"Come on, we'll be late"
Darcie half squealed, half shouted. She looked meaningfully at her aunt, before rushing halfway up the stairs and dragging her down.
"Ok, Ok, I'm coming."
Libby relented, allowing herself to be led out of the front door.
Darcie grasped the handle, and pulled the door to, before hesitating, and flinging the door open, rushing in and hugging the wall.
"Goodbye, dear cottage."
she murmured, letting the huge, solid mass take her weight. Then she spun gracefully around and stepped lightly out into the sunshine.
"I can't believe I'd forgotten to say farewell! To think I was just going to saunter out without a car in the world! Oh."
Darcie stopped dead in her tracks. Her face frozen, her eyes slowly turning green.
"Don't worry." Libby reassured her, her voice half laughing from experience of previous similar incident.
"I sent your luggage down to the Leaky cauldron before you - it should be there already. I trust you've everything in your day sack?"
She indicated the bag on Darcie's back.
"Everything bar the kitchen sink" she replied, and they laughed.
It was only a short walk to the nearest town, from their cottage, and Darcie could catch the tube into London from there by herself.
They arrived at the station with ten minutes to spare, so Libby bought them an ice - pop each; luckily Darcie came to the rescue when Libby mistook the one - pence - piece for a pound coin. Neither of them were used to muggle ways of life, but Darcie had a bit more of an awareness than poor Libby.
It was nearing the end of summer, and they could sit in the warmth of the sun to enjoy their food without it melting.
Darcie bought her ticket, and then it was time to say goodbye. She simply hugged Libby, not wanting to reduce their parting to words. She didn't want to leave her, she didn't know what it would be like. Why was she going on her own?
But she wouldn't chicken out of going, she wouldn't even think of it. Libby kissed her on the cheek, and she turned round and awkwardly stuck her ticket in the thin slot, grabbing it quickly when it reappeared. The doors swung violently open and she hopped through, turning as she did so. Libby was still there, and she leaned over for one more comforting, reassuring hug.
"You've got to go now" Libby reminded her quietly.
Darcie nodded then turned round and trotted down the stairs. Libby was used to this form of farewell. She turned around, walked out of the station, and was gone.
Darcie only had to wait a couple of minutes, giving her time to gather her thoughts, she felt the tube come seemingly before everyone else, the noises reverberating through her feet. She looked up into the horrible, false light of the tube eyes, and stepped forward, ready to get on. The doors slid smoothly open, and she stepped inside.
It wasn't the first time she had travelled on muggle transport. but she was still very cautious. She chose a seat and sat down, and watched as the tube began to move and the muggle world fly past.
All too soon she recognised the sign - a blue ring with a red stripe through it, containing the white letters reading "OXFORD CIRCUS". She picked up her bag and stepped off the tube.
Looking around her there was a mass of people, and she couldn't tell who was getting on or off, or who was waiting for the next tube. So she waited for the people to clear, then went through one of the alleyways. She stared. It was as if she had walked into a mirror. Through another alleyway was another platform, similar to the one she had just left. Unphased by this strange layout, she looked to her right and saw what she was looking for - one of those peculiar moving staircases muggles used so often. She walked onto it, and decided to walk up on the right side.
As she reached the top she immediately saw who she was meeting. Past the ticket barrier were two lanky twins with flaming red hair. This made Darcie smile - she always forgot just how red it was. And it was good to see a familiar face or two.
She let the machine swallow her ticket, and wandered up to the unsuspecting twins.
"Boo"
Darcie put a little emotion into her voice, but she was smiling already.
Fred and George turned around, both grinning broadly, flashing teeth in their extremely freckly faces.
"We were wondering when you were going to get here" said George, as they walked up the stairs.
"Yeah, we're not too keen on being down there for long. It's a bit cramped."
Fred stretched his arms wide, an action that would have been much harder in the tube station.
"Were you there long then?"
Asked Darcie.
"No" replied George, "but we were starting to get some funny looks, as usual."
They emerged on a sunny Oxford street, and took a left.
"Probably because of your, uh, abundance of freckles." Darcie joked, blinking and shielding her eyes.
"Am I hearing correctly?" asked Fred indignantly "Did you say we were freckled? I believe the word, Darcie, is a tan. I notice you're still as pale as ever."
"Hmm." muttered Darcie, distracted. Snapping back to reality, she inquired.
"How was Egypt? Don't tell me you tried to shut Percy in a tomb"
" No, but it's a good idea though. There was this one tomb, that Mum wouldn't Ginny, because there were all these mutant skeletons in there of Muggles who'd broken in and grown extra limbs"
George seemed a bit too enthusiastic.
"Lovely" Darcie replied, her expression showing she didn't think that in the slightest.
They stopped outside the leaky Cauldron. Darcie had only been there once before when she was very young, and she barely remembered it. They entered, and Fred asked her.
"Do you want to go upstairs and settle into your room, or do you want to look around a bit? We could get Mum to come and help you."
"Thanks" Darcie replied. "that would be very nice of nice of you. Do you think you could ask her to come up to My room?"
The twins nodded, and disappeared into the courtyard through the bar. Darcie soon found Tom the innkeeper, and the short little man led her to her room were her bags she thanked him and shut the door behind her.
Immediately she let lily out of her cage, Lily was her 5 month old kitten she received for a birthday, and they adored each other. Lily was black with a white bib and socks and a tip on her tail, and had silver eyes. She had a collar with a moonstone pendant on, matching the one Darcie wore around her neck.
She played with Lily for a while, before there was a knock at the door, and Mrs Weasley opened it.
"Hello dear." she said cheerfully. "The twins sent me up. Oh, is that your cat? She's lovely isn't she? Do you want to take you round Diagon Alley? You haven't got your things for Howgarts yet have you? Oh, we'll need to got to Gringotts as well."
Darcie liked Mrs Weasley very much. She had known her since she was very young, and she was always mothering her, in a different way from Libby.
"Yes, I've got my key with me."
Darcie was interrupted by a further knock at the door.
"Oh, that's Ginny. Come in. You don't mind if she comes with us?"
"Oh - no." replied Darcie.
When she last saw Ginny she was a cheery 10 year old; she hadn't see her since then, and didn't know what to expect.
But what she saw couldn't have been imagined. The Weasley family in general were lively and friendly, apart from maybe Percy, but Ginny was a complete opposite.
She was a bit lanky, like her brother Ron, and pale under her freckles, with the usual bright red hair of the Weasleys, but her eyes were shielded and she has a shy, closed look about her.
Darcie wasn't phased by this, but it took her by surprise. She carried on regardless.
"Hi Ginny." she said, trying to keep her voice light and calm.
"You're coming with us aren't you?"
Ginny nodded, smiling. She was obviously unwilling to attempt speaking, but her smile was open and honest. Mrs Weasley smiled at Darcie apologetically and stood up, ushering the both of them out of the room saying.
"Have you got your key Darcie? Right then, let's go."