CHAPTER 2: Until you can't see them.
A wall of noise assaulted John's ears as he and his father appeared on platform 9¾. Children ran everywhere and John could only see flashes of robes and colour as students in muggle and wizarding clothes alike sprinted past him, eager to reach choice compartments.
His mother and Ettie appeared behind him. Ettie said her goodbyes quickly, pecking her parents briefly on the cheek before melding into the crowd. She was used to this, but John was not.
"I'll see you soon" he said awkwardly, not quite sure how best to farewell them.
"Of course you will, love" said Elena, wrapping him up in a warm embrace. "Get Ettie to send us an owl when you get there dear" she said, and with a final kiss, she let him loose.
His father helped his lift his heavy trunk off the trolley and onto the train. John stepped up onto the train and looked back at him. His father had always been a stern and proud figure, unfailingly rigid in his beliefs of good conduct, and an unwavering enforcer of good manners. So John was surprised when he was given a warm smile. "Make us proud, my son" said Ormond, and, squeezing John's shoulder briefly, he stepped back to rejoin his wife.
John waved to them as the train departed. He smiled as he remembered what his mother had taught him when he was little and relatives would leave after Christmas. "You wave until you can't see them anymore" she had said. And he did just that.
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John braced himself against the wall of the train, as it rocked to the left on a sharp turn. They had left London far behind and there were now sheer cliffs on either side of the tracks. He shuddered and, glancing into a compartment for the tenth time, and no expecting much, as the last nine had been empty, was surprised to find it almost empty.
The only occupant was a tall black haired boy, who sat motionless near the window with his long legs crossed beneath him and his hands together with his fingertips pressed together. His elbows rested on his knees.
John entered quietly and knocked softly on the doorframe. "Um… is it okay if I sit in here?" he said. "Only, all the other ones…."
The boy moved suddenly, as if awaking from slumber, and turned a pair of piercing blue eyes on John's face. "Of course" he said courteously, gesturing to the empty seats.
I'm surprised this compartment was empty" John said, in a feeble attempt at conversation. The boy sat up, unfolding his lanky legs, and stretching in a feline manner. "There were people," he said lazily, "but they were remarkably irritating. I mentioned something about their combined lack of intelligence, and, as it turned out, they were all Ravenclaws. So, of course, they challenged me to a battle of riddles to defend their honour."
He glanced around, apparently surprised at the profound lack of people in the compartment. "I think I won" he said thoughtfully.
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A/N
Hi there,
Mmm.. Russian caravan tea always speeds along the writing process. ;)
That's as much as I've written for the moment, I'm still not 100% sure where the story is going although I have a slight idea. But if you have any suggestions, please review and let me know!
Posting will be a little disjointed over the next two weeks as I'll be travelling.
Hope you had as much fun reading as I had writing :)
x lostwithoutablogger
UPDATE: I forgot to mention this, and I only just remembered that I hadn't. "Wave until you can't see them anymore" was something that my mother always used to tell me when I was little, and it's something I've never forgotten. From what I've heard from friends, it was something their mothers used to tell them as well. Maybe it's universal.. Let me know! :)
