the lucky one

sortings & surprises

september 1st, 1994

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Miranda McGonagall eagerly gets dressed in her favorite pair of corduroys and a tee from her favorite band, and double checks her trunk, (again) that she packed the night before. She glances in the mirror before she goes downstairs. Her mid length dirty blond hair is brushed for once, and the two clips she put in at the spur of the moment look surprisingly nice, making her hair frame her heart shaped face in a pleasant manner. She scrunches her nose covered with the freckles she hates, and her eyes, one blue, one green. A mark of a horrible night, and a deadly curse. Then, Miranda rushes down the two flights of creaky stairs, where her mother is waiting in the kitchen. "Mom, c'mon we have to go! The train leaves soon!!" Miranda says impatiently, tapping her mother's chair insistently.

    "Merlin's beard, can't a woman finish a cup of coffee around here?" Her mother smiles, "Besides, you have to eat breakfast first."

    Miranda takes a piece of toast, and shoves one in her mouth. "Mmm see," she says pointedly, mouth full, "there you go. I ate breakfast. Can we go now?"

    "Sweetie, sit down," Juniper shakes her head in amusement, "the train doesn't leave for another hour or so. We have plenty of time, relax." Miranda plops down in a chair with a sigh. She couldn't help it, she was excited. Not only was she back in her birthplace, London, and finally getting to attend her dream school, Hogwarts. She was also going to see her childhood best friend Draco for the first time since she was ten.

Draco's mom, Narcissa, had been close with her mom when they were in Slytherin at Hogwarts together. Draco's father, Lucius, was not a good man, so when things got bad at Malfoy Manor, Narcissa and Draco would come stay with Juniper and Miranda for a while, and they came summers as well. Draco and Miranda became fast friends over the years, but when he started school at Hogwarts, his visits had become less frequent. They kept in touch, but it wasn't the same, and Miranda missed him.

    "Alright Miss Impatient," her mother dusts her hands of crumbs, "I'm ready, do you have everything you need?"

    Miranda nods fervently in response, anxious to get out the door, "Yes mom, books and robes and my wand,"

    "Okay, let's go." Miranda grabs her trunk and walks over to the fireplace. She puts a bit of floo powder in her hand and yells, "Platform 9 and 3/4!" The fire pops, and in a split second she's tumbling into the station. She pushes her trunk over to the entrance and they run full speed through the brick wall.

A horde of wizards and witches, young and old, bustle around the platform, waving goodbyes. Miranda searches the crowd for Draco, hoping to see the glint of his white blond hair. "Miranda," her mother murmurs softly, "hey honey? I want you to be careful, okay?" Juniper's eyes are teary, and the expression on her face signals to Miranda that she does not want to let her go. They've always been close, Juniper and Miranda. Practically inseparable. Miranda can't remember a time when her mother wasn't there for her, providing, loving her with every ounce of her soul. Miranda will miss her too.

    "Mom, I'll be fine, honest." Miranda replies earnestly, hugging Juniper tightly. She breaks away from the embrace and boards the train as her mom watches her go, smiling sadly.

Miranda traipses through the train, scanning the faces of her new classmates for a familiar one. She passes a group of three in a car, sat close together, very deep in conversation. Two boys, one with red hair and the other jet black, and a girl with bushy brown hair and bangs who smiles at her as she passes.  Then she spots him, standing in a car at the end of the train by himself, also looking for someone on the train.