Disclaimer: Anything relating to the Harry Potter stories belongs to J. K. Rowling. She can have my characters and ideas as well.
CHAPTER 3
As Nina walked up to platform 9 ¾ at King's Cross Station on September 1st, she couldn't believe how fast the summer had gone. Last term's exams had been a blur, and the summer even blurrier. So many things had happened during the holidays; her mind was still trying to deal with it all. She passed through the barrier and saw the Hogwarts Express. The platform was buzzing with students, all excited to begin a fresh new year. Nina felt a little sad knowing it was going to be her last time boarding the train here, as she lugged her trunk into an empty compartment.
Feeling a little warm after dragging her trunk, she took off her jacket. She felt a little self-conscious in the fitted t-shirt she was wearing, but was too hot to worry about it. She'd finally listened to Sara's nagging and gotten her hair cut over the summer and let it loose. She regretted not tying it up now—the heat was really getting to her. She started to fan herself with a book she was holding when a knock came on the compartment door and a curly brown head popped through.
"Sara!"
"Nina! Finally, I found you. I have been going through the corridors looking for you." Sara, looking prettier than ever, came bouncing into the compartment and hugged her friend. "Oh look at your hair! I told you you'd look good if you cut it a little. It looks great! How was your summer?"
"Eventful." Nina said with an uncertain smile.
"Really? You have to tell me all about it then." Sara said. She took out her press powder from her purse and was examining her perfect face in the mirror.
"Mmhmm," Nina nodded while putting her book back into her bag and then added, "So you didn't see Lily? The train is starting to move."
"Oh I saw her." Sara replied while putting her mirror away, "She's in the Head's compartment."
"What? She made Head Girl? Good for her. She deserved it. Who made Head Boy?"
"I don't know. He wasn't there yet. Maybe it was Remus. I just hope it isn't a Slytherin. Could be Amos Diggory from Hufflepuff too." As soon as she said this a knock came on the compartment door and a whiny squeal following it. "Oh shit, " Sara said, "I almost forgot about her."
"Forgot about who?" Nina asked as Sara opened the compartment door. A girl with jet-black curly hair and blue eyes walked into the room looking rather cross with her face in a frown and her arms around her chest.
"You remember my little sister, Leena. She's starting first year." Sara ushered her sister into the compartment. Leena stopped frowning, looked at Nina and smiled shyly.
"Hey Leena, " Nina said ruffling Leena's hair, "You excited about starting at Hogwarts?"
"Only if I get into Gryffindor. I wanna stay with Sara." Leena replied.
Sara rolled her eyes and said, "She's a leech."
"Aww, that's sweet." Nina said and grabbed her purse, "Listen, I gotta go to the washroom. I'll be back."
"Wait," Sara interjected, "I need to go as well. Leena, you stay here and make sure no one takes over the compartment, okay?" Leena nodded obediently, sat down and took a book out of her bag and started reading.
When Sara and Nina came back out of the washroom and walked towards their compartment, they heard an exploding sound and a squeal coming from inside.
"Leena!" Sara gasped. They ran and quickly pulled open the door. Sitting around a deck of cards were Leena, Remus, and Peter. They all looked up as the girls came barging through.
"Oh! It's just you guys. What are you doing in here?" Sara asked exasperatedly and Leena spoke up proudly, "They didn't have an empty compartment and they asked me who was sitting here so I told them my sister and her friend and then they asked who my sister was so I told them it was you guys and then they said they were your friends too so I said they could sit here too and they had cards and said I could play exploding snap with them!" She said this all in one breath and looked so excited that Nina at least, could not help but smile at her. Sara looked less amused.
"It's nice to see you too, Banana. How was your summer?" Remus said while continuing to play their game.
"Not so bad, As—Remus." Sara said, checking herself. She had to make sure she didn't do or say anything that Leena would tell her parents about. If Sara had a big mouth, Leena's was even bigger.
"Hi, Nina. I almost didn't recognize you for a second. How are you?" Remus asked her with a warm smile.
"Fine, thanks." She answered taking a seat, "How are you doing?"
"Aah, okay I guess. Glad to be going back to school. Do you girls wanna play too?" Remus asked and they shook their heads no. He looked a little shabby and pale. Nina wondered if the full moon was due sometime soon.
"So where's the better half of your group?" Sara questioned him.
"Oh, well, James," he cleared his throat, "is in the Heads compartment."
"Oh, you're kidding!" Sara squealed in delight, "James and Lily! Aah, Dumbledore is too good." Nina and Remus laughed at her mirth.
"Sirius is here somewhere. I think he went to the washroom or something. I'm sure he'll find us soon." As soon as Remus said this there was a knock at the door and Sirius opened it. As soon as Nina realized it was him, she felt herself tense up and her heart started to beat a bit faster. Oh flip, not again she was thinking. Why do I always get like this when this idiot is around me? I shouldn't feel like this…especially now, considering…
"Oh here you guys are," he said while stepping into the compartment and closing the door behind him, "I accidentally walked in on two people who looked like they needed some privacy." He smiled and looked around the compartment. "Oh, hey Sara, how's it going?" she replied that she was fine and then he added, "Is that little person your sister? She kinda looks like you." Leena first looked offended that he had called her "little", but then smiled as soon as he had said that she looked like Sara.
Sirius was still standing when he turned his head and looked at Nina and seemed to be trying to remember who she was. What a retard, Nina was thinking. He's known me for six years and he doesn't remember my name.
"Yeah, don't rack your brain, Padfoot. It's Nina. I didn't recognize her either for a second when I first saw her. Come join the next game." Remus seemed to know exactly what Sirius was thinking. Sirius seemed slightly embarrassed for not realizing it was her. Nina, on the other hand, was so embarrassed that she felt like her face was on fire. Someone just throw me out the window. Sirius took the empty seat across from her and started playing. Nina kept catching his eye accidentally and she started to feel really uncomfortable and self-conscious. Stop looking at him you idiot, she told herself. Why does he keeping looking up at me? Man, this t-shirt makes me look really…big…in certain areas. I need my jacket. Where is it? She looked around and saw it behind Leena.
Remus looked down at his watch suddenly. "Oh, I gotta run. Prefects meeting," he said while getting up towards the door, "I'll be back later with James and Lily." Peter got up quickly as well.
"Where are you going, Pete?" Sirius asked him.
"Oh, uh, washroom," he said in a squeaky voice and ran out. Sirius sighed and looked up towards Leena, "Well, looks like it's just me and you left, kiddo." This idea seemed to thrill Leena and Sara noticed it.
"Hey, hey. Watch out Black. Don't let Leena like you too much. She'll stick to you like glue." Sirius laughed and he started dealing the cards.
"Fine. Don't say I didn't warn you." Sara muttered. She turned her attention back to Nina, "So, tell me about your summer, Nina." The girls talked while Leena and Sirius continued with their game. A little while later, Remus, Lily, and James joined them. To everyone's surprise, nobody (nobody being Lily) seemed to be in a particularly crusty mood. The meeting was successful, and James seemed to be behaving himself rather well around Lily. After the boys left, the girls changed into their school robes.
"So Lily, how was the 'ahem' meeting with the Head Boy?" Sara asked with a cheeky grin. Lily gave Sara an annoyed look and replied in a softer tone, "It was okay I guess. He didn't say anything too stupid. He seemed kinda nervous actually. It was funny."
"Aww, poor guy." Nina added, "I hope you weren't too mean to him. He's nice. He just acts stupid when you're around 'cause he's crazy about you."
"Yeah, yeah," Lily waved a hand impatiently, "I wasn't mean, don't worry. He wasn't acting stupid so I didn't really have a chance to be. I'm not some kind of monster you know!" The train started to come to a stop and Leena looked a little green; she was nervous about the sorting. As she left her sister to join the rest of the first years, Sara tried to give her some comforting words.
"Don't worry," she said, "you'll get into Gryffindor; I know it." Leena smiled and waved goodbye to the older girls and they all headed towards the horseless carriages and into the castle.
