Hear Me Now

Sitting upright, I took a deep breath as the intense brown eyes, began to fade from my sight. Playful, happy and haunting, his face was covered with red hair bringing out the mischief in his gaze.

I did not know this man, but something inside ached too. For the last week, his had filled my dreams causing me to wake in the early dawn light flush with excitement and a heavy need to find him.
Something I pushed aside quickly, denying my damned second sight. Shaking my head, I threw my legs over the side of my bed and clicked at Hadrian as he cracked one eye at the disturbance.

“My apologizes your majesty, did I disturb you with my waking: bowing my head at him as he shuffled raising himself straight to peer at me eyes wide, I snorted with laughter. I could always count on Hadrian to bring up my mood. He wasn’t an overly large owl; a Greater Sooty Owl, blackish in coloring and native to Australia I was glad he adjusted well to other climates.

Ignoring him as he ducked his face to return to slumber, I made for my bathroom glad to finally have a proper ensuite complete with a jet tub I was going to miss once at school. But I would survive that like I survived everything, including today’s shopping in the apparently famous Diagon Alley.

**

Staring around the crowded Diagon Alley, I sighed starting towards the nearest store. I was going to need only a few things some downgrades from what I used at Mountain Valley, my Canadian Wizarding School. Ironic, supposedly everything was supposed to be better at Hogwarts but a pewter cauldron? Ugh, the thought of the potential mess that could make I looked away from that shop and moved into the bookstore. These at least, I figured would be useful.

Approaching the counter, I ignored the stares I was getting from a few people and spoke to the shop keeper explaining that I was need of only a select few of the books on the list and highlighting the required before handing it over with a smile. At least, the first store was polite but would that be said
for the rest.

Besides books, I needed robes and quills – which again had me rolling my eyes. The mess the ink would make! I figured I would grab a couple nice ones and maybe use them a few times just to say I had but would stick to my rollerball pens, which moved seamlessly across parchment and paper.

Paying for the larger than expected stack of books now on the counter I shrugged, grabbing the bags and thanking the young girl for her help. Walking out of the store I turned right and moved up the way looking for the robe shop where I could get fitted for the black robes that were somehow necessary for day to day wear. If I got fitted and it was going to take time I could easily go fetch the rest of my items and possibly have time for tea before returning to purchase them and return home.

Smiling brightly at the young child trailing besides his mother obviously unhappy about shopping, I stopped short in front of a huge store. Above held a ginger tipping his hat to the passers but it was the items in the window that really caught my eye. Little balls of fluff flying around in every way, lollipops that looked like blood and some sort of box containing what every student would need to be excused from class or at least so it claimed. Laughing at the idea of a joke shop in what was obviously a very serious alley, I entered quickly looking around at everything.

Moving wall to wall, I peered into a glass designed to show anyone on the other side you in a hilarious get up. Wondering how that looked, I picked up one of the kits to get out of class with a shrug and moved around the others milling about laughing with friends and quickly paid for the items I wanted. I was almost at the door again when something made me stop, a shivering tearing down my spine as I turned my head to look over my shoulder and met a warm, laughing pair of brown eyes. Brown eyes, that had been haunting my dreams since I had returned to England.

Smile slipping in hesitation, I shook my head and turned back to the door hoping I hadn’t blocked
anyone and much to my dismay ran away heading for the robe shop just up the way, I tucked in breathing deeply as I found myself growing angry at my cowardice.

“Welcome, you must be a student,” nodding my head absentmindedly, I followed the kind seamstress to a station in the back and was quickly fitted for the robes I would need to fit in. I had forgotten that this was a magic alley and my robes were ready instantly allowing me to finish my shopping in the distracted and disappointed personal disgrace I had brought on my mood.

Would it have been so bad to meet the man haunting my dreams?

**

Pushing my trunk into what looked like a very small closet, I set Hadrian on the seat by the window and dropped down beside him. Today was the day I officially became a Hogwarts student and so far as I brushed at the skirt and robes I wore, I was not pleased. I was not a huge dress fan and that went for skirts, I wanted freedom to move and sit how I liked not be restricted.

Another thing I did not find pleasing, the time. I had already been on the platform for two hours and was growing impatient. Why would anyone want to leave at ten? Yes, I mean it was a nicer hour but early was good too especially when you happened to be like me, unable to sleep past a certain hour thanks to dreams you wished you didn’t have.

Sighing, I looked out the window at the normal families; parents saying goodbye to their children, telling them to do well and to write often. My mother hadn’t even come to see me off, not that I expected her too. She had been at the house when I first arrived, threw a bag of both wizard and muggle money on the table and promptly vanished. Which was fine by me, I hated the time I had to see her.

“Well Hadrian, at least I have you” passing him a treat as he hooted beside me, I jumped looking up as the compartment door opened.

“Sorry, I thought this one was empty,” vibrant red hair, the girl smiled taking a step back stopping only when I shook my head returning her smile.

“It’s alright I wasn’t expecting to have it to myself,” watching as her smile widened and she then leaned out the door calling down to her friends she moved back into the room taking the seat opposite me.

“I’m Ginny, you must be a transfer?” nodding my head at the question, I glanced at the door thinking about her accent. I may have been born in England and spent my first few years on her soil but I had spent the rest of my life in Canada and new I would have an accent to her – but secretly I wished I sounded like them. I had always been fascinated by the way the British spoke and each region was different, which only peeked my interest more.

Watching as two more red heads enter, this time male both joking about something a brunette female with wild curls just behind shaking her head at the two but smiling still, I found myself staring at the one male – he looked so much like the one from the store that I couldn’t help but think they were brothers. Behind the girl came another this time with blonde hair and comically large glasses, one pink and one blue and a dreamy look on her face and what I hoped was the last friend entering stepped in behind her, thankfully closing the door behind him. His black, unruly hair barely covered the lightening scar on his forehead and his glasses were slightly lopsided but that looked as if it was due to some rough history.

But they all seemed friendly, so I offered my brightest smile and opened my mouth with a small wave of my hand. “Jamie,”