Platform 9 ¾ was almost deserted when Nym arrived. Most of the passengers wouldn't arrive until ten at least, more than an hour from now. She stepped down from the coach delicately, moving carefully in case she dislodged Morwen, who snuggled around her neck like a grey fur collar. Narcissa would have had a fit to see Nym getting cat fur all over her robes, but then, Narcissa wasn't here to see.
Nym walked to the train, her luggage following obediently behind. She had another giant trunk in addition to the one she'd originally taken with her to Malfoy Manor. It wasn't that she'd outgrown all her old things – she'd hardly grown at all in the last year – but Narcissa had been aghast at the thought of her niece going to Hogwarts with such a small wardrobe. So she'd shopped – and bought – until even she could shop no more, and outfitted Nym with everything she could conceivably need, and many things she probably never would. Much of it Nym had left in the closet back at the Manor, hidden as best she could in the hope that Narcissa wouldn't find it and be offended. She'd filled all the extra space with books she'd smuggled out of the Malfoy library. It wasn't really stealing, she assured herself, she would return them as soon as she was done. Besides, it wasn't like Lucius or Narcissa ever read them.
It would be strange, Nym thought as she settled into the compartment she had chosen, to be at Hogwarts without the Marauders. She was afraid that it would be invariably dull. Some small comfort came from the knowledge that things didn't have to stay dull. She had finally found time to open her birthday gift from her elective brothers a week ago. They'd bequeathed to her their greatest instruments of mischief: their animated map, showing all of Hogwarts and its occupants, and James's invisibility cloak. She wasn't sure what end she'd use them to, but she'd try to live up to their expectations.
Speaking of expectations…. Nym pulled out her homework with a sigh. The much-dreaded summer homework had been nothing with the amazing Malfoy library as a resource, but Remus's assignments had proved much more trying. He'd had her on cockatrices ever since the disastrous run-in on her birthday, and he didn't look to be giving up any time soon. He'd even suggested she come to Zurich in the spring to help with the research. Doctor Richtus had added his support to the idea, and added that Nym could study with some of the metamorphamagi in residence. How he'd known about her ability was still a mystery to Nym, but she would welcome the chance to meet others like herself.
It was a sharp knock at the door which finally brought Nym back to the presence. "Nym?" Zack poked his head into the compartment. Nym dropped her books and ran to the door, pulling it open and hugging her friend. Then she stopped, pulling back and blushing self-consciously. Zack had grown a lot over the summer, and matured even more. His hair had lightened with sun to match his tanned skin, and the hours of mending the dock had added muscle to his athletic frame. He looked, Nym thought, extremely handsome, which made her feel ten times as awkward as she knew she was. "So you'll still talk to me, will you?" he teased.
Nym froze. "What are you talking about?"
Zack pulled a newspaper clipping out of his pocket with a grin. There was Nym, small and elegant and oh-so-Slytherin with the self-important deputy minister. The cold little girl in the picture dropped a courtesy to an invisible audience and smiled tightly as she shook the deputy minister's hand. "Merlin," Nym breathed. "I look like a bloody Slytherin."
Zack laughed and put the picture back in his pocket. "Glad you haven't turned into one. Summer wasn't too bad though, was it? I mean, your own quidditch pitch and all."
"Move it, doofus," came Mandy's voice from the corridor. She shoved her brother out of the way and barged into the compartment, barreling Nym over in a hug. "I can't wait to tell you all about Juan."
Nym glanced enquiringly at Zack. "Spanish brat," he mouthed back. Nym tried not to groan. She'd heard all she wanted to about Mandy's Spanish dreamboat through her letters over the summer.
"So," Zack said conversationally as they settled into their seats, "meet any cute boys over the summer, Nym?" Nym looked up, startled. What was he driving at?
"What are you talking about?" Mandy demanded.
Zack grinned. "You know, rich, good looking young men about to sweep you off your feet and fly you off on their broomsticks?"
Nym rolled her eyes. "Why of course, now that you mention it. There was one young man, not sure if you've heard of him… plays quidditch for the Wisborn Wasps. The beater, Ludo."
"On a first-name basis already?" Zack asked. At least, Nym thought that was what he was trying to say. It was hard to hear him over Mandy's excited chatter.
"Ludo Bagman? He's absolutely dreamy! He was in Teen Witch Weekly as one of the top ten most eligible bachelors. You are so lucky Nym, you have no idea."
Suddenly Zack started to laugh. "Bagman? The airhead from your uncle's dinner party?"
Nym grinned. "The same. Oh, do get over it, Mandy. It's not such a big deal."
"Says you."
"Says me too," said Rick, coming in. "I'm sure plenty of girls think Bagman's quite something right now, but give it time. He's a beater, after all."
"And just what does that have to do with anything?" Mandy demanded.
"They get hit in the head a lot," Rick said with a shrug. "Smash up that pretty face plenty quick, if I'm any judge."
"Huh," Mandy snapped. "Lot you know. You're just jealous."
Rick sighed. "Yes, that would be it I'm sure."
"Sorry Mandy, but as nice as Ludo is, he is a little on the dim side," Nym said.
Mandy gave a great heaving sigh. "Why do you always have the exciting life, Nym? You stayed in a castle all summer, with witches and wizards and quidditch stars. Me, I had to spend time with my cousin."
"And his friend," Nym reminded her, trying to get Mandy to focus on something else.
It worked; Mandy brightened immediately. "Oh, I still haven't told you about Juan."
That, it turned out, was easily remedied. Over the next two hours, Nym learned more about Juan than she had ever hoped to – far more than anyone would readily want to know, in fact. And despite it all, she still couldn't understand Mandy's attraction. All through Mandy's descriptions of beautifully toned muscles, tanned skin, gorgeous eyes (and so on and so forth, Nym tuned most of it out), Nym kept picturing the annoying little twerp Zack had described. In her imagination, he grinned evilly, flipped her the bird, and shoved Mandy off the dock in her party dress (an act that did not seem, whatever Mandy claimed, to be an expression of deep and suppressed affection).
"Enough," Rick growled at last. He slammed down his copy of Quidditch Quarterly. "We get the picture."
"Well sor-ry," Mandy snapped. "What's your problem, anyway?" Nym sighed and picked up the discarded magazine. It looked like things were going right back to normal.