Chapter 2: The Pastry Express

Nicholas had barely gone through the barrier to Platform 9 ¾ when he felt someone tackle him and knock him back painfully on the handle of his trolley.

"Oh I am so glad you came!" exclaimed Loraine as she tightened her arms around his neck.

Nicholas tried to breathe through the curtain of her strawberry blonde hair. "I'm glad you found me..."

She pulled away, a big smile on her face. "I was afraid that you'd miss the barrier completely and hit a poor Muggle. But I guess with your ballerina grace you were able to perfectly maneuver it!" she laughed.

"I am not a ballerina," he protested, although he too was smiling.

At this point Nicholas' parents appeared at his side. They were both ugly, and dressed in formal robes, his father was wide and hairy, his mother plump and with a hard face. They looked disapprovingly at the mismatch attire that Loraine wore which was entirely composed of neon colours and animal prints.

Nicholas looked up at them awkwardly, as if unsure what to say to make them accept her. "Uh, mum dad, this is my friend Loraine. She's not as strange as she looks..."

His mother pursed her lips. "Of course she isn't. Nice to meet you little girl."

"It's nice to meet you too Mrs. Ballerina!" said Loraine with a little hop. Nicholas blushed and attempted to stick his bony elbow into Loraine's ribs but she was too fast and slipped away.

"Well son have a good year at school, and send Prospero to us every week." Nicholas nodded at his father and his mom leaned down and kissed his forehead. His father extended his hand and Nicholas shook it. There was a tense moment when he wanted to embrace them but looking at their severe expression he decided against it. Loraine grabbed his hand and began pulling him away saying something about having to get a good seat.

Nicholas shouted goodbye at his parents, who waved and moved closer together. Before they had even boarded the train they had already gone back to work.

"So where is your brother?" he asked as they walked down the train's corridor searching for an empty compartment.

"Ah, he's probably making out with his girlfriend. He got made a Prefect this year so they have a whole compartment to themselves, from what I hear they have tinted window."

Nicholas blushed, shocked to his very core by what she implied. "Really? Is that legal?"

Loraine winked. "I don't see why not."

Nicholas looks away with fright and debated once more if he should try to escape her presence. She was nice and all, but a little strange, he wasn't used to people like her. Finally they found an empty compartment and Nicholas felt useless and emancipated as she lifted the trunks up to the overhead without his assistance. They sat down across from each other, looking out at all the teary parents outside.

"So where are your parents?" he asked.

"There somewhere out there, probably checking up on my brother. I heard something about STD panel last night and they looked pretty worried."

Nicholas's eyes widened. "You're making me wish I had an older brother. It must be pretty interesting and I'm sure you know loads about Hogwarts already."

She shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. There are a bunch of secret passages. And the ghost talks to you. You should totally walk through one of them, I heard it's a very pleasant experience."

Her twisted smile made him doubtful. "I'll do that. So is he your only sibling?"

She leaned against the seat with a sad little shake of her head. "No, I have a younger sister also, unfortunately. Believe it or not she's more hyper than I am. And she has absolutely no idea what personal space means. I've seen her use my toothbrush before!"

"Imagine that.."

Loraine was just about to say something else when the compartment door opened and very attractive girl stepped in. She was taller than either of them and had long brown hair.

"Do you mind if I sit here?" she asked, looking at the empty seats.

"Not at all, why don't you take the seat next to Nicky over there? Don't worry he doesn't bite – often." Loraine laughed at her own comment, and the girl stared at her with a little frown. She took her seat next to Nicholas either way, and he felt her bright blue eyes on him.

"Soooooo..." said Loraine as she leaned closer to both of them and Nicholas began feeling uncomfortable again. "What's your name? What's your story?"

Calista's frown melted away. " I'm Calista Darelle, pretty normal I guess: pureblood, headed for Slytherin, of course and -"

The moment she mentioned the green and silver house Loraine's whole expression changed. "Slytherin!" she exclaimed. "That's where I want to go too! My mom and all my cousins are Slytherins, but of course my lameo brother had to get dumped in Hufflepuff. The family disappointment really." She giggled. "What about you ballerina, where are you headed?"

" Ballerina? What got you that nickname?" said Calista with growing amusement.

Nicholas blushed and fumbled trying to think of something clever to say. "Well I - nothing, she's just strange."

"I'm strange! Please let's be honest with her twinkle-toes!" She unexpectently dived forwards and snatched his bag before he could even blink and within a few seconds she had pulled out Wizarding Ballet Though the Ages.

Calista burst out laughing. "You're kidding! You totally don't look the type." She took the book from Loraine's hands and examined it while Nicholas hopped around them trying to get it back.

"Well, I think I found myself in a pretty awesome compartment, don't you agree Twinkle-toes? I mean it's not every boy that understand the beauty of dance," she said in a mocking tone as she threw the book back at him. Nicholas sat down, and put his burning face in his hands.

"Aww, sorry Nicky, don't take it so hard. You know I don't mean it. You're already my most favoretest person in the whole world," said Loraine, patting his shoulder. Calista looked rather appalled at the grammar but she smiled too.

"Yeah, you seem pretty alright. I mean not Slytherin material, but still okay."

They both smiled at him and he cheered up. For the next couple of hours they talked about which was the best house and what classes might be like. Calista and Nicholas discovered that Loraine's father was a muggle which amused them greatly and brought along a whole new stretch of question including: Do you have electrons? Have you ever ridden a bird plane? And don't the still pictures creep you out?

By the time the trolley came round the girls were talking animatedly about the new Quidditch season and Nicholas was once again feeling out of the loop.

"Anything from the trolley dears?" said the Trolley lady in a cheery tone.

"The famous trolley is here! My brother has told me all about it. It's supposed to have the best sweets," said Loraine as she dived forward and knocked several students out of the way to make her purchases which included a solid pound of berty botts every flavoured bean, 3 dozen chocolate frogs, 16 liquorish wands, seven cauldron cakes, and shirt full of pumpkin pasty.

"Eat up everyone it's on the house! Enjoy it while you can because from now on you're feeding me. Neither of you have to support a 30 pound lemur, who I swear weight no more than ten just last week!" she said as she rained the sweetest on them.

"A Lemur?" said Calista as she opened a pumpkin pasty.

"Yep, that's my little Maureen," she said pointing to the cage above them.

Calistas's mouth dropped. "Bloody Merlin! How did you carry that!"

"That's for me to know and you never to find out," she answered before taking a savage took the chocolate frog and gobbled it up whole.

The sweets were spread over the compartment and they ate merrily, discussing the wizards on the chocolate frog cards and the strange flavours of the beans. Nicholas nearly choked on a flea flavoured one, and Calista proclaimed that vanilla fudge was the most delicious one she had ever eaten. Loraine fed numerous pumpkin pastries to Maureen who swallowed them up without chewing and created great awe and admiration in the hungry preteens.

It was just at the point when they were so full they couldn't eat anything else when the door to their compartment was rudely sung open and 3 people entered. One of the was the large blond named Heathe, the other boy was very good looking although there was something vague about his eyes. The girl next to him was bony and had an angular face with an unpleasant expression of superiority.

"Well look what we have here! Lame, rich pureblood and a couple gurrrrls," said Heathe his eyes on Nicholas.

"Excuse me? I really don't like your tone," said Calista as she stood up and pulled out her wand with a menacing expression. "You have exactly three seconds to tell me why you're here and why you insulted my friend."

Loraine looked up at her with surprise. "Give him a bit longer than that Calista. This is probably the closest he's ever gonna get to a real girls." She eyed the angular faced girl with amusement, she was not very pretty.

The girl's eyes darted to Loraine "What did you call me, stupid?"

Loraine rolled her eyes. "First of all I'm not stupid, and Nicholas isn't mean just cause he's got money. Now tell us why you're in here?"

Heathe shrugged. "I just wanted to show Sarah and Jordan the ugliest boy I've ever seen," he said pointing a finger at Nicholas.

Calista lifted her wand. "You jerk! Get out of here!"

"I'm the jerk? This idiot has a house elf to carry his books, and do his shopping with, you bring your babysitter here too?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Get out of here now."

"Sure, just cough up the little rich boy," he had a very nasty grin now, and he stepped into the compartment.

At that point Calista waved her wand in complicated manner, his eyes shot wide opened and he flinched back. He couldn't believe she could already do magic, but the thin was she couldn't. Instead the motion was a distraction and when his attention was focused on the wand she punched him in the face, and shoved him through the door. Sarah was shrieking, and Heathe was trying to cover the blood coming out of his nose, his whole face was red. She closed the door after them and gave a little shrug in response to Nicholas and Loraine's astound expressions.

"A girl has to know how to handle herself," she said taking up her old seat. Their stupefied expressions changed and the three of them began laughing.

"Man, he looked really scared," said Loraine.

"Yeah, I hope he doesn't bother me again. I mean I don't even know what I did to get him angry at me."

"Don't worry I'll make sure he doesn't. That's what friends are for," said Calista smiling at him. "And I know that he's completely wrong about you."

"Yeah," said Nicholas with a little sight. "I mean I'm not even a pureblood. My mother's muggle born. And besides that being rich doesn't mean your a jerk. And I do have a house elf but -"

"It's alright, we know you're a good guy," said Loraine as threw another sweet at him. "After all I don't think bad boys read Ballet books."

A/N: Thanks for the reviews! We will try to update every week.

L & M