RP: Back to School

[bth_lunal]

Title: Back to School
Date: September 1, 1998
Time of Day: 10.30am
Characters: All those returning to Hogwarts
Location: Platform 9 and 3/4
Status: Public

Brief Summary: It's the 1st of September, and it's time for a new year at Hogwarts to begin.
Completion: Incomplete
Warnings: None

Comments

[bth_deanthomas]

Somehow Dean had never expected to see the Hogwarts Express again. He stood by the edge of the platform looking at the scarlet steam engine fondly and reading the name on the side over and over again as if trying to assure himself that it was really there. He felt immensely anxious and yet relieved despite himself. He was sure he would even be happy if it weren't for all the familiar faces around or, rather, all of the familiar faces that were not around.

After a while he sighed and heaved his trolley forward. His new owl who had been fast asleep squawked indignantly at the swift jostling of his cage.

The cloud of steam obstructed his view but Dean still kept his eyes open for people he knew. He was terrified of what they might say to him or what they might think of him after this past summer - hell, this past year - but he knew he couldn't avoid them forever. But even if I can't avoid them forever, I can avoid some of them for now, he thought with a surge of guilt as he saw a certain few people and made the point to move in the

[bth_lunal]

"Hello Dean!" she said brightly, apparently not phased by the fact that he'd nearly knocked her flying. "We literally ran into each other, didn't we? That's nice."

She peered at the owl who was still making indignant hooting noises as people pushed past through the clouds of steam.

"It's nice to see you," she said with a smile, "How are you?"

[bth_deanthomas]

Dean let himself laugh a bit at her comment and even smiled slightly. "I suppose we did," he replied. "Sorry about that."

He looked down at Aeneas and sighed inwardly. Back at home Dean's sisters had taken it upon themselves to take care of the owl and now that he was on his own, Dean wasn't quite sure what to do with him.

"It's great to see you, too," he told her honestly. Then, "I've been great. It was good to be home for a while. My sisters didn't want me to go again but, well, you know. Time to go back to school like always, right?"

[bth_lunal]

"Oh, it's quite ok," said Luna, pleasantly, rooting in a pocket to produce a few owl nuts for Aeneas. She always carried them, despite the fact that she didn't actually own an owl. You never knew when they might be useful.

"You can write to them and things," she said, "It isn't as dangerous now as it was last year. It will be nice to get back to normal."

[bth_deanthomas]

Aeneas hooted happily and Dean smiled in thanks. He had gotten used to most aspects of the wizarding world but keeping owls was something new.

"Yeah, I suppose so," he replied and did feel some what relieved. It was not as if he hadn't thought that himself but to hear someone else say it made him feel much better. Things were different this year. He would be safe and he would be back at Hogwarts. He could go back home at Christmas and not worry about what might happen to him or his family. Dean would be sleeping in a warm bed every night instead of on the hard ground with- Well, now wasn't the time for that.

"Anyway, how's your dad doing, Luna?" he asked, trying to move the conversation along. He was glad he was with Luna. She had always been easy to talk to. Yet even with Luna Dean was unsure of what to say or where to take things. He didn't want to bore her or offend her even though he knew this was Luna and that was probably impossible. But three months... "Will he working on the Quibbler again now that you're heading back to

[bth_lunal]

"Oh, he's fine," she said, "He recently ordered a lot of shield wear and decoy detonators from Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. I think he's a bit paranoid, but he seems a lot happier and that's what important."

She put the leftover owl nuts in her pocket as she spoke. It was amazing the amount of often seemingly useless junk she carried around at once.

"I think he'll continue working on the Quibbler. He was writing puzzles when I left," she added happily.

[bth_nevillel]

Neville felt slightly ridiculous really because he lived in Hogsmeade but he also had a train ticket and had decided to use it. He'd stayed the night at his Grans the night before, more as an excuses than anything and apparated to the station that morning. (Even Neville drew the line at apparating from Hogsmeade to get a train back there.) One last journey on the Hogwarts Express. It felt a bit weird not having any luggage, it was just him and Trevor.

Trevor decided to celebrate the occasion by squirming from Neville's coat pocket and leaping down the platform, fitting in a way and it was only when he came to a stop by a pair of familar looking shoes Neville saw her. "Looks like he spotted you before I could," he told Luna, scooping Trevor up with both hands and popping him back in his pocket.

[bth_lunal]

"Oh, hello, Trevor," she said brightly, bending down to greet him when the toad jumped towards her shoes.

"Hello, Neville," she added, when he picked up his escaped pet. She straightened up and beamed at him. "I didn't expect to see you on the train," she said, "Where you visiting people in London? You don't have any luggage?"

[bth_nevillel]

"Hullo Luna," he said brightly, seeing as it was Luna, Neville returned her smile somewhat sheepishly, "I stayed at my Gran's last night but really er I just fancied taking the train." He looked at the bright red locomotive. "Not quite the right beginning without."

He looks about for her trolley to be useful, "I feel I should have brought something, I look the odd one out."

[bth_lunal]

"You can push mine, if you like?" suggested Luna helpfully. "Then you can pretend it's yours and I can look like the odd one out? They always think I look odd anyway."

[bth_deanthomas]

Dean suddenly felt very childish as Neville came upon them. Here he was pushing a trolley cart along like a first year while Neville was standing there with nothing but a wand and a toad. He smiled to himself and wondered when Neville had become the epitome of cool.

"Hello, Neville," he said.

[bth_nevillel]

"Hi Dean," said Neville who still felt sheepish about coming all the way to London to get a train back to where he lived now. "It's good to see you, how was your summer?" It could have only been an improvement on the last year Neville hoped, he had an idea of what life on the run had been like from talking to his Gran.