It's funny, sometimes, how quickly time passes.
It's also funny how even after six years, your mind can still have trouble accepting the extraordinary world of magic.
It was quite hard to imagine sometimes, especially right now, sitting in a compartment on the Hogwarts Express and beginning my sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
"Marce, you there? Marcy?"
I jumped and blinked in the direction of the voice. Bridget and Kenna were staring at me from across the compartment. Besides being a bit taller, they both looked mostly the same as they always did.
Well, I guess that wasn't totally true. Bridget had let her hair grow out a tad and acquired bangs, while Kenna had her left eyebrow and lip pierced.
"Just spacing out," I explained, "What were you saying?"
A sly grin spread Bridget's lips. "We were just discussing The Adrian Mission." I rubbed the bridge of my nose and groaned in exasperation.
The Adrian Mission was exactly what it sounded like: a goal shared by Bridget and Kenna to set me up with Adrian.
"Anyways, any luck so far, Ken?" Bridget said, turning to the elfin witch, who lived two houses away from Adrian and his brother Ben. The latter shook her head regretfully. "No luck so far, I'm afraid. Every time I ever-so-subtly bring it up, he's oblivious," Kenna reported, then let loose a sigh. "Stupid boys."
Bridget clapped her hands together once. "No matter! We shall succeed eventually."
I couldn't help the smile that tugged the corners of my mouth. "You guys are ridiculous," I said. "That's why you love us!" Kenna sang.
Before we could continue the conversation, there was a knock at the door. It slid open and Angus's tall form filled the doorframe.
Although I had no interest in him, I have to admit he looked quite fit with his shock of dark russet hair, rich green eyes, and a sexy smile.
"Greetings, ladies. Is there room for one more?" He asked.
"No," Bridget said, fixing him with a flat, unwelcoming stare. Without further invitation, Angus entered the compartment, shut the door behind him, and slid onto the booth beside Bridget.
"Hello, Bridge," he said, flitting his eyebrows at her.
"You don't have permission to call me that," she snapped. The Gryffindor boy smirked at her.
"As pleasant as ever, I see," he remarked fondly.
"Yeah, you're a real breath of fresh air yourself," Bridget retorted with equal sarcasm.
They stared at each other in silence, Bridget's steely glare against Angus's suggestive smile.
They had been play this cat-and-mouse game since first year. And as good-looking as Angus was, I understood why my friend denied his advances.
Since third or fourth year he had slept with about every pretty girl that would let him.
And trust me, not many turned him down.
But he always came back to pester Bridget.
"Should Kenna and I leave? I could cut the sexual tension with a knife." I broke the silence. Kenna laughed and Bridget tried to hide a smirk.
Angus flashed me a smile and said, "It's good to see you again, dear Marcia."
"Feeling's mutual." I replied with a smile. Despite how annoying he could be, I honestly considered him a friend and a good person deep down.
"Good to see you, too, Kenna." Angus said, giving her a wink. "Good to see you, too." Kenna agreed.
The door slid open again and Adrian hurried inside, dressed in his school robes, slamming it behind him. He was leaner and taller, and he had let his hair grow out a bit within those six years. I don't know if it was just me, but his eyes appeared even darker, contrasting starkly with his cool porcelain skin, which seemed to be growing paler by the year.
"What are you up to?" I asked, slightly wearily, eyeing his hands. They were concealed from view, folded behind his back.
"Nothing," he replied, a bit too quickly. I arched an eyebrow at him, and recieved one of his trademark, breathtaking smiles.
"You know me too well, Marce," he chuckled, revealing his hands. He was holding a baggy Muggle shirt and a pair of jeans, along with some Hogwarts robes.
"I stole Ben's clothes while he was changing," Adrian said with a little impish laugh. We all laughed and Angus slapped him a high-five.
"Damnit, Adrian, do you know what you've done?" Kenna asked, staring at the clothes with unmasked terror.
Adrian looked confused. "Yes, I've pulled a master prank," he said slowly. Kenna shook her head quickly.
"We all know Ben's got no sense of embarrassment or dignity, for that matter! He'll probably be down here at any moment, and trust me, he won't be wearing-"
At that moment, as the horror of the situation dawned on all of us, Ben entered the compartment.
His undergarments were a tad too small for my liking.
"Merlin's beard! Put that away, Ben!" Bridget exclaimed as we all covered our eyes. Ben was unfazed.
"Hey, man, have any of you seen my robes? They just kind of disappeared." He said.
"Bloody hell, Ben! You win this time, just take them!" Adrian said, thrusting the clothes at his brother.
"Win what?" Ben asked over his shoulder as he was pushed out of the compartment. We made sure to lock the door behind him. Angus got to his feet.
"This is getting a bit too... intense. I'm going to go change. Cheers, my friends! I'll see you at Hogwarts!" Then, meeting Bridget's eyes, he said, "Until later, love." And before she could reply, he was gone.
"That boy infuriates me," Bridget grumbled, massaging her temples.
"You know you like him," Adrian teased. Bridget rolled her eyes at him.
"You're barking up the wrong tree, my friend," I told him, "Trust me. Kenna and I have been trying for six years with no luck at all."
Adrian smiled. "It was worth a try."
Bridget glowered, only half as angry as her expression conveyed. "Alright, Adrian, time for you to leave. Us ladies have changing to do."
He called goodbyes as he, like his brother, was forced from the compartment. With that, we changed into our school robes, entirely comfortable in front of eachother after being friends for so many years.
"Well, girls, ready to face another year?" Bridget asked.
"Ready as I'll ever be," I responded.
"It's time to shine," Kenna added.
Grabbing our baggage, we headed out into the hall and followed the other students off the express. As we were being herded towards the carriages, I heard a voice behind me.
"Marcia! Ah- Miss McFlint!"
I turned my head around and saw none other than Remus Lupin jogging towards me.
"Mr. Lupin!" I exclaimed, totally shocked. He pulled me into an embrace like we were old friends. Because we kind of were.
Over the years, we had sometimes exchanged owls back and forth. We talked about all sorts of things; literature, music, magic... the only ones who knew were myself, Bridget, and Kenna.
I didn't tell my mum.
I mean, I didnt purposefully keep it from her, but she didn't ask and I didn't tell.
She would take it the wrong way.
It wasn't like that. It really wasn't.
"It's nice to see you!" I said, "What are you doing at Hogwarts?"
That's when I noticed his briefcase.
"No way, are you..?" I started, my eyes widening.
He beat me to it. "That's right, I'm Professor Lupin now."
I grinned broadly. "Oh, that's brilliant! Congratulations, Professor." I said, relishing in the word. "What will you be teaching?"
"I'll be returning to my post as Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher," he told me, and even though he smiled back at me, I saw something shadowed behind his endless pale eyes. Guilt? Fear? I couldn't tell.
"Well, we really must be going. We'll be late for the feast if we stand here any longer." Remus said. "I'll see you at our first class."
"See you then," I agreed, and he hurried off. When I returned to Kenna and Bridget, they gaped at me in silence.
"What's the matter?" I asked, fidgeting.
They shared a look, and Kenna said, "What the hell, Marce?"
I frowned in confusion. "What are you talking about?"
"You didn't tell us this adult friend of yours was so incredibly... fit," Bridget accused.
I smirked in satisfaction. "You never asked," I replied as we began walking to the castle.
"Still, I believe as your friends, we need a steady stream of-" Bridget was cut off by Kenna's sudden gasp of surprise.
"Wait wait wait wait waaaait," she said, stepping in front of me and holding up her hands. "Does he like you?"
"Very good question, Kens!" Bridget announced. "Does he? Bloody hell, it's a huge taboo, but it's so romantic that-"
"Guys!" I interrupted loudly. I was blushing quite deeply- I still hadn't rid myself of that habit. "No, he doesn't like me. We're friends. That's all we ever will be."
I said these words slowly, trying my best to look them both in the eyes.
A smile spread Bridget's lips. "Sure, Marce. Just friends."
Kenna patted my shoulder and agreed. "That's all you'll ever be."
Even a deaf man could hear the sarcasm and irony in their voices.
I sighed heavily at them and we began to make our way inside. I stopped for a moment to stare up at the castle which had been my second home for years.
Little did I know then, this home of mine harboured secrets that no one could have imagined.