"Parchments" Gabby asked.
"Check" Tasha confirmed.
"Quills"
"Check"
"Ink"
"Check"
"Quidditch gear"
"Check"
"Polka-dotted undies"
"Che-…wait, HEY!" Natasha yelled, shifting her gaze from the shopping list to her elder sister with a frown.
Eve and Gabby burst out laughing at their sister's reaction. 'Typically Tash', they would say.
"Okay ladies, I'd say we're done here" Gabby went through the shopping list again in case they missed out anything.
"Gabby, can I have an owl?" Eve asked.
"But we already have two, Evie" Gabby replied.
"But Hunter is Tasha's and Hawk is yours. I was wondering if I could have my own owl, is all" Eve said.
"And what's wrong with sharing?" Natasha asked with her eyebrows raised.
"And what's wrong with getting my own owl?" Evangeline glared at Natasha, looking very annoyed as she rolled her eyes.
Natasha glared back at her younger sister and opened her mouth to tell Evangeline off, but Gabriella sensed the war that was about to break out between her sisters and decided that it would be the perfect time to butt in.
"Guys, stop it! Not in public!" Gabriella said sternly to her sisters and they immediately stopped fighting. No one messes with Gabriella when she got serious. It was like an unwritten rule. Gabriella turned her attention to the now sulking Evangeline.
"Evie, is the owl really necessary? I mean, remember what happened to last owl you had?" Gabriella asked.
"I do, Gabby. But I was eleven! I'm older now; I can take care of an owl!" Evangeline tried reasoning with her sister.
"Come on, Evangeline. You're not that much older! You're only thirteen, still young and foolish!" Natasha smirked at her sister.
Evangeline looked like she would hex her sister any second. Anger was clearly written all over her face.
"It's better than being old and foolish, just like you" Evangeline yelled at Natasha who had gone beet red after hearing the insult.
"Enough, both of you!" Gabriella said, "One more time and you both can jolly well find your own transport back home".
Natasha and Evangeline were still shooting daggers at each other but at least they stopped bickering, and that was good enough of Gabriella.
The three sisters roamed around Diagon Alley one last time before making their way back to the fireplace at The Leaky Cauldron . The discussion about Evangeline's owl was long forgotten, at least for the two elder girls. Evangeline pushed the matter to the back of her head. She was upset, but it wasn't anything new for the young girl. To be not taken seriously and pushed aside, mostly by Natasha.
The trio got into the fireplace one by one before returning home by floo. When they appeared in their living room, Gabriella, Natasha and Evangeline found three huge trunks sitting comfortably beside the front door. Only one thought crossed the three teenagers' minds.
They were returning home. To Hogwarts.
-*-
The next day, the three girls and Tammy left home early so they wouldn't arrive at the train station late and miss the train, like they almost did last year.
"Kids, now are you sure you've got all your things?" Tammy asked for the millionth time.
"Yes, Tammy!" The three girls whined.
"Tammy, relax! It's not like we haven't done this before," Natasha said.
"I know, i know… It's just… Time's passing by so fast and you're all growing up into beautiful young ladies," Tammy gently patted Gabriella and Evangeline's cheek, "You girls just came back and now you're leaving so quickly…I'm not very good with goodbyes," she said, her eyes glistening with tears.
"Who says this is goodbye?" Gabriella asked as she felt tears prickle down her cheek. She smiled lovingly at her housekeeper and gave her a warm bear-hug. Natasha and Evangeline took turns and did the same.
"Take care of yourself and don't get into trouble. I expect nothing less than straight 'O's from all of you! Keep each other safe, okay? I love you so much," Tammy said as she hugged the girls one last time.
"Love you too, Tam" Gabriella, Natasha and Evangeline said at the same time.
The three sisters took their luggage and made their way to the Hogwarts Express which was crowded with students of different years.
Before Gabriella reached the entrance of the train, someone grabbed her arm from the back.
"Take care of your sisters, Gabriella. They need you and you need them,"
"I know, Tammy… and I will," Gabriella smiled.
"Write to me if you need anything, honey" Tammy said.
"Will do" Gabriella replied as she quickly made her way towards the train.
Gabriella squeezed her way through the crowded train and she sighed in relief when she finally found an empty cabin. She sat down comfortably near the window and looked out for her housekeeper. She caught Tammy's eyes and waved goodbye to her before she saw Tammy apparate home.
Gabriella took out a storybook from her sling bag and started reading it. She was so engrossed in her storybook that she didn't see a few sixth-year Gryffindor girls entering her compartment. Before she knew it, she was engulfed in a bone-breaking hug.
"Oh my goodness, It's so good to finally see you again!" a red-head was squealing in her left ear.
"LILY! Merlin, look at you! You've changed so much, in a good way of course! Potter's gonna go bonkers when he sees you!" Gabriella grinned at her best friend, Lily Evans.
"So I've been told" Lily said, a huge grin plastered on her face.
"Look at you, Gabby! You've grown taller! I didn't think it was even possible for you to grow anymore! And your hair, it's so long!" Gabriella's roommate, Victoria Woods said as she too, gave Gabriella a warm hug.
"Vicky! You got a tan! You look like you had fun in Hawaii," Gabriella winked.
"Please, all she did was ogle the entire population of guys on the island" Gabriella's other roommate, Marilyn-Ashely Brown said.
"Jealous much, Mary?" Vicky smirked at the blonde who stuck out her tongue at the brown-haired girl in return.
"Mare, I haven't seen you in ages! What did you so this summer?" Gabriella hugged her friend.
"I practiced Quidditch. Well, there's nothing much you can do when you have three elder brothers who still think lip gloss is a type of weapon for self-defense," Mary sighed.
The four best friends giggled at each other's stories while waiting for the train to move. Suddenly, they heard a loud commotion in the corridor of the train. Being prefects, Lily and Gabriella went out of their compartment to check it out. It really was no surprise when they saw the biggest trouble-makers in school laughing at a few second-year students who were now covered with dung-bombs. Gabriella would have laughed at the sight before her if she wasn't trying to calm down a very frantic-looking Lily.
James Potter and Sirius Black turned around as they heard gasps and mutterings coming from the back. James' eyes grew wide as he saw Lily staring at the scene before her. His mouth dropped a few inches as he admired the red-head who had matured this summer and looked astonishing. Lily though, didn't notice the look James was giving her as her brain was still processing the event that just took place.
James didn't get the hint and started his antics with her.
"Lily! It's so good to see you again and my, can I say you look absolutely smashing~" James was cut off by a shrill scream from Lily, followed by her famous,
"POTTTERRRR!!!!!!!"
Gabriella thought Lily was taking it rather well, considering the circumstances. Her mind was occupied with calming down the furious Lily; she didn't even notice a certain dashing looking, grey-eyed boy with messy jet black hair and bangs covering his left eye checking her out with a grin that would sweep girls off their feet. Sirius Black definitely liked what he saw.
-*-
A/N: So sorry this chapter took uber long to be published! A thousand apologies! I've been really busy this past month, in fact, i just wrote this chapter and it's definitely not one of my best works because i didn't have the time to read it over. I'm not really sure what the right terms and names of places are so do correct me if i made a mistake. Well, that's it for now! i hope you enjoyed this chapter. Ideas and critics are always welcomed. Till next time! Reviewww!!!!! :)
-Dea