I thought i would add this despite the fact that the other chapter was only a tester and I just wanted to see what people thought really. I'm basically saying thank you all for your reviews, and i hope this chapter is alright! I wasn't going to update for ages, but i thought to myself "If it's sitting there,I might as well right?" So here you all are. I hope you like it. Please tell me what you think.
Thank You!
AN G E L I N A
Morning, September 1st - School starts.
It's morning and I've been ready for a good hour now. Sage and I are sat at the small table in our kitchen as we wait for dad to kindly dish out our breakfast. My eyes skim across to my brother and I watch him take a sip of his Orange Juice, before he gets a chance to put it back down I give him a quick pinch.
"Ow!" He glares at me indignantly, shaking his hand of spilt juice "What was that for?"
"Don't drink before you eat Sage," I announce casually "it'll spoil your meal." I stretch across the table and grab a copy of the Daily Prophet, sat neatly atop a pile of Muggle newspapers. While I'm reading I pop a bit of toast into my mouth and dad pours food onto my plate. My eyes catch an article about Hogwarts. "Says old Hoggy's holding something special this year, dad."
My dad chuckles to himself and sits beside us at the table. I don't like that chuckle. Not at all. It's the kind of chuckle he does when he knows something I don't, and I've never been fond of being the only one uninformed. I give him the look as he chews a piece of bacon.
"I'm not supposed to tell-" He starts to explain.
I take to begging but he simply shakes his head. "Oh come on dad!"
"No, I'd spoil it for you-"
"Dad!" I sulk but he keeps his mouth shut. On my other side, Sage sniggers through a forkful of beans.
"What're you laughing at?" I ask, folding up the paper and putting it back into the middle of the table. My eyes flash at him sternly.
Sage looks cute today. I'm sure as soon as he's spotted by Katie and Alicia he'll be smothered. He tries his hardest to pretend he doesn't like the attention but his façade is easily see through. I know he has a thing for Alicia the little flirt.
He's wearing a fair blue shirt and black trousers. Apparently him and dad are going to go visit my aunt and her kids after they drop me off. Dad always dresses Sage to his best whenever they go and visit Aunt Miriam. She's my mum's sister and a right old snob. I'm glad Hogwarts is transporting me as far away from her as possible.
Aunt Miriam always has some comment to add about how my dad is bringing up us kids. She thinks her children are better than us, and I don't think she was unhappy to see my mum go. Dad always says Miriam and my mum didn't really get along when my mum was alive, so I don't see why she's always inviting us around for brunch of lunch or whatever she likes to call it. Dad always goes, as I don't think he wants to break any close contact with my mothers side of the family. What do I think about this? It doesn't bother me at all if she's dropped, and I'm sure Sage feels the same way. Despite the fact that he's young and doesn't understand the elaborate details, he's told me things Miriam says about our mother now that she's gone. I promised myself that one of these days, I'm going to give Miriam a piece of my mind. If it includes whacking someone with a frying pan - preferably one that was in use - then so be it. I'm prepared to go down for a good cause if that woman wants to push me any more than she already has done.
I couldn't turn up to her house dressed as I am now. Not that I don't look decent. I'm not your every day tart, I do like to cover myself though it's not like I'm afraid of how I look or anything. I've never really been vain or stressed over my appearance. I am what you get and that's that really.
Today I chose to go a little dressed for the occasion. I'm wearing a black polar necked jumper that falls neatly at my waist, on which I also sport a black, red and white kilt like skirt. Dressing to suit the weather I've decided to wear white tights and a pair of black buckle boots. At my waist I'm also bearing a loose white belt, worn merely for the fashion sense of things. My hair today is up in a high pony tail complete with a black ribbon to match my jumper, or maybe to match my mood, I'm not so sure. The get up is usually for cute on lookers and noisy aunts, though I do think that for once I look quite nice. Maybe even festive if we were anywhere near December.
"I'm laughing 'cause I know too!" Says Sage, revealing to me all the chewed up pieces of food stuck between his teeth and on his gums. I half laugh, but then his words register properly.
I look over at dad, my expression anxious. "You told him too!"
"He was there when I got the letter." Dad sighs.
I cross my arms over my chest and pretend to sulk. Dad only laughs at me. "Eat your food before it gets cold, pudding." He always calls me that. "We'll be leaving in a bit."
I nod and immediately get over it, realising that I'll probably find out what the whole bother is about in a few hours anyway.
Once we are done eating, we all do our bit with the dishes as per usual. Dad scrubs, I dry and Sage packs away. As Sage puts away the last plate I rush upstairs and grab my trunk, it's never too easy to pull down the stairs but I always discard dads offers to help. He needn't stress himself over something that I can do while he starts up the car.
When I get the trunk down the stairs I help Sage into his jacket. Dad is already outside and waiting for us with the boot lifted for my trunk to go in. I grab my own coat and pick the keys off the coffee table, saying goodbye to my home once again for the start of a new Hogwarts year. I sigh and shake my head, who knows what this year will bring.
Quickly, I hand dad the keys and he lifts my trunk into the back of the car. Sage is already inside. We both mount into the warm vehicle and dad starts up the engine, tuning in the radio and turning up the heat before the car kicks into gear, and once again we're off.
The feeling is always so sad, yet evenly exciting. It isn't easy for me to explain. I hate leaving home, but I love Hogwarts because of the independence I get, because of my friends and because it's so enchanting, warm and inviting. I've never once felt unwelcome.
"Looking forward to this year, pudding?" Dad asks me. I'm sat next to Sage in the back of the car, his head up against my shoulder. Again he seems upset and I try not to ponder on the thought. I have to go.
I nod and sigh. "Yeah I guess you could say that. I'm not looking forward to some. Elaborating I basically mean Professor Snape and the Slytherins." Dad laughs and Sage looks up at me with enquiring eyes.
"Who are the Shlytherins again, Gelina?"
"Their the really mean folk who bully people because of the families they're brought up into and the people they hang around with." I state, but Sage merely nods and rests against me once more. He doesn't really seem interested in the Slytherins, I can tell. He's wishing I didn't go. I know because it's how I used to feel about mum a few years ago. It's how I feel sometimes now when things just seem to get too much for me to handle.
After a good hour dad parks up the car and we're here. Kings Cross Station. I see the sign sat proudly at the top of the building and I've suddenly swallowed butterflies. Sage sits up but the poor boy looks terribly rigid. I hate seeing him upset.
"It's ten past ten Gelina." Dad informs as he climbs out of the car and walks over to the boot. I nod at him and get out myself, the cool and frosty September air welcoming me to the imminent winter.
I wrap my jacket tighter around my body and walk to the back of the car to help dad with my trunk. Sage comes round after a while too, his mouth set into a sulky frown and his eyes downcast. "Come on brother dearest." I gesture for him to take my hand and he reluctantly does so, his small warm fingers held loosely around mine. "Cheer up okay?" I gently squeeze his hand. "Remember what I told you last night?" Sage nods. "Then there's nothing to worry about is there?"
"I guess so." He replies, though never once looks up at me.
I look over to dad who gives me a reassuring smile. He must know how I'm feeling right now, after all he did bring me up and most certainly knows how close I am with my little brother. It's never been easy to take us apart. I guess ever since mums death Sage has regarded me as the sort of mother figure in his life, and I'm sorry I'm not always there to live up to my duties. But it isn't so easy.
We get onto platform nine and three quarters without difficulty. With most of the Muggles having left for work this morning we haven't many on lookers. I walk through the barrier first, second is Sage and last to appear is dad. As I step onto familiar turf, once again I feel like the organs in my body are performing somersaults. The concept of me starting a new year at my second most favourite place in the world always makes me slightly nervous and I don't know why. Of course my most favourite place in the world is at home with my family.
The platform is thriving with life, students here and there saying their last goodbye's to family members before heading onto the Hogwarts Express. Owls and toads and spiders and rats scurry about in their cages as their owners meet up with friends they haven't seen since last summer, all creating the great atmosphere that surrounds the station today.
I look around the platform and am thankful that I've spotted Alicia running up to me before she reaches. Her arms are wide spread and the expression on her face reads dangerous excitement. Dangerous on my behalf.
"ANGIE!" Her voice shrills throughout the room and many look to the source of disturbance. Of course she doesn't care, Alicia's always been that: "I couldn't care less" sort of person which I really like about her. She goes with what she thinks is right, and isn't easily persuaded. Not that I am; easily persuaded that is, if anything I'm more stubborn than a mule, but Alicia it seems is more so. "Angie!" She screams again and this time reaches me. I smile at her enthusiasm and wrap my arms around her as soon as she throws herself onto me, almost causing me to loose my balance. "Oh Merlin Angie I've missed you like hell!"
I laugh. "I missed you too!" When she pulls away I take the chance to see how much she's changed since the last time I saw her. Her hair was much shorter and her face somewhat whiter. I remember she had been particularly upset at the fact that neither I nor Katie where able to accompany her on her holiday to Portugal. I wasn't able to go because I simply didn't have the money, and refused the offer when her parents said they would pay, and Katie had things she needed to be doing here in England.
Alicia had sulked almost the whole journey back, complaining about how we didn't want to go with her simply because we hated her and wanted her to grow up lonely with no friends except for her one hundred black cats. Of course she was being horribly pathetic, it's not easy to hate Alicia, anyone would know that- especially George Weasley. Nonetheless, I'm glad to see she's over her foul mood, I never want a journey like that again.
"Wow 'Licia!" My hand flies to my mouth. "You look fab!" She giggles and twirls for me with ideal model behaviour. Her long brown hair whirling around her head like a halo would an angel. As I had before guessed, Alicia is almost as brown as me, her new brown skin matching exotically with her deep brown eyes, the eyes that have almost gotten her everything she wanted.
Alicia is wearing a long sleeved, grey-blue, tunic buckle dress that falls about an inch above her knees. Dressing to suit the weather she's sporting a pair of black tights and small black shoes. She bears at her wrists and around her neck a few items of jewellery to add to the look she is currently trying to achieve. She looks to me a little like Esmeralda from the Hunch Back of Notre Dame, or someone just time warped from an episode of That 70's Show. Alicia can be a bit of a hippie chick when she wants to be.
I can just about imagine George Weasley's face when he finally gets to see her, which hopefully wont be too long from now. I have a feeling he will be kicking himself for not asking her out when he had the chance last year. Poor Alicia had been devastated, but I'm quite sure she'll be over that by now.
"Thanks Ange, you look wicked as always. I could bite you look so cute!" I roll my eyes at the compliment but she merely smiles at the motive and focuses all her attention on little Sage standing at my feet.
"Sage!" She squeals and bends down to engulf my brother in her arms. At least it makes him smile. I know he loves the attention he gets from all my friends. They all treat him like he's our age or something, letting him stay up and watch films with us or listen to us gossip. Fred and George always let him into their Weasely's Wizard Wheezes ideas and make him promise not to tell me, Lee usually teaches him how to hex kids at school if they ever get on his nerves and Katie and Alicia can never stop smothering him. I'm glad for that though. At least my friends can see he means a lot to me and don't shrug him off as Angelina's annoying little brother. They genuinely care.
"How are you doing my favourite little Johnson!" Says Alicia. I gasp as if insulted but laugh it off, Sage and Alicia laugh too.
"I'm okay." Sage smiles and Alicia gawps at his missing teeth.
"What happened to your teeth babe?" She looks over at me as if it was I who knocked him senseless and stole his teeth on purpose.
I only shrug and wait for Sage to answer for himself.
"I fell over playing with some friends." He smiles again and Alicia stares into his mouth as if it was the most interesting thing ever, her eyes narrowed in concentration.
"Can you use a spell to grow them back?" She asks.
Sage shrugs. "I dunno. Wanna see the spare teeth? I keep them in a jar."
I can tell Alicia is squirming at the thought of rotting teeth sat in a jar somewhere hidden under seemingly hygienic items to cover them from on lookers in Sage's bedroom. I smile at the thought of her walking in and screaming at the display. Though Sage infact has no such jar. Alicia should know by now that I wouldn't let my brother keep such things around the house unless they'll be worth a good profit in a few years time. The actual teeth are probably in a skip somewhere, replaced nicely by dad with a two pound coin and me with two shining silver sickles. At least he was happy for the money.
Alicia laughs. "I think I'll skip that for the moment, babe."
Sage only shrugs and the two of them look back up at me. "Wanna go put your stuff on the train? I found us a compartment and my stuff is in there already." Says Alicia and I reply with a nod.
"Yeah sure." I reach for my trunk and take hold of Sage's hand. "You coming?" When he nods at me I turn back to dad, who it seems is already in deep conversation with Alicia's father, talking about the Ministry of Magic.
My father loves the whole concept of it; where he thinks it's exciting I find it excruciatingly boring. But who could blame him? I'd be interested in the Ministry too if I was a Muggle Salesman and Accountant who also worked part time in my brothers fancy restaurant but declined getting too much pay because he was my brother. Dad's crazy, I would have demanded more money the way he helps out around there. But Uncle Andrew says he'll give me a job as a waitress at the restaurant soon enough, so I can finally help dad financially and earn my place at home.
I cant wait for the opportunity. The restaurant's a big hit. Situated in central London it specialises in a Caribbean cuisine that hasn't failed yet to please a customer. I'll be privileged to be a part of the team.
I often wonder whether dad isn't jealous of Uncle Andrew, I mean, who wouldn't be? My dad's always busy, which leaves me most of the time looking after Sage when I can. If he isn't selling clothes on the stall at the weekends then he's working four days a week at the bank. Dad gets Mondays off.
Sometimes I help him with the stall. Every Saturday and Sunday mornings dad runs a stall down a bustling Muggle street in London called Portobello Road Market. It's quite a lively place. There are people who come from all over to buy things from different stalls which sell an assortment of items to fit different interests.
For instance, beside my fathers stall works a man named Bernie Rogers who lives on selling authentic antiques. He's a rather nice man, though hard to understand if your not familiar with the local cockney speakers.
Bernie once gave me a dancing ballerina jewellery box for my birthday. He had said: "Little miss, this'll 'elp yah when yah tryin'tah sleep, it will!" I was only eleven when he gave it to me, and pretty much still missing my mother. I had started to cry when he handed it over, thoughts about her still taking over a huge part of my life. It didn't help that it was almost minus fifteen degrees Celsius, my worn out gloves hardly helping my frozen fingertips. To this Bernie had replied: "Give us an 'ug 'ere darlin' you'll be alright! Uncle Bernie's 'ere. Now now don't cry. I'll fetchyah a cuppa shall I? You must be bloody freezin'."
Bernie's always been good to my family, and we've always been good to Bernie. In fact, I think he's staying with us this Christmas…
"Dad we're going to put our things on the train, okay?" Alicia calls to her father as we walk towards the Express, but he merely waves her off, too engrossed in conversation. Alicia shrugs and takes a step onto the train. "Come on." She urges me. "I'll show you where I've stationed. This years going to be so exciting Angie, did you hear about what's apparently happening at Hoggy?"
"Yeah!" I exclaim, happy to think that someone might finally know all the details and actually tell me. "Do you know what it is?" I tuck a loose braid behind my ear and prepare myself to lift the trunk onto the train when a tall figure stands in front of me. I know because a sudden dark shadow has loomed over my somewhat small form.
I look up and hope my eyes aren't popping out of my head at the sight I take in. Tall, pale and freckled Fred Weasley, though still tall, pale and freckled seems to have changed so drastically over the summer that his sudden appearance has me ogling. My mouth hanging wide and my stomach knotting at the sight. IS THIS REALLY FRED WEASLEY?
No bloody way.
He's so much taller and his hair's gotten longer. That that was once a fair red has darkened considerably thanks to the change in climate, now hanging shaggily just past his ears, creating a rock star impression to his features. His eyes are somehow larger and somewhat enticing. His cheesy yet seductive grin is forming dimples, the cutest dimples I've ever seen. His arms to some extent look stronger and his shoulders widened. Although he is still tall and gawky compared to the majority of boys one would bump into on an average Hogwarts day, it seems to suit him nonetheless. Actually, more than suit him. . .Fred looks hot.
But wait a minute, this is Fred Weasley I'm currently drooling over right? Someone might as well run me over with a truck. The world must have suddenly tilted upside down as my thoughts can't possibly be working correctly. Fred Weasley, the skinny little kid that up till two years ago wouldn't stop bugging me and sticking chewing gum in my hair? The same boy that used to follow me around singing "Angie-Pangie", the slightly varied version of Andy Pandy ever since I told him about how famous the doll was in the Muggle world. The same guy, that up till recently I could have strangled because he was so infuriating?
No. I wont accept it. This just CAN'T be Fred Weasley I'm staring at.
He's wearing a loose orange t-shirt with the words: Wizards on E written across in black Goth style font. They're a band. Weird name I know, but actually it stands for Wizards on Extreme. Not entirely what I thought when I first heard of them.
Wizards on E have always been Fred's favourite band after the Weird Sisters. They play a sort of Alternative Rock with a lot of drums and guitars and screaming and head banding. Actually they're rather a lot like the Muggle band Nirvana, or maybe the Foo Fighters or Aerosmith. Something like that. They're a weird band, but cool at the least. They're good if you want to jump around and finish at the end of the song all dizzy and headachy.
At his feet Fred wears plain white trainers or sneakers or whatever you wish to call them, and on his long legs a pair of denim blue jeans complete with a buckle belt. Though Fred always wears these kind of clothes, today it looks exceptionally good on him.
My God, I think I'm going mad.
My thoughts make me want to bang my head against the train window until I loose all sense and consciousness. I have to keep on reminding myself what I'm thinking: This is Fred Weasley, this is Fred Weasley, this is Fred Weasley. . .
I must be gawping. I know I must be because he's giving me 'the look'. The look that either reads: "Why the hell are you staring me out like that?" or "You think I'm hot now don't you?" I'm a little too flabbergasted to tell the difference right now.
"Milady." He mocks a bow then pulls my hand away from my side, about to kiss it before I snap out of it and pull my hand away. "Hey!" He retorts. "I've not got the plague you know! One kiss for the lovable Fred Weasley." He leans down and attempts to kiss me on the lips but I turn away and give him my cheek instead.
"Nice try bucko, but I don't think so some how."
Shrugging, Fred seems to take into account that he isn't going to get a kiss out of me so easily. Instead he takes hold of my trunk and starts pulling it onto the train. "Fair enough," He declares, and proceeds in dragging my luggage along the floor. "At least let this strapping young man help fair maiden with her luggage."
I laugh at his arrogance. "If you say so, but it's not so light."
"Oh come on Angie," He roles his eyes, suddenly dropping his pre seventeenth century act. "You're talking to me here. If you can pull this thing all the way across the platform I must be able to- ow," Fred rubs the back of his head and I giggle at his clumsiness. He's just whacked his head against the trains body with a horribly loud thwack.
"You're such a clumsy twat you know that?" I giggle and shake my head.
Fred's taken more bumps than I can count, he must have a head of steel by now. He goes on talking as if I haven't said anything. "Yeah but whatever, you wanna kiss it better?" His eyes twinkle and I laugh again, though this time it's because his dimples are giving me butterflies. Fred's been flirting with me since I can remember. Of course it's only innocent kiddies stuff, Fred Weasely can't be serious about anything.
I shrug. "Alright then." I make my way over and stand on the step below him. A mischievous grin settles amongst my lips as I watch him quickly burn up.
I'm not one to talk much but I don't think Fred's ever been kissed or given a proper one before in his life. He seems not to acknowledge the existence of the female race unless we're putting a plate full of food in front of him or he's playfully flirting with one of us--no meaning what so ever behind it. He's played the innocent teenage boy who'd rather fool around with explosions before ever strolling up to a girl and asking her out, all the time I've known him.
I'm guessing this year things will definitely change, I can already see someone giving him a once over at the corner of my eye. Of course Fred is oblivious to this information. Lord he always is.
"Really?" He laughs wearily and rubs a hand over the back of his head, which I figure is probably a nervous gesture.
"Mm hmm" I nod, biting on my bottom lip I take a step closer. Fred leans in and we're so close now I can feel his breath on my lips. But then the unthinkable happens and he somehow falls over something behind him, landing flat on his back.
I really don't know how he does it.
"Merlin Fred, are you alright?" I ask through hindering fits of laughter. His face only turns a darker shade of red.
Probably since the dawn of time, it must have been written in the book of Fate that Fred and George Weasely were destined to be clumsy. George though is a little more stable, and hasn't had to go through as many broken bones as his brother. Though they may be a little clumsy, I guess it only adds to their charm, and somehow doesn't show up at all during Quidditch. They're always so determined and passionate when playing the sport that the twins never let their clumsy nature get in the way of them and their one true love.
I'm thinking that this year, if George has developed as much as Fred over the summer, every girl in Hogwarts will want a shot at one of the twins. I might be one of them myself if I didn't already know how annoying they could be.
I'm about to help Fred to his feet when a voice from behind calls my name. "Angelina?"
My head spins, but my hand's still outstretched, when I take in who it is standing before me I think it's definitely time for that truck driver to come and run me over. He's late. I'm a little sick of the fluttery feelings my stomach can achieve in the small space of two minutes.