Chapter IV
Tension and Cakes
Remus sat next to Georgina, whilst James was left to squeeze between the slightly odd Isabelle and Lily. Whilst Isabelle fawned over him with tea and cakes, Lily sat with her head turned to Amanda. James was making no head-way in his "being-himself" crusade to impress Lily.
"So do any of you know how we are getting there?" James asked
"Well I heard Professor Wilmore talking to Professor McGonnagal," Isabelle was now uncomfortably close to James' knees, "And we are going by train, I'm not sure whether we will stop at London and cross the Channel another way."
"I said the tracks might go over the sea," Remus added, "They definitely carry on passed London, but it's the last stop."
"Couldn't that just be the depot or something?" said Amanda
"I suppose," he said, "But the last one was about ten years ago I think, so no-one knows how the Hogwarts Students got to Durmstrang."
"Beauxbatons is supposed to be like a palace," Lily directed that at everyone but James. "There's massive gardens and they have nymphs and faeries all around the grounds."
"So does Hogwarts, well, we have faeries." Remus was keen on magical animals. He had spent a lot of his time with the Care of Magical Creatures Professor, collecting and dispatching the various things about the castle grounds.
"No, we have a load of nasty things like Doxys and Bowtruckles." Lily sniped, "I remember last year when one of your stupid jokes ended up with Jessica Malhorn trapped in a tree wasn't it? I heard the Bowtruckles and Doxys that were living there were quite nasty with her."
"Actually, she brought that on herself. We were just taking notes on the Bowtruckles, when she tried to prove that they weren't as dangerous as everyone made out. We warned her that it wasn't the season to be stirring them up, but she had to go and climb the tree like a fool. Idiot Slytherins think they rule the world."
"My brother's a Slytherin thank you!" Amanda chimed, "And they aren't all as nasty as everyone makes out. I mean, people pretend that all Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs are nice, but that ratty little boy who your friends with proves that wrong."
"I suppose your right, I just think that putting a load of Purebloods in one house was a mistake. I mean, a lot of them do have issues."
"It's not all Purebloods." Lily glared at James now, "Amanda is Half-Blood and so is her brother. Slytherin used to be all Purebloods until a lot of people began to marry muggles. They still wouldn't let Muggle-Born in though."
"It's the Sorting Hat that chooses, not the school; and that is only doing what Salazar Slytherin charmed it to, the purest bloods and the most ambitious." Lily now turned to Remus, he had had enough of her constant bickering with him and James.
Lily turned away, met by Remus' eyes she knew she wouldn't win the argument; but she knew she was right. The problem was that the others didn't agree, why couldn't they see that the boys were just arrogant.
"Anyway," Isabelle swooned towards James again, "I'm going back to the castle now, is anyone coming?" the last line was added to a squeeze of James' thigh. In terror he looked desperately at Remus.
"Um…no," Remus was having to think fast. "Me and James have got some extra things to pick up." James nodded gratefully. "We'll see you all at Dinner though." So they left them there, with Lily fuming and Isabelle annoyed. It seemed that this trip might not be as fun as it first seemed.