After we exited the train, made way to the school by invisible Thestral drawn carriages, and made our way inside, we made our way into the magnificent Great Hall.
Being one of the older ones now, I'm sat relatively near the back of the long Gryffindor table, again, alone.
Shit. Oh shit. Emily's coming over. She just said goodbye to Katie and now she's walking up the rows. I flatten my hair nervously and manage to get out an awkward smile. She smiles back and takes a seat on the bench opposite.
"Wonder what old McGonagall's gonna moan at us about this year." Emily says rolling her eyes.
"Probably about how this is an important year for us all, try hard, and 'stay out of the Forbidden Forest!'" I reply, imitating the Headmistress's Scottish burr. She laughs at this and I feel myself blushing again. For fuck's sake, Naomi, get a grip!
Professor McGonagall steps up to the phoenix podium, stern as ever. That woman really needs to let her goddamn hair down.
And I'm right, pretty much to the letter. She welcomes us, tells us how important this year is for many of us, tells us that we must work hard and, yes, 'stay out of the Forbidden Forest!' Then comes the Sorting Ceremony and dozens of terrified First Years have the tattered Hat placed on their head, directing them to one of the four houses.
And finally the feast! I didn't realise I was so hungry until now. I'm about to dump a mountain of mashed potato onto my plate when I remember that Emily is just opposite me. I decide to be conservative and only take a hill of potato rather than a mountain.
"Why aren't you with your friends?" I ask, glad of a good topic of conversation.
"I argued with Hestia over the summer because she said I should have followed her in going for Muggle Studies, Divination, Astronomy, and History of Magic. She get annoyed with me so I accidentally sort of called her stupid and too busy sucking Timothy Bell's cock to get a Pass in the decent subjects." She says casually as I nearly spit out mashed potato from laughing.
"Seriously?! You said that?" I carry on laughing maniacally. Jesus Christ, Naomi, stop it!
"And anyway, you're nice. Unlike them." She says kindly. She smiles at me again before looking down to pick up a slice of chicken with her fork. I never noticed how gravelly her voice is. It's so fucking hot. Fuck. Shut up, shut up thinking about her.
My palms are sweaty and my fork slips out of my hand with a clatter onto the plate. Shit, I can feel that my face has turned red. I'm not like this, I don't get flustered! Naomi Campbell has a heart of steel.
We continue chatting about everything from Charms to Quidditch to how big Araminta Jordan's tits have become over the summer. I suspect an engorgement charm while Emily thinks along the lines of Muggle enhancement surgery. She said that her Muggle mum has had her tits done and how Katie's thinking of getting it done too.
There's so much I didn't know about her and Katie. Like how their mum is a Beautician, which is a job where Muggles pay her to paint on their nails and make their skin orange. It all sounds really strange to me. And how their dad just started his own Quidditch supplies business after he quit being head coach for the Falmouth Falcons.
Eventually the feast is over and I can feel the shirt buttons straining along my waist since I forgot to be polite and eat very little. Professor McGonagall dismisses us, and Emily and I make our way to Gryffindor Tower. We sit down in two plush armchairs and finally part at 10 o'clock when our eyelids are drooping.
Jesus Christ! I can't believe we talked for so long! I keep smiling when I think about all of the things she told me, about her favourite part of the Forbidden Forest (evidently old McGonagall's ramblings didn't sink in) where there's a huge lake, reportedly where Harry Potter fought off 100 Dementors at once when he was only in Third Year. She told me it's where she goes to write. Stories, ideas, anything. It was just so personal. Butterflies rise in my chest at the thought.
I fall asleep in my dormitory in my four poster bed with a smile on my face. It's been a beautiful night.
I wake the next morning, dress in my robes and head down to the Great Hall for breakfast. Before we reach the doors, we are stopped by our house's Head of House, Head Boy, and Head Girl. The Gryffindor Head of House, Professor Hagrid, calls my name.
"Campbell? Naomi Campbell? Ah, there y'are! Got yer timetable fer the year. Glad ter see yer takin' Care o' Magical Creatures. Wasn't sure if I'd get many this year, glad ter have yer on the team!" He hold out his ginormous hand and drops a small piece of paper in my hand showing me my timetable of lessons. It's quite crumpled and dirty but I like Hagrid and it doesn't matter.
"Thanks, Professor." He smiles back at me and I walk inside, glad of some food.
I take a seat at the Gryffindor table and start to read through my timetable. Fuck yes, this year I get some free lessons! But first, I have double Charms with Professor Flitwick. A smile curls at my lips when I remember that Emily chose that class too. It's usually an uncompetitive course to get onto since it's so difficult so there'll only be one class. I'll be in a class with Emily Fitch. I shouldn't be so happy about this. I really have got to stop it. I frown.
As I read through the rest of my timetable and eat a croissant, Emily herself sits down opposite me. She takes an apple and smiles at me. Why do my fucking cheeks burn?! This has to end.
"Got double Charms?" she asks.
"Yeah." I reply nonchalantly, staring furiously down at my timetable so that I don't have to look at her disgustingly perfect face.
"I don't mind Flitwick, and it's good that most of the arrogant twats from last year won't be taking it."
"Suppose so. Too thick to even get a pass…" I mumble.
"Are you OK?" she tilts her head down in an attempt to make me look into her eyes. And I do. Deep and brown and doe like. She looks so concerned. I can't ignore her. I can't make it go away right now. I just have to ride it out and try not to imagine what her body looks like beneath her robes, her amble breasts against my fingertips, her breath moaning my name…
"Yeah, sorry," I say with a slight shake of the head. "Just had a bad night's sleep. Tired. We'd best get going to lesson soon anyway or Flitwick's toupee will fall off from screeching at us." This coaxes a small smile out of her. She grabs her apple and a croissant and stands up.
"Come on then." She says, grabbing my hand to pull me up.
It's only for a few seconds but my hand burns. Burns like Firewhiskey.
