Chapter One
"There's just so many!" I gushed walking through the shop for what seemed like the 10th time.
"Willow Alessandra Fay." This was always a favorite tone for my mother. I always knew I was near the end or one step too far off her patience when my full name came out, but when she dragged each name out she was tired and irritated. There was always a way to get out of my trouble though.
I looked over my shoulder at her, my eyes big and sad. It only took a second because she sighed, "Just pick one! We've been here for almost an hour and your father is getting the wrong idea!" We both looked across the store and saw my lovable oaf of a father rubbing his face on kittens.
"It's not that simple!" I whined, everyone knows when it comes to pets they choose you.
The closest that I got to one is for the last few minutes this tiny black kitten with a orange patch on its chest. He fit in the palm of my hand, was lying on my arm and purring while staring at me with what I'm assuming is love.
Without warning there was a loud band outside the store which spooked my new friend right out of my arms and because lady luck has never really been on my side, the same time the ball of fur jumped a very young boy came into the shop. Looking for an owl for his first year no doubt. Either way the little snot provided the perfect escape. I bolted after it like a bat out of hell because that was totally my new fur beast, I just knew it.
I came to a fork in road with an abandoned building to my left and the other half of Diagon Alley just across the way. I looked around frantically and saw a little black tail skirt around the corner. I ran around the corner and saw my new friend sneak through a gap in the back door.
"I haven't even named you yet and you're causing me a ton of trouble." I hissed under my breath. To my surprise the back door was open, as I crept up the stairs I saw how dusty everything was, clearly whatever business that was here left a long time ago. "The one pet I find that probably likes me and you RUN AWAY!" I yelled beyond frustrated, I made it to the top of the stairs and saw two tall ginger boys staring at me, each with a smirk on their identical faces.
"We certainly won't run away from you but I don't know how I feel about being called a pet. What about you George?" I saw the one, presumably not-called George was holding my soon-to-be cat.
"Haha, yes, yes laugh at the crazy rambling girl who tours abandoned buildings. Can I have my cat back now?" I moved closer only to have the man smirk down at me. They had to be close to 6'4. There aren't many that are taller than me, being 5'10 is no joke.
"But see how do we know this is your cat? Cats who love their owners don't run away." The other one called George had quite the sassy tone but they don't know who they're dealing with. "Do I know you? I feel like I've seen you before..." My eyes tried to roll themselves back into my scull but I just wanted my bloody cat.
"Well considering I'm clearly not a grown up and I'm not under the age of 11, let's go over the reasons I would be in Diagon Alley at the end of August, shall we? Now why… why would I look familiar? Let's try out a theory, I'm clearly a teenager here getting supplies for where all three of us go to school no doubt. As for the fur beast you're holding from me, we haven't bonded yet because as we were the poor guy leaped from my arms and we ended up here." I stopped to take a breath, "SO, if you could hand me back MY new cat, whatever you two blokes are doing in this abandoned building can proceed and I'll go back to not caring." I held out my arms, my thumbs poking out from the holes at the end of my sleeves.
Both boys watched me with a mix of surprise and amusement. I knew they were Weasley of some sort but honestly there were so many it's almost impossible to keep track. They did look familiar though. Slowly the ginger not-George handed my cat over and I nodded.
"See you never!" I said softly as I quickly made my way down the stairs and back to the pet shop where I saw my parents sitting in together starring at a small white ball.
"Oh Willow, you've found a good one yes?" I looked around the store… I must've been gone for 10 minutes… and my parents act like I just went to the loo. They got trapped by their own fur ball!
"Yup, this little bum!" My mother waved her wallet at me while humming something along the lines of that's nice. "You're getting one too aren't you?" I challenged with a grin spreading across my lips.
My father sprung up holding the little beast,
"Will, look at her little face!" The kitten's nose was touching mine, forcing my eyes to cross. "We'll need something when you're gone again." With that my father snatched the wallet from my fingers and marched to the desk and started pointing at me, with my cat and his own.
"You guys survived five years, what changed?" I shrugged at my mom who just smiled.
"Nothing, your father trapped me into a cat, that's all. What are you going to name him?" She stroked the little sleeping beasts head. I felt a purr erupt from his body and titled my head,
"I like Silas." My mother kissed my cheek
I know everyone loves the train, and I guess when you can score an empty compartment then it's basically a solo road trip where you aren't driving. Road trips are great when you have friends and don't get me wrong I'm not some loner-like girl with no friends! Hufflepuffs are cool but my one really good friend wasn't even in my house.
Laurel Eleanor Cole, she's basically the milk in my tea and I don't just say that because she's as pale as snow. Growing up our parents were friends and when we started at Hogwarts together we had the unfortunate heartbreak that we were sorted into different houses. As mentioned I went to the shy yet bold Hufflepuffs and then she was carted off to Ravenclaw which I wasn't all that surprised... she's a know-it-all, but she's quite adorable about it so it flies.
It wasn't that hard to find way to spend time together, in our first year we found an old charm to create the illusion that our robes would appear a certain color for a few minutes and we vowed to exchange common room passwords.
"Oi! Way to wait for a girl before boarding!" The door banged open and my lovely elegant friend tried not to fall on top of me as the train moved. "You always pick the further damn compartment!" She huffed. When she settled she tried to smooth her reddish brown hair.
"I liked our hidden compartments! We don't get bothered here." I argued. "Plus Mum was in a hurry today, they're obsessing over their new kitten." I rolled my eyes and a smirk lit up Laurel's face. Her eyes always seemed to light up despite them being quite gray.
"Where is he..." Her smile was kind of creeping me out, when she got excited over things and got that sneaky grin it always made me think of the chesire cat that Lewis Carol describes in Alice in Wonderland.
"He? He who?" I was just being mean, I knew exactly who she wanted to see. If the world thought I loved cats, the world had never gotten acquainted with Laurel Cole. Her entire family, except her, were extremely allergic to cats. She's been waiting for my birthday as much as a kid waits for Christmas morning.
"I will middle name you." Her smirk turned evil and I sighed heavily.
"Silas!" I called out, within a few seconds and little black puff jumped down from the trunk space above us. A squeal came from the girl on the bench across from me. 'We've been working on that since I got him. I call him and if he's close he appears on my lap." My smile was big and proud like a Mum. "I forgot a bottle, I'm gonna go look for the trolley for a pumpkin juice or something, want any?" Laurel had already picked my little ball of fur up and snuggled it up to her face.
"No! Go, we need bonding time." I couldn't help but laugh as I slid the door open. "Now listen up little man, I'm your Auntie Laurel, I'm family so you don't get to decide if that's okay."
Those whispers were the last thing I heard as I slid the door closed.
It didn't take long before I heard the lady with the trolley calling out to people. I met up in the line and flipped the coins in my fingers.
It really doesn't take long before my brain starts to drift away and I go into autopilot... it's always nice until someone sticks themselves in my view like another giant person with a lot of red hair.
"What?" I snapped, I was a little startled. One of the weird twins from Diagon Alley was standing behind me and bent his head over my shoulder. You'd think being as tall as I am I wouldn't get so spooked but you know what? Elephants are huge and get spooked!
"I asked you where the fur ball was? I remember you this time, you're quite sassy." I honestly couldn't tell you if this was not-George or George but I can say I had very little patience for this person.
"I have a theory... want to hear it?" I smiled nicely at him and he motioned for me to continue.
"I always need a good laugh." My nice smile turned a little sour,
"Startling a daydreamer is similar to waking a sleepwalker. They aren't responsible for any actions they might commit." He folded his arms and smirked at me.
"And what actions are you talking about? You didn't do anything." I pointed out pumpkin juice and handed the women my coins.
"This time. See you around Weasley." I started walking down the hall and I heard him call out.
"I don't know your name, how is that fair?"
"Who said I know your name?" I spun around, trying to keep my cool only to have a a door handle catch my skirt and trip me into a compartment.
FIN