First HP Fanfic –Travel
Summary -
Set a few years after the battle of Hogwarts. Ginny is a pro-quidditch player for the Holyhead Harpies, which unfortunately means a lot of travelling. Most of the girls stick together on tour, but Ginny prefers to visit her family every spare minute she has.
Preface -
Earlier in the day the station bustled with activity. A train came by every fifteen minutes or so and there was a continuous flow of people milling about getting on and off trains. Now though, it is 10.45 at night and the platform is practically deserted. A stray piece of paper flies across the sky, riding on the wind, twirling and twisting, standing out against the dark winter night. There is the smell of stale cigarette smoke wafting from the bin attached to the brown wooden fence that lines the platform.
The moon and stars stand out against the night sky, shining brightly and illuminating the train tracks below. Yet even as the stars twinkle, the shadows dominate the platform keeping hidden any creatures in the night.
There stands Ginny at the very end of the platform waiting for her journey home to her family. The bitter cold bites at her fingers and she clenches them and folds her arms tucking her hands into her pockets. A shiver passes through her body as if the wind is getting revenge for not being able to touch her fingers anymore. As she stands there, all alone, she jumps and looks around her, thinking she heard something, before she realises she only heard it in her head. A look of relief passes across her face and she lets out a small sigh. She is still jumpy, even a year on. They are all still jumpy, even a year on.
Outside, the odd car drives by momentarily flooding the platform with headlights, until it has passed, taking with it its light. One such car appears over the crest of the hill, but then stops and pulls up next to the stairs leading down to the station. A lady, presumably a muggle, climbs out of the passenger seat; the boot clicks open, breaking the silence in the night. She struggles with her suitcase until the driver turns off his engine and climbs out to help her. They speak in hushed tones but the sound travels fast and far in the dark night. The lady turns away with a quick kiss and a hug, the pair uttering their goodbyes. The lady looks out and then rushes down the stairs as she notices the train headlights shining in the distance. The driver watches for a while before turning away reluctantly and climbing back into his car, although he does not drive away until the female he arrived with is safely on the train. Even the muggles haven't yet shaken off their unexplainable fear of the secret war that right under their noses.
Ginny watches the woman coming down the stairs, but as the train pulls into the station she quickly shakes herself out of her daze. With a look of distaste she turns towards the train, and pushes the button for doors. She hates travelling the muggle way, especially at night, but since MoM regulations to cut down on criminal activity had come into force, she was slowly getting used to it.
The train pulls off the platform leaving behind the bitter metallic taste of its fumes in the air. The two passengers have left with the train and now the platform is truly deserted. The darkness seems to get thicker as fog rolls in from the sea, blocking out the stars and dimming the floodlights situated all along the platform. The hoot of an owl echoes out of the blackness; the whispering of the leaves is amplified as the wind picks up. Night has truly fallen.