Chapter 13
Lindsay's POV (December 20)Cassidy became more and more excited about meeting Ron as the Christmas holidays came closer. It was harder for her to concentrate on classes and homework, and she was constantly calling Hermione asking her if she'd seen Ron lately. I think I've only seen him once when I was very little, because he was visiting Dad. That was the last night he spent here, the next morning he was gone, and as we soon found out it was because Hermione's father had tracked Ron down that night and told him for the 3rd time that he'd better get lost or he would have Ron under arrest. Either way, I don't remember him much, and after much begging, Cassi and Hermione agreed that I could come and meet him and spend some time at their house over the break. Finally, it was the day before we went home on the train, and Cassi was practically bouncing off the walls. Or she was off in space, wishing she were at home.
Cassidy's POV
"Miss Granger, would you mind joining us and answering my question?" Professor McGonagall, snapping me out of my fantasy of Dad dramatically dumping this girl "Parvati" that he was dating, and running to mum so I would finally have a Dad.
"Yes, Professor, sorry. What was the question again?" I asked, turning red.
"What is the correct incantation for turning a pig into a lamp?" She asked, waving her wand at the floor lamp in the front of the room, turning it back into a pig.
"Erm…" I stepped to the front of the room, pulling my fingers through my hair nervously. I couldn't get this wrong, we had been studying this for a week, and McGonagall would chew me out if I got it wrong.
"pmal natal gip!" I shouted, and the pig turned immediately to a lamp again.
"Very good, but he still seems to have a tail!" McGonagall said, turning it around, and sure enough, there was a short, pink, curly, tail sticking out of the glossy pole.
Everyone else paired up to practice, but no one got near to where I did with the pig. I was relieved, because if mum thought I was getting behind on my studies because of meeting Dad, she wouldn't let me come home. Yes, Mum is very, very, very serious about my studies.
"Hurry up, Linds, we're gonna miss the train!" I yelled, throwing my duffel bag over my shoulder, and picking up my rollaway suitcase.
"Coming, coming." She said, running from the dormitory with a duffel and suitcase also.
I had dressed for the train ride, but also wanted to look nice when Dad saw me for the first time. I wore a pair of baggy green cargo pants, a light teal t-shirt under a dark blue and white zip-up sweatshirt that said "Abercrombie & Witch" across the front, and dark blue converse sneakers. I also wore my hair up in a ponytail.
Austin and Haley came down to see us off, with Shane hovering behind them. Austin gave us both hugs, and Haley did the same. I moved toward Shane, who walked backward and stared determinedly at the floor, as though asking it to let him fall through. I groaned, but turned around and walked away with Linds.
The train ride lasted almost all day long, from 10:30am until 6:30pm. The first two hours Lindsay and I decided to do homework, and the rest of the time we ate, played games and talked.
"Everyone getting off at Platform 9 ¾, get ready, you're stop is in 5 minutes!" A voice over the loudspeaker said.
"Yes." I whispered under my breath, grinning from ear to ear. (A/N: I'm now quite grossed out because my cousin has found her contact in the back of her eye, and now she is talking to her stuffed squirrel, Madison. I am freaked out. Help. And now she claims it talks back. And it's attacking me. Help, please!)
Lindsay and I grabbed our luggage and waited until the train came to a halt to run screaming off the train, and tackle mum in a shower of hugs.
"Hey!" She yelled, grinning, "I see you're friends again!"
"Is Dad here?" I asked in a hushed voice, looking around.
"Yeah, over there." She pointed. He looked just like he did in the pictures! He was tall, gangly, with millions of freckles, and fiery red hair. He had deep blue eyes identical to mine, and a tan that suggested he was just on vacation somewhere that would have made Linds very jealous.
"Shhh…" I said, standing up and starting quietly toward him.
As soon as I came within 10 feet of him, I ran all out, and wrapped my arms around him screaming "Daddy! Daddy," the entire time. I know only three year olds do that, but it's my first time ever seeing him, and it's not like you would do any different.
He waited until I let go of him, and grinned at me, examining me.
"Cassidy?" He asked, and I grinned.
"God, 'Mione, she's gorgeous. She has my eyes. And freckles. And she's tall, too." He said to mum as she walked over, grinning.
"Lindsay! I haven't seen you since you were 8 months old! You're so big!" He joked, giving her a hug too.
"Thanks, Ron, I hope I've grown!" She joked back. I was pretty jealous that my best friend could joke with my Dad when I had never even met him before this, but I didn't want to say anything that might make her mad at me again, because I had just gotten her back.
"Lets go have dinner, I'm freezing!" Lindsay said, shivering.
"Well, next time learn not to wear a mini skirt when it's 10 degrees out!" I exclaimed, glad to have a comeback in front of my dad, because I felt like I needed to make a good impression.
So, dad threw his arm around me and we walked out of the station talking and catching up on the past 16 years.
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