𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙜𝙤𝙡𝙙𝙚𝙣 - 𝙝.𝙥. ⚯͛

𝐢𝐢𝐢- 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗍𝗋𝗂𝗐𝗂𝗓𝖺𝗋𝖽 𝗍𝗈𝗎𝗋𝗇𝖺𝗆𝖾𝗇𝗍

─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

╰┈➤ HARRY'S POV

It was pitch black outside when the Hogwarts Express pulled into the Hogsmeade Train Station an hour later. The rain was still coming down hard, lashing violently against the windows, large gusts of wind occasionally ratting them in their seats.

Harry glanced at the girl leaning on his shoulder and gave her a gentle shake. "Elsie," he said softly. "Elsie, we're here."

His left arm had gone numb a while ago, but Harry didn't care because it was the closest he and Elsie had ever been. When he had felt the train slowing down, he had silently cursed their arrival at Hogsmeade, wishing they hadn't arrived so soon.

Opposite Harry, Ron and Hermione were stirring awake from their own naps. Ron had fallen asleep with his head against the window; his hair was now sticking up wildly on one side while flat on the other. Hermione was rubbing her eyes, Crookshanks stretching out his paws on her lap.

"Hmm?" A soft voice spoke near Harry's left ear.

Elsie's eyes fluttered open; she glanced around the train compartment in a sleepy daze, her head still on Harry's shoulder.

"We've just arrived in Hogsmeade," said Harry, savoring the last moments of her warm body pressed against his.

Elsie sat upright, her eyes widening slightly when she realized that she had fallen asleep on Harry's shoulder. "Oh, I'm sorry, Harry," she said, noticing how he was stretching out his arm. "You could have woken me up."

"It's okay," said Harry quickly, sliding on his Gryffindor robe over his sweatshirt. "You looked so peaceful, I didn't want to wake you."

"Well, I hope I didn't drool," said Elsie, grinning as brought down her and Hermione's trunks. "Here you go, Mione," she added, handing her Crookshanks' pet carrier.

Harry looked down at his shoulder and returned her smile. "Nope, you're good."

With their arms full of trunks and cages, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Elsie stepped into the train corridor where they were greeted by several of their other Gryffindor friends.

"I am so looking forward to this feast," said Ron dreamily as they made their way down the corridor which was crammed with students exiting onto the wet platform.

"Me too," said Harry, thinking longingly of the toasty Great Hall and the delicious food. "It'll be the first Sorting Ceremony I get to attend since my own."

Misfortune, and the knack for trouble that seemed to follow Harry around, had caused him to miss out on the last two ceremonies.

"Why's that?" Elsie asked, walking alongside him.

"He and Ron crashed a Ford Anglia into the Whomping Willow during our second year," said Hermione frankly, "and last year Harry fainted on the train because of the dementors."