The Liar & the Honest

The Hogwarts express was just as crowded as usual. The first years hurried around and waved out of windows towards their parents. Second years did the same thing while older students said quick goodbyes and brought their luggage to where it was getting loaded on the train. Jacey had said goodbye to her parents as quickly as possible, and she had already gotten her luggage loaded up besides the shoulder bag she had a change of robes in. Every year, if she took her time with her goodbyes, they never ended.

Jacey stepped up onto the train and stepped past a few first years who had stopped to talk to one another. She didn’t say anything, she just ignored it. First years always did that, they were just excited to be there... and they were already nervous enough to be there too. She remembered when she was a first year, she had no idea what to do. But she was a muggle born, so she had a good excuse for being nervous about it. But Adeline, her best friend who she had met while getting fitted for her school robes, had been there. So she hadn’t been completely alone on the train.

“Jacey!” she looked ahead of her, past the short students and saw Hermione Granger waving a hand to her while still half way inside a compartment.

She smiled and waved and quickly walked around a few students and made her way towards Hermione. “Hey, Hermione!” she smiled. Hermione had mousy brown hair, fair skin, and light brown eyes. They were in the same year, and they usually roomed together too.

Inside the compartment were two more people, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. Harry Potter had messy black hair, fair skin, bright green eyes that were framed by round silver glasses. But the most memorable thing about him was his lightning bolt shaped scar on his forehead. Ron Weasley was much taller than Jacey while Harry was maybe only taller by an inch or two. He had bright red hair, fair skin with freckles, and blue eyes.

“Hey you two.” Jacey sighed as she stepped into the compartment behind Hermione. But she stayed standing so she could check to see if Adeline had arrived yet easier.

“How was your summer?” Harry asked curiously.

She shrugged, “Alright I suppose…”
“You still don’t like your step-dad?” Harry asked.

Jacey shook her head, it wasn’t that she didn’t like him. It was just things were better when it was just her and her mother, “He’s nice, I just don’t like him…”

“Has your mum told him that you’re a witch?” Ron asked.

“Of course not,” she sighed, “He’s about as plain and boring as a muggle can get! He wouldn’t believe her.” she said as she poked her head out of the compartment and looked both ways for Adeline. “What about you three? Have a nice summer?”

Hermione nodded, “It was the same as always though. Nothing special.”

“That’s because all you do is sit at home and read…” Ron muttered, “I just helped Fred and George with the shop.”

“Their business really took off fast…” Jacey said simply, “How about you, Harry?” she asked. Every year, he always had something to say about how awful it was with the Dursley’s.

He shrugged, “It was alright, I suppose.” he sighed, “Listening to my uncle blame all wizards for everything that’s been going on…” he rolled his eyes, “But that’s nothing new.”

“Where’s Adeline?” Hermione asked curiously.

Jacey poked her head out once again, and looked around. She saw no sign of her. “I’m not sure…”

“Don’t you two always come to Kings Cross together?” Ron asked.

Jacey nodded, “Yeah, but she didn’t show up at my house.” she frowned, “Probably just running late, that’s all.” she sighed. “I’ll go find her.”

With that, Jacey set down her bag next to Harry and turned and left the compartment. She didn’t go far before she saw the trolley, where Orion Thompson stood buying a few snacks. She and Orion had been quite good friends the year before, but over the summer he took awhile to reply to letters and eventually he didn’t answer at all. So she simply stopped trying. But beside him, waiting her turn for snacks was Adeline.

“Addie!” Jacey smiled, and Adeline swiftly looked up from the box of Every Flavour Beans that she had been twirling around in her hands and smiled towards Jacey. “Where were you this morning? Were you running late?” she asked as she approached her.

“My brother said I had to come with them,” she frowned, “I was just on my way when he told me. Then they didn’t give me much time to send you off an owl.” she explained, “You didn’t run late waiting for me, did you?”

Jacey shook her head, “No, I got here on time.” she said simply as Orion stepped aside for Adeline and turned towards Jacey.

“Hey, Jace.” he said nicely, “How’ve you been?”
“Fine.” Jacey replied simply, he had purposefully not replied to any letter she had sent and when he did, there wasn’t much to it. “Did you have a busy summer?”

He nodded, “Boring, but busy.” he sighed, “I’ll see you at school, alright?”

Jacey forced a small smile to form on her lips as she nodded, “Yeah, alright.”

Orion turned and walked away. Disappointed wasn’t a good enough word to explain how Jacey felt. Orion was beyond nice, and like Adeline, he didn’t care that she was a muggle born even if other Slytherin’s hated them for it. Then his good looks didn’t help much either, ever since she first talked to him at the very first meeting for Dumbledore’s Army, she had a crush on him.

“So where are you sitting?” Adeline asked, Jacey quickly snapped out of her thoughts about Orion and stepped to the side so she could talk to Adeline.

“With Hermione, Ron, and Harry. Like always,” Jacey shrugged, “Aren’t you?”

Adeline shifted a bit uncomfortably where she stood as she took a bite of licorice.

“Well, actually...I was thinking I’d sit with my brother and sister.” she said, glancing at a few other students who walked by them.
Jacey raised an eyebrow sharply, “Well...I mean, that’s fine.” she said shrugging, “But why? You never want to sit with them.”

Adeline pressed her lips together tightly, “It’s, uh, complicated. Really, but it’s fine.”

Jacey pressed her eyebrows together and ran her fingers through her blonde hair like she always did when she was a bit confused about something. Adeline never wanted to be with Jonathan or Cecelia. She always sat with Jacey and their other friends.

“Are you sure?” Jacey asked, a bit of desperation in her voice. It wasn't that she didn’t like sitting with Hermione, Ron, and Harry. It was just she and Adeline had more to talk about and got along really well and then there was the fact that she hadn’t had to be on the Hogwarts express before without her. It just wasn’t ever a question, they always were together when they could be since they were in different houses.

Adeline frowned and nodded a bit, “But I’ll walk with you to the Gryffindor tower after the feast, okay?”

Jacey sighed heavily, “Yeah, alright. I’ll meet you at the bottom of the staircase outside the Great Hall.”

Adeline smiled a bit and held out a piece of licorice to her. Jacey smirked and took it, and they both turned away from each other and they went their own ways. But Jacey still didn’t understand why.