Tessa wasn't feeling her best on the train. She blushed and looked down after a drooling Slytherin nearly tripped walking past her going the opposite direction. She wasn't used to this staring.

"Maybe these guys had a change of preference over the Summer", she thought to herself and smiled at her theory that she relatively doubted. "Maybe I spilled some jam on my shirt and the "weasel" twins didn't tell me…but Luna would've told me." She was too deep in thought to realize she ran smack into Marcus Flint's back.

"Oi! Watch where going you tos—", said Flint whom abruptly stopped talking after turning around and realizing that the person behind him was the same height if not a little shorter. "Well you've grown into yourself haven't you, Thornhill", he smirked at the flustered girl. "Wouldn't mind meeting in-between practices this year."

He looked down at Tessa's disproportionate legs and torso, or at least she thought they were. Her hips were almost the same length as Fred's she observed, once, when she was staring at him while throwing gnomes out of one of his parents' gardens during a heatwave.

"I might, if, you play nice this year," said Tessa flirtatiously. She smiled at the surprised look on the boy's face by her response. "But, we both know it won't happen if you want to win a game." said Tessa.

"Yeah you'd like that wouldn't you; you fucking sla—", Tessa shut the door of the cart and moved to the next one before she could hear anything else. She honestly wouldn't have minded hanging out with him if he was a decent person. But, she remembered, the last time she faced him ended with her being sent to the hospital wing when he kicked her off her broom after scoring a game changing goal.

The train cart lurched forward and which caused her to nearly fall into a room with a view of buildings speeding by.

"Hey Tess, you know it isn't really safe to be alone." She whipped around to see Fred shutting the cart door.

"I'm fine. I can take care of myself."

"Yeah", replied Fred. "But now, I need to protect you here and on the field, so you need to stop messing with Slytherins." She was taken a-back by how serious he looked. She wondered how he knew about Flint talking to her so quickly.

"He only hurt me once and that will never happen again. Lighten up Weasley." She tried to set the mood a little lighter, since she really needed to go to the bathroom and having a serious conversation was not the best time. "It's not my fault they like me so much."

Fred smiled at Tessa, shoved her into a bathroom.

"I'm telling you, Montague. Thornhill was totally into it," said an astonished Marcus.

"Well, after you sending her to the Hospital Wing last year, she might want to see how rough you can get off the pitch. Most girls are into that sort of thing now days," replied Graham Montague deviously. "I might go back to the lavatory then." They both laughed while pushing students out of their way through the car.

Once they reached the Hufflepuff car, Flint was walking towards the lavatory looking at Tessa, then Fred, and looked down as he passed. Tessa let go of the breath she held once she saw him and turned to Fred.

"I'm so glad you're my bodyguard Mr. Weasley," said Tessa smiling at Fred.

"Anytime Miss Thornhill, but only an hour a day. I am a very busy man," said Fred jokingly. He opened the car door for her and they made it back to their compartment to see Lee's Queen defeated by George.

"Damn it George", said Lee and passed a unicorn pop and dragon's breath gummies to George across the make-shift table that was made in-between them on their side of the compartment the two boys shared.

"Nice of you to join us again", said George.

"Alright; Alright, enough chit chat; get into your compartments we are almost out of London," said a shrewd Head boy who shut the door behind Fred and walked to the next compartment. They all looked at each other and laughed at their outrageous behavior needing to be disciplined as Lee opened a deck of cards to help them get through the rest of the trip.

They played snap bang enough times to call it quits and move on to other games, like muggle poker. George was just about to win, until, the train got dark enough to no longer see the game in front of them.

"Looks like the storm's getting worse," said Lee. Tessa stood up to turn on an overhead light when, suddenly, the train lurched to a stop causing Tess to land onto George's lap as all the lights went out.

Silence.

The first time George has ever encountered true silence was in the moment. He held Tessa closer to him in hopes it will make him feel better but sadness was quickly taking over. They were closest to the door and saw a black shadow quickly open their door.

"Scooch!"

Startled by the boy Lee scooted over until the guy removed his hood. Platinum blonde illuminated the compartment, and showed a very terrified Draco Malfoy. "Well if it isn't Malfoy gracing us with his prescence," said Fred sarcastically.

Ice filled the air and caused condensation to form on the windows from their breath. Draco was too shaken to make a comeback, but, instead, glared at Fred until another shadow slowly walked towards their compartment. It was so quiet they heard one door unlock and slide open after another, until the creature reached their section of compartments. The lock popped open on their cart, and a small white light emulated from Harry's side of the train. The Dementor turned towards the light locking their compartment door as it walked past.

After a few seconds, a bright light illuminated the hall way of the car knocking the Dementor into the hallway and flyimh away hastily with the light following it. Tessa turned to George seeing his face looking just as terrified as hers and pushed further into his lap burrowing her face into his robes.

Malfoy bolted out of the room once the car door shut and ran in the opposite direction. The train started moving again, and the lights flickered on as the train began to pick up speed.

"Well—,"said Fred, "—who wants to finish this game." They all smiled at the tension being relieved and played until they reached Hogwarts' station.

"Finally!" yelled Tessa who was relieved of the small spaces. She began spinning around Hogwarts' station nearly running into a small first year. George grabbed Tessa's arm and lead her to Fred and Lee whom left them behind trying to get a carriage, which could fit all of them, before most of the spaces were taken.

"Over Here!" she heard Angelina yell to her with a smile. There were two spaces left and Tessa took their offer without hesitation.

"Oh I see how it is Tessa!" bellowed George while she walked away from him towards her friends.

"You'll live without me, George." Tessa replied, "It's only a carriage ride."

George smiled and waved while heading towards Lee and a confused Fred.

"Hey girls", said Tessa hugging Katie, Alicia, and Angelina. "How was your Summer?" said Tessa.

Angelina smiled. "It was nice. I met the coach of the Harpies," replied Angelina He asked me to come to one of their practices during holiday!" They all bounced up and down with excitement and loudly began to congratulate her which caused many students to glare back at them.

"That's brilliant!" Tessa replied with excitement. "I will buy season tickets when you become their chaser".

Katie nodded in agreement and added, "Speaking of Quidditch, are you trying out this year Tess?"

"Of course!" Tessa replied, "Hopefully I'll be a reserve again, and, that's okay." The three girls smiled at her answer. For the rest of the ride, gossiped about boys, Quidditch players, and the upcoming World Cup next year.