caught is beyond me." The disbelief was still evident on Beatrice's broad face.

She knew Beatrice would respond this way, that's exactly why she hadn't told her in the first place, not that it was an intentional decision to withhold the information…though if she had remembered she was sure she'd have opted out of it.

"I…Well it's not my fault the teachers are always droning on at the feast, and why would it make sense to keep us in our dorms? Just the other night me and mum were looking for Tettlebugs at four in the morning, you can't even find them in the day!"

"Why am I friends with you again? Ugh, you and your bloody bugs! and what type of person calls their child Olive? Why not something tastier like…I dunno…cauldron cakes"

"Cauldron cakes…Sounds like a stripper's name, mum probably would go for that, expressionism, the human form and whatnot."

She hopped up onto her feet as she said this turning towards the door so her friend could no longer see her, in the deepest voice she could muster she started:

"And now gentlemen welcome to the stage, Cauldron cakes"

Beatrice started humming some strange muggle song as Olive turned slowly, pretending to put on a show.

"Well…hello there Olive, mind if I come and have a watch then?" Sirius said appreciatively as his eyes roamed her body.

Olive's green eyes widened as she turned toward the compartment door. She hadn't even heard it open.

"Or should I say…."

Merlin, please don't say it.

Please don't say it.

"Cauldron Cakes" James Potter said through laughter.

The Marauders. They had a habit of catching her at the worst possible times, she knew their names, and they knew hers but that was the extent of their relationship, she tended to seize up around new people.

"I…I was…um" She slammed herself in the seat next to Beatrice, refusing to meet their eyes.

"Bea help me" She whispered desperately from behind her curtain of black hair.

Beatrice rolled her eyes, her friend was positively mental.

"Laugh it up fellas, if you embarrass her anymore I think she'll shrivel up and disappear."

James was clenching his side, grabbing Sirius on the shoulder with his free hand, almost in tears. Beatrice rolled her eyes and surveyed the boys. Three. It was a rare occasion to see their group incomplete. She furrowed her eyebrows, drawing them together.

"Where's Remus?" She said curiously.

"Prefect meeting" Peter said simply from behind his friends.

"…Say Olive, what were you telling me the other minute?"

"Shit!" Olive jumped up in record time, feeling the blood rush to her head. Balls. Bollocks. Bummer.
She made to run out the door but there were two problems with this: firstly, there were three boys almost twice her size blocking the way and secondly, the compartment door was only half open. In her haste, she managed to knock her head hard enough to send her flying to the ground.

"Oh Olive, really?"

"Shit Oberg, are you ok?"

"I have to run! Prefect meeting!"

She was out of breath by the time she made it to the prefect's compartment, short legs and all.
Thankfully, they hadn't started. She was just about to slip in next to her fellow Ravenclaw prefect when she heard someone call out to her.

"Olive!" Lily Evans waved at her with a broad smile, oh! perhaps this prefect thing wouldn't be so bad, Lily and her got along very well.

"Hi Lily, it's good to see you."

"I meant to write you in the holidays, you'll never believe what James did this time, he can't even leave me alone when I'm on holidays? It was the opposite of relaxing having that git send his owl every day!" And there it was, before the term had even started Lily was complaining about James, to be quite honest Olive thought they'd make a cute couple, yin and yang as her mother put it – something from a muggle book supposedly.

"He means well"

"That bullying, idiot Neanderthal means well? I doubt it. I'd sooner kiss house elf than I'd kiss him, I imagine the house elf would be more pleasant as well" her eyebrows were furrowed deeply as if the mere thought of James was enough to bring on a headache.

"Never mind that." Lily said, finally calming down, it seemed like she'd waited all holidays to regale Olive with her stories, though it was a rare occasion that Lily didn't have something James related to complain about so she couldn't be sure.

"Did you brew anything interesting in the holidays? Lily finished, a dazzling smile of her pretty face.

Yes, but nothing she could offhandedly mention to Lily, her mothers work was rather odd and some of the ingredients she used were...not 'strictly' legal. In the holidays that had just passed her mother had almost blown up the house with one of her wacky creations.

"Well...my mother picked up this muggle television thing, we thought we'd look inside of it. Electronics are quite marvellous. My father got a nasty shock!"

"A shock? Oh my…was he ok?" Lily's face looked horrified, she didn't know why - a simple healing spell and he was as good as new!

"Remus! Over here." Lily called out suddenly.

The tall boy whipped his head around as he entered the compartment and the thin line of his lips curved up into a smile as he registered Lily, he was yet to see Olive as she had shrunk back into her chair, hiding behind Lily's shoulder.

"Lily, good to see you" He smiled softly as he sat down next to her. "I hope James hasn't been causing you too much grief" She always had thought he had a nice voice, very low and gravelly, attractive in a manly way.

"You know how he is" She sighed, rolling her eyes as she saw Olive hiding behind her shoulder.

"Remus have you met Olive? She's the prefect for Ravenclaw this year with Jonathon"

"Yes, we've met…Olive?" Remus looked confused as he said this, looking around for her, closing her eyes briefly, Olive popped forward with a small smile.

"Hi!" she said squeakily as she gazed up at the tall boy. They shared a few classes together and she'd always found him to be the most agreeable of the gang of miscreants known as the Marauders, but she found it rather daunting talking to him, he was a giant and she…she definitely wasn't. She noted he looked downcast at her obvious avoidance, letting his long hair fall forward to cover the angry scars that ran across his handsome face.

"Honestly Olive, you talk off my ear one minute and the second anyone else shows up you're as quiet as a mouse. She was just telling me about how she deconstructed a television in the holidays"

He laughed heartily at that.

"My mum is a muggle so we have a television, you should've seen James and Sirius when they first saw it."

He smiled at her. Oh Merlin…he smiled at her! What was she meant to do? Smile back? Laugh? Who knew. Life was full on uncertainties.

"Honestly Olive, have you got lockjaw?" Lily rolled her eyes, she'd been witness to her escapades far too many times.

"Oh…right…Sorry Remus. Did you have a nice holiday? You look like you've um…"She bit her lip as she scanned her eyes over his body…"Grown?"

"You know how boys are, I'll probably be even taller by the end of the year" Remus lowered his head uncomfortably, Olive could feel his eyes on her, probably noting how small she was in comparison.

Lily slapped her hand into her forehead at that comment.

"You are the biggest idiot I know Olive, that's honestly all you can come up with?"

"I…Oh! The meeting is starting; we better focus on that, no need to tear into poor little Olive…no need at all!" She widened her green eyes and batted her eyelids at Lily as she said this. Lily knew better than anyone that she was a bit socially inept, when they'd first met she hadn't looked Lily in the eye for at least a week!

The head boy rambled on about arrangements and whatnot, she'd stopped paying attention the minute he opened his mouth.

She couldn't wait it to be over, maybe she'd find some Grilweddle's near the lavatories again?