Thousands of kids surrounded her and Lissy clenched her cart much more firmly in an attempt to stay grounded. She'd get on the train and find a place to sit and that would be that.
Taking her one suitcase in her hand and grabbed Hedwigs cage in her other, Lissy lifted with a heavy oof and wobbled over on to the train.
With another half hearted glance around, she tried to assure herself once more.
She could do this right?
The swarming of kids around her made her heart speed up and her eyes found their way to the ground to avoid any eye contact because if she looked up, she thought with a tight chest, she might just start crying again. Shoulders bumped into her, as to be expected, and she constantly ducked away from any elbows nearing her face (a given due to how short she stood) but she pushed on. The train was a bit less overwhelming. The compartments, she thought to herself as she looked in through the glass windows, were spacious. Many of them unfortunately were riddled with upper year students or just plain full of kids she didn't know.
"You're Amaryllis Potter," she heard her name said and Lissy flinched quite suddenly, shoving herself into a corner so fast that it may have very well have broken a record in the non magical world. In the doorway of the empty compartment she wandered into, Lissy had found a blonde girl with her silky long hair pulled into a finely done fishtail braid. Her eyes were sharp and looked angry and her mouth was pulled back in a grimace. She quite reminded the girl of someone much older than her age but from the looks of her face, she was slightly confident in the fact that the other girl was around the same. Slightly.
"I am," she nodded quietly, her voice meek. The glasses on her face felt loose and she pushed them up delicately to avoid breaking them any further. The blonde girls eyes sharpened even more than before it seemed and she took a step forward. It was a stiff moment. Lissy didnt know what to do much less the intentions the other female had but the corner had no more to be backed into so she settled for closing her eyes and awaiting the pain.
"Oculus Reparo."
There was a swish of wind on her face and Lissy's breath hitched as she opened her eyes, only to find the glasses not so crooked. Her mouth went to an O as she took them off her face and studied them in amazement. The old scratches and tape that held them together had vanished completely.
It was magic.
"You'd do best to present yourself in a more assertive way," the blonde girl told her finely, her eyes washing over the other one before turning and leaving without another glance. Lissy watched her go before turning back to the empty compartment she had found. This would be okay, she told herself as she walked up to the luxurious red leather seats, gently poking at them before depositing her body onto it softly. Her eyes looked around as she did so, as if waiting for someone to yell at her, but nothing came so with that, pushed herself into the corner near the window and watched the fields around her grow more barren. This train was certainly a lot more expensive than she'd ever seen she thought, studying the clean carpeted floors and impeccably clean shelves. Could she really afford this school? A nervous twist in her stomach forced her to rummage into the shorts underneath the woolen skirt she wore. Rereading it, Lissy tried to find peace. Certainly they wouldn't waste paper on someone who couldn't come. It had her name and everything.
A noise from her right took the ravenettes haired attention away from her thoughts and she jumped in surprise at the red haired boy sitting in front of her. In turn, he jumped a bit too at how shocked she was. He adorned the same uniform as her except with black pants that seemed worn and frayed at the ends. His eyes were a nice soothing blue and the freckles that danced across his cheeks only made them stand out more. It was a moment before she found what she wanted in his eyes but when she did, her body fell back into the seat with a soft thud.
"Are you a muggleborn?" The question was blurted out wildly and Lissy looked up to see the boy blushing in embarrassment, hand over his mouth in surprise. She gave him a confused look.
"Muggleborn?" She repeated the foreign phrase on her tongue. The red head studied her curiously, but his eyes held no malicious intent. Somehow, Lissy found, she still couldnt relax.
"Were both your parents Non-magical people," the red head asked and Lissy's mouth turned into an O shape as she finally comprehended what he was saying.
"No," she shook her head. "Both magical." Ron's expression only became more confused but she watched as he completely bypassed whatever confusion was going on in his head and instead stretched out a hand to shake hers. Unconciously, she flinched.
"Ron Weasley," He smiled awkwardly, something that seemed to be a constant in this boy, and she smiled back at him shyly.
"Amaryllis Potter," She hesistantly shook his hand, her grip so unaffirming and soft that it was barely there. His hand felt so big conpared to hers and she looked at her palms as she pulled back in wonder. Were all boys so big? A strangled noise that came from Ron's mouth drew Lissy away from her musings and she flinched, moving to stand up. Could he be choking?
"The Amaryliss Potter?" Ron gasped excitedly and she retreated back into the chair. There was a swarm of butterflies in her tummy at the thought of someone actually wanting to meet her and she bashfully ducked her head as she nodded. Hagrid had apparently not been lying when he told her or her fame, she thought, playing with the ends of her skirt. "There's Magitales after you! Me mum used to read me your story as a bedtime tale. Do- Do you have it?" He leaned over eagerly, excitement having taken over and Lissy swallowed uncomfortably at all the attention.
"H-Have what?" Her voice trembled a bit but Ron didn't seem to notice.
"You know," he urged her, "the scar." Her eyes widened in understanding before she pushed her hair away from the side of her forehead, allowing him a glimpse at the small painless blemish. "Wicked!"
"Are you a muggleborn?" Lissy changed the subject, testing out the phrase on her tongue once more. This wizarding world certainly had many new words that she didn't know. Ron laughed, his eyes full of mirth and Lissy flinched slightly.
"Oh, no, I'm a pureblood. Suppose I'm a blood traitor if we're being specific, " He told her, rummaging through his bag and Lissy blushed in embarrassment. Had she been completely wrong?
"B-Blood Traitor?" She hesistantly repeated questioningly, hoping her inexperience and ignorance of this new world wouldn't annoy the boy. So far he was kind if not a bit obnoxious but she didn't quite mind. He looked up at her with confused brows before coming to a realization.
"Y-you live with muggles?" At her nod he hummed. "It will make more sense if I start from the beginning. There are 5 types of people. Pureblood, Half-blood, Muggleborn, Squib, and Muggles. Muggles are those with no magic lineage at all and no magic either. Basically they're the complete opposite of a pureblood. Muggleborns have no magic lineage but are born with magic. Squibs are those born without magic even though they might have magical parents. Half bloods are a bit iffy. As long as one parent is magical, basically, they're a halfblood. You can be a halfblood with one muggleborn parent or even with a muggle parent. Purebloods have long lineage of magic and have both pureblood parents as well." He looked up at her and she nodded, waiting for him to continue.
"A lot of people think muggleborns shouldn't belong in our world," Ron explained, shrugging exasperatedly. "Mostly purebloods. I'm a pureblood me self but muggleborns and muggles don't really bother me in the slightest. However, just cause I associate with them, I get called a 'blood traitor'."
"So... blood traitor is good?" Lissy questioned softly, giving him a confused look. Ron gave her a big grin, laughing.
"Y'know! I suppose so!"
Lissy looked up at him in wonder and smiled. Any tension she may have had when they first began talking slowly melted away as he began to talk a lot more. Though a bit brutish and blunt, Ronald Weasley was certainly much better than her Aunt, Uncle, and cousin. Though a tad more comfortable, Lissy found that she was more content listening to Ron talk than actually doing the same. His upbringing was slightly like hers in which he was poor too but differed quite heavily as he went on about his siblings and family. A loving family. The jealousy grew in her but she pushed it away as best as she could. Time passed and Lissy couldn't help herself but buy a good amount of candy from the trolly woman. Suddenly having money and the power to buy whatever she needed or even wanted was amazing. If she wanted to, she could even buy herself nice socks like the other girls in her primary school wore.
"Have you seen-" A girl with frizzy hair and bucked teeth slammed the compartment open, a loud bang echoing in turn. Lissy felt her heart stop as she raised her arms above her head, flinching quite terribly. Looking apologetic, the bushy haired girl smiled smally. "Sorry, I didn't mean to do that so rough. I was just wondering if either of you had seen a frog by chance?" Lissy looked at her before shaking her head no, trying to stop the tremors that were raking through her body. She understood quite thoroughly that she was away from the Dursleys but somehow, her body still reacted as if she were still in that cupboard under the stairs.
"S-Sorry! I haven't," She shook her head again.
The bushy haired girl sighed, nodding in thanks. "I'm Hermione Granger. If you two do happen to find it, I'd appreciate it if you could give it back to Neville or I." A chubby boy peeked his head over the girls shoulder, face strewn up in worry as his eyes darted across the apartment.
"H-His name is Trevor!" The boy told them sparsely before continuing on and Hermione followed. The compartment door slowly slid shut but before Lissy heard the click, it was opened once again. Her chest tightened. Two similar looking redheads peeked through, grinning deviously.
"Oh, so ickle Ronniekins found himself a girlfriend, huh," one began mischievously. "Ah! He even robbed the trolly for her!" The other redhead sidled in, giving Ron a dissapointed look.
"Tsk tsk. Has love truly brought you to a life of crime," He sighed. "Tragic. Next you know, he'll be robbing Gringots with Mum's pantyhose on his head. I think we should at least be introduced to the lass that's pushed you to the breaking point!" He sent a smirk to Ron before him and the other older one leaned in. Lissy felt herself grow sickeningly pale as they leered over her. Her stomach felt queasy and she tightened her hands on the woolen skirt the covered her upper legs, trying to calm her quickening heart rate.
"Oh, careful Freddy," the unnamed redhead nudged Fred in his ribs quite sharply. "We wouldn't want to fall for her so quick as Ron has." He took a dramatic giant step back and the twins shared a look befkre the other followed.
"You're right, Georgie. Her charms almost got me!" He put a hand on his forehead in feigned fright. They peered at more kindly now, quirking an eyebrow in curiousity.
"I'm Fred, and this is George," Fred jabbed his finger back, gesturing towards George only to him in ihe cheek and she hid the small smile that was slowly pushing through. "He's not much but mum makes us take him along every year. Otherwise he'll tear up the linens. Dastardly, isnt he?" George made a feral face, jokingly clawing at his twin.
Lissy's hands slowly loosened on her skirt as she watched the boys back off but her knuckles were still white. Even in primary she hadn't been surrounded by such eccentricity and she found that she didn't quite like it. Most of the kids avoided her and she was fine with that so to be around so much interaction in one day. She swallowed thickly, hoping this school wouldnt be the same.
