Playing with Fire

Chapter eight - The Hogwarts Express

"Got everything you need?"

"Yes."

"Robes? Books? Quills and feather pencils?"

"Yes!" I sighed and dumped the trunk on the ground. Mr Avery narrowed his eyes at me, as if he had the ability to look through the top of my trunk and decide it for himself.

"Really," I said, "I've got all I need. More than I need actually." I thought about the extra packs of sweets Mrs Avery had forced me to bring, wondering if other students would be as filled with stuff as I was.

Mr Avery turned as the large red train thundered from its front, signalising it was only ten minutes until departure. The platform was filled with parents hugging their children good-bye, my eyes had captured a large, old woman ranting on with a round-cheek boy who was holding an odd-looking plant. The boy had quickly told the old woman something, waved his good-bye and stumbled up on the train with his trunk closely behind him.

Draco stood closer to the door, anxiously glancing at his watch every now and then. I knew I had to go, I didn't like dragging out good-byes longer than necessary.

"I really have to go," I said and picked up my trunk by the handle again. Draco sighed loudly, though I was positively surprised that he was still standing there, waiting for me, even though two of his friends (big and tall) had already appeared a long while ago to get his trunk on board.

"Send us an owl when you've got the time, all right?" said Mr Avery and reached out to squeeze my shoulder. It was the closest thing to a good-bye hug I had ever gotten.

"I will," I promised before hurrying over to Draco while passing a huddle of people with tear-filled faces as they embraced their children.

"Took you long enough," snapped Draco, though he did reach over to pick up the trunk from my hand and help me get it on to the train.

Instead of insulting him back, I simply thanked him for waiting for me and helping me with my trunk, a comment of which he completely ignored as he turned his face away.

Draco pulled on my trunk with his full strength as it had gotten itself stuck in a piece of loose carpet. His face turning red in frustration as it wouldn't bug from its place.

"Stupid piece of-" The next thing I knew, Draco was laying on the floor, face up and half of my trunk over his legs and torso. The students in the hallway laughing out loud as Draco, red in the face, jumped to his feet.

"Sod off!" he yelled after a group of second year students. He kicked my trunk madly, only causing himself to hurt his foot. "SHIT! I will give those mudbloods detention, just wait for it..."

I pulled the cage with Peppers closer to my body as I stepped over my trunk to get next to Draco, who was holding his hurting foot with his hands.

"You OK?"

"Of course I'm not okay!" he snatched and put his foot back down. "Why did you pack so much bloody stuff inside your stupid piece of trunk? Now I'll have to go to the Hospital Wing immediately we get to Hogwarts."

"Don't be so dramatic," I said and rolled my eyes.

"Draco!" yelled a female voice from the front of the cart. My eyes snatched up from watching Draco's foot to meet a pair of stone-cold eyes. As the girl noticed me, she hurried over, walking in a kind of I-am-so-much-better-than-you kind of stroll, with her head held high and eyes not leaving me for a second. As she approached us, she halted shoulder-to-shoulder with Draco before eyeing me from top to bottom with a wrinkled nose.