Slytherin: The Place to Be?
Author: Emma Riley
Date: 12-04-02 20:27

Declan seemed awfully proud of Slytherin House, and from what he had told me, it sounded good. Of course, he could be a little biased.

The shuttle coach rattled on a bit in silence, at least until I formulated another question to ask.

"You mentioned something about a hat?"

Declan's dark eyes flashed. "The Sorting Hat, you mean?"

"I suppose so, yes. How does it work?"

"You really do know nothing, don't you Emma?" Before I could defend myself, he continued. "Each new Hogwarts' student must approach the Hat one by one and place it on their head. It will tell you where you belong - which House. It reads your heart."

"And . . . and it told you that you were Slytherin?"

"That it did! It didn't even have to think about it!" He exclaimed proudly. "Hope you're as lucky as me!"

"I hope it sorts me right. I'd hate to be in a House that doesn't fit." What if I do get stuck somewhere that isn't right for me? The thought filled me with dread and I shifted uneasily in my seat.

"You got a pet, Emma?" Declan asked me. I wondered if he was really curious or simply bored.

"I have a ferret - angora. His name's Reginald."

"Reginald? That's a silly name, isn't it? I got a pet owl named Snickers." I giggled. "Don't Laugh! My sister named him! He's the fastest owl there is! I've raced him!" The dark haired boy's eyes got a little shifty. "Owls eat ferrets, you know."

I gulped as I remembered the bird who had been eyeing Reggie in the pet compartment.

"Are . . .are we almost there, do you think?"

"Almost. Another half an hour or so. The coach will drop us off at Hogwarts Station, where we'll meet the other students before heading to the school. Wait'll you meet the others. Especially the Slytherin! You have to watch out for those other Houses though. They don't care WHO they let in!"

I turned back to the window to watch the scenery pass. Half an hour. In half an hour I'd be starting my new life.

---

Ron watches as Harry moves out of the compartment to speak with Ginny. He also keeps a keen eye on what seems to be a flourishing friendship between Gabe and Anna. Ron would be very pleased if those two developed something more than just friendship. Since first meeting Gabe, Ron has struggled between wanting to like the other teen and with wanting to turn him into a garden slug.

Ron knows Hermione's feelings toward both Gabe and him, and Ron trusts her without question. Any lack of trust lies totally on Gabe and the subtle looks Ron has seen him giving Hermione as well as the body language Gabe tends to have whenever he's anywhere near her. Ron has no doubts that if he were out of the picture, Gabe would not wait long to make a play for Hermione. Gabe's obvious interest in Anna is already alleviating some of Ron's dark thoughts about him and in turn, the qualities that have made Gabe a good friend to Hermione for years now as well as becoming friends so quickly with Harry, Ginny, Ian and everyone else are slowly becoming more apparent to Ron. Ron's fairly certain that if he could become more openly friendly to Gabe, Hermione would be extremely happy and Ron loves to make Hermione happy.

An object weighing heavily on Ron's mind and burning a hole in his pocket is something else Ron is sure will make Hermione happy. Or so he fervently hopes. He looks over at his girlfriend, thinking how lucky he is to have someone who is beautiful in mind, spirit, and body. Hermione looks up from her book just then and senses Ron's eyes on her. She turns her head to smile pleasantly at him, gives his hand a gentle squeeze, and then returns to reading.

The item in his pocket once more takes precedence in Ron's thoughts. He glances around the entire compartment. Harry is still talking to Ginny, Gabe and Anna seem to have gotten into such a deep one-on-one conversation that they've forgotten there are others around, and Majandra sits all scrunched up, head down and looking unhappy. Ron decides now is as good a time as any to act.

Ron leans over and lightly kisses the side of Hermione's head then in a whisper asks, "May I speak with you alone?"

Hermione looks up and again gives him her lovely smile as she nods and sets her book aside. Ron stands and offers Hermione his hand, which she readily accepts. They walk out of the compartment and in order to not intrude on Harry's and Ginny's conversation, Ron leads Hermione all the way to the other end of the car and they stand partially hidden in the car's stairwell.

Ron feels his face flushing to match the color of his hair and he clears his throat a few times before he manages to get any words out. As he speaks, he mentally thanks the person behind the scholarship he received and the stipend it provides. "Hermione, I love you and though I know you know I do, I wanted you to have something symbolic of how I feel. I was going to do this even before George asked Majandra to be his steady so please don't think I decided to copy my brother."

Ron pulls out the small, square, midnight blue, velvet, jewelry box from his pocket. "Hermione Granger, please accept this as a token from my heart and symbol of my love for you."

Opening the box and holding it so Hermione has a perfect view of the item nestled inside, Ron smiles at her look of astonishment at seeing a pendant necklace with a heart. In a very intricate scroll, intertwined with the heart and with each other are the letters H and R.

---

Dashing to the Train
Author: Golbez Rushdie
Date: 12-04-02 20:41

After being dropped off, Golbez to get to platform 93/4. He gets in the train and looks around for a seat. He takes a seat beside Fynn and they talk about the school year.

---

Running the Train
Author: Eileen
Date: 12-04-02 20:45

Eileen is dropped off by her muggle parents, who wish her good luck in her year. Eileen smiles and dashes to the platform and boards the train. This is the last year I will do this she thinks to herself.

---

Decisions, Decisions?
Author: Belladonna
Date: 12-04-02 22:54

Bella laughed as she rather ungracefully sank into the fainting couch and watched a high heeled slipper dangle from a painted toe. Really, redecorating one's chambers in the astronomy tower was such a pain. Certainly not the way she wanted to use up her last free minutes before the beginning of term feast. Gosh, if she had her way, she'd be at Oliva's party sipping champagne and discussing which nightclub to go to next weekend. Well, okay she'd most likely be visiting a nightclub that weekend if she had her way, but still her life was back to being constricted.

Life could be worse, she guessed. After all, the summer had pleasantly passed in a round of house parties, balls, nightclubbing, heading to a series of private beaches, and dinners. One exotic destination after another had opened up its delights: Paris, Milan, New York, Sydney, Thailand, China, Greece, India, and Morocco. It had been fun, although the few weeks of rest at Avonford Castle with Aunt Gertrude and in her own London flat had been wonderful and needed.

Then, it had been back to Hogwarts to rip off the dust sheets from her furniture, dust the tapestries on the walls, polish the woodwork, and lastly replace last year's latest wardrobe with this year's most expensive robes and frocks. It had been comforting to get back to her old routine, not that she was going to admit it to anyone. After all, she'd been a Hogwarts professor for six years, seven if you counted the fact that she'd filled in for an absent astronomy professor for the last quarter of her seventh year as a student. Oh well, c'est la vie.

She undid the ivory hair sticks and happily sighed as her thick black hair tumbled down. She really didn't want to get dressed, since it meant leaving her couch and getting out of the silk pajamas. God, when had she gotten so lazy? Okay, it was day. Day was for sleeping and all she really needed was an espresso and a biscotti dipped in chocolate or maybe strawberries dipped in chocolate with a diet Coke. No, Cokes were only in the Muggle world and she'd just have to wait to go back to Belgravia to have one.

Okay, she was going to get up, have the elves send up orange juice and a small bit of breakfast through the dumb waiter. A mimosa and poached egg on toast with a bit of fresh fruit would hold her until the feast. Hopefully, it might actually be possible to get chocolate dipped strawberries then. Either that, or after breakfast, she was owling her favorite gourmet store and ordering three dozen. Darn, she hated having to make decisions. Oh well, the clock gave her a few hours before anything really had to be done.

---

Fascination
Author: Fynn Greenleaf
Date: 12-05-02 06:56

The train chugged on, scraping gravel in its steam rhythm. Out of the window, the scenery unwrapped itself in disconnected images; each a visual gift, fleeting and temporal. What did Fynn see, in a blink of the eye? The countryside, the city, a stray sheep in a rippling meadow, a distant bridge, a glimmering river. The sun wafted in through the window and cast shifting constellations on Cho's hair.

In the compartment, Fynn sat talking to Aradia, Sykra, Marybell and Cho. This time, the conversation had shifted to what the coming year will be like. Skyra had just received a letter, which seemed to trouble her, apparently, as she had reverted from her initial cheerfulness to reticent and quiet. Cho, meanwhile, was plaiting Belle's hair. She looked focused but at the same time, (and totally contradictory to appearances), a little distracted.

Fynn watched her fingers, slim piano-player's fingers, dart and weave Marybell's hair. It was such a mundane thing- she was simply helping her friend braid her hair, yet Cho made it look like some art form, some exquisite skill which was fascinating to observe but hard to master. Then again, she made most things look like that- effortless, in her individual way, and very graceful. In the way she walked, played quidditch, the way she laughed (and made everything light up, as if it was christmas, and it was snowing, and magic had illuminated the chill night air)- Fynn was lyricising again. He mentally knocked himself on the head. That was a sure sign of infatuation. When he started painting vivid, fantastical pictures of the subject in question. It then occured to him that he had been noticing Cho for ages- though he'd never even conjured the possibility of them ever getting together. Their proximity was close, beside each other. It was a bit claustrophobic, in a way which was not in the least bit unpleasant.

"So Fynn, what do you want to do this new term?" The question popped out of the blue, and formed in the compartment like a tangible question mark. Everyone was looking at him, expectant for an answer. Especially Cho. Or was his imagination working up? Whatever it was, Fynn knew how to feign nonchalance.

"Fall in love, I guess," he replied. It came out as a statement, quite a firm one, yet soft enough, as though he had said it to himself. Or only intended for someone close by to hear it. Nonetheless, everyone did. A brief moment of silence. Skyra looked down at the ground, but Aradia and Marybell laughed. "That's ambitious!" A plume of red had bloomed on Cho's cheeks. Fynn grinned, looked out of the window, and then straight back at her- this time with a shy half smile. Sure, it was ambitious. But like spells or miracles or Christmas wishes, it definitely didn't seem that impossible.

---

He arrived in wandered around Hogsmeade, dressed in muggle clothes for the first time in this place. Seeing that the sweetshop was still around he wanders in, smiling charismatically to the clerk behind the counter, "Good afternoon. I was wondering if you perhaps had any job openings?"

Overjoyed the clerk nods excitedly, "Oh yes. I only have one question. Did you ever attend Hogwarts?"

Orlando grins and nods, "I just graduated."

The clerk nods approvingly, "Then you're accepted! I'm Jennie Honeyduke, nice to meet you." She offers her hand.

He takes it and shakes it politely, "Orlando Devons, at your service."

They smile and begin to talk business.

---

And Then There Was One (and a Cat)
Author: Remadi Ye
Date: 12-05-02 11:08

Remadi is still smiling with amusement as Mai leaves the compartment.

"I guess I hit a sensitive spot there," Remadi says after Mirai is gone. "Don't worry, I won't bring it up again. It's nice that you two have each other here. Friends, good close friends, are important."

Remadi absent-mindedly fingers the piece of white cloth braided around her right wrist like a bracelet. She quickly stops and smiles at Neko. "That's why I'm glad I have Neko."

Neko meows his agreement to her, blue eyes looking into her dark brown ones. She shakes her head at him, smiling. "I still can't believe that he just jumped into your lap, though."

"We men have to stick together," Diether says with a grin. Remadi just rolls her eyes.

"I thought Mirai would be back by now," Remadi says looking at the compartment door. She grabs her blue bag and slings it over her head, strap resting on right shoulder and bag on left hip.

"I think I should go change now. I'll be back in a few minutes," she says as she watches Neko.

"I guess you two 'men' can stay here together," Remadi says, grinning at Diether as she leaves the compartment to go get changed.

---

Boys and Boys
Author: Hermione Granger
Date: 12-05-02 11:32

This wasn't the first time Ron surprised her with a very thoughtful gift. Hermione sighed dreamily and exclaimed, "Oh, Ron! It's so beautiful." She paused to admire the intricate initials on the heart. "Oh, you're going to make me cry. I don't have anything for you..."

"Shh, Hermione." Ron kissed her delicately on the lips and whispered, "You don't have to give me anything. Just you being with me is enough."

Hermione smiled and embraced Ron, inwardly thanking her lucky stars that she had such a great and wonderful boyfriend.

"So, do you want to put it on?" Ron asked as they parted, teasingly waving the square, midnight blue box in front of her.

She grinned and turned around, scooping up her hair with one hand to allow Ron access to her neck. He removed the necklace from the velvety jewelry box, snapped the box shut and slid it back into his pocket. Then, he fastened the necklace around Hermione's neck and kissed her cheek.

As she turned around to face him he whistled softly under his breath and exclaimed, "It looked amazing in the box, but it looks even better on you."

"Ron, I love you. You're the best, you know that?" Hermione laughed and gave him another hug.

"Yeah, I know!"

The couple enjoyed a few more minutes alone, and then decided that it was time to return to the compartment and prepare for the arrival at Hogsmeade Station. Harry and Ginny were still conversing quietly in the aisle when Hermione and Ron rejoined their other friends. As they entered, Majandra looked up and smiled. Gabriel and Annabella abruptly stopped their conversation and did the same.

"We should all change into our robes shortly," Hermione announced, checking her watch. "There's still some time, though."

Gabriel grinned. "Do you have that thing timed to the exact second we're going to arrive?"

"Not to the exact second, Gabriel," Hermione replied, laughing.

"But nearly so," Ron interjected, grinning.

Hermione rolled her eyes and turned to Majandra to admire the ring George had given her and to discuss the charms of the Weasley men. In the meantime, Gabriel and Annabella continued their previous conversation. As Hermione talked with Majandra, she kept an ear harkened on Gabriel and Annabella's chit chat. It wasn't that she was eavesdropping per se; she was merely curious.

As their conversation progressed, it became more and more apparent that Gabriel and Annabella were having a serious connection. In truth, Hermione had never pictured Gabriel in a relationship with anyone. As silly as it sounded, it just had never crossed her mind before until now. But, as she sat there silently observing the pair while talking to Majandra, she found herself becoming more and more used to the idea that Gabriel would someday have another girl, other than herself, in his life.

---

It would be a still night, the sky a dark, secretive blue- stars gleaming, letting you in on some precious secret. Their light would surround her, and she'd bask in it, as she stepped out of a horse drawn carriage, white as doves, carved like a marzipan masterpiece. Her hair, dark, would be ornate, strung with pearls and diamonds. Cho would wear a lovely, lovely gown, whose details eluded Fynn- (what did he know about dressmaking), except that it was gauzy, sometimes purple, sometimes periwinkle blue, and was most becoming. He'd take her hand, and kiss it reverently, awe struck of the princess before him...

...or beside him. She wouldn't look at him. She was resolutely looking away, still glowing roses. Had he offended her, been too rash? He needed a smoke. It was a little rude, Fynn felt, to be in a reverie whilst the conversation carried on. He remembered that he had to go and change into his robes. Smiling, he excused himself from the carriage and went to change. It felt good, to be back in his robes. They almost billowed behind him, as he strode back and returned to the compartment quickly, this time just poking his head through the door. He smiled at Aradia, Skyra and Belle, whom were talking (in his absence), about boys. It was definitely not a good time to be around. Cho was looking out of the window. He'd just take the risk.

"Cho - I hope you don't mind, just going out with me-" It had come out all wrongly. He'd meant it literally- but the damage was done. He smiled, continued. "For a breather."

---

A Difficult Conversation
Author: H Potter
Date: 12-05-02 21:25

With Gabriel and Annebelle having a tête-à-tête, Majandra being so quiet in her unhappiness, and Hermione's nose in a book, Harry had been talking mainly with Ron. He'd also been trying to think of ways to continue getting rid of the vast amount of chocolate he'd received after word got out that during much of his imprisonment a Dementer had stood guard over him.

The last thing he was expecting was for Ginny to want to speak with him privately. The brief glance Harry had exchanged with Ron indicated his friend was as puzzled as Harry. With a slight shrug, Harry had stood up and walked into the car aisle, sliding the compartment door shut behind him. As Ginny and Harry faced each other, he felt as if he'd swallowed a snitch and it was zooming around in his stomach trying to get out. Ginny's pretty face seemed to slowly flush right before his eyes and Harry's brain did loop-de-loops trying to figure out what she wants to say that would make her cheeks take on such a becoming shade.

Harry waited for Ginny to say something but she'd suddenly taken on the look of a scared rabbit and had begun fidgeting to the point that Harry wonder if Ginny would suddenly bolt. As the silence stretched out uncomfortably, Harry suddenly blurted out, "Is everything all right, Ginny?"

Ginny seemed to be having trouble looking Harry in the face. While her eyes darted around looking everywhere but straight at him, Ginny finally stammered, "Oh, um, well, yes, um, things are okay. I, er, I wanted... um, to ask..."

Her voice trails off as her face takes on an even brighter shade. Ginny stares down, intently studying their feet while nervously wringing her hands. Compelled to put her at ease so he can find out what the problem is, Harry reaches out to place one hand over Ginny's. His other hand gently grasps Ginny's chin and tilts her head to look up at him. Being so close to Ginny and touching her as he is makes Harry feel breathless. Even so, he forces himself to prompt her. "Ask me what, Ginny? I'm not going to snap at you, you know, so just ask."

Ginny doesn't remove her hands from his nor does she attempt to move her head away from the hand still lightly touching her chin. She takes a deep breath before speaking, her words coming out in a rush. "Why do you keep staring at Prescott when he's anywhere near me and why do you also get a strange look when he holds my hand or when he hugs or kisses me? Does it have anything to do with how you kissed me at midnight on New Year's?"

Harry is horribly embarrassed at being caught staring so much at Ginny and Prescott as a couple and combined with the mention of that kiss; his face feels as if it's burning. He's quite sure the redness of his face would make people think all the Weasleys had pinkish-orange hair instead of their trademark flaming color. It's now Harry's turn to stammer.

"S...s...sorry, Ginny. I had...hadn't realized I was staring at you two so m...mu...much or th...that anyone had even noticed. It's just..." Harry stops and sighs deeply, unsure of exactly what to say. What comes out of his mouth next is not at all what he wanted. As he hears the low, mumbled words, Harry at first is quite sure someone else is speaking. "I'm jealous."

Ginny steps back, her eyes going wide and her mouth forming a perfect O. She furrows her brow and gives Harry a rather odd look. "You're what?" she asks incredulously.

Staring down at their feet, Harry realizes why Ginny had found them so fascinating. Next he looks up at the ceiling and thinks that he wouldn't mind so much if right at this moment a black hole formed directly over him and pulled him straight into it. Knowing he can't really skirt the issue now that his big, fat mouth has blurted out something Harry hadnÕt wanted to hear, he again sighs heavily. At last meeting Ginny's eyes, Harry repeats, "I'm jealous."

"Jealous of Prescott? If you're jealous of him, Harry, that means..."

"Yes," Harry interrupts, "that means I like you. It means I like you more than just as a friend."

"Why haven't you ever said anything? It was never much of a secret to anyone that I had a crush on you practically from the moment we first met."

Harry runs a hand through his hair, growing more uncomfortable even though this is a conversation that should have taken place ages ago. "At first, I was pretty oblivious that you felt anything but friendship towards me. For a while, I sort of thought your behavior around me was because of my name. When I realized you had a crush, well..."

He pauses again, not sure if she'll take the next part as an insult or not. Ginny arches an eyebrow, "Yes? Go on. When you realized I had a crush...?"

"At that point I still only thought of you as Ron's little sister and as just a friend. It's only been since around Christmas that I've seen you differently."

As Ginny had done earlier, Harry takes a step back then continues speaking. "I like you quite a lot, Ginny; however, how I feel about you shouldn't really matter for the moment. You and Prescott are a couple right now. You do like him or else you wouldn't have been dating him for months now. Prescott obviously adores you. Ginny, you are not the type to cruelly dump someone, so I'm fairly certain that even if you do still have feelings beyond friendship for me, you won't be rushing off to immediately break up with him. We both know that wouldn't be the right thing to do and as sweet, caring, and considerate you are, doing so would be wholly out of character for you."

Harry, who rarely says so much all at once, still has something else that needs to be said. "Please know that when you need me, I"ll be there for you, Ginny. For the moment, I'll have to be content to be in your life as your brother's best friend and as your friend as well."

Before Ginny can say another word, Harry drops a very light kiss on her cheek then quickly steps back into the train compartment. She stands there for a few seconds longer than enters her own compartment. Prescott looks at her with a mixture of concern and anxiety. "What was that all about?"

Ginny sits down and smiles at Prescott. "Oh, nothing really. I wanted to consult with Harry about a birthday present for Hermione. Her birthday is very soon, the 19th, you know."

Relief floods Prescott's face as he takes Ginny's hand, "Yes, that's right. I'd nearly forgotten that. I hope you got it all worked out. Oh look, there's the trolley. What would you like, a cauldron cake? Chocolate frog? Bertie Bott's...?"

Feeling awful about lying but knowing it was the right thing to do for now, Ginny makes herself keep smiling and cheerfully replies, "A cauldron cake I think."

Across the aisle, Harry sits wondering if eating the small mountain of chocolate from all the gifts to get over the Dementer effects would cure a heartache.

---

Inhale, Exhale - It's Called Breathing
Author: Cho Chang
Date: 12-06-02 05:59

Belle and Aradia postponed their conversation, beginning to giggle.

Cho sent them a look, informing them to cut it out and they did. She then looked up to Fynn and smiled a little, not looking directly in his eye, for then her emotions would be emblazoned in them, "Sure..." Cho stands and straightens her robes, grabbing her handbag and walking with him down the aisle way as she fishes through her purse. Finding the breath mint gum and slipping a piece into her mouth, she offers a piece to Fynn, "Would you like a piece? It's wintergreen," she smiled, the temporary emotional chaos having been glazed over with a nonchalant facade, looking him in the eye.

Fynn shook his head and smiled as he opened the door to the porch-like thing at the end of the caboose for her, "No thanks, maybe in a minute." Cho nods and thanks him for opening the door as she leans slightly against the railing, looking at the scenery whizzing by. It was a comfortable silence as she glanced to his form, merely at a loss for words.

She hadn't felt like this since Cedric.

---

Smoke Signals
Author: Fynn Greenleaf
Date: 12-06-02 23:19

The train hurtled on.

But leaning on the railing, Cho beside him, time seemed to pass slowly. Silence. Their robes moved in the wind, and Fynn looked down the train to see that it left a trail of smoke in it's wake, billowing, jolly and gray. They were leaving the country behind, the muggle world behind. They were approaching Hogwarts. Cho stood beside him, contemplating on the scenery, the whizzing greens. Silence. Fynn decided he would be frank.

"I think things will be different, this term," he said, looking in her direction. "How-how so?" she replied. He could get lost, in her eyes. Fynn smiled enigmatically. Could he hear her heart quickening? "Different, just different," he replied. In the distance, a cloud in the blurred form of a teardrop or a messy circle. They were alike, weren't they? In their own ways. Cho was looking down now, avoiding his gaze. Fynn paused. It came out subconsciously; "Cho, I really fancy you."

Words rushed around his head. He smiled, looked away. Ahead, the clouds crowded in the shape of a heart.

---

Back to School
Author: Azaelia Bramble
Date: 12-07-02 00:00

The train came to a halt and the Slytherin friends readied themselves to hop off the train. Azaelia wouldn't admit it, but she was actually excited about getting back to school. Summer, even though she spent it off and on with Isolde and Py, was lonely the rest of the time. Her mother tried to get her to go various places with her, but Lia would just stay at home and read, or write to Robert.

She missed him a lot. He wrote to her when he got the time, but a lot of the times he was very busy with his soccer team. As much as she tired to hide it, Isolde and Py always knew. Azaelia missed him at some times more than others. It would have been just a year ago that she met Robert.

"Lia?"

Azaelia jumped.

"Lia, go!" Isolde poked her cousin.

"Sorry." She hopped down and the Slytherins made their way to the carriages that would take them up to the castle.

"Something bothering you, Cous?" Isolde asked as she tugged on a lock of Azaelia's hair.

Lia shook her head. "No. Just really tired for some reason. After that feast I'm going to bed!"

---

Is That the Engine, or My Heart?
Author: Cho Chang
Date: 12-07-02 05:17

Her heart, needless to say, was pounding.

The blood rose to her head and she had to grip the railing, trying to process this and come out with the right answer. Then she realized, the right answer was yes. Not a questioning 'you do?' of course he did, for all the years she'd known Fynn, had she not been observing? Cho knew he was always sincere when it came to matters of the heart.

Cho looked to the heart shaped cloud and smiled a little bit, before her eyes turn to his own sparkling ones, displaying the question 'Could this be true?', but from her lips fall letters, sometimes with words actually attached, "I...I do...don't...kn-know...what to say..." Mentally she slapped herself, oh that's lovely Cho, you sound like an idiot, you should've just kept your mouth shut!

Reluctantly the train was starting to slow, but it didn't matter to her, it was only Fynn and Cho in her world at that moment, and she was certainly not going to be the one to end this enamorous conversation before hearing anything else Fynn had to say. Suddenly, it slipped from her mouth, she hadn't even thought about it (if she'd thought about it, it wouldn't sound so cheesy), yet there it was, on the tip of her tongue, "I fancy you too..."

---

Almost There
Author: Oreileah McCoi
Date: 12-07-02 07:43

Orei suppresses a giggle as Coco enters the compartment. She looks like the kind of person you'd see in fairytales. "Ya do know that Pea or what ever your dogs name is, wasn't on the list of supplies for Hogwarts. The only animals we are allowed to bring are a cat, an owl, or a toad." she said matter of factly.

Coco just blinked and made herself comfortable in the seat next to Fritz. "As far as the sorting ceremony, I'm not sure what it is. Though I'm sure it will be fun." Orei said as she shifted a bit, putting her book back in her bag. She sighed as the train felt like it was starting to slow down.

"I've seen quite a few students changing in to their robes, I think we should do the same. I'll be back." she said as she grabbed her bag and left the compartment, leaving Fritz and Coco alone for now. She followed a few students toward the restrooms at the back of the car and quickly changed into her robes.

She put her wand in the right pocket of her robe and sighed splitting her hair into two pony tails which she quickly braided. Satisfied with her appearance she made her way back to her compartment. She sighed and plopped down in her seat and closed her eyes.

She wondered how her mom and dad were doing, she missed them already. Hopefully she'll be able to owl them soon, at least she thought that is what it's called. She looked to Fritz and Coco. "Well, aren't you going to go change into your robes?" she asked, wishing she had her cd player and her collection of Fiona Apple CD's with her, but Mom made her leave them at home.