We all clambered onto the train. Arabella, of course, went back home to Hogsmeade, and the Potters and Weasleys always got a compartment together, so that left Georgie, Carly, Jane, and I to find a compartment for ourselves. I sighed in relief as we found one, and tried to sleep, but soon awoke to someone poking my side.

"Lin! Bloody hell, Lin, wake up!" Jane's voice demanded.

I groaned and rolled over, sitting up. "Damn it, what?"

Jane leaned in to whisper, "James is outside. Says he wants to talk to you."

I frowned. "Tell him to 'bugger off', as you would say."

"Already did. He says he wants to apologize." Jane looked solemn.

I opened my mouth to only shut it again. I paused, and peeked outside. There he was. "Well, I'll be damned," I whispered. I turned to Jane. Georgie and Carly were asleep. "You think he means it?"

Jane sighed. "I think so. And if he doesn't, I'll practice that Bat Bogey Hex Lily's been teaching me on him."

I looked at her in surprise. "Lily? Our Lily?"

Jane rolled her eyes. "Mrs. Potter's apparently a master at it, and figured Lily should know how to protect herself. Stop stalling."

I scowled at her, but got up and opened the door. "Potter?"

He looked at me, and swallowed, and just stared. I tapped my foot impatiently. After waiting for a few moments, I finally cleared my throat.

He shook himself as if he had been dreaming. "Sorry. Lack of sleep. Erm, do you think we could talk for a minute?" He looked into the compartment, in which Jane was looking at him suspiciously. "Out here?"

I sighed, and closed the door to the compartment after stepping outside. We stood in the narrow hallway, basically alone. I waited for him to talk, but he was staring at his shoes. I cleared my throat again. "Well?"

"I just…"he sighed, "I wanted to say I feel like I've been a bit of a wanker and I'm sorry."

The last part came out in a rush, and it took me a long time to process them. I'm sure I opened and closed my mouth several times. He started to turn red, so I shuffled my feet and looked down. "Okay."

He looked at me with a hopeful expression. "Okay?"

I sighed, stating to become annoyed and flustered. "I said okay. Okay? Okay!" I opened the door to my compartment and was about to step into it, but he put a hand on my shoulder.

"Thank you, Caroline." And with that, he was gone.

For some reason, I felt like I wanted to punch something. Jane could probably sense this, seeing as she scooted away and proceeded to ask me what was wrong.

"He said he was a 'wanker', which is what I'm assuming the British equivalent of a douche bag is, and said he was sorry. And I said okay." I harrumphed.

Jane looked confused. "So?"

"Who am I supposed to hate now?" I wailed.

The train arrived right on time, and my parents were there to pick me up and, after brief introductions to my friends, we apparated home.

It was a big house, far too big for our small family. It was just my parents and me. I had no siblings, though I did have a dog.

"Byron!" I whistled as we stepped through the front door. He came bounding down the stairs.

My dad chuckled as I wrapped my arms around the fluffy Sheepdog. "He missed you, you know. He's been sleeping in your room ever since you went off."

My mom patted my head. "We all missed you. Merry Christmas, Caroline."

I let go of Byron and hugged both my parents. "I missed you guys, too. Merry Christmas right back."

Christmas came and went. My pile of presents was larger than normal this year, and I felt strangely happy about it. My parents were excited for my party, and even insisted that I use the cellar for my friends, while parents would stay on the top floor. I sighed in defeat, and wrote Arabella and Carly about this new development, seeing as they had put themselves in charge of planning it. In fact, Arabella, Carly, Jane, and Georgie frequently visited me at home. I was thankful it was pretty large, and it had even been gifted to my dad and mom for moving out here. My dad worked for the American Magical Department, and was sent here as something akin to an ambassador, almost, to facilitate peace between America and the UK.

Not that there was any tension to begin with, but it was supposed to be an example for other countries to follow. I just shook my head at the thought of it all. Politics didn't interest me much, to my parents' dismay.

In my free time I pondered over what James had said on the train. Was he really worth forgiving? He had been mean to me, and I know I didn't deserve it. I was still mad at him, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to give him a second chance.

I just hoped I wouldn't regret it.