Shifter
XIII
It was the first of September, and it was a nice bright day on Platform 9 and ¾'s. Senna and Ginevra heaved their trunks into the empty compartment at the back of the train, and slid them under their seats, trying to be as quiet as possible not to wake the graying brown haired man sleeping on the seat opposite. Unfortunately they were late to the platform so couldn't steal completely empty seats.
Ginny wore a white summer dress that hung below her knees with trainers and a thin black robe that Senna let her keep since it suited her best. Senna was wearing a red summer dress with thin straps over her shoulders that hung above her knees with black half-boots, and a wide black leather belt around her waist, slanted to her right hip with pockets and pouches around the sides with her wand holster strapped to her right arm.
They sat opposite the man, next to each other. Senna sat by the window, and Ginny took her right hand in her left; they interlocked their fingers with their hands resting on Ginny's lap as they sat back and awaited the trip to Hogwarts impatiently.
Throughout the last week of the holidays; the two girlfriends had both studied everything as hard as they could; concentrating mostly on occlumency and the patronus charm for obvious reasons. They were quite confident in their abilities in these areas, but they still wore their necklaces for the time being, partially because they were a part of their outfits.
"So, who do you think he is?" whispered Ginny curiously pointing out the strange man sleeping soundly opposite them. He must have been on the train for a while, but then it was supposed to get in at nine, so he had plenty of time to fall asleep as the train wouldn't leave until eleven on the dot. "I've never heard of an adult other than the drivers and snack lady being on the train before."
"Um... Professor R. J. Lupin," replied Senna with a huge grin just as the train bumped forward and their journey to school began. They had been running late, but for Weasley's that wasn't unusual, or they could have gotten to the train half an hour before because that was when Senna and Ginny had finished getting ready, as getting ready on time wasn't exactly difficult.
Ginny stared at her in shock. "How'd you know that? Are you psychic or something?"
"No," she replied while stifling a laugh. "It says it on his suitcase," she disagreed, pointing to the battered case next to him, held together with string, sitting under the window.
"Oh," she giggled. "I didn't notice; his case looks to be in ruins: a museum piece maybe?" she added causing them both to laugh.
"Right you are Gin," agreed Senna mischievously. She placed her free hand on the case and shifted it without thought. The light from her fingertips pulsed, and spread out, around the case, morphing it into a beautiful brand-new black plastic shelled case with his name engraved by the handle on a gold coloured plaque in black.
"Do you think he'll like it?" she asked her amused girlfriend as she sat back admiring her handiwork.
Ginny smirked. "Do you think he'll mind you shifting his clothes too?" she asked eagerly as she gave his battered clothes a look of disgust. Her family was poor too, but that didn't mean they had to wear rags, but then she did have a wealthy girlfriend who annoyingly wanted to damn her pride and buy her lots of things and spoil her no matter how hard she protested.
"Yeah, I think that's going too far," she playfully reprimanded just as the door slid open. They looked over and saw Ronald scowling and Hermione looking as polite and nice as Senna remembered her, but she was still too opinionated on books being 'the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth', and that was ignoring her belief in authority figures, which needed to be squished and hampered. Books and teachers were supposed to guide you, and not indoctrinate you – well; the good books were supposed to be like that.
Hermione was about to speak when Ronald beat her to it. "You two get out! We need this compartment!" he demanded heatedly.
Ginny and Senna glared. "No," replied Ginny angrily. "Hermione can come and share 'OUR' compartment, but you can get lost, Ronald for speaking to us like that! Who do you think you are?! Malfoy!?" the red-haired girl demanded.
"I'll tell mum about this!" he yelled just as a spell flung him from the compartment and Senna pulled Hermione in by her wrist, surprising the girl, and with a flick and swish of her wand, the door slid closed and locked tight.
"I told him before about not knocking," said Senna happily with a wand in her left-hand. She slid it back into her holster before sitting back. She had let go of Ginny's hand to draw her wand but quickly reclaimed it.
"Take a seat Hermione," she said as they ignored Ron as he was banging on the compartment door and yelling something that was muffled and likely consisted of many insults. Hermione sat opposite, though, not too close to the new teacher as she eyed him nervously.
"I'm surprised Ronald didn't wake Professor Lupin," Senna said sighing and shaking her head in disapproval.
"How did you do that?" asked the bushy haired girl suddenly. "With your wand…? You just used some really advanced magic that shouldn't be taught till fourth year and without speaking, like the banishing charm, and I've never seen that locking charm before."
Senna shrugged. "Just practised... who said we can't teach ourselves useful spells in our free time, but I'm also mostly home-schooled?" she lied with careless nonchalance, which always marvelled Ginny that the hero could be so good at lying that she could probably lie her way into Gringotts's highest security vaults – well with that and her 'super power', she was deadly.
"Anyway," Senna had continued. "The locking charm is quite simple; there are loads of them; I just used one that wasn't at the forefront of any lists, so more easily missed, and banishing… well it helps when you're angry, but banishing and summoning aren't all that difficult once you've got the hang of them, anyway."
Hermione nodded thoughtfully. "I guess, but you're only a second year and you're pulling off advanced spells like they're easy. Your parents must be pretty good teachers, then?" she suggested thoughtfully.
Senna shrugged sheepishly. "Yeah, I suppose my dad and Aunt Elena are fairly good with magic and stuff," she replied and Ginny marvelled further as Senna forced herself to squirm uncomfortably. "But anyway," she chimed as she pulled a one-eighty and grinned. These spells – any spells really… well they're easy once you've mastered, or got them down, or whatever you want to call it when you're confident enough with them. Then with plenty of overkill practice they become like second nature," supplied Senna with a sweet laugh that said that should have been obvious.
"Oh. Yeah," Hermione replied with a small nod. "That makes sense, as when I was first learning my first spells, they were difficult, but now I know what I'm doing and I've practised, they feel more natural, like I could always do them," she said while Senna nodded in agreement. "It… kind of helps that I love to practice lots new things too. I guess I'll have to try some more advance stuff – well, as long as it's not dangerous or anything. You're probably going to be top of your classes since you seem to be so far ahead," she nodded in approval.
"Maybe," conceded Senna. "But my spells are mainly flashy and spells useful in a fight or something, so I can defend myself and cause as many problems for some horrid criminal as I can," she said sheepishly. "When you travel lots… its good to know how to kick someone's butt, you know?" she asked, and Hermione nodded thoughtfully.
"Hey…! Check this out," interrupted Ginny pointing to the door. Ronald had gone and Malfoy and his goons were trying to open the door with little success.
The three girls laughed at him. It took him about ten minutes before he realised, he couldn't open it, and didn't know the right unlocking spell to even try overpowering and overriding Senna's magic before he stalked off with his minions and a huge scowl on his face.
"I can't believe how long it took him to get lost," Ginny concluded after he had finally gone.
"Yeah, what a pleb," giggled Senna.
They soon settled down for some games, keeping quiet but still surprised the teacher didn't wake up, even when the snack lady stopped by and Senna bought them all some snacks to share.
"We've only got about half an hour before we get there," commented Hermione. "We should…" she trailed off in confusion as the train lunged screeching its brakes almost causing them to go flying from their seats.
"What's going on," asked Ginny a little panicked. She held onto Senna's hand tighter.
"Why is it getting so cold," asked Senna worriedly as the train finally halted, she stared at the windows as the condensation froze over. Then the lamps blew out, pouring them into darkness. "Crap. I wish I could see in the dark," she said but as she did her yes cleared and she could see her girl and Hermione through the dark, but she had to blink away that uncomfortable tingling from her eyes.
"Cats and dogs can," commented Ginny helpfully.
"Some primates can too… humans unfortunately not amongst them," added Hermione trying to keep the conversation nice. "And most birds can see in the dark..."
"D-dementors are boarding the train aren't they," gulped Ginny worriedly.
"Yes," both Hermione and Senna replied nervously.
Senna then stood letting Ginny's hand go as she took some shallow breaths to gain her nerve. "But- Senna, where are you going?" the redhead asked.
"I-I'm going to blast my patronus down the train before it's too cold to think straight," she replied, pulling her wand from her belt. "Aunty Elena taught it to us, so we could be save, Ginny!"
Senna was grinning through the dark as Ginny shot her a wicked glare before she stood. "Okay, I'll help out too, but seriously, Sen, if they get too close I don't think I will be able to fire mine."
"Wait, your aunt was teaching you both magic at the Leaky Cauldron?" Ginny asked as if it was scandalous. "I didn't even know your family was staying at the Cauldron."
"They weren't," Senna said, "but Aunt Elena stopped by all the time to check up on me silly, and dad came by a few times too."
"Oh," Hermione said with a comprehension that parents and guardians likely wouldn't leave their children in hotels without supervision for however long Senna had to stay their while waiting for her new home to become ready to use.
"Err… dementors!" Ginny reminded her girlfriend.
"Right!" Senna agreed as the cold was becoming more impressive and oppressive.
"Ginny! Senna! You shouldn't," whined Hermione, worried. "Even if you have been taught that spell, it will be different under the dementors effects."
"Don't worry Hermione. We've been practising really hard," said Ginny reassuringly as Senna opened the door and the two stepped out, not noticing the teacher stepping out after them still looking sleepy and confused.
Ginny and Senna raised their wands as they saw the foul creatures gliding closer through the train, and they could hear the whimpers of other kids, some even crying.
The cold deepened through skin, muscle, blood, and bones, rattling through the soul as the dementors drew nearer and Ginny and Senna stood fast and wouldn't back down because they had to protect themselves and everybody else.
"I have a new happy memory, Gin," Senna whispered as she leaned over to her girl with a cheeky grin.
"So do I," Ginny agreed quietly smiling at her in affection.
"That day in the Leaky Cauldron!" Ginny said smugly.
Senna giggled. "That day… I met you!"
Their eyes hardened as they looked back at the dark creatures. "EXPECTO PATRONUM!"
Silver ghosts of light raged out from the tips of their wands as Senna's free hand; her right slid into Ginny's free hand, her left; their fingers slinked together as they felt the force pushing them back as the beats of their Patroni screamed and roared with force, windows and glass cracked and shook as it took a moment, pushing back upon their own strength and desire. Then the streaks of silver light burst forth like laser beams cutting through the corridor of the train, shattering windows and tearing into the wood of doors and walls, as they tried to take corporeal form in the small space within the train, growing to fill through compartments and take over the train.
to be continued...
Authors Note: thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Don't forget to follow, favourite, and review. Also, you can follow me on Twitter - AT - OutlawRealms - (link on profile) where I'll do the usual Twitter related things, like being an arsehole, the usual stuff. Also, to get my stories out there please share on any social media networks you might use. Thank you and have a good day.