I ~ The Train Ride There
"Francesca! Hurry up or we're leaving without you!" Her mum called up the stairs to her.
"Coming mom!" Francesca shouted back.
The girl sighed as she scanned her eyes around the room, making sure everything was packed, scooping up her tabby cat, Twiglet, and clutching her wand. Francesca was the youngest of the Green children. Kai was the oldest and the funny one, Noah was next, the smart one, then the twins, Harvey, the sporty one and Harry, the rebel. Francesca didn't think she had any of the qualities the boys had. She was often a little down hearted because nine times out of ten, she was over looked by her family, friends and strangers. Despite her older brothers qualities, she did have something they didn't. In fact it was so rare, she was one of the only five (and only female witch) in the world to possess the power to control the elements. Yes, at her own command, she could control the air (wind), fire, water and earth.
"Finally!" Kai exclaimed in his regular over dramatic state.
"Shut up you." Francesca pushed him.
"Right kids. All of you can Apparate apart from you Fran, so I'll be taking you. Kai, take her trunk and Noah, take Twiglet. Come on we don't have time! There's five minuets until the train goes!"
There were five loud cracks and all six people departed, soon landing on the stony ground of platform nine and three quarters. Francesca was smothered in three hugs and a few tears from her mum before bidding goodbye to her, already graduated two older brothers and her mum before throwing her trunk on the train, picking up Twiglet and, with help of Harvey, she was lifted onto the train, just as it began to chug away. The twins made a great leap and shut the door just before the train picked up speed.
"Thanks for the lift." Francesca smiled.
"That's alright little sis. Now, we're off to find somewhere to sit in the sixth grade, or should I say year now we live in England, compartments. You'll be alright looking for some ickle fifths right?"
"I'll be fine."
"Great, see you later." They bounced off and left Francesca to find her own compartment.
Francesca gulped and looked around. She was on her own on a strange train with strange new people. English people. Francesca was always quiet in America but she had her own friendship group, she knew everyone and she knew the system. Hogwarts was completely knew stuff to her. Not really knowing what to do, she tucked some loose strands of her deep brown, wavy hair behind her ears and set off the opposite direction to her brothers and dragged her trunk, Twiglet right by her side. Francesca saw many students in different compartments, laughing with their friends and some how, she didn't have it in her to ask to sit with them so she carried on going. In fact, in fifteen minuets, she was at the end of the train but she didn't ask to sit with anyone, she bumped into someone instead.
"Oh! I'm so sorry! Here, let me help you." The girl bent down and picked her trunk back up. When she resurfaced, Francesca could see she that the new girl was very pretty. She had bright red hair and the greenest of eyes and her face was glowing when she smiled.
"Thank you." Francesca smiled back, a little conscious of how her long wavy hair looked and her sapphire blue (with silver flakes) eyes, compared to the very pretty girl.
"I don't think I've seen you before but you don't look young enough to be a first year."
"No, I'm a fifth grade - sorry, year - transfer from America."
"I thought you sounded a little American. I'm a fifth year too. Lily Evans, pleased to meet you." Lily smiled.
"Francesca Green."
"If you don't have anywhere to sit, you can come to my compartment and I can introduce you to all my friends." She offered.
"Yes please. Thank you so much." Francesca scooped up Twiglet, let Lilly coo over him for a minuet before they set off again to Lilys compartment.
Inside, four girls were sat laughing. One was drop dead gorgeous. She had waist length blonde hair that had been curled at the ends. She wore quite a bit of make up but it made her stand out from the others. Next to her, a very pretty girl with black hair sat. She had quite a cute beauty about her. Opposite, a girl with very light brown hair was. Her hair was braided into a plait and it fell across her right shoulder. On her left, a girl with sandy blonde hair pulled up into a pony tail, was talking, maybe telling a joke? All of the girls were stunning and Francesca almost couldn't walk in but Lily dragged her.
"Girls! This is Francesca Green. She's a transfer into our year from America. Francesca, this is Marlene McKinnon," she pointed to the first girl, "Alice soon-to-be-Longbottom," she pointed to the one next to Marlene, "Mary soon-to-be-Pettigrew," she pointed to the final girl, "and Evelyn Sparks but call her Eve."
"Nice to meet you." Francesca smiled.
"You too. Well come in, don't be shy. We're all good in here." Marlene grinned, patting the seat in between her and Alice. Once she and Lily had sat down, everyone bombarded her with questions.
For a few more hours, the girls explained to Francesca what Hogwarts was like, the houses, the teachers and the students. They all shared out some jelly slugs (Francescas favourite) and pumpkin pasties out, washed down with some butter beer. None of them noticed the time until it was getting dark outside. Lily was the first to notice this and she had a little bit of a panic: Francesca wasn't in her school robes. To stop her new friend from worrying too much, she took her robes and wand and set off to find the changing rooms. She came across them but many girls were in there so she decided to change in the toilet. It was only until she was locked in a cubicle and undressed, about to step into her robes, it happened. Two voices emerged from the door.
"Don't worry Cissy, Lucius wasn't flirting." Once said.
"But Bella, he was. He knows I like him too." The other whined.
"If he was, I would've hexed him."
Francesca listened in, or tried to, when she dropped her wand. It echoed. Loud.
"Ah! Someone's trying to listen in to our conversation Cissy!"
"I think we should just go Bella-"
"No! They've heard about Lucius. They could want to steal him from you! Alohomora!"
The door flew open and two girls, dressed in black robes, stood there, looking at Francesca in her bra and knickers.
"Ooo. You don't look like an ickle firstie but I've never seen you before." The one with curly black hair sneered.
"I'm not. I'm a fifth year transfer."
"A newbie. I think we best teach her a lesson for eves dropping."
In a quick flash, the girl picked up Francesca's clothes and ran out of the door, followed by her sister. Francesca paniced. Her clothes had been stolen and the only way to get them back was to run after them. Wand in hand, she ran after, people staring. The girls let out an evil laugh before throwing her clothes into a compartment. They waited for her to catch up before pushing her in and locking the door. When Francesca was pushed, she stumbled and fell backwards but into something soft. The lap of a boy. Not just any boy though. The most handsome boy she'd ever seen. He had longish black hair, gelled back, stormy grey eyes and a gorgeous smirk planted on his face.
"Well hello there. I'm Sirius Black but you'll be screaming that later tonight." He winked.
Francesca squirmed away and fell with a bump onto the floor, pressed up against the side with the window. Sirius and three other boys were sat, looking at her, quite shocked. She picked up her clothes and covered herself, her cheeks burning crimson.
"We'll look away while you - erm - put some clothes on." One of the boys smiled a little. He pushed the other boys facing the other way and once she was done, she cleared her throat.
"I-I'm sorry about that. They stole my clothes and I had to run after them and they just pushed me-"
"Don't worry sweet cheeks." Sirius Black smirked.
"Sit, tell us your name." The one with glasses said, offering her the space next to him.
"I'm Francesca Green. Before you ask, I'm a transfer from America. I'm going in to my fifth year. Two of my older brothers are in the year above me and we moved to England because my mom was wanted by Dumbledore to be a part of the Order of the Phoenix."
"Wow, that answers pretty much all the questions I had. Moony, you're the smart one, ask some questions." Glasses said.
"Well, I'm Remus Lupin, this is James Potter and Peter Pettigrew. Of course you've already met Sirius." The one with sandy hair said.
"Pettigrew? Mary? Are you her boyfriend?" She asked the fat one with rat like features.
"Y-yes." He almost wet himself.
"So you've met the girls then?"
"Yeah. They're all really nice. Lily told me-"
"My darling Lily!" James cried, "I've missed my petal so much!"
"He's in love with her. Never shuts up about her and it's really annoying." Remus explained.
"I see. Well, I best be off. I have to get my trunk and cat before we arrive. Sorry about my entrance. I'd rather we forgot about that."
"I'll never forget." Sirius winked before Francesca rushed off.
She ran all the way back to the girls. They seemed worried at her long time and asked her what happened. Each of them were out raged when Francesca told them. Marlene ranted about how she hated the sisters when they got off the train and headed to the carriages but Lily stopped her.
"You need to go with the other first years. Your brothers should be there. Hagrid will take you across the lake. Don't worry, it's just your sorting. You'll be fine. I'll see you at the Gryffindor table." She smiled before walking off, leaving Francesca all alone.
"Oh crap. It's okay. You'll be fine. Just breath." She whispered before going in the direction of all the small people, hoping to meet with her idiot older brothers.