Chapter Three-

By the time Rapunzel made her way onto the train it was mostly full; she searched aimlessly for a compartment where she wouldn't intrude on everyone who seemed to be making friends so easily. She wondered whether or not she should find Flynn, but he wasn't her friend, exactly, and she didn't want to face his snickering companions. She wandered past a boisterous compartment and saw him in it; it was already full but he looked up and winked at her… she could feel her face redden but moved on.

An elderly lady approached her from the opposite direction.

"Miss, you're gonna need to fin' a compartment. The train is 'bout to leave."

"Yes, sorry, pardon me…" Rapunzel's blush grew as she tried to stumble and maneuver around the lady.

Rapunzel was already near the back of the train when the whistle sounded. She looked in the last compartment to see a solitary boy staring out the window.

"I'm terribly sorry, is it quite alright if I sit in here?"

The boy grunted a response without hardly looking at her.

"O-kay…?"

She hesitantly walked in and shut the door behind her. She shoved her suitcase in an overhead bin and piled her remaining things next to her. The boy didn't blink. It was awkward to stare at a boy who didn't look back so she trained her eyes wearily out the window.

"I'm Rapunzel." She spoke and the boy turned toward her, still unblinking, a hard glare marring his face. He did not blink. A glance that some may find intimidating but Rapunzel only flinched a little then composed herself.

He had scruffy, shoulder-length auburn hair and piercing blue eyes. He turned away again.

"May I… uh…. Ask your name?"

There was a lengthy silence.

"Adam."

Rapunzel didn't know what else to say. The train started up slowly and as it pulled out of the station a slow drizzle came from the white-grey sky and water droplets clung and shivered against the window, dragging trails horizontally. Rapunzel traced them with her fingers, smiling despite the grumpiness of her partner. She was going to learn magic.

"You're a muggle born, aren't you?"

Rapunzel was shocked into reality by the boy's gruff voice. He must have hit puberty very early, she could hear his voice scrape the insides of his throat. Despite trying to make conversation, he didn't look any less menacing. He was the complete opposite of Flynn.

"Muggle?"

"Non-magic folk."

"I- I think so…. My mother doesn't believe in magic, so… well… I mean she doesn't believe in witches and wizards…" Rapunzel thought of her hair and was glad that her new acquaintance didn't inquire. "I don't have a father."

Her acquaintance was quiet and, although the silence wasn't comfortable, she wondered if conversation would be any better.

"How did you know? …. Know that I'm a m- m- "

"It's pretty obvious."

Rapunzel wondered if he had seen her episode on the platform and found that she didn't care if he had.

She could hear the loud buzz of excitement echoing throughout the train. Friends who had missed each other all summer rejoicing in each others' presence and first years bubbling about what was to come. Rapunzel had always been a very lonely person; with a mother who had homeschooled her since birth but who was never actually there much, she was self-learned and incredibly independent, but very lonely, save her cat.

Penny made a soft meow from her crate and Rapunzel handled her carefully. She never had much liked cats until the small grey one had wandered into her life. She had personally always wanted a chameleon, but maybe that was just the artist in her. Now, though, the furry creature was her only friend.

Adam eyed the cat suspiciously and Penny leaped out of Rapunzel's arms onto the floor, sniffing him at a safe distance.

"Cats usually don't like me."

"Penny likes everyone." Rapunzel nodded, and sure enough, ten minutes later she was asleep in a pile on the duffel bag.

Adam followed suit shortly thereafter and Rapunzel was alone to trace raindrops.

She heard a soft knock on the door and was startled into seeing the same older woman from before, who had told her to find a seat.

"Anything from the sweets trolley, dear?"

"S-sure…" Rapunzel fished for her wallet, wanting to buy a little something at least as a nonverbal apology for nearly knocking the lady over with her suitcase. She pulled out a five and handed it to the lady, pointing to a box of what looked like jelly beans.

"Oh, I'm sorry, dear, we don't take muggle money."

Rapunzel was mortified, her face flushing deep scarlet as her money was handed back. It was as if the weight of her actions hit her in the face. What was she doing? Going to magic school without her mother's permission with supplies bought on EBay?

"Oh, now, dear, it can't be as bad as all that. Lots of people get homesick… it goes away with time," the lady said, misinterpreting Rapunzel's expression, "here… this one's on me."

The lady handed Rapunzel the box and before she could protest, the lady was gone.

Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans

She popped one into her mouth and it was not pleasant.