Sorry this took a while. My family's going through a pretty sad time right now, and I just couldn't post this. Hopefully, things will be looking up from here. School's going and homework is insane, so updates may take a little longer than usual. I apologize profusely in advance. Hope you enjoy this, anyways.
God, I love Sacha! Is it narcissism to love your own characters?
Pepper's trunk was packed, her socks all located from between the floorboards, and her books stuffed into every available nook and cranny. Fegan was locked inside his ornate golden cage, which he hated. It had taken nearly an hour to coax and bribe him through the door, and when Pepper had latched the gate shut on him, Fegan had let out such a trumpeting cry of indignation that many of the pub's occupants were complaining about hearing loss. Fegan wouldn't talk to Pepper now, sending her waves of stony silence across the bond as he fumed within his golden prison.
Now, as she pushed her loaded trolley through the crowded King's Cross station, Pepper was aware of the strange glances she was drawing from muggles as they jostled each other around to make their trains. Fegan's cage was covered by an enormous piece of dark coloured cloth, but there was unmistakable music issuing from the cage as he whistled his protest. Shut Up! Pepper reprimanded him across their minds as a little old lady glared at her. Fegan ignored her, and Pepper felt someones high heeled shoe stomp hard on her foot as the old lady walked away.
"Pepper!" Sacha dodged around the grumpy old woman as he spotted Pepper making her way towards the magical barrier to Platform 9 3/4. His mother followed behind him, the combination of her long, sweeping violet robes and Kujo hotting in his cage drawing as many stares as Pepper had. Sacha gripped Pepper into a swift hug. "Save me," he whispered harshly in her ear. "My mom is pulling the abandoned parent routine again."
Pepper laughed, even as Mrs. Keith swooped down and pulled her son into her arms. Sacha made a strangled choking sound. "Oh, my baby, leaving for another year," Mrs. Kieth sniffed. Her watery eyes searched Pepper's face, who bit her lip to hide her amusement. "Pepper, dear, promise me you'll keep my Alexandre out of trouble?"
"I promise," Pepper said solemnly. Sacha stuck out his tongue and glared at her with the full force of her betrayal. Mrs. Keith looked slightly mollified, however, and she let go of Sacha. He ducked away from her, returning to Pepper's side.
"I am so glad that he has friends like you, Pepper, to keep in in line and well behaved," Mrs. Keith said warmly. Now, it was Sacha who had to stifle his laughter. They knew that of the two of them, Pepper was more likely to get in trouble for disobeying the teachers or setting fire to the bed curtains. But neither one of them tried to correct her.
"Mom, we kind of have to get on to the platform now," Sacha reminded his mother. She glanced swiftly at her watch, and gasped dramatically upon seeing the time.
"Oh, my word! Quickly, children, quickly!" Sacha rolled his eyes at Pepper, and ducked around a large, overweight man in a business suit towards Platforms 9 and 10. As they neared the magical barrier, Pepper noticed the crowds thinning, as many people were walking out of their way to avoid the large grouping of children with their owls. The Hogwarts cue walked towards the wall between platforms 9 and 10 one by one, single file, each witch or wizard disappearing from view before they splattered on the brickwork. Mrs. Keith strode to the front of the cue, waving Pepper and Sacha forward with an elaborate hand gesture. Pepper followed her, feeling the familiar rush of adrenaline as the wall loomed closer and closer, and the cool, lightweight feeling as she slipped through to the platform on the other side.
The Hogwarts express was waiting there in all of its scarlet clad glory. Steam issued is copious amounts from its stack, filling the air with a smoky gray haze. Pepper wheeled her trolley to the nearest open door, and slid her trunk down, grasping Fegan's cage in her free hand. Sacha moved to do the same, but his mother caught him on the shoulder. "He'll catch up with you, dear, just go find a compartment," Mrs. Kieth smiled kindly. Pepper grinned at Sacha's pained expression as she forced her trunk up the stairs and onto the train.
The aisles between compartments were crowded, and Pepper had to walk with Fegan cage outstretched in front of her, her trunk dragging some distance behind. Every compartment she passed was full, students hugging their friends and already sharing storied from their summer holidays. Pepper finally came to a compartment with a lone occupant. She was tucked behind the latest issues of the Daily Prophet, her black hair could only just be seen sticking up in a tuft over the top. Pepper slid the door open with her foot. "Excuse me, is this seat taken?"
The newspaper fell away, and Pepper found herself staring at a familiar face. "Pepper!" Grape squealed, and she flung her tiny frame across the seat to wrap her arms around Pepper's waist. Pepper laughed and stepped back slightly. She dropped her trunk down behind her to wrap one arm around the smaller girl.
"Hey, sweetie," Pepper smiled, and Grape's face coloured noticeably as she fell back into her seat. The tiny girl's hands were nearly quivering with excitement. Pepper noticed that her robes, which she had already changed into, rested a little above her ankles, indicating that she had grown slightly over the summer months. Even so, they hung loose around her small frame. Her eyes were shadowed purple, despite her cheery grin. "How are you?"
Grape's smile faltered for a brief instant. "I'm fine," she chirruped when she had recovered. Pepper didn't believe her, but she decided not to press her for the moment. She set Fegan's cage down on the seat opposite Pepper as she turned to grab her trunk and hoist it up onto the overhead rack. When she turned back, Grape had lifted up the corner of the cage';s cover and was now staring into Fegan liquid black eyes. "Whoa!" she exclaimed in amazement, and Fegan blinked appreciatively. "He's amazing!"
"He's mine," Pepper explained, grunting slightly as she heaved the weight of her books and cauldron up above her head. The sudden weight was released, and she flopped unceremoniously onto the seat next to Fegan's cage. "He's a phoenix. He found me this summer. His name is Fegan."
"He's gorgeous," Grape whispered in awe, clearly taking in his soft, scarlet plumage and proud features. From across their bond, Pepper sensed an affectionate approval and a distinct liking for Grapelle. Pepper laughed.
"He likes you," Pepper told Grape. "He likes anyone who flatters him." Pepper lifted the latch on Fegan's cage and swung the door open. Fegan burst out of his prison at the first sign of his freedom, and he settled gracefully on Grape's lap. She reached out a tentative hand and stroked the glossy feathers along his neck. Fegan whistled a note that sounded like a purr of contentment, and Grape laughed with delight.
Pepper glanced out the compartment window, and she saw Sacha having a large kiss planted on his cheek by his mother. His face was contorted with affection and simultaneous resentment. Part of Pepper wanted to laugh at his discomfort, but another part felt incredibly jealous. Pepper wished that she had someone who would take her to the train station, a mother who would fuss and cry and hug her goodbye. Instead, she had Neville, who was as close to a father as she could have, yet still a poor substitute. Still, Neville had pulled her into a fierce hug, and Hannah had kissed her on the cheek before they had left her outside the station that morning.
The compartment door slid open again, and Albus strode in, placing his trunk in the overhead compartment without asking permission. Rose sidled in behind him, her face warm and smiling. "Hey," she said quietly, and Pepper gave her a swift hug before Grape tackled her out of the way. Pepper turned to Albus, who was now sitting next to Pepper's seat, his green eyes twinkling with amusement.
"Hey," he said casually, his face splitting into the lopsided grin that Pepper loved. They grasped eachother's hands, and puled one another into a tight embrace. Pepper felt Albus nod across her shoulder. "Nice phoenix," he whispered in her ear. "Yours?"
"Can't get rid of him," Pepper whispered back jokingly. Albus laughed and pulled away, beaming as he looked her over, his eyes drinking in every little detail, looking for anything that had changed. Pepper straightened up her spine; she had definitely grown over the summer, and she wanted Albus to notice that she was still taller than him.
"Oh my Wizard God, please tell me none of you saw that," Sacha pleaded, cutting in through Albus and Pepper's embrace to place his trunk in the overhead compartment.
"What, the adorable little kiss from your Mum?" Pepper teased, and Sacha groaned, dumping himself into the bench seat next to Grape. "What's wrong, wittle Baby Alexandre." Pepper grinned and Albus snickered into the back off his hand. Sacha huffed loudly in annoyance.
"We're back to this, are we? All of you teasing me?"
"Remember, we only do it 'cause you're awesome," Grape smiled, wrapping her tiny arms around Sacha's waist. Sacha looked like he was going to protest, but as he looked down at Grape practically sitting in his lap, his face softened into one of his easy smiles.
"Heck yeah, I am," he sniffed, and Albus and Pepper shared a simultaneous look of amusement when Sacha wasn't looking. The floor shuddered underfoot, and Pepper heard the sound of the wheels picking up speed in their rotations. The train lurched, and the platform started moving away, stretching behind them as the Hogwarts Express started forward into the London countryside. Rose and Albus sat down on one bench next to Pepper, Sacha and Grape opposite them. Grape's feet dangled about a foot off the floor.
"Where's Cameron and Mikaela?" Rose questioned softly, as the green hills and trees whipped past the window.
"Cameron's probably sitting with some of the guys from the dorm," Sacha shrugged. "He'll drop in later. And Mikaela, well..." Sacha struggled for the right word to describe their Slytherin friend.
"She's just Mikaela. She does her own thing," Pepper finished, a little sadly. She really did enjoy the company of the Slytherin girl, but Mikaela was really rather different than the rest of the group. She wasn't obsessed with blood purity, like the others in her House, but she was more aloof and concerned with appearances than the rest of them. Except when it came to ticking off her older brother, Teddy. One of the reasons their friendship had gotten off to such a great start was because Pepper had a real knack for annoying the older Slytherin. Fortunately, this was his last year, and then Pepper would never have to deal with him ever again.
The trolley came around about 20 minutes later, and Pepper bought everyone what they asked for; Cauldron Cakes for Albus, Chocolate Frogs for Rose, Liquorice Wands for Grape and Fizzing Whizbees for Sacha. She also grabbed a few Pumpkin Pasties for when Cameron came around; they were his favourite. For herself, she bought 3 boxes of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans. She still hadn't tasted a Defeat flavoured bean, and she was determined to do so.
"How can you eat those things," Sacha looked disgusted as Pepper popped a murky brown bean into her mouth. She chewed for a moment - burnt toast.
"They're exciting," she said simply. "Care for one?" She held out the box to him. Sacha turned a light shade of green and shook his head.
"Don't mind if I do," an oily voice remarked, and a hand snaked out to snatch the box from Pepper's hand. Without even raising her head, Pepper knew who it was.
"Hey Teddy bear," she said lightly, turning towards the greasy-haired Slytherin and his posse. It was the same group of overly large, overly smelly boys that had followed him previously, with one new addition. Scorpius Malfoy hovered near the edge of the group, trying to mimic the sneering expressions of the older boys around him and failing, He looked uncomfortable and incredibly self conscious.
"Shut up, Pippa," Teddy growled, and he dug a filthy hand into Pepper's box of Beans. She sighed, those ones would have to be incinerated. He drew out a grayish bean, and shoved it greedily into his mouth. He looked triumphant and cocky as he chewed, but his face fell ever so slightly and he stared at the box in depressed confusion. Pepper sighed again, this time in protest. She knew the look on Teddy's face.
"Seriously! How come I'm the only one who hasn't tasted Defeat yet!" Albus snickered at the double meaning to her words, and Teddy blinked stupidly for a moment until he understood the joke.
"You calling me a loser?"
"I never said that. You did," Pepper grinned impishly. "You know, self deprecation is a sign of poor self esteem. Are you sure you're getting enough love at home? How's Mommy doing?" Teddy snorted angrily, and his posse looked at him in confusion. All of them, except for Scorpius. He was staring at Pepper, and he was very clearly trying to hide his amused grin. Pepper caught his eye. "Hey, Scorpius! What'cha doing hanging out with these neanderthals, anyway?"
Scorpius's eyes widened as the attention was drawn to him, and Teddy glared at him expectantly. Scorpius cleared his throat, and tried to muster some venom into his voice. "Shut up."
"Is that the best you can come up with?" Rose surprised everyone by speaking up and laughing at Scorpius's pathetic insult. "My dad's told me all about your family, Scorpius, especially your Dad, and he's right. You're all pathetic." Scorpius turned a light shade of pink, and he hung his head in shame.
"You got that right," Mikaela said, coming up the aisle to stand next to Scorpius. "Teddy, go back to your compartment. And leave Scorpius out of this. Torturing him is my job." Mikaela caught Pepper's eye and winked. "Besides, Pepper is so schooling you in this argument. I thought you'd learn your lesson by now."
Teddy bit his lip like her wanted to argue, but he didn't. He didn;t want to have his little sister pull the 'Mom' card on him in the middle of the train, surrounded by all of his friends. He turned back to Pepper and thrust her Beans back at her. "Watch yourself, Pippa," he threatened.
Pepper took the box gingerly with two fingers, holding it as far away from her as she possibly could. "I've heard that before," she said, and Teddy spun away with his friends in tow. Scorpius stayed behind, standing awkwardly in the middle of the aisle. Mikaela sighed and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Go back to your compartment, alright. Just stay away from Teddy." Scorpius looked relieved and nodded eagerly. He opened his mouth once or twice, perhaps to say sorry, but nothing came out, and he turned and scurried down the hall before any one else could say something. Mikaela sighed and tapped her foot. "Brothers," she tutted. Pepper laughed.
"Have a good summer, Mik?" Sacha asked nonchalantly. Mikaela shrugged, just as she had done when Pepper had asked her the same question in the book store.
"Brazil," was all she said by way of explanation. She sat down in the seat next to Grape and wrapped an arm around the smaller girl. "What about you, Grape-like-the-fruit-but-a-person?"
Grape giggled. "It was okay. Kind of boring at the orphanage, but it was okay. There was a new baby that they brought in, and I got to help take care of him!" she told the group excitedly. Grape then proceeded to regale them with exciting tales of baby-sitting, and Sacha mentioned the time when he had to babysit his little cousin and ended up with his head stuck in between the banister railings of the staircase. Everyone laughed at that.
About two hours into the trip, Cameron came to join them, sitting next to Sacha as he regaled them with tales of his vacation with his father in France. Of course, that brought up speaking in French, and they all ended up laughing hysterically at Sacha's impersonations of Inspector Clouseau attempting to purchase a hamburger. It was as if the summer had never happened, and they were back into their easy friendship. The train rolled into Hogsmeade station just as the sun was disappearing behind the horizon, and the sky was turning a deep midnight blue.
Pepper took a wrong turn at first, following the first years towards the sound of Hagrid's voice before remembering that, as second years, they wouldn't be taking the boats across the lake. Instead, Albus steered them towards several horseless carriages, carriages that, according to Albus, were pulled by horse-like creatures called 'Thestrals'.
"You can only see them if you've seen death," he explained. "My Dad says he can see them. They're sort of like horses, mixed with bats or something. They're really tame." Pepper hoped he was right about that, because something about being drawn along by an invisible, unknown creature associated with death unnerved her. The carriage lurched forward, and it was really unusual for Pepper to be moving along with nothing apparently pulling their weight.
They pulled through the gates to Hogwarts, the stone boars heads on either side of the stone pillars staring ominously into the darkening night sky as they started up the path that would lead them to the castle. The first lights fro the Hogwart's castle windows came into view, followed by the rest of the stone walls. Even the glistening blackness of the lake could be seen in the reflecting light. Pepper felt a familiar contentment as she stared at the castle that had become her home. She was finally back.