Chapter 2: And So It Starts
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Harry woke up the next day to his mother shouting, "Harry James Potter! Get up or else you'll be late for the train!" Harry smiled to himself and hopped out of bed, going to his bathroom to jump in the shower; he then relieved himself, brushed his teeth and hair and left the bathroom, trying to figure out what to wear. He finally decided on a jade green t-shirt, khaki shorts and his black and tan trainers. He put in his contacts, and he levitated his trunk, Hedwig's cage and his Persian cat Isis' carrier down the stairs ahead of him, then banished them to the trunk of the car.
He entered the kitchen and kissed Lily on the cheek, saying, "Morning, mum" and she said, "Good morning, love. Sit down and eat your breakfast" and Harry sat at the table and started eating just as his father, James, came into the kitchen. He said good morning to Lily, then as he sat next to Harry he ruffled his hair and said, "Morning, squirt."
Harry shook his head and said, "Dad, come on! You know it takes me forever to tame my hair….and I'm not a squirt anymore. I'm taller than you" and James said, "Don't remind me."
Lily laughed and sat at the table with them, and they all started to eat, chatting idly with each other to pass the time. Finally, they were done eating and they all piled into the car and made their way to King's Cross station to catch the train.
Once there, Harry loaded all of his belongings onto a cart and made his way to the magical barrier between platforms nine and ten, and as he got closer, he sped up into a jog and ran at the barrier, passing right through it and onto Platform nine and three quarters, looking at the scarlet steam engine and sighing happily. Before he could go anywhere, he heard a shout of "HARRY!!" and he was suddenly engulfed in a hug and he found himself with an armful of Hermione.
Harry, after being temporarily winded, hugged her back and said, "Hey, 'Mione. I missed you. How've you been?" and she said, "Just fine, Harry. Oh, I missed you, too!" Another voice said, "Hey, Potter, if you don't let go of my girl I just might have to throttle you" and he and Hermione broke apart and grinned at Ron, who grinned back. If it was at all possible, he seemed to have grown taller during the summer, and he came up and pulled Harry into a brotherly hug, saying, "Hey, mate. How was your summer?" and Harry said, "It was great. Me and my parents went to New York City, in America, and we went and toured the city and stayed at the Plaza hotel, which, by the way, is huge. It was really fun."
Hermione noticed Lily and James, and she said, "Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Potter" and Lily smiled at her and said, "Hello Hermione. How are you, dear?" She said, "I'm fine, Mrs. Potter, thank you." Harry, meanwhile, was busy searching for Cam, but James said, "You guys should get on the train now, it's almost time to pull off" and he, Ron and Hermione got on with their things. They leaned out of the window and said last minute goodbyes, and the train started pulling off. As it rounded the corner, the three friends dragged their belongings down the corridor and found an empty compartment.
As they got situated, Harry was off in his own world, wondering where Cam was, when Hermione's voice broke him out of his daze; she said, "Harry? Harry!!" and he said, "Huh? Oh, sorry, 'Mione. What's up?" She eyed him and said, "Are you all right, Harry? You seem out of it" and he said, "No, I'm fine. I was just thinking about…...something" and Hermione grinned and said, "Don't you mean someone?"
Harry looked surprised; how did she always manage to know what he was thinking? It was uncanny…….and a little scary. He blushed a bit and said, "Well, yeah. I'm kind of……in love, with someone" and Hermione, looking happy, said, "Oh, Harry, really? That's wonderful! Who is she? Do we know her?" He smiled and said, "Actually, yeah, you do. It's Cam" and Hermione squealed and said, "Coraline? That's so great, Harry. How does she feel?" He said, "Well, that's the thing. She doesn't know, but I planned on getting her to fall for me this year. I kinda need your help, though, 'Mione, because I don't want to mess anything up." Ron, who hadn't really been paying attention, vaguely heard the name Coraline, and as it registered in his head, he turned to Harry and said, "Wait, you fancy Coraline? I still don't see why you're friends with her in the first place, Harry, after the way she treated you in first year."
Hermione turned to Ron and said, "People evolve, Ronald….she was eleven years old. She's older and more mature now, and besides, Harry is very charming. It's hard to not like him for six years."
As Ron and Hermione started going back and forth with each other, as was the usual custom with them (which apparently didn't change even if they were dating), Harry stretched out on the compartment seat and closed his eyes, wondering why he hadn't seem Cam yet. He tried to go to sleep and shut out Ron and Hermione's bickering, but before he could, they miraculously had gone silent; he briefly wondered why before a voice said from above him, "Hey, is there room on that seat for me, Mr. Potter?"
He opened his green eyes and was met with violet ones; he immediately jumped up and said, "Cam!" and he hugged her, making her laugh and say, "I missed you, too, Harry." Blushing, he pulled away and said "Sorry" and she chuckled and ruffled his hair, saying playfully, "Oh Harry, you're so cute!" They then sat down, and Harry saw that Ron and Hermione were still arguing, but there was no sound coming out of their mouths.
He looked at Cam, and she said, looking a mite guilty, "Silencing charm" and he grinned. She still looked the same, only there some small differences; her hair was no longer to her chin, but had grown a bit past her shoulders. It was still burgundy in color, and now held a hint of black streaks running through it. Her usual outfit, which she had on now, was a purple tank top with a black, short-sleeved, zip-up hoodie over it, a black peasant skirt, and black ballet flats. Her usual jewelry to set off the outfit was a pair of silver hoop earrings and a silver chain that hung around her waist. Harry realized he was staring, and he shook himself slightly and said, "You look great, Cam" and she blushed slightly and said, "Thanks, Harry. So do you; are you wearing contacts?" He nodded, and she said, "I like you better without your glasses. You're eyes show more; they're so beautiful….." Said green eyes widened slightly at what she had just said, and she seemed to realize what she had said as well, because she looked away, embarrassed.
He smiled to himself and thought, 'Wait……she just said my eyes were beautiful. Does that mean………could it mean that…she feels the same way? I'll have to keep flirting with her and judge her reactions' and he said, "So, how was your summer? It looks like you went to a beach; you look tanned…..not that I'm complaining. It suits you" and she smiled shyly and said, "Are you flirting with me, Harry Potter?" He said cheekily, "Maybe I am. Why…..does it bother you?" and he quirked an eyebrow, smirking.
She said, "Not at all. On the contrary….I like the attention; even if it is from you" and she started to tickle him, making him laugh and try to restrain her hands. They stopped laughing once they realized what position they had ended up in; she was pinned against the corner of the seat, her left hand pressed against his chest and the right in his from him grabbing it in his left hand. His right hand was resting lightly on her waist, and they were fairly close to each other, being able to feel each other's breaths on their faces. Harry looked over at Ron and Hermione, noticing that they had finally stopped arguing and had fallen asleep, Hermione's head resting on Ron's lap with his fingers entangled lovingly in her chestnut curls.
He looked at his and Cam's joined hands and shifted his, linking his fingers with hers. Her breath hitched, and she swallowed nervously and looked back into his eyes…….which was a big mistake. She felt like she was drowning into an endless green pool, and the way he was staring at her almost made her feel as if he was looking into her soul; as if he could see right into her heart, where she kept her true feelings for him locked away.
He licked his lips nervously and her eyes were drawn to his mouth; almost unconsciously, she found herself being drawn in, and she leaned up slowly, her eyelids fluttering closed as he drew his head closer to hers. His grip on her waist tightened, and she couldn't help but think, 'Oh, my god! He's going to kiss me! Wait, I don't want him to know how I feel……Oh, who am I kidding? I want him to kiss me……I love you, Harry' and she made a small noise of impatience in the back of her throat. He gave a small smile and had barely brushed her lips with his, when suddenly…………
"Harry! There you are; I've been looking all over the train for you!" He and Cam jumped apart as if they had suddenly been electrocuted, and he looked at the irate form of one Ginevra Molly Weasley, who was currently glaring daggers at Cam. He said weakly, "Hey, Ginny" and she smiled widely at him and threw herself onto the seat on his other side, wrapping her arms around his neck. She said softly, "I missed you so much, Harry" and then, glancing contemptuously at Cam, Ginny leaned up and kissed him.
Cam's eyes widened and she felt as though she had been punched in the gut; she looked away from the scene so Harry wouldn't see the tears in her eyes, and before he could stop her, she got up and ran from the compartment. As she pulled open the door, she glanced at Harry for a nanosecond, and in that small moment, he could see the hurt in her eyes, along with another emotion he couldn't identify. Harry cried out, "Cam! Cam, wait!" as she ran out, and he slumped back against the seat, knowing that when Cam wanted to be left alone, it was better if he left her alone. Ginny said, "Well, now that she's gone, we can continue where we left off…" and she leaned into him, but Harry shrank away from her, saying, "Ginny, stop it! What is your problem with Cam?"
Ginny said, "God Harry, is that……girl all you can think about? Cam, Cam, Cam…..it's always about Cam! Cam's so pretty, Cam's so sweet……..I'm sick and tired of hearing about her! If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were in love with her and not me!" Harry said, finally having enough of Ginny's childish tantrum, "I DON'T love you! I never did!"
Ginny's eyes widened, and she said, "Wh…what? Harry, that's not true; you don't mean that. You do love me, I know you do…..that little harlot is trying to turn you against me, that's the problem. She's such a….." but the look on Harry's face stopped her cold. He looked……..murderous; she could almost swear that he wanted to hurt her right at that moment.
He said quietly but coldly, "Don't you ever, and I mean ever call her a harlot again. She's no such thing; if anyone's a harlot around here, Ginevra, it's you." She gave him a scandalized look, and he scoffed and said, "Don't look at me like that; I know all about your little……exploits. You claim to love me, yet if you loved me so much, you wouldn't be spreading your legs for half the male population in Hogwarts…" before he could finish, Ginny's hand came across his face with a resounding SLAP!!
His head swung to the side from the force of her slap, and he felt the spot where she slapped him start to sting. He turned his head back to meet her gaze and saw that her face had gone as red as her hair, and she said, "How dare you talk to me like that? You have no right…." but he said, his voice overpowering hers easily, "No, YOU have no right…no right to call Cam out of her name, especially when she has done nothing to deserve it. She is innocent in all of this; the guilty one here is YOU, Ginevra. For being a psycho, possessive, slutty tramp of a bitch!! Never come near me or Cam again, or you will regret it, I promise you that!"
Ginny huffed in anger, screamed out, "FUCK YOU!" and stormed out of the compartment; Harry watched her go and once the door closed behind her, he sighed, running his hands over his face in exasperation. Then, he stood and went in search of Cam to see if she was okay.
He walked down the corridor, peering into compartments along the way, and once he came up to the bathroom he heard what sounded like soft sobbing coming from inside. He sighed again and knocked softly on the bathroom door, saying, "Cam, it's me…..are you okay?" The sobbing stopped, and the lock clicked and the door opened; Cam looked up at him, her eyes red-rimmed and her face stained with tear tracks, and she said, "I'm fine, Harry." He reached up and wiped at the tear tracks gently, saying, "Are you sure, Cammy?" and she nodded, saying softly, "Positive, Harry".
She went to walk past him, but his hand caught her wrist and he said, "Why were you crying, anyway?" and she froze, her eyes widening slightly. She said, "Um….no reason, really." She went to pull away from him but he maintained his grip on her wrist and said, "You're lying, Cora. You know you can talk to me…..what's up?" Cam gulped and said, "Please, Harry…….just drop it…" but he said, "Coraline Aria Morgan, I demand you tell me what's going on with you! Why the hell were you crying?" Cam's violet eyes flashed, and she rounded on Harry, startling him and causing him to let go of her wrist.
She said angrily, "You demand? You CANNOT demand anything from me, so don't you dare try to even presume that I absolutely HAVE to answer to you, Harry James Potter!" He said, "Well, why won't you talk to me? I know we didn't really see eye-to-eye in the past, but I'd like to think that we've grown pretty damn close, and I thought that you felt you could tell me anything, but apparently I was……." But exactly what Harry was, he never got out, because at that precise moment, he found his lips were occupied…by Cam's.
His made a noise of shock, but he responded almost immediately, wrapping his arms around Cam's slim waist and pulling her closer to him. Cam moaned softly as her mouth opened and Harry's tongue slipped between her lips, exploring the inside of her mouth and wrestling gently with hers. As the need for air consumed them, they pulled apart, breathing heavily, and Cam looked at Harry, her eyes hooded, before she seemed to come to herself.
She blinked and, realizing that she was wrapped around Harry like a boa constrictor, she gasped and stepped back from him. She touched her lips and stared at Harry as though he were Death personified, and when he went to reach for her, she backed up and shook her head, saying, "Oh, god, what have I done? Harry, I'm……I'm sorry. I'm so sorry……." and she turned and bolted down the corridor, leaving Harry alone, slightly aroused, but most of all……..confused.
The train was pulling into Hogsmeade station, so Harry walked back to the compartment, woke Ron and Hermione and they got their trunks and pets' carriers and filed out of the train and onto Hogsmead's platform, depositing their things on the luggage carts. They trekked to an empty carriage near the end of the procession and climbed into it; Harry looked up and was surprised. Cam stared back at him, and her mouth opened and closed a few times, before she gave up and, with her face red, turned to look out the window. Since there was really nowhere to sit but beside her, Harry sat down and chanced a glance at her; she was still staring out the window, determinedly not looking at him. He opened his mouth to say something, but thought better of it and instead opted to sit in silence and look out the window next to him.
They remained that way for the whole ride up the winding lane to Hogwarts, and when the carriage finally rolled to a stop, Harry was the first one who got out. He waited while Ron got out and they both helped Hermione down, then when Cam stepped down, she lost her footing and tripped, immediately falling into Harry's arms.
They stared into each other's eyes for what seemed like an eternity, when in actuality it was only a couple of seconds, then Cam muttered, "Thanks, Harry" and he nodded and released her, saying, "No problem, Cam". As she turned, Harry said, "Cam, we need to talk about what happened….." but she turned back to him and said, "Harry, please, I'm begging you, just……..just drop it, until I'm ready to talk about it. Please?" and he nodded, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and walking with her into the castle.