Thick Smell of Smoke

Lily

I always had loved the rush of leaving home for another year, I loved my parents dearly but to be quite frank they drove me round the twist if I was forced to stay in their company 24/7 for longer than two weeks. I loved getting up late and having the fear of missing the train but the bit I loved the most was when I stood on the platform of 9 and ¾ and smelled again the thick smell of smoke that was emitting from the train. The hustle and bustle of the platform reminded me that I was going home again. I could have a decent row without feeling guilty afterwards. I could give out detentions and feel the vindication of getting my own back on the stupid Marauders.

I was stood in the middle of the platform with my trunk lagging somewhere behind me, this would be the last time that I could take in the Hogwarts express in all of its splendour and it was a fantastic sight. The smoke was billowing out of the top and the deep red paint had been retouched to cover up the marks from last years train ride.

I looked around looking for Joan, she wasn't here yet and there was only ten minutes to get on the train and complete and endless list of tasks before my first meeting as Head Girl. A moment of pride passed over me as I realised that all that I had been working for had come true at once. This year would be perfect; my last perfect moment to make memories that would serve for a lifetime. Someone shoved into me harshly and nearly made me fall over.

"Oi! Watch out!" I snapped out at the person who'd pushed into me. The person turned around and I saw the bright face of the fifth year Gryffindor Elizabeth.

"Sorry Lily" she apologised sincerely. I smiled at her encouragingly and I stalked off to find Joan. She had to be here somewhere, she's never late normally I can count on her waiting outside the barrier for the platform at exactly 10:45 of the morning the train was due to take us back to school. I pulled my trunk along to a quieter part of the platform and tried to look over the heads of the students to look for a flash of strawberry blonde hair somewhere on the platform. Then I saw her, she was stood with the Maraduers slightly to the left of me and it looked like Joan wasn't going to stop talking to them anytime soon.

I was about to turn my head and walk away when the worst of all things happened. Potter saw me, or rather Lupin saw me and nudged Potter who then saw me. The smile that broke out on his face was one that would make most girls swoon but it didn't move me unless you count being plunged into ice - cold fear being moved by a smile. His whole face literally became like a light house beacon shining out into the deep sea fog. Joan obviously realised that James wasn't listening to her anymore and looked slightly annoyed until her green / grey eyes look up and saw that I was the cause of distraction. Her whole face lit up just like Potters had and she frantically started beckoning for me to come over.

"Lily!" she shouted gleefully. I smiled and pulled my trunk over to where she was standing. It didn't matter that she was stood with the Marauders at that moment she hadn't realised just how much she had missed Joan until she had just looked at her and now she was dying to talk to her best friend again no matter who she happened to be stood with.

"How've you been ?" she asked when I was finally stood with them. Joan's voice had a slightly hoarse quality to it that I thought made her sound incredibly sexy but she always insisted that it made her sound incredibly nasal.

Joan

I don't do hugs. That's why when Lily walked over she didn't ask for a hug and neither did I step forward to give her one. I'd never seen the point in showing affection for someone in any other way than a slight change in voice or a more affectionate facial expression when talking to them. I had been trying to explain to James exactly why I hadn't replied to his 3am owl he had sent. It was his fault if he hadn't completed the homework but he had maintained that he wouldn't have had a very good summer if he had been doing homework all the way through it. Anyway it ended up becoming a boring conversation about "What is the point of homework?"

I smiled warmly at Lily; she had changed in the last few weeks since I'd seen her. Her auburn hair had grown to about half way down her back. She looked tired; obviously she had been through her normal routine of completing her homework late. She didn't realise how much like James she was.

"How was your summer?" I gushed enthusiastically. James face was still lit up like a Christmas tree, he was so happy to see her that he had forgotten to even say 'hello'.

"It was good" Lily replied, she saw James stood beside me still staring at her. She looked slightly unnerved by it for a moment and then grabbed my wrist to pull them away from them.

"Why were you talking to Potter?" she asked as she dragged me towards the train to find an empty compartment. There was about three minutes before the train had to leave and we really did have to get a move on. I smiled at her and then pulled my wrist out of her grip. I walked over to my mum to say goodbye to her. I miss mum when I'm at school, what person wouldn't? But mum and I have a special bond. Our bond, no other parent – child relationship could rival it in the country I'm sure.

"Goodbye mum" I said as me and Lily stood in front of her. My mum smiled at me, she didn't try to hug me. She's known me long enough to understand that I don't like hugs. They are terrifying experiences, I'm sure you can understand can't you? Ahh probably not but I'm not going to get into that now.

"I'll see you at Christmas?" Mum asked hopefully. She smiled and nodded at Lily who smiled back. I wasn't going to go home for Christmas, It's not that I didn't want to it was just that I wanted to spend my last Christmas at Hogwarts with my friends. I'll get to spend plenty more Christmases with Mum but this might be my last chance to spend a Christmas with my friends and that meant more to me than spending Christmas with Mum.

"I'm gonna stay at school this year. Remember?" I said exasperatedly. She looked at me and sighed. She obviously had just admitted defeat. She kissed me a top of my head and whished both me and Lily a good term before she walked back through the barrier towards home.

Joan

I hate Black, I always have and I always will. That's why I don't talk to him; I ignore him as much as I can. Even when we were working together in Slughorn's class last year. He did try owling me over the summer using James's owl just to try and trick me to read the letters but I didn't fall for it.

I don't exactly know what he wants from me. Actually scrap that I probably do know what he wants from me but he ain't getting it. And its not sex I'm talking about either. He thinks it's a challenge and every year he tries to get a hug out of me. He doesn't seem to get the message I don't do hugs! But you got to admire his persistence. It all started back in third year, I had helped him with his homework and as I'd saved his ass from yet another detention he hugged me. I'd frozen and after he'd let go I explained that I don't like hugs and so the war began.

Now I'm sat in a train compartment with Lily and the war has been resumed. He constantly tries to hug me. He has of course ended up with various injuries over the years; one particular injury had made me quite unpopular as he hadn't been able to play Quidditch for about two months. I'm fuming. Before I had chance to get on the train Black had come up behind me, picked me up and then tried to carry me on the train like a possession and Lily didn't help either she'd just stood next to James laughing really hard and ignoring my pleas for help.

She was still laughing once in a while, While I looked out of the window and the rain poring down outside in the midnight black sky.