A:N/ Hey guys! Sorry about the long wait. I was on vacation (cruise, wat wat!), and had absolutely NO internet access :(. However, to anyone who's still sticking with this story, Chapter Three is just below! Lucas will be introduced next chapter, for those of you wondering, so that'll be fun. But, as always, I hope you enjoy!
(P.S: Thank you to Guest for your kind review! That really made my day!)
One hour and fifty five minutes later, Maya Hart had learned approximately four things about Riley Matthews:
1) Her family was a very well known line of pure blooded wizards (meaning that they were solely of magic blood)
2) Her favorite color was purple, and she took it very seriously (Maya knew this because Riley had tried to turn her newly purchased pet cat a violent shade of fuchsia)
3) She was probably the most adorable, innocent, and trusting girl in the entire world (magical and Muggle both)
4) Riley somehow made the prospect of tackling the wizard in world a lot less terrifying in Maya's eyes
Coming from a place where miracles occurred when pigs flew and people abandoned each other without a care in the world, Maya was dumbfounded by Riley's complete and utter faith that she and Maya would be best friends for life. Even more surprising, Maya actually didn't think that prospect sounded so bad. She'd never had a real friend in her entire life before, let alone a best friend, and the thought of having someone like Riley as one mare things, well...better.
The two girls were now standing near the edge of Platform Nine and Three Quarters, waiting to board the Hogwarts Express train for school. They had finished their school shopping around half an hour ago, booked it to the London station, rushed through the magical barrier (by far the most shocking part of Maya's day, she was still reeling from it), and had arrived on the platform just as the train was pulling in. Maya's meager belongings now included a stack of school books, second-hand robes, a shiny, deep chestnut wand, ink and parchment, and other miscellaneous supplies necessary for a first year Hogwarts student. She thanked her lucky stars for Riley and her family. They had known their way well around Diagon Alley, and had helped her find everything she needed in only an hour or so. Without them, Maya was certain that she would never have been able to get everything in time for the train.
Maya also probably wouldn't have half the belongings she did now if it weren't for the Matthews. Her twenty five dollars worth of Muggle money had only amounted to a few sickles worth of wizard's gold— barely enough to purchase her school books. However, Mr. Matthews pulled a decent amount of weight in the wizarding world (he taught History of Magic at Hogwarts, a class Maya would be taking), and had inconspicuously haggled down the prices of all of Maya's items. Event then, they had just barely fit under her budget. She was eternally grateful, yet slightly confused as to why Mr. Matthews would do all of it for her. When she'd asked, he'd only said that school supplies were far too expensive as it was, and that he had simply made sure she got all of hers at a decent price. Maya wondered if she was dreaming.
Back in New York, she had always stayed away from anyone even remotely nice to her. She absolutely hated feeling like a charity case, and firmly believed that those who knew her family situation would only stick around her because they pitied her. But Mr. Matthews and his family didn't seem to treat her differently than they would any other kid. Besides bargaining with store clerks for her, Mr. Matthews had seemed just as irritated with her as with Riley when they had wandered off one too many times. And Mrs. Matthews smiled and spoke with her just as much as she did her own family. Even Riley's younger brother, Auggie, treated Maya with the same haughty, I-know-everything air that little kids used with all teenagers. And Riley...well, Maya was left wondering where Riley had been all her life.
The brunette girl had seemed completely oblivious to any financial issues Maya may have had during their shopping escapade. She'd hopped along excitedly from store front to store front, begging to look around the more interesting ones and buying nearly a pound of sweets from a small candy shop they had passed (none of which Maya had recognized, but she trusted Riley's word that they were good). Riley's vitality and carefree nature made Maya for once appreciate a good shopping spree, without feeling so burdened by the money in her pocket. For the first time in her life, Maya had felt almost...free.
That was the reassuring thing about living at rock bottom. There was no direction Maya's life could go but up. And the introduction of Riley Matthews could definitely be the lift off.
"Hey, Peaches," Riley's voice broke Maya's thoughts. After claiming that all BFFs needed nicknames, the brunette girl had taken to calling the blonde 'Peaches' (a name Maya never would have accepted from anyone else, but found endearing coming from Riley). "Which house do you think we'll get it?"
"House? ...There are houses?" The tiny spark of excitement Maya may have felt earlier vanished. There was still so much she didn't know about the world of magic! Hell, she'd basically only started taking it seriously that day. At this rate, Maya was absolutely positive she was going to flunk her way out of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry before she even boarded the train.
"You know, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Slytherin?" Riley blinked at her. "Oh, right, you come from a Muggle family! I shouldn't have expected you to know about them. Anyways, there are four of houses at Hogwarts— kind of like teams, in a way. Each house has their own separate living and sleeping area, and every student works to gain points for his or her house. At the end of the year, the house with the most points wins the House Cup. Frankly, I have no idea what house I'll be placed in, considering-"
"Miss, would you please stop talking to your friend and step onto the train?" The man behind Riley (tall, balding, and with the funniest mustache Maya Had ever seen) was glaring at them. Maya realized that she and Riley had reached the front of the boarding line, and Riley's babbling was holding up the entire group. Maya sighed, grabbed Riley (who grabbed her trunk and the cat basket holding her new calico kitten) and hopped onto the Hogwarts Express. Mrs. Matthews and Auggie waved at Riley as she entered the train (Mr. Matthews had boarded earlier to sit with the other teachers), and to Maya's surprise they also waved at her. She was left wondering if for once this year she might receive a Christmas card from somebody besides her mom.
"As I was saying," Riley continued her little speech as she and Maya toted their belongings down the corridor of the train, "I'm not sure which house I'll be placed in considering that my dad was a Gryffindor and my mom a Ravenclaw. I'll be happy with any house, though, just as long as it isn't Slytherin." Riley gave a shudder when she spoke the last word. The action almost caused her to lose her grip on her suitcase, which she was stuffing into the carrying quarters of an empty compartment they had just reached. Maya used her left hand (which was not holding her own luggage) and boosted the deep chestnut case into the tight space. It fell inside with a clatter.
"What's wrong with Slytherin?" Maya asked. She stuffed her ratty suitcase into the small holding space next to Riley's and settled down on one of the seats below. Riley placed her cat basket next to Maya, shut the compartment door, and sat across from her. The calico kitten inside the cat basket, dubbed "Princess Dancing Sunshine" by Riley, pushed her way out and began sniffing Maya's leg. She patted it absentmindedly, and waited for Riley to explain more about "Slytherin". Thankfully, it wasn't a long wait. The brunette girl began babbling again as soon as her butt landed on the leather train seat.
"Slytherin is the house for bad eggs, Peaches. Almost every dark wizard of the ages came from there."
At Maya's confused look, she elaborated. "You don't want to be one of them. They're evil. Dabble in the Dark Arts and all that stuff. Personally, I think you'll get into Ravenclaw, it's where all the super smarties come from, and you're sharp from what I've noticed..." Riley kept talking, but Maya had stopped paying attention. There was a 'bad' wizarding house? There were "bad" wizards? Her friendship with goody-two-shoes Riley Matthews may as well end there and then. If Slytherin was where all the "bad wizards" came from, then Maya was definitely going there. And Riley wouldn't be following behind her. After all, people like Riley could probably do nothing but good in their lives. And broken people like Maya, well, what were they if not 'bad'?
"Uh...hello?" Maya and Riley both started. A short, nerdy-looking boy of about their age was standing outside their compartment, holding the sliding door open. His brown hair sported a bowl haircut, and he wore a long turtleneck shirt underneath his robes (a look Maya wouldn't have been caught dead in). Behind him was a huge brown trunk and an owl cage with a hooting bird inside. The boy looked nervous, and there was a faint blush on his cheeks. Maya stared at him, and saw that Riley was doing the same. An awkward moment passed before Maya realized that they were supposed to reply to his greeting.
"Um, hey." Maya thought that must have been the most awkward thing she had ever said (Maya did not do awkward) but it had the desired effect. The boy instantly looked less anxious, and pushed the compartment door all the way open. "My name is Farkle Minkus, eleven year old genius child who will probably end up ruling the world one day."
Riley and Maya blinked at him. 'Farkle' set turged on his luggage and owl cage and scratched his head awkwardly. "Um...do you ladies mind if I sit with you? There are no other empty compartments."
Maya looked at Riley, who had been looking at her. A telepathic conversation ensued:
Riley: Should we let him sit with us?
Maya: I don't know. He seems a little...off...to me...
Riley: It's the turtleneck, isn't it?
Maya: Yep.
Riley: Well, other than that, there are no other visible faults that I can see.
Maya: Except that he'll probably end up boring us to death with his obvious nerd powers.
Riley: Maya!
Maya: Yes or no?
Both girls nodded almost imperceptibly to each other, and then turned to Farkle. The boy looked (and probably felt) incredibly awkward from Maya's perspective, standing all alone in basically the middle of the train corridor (not to mention he was sweating nervously). His head had been swiveling back and forth between the two girls, as if aware of the telepathy occurring between them but unable to follow it. Maya narrowed her eyes at him.
"Look, Nerd Boy-"
"It's Child Genius!"
"Whatever. You can sit here on two conditions: one, you don't act like a nerd, and two, you don't hit on either of us." Riley let out a little giggle after the last part. Maya stifled a sigh. The girl had A LOT to learn.
Nevertheless, Farkle's mouth stretched into a huge grin, and he loaded his belongings into the luggage compartment above. Then he stretched out on the seat next to Riley (Princess Dancing Sunshine was curled next to Maya), tucked his arms behind his head, crossed his legs, and gave a creepy attempt at a seductive smirk.
"So, would either of you two lovely ladies like to learn about Belgium 1831?"
Maya facepalmed. It was going to be one long train ride.
