Chapter 7

What were they thinking? Saffron was currently staring down the little fireplace that sat behind the coffee table, wondering how this was supposed to work.

"Why can't we take a car? Or that motorcycle Lily said you have?" Saffron asked, hoping to find a normal way to travel this time.

"London is too far away to drive to and you refuse to Aparate again, so that leaves floo powder." Mr. Potter responded, holding up a bowl of purplish-gray powder. She looked to the other people in the room for help but they all seemed to agree with Harry. Harry, Saffron, Lily, Hugo, and Hermione were currently standing in the living room, all were dressed in traveling cloaks, Hugo and Lily wearing one's with a sort of seal with a lion on it. Saffron, on the other hand, chose to wear more 'normal' looking attire. She wore the usual tattered white-blue jeans, a white tank-top underneath a leather jacket.

"Don't worry. We'll have Hugo go first and show you how it's done." Harry said, motioning to Hugo as he stepped forward, grabbing a fist full of powder. He stepped into the fire place as Harry continued to explain.

"All you need to do is take a hand full of floo powder, step into the fire place and say your destination. The only thing I might need to warn you about is that you need to say your destination clearly, or you could end up anywhere." This did not lighten Saffron's concerns.

"Ready to go Hugo?" Hugo gave a nod, grinning as he held up his hand. "Remember, we're meeting at the Leaky Cauldron." Hermione said and Hugo gave another nod before yelling.

"The Leaky Cauldron!" He threw down the powder and at once green flames erupted at his feet and, in a second, he disappeared.

Saffron, having witnessed the event, suddenly got flash-backs from her little visit to the ministry of magic.

"See, nothing to it." Harry said, clapping Saffron on the back. She stumbled forward and was presented with the floo powder. She hesitantly took some into her hand, feeling the loose grain slip through her fingers.

"And remember, you have to tell it clearly where you're going. The Leaky Cauldron." Saffron nodded stiffly before she took one step into the fire place. Cursing to herself, she turned to face them and, without further falter she swallowed her nerves and dropped the powder at her feet.

"The Leaky Cauldron!" The second she took off Saffron regretted it almost instantly. It felt like she was being sucked down a drain. Smoke was everywhere, everything was spinning, she bumped her knee on something and by the time she began feeling ill she was tossed out of the swirling mess and plummeted to the hard wood floor. She gave a loud grunt as she moved a bit just to see if she was still alive or not.

"I…Hate…Magical…Transportation." She groaned before she felt something hit her leg. With a squeak of surprise something heavy fell onto her, pressing her face back onto the floorboard.

"Ow!" Saffron turned to see a mass of red hair in her face. She shifted her shoulders as Lily sat up, rubbed her head and pulled back her hair.

"Saffron! Are you alright?"

"I'd be better if you'd get off me, you're not exactly light." Lily gave an offended huff before standing up.

"Well excuse me for being worried about you!" She said before Saffron heard her stomp to the other side of the room.

"Damn." She looked up to see Hugo standing over her. "I never would have thought in a million years that a girl would say that to another girl." He said as he hoisted her up. "Never thought a girl would be stupid enough to say it."

"Shut up." Saffron said.

She actually did feel stupid for it. She didn't know why Lily was upset; she had just said she wasn't light. Heck, that hurt like hell! She was just being honest, but she knew that didn't change the fact that Lily was now sitting over on the other side of the room, clearly offended. She felt a nudge on her arm and looked up. Hugo gave her another nudge before nodding in Lily's direction.

"Yeah, yeah. I know." She said before leaving him to wait for everyone else. Lily sat at the table, her elbow leaning on the table with her head resting in her hand. Upon seeing Saffron sit down opposite of her Lily turned her head, clearly not interested in speaking with her at the moment. Lily had expected Saffron to apologize or at least beg forgiveness, but instead, out of the corner of her eye, she saw the younger girl cross her arms over the table and leaned her head to rest on her forearms, looking at Lily with her head tilted.

"Your face is going to freeze like that, ya' know." Saffron said plainly, causing Lily to look over at her surprised.

"What?" Lily said, half upset that Saffron wasn't apologizing and half surprised at the odd comment. Saffron's expression didn't change as she lifted her head up and leaned her elbows onto the table.

"Your face … haven't you ever heard the phrase: if you keep your face at a certain expression too long, it'll get stuck that way?" Saffron asked, and continued after Lily shook her head 'no'.

"My mom would always say that when I got upset at her over something, whether it be her forgetting to sign a permission slip or forgetting to pay the electric bill. It was kind of her way of saying sorry and trying to get me cheerful again." Lily didn't respond to this. She merely stared at Saffron, confused.

"Because it's a joke …" Saffron said, realizing wizards probably didn't have this joke in their arsenal of witty come-backs.

Saffron half expected Lily to lean over and slap her across the face. Her look was one of confused annoyance. Saffron didn't really know how to deal with this. She personally thought Lily was overreacting, but it didn't matter. What mattered was apologizing, but Saffron couldn't think of a good way to say it.

"I'm guessing wizards and witches don't have that joke, huh?" She asked lamely, just to fill the silence. Lily didn't respond though. She was doing it again. She was swallowing her feelings so that she wouldn't yell. Saffron smirked at herself and looked up at Lily.

"So you still don't want to yell at me, huh?"

"What!" Lily finally spoke, her voice raising a little.

"You're doing it again, just like in your dad's office. You're containing your anger in the pit of your stomach and refusing to let it out. It's not healthy to do that, ya' know" Lily looked once again affronted.

"So you're saying it's my fault I'm feeling this way!?"

"Well, it's your fault you're continuing to feel this way." Saffron said, not really knowing where she was going with this. By this time she was just hoping it worked out okay.

"I can't believe you! You just waltz up and throw around stupid jokes and tell me it's my fault I was offended by your comment!"

"I just said you weren't light! If I came shooting out of a chimney at you, you wouldn't find me that light! I wasn't exactly in the best of moods either, having experienced another thing I'd rather not go through again. Then you go stomping off, probably assuming I think you're fat or something!"

"You're not making your case any better." Lily said coldly.

"I don't think you're fat!" Saffron said, trying to get out a logical explanation. "I never once thought you were fat and all I meant by it was that you landed on me hard!"

Saffron sighed and dropped her head onto the table, trying to think of a solution to her little problem. Why were girls always sensitive by their weight? Suddenly Saffron got an idea. She didn't know if it would work, but what did she have to lose?

"Stand up." Saffron said as she got up and walked around the table.

"What?" Lily looked up at her, a cold tone in her voice.

"I said stand up." Saffron touched Lily's arm and lightly tugged, motioning for her to stand. She complied and before she could say anything Saffron bent over and reached both arms around her thighs, lifting her up in the air.

"Saffron!" Lily squeaked, wrapping her arms around Saffron's shoulders for balance.

"There, see?" Saffron said, her arms tightening around Lily so that she wouldn't fall. "You're not heavy." She said, looking up at Lily with a stern face. She didn't know how clearer she could make herself. Lily blushed, her wide eyes staring down into Saffron's.

Suddenly a very loud and rough voice yelled "Get a room!" Saffron looked over to see Hugo laughing hysterically, Hermione lecturing and slapping him upside the head and Lily's father staring at them, mouths agape, and Saffron blushed when she realized why.

She hadn't thought about the compromising position she had just put herself and Lily in before acting, merely wanting to prove a point. Right now her arms were wrapped around Lily's thighs, right under her bum, and Lily's arms were wrapped around Saffron's neck, the younger girl's head resting right above her breasts.

"W-wait! Its not what you--" Saffron yelled as she stumbled back, tripping over the chair leg before she and Lily plummeted to the ground with a loud thud. "Ahg!" Saffron groaned as Lily rolled off of her.

"Damn it! Are you al--" She tried to ask, but stopped. She leaned on her elbows to see Lily was laughing. The older girl turned to face Saffron and covered her mouth as she chuckled through her hand, her other hand holding her sides. Saffron seemingly forgot the other people in the room as she tried to contain her own laughter. Lily's laughter seemed to be contagious however as she soon found herself lying on her back, laughing at the ceiling for who knows what reason. She didn't know why but she couldn't help it.

"Hi Harry! Good to see…" A voice started up, but stopped as soon as he saw the two girls rolling on the floor.

"Did I miss something?" The new arrival asked, and Saffron, through her own laughter, heard Mr. Potter's reply.

"We all did, Neville."

After Saffron and Lily regained their composure they joined Harry, Hermione, Hugo and Neville at a table. "Neville is the herbology professor at Hogwarts, so you two might as well get acquainted now." Harry said to Saffron.

"You mean that school Lily goes to? Why would I need to know him? I don't go there." Saffron asked, giving a shrug.

"Well, I've talked to your father and we've both agreed it would be a good idea for you to attend Hogwarts this September."

"What!? How can I go there! Lily told me people start this magical training thing when their eleven!" Harry smiled and patted Saffron on the shoulder.

"I realize that, but I've talked with the Headmistress of the school and she's agreed to help you as much as possible, including giving you private lessons. Hermione and I are going to help develop the basics starting tomorrow, so you have nothing to worry about, 'kay?"

Easy for him to say. Saffron was currently freaking out. She was supposed to learn stuff and be expected to participate in classes where people have been studying magic for years!?

"Anyway, Neville, this is Saffron." Neville smiled in greeting at Saffron.

"Yeah, McGonagall has already told me about you." Saffron looked puzzled. She only met Mr. Potter and Lily three days ago, now people were hearing of her? Word seemed to get around fast in the wizarding world. Harry looked down at a worn gold watch and stood up.

"Sorry Neville, we don't have much time. But tell Hannah we said hello."

"That's fine, I'll be sure to tell her. I think she's in the back doing inventory." Saffron watched as they all said their farewells, then they headed into an old cut off alleyway which was cut short by a large red brick wall.

"Where are we?" Saffron asked Lily while Hermione stepped towards the wall.

"Diagon Alley." Lily responded as Hermione tapped her wand against the bricks.

Saffron turned back to the wall as the bricks began to shuffle and scrap against each other, shifting to create a small hole that grew bigger and bigger until it formed an entryway into one of the strangest sights Saffron had ever seen. Before them was a long cobble stone street with bustling shops and gossiping people dressed in long gowns and draping shawls. It looked to Saffron like they were all ready to go to bed. Not only were the people odd, but the shops stood out on their own. Color and flashy advertisements were placed in every window and the shops lined the street which split into two lanes before a large while marble building that's foundation looked oddly unstable.

"First we'll go to Flourish and Blotts, and then we'll go to Ollivander's to see about getting you a wand." Hugo said to Saffron as she continued to look around.

"Cool! They have the new model of Firebolt out!" Saffron looked where Hugo was pointing and saw a group of people huddled around a window displaying a broom. She could definitely guess it wasn't for sweeping floors.

"Honestly, can you not think about Quidditch for more than three seconds?" Hermione said to her son, rolling her eyes as she did so. "If you studied as much you wouldn't have gotten that D in Magical History on your OWLs." Hugo groaned at the mention of this. Clearly this was a long debated topic.

"Let it go mom! That was a year ago! Besides, dad said he got a D on his OWLs in History too! And so did Uncle Harry!"

"Well, to be fair, I did faint half way through it." Harry piped up, scratching the back of his head.

"And Ron, well… He's not the best example to pick when it comes to academics." Hermione gave a little chuckle at some secret joke. Saffron turned to Lily, who merely shrugged her shoulders.

The inside of Flourish and Blotts was much like the outside: crowded, odd and colorful. It was a very large store, bigger than the book store Saffron went to back home. It had two floors, a hall lined by a handrail that circled the book store and a large table in the center of the first floor. Books were stacked on the shelves, tables and even stacked in piles on the floor. Saffron wandered about, looking at the books on a near-by shelf. Everything from magical creatures to a weird and disturbing book called Magical Me by some fruity looking wizard named Lockheart. Saffron didn't know what to even be looking for. She assumed they were here for Lily's and Hugo's school books. She spotted Mr. Potter and Lily talking to each other next to another bookshelf and Hugo was near the sports section.

Just as she was about to move on a certain book caught her eye. It was a thick leather bound book with golden letters running along the spine, stating: Hogwarts: A History. She ran her fingers along the spine, the gears in her head turning. Wasn't Hogwarts that magic school? She picked it off the shelves, wondering why a school had a published book in the first place.

"What's this about then?" She whispered to herself as she flipped open the first chapter: Founding fathers. She stood there, reading for quite some time. As she read she learned more about Hogwarts and about its foundation. She personally found it odd, but interesting at the same time. She was on chapter three when she was interrupted by a loud groan.

"I can't believe you're reading that!" She looked up to see Hugo and his mother looking at her, Hugo with a scrunched face and Hermione a surprised one.

"So what if I read this book? What's it to you?" She said as she closed it, scowling at him as she tucked it under her arm.

"But no one reads it!"

"I don't see the problem here." Hermione interrupted. "If you remember correctly, I read Hogwarts: A History when I was attending school." She gave an approving nod in Saffron's direction, surprising the young girl to no end. The older woman hadn't shown anything but disapproval towards Saffron so far, or at least that's what Saffron thought. Maybe she had misjudged her?

"Hey, Mrs. Weasley" Saffron asked, feeling a bit braver than usual. "If it's alright with you, can I ask you a question?" Hermione looked pleasantly surprised at this and scooted past her son, giving a nod.

"Well, it says right here that the ceiling is enchanted. What the heck does it mean by that? How can you enchant a ceiling?" Saffron was surprised to find that Mrs. Weasley was more than happy to answer her question, going into full detail about the enchantment, what it did and how it was performed. Their conversation stretched on into other chapters of the book, things about the founders, the houses, and the sorting hat. Saffron recognized similar traits between Mrs. Weasley and a favorite teacher Saffron had back home. It was sort of nice to get a straight answer after all of the weird things that had happened.

"So the houses are determined by a hat? I don't think I would like something like that reading my mind." Saffron said, looking at the moving picture of the sorting hat on page forty-five.

"Yes well, you'll have to deal with that later on I'm afraid." Mrs. Weasley said, looking at the photo as well.

"Everyone is sorted into houses, though I doubt Professor McGonagall will force you to do it with the first years. She'll probably have you sorted in her office."

"What house were you in?" Saffron asked, curious to learn more about these houses.

"Well, Harry, Ronald and I were sorted into Gryffindor. Most of the family is in Gryffindor, so you could say houses run in the family. But that's not always the case." Saffron nodded and looked back down at the book. Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowrina Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin: all were great witches and wizards of their time, but… what house would she be sorted into? Would she be in the same house as Lily and Hugo?

"Hey!" Saffron looked up to find Lily and Mr. Potter walking towards them.

"Find anything you'd like?" Lily asked, trying to see what Saffron was hiding behind her back.

"Uh, well…" Saffron mumbled, sneaking the book back onto the shelf. "N-no, not really." She heard Mrs. Weasley give off a little chuckle, as if she knew what Saffron was thinking. She wasn't used to admitting she liked to read. In fact, she didn't think she had ever told anyone but that teacher Mrs. Weasley reminded her of.

"Okay then, let's get going. We have to get you a wand." Lily said as she handed a bag of books to her father, who grudgingly carried them.

"Don't worry." Saffron looked up to Hermione as she gave her a quick grin. "I have that book at home, so if you ever wish to borrow any books, simply pop by and ask." She said before following Harry and Lily out the door where Hugo was waiting, clearly tired of looking at books.