Welcome, and Welcome Back

Eve's POV

"I think she's waking up."

"No, I'm pretty sure she's—oh yeah, her eyes are open."

Dreary eyed, I looked in surprise at the vast amount of faces peering curiously at me. I recognized James and Al, but everyone else was unfamiliar. Everyone was wearing robes with red and yellow ties.

"Am I supposed to be wearing that?" I asked, my voice strangely croaky.

James answered. "Yeah, we're almost there."

"Shit," I muttered, getting up and reaching overhead for my trunk. I pulled out my robes and put them over my muggle attire. Everyone was watching me and it was very unnerving. I glared around the compartment after sitting down.

"What?" I asked, irritated.

Everyone shifted nervously and looked at one another.

"I thought I found an empty compartment," I muttered, looking out of the window. I heard chatter begin to rise up again, although reserved, and watched the slight mist clinging to the train windows. I cast my eyes up to the sky and saw the darkened clouds, signaling rain.

Something slightly resembling hope found its way to my stomach, but I quickly pushed it away. There was no way I could feel hopeful with my mother locked up in some asylum because of me.

"Hey, it's you from Flourish and Blotts!" I looked around and saw the nosy girl with the red hair standing at the compartment doorway. She wore similar robes with a gold and red tie, but on her chest was a shiny badge with a lion on it.

"Rosie, ickle prefect, have you been harassing all the wittle wrong-doers?" someone cooed. I turned to find who it was. He looked a bit different from everyone else in the compartment, with his olive complexion and reddish black hair. Although, he still did have the same look as the rest of them.

"Shut it, Fred." Rose snapped at the boy. She picked her way through the compartment and sat down next to me. Oh joy.

"So I gather you've opened that letter."

"Guess you gathered correctly." I muttered. I was aware of everyone listening in. Hogwarts was turning out to be a school full of red haired nosy people.

"So tell me," Rose began, propping up her feet on James's lap, "when you get to Hogwarts, do you get sorted or are you like… already in Hufflepuff or something? And what classes are you taking? And I want to know all about Salem. I'm so curious, you know."

"You ask a lot of fucking questions." I snapped. She raised her eyebrows, slightly alarmed.

"I thought maybe you just wanted to be friends."

"Rose, she's in sixth year." James piped up.

"I know that, so?"

"So… she'd probably rather be friends with me."

"Actually," I interrupted, "none of those ideas are particularly appealing. I'm going to go find another compartment."

I got up, scooping Lou with me, and pulled my trunk off the overhead. I could feel everyone's eyes on my back as I slid the compartment door open.

"What the fuck is wrong with that chick?" I heard someone mutter as I walked out. I couldn't even begin to tell him.

I stepped off the train into the cool evening air and saw dozens of horse-drawn carriages. Well, they weren't horses really. I took a closer look and recognized them as thestrals. We learnt about them, but I had never actually seen any.

"Is there an Evelyn Martin?" someone called. I looked around and saw a big, hairy looking man yelling my name. I walked swiftly toward him.

"I'm Evelyn," I said. He squinted down at me and grinned.

"I'm Hagrid. Welcome to 'Ogwarts. You'll be followin' me and the rest of the firs' years and then ye'll be sorted with 'em."

The huge oak doors opened to a quieting crowd and I followed behind the rest of the first years, looking up at awe at the sight before me. There were four huge tables, surrounded by students. One was decked in red, one in green, one in yellow, and the last in blue. And above me; above me was one of the most fantastic things I have ever seen.

It was a ceiling, but it was open to the heavens. Dark clouds floated around, and I wouldn't have been surprised if it had just started raining on top of our heads. All the eleven year olds around me were looking up in awe as well. The hall had gotten completely silent as we were led to the front.

I could easily see over all the first year's heads to a dirty, old hat sitting on a stool in the front of the room. I looked around for any sign of what this could mean, but everyone was staring at the group I was in.

We came to a stop and I watched the hat, just as everyone else was watching.

And then it started singing.

It began singing about house unity and the like. I had no idea what to make of this. I didn't know hats could make up songs. But apparently, I didn't know a lot of things.

It stopped and everyone around me began clapping in amazement, but I didn't think what it was saying was all that jaw-dropping. It's what should be done anyway, right? People shouldn't hate others because of what house they're placed into. People should hate others because of valid things; things that they can change.

I watched as all the first years walked up to the sorting hat to get placed in houses. The tables cheered when a first year got into their house and I watched the relief on many of the faces with a bit of envy. I wish I knew enough about each house to feel some sort of longing to be placed into one.

I glanced toward the red table, whose members were cheering loudly for someone who had just got placed into Gryffindor, and saw all the red-headed kids sitting side by side. Well, I knew immediately that I didn't want to be put into that house.

Yeah they were Potters and Weasleys, the two most famous families in the history of the universe, but they were nosy, obnoxious, and spoiled. I wanted to no part of that.

"Martin, Evelyn!" A professor called from the front. I walked over, my hands deep in my robe pockets, and took a seat on the stool. The hat was placed carefully onto my head.

"So," the hat said in a whisper. I glanced around, but it seemed like I could only hear it. "You didn't cheer for my song." It croaked.

Well it wasn't news to me, I thought to myself.

"Well, that's good. I'm glad you already know what I'm talking about," The hat croaked. I jumped a little in surprise. I didn't realize that it could hear me thinking. "But, I don't think you follow it quite fully yet. You seem to have already judged a group of people of whom you know nothing of except for the situation they were born to."

"I…" I whispered, not fully understanding what the hat was referring to.

"You're a troubled soul, Evelyn. And you show qualities of every house. Therefore, I'll pick the house that will improve you the most. For that is a fundamental part of learning."

What the hell are you talking about? I thought. I heard the hat chuckle before opening its brim.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Damn.

I got off the stool and walked over to the cheering red table, making sure to sit as far away from the red-headed clan as possible, which was a hard feat to accomplish, considering there were so many of them.

Dinner was indescribable. I managed to avoid the questions of every single person sitting around me by keeping my mouth full of food. And Merlin, was there food. Salem was nothing like this. The food was sloppy and predictable, even the beginning-of-term feast.

"You should go slowly, dear," a deep voice said from behind me. I turned to see a ghost watching me eat.

"Who are you?" I asked through a mouthful of food.

"Sir Nicholas, the resident Gryffindor ghost," he said, pushing his chest out proudly.

"Oh, nice to meet you then. I'm Eve" I said, before turning back to my food.

"They call him Nearly Headless Nick. You should ask him why." A familiar voice said. I looked up and didn't see the shy first year girl that was sitting across from me.

"Did you make that kid move?" I demanded, turning back to James Potter.

"Yes, so?"

"So that was a horrible thing to do."

"Eh, he's just a first year."

"And you're an ass." I frowned at him. He didn't look bothered.

"So Nick, show her why they call you Nearly Headless," James said to the ghost who was still lingering behind me. Nick smiled sadly and grabbed a ruffle on his collar, pulling hard. His head swung off his body, but not fully. I gasped in horror. Nick pulled his head back up onto his shoulders and looked at me with mild pity.

"Yes, it's quite scary. Unfortunately, it's only partly severed. Had it been fully off, I could've joined the esteemed Headless Horsemen. Alas, I have been declined from their group."

"That's okay Nick. They're a bunch of pompous wankers anyway," James said, shoving a bit of treacle tart into his mouth. Nick watched him a bit regretfully.

"Ah, well, I must be going. Nice to meet you Eve."

"You too, Sir Nicholas."

James was watching me with amusement when I turned back to my food. "What classes are you taking?" he asked. I glared at him, but then decided it wasn't that offensive of a question.

"Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Astronomy, Herbology, Potions, and Transfiguration."

"That's quite a handful. My schedule's much better."

I kept silent. He must have wanted me to ask him what his schedule was.

"I want to play Quidditch professionally, so I'm not much into the school thing. I've been made captain this year and everything, just like mum and dad," he said proudly. Just then, the plates of deserts disappeared, and there was a clearing of throats. Immediately, the entire Great Hall fell silent and every head was turned toward the staff table. A very old woman stood in front of everyone. Her mouth was in a tight, stern line and she wore a bun of which not a single strand of hair strayed. She wore spectacles and had a particularly feline quality about her.

"I am Headmistress Minerva McGonagall." She spoke in an amplified voice. "Welcome and welcome back. I hope your summers went well and you are ready to learn once again. Argus Filch, our caretaker, would like to remind you of the usual: do not stray into the Forbidden Forest," she glanced toward my table, lingering on the redheaded clan, "All Weasley Wizarding Wheezes products are strictly prohibited, and there are to be no spells performed in the corridors. There is an extensive list of prohibitions posted on his office door. Quidditch captains are to send me a list of names for their teams by October." She folded her hands in front of her and her eyes swept across the room.

"Our old Defense teacher, Professor Granum, has retired and so I'd like to introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher, Professor Ted Lupin."

Potter made a weird whooping and cheering noise as a handsome young man with bright blue hair stood up in his spot. I looked down the Gryffindor table and saw that all of the red-haired kids were cheering for this Lupin guy.

"Don't tell me he's related to you too?" I asked Potter as he continued to holler.

"He's my god-brother. Dad's his godfather." He said, clapping hard even after everyone had finished clapping.

"Oh. So all of you will get good grades in that class, I suppose."

"You're a smart one, Martin," Potter said, grinning at me.

"Though, I thought you didn't even care about school stuff because you want to be a professional Quidditch player or something," I whispered as the hall began quieting down.

"So you were listening to me?" he asked, his eyes wide. I glared at him.

"And now that everyone is satisfied and full, it's off to bed for all of you. Prefects, please lead your houses to their dormitories," the headmistress said.

Rose's POV

I finally had everyone in their bed, including Eve, who looked as lost as the rest of the first years. James almost followed her up the girl's staircase, he was so glued to her, but I stopped him before it turned into a slide and threw him off. I explained this to him and he had no idea what I was talking about.

Honestly, no one reads Hogwarts, a History.

I wandered into the common room and collapsed into the warm red armchair by the fireplace. I was too tired to make it up to my bed just yet. I stifled a yawn and it took a second for me to notice that I wasn't alone. Riley White was sitting in the other armchair, watching the flames flicker red and gold. Riley was close to my family as he had made best friends with James and Fred during first year. You couldn't separate those three for anything.

"Hey Riles," I said. Surprised, he jumped up and looked over at me.

"Oh, hello Rose."

"What are you doing up?"

"Can't sleep," I gave him a curious look. "There's a lot of…things going on," he mumbled. I didn't want to push him, so I kept silent and watched the fire.

"We missed you this summer. You usually come over," I said, trying to find a new subject.

"Yes, well there was a change in plans, I guess you could say,"

"Mmm."

"Hey, who's the new girl from Salem? James was ogling the whole train ride back."

"Her name's Eve. She's in your year. I met her in Flourish and Blott's this summer. She's a bit strange. She doesn't seem to like people."

"She's really attractive though. I get what James sees," Riley said, turning to watch me. I nodded.

"Yeah, but there seems to be a lot going on there." We became quiet again, both looking into the fire.

"You know Rose, I like you," Riley said suddenly. "I like how you didn't press me."

"Well, it's your business," I said, slightly taken aback by this honest admission. "And we've all got things that we need to keep quiet." I thought about Scorpius as I said this and felt guilty. It wasn't like he was anything more than a friend. It seemed silly, actually.

I glanced over at Riley, whose eyes were closing and whose breathing was becoming deeper. I got up and walked over to him, wrapping him with the armchair cover. I looked at his face for a moment and had the irresistible urge to touch his small, honey colored curls. I resisted though, realizing how completely ridiculous that would be. I cast a quick replenishing charm for the dying fire before heading up to bed myself.

A/N: Love to Christy, and to all the marvelous reviews/readers I've gotten! Keep going, I'm loving them! And let me know if you have any juicy Riley ideas, because I'm taking offers! :)