Chapter Two – Freedom at Last
Kayla was used to thinking a month was a very long time. It wasn't. Not when it was the month that separated her from Hogwarts. Her family seemed to be making the most of their remaining time together, as did Sonia's, so she rarely got to see her cousin. She didn't mind, though, for it meant that Remus stayed the night with them for nearly an entire week. Unfortunately, the day that she left for Hogwarts was right after a full moon, so he wouldn't be able to see her off. Instead, he bid her farewell two days before with a rather whiskery kiss on the cheek which she returned – minus the whiskers. Nothing prepared her for waking up on the morning of September first with a knot in her stomach. She couldn't be nervous – Kayla Potter did not get nervous. Ever. But she was.
She slid into a sitting position and looked slowly over to her calendar. Yes, it was September first. She got up and walked into the bathroom adjoining her room, staring at herself in the mirror for a good while. After realizing that if she went to Hogwarts in this state, everyone would likely think her a fright due namely to her hair, she began to get ready. She had already chosen an outfit, for she had packed away all her other good clothes into her trunk (despite her parent's reminders that there would be uniforms at Hogwarts). After she had dressed, she took special care in brushing her hair in the hopes that she could get it to look somewhat normal. No such luck. No matter how many times she wet it, brushed it, or held it flat in place for five minutes before letting it go, the curls still bounced happily and haphazardly about her face. Finally she sighed and headed downstairs, butterflies still in her stomach.
She found, upon arrival in the kitchen, that she wasn't the only nervous one. Her father was pacing the length of the kitchen opposite her mother, running his hands through his hair repeatedly and staring at the floor as if it were the most interesting thing he'd ever seen. He looked up when she entered and froze, his hand midway through his hair. For a moment, they stood like that, Kayla having been so quiet that her mother hadn't yet noticed her entrance. Then, unexpectedly even to herself, Kayla launched herself across the room and threw her arms around her father, who picked her up as he had when she were five years old, holding her as if he never planned on letting her go. He kissed her on the cheek twice in succession before pulling back just enough to look at her. To her great surprise, she found herself sniffling in an attempt not to cry.
"I love you, Daddy," she said softly.
He drew her into a hug once more, and she suspected it was to hide the fact that his own eyes looked rather moist. Her mother, who had turned at the commotion of Kayla running across the room, was smiling up at them, but not yet interrupting.
"I love you too, Kayla," her father finally replied.
"Aw, my two babies," her mother cooed, seeming to find the time right to join in.
Chuckling, her father shifted Kayla to one side and held his arm out for her mother to join the embrace. She did, and for a long while, Kayla found herself in the three way hug. Only the sound of the timer going off was cause enough to make her mother break away, wiping at her wet eyes.
"Breakfast is ready," she sniffled, wiping at her eyes as she went to tend to them.
Kayla exchanged a look with her father, who set her down and walked with her to the table. When the three were all sitting, their breakfasts in front of them, none of them felt as if they could eat. All of them ate anyway. It was a silence broken occasionally by a sniffle from Kayla's mother, where her father would reach across the table and stroke her cheek, and then, as if he couldn't bear to leave Kayla out, would do the same to her. Kayla had never known such a strange breakfast. Finally her father put his fork down, a little less than half the food still on his plate.
"I can't eat," he announced, "I feel worse than I did in my first Quidditch match. Hell, I feel worse than when I took on Voldemort."
Kayla and her mother simultaneously set down their forks, as well, each of them having eaten about as much as Harry. Unexpectedly, her mother burst into tears. This time, Kayla wasn't feeling as emotional. She rolled her eyes.
"My little girl," her mother sobbed, "Oh Kayla, you will be good, won't you?"
"Yes, mum," Kayla replied boredly, bringing a grin out of her father.
"And you won't...won't..." her mother never finished asking her what she wouldn't do, but simply began to sniffle and wipe away her tears, finally fixing her father with an accusing look. "It's going to be all your fault if she gets into trouble, you know," she declared, "She takes after you."
"Ho, ho!" her father exclaimed, "Just because she looks like me doesn't make it my fault if she shows your spunk, you little Bat Bogey Hexer, you."
The two proceeded to break into laughter, during which Kayla took the opportunity to roll her eyes once more. She would never understand her parents, she was sure of it. The doorbell rang, and she jumped up with a loud 'I'll get it!" She knew it was Sonia, and she was grateful for the interruption of the mush that had been going on just a bit too long in the kitchen. Besides that, it was weird to see her father run his hand through his hair so many times – if she were him, her arm would be sore by then, she was sure. She threw open the door and immediately launched into an explanation of her morning.
"Mum and Dad are going ballistic that I'm leaving, you simply must come save me, Sonia, or they'll torture me all the way to H- oh. Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Dupree."
Her eyes were wide as she looked up into the eyes of the muggle neighbors that lived across the street. Mr. Dupree smiled kindly at her, and Mrs. Dupree seemed to think she was doing the same as her greedy eyes began to take in everything about Kayla's house except for the girl standing right in the doorway. Kayla angled the door shut a bit more, not savoring the thought of what would happen if Mrs. Dupree saw the laundry neatly folding itself in the living room.
"Hello, Kayla darling," Mrs. Dupree said, "We've heard about you going to that boarding school, and we thought we'd just come and see you off. Now where are those parents of yours?"
She made as to step inside, but Kayla didn't budge. At this rate, Mrs. Dupree would have to push her down in order to get inside the house.
"Er, if you'd wait here just a moment, I'll go get them," she said as politely as she could. Still hoping Mrs. Dupree wouldn't think it completely rude of her, she shut the door in the couple's face and clicked the lock into place as she headed back towards the kitchen. She wouldn't put anything past Mrs. Dupree.
After explaining the situation to her parents, they took charge and told her to bring her trunk down and they would act as if they were just leaving. She obeyed instantly, and could hear the distinct annoyance in her father's voice as he explained to Mrs. Dupree that no, she could not come in. Of course, Mrs. Dupree sounded just as annoyed at his explanation, but Kayla knew for a fact that nobody argued with her father. Nobody in their right minds, that is. She pushed her trunk down the stairs and watched as it bounced down, trotting after it with a pleased expression – her mother would never have let her do that had she been in the house. As she dragged the trunk outside, she was met with the sight of her father, mother, Sonia's family, and Mr. and Mrs. Dupree on their front lawn. She caught her father's words just in time.
"-no, Mrs. Dupree, we do not need a housesitter while we're gone. I'm sure it'll be quite fine while we go to the train station and back."
Kayla elapsed into muffled giggles, one hand clapped over her mouth and the other dragging her trunk behind her as she walked to the car, pointedly not looking at Mrs. Dupree for fear that she would break down completely. She had always thought the neighbor had wanted to see the inside of their house, but house-sitting? It was just too much. Sonia joined her at the trunk of the car and, upon looking at each other, their giggles could no longer be contained.
"House-sitting?" Sonia asked in disbelief as Kayla helped her load her trunk.
"That old woman is crazy," Kayla giggled, allowing Sonia to help her with her own trunk.
It took all of their willpower to say a polite goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. Dupree, and, as usual, Sonia pulled it off much better than Kayla, who turned her giggle into a hiccup as she said Mrs. Dupree's name. Her father, on the other hand, was not making matters better by the faces he was making at the old lady – of course, in an attempt to get Kayla to completely lose it. He only succeeded once Mr. and Mrs. Dupree were safely across the street, and then he, too, joined in on her laughter.
The ride to the train station was filled with the adults reminiscing loudly about their train rides while Kayla and Sonia attempted to hold a conversation up over them. It didn't work out very well, so they were forced to listen to tales of Luna Lovegood reading the Quibbler upside down – not that this was anything new to them, for they had both met Luna a number of times, and her habits hadn't changed. Finally, Kayla persuaded both of their fathers to tell them about the times they had hexed Draco Malfoy, to which both women scowled, but the men eagerly launched into explanations and descriptions. This held Kayla's attention, at least, whilst Sonia wrinkled her nose every once and a while at the description of the effects of the hexes, but mostly stared out the window. Kayla couldn't see why her friend wasn't more excited; she was eager to try and hex Kabir the first chance she got. The fact that she had never really practiced magic before didn't occur to her at all.
Finally, they arrived. Kayla was practically dancing in place, and Sonia looked excited as well, although she simply looked around, beaming, with her hands clasped neatly in front of her. Kayla was jealous of her ability to look so cool in the face of excitement. Hiding her emotions was not at all a part of her personality, and she didn't see any reason why she should other than she now looked like a complete idiot due to the fact that Sonia looked so mellow.
"Alright, girls, listen up," Sonia's mother said, sounding very much like a teacher taking a class out for a field trip, "You know about the barrier, correct?"
"Yes, yes," Kayla said impatiently, grabbing her father's hand and attempting to yank him towards it, "Let's go already!"
Her father chuckled as he grabbed her trolley for her, smirking over his shoulder at Hermione, who looked highly disappointed that the girls already knew how to get past the barrier. Of course, there was no way they couldn't after just listening to the adults drone on and on about it for hours, Kayla thought, a smirk not unlike her father's now spread upon her face.
"Alright," her father said as they neared, "Just keep walking and we'll go right through. Don't doubt it, cause then-"
He stopped as Kayla plunged through the barrier, dragging him with her by the sleeve of his shirt. Her rampage was stopped, however, when she saw what was before her. It was, in a word, spectacular. The bright red engine stood there, in front of her, ready to take her to Hogwarts, to take her to a place where she would embark on adventures of her very own. She was motionless, and hardly realized that her father had appeared beside her until he placed his hand on her back and led her forward. She also didn't realize that he wasn't smiling up at the big red steam engine that he had known during his school years, or at the other parents who were waving at him, but at her. She was the sole object of his focus, and she had no idea. Not until she looked up. His eyes met hers, and she was taken aback as she realized something very important. He wasn't worried or anxious for her, oh no. He was scared. There was no mistaking the fear in his eyes as he gazed down upon her, looking as if she might disappear at any moment.
"Oh Daddy," she sighed, throwing her arms around him for the second time that morning.
"Promise me you'll be careful," he told her, his voice muffled by abundance of curls, "Please, Kay."
"I will, Daddy," she assured him, but she wasn't so sure of the fact herself. Since when had she been careful?
He seemed to be thinking along the same lines, for he gave a snort of laughter as he pulled away. "I mean it, Kayla," he said seriously, "Think before you act. You have no idea how much trouble you'll get yourself into if you don't."
Kayla was about to bring up the fact that he had never thought before he acted before she remembered all that he had gone through during his years at Hogwarts. Not to mention the fact that there were certain stories he blatantly refused to tell her, saying that she was too young to understand. So instead, she smiled up at him and nodded, trying to convince herself that she would be careful at the same time. Her father looked disbelieving, but before he got to lecture her about it, her mother joined them, followed shortly by Sonia and her parents. The next few minutes passed much too fast for Kayla's liking. She found herself bidding goodbye to her teary mother, and then her father, who looked scared out of his wits for her. After assuring him that she would heed his advice, she and Sonia boarded the train together. The two were silent as they looked for a compartment. After repeatedly peeking in on older years that looked none too happy that a bunch of first years were wandering in on them, Kayla finally found an empty one. She and Sonia filed in, and she shut it behind them. One look at each other was all Kayla needed for an invitation to start talking.
"Oh Sonia, did you see my dad?" she sighed, scooting to look for him out the window as she spoke, "I've never see him so worried except for that time that I fell out of the tree and he thought I broke my head."
Sonia gave a small laugh at that, looking out the window as well. "Well, I thought you broke your head, too, there was blood everywhere! But he does look worried..."
She trailed off as both of the girls waved at Kayla's father, who, once he saw them, began staring fixedly at them, seemingly unable to bring himself to wave. Her mother and Sonia's parents took it up instead, and Kayla found herself unable to speak as she stared right back at her father. The crowd of students seemed to disperse slowly, until only adults were left on the platform. When the train started, Kayla's father suddenly dashed forward, unwilling to lose sight of them. Kayla gave him one last wave, and he returned it. The next thing she knew, they had turned a corner and were out of sight. She slunk back into her seat and shared a look with Sonia.
"I think that was really hard on him," Sonia said softly, peering out the window as if expecting to see his face once more.
Kayla nodded, still at a loss for words. That look he had given her – he was scared for her, but more than that. He loved her fiercely. He didn't want to let her go. She felt almost guilty for leaving him.
"He'll be all right," Sonia added as she caught sight of Kayla's face.
"Yeah," Kayla agreed noncommittally, "Yeah, he will be. I just – he should have been more prepared, you know? I wish Grandpa Remus had come. He would have been all right then."
Sonia nodded, and Kayla found herself frustrated at her cousin's ability to say so much while actually saying so little. It was something she herself could never hope to achieve. Frowning, she turned to face the window, and for a long time, the girls were silent. Kayla watched the scenery whiz by, thinking of her father and that look in his eye. It made her feel warm inside, but at the same time worried that he wouldn't be able to get on without her. It might have been a silly worry, but it was there nonetheless. Then again, was very nearly drowned out by the feeling of excitement that overtook her when she thought of where she was headed. She couldn't wait to be Sorted – her parents had refused to tell her how it would be done, and she was very much hoping it wouldn't be anything that would embarrass her too much. Her uncles Fred and George had created a high-fetched tale about defeating a dragon, but her mother had promptly smacked them upside the head and told them to shut their mouths before Kayla began looking for a sword to bring to school. Kayla very nearly giggled at the memory, and decided to share it with Sonia.
"Sony," she said, using the nickname she had created for her cousin, "You'll never guess what Uncle Fred and George told me! They said that when you-"
She came to an abrupt halt as she looked over at her cousin. Sonia was sleeping peacefully, her head resting against the window. Kayla frowned for a moment and debated upon waking her up, but decided not to. Sighing, Kayla took the opportunity to change into her school robes, wondering why on earth Sonia had fallen asleep so fast. She didn't know how long the two had been sitting there, but she was sure it hadn't been long. Sonia must've been tired. Or she didn't want to talk to me, a voice in her head added. Before she could sort out where, exactly, a thought like that had come from, the compartment door slid open.
"Could I sit here?"
The question came in such quick succession after opening the door that Kayla didn't even get a chance to look at the boy before he spoke. Now, though, she did. He looked to be about her age, and dressed in muggle clothing. He sported a mop of shaggy brown hair, and coffee-colored brown eyes that matched almost perfectly. His jaw was set in a rather unfriendly manner, and he looked as if he would rather sit anywhere but with Kayla and Sonia – who was still asleep, Kayla noticed.
"Of course you can," she assured him.
Giving her a curt nod, he stepped forward and shut the door behind him, and then looked from her to Sonia, who had begun to snore faintly. After a moment's debate, he sat on the same bench as Sonia, only he put about as much distance between him and the other girl as he could. Kayla watched him with undisguised interest, and her look was met with something in between a glare and a questioning look.
"What?" he demanded. His voice wasn't harsh or cruel, nor was it friendly and soft. It was a kind of in-between that made him sound as if he wasn't sure to be angry with her for looking at him or not.
"I'm Kayla Potter," she replied, completely ignoring his question and fixing him with a smile.
He looked nothing short of completely taken aback by her friendly behavior. "Jake Lawson," he grumbled, giving her a suspicious look out of the corner of his eye.
Kayla paused a moment in order to think of a topic starter. "So, what house do you think you'll be in?" she asked pleasantly.
He brought his head up and fixed her with an intense look. "Are you making fun of me?" he demanded.
"Wha- of course not!" Kayla exclaimed, "Why would I be making fun of you?"
He gave her a brief searching look before directing his gaze to the ground. "I don't know what the houses are," he mumbled, "I'm a muggle."
"Oh," Kayla said softly, "I didn't know, you know. I'm really sorry."
All her heartfelt apology got her was a cold look. And yet, it wasn't completely cold. There was a flicker of something in his eyes that she didn't get a chance to see before he began to stare pointlessly at the wall in front of him, and then out the window – anywhere but at her.
"Well, there are four houses," she said suddenly, launching into an explanation before being asked, "Gryffindor is one of them, and they take in students who are brave and daring. Then there's Ravenclaw – they take people with a lot of intelligence. And then Slytherin..." she paused and made a face, although she still wasn't aware that she had his full attention "...they say they value ambition and cunning, but a lot of bad wizards come from Slytherin. Typically, they don't get along with the Gryffindors at all. Then there's Hufflepuff. A lot of people say that they're not smart, but I think that they are – or at least that they can be. Because you're bound to get people who aren't smart in every house, right? Well, except maybe Ravenclaw. Anyway, Hufflepuff's supposed to take those who are loyal and hard workers."
She realized, upon finishing her speech, that Jake was staring at her with something akin to rapt attention. He was fixated wholly on every word that escaped her mouth and for a brief moment, the two stared at each other in a completely friendly manner. Then, as if a stone wall suddenly dropped down from the ceiling, separating her seat from his, he averted his eyes, his gaze becoming more of a frown.
"Thanks," he said shortly.
"It's no problem," she replied, "I know what it's like to not know about things."
At that, he gave her a highly disbelieving look, and she quickly continued.
"You see, a lot of muggles are disappointed that they don't know about the wizarding world, but I don't know a whole lot about muggles. I didn't even know what a parking meter was until last week!"
The faintest glimmer of hope made itself evident in his eyes. "Yeah, well," he replied with a small shrug, still not looking at her.
She couldn't help but feel slightly disheartened by his lack of conversation. It was like a less friendly Sonia. But still, somehow he didn't strike her as the Sonia type. There must be something she could do to get him to warm up.
"Jake?" she asked, sounding rather like she had known him for a very long time.
He glanced up with annoyance written over his features, silent. After a moment of looking at her as if trying to determine whether or not she actually wanted him to reply, his expression softened considerably, although he still looked wary.
"Yes?" he asked.
Kayla thought it was a step up. She had been expecting a rude 'What?', but there, he had gone and been polite. Darn, did that make him like Sonia again?
"Would you like it if I told you about the wizarding world?" she asked, her eyes searching his intently.
"Why would you want to do that?" he shot back, now looking more suspicious than ever.
"Because you seem like you want to know," she answered honestly.
There was a long period of silence. His eyes looked her over, and then flickered to Sonia, as if he were afraid she might be only pretending to sleep, but really listening in. Then, he stared at the floor very hard, as if expecting an answer to rise up from it.
"I do," he said finally.
"Very well," Kayla replied, "Well, first you'll want to know about Hogwarts things, I suspect. It's going to be my first year, but my dad's told me all about it. There's a room called the Great Hall that has a house for each different table, and it's where we'll eat our meals and stuff. Then, there's..."
She continued to speak of what her father had told her, and successfully included ghosts, changing staircases, common rooms, dormitories, talking and moving portraits, the Whomping Willow, and the Forbidden Forest. From time to time he looked as if he wanted to speak, but he never did, and usually after he let her go on for a few sentences, he seemed satisfied that she had answered his question. Once she had gotten through all of that, she immediately started into Quidditch without so much as a pause. This definitely held his attention. After she explained the rules, she began to tell him some of the stories that her father had told her, and before long through one tale of him playing against his worst enemy and stealing the Snitch from right underneath him, Jake was wearing a smile as he listened. While this heartened Kayla, she didn't stop after that. She continued on to speak of the Ministry of Magic, of Hogsmeade, and eventually she found herself sprouting so much information that she knew there was no way he was going to remember it all. And yet, he seemed to enjoy hearing about it so much that she didn't dare stop.
"..and I think we're there!" she concluded suddenly, peering out the window eagerly as the train began to slow.
Jake looked almost scandalized, and, to her surprise, he spoke up. "No, go on," he urged, "What guards Azkaban? Dementums?"
Kayla couldn't resist. She gave a delighted giggle at his perception of dementors and received a well-earned glare.
"Oh no, Jake, I'm so sorry," she apologized, reaching out and patting his arm, "It's just...well, it's like what I used to call mops before I knew what they were. I called them flops, Jake, and I got so laughed at!"
Immediately he looked in better humor, and went so far as to smile at her explanation of mops and flops. Kayla reached over and poked Sonia hard in the shoulder.
"Sony, wake up!" she commanded, "The train's about to stop."
Sonia yawned and began to stretch out on the bench. Jake, who was currently in range to be accidentally kicked, jumped over to Kayla's side immediately, watching Sonia with the same suspicion that he had shown with Kayla.
"You know her?" he muttered in her ear.
Kayla wasn't sure why he didn't appear to want Sonia to hear them, but she went right along with it, leaning close to him and whispering, "Yeah, my cousin," in reply.
Unfortunately, Sonia had opened her eyes in time to see the exchange, and was now giving Kayla a superiorly annoying look. Kayla raised her eyebrow at her cousin, who mirrored the gesture, and then shook her head and stood up as the train stopped.
"Come on, I want to see the castle!" she exclaimed excitedly.
"Oh!" Sonia exclaimed suddenly, "I never got a chance to change!"
"Well, that's what you get for sleeping the whole day," Kayla retorted, "We'll wait for you outside, then."
With that, she filed out of the compartment with Jake very close on her heels. It amused her to think that he seemed almost scared of being left in the compartment with Sonia. He fell beside her as they stepped of the train and stopped to look at the castle. Kayla felt a grin spreading across her face, and excitement bubbling in her stomach. She gave a sudden giggle and reached out to grab onto Jake's sleeve, tugging on it as she bounced up and down on her heels.
"Jake, we're here, this is it!" she exclaimed delightedly.
She turned her face to him to see that he was looking down at his sleeve in a mildly worried manner. He looked up to meet her gaze and gave a reluctant grin.
"Yeah," he agreed simply.
His response – or, in Kayla's opinion, lack thereof – amused her so that she giggled again. She heard the calls for first years coming in the direction of the lake and, not letting go of Jake's sleeve or quitting her bouncing, stood on her tiptoes and peered over towards the crowd of first years.
"If Sonia doesn't come, we're going to be late," she announced.
"Well, I'm here, so let's go," came Sonia's voice from behind her.
Kayla didn't voice an agreement, nor did she linger. Dragging Jake along with her, she set off to their destination at a very fast, bouncy walk. Luckily for Jake and Sonia, they were both taller than her and didn't have to work very hard to keep up. As they drew near, the cries grew louder.
"Firs' years, firs' years over 'ere!"
The calling was coming from an enormous man with a gigantic black beard and every bit the Hagrid her father had told her about. Although her father still visited him on occasion, Kayla had never gotten the opportunity to actually meet him.
"That's Hagrid," she told Jake, who nodded while looking astonished at Hagrid's size.
He appeared to have heard, her, for he looked over with the beginnings of a question – probably about to ask how she knew him – when he stopped short, his jaw dropping open. Kayla paused, not sure whether or not it was a 'happy' kind of shock he was displaying or otherwise. Her grip on Jake's sleeve intensified ever so slightly.
"Well if it ain't Kayla Potter!" he roared suddenly, "Git over 'ere, you little rascal!"
Kayla obediently bounced over to him, dragging a reluctant Jake along with her, and being tailed by a slightly awed Sonia. She was completely oblivious to the fact that every first year was currently looking at her, and to the fact that Jake was trying unsuccessfully to free his sleeve from her grasp. Instead, she was busy staring up at the man whom she had heard plenty of tales about, a grin on her face.
"And you're Hagrid, aren't you?" she asked breathlessly, "My dad's told me lots about you, and my mum! Do you think if I visited you you could show me a unicorn? Or maybe a dragon?"
Hagrid roared with laughter, clutching at his belly with the force of whatever had humored him so. "Spunky little gal, are ya?" he asked her, amusement evident in his face, "Yer father would have me head if I brought ye' a dragon, but a unicorn I jus' might manage."
Kayla clapped her hands together in excitement, finally letting go of Jake's sleeve. At that point, though, he had resigned himself to staying at her side, and it was doubtful whether or not he even noticed. Hagrid laughed once more, and his eyes traveled from Jake to a point over her shoulder where, no doubt, Sonia would be found.
"You and yer' friends dun hesitate to come an' visit me, now," he told her firmly.
"Oh, we won't," Kayla assured him, taking up her hold on Jake's sleeve once more when she found she had nothing to do with her hands.
"Right then," Hagrid said, suddenly realizing that there were first years waiting for instruction.
Kayla, Jake, and Sonia boarded a boat with a terrified looking blonde boy that told them he'd heard that they had to transfigure themselves into frogs for the Sorting. Jake and Sonia looked momentarily worried, but Kayla shrugged it off breezily.
"I think if that was what we had to do, there'd be a lot more wizards with webbed hands and feet walking around," she declared firmly.
This seemed to settle all three of the students on the boat, except for her. She valiantly tried to recall the most advanced thing she had read in her Transfiguration book, but found she couldn't remember anything except the title. She hoped that wasn't bad. She was momentarily distracted as she found that if she let go of Jake's sleeve and moved her hand just inches away, he would automatically move his arm closer to her to allow her to grab a hold again. Amazed at how well it worked, she kept his arm traveling the entire time, first towards her, then back, and then forward once more. He only seemed to realize what she was doing when his hand bumped against her knee, to which he pulled his arm towards himself immediately. Undaunted, she grabbed onto his sleeve once more, and hung on until the boat bumped to a stop on the opposite shore. She hadn't the faintest idea that, in a period of fifteen minutes, it had become a habit.
The castle loomed in front of her as she and the rest of the first years neared. She was now hanging on to Jake's sleeve for dear life, with her other arm linked through Sonia's. The large double doors seemed both inviting and daring, and although she had heard the descriptions from her father, nothing could have prepared her for being face-to-face with Hogwarts. Her heart beat as if she had just run all the way from the bank to the doors, and, if she wasn't mistaken, Sonia was trembling slightly. Of course, it was rather cold outside. She glanced up at Jake, who was staring at the doors with the same suspicious glance he gave everything. A tug on his sleeve caused her to look down at her sharply, only to have recognition bring what might have been a reproving look down to a questioning glance. For some reason not wanting Sonia to hear, Kayla mouthed the words 'I'm scared' to him. He looked at her for a long moment before mouthing back not what she had expected to hear (which had been 'Me too'), but instead 'Don't be.' She nodded and both of them directed their attention forward as the double doors opened.
A tall woman with sleek gray hair pulled into a tight bun looked down at them all with a stern expression. Even the wrinkles on her face seemed to be somehow drawn back, as if her personality alone dared them to sag. She looked tall and stately, every bit a figure of authority. Kayla drew in a breath as she recognized the woman from descriptions. Funny, her father had never mentioned what a shiny shade of gray her hair was. She rose onto her tiptoes and leaned towards Jake, whispering "McGonagall" into his ear. He gave a brief nod to show that he understood without looking at her, but suddenly tensed. A look back in McGonagall's direction showed why. She was staring at Kayla with a calculating and surprised look. Kayla squirmed under the scrutiny, and was more than surprised when Sonia suddenly detached herself from Kayla in order to step away. Kayla had known that Sonia didn't like the limelight, but not enough to just – well, abandon her. She missed the reprimanding look being tossed in Sonia's direction by Jake, who stood firmly in place as she shifted nearer to him, still holding McGonagall's gaze.
"You there," McGonagall said finally, "Potter's girl, are you?"
"Yes, ma'm," Kayla answered, wishing more than anything that she had Sonia's finesse with manners.
Professor McGonagall gave a curt nod and then began to direct them into lines. Kayla fell in behind Jake, still clutching at his sleeve, and Sonia behind her. They marched into the Great Hall and saw the four tables, each with chattering students. Kayla felt as if time were passing in slow motion as she surveyed everyone, but not only that, but as if she were in a world completely her own. If she hadn't been holding so tightly to Jake's sleeve, she would have been certain that she was utterly alone. The sounds sounded muffled to her ears, unreal. And suddenly, there was silence. After a fleeting glance at first Sonia, and then Jake, she followed their gazes to the front of the room. A solitary stool stood, and atop it, a patched and frayed black hat that looked as if one good day's wear would do it in. The silence was expectant from all sides of the room, and Kayla was quite sure that she was simply going to tear Jake's sleeve off. Suddenly, the hat began to speak. It frightened Kayla so that she jumped into the air and, abandoning her hold on Jake's sleeve, wrapped both of her arms around his. This caused him, in turn, to attempt to wrench free of her grasp, but she refused to do so. He finally stopped struggling, both of them listening intently to the song.
Every year I see new faces, new traces of the future,
And place them into houses four,
Places will they will always have people of whom to be sure,
But still they bicker and they fight, to try and settle the score
But I'm a Sorting Hat, you see,
And I can't sort it out, not me
So I leave it up to you,
You students, please take heed
For I'm a Sorting Hat, you see, and I know when you're in need
If you should be in Gryffindor,
There dwell the brave at heart,
Or if you choose smart Ravenclaw,
Where intelligence shall start,
Perhaps you're bound for Slytherin,
Where dwell those cunning souls,
Or still, there's sweet Hufflepuff
Who toil through who knows,
For it's my job to sort you, to show you where you go,
Just remember always, always tolerance to show.
There was a pause of silence, and then the students began to clap enthusiastically, as did some of those at the staff table. Kayla slowly released Jake's arm, smiling as he complained halfheartedly about it being numb. And then, students were being called up to the front. She found that she was very reluctant to have Jake taken from her, and as the L's drew near, she had the urge to hold on to his arm once more. But it came, much sooner than she would have liked. "Lawson, Jake!" She let him go immediately, although she really didn't want to, and watched as he strode up to the front. His demeanor was very different from the Jake whose arm she had let go – he was proud, defiant, almost surly as he surveyed everyone from his place on the stool before jamming the hat onto his head. Kayla held her breath, not knowing what to hope for. She hadn't the faintest idea what house she wanted him to be in since she wasn't sure of her own at the moment. She did know that she didn't want him to be a Slytherin, though.
"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat bellowed.
She drew in a large breath, half of relief and half because she had been holding her breath for so long. Jake took a seat at the very end of the Gryffindor table, not near the other students, which had been cheering loudly for him, and she watched as his eyes sought hers. When he finally spotted her, she swore that even from across the hall, she had seen the recognition in his eyes. She felt very proud of herself for having earned it, and the next few students went by as she continued to look at him, trying to find that spark once more. She was distracted by the sound of Professor McGonagall calling "Malfoy, Kabir." From the rate she craned her neck to see the idiot sauntering up to the stool, she was certain Jake must have sensed that she knew him. The hat was only on his head a few seconds before it screamed, "SLYTHERIN!" Kabir swaggered over to the Slytherin table, and, as he did so, he caught her eye. She made a face at him, and he returned it. Ironically, she found herself thinking, 'He's so childish.'
"Potter, Kayla!"
Kayla felt as if every eye was on her as she took a step out of the line and towards the front. It was awfully far away, to tell the truth. By the time she reached the stool, she was trembling. She met McGonagall's eye briefly before she put the hat on and swore she saw a smile on that stern face. The thought was very uplifting as she gently set the hat on her head. Even with the mass of curls springing in every which direction, it still slid down to cover her eyes, to her relief. "Well, well"a voice said suddenly, "What have we here? Oh my, what a choice!" Choice? Kayla thought desperately, What choice? "Oh, but you're a tough one," the hat declared, "Just like your mother and your father. But interesting – very interesting, you're not suited for Slytherin at all." Who – I mean, what then? Kayla demanded. "You'd be a nice Ravenclaw, you know. But oh, the bravery – the hunger for adventure. I think we'll go with Gryffindor, no? Yes, it'll be Gryffindor!" Kayla distinctly heard the hat shout this out to the rest of the room, and this time, as she removed the hat, she was shaking with relief. Not being in Gryffindor would have been almost a disgrace. Her entire family had been in Gryffindor, and she didn't know what they'd say if she wasn't. Besides that, Jake was the only friend she'd made so far – other than Sonia, who she'd already had – and she found herself quite wanting to be in the same house as he.
She was still shaking slightly as she took a seat next to him, being congratulated by the other Gryffindors from around the table, and offering a nod and a smile in response. Afterwards, she turned to Jake earnestly, to find that he was already meeting her gaze.
"It told me I wouldn't make a good Slytherin," she announced.
To her surprise, a grin lit his face and he turned his head away. She swore she saw his shoulders move in a way very similar to laughter.
"What?" she demanded, although she was more curious than anything else.
"Well," Jake said, a gigantic grin still on his face and looking as if he were trying extremely hard not to laugh, "You're not exactly – cunning – are you?"
Kayla didn't know whether to be offended or pleased. "How would you know?" she shot back, scowling at him, "You've only just met me!"
"Aw, come on," he protested, the grin suddenly disappearing from his face, "You're not mad, are ya?"
"No," she sighed grudgingly, "But you didn't sound like that was a good thing."
"I was just-"he began, but she put a hand on his arm to silence him as Sonia's name was called.
She hadn't thought of Sonia's sorting very much, but her cousin must be hoping she was in Gryffindor, too. After all, her entire family was. And yet, was Sonia brave? That was yet to be proved. She hadn't even stood by Kayla when McGonagall had been looking at her. Kayla bit her lip as she watched her cousin place the hat on her head, and waited with baited breath. Without realizing it, her hand flew to Jake's sleeve. Jake didn't appear to realize it, either. The two of them watched, Kayla anxious and Jake mildly curious, glancing from Sonia to Kayla interestedly, and it seemed to take the hat a long time to decide. Finally, it shouted its verdict: "GRYFFINDOR!"
Poor Sonia looked relieved beyond belief as she took the hat of, set it down, and scurried off of the stage. There was only one person left – "Zabini, Diana!" – before the stool and hat were removed from the stage, and a lady whom Kayla assumed was the headmistress stood up. She wasn't the tallest of people, neither was she the shortest. She had medium brown hair that was pulled back into a ponytail, and bright blue eyes that surveyed the room with satisfaction. She wore robes of a midnight blue, and cleared her throat briefly before speaking.
"Students, I would like to welcome you all to Hogwarts this year. Before the start-of-term feast, there are a few things which I would like to remind you of. First of all, you all should know that the Forbidden Forest is – well, forbidden. Anyone caught going into it will be serving a punishment, no questions asked."
Kayla took the pause to lean over towards Jake and whisper into his ear, "We're going, right?"
"I am," he retorted.
She frowned, turning her gaze up to him. "What do you mean, you?" she demanded quietly.
"I mean, me," he replied.
"What about me?" she demanded.
On her other side, Sonia hushed her, but she waved a hand impatiently at her cousin.
"I mean, I never said I was taking you with me," he snapped, "I might need my sleeve, you know."
Kayla was momentarily speechless. Had Jake just made a joke? It was hard to tell, but she was fairly sure that was what it had been. She looked up at him imploringly, and his frown was quickly to be replaced by a grin when he saw her.
"You're so gullible," he sighed amusedly.
She smiled, shook her head, and caught the last of the headmistress' words just in time.
"-and on that note, I should like to invite you all to feast."
Although Kayla had no idea what 'that note' was, she was happy to look down and see a sea of food awaiting her grasp. Already Jake was reaching past her for a chicken leg, but, smirking, she beat him to it. At first, he looked shocked, and then mildly amused. He beat her to the mashed potatoes. They continued on like this with various articles of food until they finally knocked over Kayla's goblet, causing Sonia to shriek and scoot away, shooting an evil look at them. Giggling, Kayla apologized and wiped the seat down for her cousin, all too happy to point out that she had not gotten any on the other girl's plate, at least. It didn't seem to comfort Sonia much, but after reprimanding the two of them, she resumed her former position and began to eat in a dignified manner. Kayla and Jake took her words to heart and spent the rest of the dinner racing for food only when Sonia was looking in another direction.
When it finally came time to head to the Gryffindor common room, tired as they were, Sonia, Jake, and Kayla couldn't help but stay wide-eyed as they looked at all that was happening around them. Staircases moved, ghosts traveled to and fro, and Jake was entranced by the moving pictures. Kayla practically had to drag him up the staircase until he was delighted to find that the portrait in front of the Gryffindor common room spoke, as well. Or at least, as delighted as Jake got. He raised his eyebrows and nodded at the Fat Lady as he crawled through after Kayla. When they were all in the common room Sonia marched to the foot of the girls' dormitories and gave Kayla a pointed look. Kayla, who was sleepily hanging on to Jake's sleeve, bade him a good night. He returned the gesture and informed her that they would meet in the common room the next morning. It wasn't a question, mind you, but a command. Smiling, Kayla waved at him as she headed up the stairs, and she swore she felt his eyes follow her all the way up the staircase. As she pulled on her pajamas, Sonia made a point to speak to her, as if she had been holding it in all night.
"Kayla, are you sure you're not – I mean – I don't like that boy!" she exclaimed passionately.
"Jake?" Kayla yawned, "Why not?"
Sonia gave a snort. "Kayla, he's...he's not...friendly," she declared.
"Oh, give it a rest, Sonia. Just because he doesn't talk to you doesn't make him an evil...whatchamacallem...criminal."
She was too tired to think properly, as was demonstrated by her speech. She slid under her covers, uttering a sigh when her head hit the pillow.
"He's not normal, Kayla," Sonia insisted, "I mean, there's...he's different."
"I like him," Kayla declared, "And if you don't, then you don't have to meet us in the common room tomorrow morning."
Sonia made an exasperated noise, but if she responded other than that, Kayla took no notice. She was already asleep, enfolded in her own world of dreams. Tonight, they included her and Jake going into the Forbidden Forest and battling a dragon.