Transparent

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Mr. and Mrs. Ramstein ushered their fifteen-year-old daughter through the brick barrier between platforms nine and ten at King's Cross station. Each parent had a hand on their daughter's shoulders as they charged through the barrier and emerged on platform nine and three-quarters.

The platform was bustling with people, some dressed in out-of-place-looking robes and some dressed like any ordinary muggle. Smoke rose from the scarlet train stationed at the platform and floated above everyone's heads. Students of all ages were leaning out of windows and were scattered about the crowd of people on the platform saying their goodbyes to family and friends.

There was a slight breeze that swept through the platforms, causing Mary Ramstein's long, wavy blonde hair to gently dance around her shoulders. The girl's mother began to tear up for the fifth year in a row as her husband helped their daughter carry her trunk to an empty compartment. The pair returned to the crying mother, who now held a silk handkerchief to her face in an attempt to dry her tears.

"Maman! Please don't cry!" Mary pleaded in her timid voice.

"Oh, I'm sorry, bébé, I was just starting to get used to you being home!" her mother sobbed.

Mrs. Ramstein had a ghost of a French accent from so many years attending Beauxbatons even if she wasn't French.

"Don't worry, honey, she'll be back before you know it!" Mr. Ramstein comforted his sobbing wife, putting an arm gently around her shoulders.

A loud whistle rang throughout the platform and immediately the scattered students were being ushered to the soon-leaving train.

"Oh, that's the whistle. You better her going before the train leaves you." Mary's father smiled down at her and gave her a tight hug.

After a bone-crushing hug from her mother, Mary rushed onto the train. Once she had found her compartment, which she was glad to find it was empty, she leaned out her window to wave at her embracing parents.

"Don't forget to write!" her mother called to her.

"I won't, Maman, I love you!" Mary called back.

The girl's parents called back, "We love you, too!"

Mary closed the compartment window as the train slowly began to roll along the tracks and plopped onto her seat with a sigh. She pushed her fingers through her hair, a nervous habit of hers she's had for as long as she can remember, and already began to fidget as she sent a glance to her compartment door.

A boy with a head of flaming hair passed by her door just as she glanced that way. The petite girl shot up from her seat and poked her head out in the hall to watch after the boy. As she watched the boy, she realized that it was not her dragon-loving crush but his older brother, Bill Weasley.

Mary stepped into the hall in a sudden and strange burst of courage and caught up with the eldest Weasley.

"E-excuse me" she squeaked, tapping his shoulder.

Bill spun around to find the voice, and it took him a moment to actually find the petite girl.

"Y-you're B-bill Weasley, r-right? I-I-I heard a-about you getting H-head Boy, a-a-and I w-wanted t-to congratulate y-you." Mary visibly shrunk, her cheeks scarlet from embarrassment as she fiddled with the skirt of her dress.

"Thank you, that's very kind." Bill politely smiled as the tiny Mary.

Mary's gaze went down to her hands as her cheeks grew even more scarlet as she spoke it again, "U-um, a-also, I-I-I h-heard about C-charlie g-getting p-prefect a-a-and I wanted t-to congratulate h-him, too..."

"I'll be sure to tell him, thank you."

Mary gave a quick nod before rushing back to her compartment. She crashed back in her seat and pushed her fingers through her hair as she tried to calm her heavy breathing, her shaking hands, and her pounding heart. The girl was barely able to calm down before she heard her compartment door slam open. Before Mary had time to react, she felt a body crash into her and squeeze her in a bone-crushing hug.

"Hello, Dora," Mary wheezed, "nice to see you. Could you please let me go, I can't breathe."

Mary's best friend, Nymphadora Tonks, released her and dragged her trunk into the compartment before sitting across from her.

"Oh my god, Mary! I missed you so much; I haven't seen you in forever!" Nymphadora smiled widely at her friends, her hair yellow with excited happiness.

Despite her smile, Mary rolled her eyes, "You saw me two weeks ago, Dora!"

"So? I saw you walking to Charlie's brother! I'm so proud of you!" Nymphadora squealed, bouncing in her seat as Mary's face flushed as scarlet as the train they were riding in.

Nymphadora gave a loud, happy, dramatic sigh and flashed her gaze to the window, "I don't know why, but I feel like this is going to be an eventful year."

Mary rolled her eyed again, "Of course it is, Dora, we have our O.W.L.s this year! Our teachers are going to be breathing down our necks!"

"That's not what I'm talking about, Mar!" The matamorphmagus sighed dramatically.

Mary shook her head and watched the scenery pass be the compartment window. As the train rode on, she half-listened to Nymphadora go on about her summer. The train chugged on and Mary began to think she just might agree with Nymphadora.

Maybe interesting things will happen this year.

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Bill Weasley sat in his compartment, letting his thoughts wander as he stared out the window. In the windows reflection, the seventh year saw his eldest younger brother pass by the compartment, and, for a moment, he didn't move until his memory clicked. He got up and leaned out into the hall to call after his brother.

"Oi! Charlie!" He called.

His brother spun around and looked about the hall in confusion before spotting his brother and made his way over to him. "What?"

"A girl came and talked to me, congratulated me on making Head Boy, and wanted me to tell you she said congratulations on making prefect."

Charlie gave a nod, "Did you catch her name?"

"No."

"What about what year she's in?

"No."

"Merlin, Bill, do you even know what she looks like?" Charlie exasperatedly asked his brother.

"Erm..." Bill's face scrunched up a bit as she tried to remember the girl, but he had no luck, "No, I forgot." Bill sounded just as surprised as Charlie looked, Bill never forgot the people he talked to, especially if the conversation wasn't even an hour ago.

"Wow, Bill, it's not like you to forget people so easily!" Charlie said.

Bill gave a nod, "Yeah, it's weird, but, if I see her, I'll be sure to point her out to you"

Charlie gave a nod and continued on his way, and Bill sat back down inside his compartment and went back to letting his thoughts wander as they were before.