Author's Note - I know. Sorry that took me forever. I really like this chapter. I guess with all the characters introduced i'm pretty excited. haha. Hope you all enjoy. Don't forget to review. :)
Chapter 3
Goodbyes and Hellos
"You make sure that if anything happens you go straight to the headmistress ok?" Hermione watched her daughter worriedly.
"Mum, I'm going to be fine. Why are you so worried?" Arianna exclaimed exasperated by her mother's constant nagging.
Hermione cast a nervous glance at George who was shaking his sons' hands (they were too old to be hugged by their dad now). George caught her eye but quickly turned back to the boys.
"I just love you," Hermione felt herself tear up.
Arianna sighed. "I love you too mum. And I promise if anything happens I'll go to the headmistress."
Hermione smiled as she pulled Arianna into a tight hug. "And don't forget your father and I are here whenever you need us." Arianna nodded against her mum's shoulder.
"Are we late?" the sound of a familiar voice made Arianna pull away from her mother.
"Lila," she squealed as she saw her cousin and best friend approach.
Lila was closely followed by Harry and Ginny and her younger brother and sister. Born at the end of December Lila was just able to squeeze into Arianna's year much to both of their delight. Her younger brother Seth would be entering his second year this year and her younger sister Molly would be starting school next year.
"Hey everyone," Harry called leading shy ten year old Molly towards the big group of Weasleys.
"Hey Harry, Gin," George turned from his sons to greet his brother-in-law and sister.
"Hey," a tired looking Ginny smiled as she hugged Hermione and then Chelsea. "How is everyone?"
"Good," they all replied in unison.
"Mum, can we go on the train. The compartments are starting to get full," Arianna inquired to her mother.
Hermione turned from Harry and smiled. "Sure sweetheart," she kissed her forehead. "Have a wonderful year ok?"
Arianna nodded. "Bye dad," she hugged George. "See you on Hogsmeade weekends."
George held onto her tightly for a moment and then finally let go. "You sure will."
"I'm so sorry," Angelina Weasley burst through the crowd towards the large group of family. "Bill, honey, where are you?"
A very red faced Bill immerged from within the group.
"You made it," Fred greeted his wife with a small kiss.
"Of course I did. I couldn't let my baby go away to school without being there to say goodbye," Angelina kissed her son's head. Bill seemed mortified. James and Arthur sniggered.
Hermione turned to her sons. "Bye boys. Have a great year. And remember, one letter from McGonagall and you will never see the light of day again," she warned.
"Love you mum," James hugged Hermione.
"We'll be good," Arthur grinned.
Hermione seemed to calm down and watched her sons follow Arianna onto the train, her eyes welling up again.
The rest of the Weasleys and Potters bid their children farewell and waved as they all piled onto the train.
"Our family must take up half that train," Fred smirked wrapping his arm around Angelina's waist.
George laughed. "I quite agree."
"And those aren't even all of them," Ron gestured to his remaining two kids. Charles was running in circles around everyone again and Ron scooped him up into his arms. "Say bye to your sisters," Ron waved and Charles copied his actions.
"Don't forget Charlie's kids either. If Marian and Demetri went to Hogwarts that would be two more," Chelsea added in. "And there's Molly too. We're going to have Weasleys and Potters attending Hogwarts for ages."
"I never understood why Charlie didn't send them here," Fred scratched his head inquiring about Charlie's kids.
"Because he and Nadine would die without their kids close to home," Angelina replied.
"That's true," Fred shrugged.
Hermione looked down at her clock as it ticked to 11 o'clock. The train let out a loud whistle and the slowly started to pull out of the station. Hermione waved one last time before the train was out of sight. She felt a hand take hold of hers and leaned her head onto George's shoulder.
"Everything will be alright," George whispered. Hermione just remained quiet.
Arianna looked out the window as the station disappeared and the country side began to speed by. "Let's find a compartment," she said turned to Lila.
"We're off, see you later," James and Arthur grinned at their sister and disappeared down the corridor. Mira disappeared too, leading a nervous Trisha and Bill to find some other first years.
"Later sis," Seth nodded his head at Lila and then headed off in the opposite direction.
Lila rolled her eyes. "Sometimes I swear he is such a muggle."
Arianna laughed pulling open an empty compartment door, a rare find, and the two entered. Arianna plopped down on the cushiony seat and settled in for the long ride.
"What's up?" Lila inquired after a couple of minutes of silence.
"Huh?" Arianna snapped out of some thoughts. "Nothing's wrong."
Lila gave Arianna a look. "Out with it. You know you can't hide anything from me."
Arianna did know that. "It's mum. I don't know. She's kind of freaking me out. Something's going on and she and dad aren't telling me anything."
"What, like they're going to get a divorce?" Lila asked surprised.
"No," Arianna shook her head. "Defiantly not. They're acting like I'm some kind of walking time bomb. Mum especially. She keeps worrying about me and warning me to be careful."
"Hmmm," Lila began to think. Before she could say anything else the compartment door slid open and a handsome boy popped his head in.
"Hey girls," the boy grinned pushing the door all the way open and entering.
"Hey Shane," Arianna forgot all about her mum and worrying and smiled.
Shane Wood was in the same year as both Arianna and Lila. Son of star quidditch players Oliver Wood and Katie Bell-Wood he sported light shaggy brown hair and light green eyes. He was tall and well built from all the quidditch he played. He was Gryffindor team's captain and one of the most amazing Keepers, just like his dad. Arianna played too, she was a beater and that's how she and Shane met. They had instantly become friends and he was now one of her best friends although she harboured stronger feelings for him. He didn't know it though and Arianna kept it to herself.
Shane plopped into the seat next to Arianna and placed his head on her shoulder. Arianna was used to it. They were always close like this but it still sent jolts down her spine. "I'm so tired," he yawned in his light Irish accent. "Mum's sick so I had to help dad take care of Megan." Megan was Shane's two year old sister.
"Poor baby," Arianna reached up and patted his head.
Lila nodded. "I remember when Molly was two. They're nuts at that age."
Just then they were joined by their other two friends and the last of their little group. Peyton Jordan was daughter of one of George's best friends, Lee Jordan. Her mother also happened to be Parvati Patil, now Parvati Jordan, who had been in Hermione's year. Peyton was one of the most beautiful girls Arianna had ever seen. She was tall and slender with dark brown skin. Her hair was long and wavy and her eyes were a brilliant shade of caramel.
Then there was Ian Finnigan. He was the other beater on the Gryffindor team and Arianna remembered hating his cocky attitude. He drove her crazy. Then one day, back in her third year, Shane made them work together on some assignment because they were disrupting the "positive influence" of the team. After that they ended up becoming really good friends and now he was one of her best friends. He looked exactly like his father, Seamus Finnigan but his personality was exactly like his mother's, sweet and calm, although sometimes he was just as cocky as his dad.
Arianna thought it was pretty cool that all her friends were daughters or sons of one of her parent's old friends or acquaintances (she knew her mum never really like Seamus because he had always been hitting on her).
"Mind if we join you?" Ian spoke, his Irish accent much stronger than Shane's. He sat down next to Lila and Peyton situated herself on his other side.
"Of course not," Arianna shook her head.
"How was your summer?" Lila directed the question at the three who had just joined them. Being Arianna's cousin she of course knew how her summer had gone.
Shane yawned again. His head remained on Arianna's shoulder. "Pretty good, we went to visit me granddad in Ireland."
Ian nodded. "We were in Ireland too. Would you believe Katrina has a boyfriend now? She met some bloke in Ireland and they've been inseparable," he pretended to gag.
The group laughed. "She still has one?" Peyton poked Ian's shoulder. "You didn't kill him or anything?"
Ian shook his head. "Nah, he's an ok guy I guess. Still though, it's hard to see your sister with a boyfriend. She's only 14."
"Just because you're 15 and never had a girlfriend doesn't mean Katrina can't have a boyfriend," Shane joked.
"Anyways," Arianna said moving on. "How about you Peyton?"
"It was alright. Pretty relaxing though. We didn't really do much," Peyton shrugged.
Lila nodded. "Me neither."
The group continued to talk. Half an hour into the trip Shane fell asleep, head buried in Arianna's shoulder. Arianna looked around her compartment. She watched her friends laughing and Shane sleeping on her shoulder and she didn't understand why her mum was worrying. It was just another year. Nothing bad was going to happen.
