THE NEXT TIME THE THREE OF THEM saw harry was on the hogwarts express, after his hearing at the ministry. "so, assuming it went well, then?" paris asked.
harry nodded. "you could say that.." he murmured, slumping against the window.
paris looked at ron and hermione, who both shrugged, suggesting it was best to leave him to his thoughts.
the girls began discussing their subjects for the new year, indulging into a long conversation, while ron leaned against the back of his seat, attempting to get in some more sleep.
"did you read the books i sent you during the summer?" hermione asked, raising an eyebrow at paris, expecting her to not have.
"well— yes, i- i suppose."
"you suppose?" hermione smirked.
"i read... some of them."
"paris!"
"i'm joking, granger. i read them all." paris assured. "would i ever lie to you?"
this made ron scoff.
"okay, don't answer that— but the answer is no, i definitely wouldn't."
"some of us are trying to nod off here— couldn't you two have caught up, like, two days ago?" ron groaned, covering his face with his hands.
"no, we couldn't, ronald. not with all the commotion." hermione pursed her lips.
"besides, night time is for sleeping." the brunette added.
"well, i tried to, didn't i? but harry's always talking in his sleep."
"and with you and the twins lurking at every corner, we couldn't talk about... girl stuff."
"yeah, right, girl stuff."
PARIS OFFERED TO HOLD HERMIONE'S BAG as they walked along hogsmeade station platform, towards the carriages. "my hands are cold." hermione groaned, the mist surrounding the train showing up in the darkness.
"if you wanted to hold my hand you might as well say so." paris whispered in her ear, so the boys couldn't hear her.
"oh, shut up." hermione hid her smile with her hair, slapping paris with the back of her hand.
"surprised the ministry is still letting you run around free, potter." draco remarked, walking past the four with eudora, crabbe and goyle. "i'd enjoy it while you can. i expect there's a cell in azkaban with your name on it!"
harry lunged forward at draco, but ron pulled him back.
"what did i tell you?" draco scoffed to his friends. "complete nutter!" he shook his head. "come along, paris."
"i think i'm fine where i am, thanks." paris rejected him with a frown.
"have it your way." draco rolled his eyes, strolling off. "don't come crawling back to us when you realise what losers these lot are."
"just stay away from me, malfoy!" harry shouted after him, his teeth gritted.
"calm down! it's only malfoy, what d'you expect?"
"hey, guys." neville longbottom smiled, approaching the group. his hands were clutching a mimbulus mimbletonia plant, which paris recognised as her uncle kept one in the greenhouse back home.
"hey, neville." they all nodded.
"nice mimbletonia, neville. very rare." paris smiled, nodding to the boy, who's cheeks flushed pink at the girl being nice to him.
"thank you." he grimaced, surprised she knew of it, and clutching it tighter.
hermione smiled at paris being nice to the boy, who was frequently picked on by the slytherins. she found it quite sweet that she didn't go along with them.
harry turned around, pointing at the air. "what is that?"
"what's what?"
"that. pulling the carriage." he said.
"there's nothing pulling the carriage, harry. it's
pulling itself— like always." hermione frowned, looking at him as if he'd lost the plot.
"no, he's right. i see it too." paris shook her head, as they both stepped closer to the to the strange, bony creature.
"you're not going mad," a girl spoke from in the carriage, putting down the quibbler that she was reading upside down. "i can see them too." her voice was soft and wistful. "you're just as sane as i am."
"great." paris mumbled, helping hermione onto the carriage.
"everyone, this is loony lov—" hermione introduced the blonde, stopping when she realised where she'd slipped up. "—luna lovegood." she corrected herself, gulping. "what an interesting necklace..." she added, as if to say: 'please don't hate me!'
"it's a charm, actually." luna smiled, un-fazed. "keeps away the nargles." no one responded, all looking at her strangely. "i'm hungry. i hope there's pudding."
"what's a... nargle?" ron asked, puzzled.
"no idea." hermione and paris whispered at the same time, as the carriage began to push forward toward the castle.
"GOOD EVENING, CHILDREN!" dumbledore boomed, beginning his usual, start-of-the-year speech. "now, we have two changes in staffing this year. we're pleased to welcome professor wilhelmina grubbly-plank, who'll be taking care of magical creatures, while professor hagrid is on temporary leave. we're also pleased to welcome our new defence against the dark arts teacher, professor dolores umbridge." a toad-like, short woman sat on the end of the staff table, wearing all pink. "and i'm sure you'll all join me in wishing the professor good luck. as usual, our caretaker, mr filch, has asked me to remind you—" dumbledore was interrupted by umbridge giggling, before she rose from her chair, approaching him at his podium.
"thank you headmaster, for those kind words of welcome." she turned to beam at the students. "and how lovely to see all your bright, happy faces smiling up at me. i'm sure we're all going to be very, good friends."
paris scoffed. she didn't like the look of this woman already. not one bit. she would much prefer to have lupin back.
"the ministry of magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. although each headmaster has each brought something new to this historic school, progress, for the sake of progress, must be discouraged. let us preserve what must be preserved, perfect what must be perfected, and prohibit practices that must be prohibited." she giggled, before returning to her seat, and everyone began to slowly, and unenthusiastically clap.
"thank you, professor umbridge." dumbledore nodded. "that really was most illuminating."
"illuminating?" ron scoffed. "sounded like a load of waffle to me."
"but what's it mean?" harry frowned.
"it means the ministry's interfering at hogwarts." hermione stated matter-of-factly.
"what was all that back at the station?" draco hissed to paris. "we're supposed to be friends. you're suppose to be on my side."
"right draco, we are, but you've been acting like a right git lately. more than usual, at least." paris half-lied. that wasn't the reason she had been cold to him, but he definitely was being obnoxious. she was sat uncomfortable at the end of the slytherin table, trying to keep to herself.
"whatever." draco rolled his eyes. "you're being weird. don't tell me you believe potter's rubbish about you-know-who."
"why don't you ask your father what he thinks?" paris snapped, taking a spoonful of chocolate profiteroles. "i'm sure he'd know quite a lot about it.."