SALEM ᵈ ᵐᵃˡᶠᵒʸ

iv. September First

I spotted the others before they found me. "Hey, I'm going to find Ernie and Ruby," I said, not even waiting for a reply before making my way deeper into the train and towards the one compartment I knew my friends would be seated in.

I bit my lip, nervously wringing my hands in front of me. They were definitely going to be mad.

"—At this rate we won't be able to pass DADA anymore. It's a cursed position, I'm telling you!"

"No, it's—"

I heard them before I saw them. I took a deep breath and opened the sliding door of the compartment only for the conversation to die midway, replaced with silence. I stood there with an awkward smile, feeling my skin tingle as I squirmed under their stares.

"Hello, erm. . ." I cleared my throat and watched their faces. So far I haven't gotten a reaction at all.

"I—I know that it's been an entire summer—and. . .I didn't get to write to both of you," I stammered, refusing to look at both of them in eye longer than three seconds. "But I promise I'll explain every—"

I barely had time to register what happened before a hand pulled me inside the compartment and then I was engulfed in a mass of limbs.

"Oomf! What—"

"Are you kidding me?" Ruby's voice boomed at my ear. "I thought you bloody disappeared off the face of the planet! You better explain everything to us right now, Margo Lovett! Right now!"

I flinched at the harsh sounds as I struggled to reciprocate Ruby's violent hug, though a bit gentler than she did. Words can't even explain how I was thankful to hear Ernie's light chuckle.

"Let her go, Ruby," he said. "I can see her face turn purple from here."

I was released and finally had the chance to retrieve the breath that had been knocked out of me.

"So you're not mad?" I asked sheepishly.

"Well, a bit," Ruby said, "but that doesn't matter cause you're alive and I need details. Right now!"

Taking in the faces of my friends, I smiled apologetically.

"I'm really sorry," I said as I took a seat. "We were given strict instructions not to reply to letters." Leaning in closer, I peered behind me to see if there were anyone outside then lowered my voice to a whisper. "Location of headquarters had to be kept a secret."

Ernie and Ruby let out silent sounds of understanding, a lightbulb going off in their heads as realization dawned on to them. I nodded in return, slowly leaning back to rest comfortably on the seat beside Ruby.

The day before my family and I were moved to Headquarters, I had written a letter to both Ernie and Ruby regarding my situation, though I didn't realize that sending even one letter wasn't allowed.

They were my best friends, having stuck together through thick and thin ever since we met during our first train ride to Hogwarts, so naturally I couldn't keep anything from them.

It made me nostalgic to think about the times the three of us had together before the world started to grow dark, especially how grown we've become.