Chapter 15: The Journey Home

"Bell, in here!" Dustin whispered loudly when Bella walked by the compartment he and Jared had saved. Bella gave him a funny look as she came into the compartment and took the seat between Hermione and Neville.

"Dustin, why are you whispering?" Bella whispered back. Dustin shrugged his shoulders with a goofy grin on his face as a reply.

"Why are you whispering?" he shot back in a normal speaking tone.

Now it was Bella's turn to shrug. "Because you were."

"I wasn't whispering, I was shouting really quietly," Dustin shot back.

Jared nodded his head. "It's true," he agreed.

Bella and Hermione both rolled their eyes. "Boys," they said at the same time, as if they had done it before.

Everyone in the compartment spoke very little on the ride home until they were nearly to King's Crossing and they had all changed into their muggle clothing, Hermione's and Bella's matching better than any of the boys.

"So what are you guys doing for the holidays?" Bella asked her friends.

Hermione smiled. "I'm going to see my grandparents for Christmas. I haven't seen them since the summer holiday," she said in a single breathe but before she could continue, Dustin jumped in with his own plans.

"I'm gonna go to Romania with Mum and Dad to see the dragons," he said in a rush. "And then, we're going to Scotland to see my dad's parents and siblings and my brother." Dustin's eyes took on a sad longing as he mentioned his brother.

"Dustin, what's wrong?" Bella asked him hesitantly.

Dustin shrugged. "I won't really get to see my brother, not for real anyways. He died when I was six. Potions accident," he elaborated as he gestured to the scars on the left side of his face. "I got these while dad lost his hearing in his right ear. Matty wasn't so lucky," he finished sadly.

Bella stood up and took the seat next to Dustin. She pulled him into a hug as he closed his eyes remembering some long ago memory with his brother.

Jared cleared his throat. "Um, I'm going to America for New Year's. Mother and Father wanna meet some of the pure blooded families there," he changed the subject carefully. "I won't be home until right before school starts again."

Hermione and Neville smiled at Jared's tactics. Soon they were all back to sharing about their holiday plans although Dustin stayed quiet for the rest of the trip home. Neville shared that he was going to a family reunion for Christmas and would be spending New Year's with his grandmother. Bella told everyone that she was staying home with her mother this year because they went to America last year to see her mother's family.

"We switch off every year, ever since I turned four. Normally we go there right before my birthday but next year we'll have to wait until school gets out," Bella told them as they neared London.

"When was your birthday?" Jared and Hermione asked at the same time.

"December 14th, but I wanted to be home to celebrate with Mum, so I didn't say anything," Bella said turning a light shade of pink. Before any of the students could say anything further, the train began slowing down and pulling into King's Crossing. "We're here!" Bella exclaimed as she got to her feet and opened the compartment door as soon as the train had stopped.

"Yah, but where are our parents?" Hermione asked as she looked out the window.

Outside, the platform was empty except for the few students that had already gotten off. Both of the girls took on worried expressions until Jared once again explained something about the wizarding world to them.

"You can't come on the platform unless you have a ticket or you're with someone with a ticket," he said as he and Dustin left through the compartment door. "Come on, I bet your parents are wondering where you are," he told them as he stuck his head back inside.

Within a few minutes, the five friends had left the train and gathered their trunks. They went through the barrier that separated the wizarding world from the muggle world in pairs; Hermione with Neville and Bella with the inseparable duo. On the other side, Bella, Hermione, Dustin, and Neville immediately found their parents while Jared stood looking around for his mother and father.

"You guys, I'd like you to meet my mum," Bella told them as she led everyone over to meet Delilah. "Mum, this is Hermione, Neville, Dustin and Jared," she told her mother happily.

"Nice to meet you," Hermione greeted her as she and her parents shook her hand.

"It's nice to meet you too," Delilah replied with a kind smile.

"I'm sorry to be rude, but we need to get going," Hermione's father cut in quietly. "We've got a long drive ahead of us." Both of Hermione's parents shook Delilah's hand again.

"Bye Bell," Hermione told Bella as they hugged.

"Bye Hermione, have a good holiday," she returned as Hermione turned to leave with her parents. Soon they were swallowed up by the crowd that was always in King's Crossing.

"We gotta go too," Dustin told Bella as he showed a small smile. "I'll see you three after the holidays right?"

"Definitely," Bella told him as Jared and Neville nodded their heads enthusiastically.

Dustin smiled a little more. "Bye guys. Hey that rhymed!" he called over his shoulder as he left with his parents. Before long, he was lost from sight as he was swallowed up by the crowd too.

"Uh, I'll see you later too Bell," Neville told her as his grandmother and Delilah talked.

"Yah, bye Neville," she answered as she gave him a quick hug. "Have a good holiday," she called after him as he and his grandmother left too.

That only left Jared with Delilah and Bella.

"Did your parents know when to be here?" Delilah asked after a few moments.

"I'm pretty sure they did but- there they are," Jared said as two people that Bella and her mother assumed were his parents came through the crowd with sneers on their faces. Bella immediately took a dislike to them and even her mother could say she didn't like them. Behind them were two older children that Bella remembered seeing at Hogwarts, along with a small girl that was maybe nine years old. They all resembled Jared's parents immensely, just like Jared did.

"There you are," Jared's father stated. "Why are you over here instead of where the gate is?"

"Father, this is the gate," Jared tried to correct his father but he wouldn't listen.

"Come we're already late. Move," he ordered Bella as he strode away from Jared and towards the entrance to King's Crossing. His wife took Jared by the shoulder and started towards the entrance also. Before they disappeared into the crowd, Bella hugged him quickly.

"Bye Jared, have a good holiday," she said smiling sadly at the look on his face. Before he completely disappeared, Jared managed to turn around and wave good bye. Then he was gone and only Bella was left with her mother.

"We should be going too," Delilah told her daughter as she took her hand and started pushing the trolley with her trunk on it towards the entrance. "Besides, I've got a surprise for you when we get home," Delilah whispered as they made it to the car. "Get in, and then we can get going," she told Bella as the young girl broke out in a grin. A minute later they were on the road home, both happy to be back together.