Unexpected

*Mollie’s POV*
“So what do you think this school is going to be like?” I asked Cat as I pulled my night shirt on over my head.
“I don’t know. Probably wicked awesome,” she answered as she sat on her bed staring out the window, as if waiting for more owls to fly through it.
“I would assume so, it’s a school for magic after all,” I replied and plopped down on my own bed.
“Do you think we’re going to have any classes together?”
She looked at me sharply with a look of indifferent excitement and worry in her eyes.
“Well, I’m sure that it’s not a big school. I mean how many witches and wizards could there be to teach in Great Britain after all? I’m sure we’ll be seeing loads of each other,” I couldn’t keep the small sense of panic that I was feeling out my voice and I knew Cat had noticed.
“MOM! WE HAVE A PROBLEM!” we both yelled at the closed door before pulling it open and then rushing out of out room and down the hall to our parents room.
“What’s wrong?” Mom asked standing in the doorway as she pulled her robe on over her nightdress.
“Mommy, what if Mollie and I aren’t in any classes together? What if we never see each other?” Cat’s voice was completely overtaken with panic now I wasn’t far from entering the same state.
“Calm down my dears, I assure you that you’ll see each other when you go to school,” she kissed us both lightly on the forehead and ruffled our hair smiling, “There will be plenty of opportunities for you to see each other.”
“But mom-“
“No buts,” she interrupted me sternly and then smiled gingerly, “Now off to bed, both of you. We need to get up rather early tomorrow so we can go to Diagon Alley.”
“What in the world is Diagon Alley?” Cat wondered aloud as we walked back to our room.
“Are you expecting me to know the answer or are you just saying things aloud again and not noticing?” I teased her lightly and she chuckled as we walked back into the room we had occupied for nearly eleven years and then closed the door behind us, “I suppose we should go to bed…”
“It’s not even nearly close to eleven!” Cat protested and I sighed heavily fully knowing where she was going to go with this, “How can I go to bed when it’s not even remotely close to being late!”
“I’m not making you go to bed,” I reminded her as I pulled back my own blankets and then snuggled up in bed until I was comfortable, “I’m just saying you should.”
“Are you going to bed?” she asked as she tore her eyes away from the window again and looked at me.
“No cat, I’m just under my blankets because I like the feeling of cotton,” I replied sarcastically and a small smile tugged heavily at the corners of her lips.
“Well if that’s the case, I’ll be sure to buy you loads of cotton for Christmas,” she retorted and I let out a scoff before belly flopping onto my stomach and turning my bedside lamp off, “Good night Mollie.”
“Night Cat,” I mumbled sleepily as I felt the familiar sensation of unconsciousness flood through me.

“Morning girls!” mom’s cheery voice sang as she pulled back the curtains to our window and sunlight flooded the room.
“Mom,” Cat and I whined together causing the word to spread over a few more seconds of time than normal.
“Now now, I told you that you had to get up early. We have a rather long journey to London,” she chuckled and pulled back our covers before we could protest.
“London?” Cat sat up quickly and stared at mom as if she was crazy, “How on earth are we going to get to London?”
“You’ll see Cat, now hurry up and get ready. That goes for both of you,” she turned and smiled at me over her shoulder as I went to pull my covers back up to my chin.
“Come on lazy, time to get up,” Cat laughed and threw a pair of my shorts at me.
“Can’t you go with mom and me stay here and sleepy sleep?” I asked while grabbing the piece of clothing off of my face and throwing it back at her.
She shook her head and I sighed before sitting up and stretching out.
“How do you suppose we’re going to get to London?” Cat asked while pulling the curtains closed again and then starting to change out of her night clothes and into her usual summer type outfit, shorts and a T-shirt.
“I dunno, maybe dad is a wizard after all and is going to poof us there,” I joked while picking my shorts up again and grabbing a tank top out of my dresser.
“That would be so cool!” she yelled in response as her eyes grew in size and her smile followed suit.
“To go poof or Dad actually being a wizard?” I pulled my shorts on while staring at her excited face.
“Both,” she laughed and then ran from the room, “Daddy can you make us go poof?!”
“Can I make you go what now?” dad laughed as Cat hugged him and I walked out of our room.
“She wants to know if you can make us go poof,” I explained and made a poofing motion with my hands.
“Well if that’s how you think you’re getting to London then you’re mistaken.” he laughed again and then followed the two of us down the hall and downstairs.
“You’re very mistaken.” mom added as she handed each of us a bagel and then opened the front door, “Come on girls, this trips going to take us most of the day.”
“So how are we getting to London mommy?” I asked curiously as Cat, mom, and I got into the family car.
“We’re taking a ferry across the channel to start with,” she replied and then looked at both of us sternly before we buckled out seat belts.
“Then what?” Cat asked in the same curious voice I had used.
“You’ll see when you get to England.”
“But mom-“
“Don’t start with me Catherine.”
Cat let out a loud puff of air before slumping into the seat and crossing her arms across her chest.

“Not another one!” Cat and I whined as we boarded yet another underground.
“How else did you expect to get to London from Liverpool?” mom asked as we sat down, “We’re almost there anyway.”
“That’s what you said an hour ago,” I muttered under my breath and Cat stifled a laugh.
“I also told you not to get smart with me now didn’t I?”
“Sorry mum, I’m hungry.” I apologized and then let my head fall against the wall behind me.
“And we all know that no good comes out of Mollie being hungry.” Cat teased and I stuck my tongue out at her without opening my eyes again.
I sighed and let my mind start to drift off, as I so usually did. Vivid images of what I imagined the other half of the world to look like, the half that mom and dad had never told us about that is, flowed fluidly through my mind. Well, they did until the underground came to a sharp stop and I flew off the seat and onto the floor.
“Mollie!” mom yelled and hurriedly helped me stand back up.
“I’m good, I’m good.” I said brushing the dirt off of me and forcing the sleepiness to the back of my head.
“Are you sure? No brain damage?” Cat asked smirking at me.
“None that anyone would notice anyway.” I answered and she laughed as we followed mom off the underground.
“Stay close girls,” she said as we trotted up the escalator to stand at each of her sides, “London’s going to be packed.”
“Isn’t it always?” Cat asked raising an eyebrow.
“Don’t get smart with me,” mom replied but smiled nonetheless.
“So is this how we’re getting to King’s Cross station on September first?” I asked while battling through the crowded street, “The ferry and then the undergrounds?”
“It is indeed,” she smiled down at me as she had done with Cat and then turned her head to look around, “Now, it should be here somewhere. Oh yes, here we are.”
“The Leaky Cauldron?” Cat mouthed to me and I shrugged, I hadn’t any more of an idea to where we were going then she did.
“Hello Tom,” mom greeted the man behind the bar as we walked in and his eyes flashed to us slightly disapprovingly before looking back to mom.
“Time to go Hogwarts shopping already Cassidy?” he asked and smiled faintly. Apparently he didn't like our hair.
“Yes indeed,” she replied and ruffled our hair, “if you could open the gateway for us I’d be most appreciative.”
“Yes yes, no problem at all.”
He pulled out something that looked a lot like a stick from his robes and started hobbling over to a door on the other side of the bar.
“What’s he got in his hand?” I asked Cat as we fell behind mom and linked elbows.
“Looks like a stick,” she answered and I nodded in agreement, “But a stick couldn’t do that.”
Cat and I stopped in our tracks, gaping, at the archway that was now forming out of the brick that the wall was made out off.
“Welcome to Diagon Alley,” Tom said and ushered the three of us through the archway.