𝐃𝐎𝐍'𝐓 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐑𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐁𝐄𝐑 - 𝐓𝐨𝐦 𝐑𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐥𝐞

✯ 𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 ✯

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

Anika spotted her mom waiting for them after they exited the 9 3/4 station. She raced towards the older woman and they both embraced each other deeply. 

"How are you, beti?" Diya Patel greeted, addressing her daughter. "What have these people been feeding you, eh? You're getting thin!"

"Mama relax," Anika chuckled. "Trust me, I'm not starving myself like all these white girls do these days."

"White girls," her mom nodded. "Odd behaviours they have, hmm."

Daisy and Gabriela hugged the older woman afterwards, and almost lost their access to oxygen due to Diya's surprisingly strong grip. 

They followed the Patel duo outside of the train station and to the car. The girls all dumped their trunks into the back of the car and settled into the seats. 

"This would be so much easier if we were allowed to do magic outside of school. We could just apparate!" Gabriela groaned, since she got carsick easily. 

"It's only a 45 minute car ride," Anika rolled her eyes playfully. "Plus, who doesn't love a road trip? Daisy, want to choose the radio channel?"

"I wish they had a channel for songs from musicals and movies," Daisy pouted. "But let's play the R&B station."

"What's that?" Gabriela questioned, not listening to music often. 

"Oh, it's this new genre of music that's just beginning to become popular. It's heard a lot in black communities," Daisy informed. "I discovered the channel on the shit radio in the orphanage and really liked it."

Both girls looked interested and chose that channel. The girls moved their heads in the back of the car, looking like a trio of dense bobble-heads, but thankfully no one was watching. 

"So, girls," Anika's mom spoke up, turning down the radio. "I want to know everything that's happened so far in your first term! Spare me no details, I want to know about teachers, classes, problems, boys."

"Mama," Anika groaned, but relented nonetheless, filling in her mother about the gossip. 

Once she finished with everything, it was clear she had left one topic behind. Each one of their love lives was complicated right now, and including Diya in their thoughts would cause chaos, due to her being a very opinionated and meddlesome woman. 

But Gabriela just couldn't help but cause some trouble. "You know, Ms Patel," she began deviously. "Daisy is basically in a love triangle right now.""

"WHAT?" Daisy exploded and twisted her head around to glare at her friend, then laughed nervously. "She's over exaggerating. I don't even have feelings for one of them."

"Yeah...let me know when you're not in denial about that," Gabriela hummed snottily. 

"Daisy, Daisy!" Diya exclaimed gleefully. "Tell me more."

"Okay, well, the two guys Gab is talking about, I only like one of them. He's this Gryffindor boy who's my Potion's partner, and I went to the dance with him. And the other guy is a friend from my childhood, but I don't like him! And even if I did, he literally has the emotional range of a toothpick."

"Yeah, but he's hot," Gabriela protested. "Like in a I'll-murder-you-in-your-sleep and I-look-good-covered-in-blood way."

"Gabriela!" Diya scolded. "I truly hope you're not being serious. You deserve a nice boy who wants to take care of you!"

"Yeah, like Fleamont!" Daisy shot towards Gabriela. 

"Oh dear, poor boy, having a name like that," Diya muttered, and the girls looked at each other in bemusement.