"I can't believe you're a fifth year already, Rosie." I rested my head on my father's chest as he pulled me into a tight embrace. I couldn't believe it either to be honest. It seemed like just yesterday they were dropping me off for my first year while Hugo threw a fit the entire way there, begging my parents to let him go too. I gave my dad a tight squeeze before pulling away and smiling up at him, he always seemed so calm but I knew deep down that drop off days unnerved him quite a bit. The station seemed to be emptying quickly and I could see Aunt Ginny and Uncle Harry waving as Lily stuck her head out of a compartment window and beamed at them.
With a quick glance at her watch my mum pulled me toward her, exchanging Hugo to my father for final goodbyes. "Promise me you'll write often?" She tucked a lose piece of hair behind my ear and gave me a shaky smile. I knew drop offs were always hardest on her so I grabbed her hand and squeezed it.
"Of course I'll write mum, you'll get so many letters you wont even know what to do with them." She grinned and pulled me into a tight embrace as the whistling from the train announced its imminent departure.
"Remember to review your days class material every night, studying is easier if it's done in moderation. You have OWLS this year and I know how anxious you get…if you ever need someone to talk to I'm always here for you." She wiped a tear from her eye quickly, "Give Hagrid and Neville our love and please keep an eye on your brother."
Dad wrapped his arm around her shoulders and looked me in the eye, "And under no circumstances are you to talk to boys." My cheeks felt red hot and I shook my head, abashed.
"You don't have to worry about that, dad." My voice was so small I was surprised they could hear it over the furor of the station, but the relieved look that colored my fathers face was a sure sign that they had heard my confession of my pathetic love life.
Most boys didn't pay attention to me. With Emma and Zoe in my year there was no point in trying to compete for attention, most boys fan over them as if they had been hit with a heavy love point—which Charlotte and I had secret conspiracies about. Plus, it didn't help that Albus and James hovered over me like hawks, under my fathers instruction I'm sure.
Mortified I waved goodbye and quickly loaded onto the train just behind Hugo who seemed to have found my embarrassment funny. He found the compartment Lily was in quickly and I was left to search the open compartments until the bright blonde top bun of Charlotte caught my eye.
"Rose!" She hoped onto her feet and enveloped me in a tight hug. I hadn't seen her since the end of last term. We usually spend a week together each summer but her family had planned a long holiday to America to visit her extended family instead. Her raspberry perfume filled the compartment and when I finally sat down next to her she looked like she was about to explode.
"I have so much to tell you!" She bounced up and sat back down on her knees the bright blue gleam in her eye was only further proof of her surely prodigal escapades throughout the states. "I met a boy…he goes to Salem-"
Although she didn't get the chance to finish before the compartment door was slid open again and three more girls filed in dropping down dramatically onto the seat adjacent. Emma, Libby, and Zoe were the other three Gryffindor's in our year that we shared our dorm in Gryffindor tower with.
"Rose, Charlotte! Did you have a good summer?" Zoe asked as she pulled a small bag of Honeydukes Fudge Flies from her pocket and offered them to everyone.
"Brilliant actually. My family took a holiday to America." She stopped short and smirked at me. Some things were kept between just Char and I, and secret rendezvous with her new boyfriend happened to be one of those topics.
There was a chorus of excitement before all eyes fell on me and I shrugged, "I had a pretty boring summer. I got a part time job working at the shop with my uncle George for a few weeks with Albus and James."
Emma bit her lip and began shuffling through her trunk. "I don't have long, I have prefect duty in a few minutes." Emma pulled her robes on and instantly pulled out the small compact mirror that seemed to have an engorgement charm placed on it as it grew three times its size when flipped open. I had seen an arrangement of them in the shops at Diagon Alley but hadn't realized just how handy they'd be until now.
Charlotte and I muffled giggles as her hands nervously ran through her perfect brown waves. Emma Peterson was by far the prettiest girl in our year and had quite the following of suitors, my cousin Albus at the head of the line and although she would never admit to actually liking him back she seemed to get especially flustered whenever he was mentioned.
"Whom are you patrolling with today?" Libby asked, winking at us as playfully. Pestering Emma about her obvious infatuation with Albus was one of our favorite pastimes, especially because she was drowning in denial.
"Albus Potter." She shrugged and glanced at me quickly before her cheeks warmed up, her obvious attempts at being indifferent were transparent, but it was an unspoken promise with the girls that we would never mention it, in front of Emma at least.
I pretended to look out the window and admire the rolling hillsides and setting sun to not draw attention to her scarlet face and she quickly put her mirror back into her trunk and excused herself from the compartment.
"Do you reckon they'll finally get together this year? I don't think I can handle another year of this sexual tension." Zoe questioned as we watched Emma disappear down the walkway of the train, tugging nervously on her skirt as she went. I couldn't help but smile at the thought, Albus has been following Emma around like a lost puppy dog since first year and although his methods of flirting with her are less than orthodox, they seemed to have a certain kind of chemistry about them that was just tangible. Everyone around them knew it was coming…everyone except for Emma.
Charlotte and Rose sat next to each other and examined the head table where Headmistress McGonagall and the professors were sitting as the rest of the students filed in and found their respective tables. The sorting ceremony was about to begin.
"Who do you reckon the new defense professor is?" Charlotte asked. I didn't have to look for the seat next to Professor Flitwick to know that it was vacant. James who was sitting a few people down from us leaned forward.
"What makes you think they didn't keep Professor MoodSwings?" He said. I tried not to smile but the nickname suited Professor Chandlery perfectly. He was known for his random outbursts of emotion. Last year while we were learning about boggarts he cried when a girl turned a mummy into a toilet roll and then took fifteen points away from Ravenclaw when she asked him if he needed a tissue.
"I suppose you're right." I said, "I imagine Defense just wouldn't be the same without the emotional roulette of Chandlery." He grinned at me before sitting back down in his seat properly. I searched the sea of faces for the familiar black haired boy at the Slytherin table. When I finally found him I couldn't help but roll my eyes when I followed his stare to Emma who was sitting on the opposite side of Charlotte, busying herself with the hem on her skirt nervously between furtive glances at Albus' table.
The ceremony didn't take long and as the food disappeared from the table McGonagall wished us a productive term and dismissed us to our respective houses, reminding us to come to breakfast early to receive our term schedules. Charlotte and I followed the girls up to the dorm and fell instantly into our beds. After four long years these beds felt more like home than the ones in our actually homes.
"I have a surprise!" Zoe searched through her truck and pulled out a small bottle of mouthwash. There was an awkward silence before Char spoke, "You got us mouthwash?" Zoe giggled and propped herself on her knees on the end of Emma's bed, holding the mouthwash up, "This my friends, is a bottle of Firewhiskey."
Emma gasped and reached for the bottle, "Zoe you know that's against the rules! We could get in trouble just for having the in the room!"
Libby grabbed the bottle from Zoe and poured a little into the cap, bringing it up to her nose to smell. She pulled a sour face before bringing the tiny cup to her mouth and swallowing quickly.
"Ek- gross." She handed the bottle to Zoe who poured her own shot.
"Em think about it like this." She held up the bottle again, "This is our celebration. We have made it four long years and now we're finally getting to the part that matters. The boys are hotter, the classes are harder, and I swear on Merlin that I will not snog Caleb Abbott again this year!"
I couldn't help but laugh as Zoe thrust her cup into the air as a conformation of her promise, her speech seemed to have broken Emma's reserve as she laughed and joined in as we clapped and cheered Zoe on as she titled her head back drained the liquid, smacking her lips after.
"So, who's next?"