Wake Me up When My Story Ends

“Pies?” Alexa repeated, raising a skeptical eyebrow at Luna. The Hogwart’s Express rattled around them, speeding closer to Hogwart’s castle. Pleasantly full from a few Cauldron Cakes, Alexa longed to relax back in her Gryffindor dorm’s bed. The fact that Hermione wasn’t returning on the Hogwart’s Express from her skiing vacation with her parents was worrying but Alexa was sure that Hermione was fine. After all, Hermione wasn’t the brightest witch in their year for nothing.

Luna furiously nodded, her Dirigible Plum earrings shaking alongside her head, “Yes, Cornelius Fudge has the goblins assassinated, drowned, or made into pies! Those goblins are baked within the Department of Mysteries, most likely with the help of the Heliopath army he’s creating.”

“Er- a what?” Alexa asked, but just as Luna’s eyes lit up and she avidly opened her mouth reply, the train noisily whistled. It slowed for a second before jerking to a complete stop, sending Alexa tumbling off her seat.

“Did we get a new conductor or something?” Alexa griped, propping herself up on the ground. She rubbed her elbow, wincing from the bruise. Taking Luna’s offered hand, Alexa stood up and brushed herself off, the Cauldron Cake crumbs insistently remaining on her sweater.

Alexa pulled her bags down from above her seat, hesitantly slipping into Draco’s coat. He had insisted that she wear it, nearly forcing it onto her at Platform ¾ before they made their awkwardly silent departure. She didn’t want to disregard his gift or anything of the sort but it felt odd to wear in public. It was his signature coat and she felt self-conscious wearing it. Hopefully no one would make the connection since they were from rival houses and all.

Noticing that Luna was busily stashing the Quibbler back into her suitcase, Alexa took the opportunity to tilt her head and bury her nose into the fur. It’s musky scent was deep and nearly overwhelming with surprising hints of cinnamon.

“… Alexa, stop being silly, we have to leave,” Luna’s ironic words found their way through Alexa’s daze as she abruptly became red-faced and mumbled something about sneezing.

Grabbing their bags, they brought up the rear of the crowd of students getting down onto the platform. The light snowfall was effectively delaying the Thestral carriages, something Luna had also informed Alexa about on the ride to Hogwart’s. While Alexa was at best doubtful for Luna’s crazed Minister of Magic theory, the disturbing notion of death horses pulling them to and from Hogwart’s was plausible. While Luna told Alexa that they were quite lovely, Alexa hoped that she would never have to see them for herself.

“Draco,” an infamous screeching voice called and many eyes shifted towards Draco, his goons, and Pansy near the front of the platform, “I liked the other coat better!”

Flushing a darker red, Alexa stooped to the ground, pretending to tie her lace-less boots. She planned on sprinting to her dorm and shedding Draco’s coat as possible, content with arriving at Care of Magical Creatures in her customary puffy coat. That way everything will go back to how it used to be between Draco and her, back to how he wanted.