Romeo || James Potter

11 - Secrets Unravelled

"Goodbye, my wonderful daughters."

Fleamont ruffled Aspen's and Sage's hair as they approached platform 9 & 3/4. Euphemia, James, Sirius, and Sage were with them as well. Just a few days after the talk of her father, Aspen was going back to school. She was shaking in excitement. This was only the second time she was in this bustling train station, and it was phenomenal. Muggle's life was utterly fascinating to her. To live life without magic must be incredibly arduous.

With hugs and kisses, the kids said goodbye to the Potter parents. Aspen was sad to leave them and their comforting auras. Euphemia gave them one last lecture about staying out of trouble as well as making sure to snoop around a little. After that talk and more hugs, through the barrier the little witches and wizards went.

Once through the barrier, Aspen and James walked in front of Sirius and Sage. The other two still didn't know about the other book or Aspen's father researching transfiguration. Until Lily, James, and her could figure out what the information could mean, it would be kept secret. 

In all honesty, it could be nothing. Aspen read through the Little Red Book, as James and her deemed it, twice. It was under the transfiguration category. Certain spells were highlighted, human transfiguration spells. There was also the Metamorphmagus section circled and underlined with notes in the margin. It's like Timothy was trying to get the science behind it, trying to figure out how the cells in one's body changed. On the very last page of the book, Imperio was underlined three times. It wasn't transfiguration, but it meant something.

Other than that, the notes were practically gibberish. There were things about combining many spells and changing chemicals and amplifying the usage. Whatever that stuff meant, Aspen didn't know. She was planning to give the book to Lily once they were at school then the three of them would compare Timothy's book to his notes in the Little Red Book. Hopefully it would start making sense.

"We can go to the library tonight," Lily said on the train when it was just her, Aspen, and James, "I'll get you two after my rounds. James, bring your invisibility cloak so you two aren't caught."

Aspen gasped and looked at a cringing James. "You've a bloody invisibility cloak?"

"Yes, he does." Mary said as she and the others entered the compartment with their trunks. 

"It's annoying." Marlene added. "He uses it for pranks and only that. Stole my biscuits with it once, too."

"And good biscuits they were." Peter smugly replied. She slapped his arm.

Sirius and Remus rushed in silently. The others started talking but Aspen watched them instead. Sirius was tense as he sat next to Mary, his hand on her thigh and her head on his shoulder. His smile was fake and his eyes were too wide. Remus sat next to him with a sigh. She looked at him. His face was red; he was blushing. It is not like Remus to blush. And, at the same time, he was dismal and angry and... just sad, really. Then, she looked down, seeing Remus and Sirius' knees meet. Remus' eyebrows shot up while Sirius just gulped. They stayed like that, Remus relaxing slightly.

Someone's throat cleared at the door of the compartment. All of the Gryffindor kids looked to see Brianna standing there. 

She smiled awkwardly. "Hiya, Aspen," She smiled at her, "And my twin." She winked then drew in a large breath and looked at James. "Can we talk?" She asked with a more serious expression.

James swallowed. "Uh," he stood and fixed his glasses, "Yeah, yeah, of course." He left the compartment and the two walked away, down the corridor.

The group was about to converse about what had just happened when someone else approached the door. "That must be a shit show." Bartemius Crouch Jr. mumbled as he and Evan Rosier stood in front of the compartment door.