I looked out the window at the beautiful landscape. Beautiful green mountains with rivers separating them made the ride in the Hogwarts Express even more worthwhile. I heard the door open and close, making me leave look away from the view. My friends Harry, Ron and Hermione had entered our compartment, their hands full of candy from the trolley.

"Nicole, I got you some licorice wands'" Hermione said, passing me a few.

"Thanks!" I replied.

"So how was everyone's summer?" Ron asked.

"Well, I spent it finding my parents. I found them in a cute town in the south of France," Hermione explained.

The Great Battle had ended last year, and since then I hadn't had the chance to see any of my friends. It had been pretty hectic, with the Ministry being to rebuild and all the chaos after the battle that it was even hard to send owls to each other. All I knew of their summer was that Harry had stayed at Ron's.

"I helped my dad reopen his shop," I stated smiling.

My father is Christophe Jones, the owner of Quality Quidditch Supplies in Diagon Alley. I had helped him with making supplies like goggles and gloves while he made amazing brooms. Our store had been destroyed by death eaters, around the same time that Ollivanders got ruined. Luckily, my mother was still able to work as the Platform 9 3/4 director. She makes sure all the trains come and go smoothly as well as being in charge of all the staff.

"Well Ron and I spent our time practicing quidditch," Harry exclaimed.

I looked at him concerned. He'd had said that with a strain in his voice, a hint of sadness betrayed in his forced happiness. I'd noticed something was off earlier, but I hadn't been sure what to do to help him. I still wasn't sure. But Hermione did, and didn't think twice when asking him.

"What's wrong Harry," she said bluntly.

"Nothing," he replied, trying to brush the subject away by answering nonchalantly.

"Come on, you're not gonna pull that bullshit on either of them," Ron cut in.

Harry sighed and nodded, knowing that we weren't going to drop it now that it was in the open.

"Ginny and I broke up," he whispered, looking at the floor.

Hermione's and my eyes widened, and I covered my mouth in shock. Ginny and him had seemed in such a good place at the end of last year, Harry had never been happier with her. Neither me or Hermione wanted to ask what had happened, so I made a mental note to ask Ron later. Ron quickly changed the subject to get the awkward silence out of the air and soon found all of us laughing till our sides hurt at bad jokes Ron had learned during the summer.

As we approached Hogwarts, we realized we had hardly anytime to get into our robes. I preferred what I was wearing at the time, a medium-wash jean tank with a peter pan collar over a pair of black high-waisted leggings, and black lace Toms, but I couldn't do much about that. I finished getting changed in the tiny loo on the train, touched up my makeup that consisted of small winged brown eyeliner to bring out my light blue eyes, mascara, contour, blush, highlight and a light pink lipstick, and let Hermione change. She had been wearing dark skinny jeans, a v-neck tank with a subtle flower pattern in pastel pinks and mint, a relaxed black blazer and oxford flats, before emerging from the washroom in her wizard robes. I preferred normal clothes because you could express your personality through them, but Hogwarts was worth it.

"So what's up with you and Ron?" I asked Hermione while walking back to our compartment.

"Oh well... Well that didn't really work out..."

"What happened?" I asked surprised.

"Well I had to find my parents so we didn't see each other very much and it just didn't work out," she explained, "but you know, it was mutual. And we're back to being just friends."

"Well that's good I guess," I said biting my lower lip, trying not to smile.

I'd always had a small crush on Ron, ever since we'd became friends in second grade. During the whole chamber of secrets debacle, Ron and I had been teamed up for a Charms project. We had to make clothes and blankets fold themselves. Over the years, I liked him more and more, but he'd never really seen me as more than a friend, and I had no courage to tell him how I felt. Plus I knew how much Hermione had liked him at the time and I didn't want to be an other Lavender Brown in her eyes.

We got to the nook, to find a beautiful brown and grey barn owl perched where I had been sitting. I recognized Tyta right away. She was my friend and roommate Kat's owl. When Tyta saw me se flew to me and settled on my arm which I had extended for her. I then noticed the letter attached to her talon. I quickly untied it and unrolled the message from my friend and Tyta flew away in the hallway.

Hey,

We gotta catch up! Loads to tell you about, would wait till tonight but don't want anyone listening in. :P

Meet me in the secret cart :)

Kat 3

I smiled. I'd only seen Kat a few times during the summer when she came to visit the shop. She'd spent most of the summer with her friend Emma. I wasn't much of her friend, but I was friendly with her because of Kat. I also had missed our meetings in the secret cart, the supply closet at the back of the bus that was an old compartment where the front was storage stuff, but if you slipped in the back, there was enough room for both of us to sit and talk without anyone bothering us. I let Hermione know that I was meeting Kat and to let the guys know I'd be back later. I made my way to the back of the train, double checked to make sure no one was around, and slid in the compartment. I made my way quietly in the back, a skill acquired over the many years of practice, and found a smiling Kat. I almost tacked her by hugging her and we started to laugh at my aggressive compassion, a joke that had started when I went to hug Hermione when she got out of her petrified state and accidentally made her fall back because I'd been so excited that she was well.

"Merlin, I missed you Kat!" I exclaimed.

"Me too! I have so much to tell you about,"

"Ooh, I'm intrigued," I joked.

"Well for one, I had a great summer at Emma's house. It would have been better if you could have come, but forgive and forget," she teased, " But the best part of the summer was getting..."

Kat paused for effect.

"A boyfriend!" she exclaimed, beaming.

"Holy shit really! Who? When? Where?"

"Emma's brother, Blaise," she said smiling.

Emma Zambini was Blaise's twin sister. I'd realized he'd noticed her in that way during 4th year but I hadn't told her because she'd had her eye on a Durmstrang boy. Needless to say, that didn't last after they left.

"Going to the dark side I see," I teased.

She raised her eyebrows at me and made a "you caught me" face.

"But, really, that's great. You guys are so cute together!" I added.

She smiled, before starting telling me all her stories from her summer. I was just happy that she was doing better. Her mother had passed away because she had been from muggle decent. But it was nice to see a happy face on her again, and I knew that Emma had really helped with that, so I owed Kat to give Emma a bigger chance. We laughed and talked until we felt the train slow down.

"We're here!" I exclaimed.