The train whistle blew loudly, making Harry's heart bang against the ribs of his chest.
"Take care of him, Teddy! Make sure he doesn't get into too much trouble!" Harry called through the open window to Teddy, who had a hand on James' shoulder.
"Don't worry, Harry!" He yelled over the roar of the engine several cars ahead. "I'll make sure he only gets a few detentions a week!" He watched his laughing god family slide slowly out of view as the train pulled out of platform nine and three quarters. He closed the window and turned to James, who was going into his first year at Hogwarts and was pale in the face.
"Teddy?" He asked timidly, looking rather small in his seat.
"Yes James?" He said, bemused. He settled back into the seat and looked at his god brother with soft eyes.
"Were you afraid of Hogwarts when you first went?"
Teddy shook his head. "Nah. I wasn't afraid." He glanced over at Victoire who gave him a small smile.
Whitney, who was sitting next to James, put a consoling arm around his shoulders. "You'll be okay, James. You know that you will be getting into the same house as the rest of us!" This comforted him. That Whitney, she sure knows how to make something wrong very right. He admired the red headed girl, wishing that somehow he could have the same skill as she had.
All heads turned when Fred entered through the compartment door, dragging behind her two trunks.
"Whitney Anne Weasley, you need to tell me when you plan on leaving me next time!" She panted as she heaved the trunks in. "Otherwise, I'll leave your things right where you left them!" She gave a final grunt and collapsed into the window seat next to Teddy. Victoire gave her an unnoticed glowering look.
Whitney ignored her sister and shut the compartment door, but not before looking out into the corridor.
Bemused, Victoire giggled. "I don't think that he'll be in the back carriages, Whit." At this, Whitney shot her a menacing look.
"Who are you talking about?" James said, forgetting his fears of the upcoming school at a little piece of gossip.
Fred rolled her eyes and watched the scenery roll by.
Teddy smiled from ear to ear. "It's J-"
"SHUT UP, YOU LITTLE TOE RAG!" Whitney was at his throat. What happened to benevolent little Whit? He smiled even bigger as her ears turned bright red.
"Why should I, Whit?" Teddy teased. "Why don't you want little Jamie to know that you're madly in love with Jaco-"
"SHE SAID SHUT UP!" Fred bellowed, her fists raised and her chest heaving. Teddy sat back in his seat, fear in his face. He knew that Whitney couldn't beat him up, but Fred, on the other hand, could, and hadn't ever hesitated to do so. "If she doesn't want to tell him, he's not going to find out."
"Okay, okay, calm down, Freddie!" Teddy put his hands behind his head. James looked suddenly sullen at missing a key bit of information. There an awkward silence for some time until a blond boy in his school robes with a yellow and black tie came to the door.
"Have any of you seen Greg?" He asked. Whitney shook her head.
"No, but I'll help you find him!" She stood and walked out the compartment, gazing at the boy as though he had hung the moon.
James watched his cousin disappear out of sight. "Is that the boy she was looking for earlier?" He whispered. Teddy chuckled and nodded and Fred looked away from the window long enough to give him a threatening glance, then went back to her solitary day dreaming
Victoire sighed and said with a French elegant air, "Oh, this train has nothing good happening. Why must we take this seven hour ride? It is so boring!" Teddy smiled and without thinking, kissed her. James gasped dramatically.
"What, you've seen your parents kiss before, haven't you?" Teddy grinned.
"Yeah, but she's our COUSIN!" Victoire and Teddy laughed.
"You're too funny," Victoire said before kissing Teddy again.
A cart full of sweets came into view.
"Candy!" James tore the door open and rushed outside, followed less enthusiastically by Fred and Teddy. A wizened lady stood before them, half of her teeth missing from her mouth.
"Anything off the trolley, dears?" Teddy dug deep into is pockets and pulled out a handful of random change.
"A licorice wand, Droobles, Berty Botts, and five Chocolate Frogs." He said, handing her a sickle and four knuts. The witch looked at James, whose eager eyes were gorging upon the candy before him.
"Anything for you, dear?" James looked at the woman, almost adoringly.
"Ten chocolate frogs, four licorice wands, a Pumpkin Pasty, and a package of Ice Mice, please." He said, watching the woman pick up all of the candy.
"A galleon and a sickle." she said sweetly. James reached into his pockets and pulled out a fat gold galleon and a shiny silver sickle, trading the precious metal for the tooth rotting sweets that she handed him. He looked up at Teddy, who was staring at the boy with surprised eyes.
"You're not going to want to eat at the feast later, eating all of that candy. There's loads better food there. No offense!" He added hastily as the witch's kind look became slightly harsh. James merely shrugged and stuffed the Pumpkin Pasty into his mouth whole as a response. Once Fred had ordered herself a few sickles worth of Fizzing Whizbees, they went back into their compartment. Teddy handed Victoire the package of Berty Botts with an adoring smile.
By the time Whitney had returned to the compartment, James had scarfed himself silly and fallen asleep in a sugary bliss. Fred was staring out the window, apparently bored by the people inhabiting the compartment. Teddy and Victoire were snogging, oblivious to all who were around them. She sat across from Fred and took to staring outside as well.
The silence was disturbed by the screech of the train's brakes as they came to an abrupt stop, the impact of which had woken James and forced Victoire and Teddy to stop kissing, a feat within itself.
"Are we there?" James said, pressing his nose to the window in hopes of glimpsing the ancient castle.
"No." Whitney shook her head. "I dunno what's going on. I'll go see." She stood and peered into the corridor, where there were several students who appeared to also be confused by this sudden turn of events.
"You don't think that there are any dementors near, do you?" James asked timidly when Whitney had shut the door.
Fred put an arm around her cousin's shoulder. "If there are, all you need to do is think of the happiest thing that you can and hold tight to me." Teddy couldn't help but smile. What I wouldn't give to have a pair like Fred and Whitney, one will take you under their wing, the other will do that and beat the heck out of the person who is causing all of the trouble. The train shuddered, lurching all of the inhabitants out of their seats.
"What was that all about?" Teddy said, untangling himself from the mess of arms and legs that were Victoire and Whitney.
"I dunno, but I don't like it." Fred said quietly, still holding tight to an even more frightened James. His face had become completely colorless, his eyes were clamped shut, and his arms tucked into his chest. She stroked the boy's hair, trying to calm him.
"I'm going to the prefect's cart." Whitney said as she went into the corridor, only to be pushed back into the compartment by a prefect.
"Stay here." He said, closing the door and locking it. Whitney flung herself into a seat, utterly defeated.
Victoire made a dramatic sigh and opened the window, then put her head outside of it. "There are some Ministry officials out there." She said as she pulled her head back in. "There were a couple Aurors and I believe even the minister himself was out there."
"Why would they be stopping the train out here? Why not at platform nine and three quarters?" Teddy asked.
Whitney became suddenly dark and solemn. "Because there wasn't a need for them to stop us then. Something has happened and-" Whatever her prediction was, it was interrupted and forgotten when the train lurched forward and continued its trek to Hogwarts.