A/N: Ok, here's Chapter 3. It's a bit longer than the first two, and you
may notice that Kate's name got changed to Cara. I just wasn't satisfied
w/ the name before, and Cara seems to fit a lot better. I'll be going back
and fixing it in the first two chapters too, but in case you get here
first, that's what's up. Thanks for your patience and GIVE ME REVIEWS!!!
PLEASE!!!! ^_^
Heredity or Environment Ch. 3: Chatterboxes and Chugging Trains
September First. King's Cross. Platform 9 and ¾ . There seemed to be a thousand tiny Snidgets swarming around in Cara's stomach. At last, she was headed to Hogwarts! Her stuff was packed, her trunk was loaded on to the train, and all that remained was to kiss her family goodbye.
David and Shirley jumped around excitedly. "Don't forget to owl me all about the Quidditch matches! You have to try out for your House team!" shouted Davie.
"And send me lots of presents, and pictures! And you'll put up my drawings in your room, won't you?" pleaded Shirley-the-artist with puppy- dog eyes.
"Of course I will. To all of it," promised their sister, hugging them and giving them each a kiss on the top of their heads.
Mr. Nevers took Cara into a big bear hug. "I know you'll do fine, dear," he told her. "And know. know that you can always talk to us about anything. Anything at all." He smiled suddenly, lightening his serious tone. "And don't forget to check out all the brooms there. There should be a bunch of my cards in your trunk. just in case." He winked at her.
Then it was her mother's turn. She hugged and kissed Cara, then held her out at arm's length. "Don't forget to write and tell us everything. That's why we bought you Guess, remember." Guess was the tawny owl the Nevers' had gotten Cara for her birthday. Her mother was speaking again. ". and don't forget to brush your teeth three times a day, and eat healthy meals, not just sweets." Mrs. Nevers looked at Cara again, her eyes filled w/ tears. "And. and. I'm sure you'll have a lovely time, your father and I did, when we were there. And know that no matter what happens, we'll be proud of you and love you, remember that, no matter what you hear."
Cara looked at her quizzically. What could she possibly hear that would make her thing her parents - her own parents! - didn't love her?
But Mrs. Nevers had pulled her into another hug, and the train was whistling. "So long!" cried Cara, leaping onto the train. "I love you!" She waved at her family, at the two younger children running alongside until the train sped up and chugged away out of sight, carrying her away from all she knew and loved. Sighing, and still puzzling over her mother's last words, Cara made her way to an empty compartment.
She was joined not long later by a blonde girl with a button nose and flashing teeth. "Hullo! Don't mind company, do you?" she asked cheerily, seating herself on the seat opposite Cara.
Cara shook her head no; it was clear this girl meant to stay with or without her acquiescence, so she might as well give it.
"I'm Joelle Perenna. This is my first year, but my brother Jacob is in his fifth. What year are you? Do you have any siblings? Don't you know anybody or why are you sitting here all alone?" This all tumbled out very fast, and Cara just sat and stared.
"Erm, my name's Cara Nevers. I'm a first year too. My sibs are both younger and," she added sarcastically, "I was sitting alone because I like the quiet."
Joelle rattled on, completely oblivious to Cara's not-so-subtle hint. "That's neat that we're the same year, I wonder if we'll be in the same House. I wonder what House we'll be in at all. I wish I had younger brothers and sisters; mine are all older than me by a lot. Jacob's four years older and then John's four year's older than him, and Joleen's a year older than that, and then Josh is two years older than her. He's 22, isn't that old? I wish I were that old already and could go off and work for the Ministry like he does or even Gringott's like Joleen. Just so long as I don't turn out like John. Mom says he's a deadbeat and she's always telling him to go out and get a job. Dad's tried to get him a job with him; he's an Obliviator; but no one will have him because he's such a deadbeat. What does your dad do?"
Cara was brought back from the land of the glazed eyes by the question. "My father's a Product Manager for Firebolt Brooms, Ltd. He tests the new models," she replied.
"Oh, that is so cool. I wish my dad worked with brooms; all he does is go around ruining people's memories. He doesn't even like Quidditch, can you imagine that?" Joelle continued rambling along. Guess gave an irritated hoot from her cage in the corner, as if to say "enough already!"
Joelle turned to the owl. "Oh, what an adorable owl!! What's it's name? Is it a boy or a girl? When did you get it? Is it yours?"
Cara sighed, and then a gleam came into her eyes. "Yes she's mine. I got her for my birthday. And her name is. Guess."
"Oh, I love guessing games!" cried Joelle. Cara stifled a snigger. "Is it Polly?"
"No."
"Ingrid? Hedwig? Sweety? Chocolate? Tawny? Baby? Feathers?"
"No, no, no, no, no, no and no."
"Well, what is it then?"
"Guess!"
"But I have already! Ok, Merlin? Cliodna? Minerva? Hooter? Nightbreeze?"
"Nope, none of them."
"Am I anywhere close?"
"Nope. It's Guess."
"Can't you give me a clue?"
"Guess!"
"But I have! Unless. "
"Her name is Guess."
Joelle was silent for a moment, then suddenly she collapsed in laughter. "It's Guess!!! That's so great!! 'What's your owl's name?' 'Guess!' Oh, that's the best thing I've ever heard!!"
Cara grinned, glad to have silenced her, even for a split second, and rather proud of her own joke. However, Joelle almost immediately launched into a long and involved tale of all of her family's owls, and Cara's eyes quickly glazed over again.
The opening compartment door was a welcome break, as Joelle finally paused, right in the middle of explaining about her brother's best friend's boss's wife's cousin's uncle's owl who could. what he could do, Cara never learned, because in the doorway stood a tall boy with red hair and slightly- larger-than-normal teeth. Cara vaguely recognized him as one of the Weasley boys from encounters with her mom's old friend Hermione. She knew the Ron-and-Hermione branch had a boy about her age.
He seemed to recognize her too, for he said, "Cara Nevers, isn't it? Remember me? James Weasley?"
Cara snapped her fingers. "Oh, yess, Jimmy! I couldn't remember which one you were for a second."
James turned red and muttered, "I prefer James now, actually, or Jim even."
Cara grinned. "Sorry."
He gave a grim smile. "Well, anyway, have either of you seen my cousins?"
"Which ones?" piped in Joelle, "if you're a Weasley, and I don't know which branch of Weasley you are at all, but whichever one you are, you must have a lot of cousins."
Jim gave her a look somewhere between disgusted and frightened. "Elfy and Zach, the not-twins, you remember, Cara?"
Cara smiled. Elfrida was George and Kate's daughter, and Zechariahs was Fred and Alicia's son, and together the two were twice as much trouble as their father's had ever been. "No, I haven't seen them. Why?"
Jim rolled his eyes. "They 'forgot' their sandwiches, so of course I end up with them. Well, I know they left 'em behind on purpose, but I don't want to be stuck with them all day."
Cara grimaced sympathetically. "Well, if they left them behind on purpose, perhaps you ought to just toss them."
"I suppose so," agreed Jim reluctantly.
"Yes, c'mon James, give up the gun and join us. A Weasley is always welcome, no matter which one you are, by me at least. Won't you sit down?"
Jim backed away quickly, avoiding Cara's pleading gaze. "No, I'm quite all right, really," he stammered and dashed off. Cara sighed as Joelle picked up again. It was gonna be a looooong trip.
Heredity or Environment Ch. 3: Chatterboxes and Chugging Trains
September First. King's Cross. Platform 9 and ¾ . There seemed to be a thousand tiny Snidgets swarming around in Cara's stomach. At last, she was headed to Hogwarts! Her stuff was packed, her trunk was loaded on to the train, and all that remained was to kiss her family goodbye.
David and Shirley jumped around excitedly. "Don't forget to owl me all about the Quidditch matches! You have to try out for your House team!" shouted Davie.
"And send me lots of presents, and pictures! And you'll put up my drawings in your room, won't you?" pleaded Shirley-the-artist with puppy- dog eyes.
"Of course I will. To all of it," promised their sister, hugging them and giving them each a kiss on the top of their heads.
Mr. Nevers took Cara into a big bear hug. "I know you'll do fine, dear," he told her. "And know. know that you can always talk to us about anything. Anything at all." He smiled suddenly, lightening his serious tone. "And don't forget to check out all the brooms there. There should be a bunch of my cards in your trunk. just in case." He winked at her.
Then it was her mother's turn. She hugged and kissed Cara, then held her out at arm's length. "Don't forget to write and tell us everything. That's why we bought you Guess, remember." Guess was the tawny owl the Nevers' had gotten Cara for her birthday. Her mother was speaking again. ". and don't forget to brush your teeth three times a day, and eat healthy meals, not just sweets." Mrs. Nevers looked at Cara again, her eyes filled w/ tears. "And. and. I'm sure you'll have a lovely time, your father and I did, when we were there. And know that no matter what happens, we'll be proud of you and love you, remember that, no matter what you hear."
Cara looked at her quizzically. What could she possibly hear that would make her thing her parents - her own parents! - didn't love her?
But Mrs. Nevers had pulled her into another hug, and the train was whistling. "So long!" cried Cara, leaping onto the train. "I love you!" She waved at her family, at the two younger children running alongside until the train sped up and chugged away out of sight, carrying her away from all she knew and loved. Sighing, and still puzzling over her mother's last words, Cara made her way to an empty compartment.
She was joined not long later by a blonde girl with a button nose and flashing teeth. "Hullo! Don't mind company, do you?" she asked cheerily, seating herself on the seat opposite Cara.
Cara shook her head no; it was clear this girl meant to stay with or without her acquiescence, so she might as well give it.
"I'm Joelle Perenna. This is my first year, but my brother Jacob is in his fifth. What year are you? Do you have any siblings? Don't you know anybody or why are you sitting here all alone?" This all tumbled out very fast, and Cara just sat and stared.
"Erm, my name's Cara Nevers. I'm a first year too. My sibs are both younger and," she added sarcastically, "I was sitting alone because I like the quiet."
Joelle rattled on, completely oblivious to Cara's not-so-subtle hint. "That's neat that we're the same year, I wonder if we'll be in the same House. I wonder what House we'll be in at all. I wish I had younger brothers and sisters; mine are all older than me by a lot. Jacob's four years older and then John's four year's older than him, and Joleen's a year older than that, and then Josh is two years older than her. He's 22, isn't that old? I wish I were that old already and could go off and work for the Ministry like he does or even Gringott's like Joleen. Just so long as I don't turn out like John. Mom says he's a deadbeat and she's always telling him to go out and get a job. Dad's tried to get him a job with him; he's an Obliviator; but no one will have him because he's such a deadbeat. What does your dad do?"
Cara was brought back from the land of the glazed eyes by the question. "My father's a Product Manager for Firebolt Brooms, Ltd. He tests the new models," she replied.
"Oh, that is so cool. I wish my dad worked with brooms; all he does is go around ruining people's memories. He doesn't even like Quidditch, can you imagine that?" Joelle continued rambling along. Guess gave an irritated hoot from her cage in the corner, as if to say "enough already!"
Joelle turned to the owl. "Oh, what an adorable owl!! What's it's name? Is it a boy or a girl? When did you get it? Is it yours?"
Cara sighed, and then a gleam came into her eyes. "Yes she's mine. I got her for my birthday. And her name is. Guess."
"Oh, I love guessing games!" cried Joelle. Cara stifled a snigger. "Is it Polly?"
"No."
"Ingrid? Hedwig? Sweety? Chocolate? Tawny? Baby? Feathers?"
"No, no, no, no, no, no and no."
"Well, what is it then?"
"Guess!"
"But I have already! Ok, Merlin? Cliodna? Minerva? Hooter? Nightbreeze?"
"Nope, none of them."
"Am I anywhere close?"
"Nope. It's Guess."
"Can't you give me a clue?"
"Guess!"
"But I have! Unless. "
"Her name is Guess."
Joelle was silent for a moment, then suddenly she collapsed in laughter. "It's Guess!!! That's so great!! 'What's your owl's name?' 'Guess!' Oh, that's the best thing I've ever heard!!"
Cara grinned, glad to have silenced her, even for a split second, and rather proud of her own joke. However, Joelle almost immediately launched into a long and involved tale of all of her family's owls, and Cara's eyes quickly glazed over again.
The opening compartment door was a welcome break, as Joelle finally paused, right in the middle of explaining about her brother's best friend's boss's wife's cousin's uncle's owl who could. what he could do, Cara never learned, because in the doorway stood a tall boy with red hair and slightly- larger-than-normal teeth. Cara vaguely recognized him as one of the Weasley boys from encounters with her mom's old friend Hermione. She knew the Ron-and-Hermione branch had a boy about her age.
He seemed to recognize her too, for he said, "Cara Nevers, isn't it? Remember me? James Weasley?"
Cara snapped her fingers. "Oh, yess, Jimmy! I couldn't remember which one you were for a second."
James turned red and muttered, "I prefer James now, actually, or Jim even."
Cara grinned. "Sorry."
He gave a grim smile. "Well, anyway, have either of you seen my cousins?"
"Which ones?" piped in Joelle, "if you're a Weasley, and I don't know which branch of Weasley you are at all, but whichever one you are, you must have a lot of cousins."
Jim gave her a look somewhere between disgusted and frightened. "Elfy and Zach, the not-twins, you remember, Cara?"
Cara smiled. Elfrida was George and Kate's daughter, and Zechariahs was Fred and Alicia's son, and together the two were twice as much trouble as their father's had ever been. "No, I haven't seen them. Why?"
Jim rolled his eyes. "They 'forgot' their sandwiches, so of course I end up with them. Well, I know they left 'em behind on purpose, but I don't want to be stuck with them all day."
Cara grimaced sympathetically. "Well, if they left them behind on purpose, perhaps you ought to just toss them."
"I suppose so," agreed Jim reluctantly.
"Yes, c'mon James, give up the gun and join us. A Weasley is always welcome, no matter which one you are, by me at least. Won't you sit down?"
Jim backed away quickly, avoiding Cara's pleading gaze. "No, I'm quite all right, really," he stammered and dashed off. Cara sighed as Joelle picked up again. It was gonna be a looooong trip.