Dangerously Close

“Mum, unlike you, we actually have a train to catch,” Ron grumbled as his mother’s hands squeezed the sides of his face and her lips touched his forehead.

Molly laughed and gave Ron a push and directed for us to go to the train. “Gah, go on then! Don’t want to miss the ride!”

I waved bye to Mrs. Weasley and began to follow behind the excessively chattery twins and onto the train that would be leaving in less than a minute to Hogwarts.

I was absolutely ecstatic to go back this year. I didn’t really know if it was that feeling in my gut this year would be different, it made me anxious. I had heard that there was rumour about a big event going on sometime this year in Hogwarts, I had the feeling that would be it.

Debating on where to sit, I began to walk past compartments. Suddenly a sharp stop was felt amongst the train and I fell on my bottom onto the floor along with a few other students, almost skidding down the floor when the Hogwarts Express took motion.

I groaned and got up, continuing my walk down the never-ending aisle of areas to sit. I was about to turn around, feeling breathing behind me when suddenly I was tackled into a large bear hug. The blonde strands of hair sticking themselves onto my face made it clear who the person was.

“Rayne,” I exclaimed, hugging her back tightly. “You scared the living hell out of m-”

She pulled away and immediately grabbed both sides of my face, turning it left and right to inspect me. I furrowed my brows and was a bit freaked out by the sudden act, causing me confusion. “What are you doing,” I asked.

She grabbed my arm and lifted it up, eyeing it. “You’re not hurt, are you?”

I yanked my arm from her grip. “What do you mean hurt? I’m not -”

“The Quidditch World Cup,” she answered blandly as if it were more than obvious.

“Oh, that. I didn’t get hurt, Rayne. The worst that happened was at one point me and my brother both got hit in the head by running people and blacked out.”

She nodded slightly. “Alright, alright.”

We were about to walk to find a compartment when I saw a pale blonde head at the end next to a very familiar red-head and a jet black haired boy with round glasses.

“You go on and find a place to sit, Rayne. I need to take care of something.”

Rayne eyed me weirdly and then nodded, deciding not to argue. She walked off the opposite direction, and I headed towards the Slytherin.

“-bet your father wouldn’t tell you that Weasley, I forgot he doesn’t get told the important Ministry things,” the cruel voice of Draco Malfoy spat at Ron.

“Oh, what do we have here,” I exclaimed, clapping my hands together in fake amusement as I put on a fake smile. “If it isn’t Draco Malfoy, the devil’s spawn himself! Guys this is amazing, we should really get a photo of him.”

He shot me a cold glare. “And what brings you here, Potter,” he spat.

I shrugged. “I don’t know, maybe the fact you’re taunting my brother and his best friend.”

He took two small steps forward. “Tsk, Tsk. I warned you two, Potter. You didn’t want to go messing with the wrong sort - now look at you! Hanging with blood traitors and mudbl-”

“You evil little cockroach, you’re no better than anyone on this damn train and you know that well,” I threw at him.

Harry and Ron just stared at the two of us. I clenched my fists, my anger rising slowly.

Instead of making a smart comeback, he rolled his eyes at me and turned back to the two Gryffindors behind him. “Nice chatting, Potter. Weasley.”

He shot them a glare and turned to me, shooting me one as well before walking off.

“I’m telling you, I’m going to kill that son of a,” Ron began, only to be interrupted by me.

“What was he talking about,” I asked. “About your dad and the Ministry and all that.”

“Something about an event,” he said, rubbing his arm.

Harry scoffed. “He was probably making stuff up. You know him, he’ll do and say anything just to be right and be the powerful one. Probably more coward than a two year old.”

“That’s an offense to toddlers,” I pointed out, chuckling.

Ron suddenly burst out laughing, letting out a rather unpleasant snort. I bit my lip to hold back laughter as his ears turned a bit pink.

“I think I’m gonna go meet up with Rayne now, I totally just ditched her,” I mentioned as if they needed to know.

Harry understandingly nodded and began to walk off with Ron, being sure to yell a “See you at Hogwarts!” to me.

As I skipped all the way back to the compartment I had seen her walk into, I began to hear a chattering voice of Rayne and another girl.

“That’s priceless,” Rayne’s voice exclaimed.

“Seriously, the Dungbomb malfunctioned horribly and made twice the explosion, Professor Snape got so mad! He literally just-”

The conversation stopped as I slid open the compartment door, allowing myself to enter. “I’m back, sorry Rayne.”

I turned to face the student who was talking with her. She looked no older than fifteen or fourteen, and had gorgeous long milk chocolate hair that broke off into a bronze ombre halfway. She had very dark but bright eyes and was smiling happily. She had a pink shirt with some black jeans and a Gryffindor robe thrown on top.

“Hi, I’m Rosalie,” I greeted, sticking my hand out to her. She smiled and took my hand in hers, shaking it.

“Ruby Stokes. Sorry if I intruded on any conversation, I can leave,” she said politely.

I shook my head and laughed, taking a seat. “Oh, no no! You’re not intruding on anything.”

Rayne nodded. “I mean, Merlin, we usually just sit in a compartment alone while we talk and eat a ton of candy.”

The girl, Ruby, laughed. “Funny, I do the same! Sometimes I like to go prank with the two Weasleys, Fred and George? But I think I hang more around Neville, Seamus, and Dean. I usually don’t talk to many girls.

“Why not,” I asked, stealing a Drooble’s gum from Rayne’s large stash of candy. “I mean, you seem like a great girl! The fact you prank with Fred and George makes you funny or else they probably wouldn’t hang around you, and you’re very pretty.”

She smirked, which surprised me. Usually girls would be blushing madly at comments, but she just sat there with a grin plastered on her face. I had a good feeling about this girl.

“Are you kidding me? I’m bloody awesome if I do say so myself. I guess I just don’t fit into the girl talk all the time so they don’t stick around.”

“Well, Ruby, I can tell you this,” I assured, putting a hand on her shoulder. “This is going to be the start of a great friendship right here.”

She grinned. “I can say the same, you seem like funny girls!”

Rayne flipped her hair with her hand and scoffed. “Please, we’re one of a kind.”

I laughed. “Welcome to the world of Potter and Allister - hold on, because it’s going to be a bumpy ride, Stokes.”