Chapter 7: Hurt Feelings

"Can we get on the train now?" Wendi whispered to Rose.

"Why?" Rose asked, surprised.

"Ummm... I, uh, I miss Mum and Dad." Rose looked around, and noticed everyone was kissing and hugging their parents goodbye. Of course Wendi would get upset!

"Okay, how 'bout you go ahead, and I'll catch up in a second. Find us a good compartment!" Rose suggested.

"Okay, sure." said Wendi, then she turned to Harry and Ginny. "Thank you for taking care of me." she said to them, and hugged them each in turn.

"No problem, honey." said Ginny.

Wendi rushed to the train, and began pulling her stuff on board.

"Need some help?" asked a small girl with brown pigtails.

"Uh, sure."

"Okay. Daniel!" she called, and a tall boy with long brown hair appeared.

"What do you want?" he asked irritably.

"Help her get her stuff onto the train." she commanded. "I'm Tammy, by the way. What's your name?"

"Wendi."

"Are you a first year? I am! My big brother's a fourth year, though. He's in Ravenclaw. Do you have any siblings?" Tammy said, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"Yes, I'm a first year too. And I don't have any older siblings." Wendi said.

"Well, there you go!" said Tammy, as soon as her brother had finished pushing Wendi's trunk on board.

"Now leave me alone." Daniel mumbled, and went to join a girl and another boy.

"Gosh! He's such a killjoy." said Tammy, rolling her eyes. "Come and sit with me!"

"Okay, sure." Wendi hoped Albus and Rose wouldn't mind.

"So what House do you want to be in?" Tammy asked, while they were walking down the train.

"I don't really know. Gryffindor, I guess." Wendi said. "You?"

"Well, everyone says I should be in Ravenclaw, y'know cause Daniel is, but we're like TOTALLY different! I would LOVE to be in Gryffindor, too! We'll be like the bestest friends!"

"Okay." said Wendi, perking up a bit. "Do you mind if my two cousins come sit with us, too?"

"Sure!" said Tammy. "One second, I'll be right back." and she suddenly left.

"What?" Wendi barely had a time to say, before Tammy zipped back in again, with another person in tow. "Whoa!" Wendi exclaimed. "You guys are identical!"

"Yup." said Tammy. "Tara's my twin! But she's more like Daniel."

"Or Tammy's just too hyper." said Tara, sitting down. She also had brown hair, but it was short and wildly curly. Tara was wearing a black tank top and black cargo pants, compared to Tammy's bright pink shirt and skirt combination. They both had over-large brown eyes.

Albus and Rose walked into the compartment.

"Oh, these are my cousins. Albus and Rose." Wendi introduced them. "This is Tammy, and this is Tara."

"Hi!" Tammy chirped. Tara mumbled a hello.

It was quiet for a few moments as the train began to move. Albus and Rose waved wildly out of the window while Wendi tried not to notice and feel hurt. Soon Albus and Rose settled back down in their seats to enjoy the ride. Rose took out a book, and opened it to a bookmarked page.

"So are your parents wizards?" asked Tammy finally breaking the silence.

"Yes." said Albus and Rose at the same time.

"No." mumbled Wendi.

"Our parents are." Tammy told them. "We're the Devons, by the way."

"I'm a Potter, and she's a Weasley." said Albus. "We're cousins. But Wendi's my second cousin."

"Dursley. My dad is Harry's first cousin." Wendi explained.

"Oh." said Tammy. "Well do you have any brothers or sisters?"

"Well, yes. But my brother's not magic." said Wendi. "And my sister's five. We don't know."

"I have a brother and a sister." said Albus, "Lily and James. James is a year older. He's going into second year. Lily's a bit younger."

"And I've got a little brother named Hugo. But Mum's pregnant again." said Rose.

"That's nice. I have Tara and Daniel." said Tammy. "I love having a twin! People always assume we're identical, just because we're twins. But we're total opposites!"

"Yeah, you should see our room." snorted Tara. "Her side is filled with stuffed animals-"

"And her's is filled with books." finished Tammy

"You like reading?" asked Rose suddenly.

"Yeah, do you?" asked Tara. "Wait, I guess that was kind of obvious." she gestured to Rose's book. "What are you reading?"

"Oh no, don't get her started." moaned Albus theatrically. Rose punched him good-humoredly in the shoulder. He stuck his tongue out at her, and she rolled her eyes at him. Tara watched this bickering, smirking slightly. Tammy, however, was watching Wendi, who tucked her head into her shoulder and stared desolately out the window.

"So, Wendi, are you nervous?" asked Tammy, thoughtfully changing the subject.

"No." snapped Wendi. "Why would I be?" Albus and Rose stared at her. Even in the short time they had known her, they knew that Wendi was not often rude to people.

"Well, it's just that, you know, you're new to magic..." Tammy's voice trailed off awkwardly. It was uncomfortably silent for a few moments.

"I'll be right back." said Wendi, suddenly getting up and leaving.

"Is she okay?" asked Tammy a few minutes after the door had slid shut.

"Yeah, she's just a bit, er, sensitive about her non-magical background." explained Rose.

"Oh," said Tammy.

"Don't bring up her parents or anything." said Albus, "She's uncomfortable talking about them, too. She's just weird like that." he said cheerfully. "But then again, we're all w-"

"Is that what you think?" asked Wendi in a hushed voice, standing at the door.

"No, I meant-"

"That I'm being weird about it?" tears sprung up in her eyes. "It's weird that I'm hurt because parents just dumped me? It's weird that I know my parents don't love me?"

"Wendi, I was just saying that we're all-" he tried to explain desperately.

"Don't bother," she said, furiously, "I'll leave. Then you can all talk about me without worrying I'll walk in." and with that, she grabbed her stuff, and left the room.

"Wendi! Wait!" called Albus exasperatedly, following her.

"Ouch." said Tara carelessly.

"Don't start on her." said Rose fiercely. "She's our friend."

"You sure?" asked Tara, glancing pointedly at the door Wendi had jut left through.

"Shut up." said Rose.

"She's gone." said Albus frustrated. "She's gone to join a different compartment."

"Nice job." Tammy said to Albus, "Way to hurt her feelings."

"All I was saying was that everyone has some-"

"Just stop talking," Rose advised. "Before you get yourself into more trouble."

"Ugh!" Albus groaned, but complied.