Status: work in progress
Tough Love
Chapter 1
The first day of September dawned bright and early, sending bright rays of light through the slats of the blinds in the bedroom, waking its only, and very tired, occupant. With a moan, she rolled over and attempted to go back to sleep only to be roused again, this time by her Godfather, “Time to get up sweet pea, don’t want to miss the train do you?” with a sigh, Anya rolled out of bed and rummaged around her closet for a pair of jeans, a long sleeve t-shirt and a pair of black sneakers, there was no point dressing up just to get on the train. After she’d finally found her favorite pair of jeans and a comfy shirt, Anya walked over to the corner of her room where her school trunk stood open with all her books, clothes, and robes stacked neatly inside. She quickly double checked that she had everything on her school list, then closed and locked her trunk and dragged her trunk down the stairs to the kitchen where RJ was waiting with breakfast on the table.
“Good morning,” Anya said as she sat down to the table and began shoveling food onto her plate.
“Good morning, love. Did you sleep well?” RJ asked, kissing her on the forehead.
“Of course I did. And of course you’d know that, Mr. let’s-sneak-into-Anya’s-room-at-12am” Anya answered, rolling her eyes.
“Guilty as charged,” her Godfather said with a laugh.
With a smile, Anya dug into her meal, eating so fast it was a shock that she didn’t choke. It was almost 8:30, the train didn’t leave until 11, but she still wanted to meet up with George before it left; maybe they’d even get to find an open car with him, Fred, Neville, and Luna. With that happy thought in mind, she finished gulping down some juice and jumped up, remembering suddenly something she’d need while she was away.
“I’ll be right back, I forgot something,” she called to RJ as she ran back up the stairs at full speed.
How she had almost forgotten her owl, Marley, was beyond her. She had never gone to school without her; she was her connection to the outside world. Anya raced into her room to find Marley staring at her through the bars of her cage. When she entered the room, Marley gave a faint hoot and fluffed out her feathers. Anya crossed the room and picked up Marley’s cage, grabbing the owl food and some treats on her way back down stairs.
“Okay, I’m ready now,” she said as she reached the bottom of the steps leading into the kitchen, balancing Marley’s cage on top of the counter as she stuffed the owl food and treats into her trunk.
RJ watched her efforts to get everything to fit with a look of amusement on his face. “Why the rush? It wouldn’t have anything to do with a certain red-headed young man, would it?” he asked her teasingly.
“What gave you that idea?” Anya said blushing, “I just don’t want to be late, that’s all.”
RJ stared at her for a moment then smiled, “Whatever you say, love.” He said as he lifted her now closed trunk up and began making his way out to the car with it, shaking his head as he went. “What am I going to do with that girl”, he asked himself as he returned to the kitchen to get Marley’s cage and Anya so they could head to King Cross Station in London. When he walked back into the house though, Anya was already ready and waiting by the back door, which was surprising, she was never ready to go on time. She must really want to see her friends, he thought as they pulled out of the drive and headed out to the busy streets of London with Anya bouncing impatiently on the passenger seat.
“Can’t we go any faster?” Anya asked for the zillionth time, “I’m going to miss the train if we get stuck in any more traffic.”
“I’m going as fast as I can, we’ll make it there in plenty of time for you to make the train AND for you to catch up with your friends,” RJ replied patiently, adding the last part because he had already guessed the real reason for her impatience.
Finally they arrived at the station where RJ left Anya to unload the car while he went to find a cart to put her luggage on. When he returned, he helped her load her trunk, owl, and messenger bag with various odds and ends onto the cart and headed off to platform 9 ¾ where she and RJ pushed her cart through the barrier and onto the platform. Platform 9 ¾ was full of students, family members, and smoke; between the three, it was nearly impossible to see or move, which didn’t deter Anya from searching the sea of faces for her friends. It didn’t take long for her to spot her best friend’s bright red hair through the crowd, she smiled at the sight of him and grabbed RJ and the cart and weaved through the crowd to him. Seeing where she was headed, RJ took the cart from her and sent her on ahead, telling her that he’d catch up to her in a moment. Needing no more encouragement, Anya practically ran the rest of the way, throwing her arms around his neck when she reached him.
“Anya?! I’ve been looking everywhere for you! How have you been?” George yelled when he figured out who was practically strangling him.
“I’m great, how are you?” Anya answered, smiling up at him.
“Pretty good,” he replied, “I missed you though.”
“I missed you too,” she said back, blushing.
“Hey, where’s my hug?” George’s twin Fred said suddenly, saving them from an awkward moment.
“Hey Fred, it’s good to see you too,” Anya said and hugged him, trying not to laugh.
“What’s so funny? I deserve some love too you know,” Fred answered, trying to sound hurt.
“Nothing’s funny, and you know I love you too Fred,” she answered him, “Did you guys grow again, or did I shrink?” she asked them both, seeing how she now had to look up to see their faces.
“You shrank,” they replied together.
“Of course you guys would say that,” Anya said, rolling her eyes.
By this point, RJ had managed to get the cart through the crowd and had started a conversation with Fred and George’s parents about the upcoming elections in the Ministry. Fred and George added their opinions to their parents, and Anya was about to when another teenage boy, blonde this time, came up behind her and whispered “Hello,” in her ear, making her jump.
“Hey, long time no see,” she responded, “and please don’t do that, you nearly gave me a heart attack.”
“Sorry, it was unintentional…” the rest of his sentence was cut off by a shrill whistle from the train, it was 10:45, time to get on or be left behind.
“I’m going to go find a car, so see you later?” Anya asked, getting ready to grab her stuff and head onto the train to find a car.
“Yeah, see you later,” he replied, watching her back as she headed back to her guardian and her other friends, who in his opinion at least, she was getting way to close to.
Anya rejoined RJ and the twins, who had just noticed that she had disappeared. “Where have you been?” RJ questioned her as she reached to pick up Marley’s cage and the handle of her trunk. “No were in particular, just catching up with some friends of mine,” she answered him, “Are you guys ready to go? She asked Fred and George, “If we don’t hurry, we won’t get a car to ourselves.”
“Let’s go then,” they shot back, leaning down to kiss their mother’s cheek and to say good bye to their dad, before lifting up their trunks and heading towards the train; leaving Anya to say her goodbyes.
Almost as soon as they were gone, RJ pulled her into a huge bear hug and kissed the top of her head, “Have a good semester, Love. Don’t forget to write and I’ll see you at Christmas,” he told her. “I promise to write as often as I can,” she told him, “I love you.”
“I love you too, sweet pea. Now you’d better get going, before you miss your train,” he told her, gently pushing her towards the open door to the train that the twins had disappeared through a few moments before. Anya pushed her way through the rest of the crowd and disappeared into the carriage. RJ watched her go, than began looking for her face in the overly crowded windows. Finally spotting her at a window about a third of the way down the train, leaning out the window between Fred and George, waving goodbye as the train pulled out of the station.
“Good morning,” Anya said as she sat down to the table and began shoveling food onto her plate.
“Good morning, love. Did you sleep well?” RJ asked, kissing her on the forehead.
“Of course I did. And of course you’d know that, Mr. let’s-sneak-into-Anya’s-room-at-12am” Anya answered, rolling her eyes.
“Guilty as charged,” her Godfather said with a laugh.
With a smile, Anya dug into her meal, eating so fast it was a shock that she didn’t choke. It was almost 8:30, the train didn’t leave until 11, but she still wanted to meet up with George before it left; maybe they’d even get to find an open car with him, Fred, Neville, and Luna. With that happy thought in mind, she finished gulping down some juice and jumped up, remembering suddenly something she’d need while she was away.
“I’ll be right back, I forgot something,” she called to RJ as she ran back up the stairs at full speed.
How she had almost forgotten her owl, Marley, was beyond her. She had never gone to school without her; she was her connection to the outside world. Anya raced into her room to find Marley staring at her through the bars of her cage. When she entered the room, Marley gave a faint hoot and fluffed out her feathers. Anya crossed the room and picked up Marley’s cage, grabbing the owl food and some treats on her way back down stairs.
“Okay, I’m ready now,” she said as she reached the bottom of the steps leading into the kitchen, balancing Marley’s cage on top of the counter as she stuffed the owl food and treats into her trunk.
RJ watched her efforts to get everything to fit with a look of amusement on his face. “Why the rush? It wouldn’t have anything to do with a certain red-headed young man, would it?” he asked her teasingly.
“What gave you that idea?” Anya said blushing, “I just don’t want to be late, that’s all.”
RJ stared at her for a moment then smiled, “Whatever you say, love.” He said as he lifted her now closed trunk up and began making his way out to the car with it, shaking his head as he went. “What am I going to do with that girl”, he asked himself as he returned to the kitchen to get Marley’s cage and Anya so they could head to King Cross Station in London. When he walked back into the house though, Anya was already ready and waiting by the back door, which was surprising, she was never ready to go on time. She must really want to see her friends, he thought as they pulled out of the drive and headed out to the busy streets of London with Anya bouncing impatiently on the passenger seat.
“Can’t we go any faster?” Anya asked for the zillionth time, “I’m going to miss the train if we get stuck in any more traffic.”
“I’m going as fast as I can, we’ll make it there in plenty of time for you to make the train AND for you to catch up with your friends,” RJ replied patiently, adding the last part because he had already guessed the real reason for her impatience.
Finally they arrived at the station where RJ left Anya to unload the car while he went to find a cart to put her luggage on. When he returned, he helped her load her trunk, owl, and messenger bag with various odds and ends onto the cart and headed off to platform 9 ¾ where she and RJ pushed her cart through the barrier and onto the platform. Platform 9 ¾ was full of students, family members, and smoke; between the three, it was nearly impossible to see or move, which didn’t deter Anya from searching the sea of faces for her friends. It didn’t take long for her to spot her best friend’s bright red hair through the crowd, she smiled at the sight of him and grabbed RJ and the cart and weaved through the crowd to him. Seeing where she was headed, RJ took the cart from her and sent her on ahead, telling her that he’d catch up to her in a moment. Needing no more encouragement, Anya practically ran the rest of the way, throwing her arms around his neck when she reached him.
“Anya?! I’ve been looking everywhere for you! How have you been?” George yelled when he figured out who was practically strangling him.
“I’m great, how are you?” Anya answered, smiling up at him.
“Pretty good,” he replied, “I missed you though.”
“I missed you too,” she said back, blushing.
“Hey, where’s my hug?” George’s twin Fred said suddenly, saving them from an awkward moment.
“Hey Fred, it’s good to see you too,” Anya said and hugged him, trying not to laugh.
“What’s so funny? I deserve some love too you know,” Fred answered, trying to sound hurt.
“Nothing’s funny, and you know I love you too Fred,” she answered him, “Did you guys grow again, or did I shrink?” she asked them both, seeing how she now had to look up to see their faces.
“You shrank,” they replied together.
“Of course you guys would say that,” Anya said, rolling her eyes.
By this point, RJ had managed to get the cart through the crowd and had started a conversation with Fred and George’s parents about the upcoming elections in the Ministry. Fred and George added their opinions to their parents, and Anya was about to when another teenage boy, blonde this time, came up behind her and whispered “Hello,” in her ear, making her jump.
“Hey, long time no see,” she responded, “and please don’t do that, you nearly gave me a heart attack.”
“Sorry, it was unintentional…” the rest of his sentence was cut off by a shrill whistle from the train, it was 10:45, time to get on or be left behind.
“I’m going to go find a car, so see you later?” Anya asked, getting ready to grab her stuff and head onto the train to find a car.
“Yeah, see you later,” he replied, watching her back as she headed back to her guardian and her other friends, who in his opinion at least, she was getting way to close to.
Anya rejoined RJ and the twins, who had just noticed that she had disappeared. “Where have you been?” RJ questioned her as she reached to pick up Marley’s cage and the handle of her trunk. “No were in particular, just catching up with some friends of mine,” she answered him, “Are you guys ready to go? She asked Fred and George, “If we don’t hurry, we won’t get a car to ourselves.”
“Let’s go then,” they shot back, leaning down to kiss their mother’s cheek and to say good bye to their dad, before lifting up their trunks and heading towards the train; leaving Anya to say her goodbyes.
Almost as soon as they were gone, RJ pulled her into a huge bear hug and kissed the top of her head, “Have a good semester, Love. Don’t forget to write and I’ll see you at Christmas,” he told her. “I promise to write as often as I can,” she told him, “I love you.”
“I love you too, sweet pea. Now you’d better get going, before you miss your train,” he told her, gently pushing her towards the open door to the train that the twins had disappeared through a few moments before. Anya pushed her way through the rest of the crowd and disappeared into the carriage. RJ watched her go, than began looking for her face in the overly crowded windows. Finally spotting her at a window about a third of the way down the train, leaning out the window between Fred and George, waving goodbye as the train pulled out of the station.