"Can't you just blow off that weird-ass school?"
Muggles always had coarser language than most. At least, that's what Alistair thought to himself as he smirked at the brunette in front of him. She had an annoyed glare pointing at some of the students walking past her. She thought they were a weird bunch. Some of the school kids even had metallic cages holding owls. Full-sized owls!
She crossed her arms, tapping her foot impatiently to the rhythm of the silky saxophone wailing next to a panhandling drummer by the rider's lounge. Cockong an eyebrow, she egged Alistair on.
Alistair chuckled, flashing his ivory teeth. "I'd love too, babe. But you know. Laws and parents."
She crossed her arms, tapping her foot impatiently to the rhythm of the silky saxophone wailing next to a panhandling drummer by the rider's lounge. Cocking an eyebrow, she egged Alistair on. She was cute, and Alistair knew this year would be a long one for him.
King's Cross was the same cavernous structure jutting over downtown London as it ever was. Travelers criss-crossed the enormous atrium like fireflies dancing in the summer night sky. Sunlight poured through the glass ceiling, filling up the building with a sheet of warm pre-autumn glaze. The marble beneath their feet, worn and flattened out from pounding feet, reflected an obscure image of Alistair as he shuffled in place.
She rolled her eyes. "Well, whatever. I go to New York City in two weeks anyway. But it was fun. Last night."
Alistair ruffled his cropped blonde hair and gave another cheeky grin. "I had fun, too. If we're in London again at some poin-."
"I have your number."
"And I have your address. "
Alistair looked around them for a second. Like a bandit snatching money from a cash register, he swooped in and gave the muggle girl a quick peck on the lips. He turned and lugged his luggage cart away. It wasn't overly packed. Only two cases for him. However, the magic inside held full wardrobes for his future year.
NEWTS were going to be an issue with Alistair. He lost himself in thought as engiens roared and whistled past him to different parts of England. Businesspeople hopped past him like rabbits searching for their next meal, hurried and frantic as he trudged onward. Yes, NEWTS meant harder classes. It also meant beginning on a career path. One that he could excel and be proud of. He just hoped his sixth year could still be fun. Alistair Leonhardt was a very social person, after all.
Rumbling over the marble, Alistair came across the familiar graphite stone between Platforms Nine and Ten. He took a breath and pushed off the floor with his brown pennyloafers. Through the invisible wall, and out to the other side. He looked up and gazed at the sight before him.
The Hogwarts Express was as pristine as ever. The scarlet body shined underneath the rising sun like rubies in a mine. The brilliant yellow of the veneers stremed across the train like a beam of gold flowing through the red river. A large swath of parents hugged their children goodbye on one side of the platform. On the other, students were loading up their luggages for boarding. Whistling from the engine jutted out into the air, piercing ears for a split second. Thin steam wafted around the platform, leaving a small film in front of Alistair's face.
"Rough night?"
Alistair turned towards his side.
He had to glance down, for it was a short girl that approached him. Beatrice Lalonde, in her french-accented glory. Her straight chestnut hair fell neatly behind her head as she looked up at Alistair with a small smirk. She had a relaxed, eased composure to herself. Part of that due to her clothes, a simple Slytherin Quidditch jacket with black leggings. She was small but sporty. Perfect for flying on a broom.
Alistair shrugged as he began to lug his baggage towards the train. "In a good way."
"Muggle girl again?"
"There's just something's about them that's get some me," Alistair say she with a slight shrug. "They're unique. They're exotic."
"Or maybe you're settling since no witch in her right mind would do that with you," Beatrice said as they approached the entrance to the train cabins.
Alistair turned around and looked back out at the platform. He waved at the crowd of parents saying goodbye to their children. "If that's settling, then call me a settler." he said to Beatrice.
"You're disgusting."
If Alistair didn't have good Quidditch vision, he would have needed a magnifying glass to see the kid. He barely came up to Bea's shoulders in height. Small and lanky, his brown hair was trimmed into a translucent buzzcut and his white free shirt unbuttoned at the top and collar jutting out. His frown pointed at Alistair, emanating annoyance with tense shoulders as he bucked up at the sixth year. As if he was trying to reach his height.
Alistair smiled and ruffled the small Boy's hair. "Shop still standing, Julian?"
Julian smacked Alistair's large hand away. "Shut up. And I told you last year to not touch me."
""Relax, Jules," Bea said.
"I can't when I hear you," Julian pointed at Alistair. "Saying these gross things. I'm gonna vomit."
As Julian turned away from the train entrance, Alistair and Bea followed him down the hall. The train pathway was narrow, but inviting with warm cocoa wood lining both s idea. Plush velvet railing ran attached to the walls as the travelled past compartments already filled without people. It was small and homely, not unlike the Gryffindor common room.
"Aren't you a little young to know what I'm talking about?" Alistair asked as they past the beige walls.
"I'm not stupid," Julian growled. "I know you were going on about kissing that muggle girl."
"Well, kissing is part of what we did," Alistair said with a smirk.
"It's no big, Jules," Bea said. "In a few years, you'll be doing the same thing."
"No, I won't! You take that back!" Julian barked as the Yankees found an empty compartment.
"Or what? You'll hit me?" Bea said in a joking tone.
"No more discounts at the shop!"
Bea grimaced. Considering the fact that Bea and Quidditch were basically the same being, the threat of cancelled discounts at Julian's parent's store was tantamount to attempted murder. "Fine," Bea sighed. "You will forever be alone and die without any girl to love you."
"Thank you," Julian said. "Girls are gross."
Alistair dropped his things in the open space he next him. He always packed a little light. His brown suitcase rested on the plush seating a small he rested his head on the cool wind pane. Students scrambled on the platform a s the white whistle sounded warning of its impending departure. Despite their age difference, Julian was close to Bea's height when they were sitting next to each other. He could fit a person in between the gap of themselves and the overhead storage rack.
"So tryouts are in two weeks," Bea said, a serious expression forming on her face.
Alistair turned his head towards her, a smile smile forming at the image of her competitive nature appearing. There was really only one rule when it came to Beatrice, adn that was to never mess with her in Quidditch mode. Off the pitch, she was a relaxed, easy-going individual. Albeit, she was lazier than most of the creatures living around Hagrid's hut on a hot summer's day lounging in a meadow. On the pitch, she became Satan Incarnate.
Julian's parents happened to be the owners of one of the biggest Quidditch shops in the country. So for a girl shooting to become a member of the French National Team after graduation, she had to make sure Julian was on her good side. It helped that her dad gave her a delectable discount on the newest model beater bat. Alistair was just happy that his best player was ready to go fro the season. Although he had to admit he didn't mind Bea's and Julian's company as they looked at him from across the enclosed compartment. Sure, the boy was a complete brat, but he still wanted to look out for him. The discount he got from the store helped with that decision as well.
"And?"
"I think I deserve Seeker."
Alistair chuckled. "But Bea. The Slytherin captain not being the Seeker? That's against tradition. You know how Hogwarts can be when you skip tradition."
"You end up in the wrong house?" Julian chimed in.
Alistair's smile faded for a flash. He sunk himself into those who ends. A pan of shame quivered through giant shoulders, causing him to tense up. He felt the emerald shaken enisgni on the lapel of his dress shirt. His stare went blank, lost in he memories of that sorting. His other hand fumbled in his pocket. The wallet with his sister's face hidden away in it. A sister that he rarely saw since she was in Ravenclaw. Pictures of a mother and father that saw him in the wrong house.
Bea smacked Julian upside the head. He gasped out in pain.
"Chill out," Bea whispered. "You know that's a sore spot."
"But it's true." Julian mumble did while rubbing his is head.
Alistair shook his head and straightened you his button-down shirt. "No big, Bea. I'm past all that now."
"So where we're your parents then", Bea asked. "They didn't come to say goodbye?"
"Anyway," Alistair cut Bea off. "This season, I have a new strategy figured out. For the pitch, we'll have a five on four defense and th-."
Beatrice felt the lurch of the train as it took off. The people started to disappear from the fringes of the train leaving the station. Chugging erupted into a monotone rumble with every clack of the wheels on the tracks. A few more whistles, and the stone facade of King's Cross faded away.
"It's gonna be a long year, huh?"
Alistair stopped at her statement. His animated expression wiped away like the droplets of rain beginning to splat on the windows.
Beatrice snorted. She stared out the window; the flat hills of northern London became obscured by the sudden shower.
"It's nothing we can't handle," Beatrice said more to herself than anyone else.
Alistair brushed a strand of hair from his emerald eyes. "It'll be fun. Like last year."
Calista Frey had no time to spare for any human being.
The problem was not her schedule. She imagined her schedule of six classes a day was the same as everyone else's in fifth year Ravenclaw. Strutting down the hallway with a straight gait, she wore a neutral expression and headed towards the back of the train. Her thoughts focused on her summer projects far more than anything she had to learn at the school.
Was it her attitude? Sure, she could be rough around the edges, but people that knew her liked her enough. Aloof, yes. However, her confidence in herself made that an attractive attribute that she passed on to others quite well. She could out-charm anyone in her year, and she bet many of the seventh-years were sorely lacking in intellect to begin with.
Was it appearance? Calista did not care about being super-fashionable. In fact, the jeans clinging to her body with a loose purple t-shirt screamed muggle wardrobe to anyone that walked past her. Regardless, she was quite pretty. Her bright, sky blue eyes complemented the single braid going down her oak-tinted hair. She was lithe and limber, capable of any important spell movements or techniques.
No, Calista Frey had time for no one because she didn't care.
She could not care less that men or women looked at her in any way. She never watched a Quidditch match a day in her life. Any of the extracurricular classes outside of Charms Club were unimportant to her. Not to mention, few things seemed to invade her attention in any tangible way. Sliding into a compartment, she breathed a sigh as she noticed the lack of people. The seats were still cool and untouched by previous students. The trolley lady had not even made it here yet.
Plopping onto the seat, she pulled out a notebook and began to write.
What she wrote was unimportant. Poems were to blase for her. Stories were not quite her cup of tea (although she had to admit her lack of imagination caused her to have no ideas worth writing about). She just scratched her pencil on the paper. The graphite etched into the notebook as the train rumbled through the countryside. Rain still tickled the windows, leaving a small fog.
It was peaceful. In her last year for OWLS, Calista needed all the peace she could get.
So, naturally, something had to ruin it.
"Piss off, Hufflepuff!"
Calista groaned as she flung her notebook to the floor and slunked out of her compartment. She stepped out into the hallway and saw the source of noise. It was actually the compartment next to her.
The girl was a couple inches shorter than herself, but quite pale. She already wore her black and yellow Hufflepuff robes; they hung like a large overcoat over her slim frame. Her bright-blonde hair was almost as white as snow, perched up into a messy bun. Her face clear and flawless, Calista thought she looked like an angel. A very weak angel that could be steamrolled by anybody for any given reason. She looked into Calista's neighboring compartment, her hands squeezed together in a bundle of stress.
"No Hufflepuffs allowed! It's Slytherin only!" The squeaky voice said.
"I'm sorry," she trembled. "I didn't kno-."
"Don't apologize."
The girl squeaked as she turned to Calista. The Ravenclaw suppressed an eyeroll as she stepped into the compartment causing the poor girl trouble. She pushed the girl aside and looked at the three sitting in the small space.
Of course they were Slytherins. However, she had not expected the girl Slytherin to be covering the mouth of a muffled boy. The small boy couldn't have been more than twelve years old as he flapped his lips like a broken motorboat. However, the smaller girl tried to mute the boy from his continued rant.
"I figured you all would be doing this," Calista said as she narrowed her eyes.
The girl cleared her throat. "We didn't mean to. This one," She gestured down to the boy she was subduing. "He just doesn't know manners."
"I don't care," Calista said. "You don't say things like that to people. And if I hear you discriminating against someone due to house, I'll handle it."
"Excuse me, miss."
In her attention to point a direct threat at someone, Calista failed to notice the guy sitting across from them. He looked around her age, but a typical Slytherin. Blonde hair with a messy fringe undercut. The greenest eyes this side of the fields put on postcards of Britain. A slim, assured face that twinkled with a small, friendly smile. He was undeniably attractive, Calista thought. A real shame that it was wasted on bigots such as these.
"I'm sorry for him," he said in a soothing voice. He pointed from his green flannel sweater towards the boy, who was now calm but still glaring at the petrified Hufflepuff. "Julian is a little cranky before his naps. We didn't mean anything."
Calista crossed her arms. "I don't care. This sort of thing is normal for you lot. Unless you've forgotten the past five-hundred-years of Wizarding history."
"I never paid attention in that class," he said. He stood up and took a step towards Calista. She stood her ground, although she found her fingers dropping down to her jean pocket. Forbidden use of magic on the train was more of a guideline than a rule anyway.
"But I assure you Julian won't say stuff like that again," he said. "Now, I don't think I've met you before."
He stuck out his hand toward her. His fingers seemed slim and chapped form dryness. Calista kept her arms crossed. She sighed as the guy kept trying to lay the charm on her. The train crackled over a bridge as the compartment remained frozen. The girl even removed her hand from Julian's mouth.
"We've made it this far without knowing each other. Why start now?"
His eyes widened. Whether from shock or excitement, Calista was unsure. He grinned and let out a small chuckle at her words. Scratching the back of his neck, he shook his head.
"We just got off on the wrong foot. We would be more than happy to let this person from Hufflepuff sit here. That is, if you're willing to sit by me," He said with a quick wink thrown at her.
Calista had no choice but to roll her eyes. "How about this, Romeo."
She grabbed the collar of his sweater and pulled him close to her. Their noses almost touched as she felt his breath hitch at the forward movement.
"You get your Slytherin lot under control and we'll have an okay year. We've had a good run of not having inter-house shit happen, and I'd hate that streak to end with me doing something to you. I know spells that you couldn't dream of. So don't act like a jackass, and we'll be good. Okay?"
Calista pushed him away. She whipped herself around like a spinning top towards the Hufflepuff.
"You can sit with me."
She began to walk out. Before she slammed the door, a hand stopped the sliding cover in it's tracks. The same guy was blocking her satisfaction of slamming the door in a badass manner. It kind of ticked her off.
"My name is Alistair, by the way. Not Romeo."
Calista heard a glimmer of sincerity in his voice. It was like digging through sand and finding a small sparkle of diamond or seashell. The locked eyes for just a second, but Calist was growing impatient. She just wanted to get back to her writing. Yet, this "Alistair" seemed so genuine in this instance. After all, it was the litle kid that said that about the Hufflepuff, right? Maybe he really was sorry.
Or maybe it was a trick. But it's not like it mattered to her.
Calista smirked. "I know."
She twirled around and ushered the Hufflepuff with her, but not before slamming the door in Alistair's face.
Meanwhile, Alistair stared at the door like it was a dementor about to eat him. Where had that come from. The power and independence of a dragon. From a Ravenclaw no less! How did he never notice someone like that before.
"Bloody hell, did I just fall in love?"
Julian's dry heaving was only punctured by Beatrice's repeated smacks to his head.
Our first Characters!
Mr. Alistair Leonhardt- 6th year Slytherin
Beatrice Lalonde-6th year Slytherin
Julian Burke-2nd Year Slytherin
Calista Frey-5th year Ravenclaw
Calliope O'Connell-4th Year Hufflepuff
I know it is not the flashiest or most exciting opening, but it establishes character. We can see just how far they go in this story. But at least we got something off the ground.
Please tell me what you think. Review! Review! Review! If you are an active reviewer, I may take your requests and ideas and put them in the story. If they are good of course. If you aren't I might just ignore you.
But tell me what you think! How are the characters? What did you think of Julian not wanting Hufflepuffs in the cabin? What about Alistair and Calista? Is anything gonna happen there? Who know?
And why has nobody died yet? Oh wait, this isn't the Hunger Games, is it?
Thank you so much! Keep submitting! Still a lot of spots left to go!