"Thank you Cedric" I laughed after he had helped me push my trunk up into the rack above my seat as we swapped smiles as I sat under it while he stood in front of me with a smile
"Are you sure you don't want me to stay?"
"Your friends are outside waiting for you Cedric and Blaise should be here soon. Thank you for the offer though"
"If you're sure, if anyone gives you hassle just come and find me yeah?"
"I will" I said to him amused with a shake of my head as I looked up at him as I met his smile as his name was called again from out in the carriage as he glanced towards the compartment door
"I know you want to go Cedric"
"I don't reall-"
"Cedric Diggory doesn't lie" I reminded him quietly while I looked to him with a smile as he sighed and glanced at me with a smile
"Just shout if you need anything- I'll see you later Lia" he said with a smile after I had nodded and he left a moment later, shutting the compartment door after him as a small smile grew on my face and I turned to look out the window
"Well if it isn't the murderer"
"Well if it isn't 'Mr steal your hair gel'" I said back to Draco as I turned to him with a smile as he sat down in the seat opposite me with an amused look
"My hair isn't even gelled"
"Thankfully. Your hair is long enough to braid now-"
"Don't go anywhere near my hair"
"Well, Blaise does let me into the guys dorm whenever I want to go in-"
"What do I do?" Blaise asked as we turned to the compartment door as a smirk formed on my face while I waved him off as he sat down next to me and I rested my head against him
"You should pay me"
"And why's that?"
"Because it's my arm that you're using as a pillow. Therefore, I should be paid"
"But... I'm broke"
"You're far from broke, we seen how much money you've got left for Hogsmeade" Draco scoffed as I let out a light laugh as I linked arms with Blaise with a smile on my face as the train pulled out of the station
"Theodore was looking for you"
"Really?"
"Yeah. He's allegedly searching everywhere-"
"I'll talk to him at the feast- .... I wonder who we'll have for defence against the dark arts this year"
"Hopefully someone who knows what they're doing"
"And someone who doesn't have their face glued to a mirror constantly" Blaise muttered as I started laughing
"Amelia? What's wrong with your case?"
"What? Nothing" I said amused as Draco glanced at me before pointing at it as I stood up and turned to it, scanning the letters as Blaise got up too
"Oh that. They're my middle names apparently"
"A. B. F. S. B?"
"Apparently so"
"What do they stand for?"
"I don't have a clue. All I know is that it's, Amelia something, Fern something, Black" I told them with a grin before sitting back down as they followed and I moved to rest my head on Blaise's legs as I grinned up at him and he sat there amused before running his hands through my hair as I glanced at Draco and caught him looking at Blaise with raised eyebrows as I gave him a confused look
"What's happening?"
"What?"
"Am I the only one that seen that?"
"Seen what?"
"That look..."
"I think you're hallucinating Amelia" Draco said to me with a small smirk as I rested my head back down properly as I mumbled quietly to myself as Blaise continued to run his hand through my hair
"Do you use conditioner?"
"Not a lot of it. Why?"
"Because your hair is really soft" Blaise mumbled quietly as I started laughing and I shook my head amused. A few hours passed as the sky turned dark outside as the rain bounced off of the window and I heard the door slide open as I lifted my head, catching sight of the trolley lady as I sent her a smile
"Anything from the trolley?"
"Three boxes of Bertie Botts please" I smiled as I dug coins out of my pocket and stood up as I handed her them as I was passed the boxes as she looked at the other two before walking away as I shut the compartment door and chucked them a box each, Blaise catching his as he nodded in thanks as Draco didn't even bother to try and catch them as he let them fall to the floor while he stared at me wide eyed as he jumped to his feet and I instantly turned around and peered through the glass of the compartment door before turning around confused as I found him standing in front of me
"Okay, one, don't bloody do that. Two, what in the name or Merlin are you fucking gawking at?" I asked him with raised eyebrows as he grabbed my wrist and stared intently at the rings on my middle and ring finger as I raised an eyebrow at him
"Since when were you married off?"
"Oh yeah, sorry Blaise I forgot to tell you- anyway, what are you staring at?" I asked Draco as he glanced between me and the rings
"Can I?"
"Um... yeah, sure" I mumbled confused before taking the rings off of my fingers and giving him them as he sat back down and stared at them intently as I picked the box of beans up and sat them beside him before taking my seat next to Blaise as we swapped looks and I watched as he shrugged
"Do you know what these are?" He asked quietly after around ten minutes of him sitting silently as he stared at the rings while me and Blaise turned to him from where we were eating the jellybeans
"Rings?"
"Not just any rings. Amelia, these are Black family heirlooms"
"Well, I am part of the Black family"
"No, you don't understand. These had been lost for centuries and are worth a fortune- the ring with the green stone is traditionally given to the eldest daughter from the mother and if another daughter is born she gets the ring with the white stone"
"How do you know that?"
"It's the same with all pureblood families- how did you get both?" He asked confused as he leant forward and dropped the rings into my hand as I slipped them back on as he opened the jellybeans
"They were a birthday present- I just presumed Nadia had got them from a shop in the town we live by. But to answer your question, me and Holly both got one, just by coincidence I got the green and she got the white but she doesn't like wearing rings so she traded it with me for half of my chocolate frog boxes I had been given"
"Your sister is an idiot"
"Oh I know, how come you could tell the were heirlooms?"
"The Black family crest is on the inside, right under where the stone is" he told me as I nodded in realisation as Blaise turned to me before glancing between us
"Speaking of mother's- what happened between you and yours? You never actually got to tell me in Diagon Alley or in your letters"
"Ah, that. Well that was a very eventful night- wouldn't you say Draco?" I asked laughing as he sat with a smirk on his face
"So... are you going to tell me?"
"Right, well yes, basically she shouted at me saying that she wished I didn't close myself off in my bedroom all Summer, that I hadn't grown up, that I hadn't 'changed', that I hadn't been sorted into Slytherin and that I hadn't turned out to be who I am. I think she expects me to act like a perfect little barbie doll-"
"You are far from a barbie doll-"
"I know, I'm more like Annabelle"
"Who?"
"No one, it doesn't matter" I told them laughing as Blaise wrapped his arm around my shoulders and brought me towards him
"Yes, well, your mother can just go and fuck off because you're the best and that's all that matters"
"Awh thank you Blaise, I love you"
"And I love you too, but what happened afterwards? Did you stay at home?"
"Nope, once Draco left I packed my shit then disappeared off to France for the usual two weeks, where I met Draco, again. And then for the rest of the holidays I was with Cedric"
"You could've owled me, I think my mother wants to meet you"
"My mother just won't stop talking about you" Draco muttered as the three of us let out a laugh while the train lurched to a halt and I looked up instantly, covering the top of my head with my hands as my trunk came hurtling forward and crashed on top of my arms before landing heavily on the compartment floor as I scrunched my face up in pain
"Lia? Are you okay?"
"I'm so fucking dumb" I groaned as I lowered my arms and looked at my left wrist, my skin torn, as it started to swell and bruise as blood started to roll down my arm and I looked away
"That's my wrist broken"
"Are you sure you're alright?" Draco asked with raised eyebrows as I nodded before trying to look out of the window
"We can't be there already- do either of you have the time?"
"Yeah I have my watch on- it's... it's not working" I mumbled confused as I tapped warily at the watch on my wrist as the clock hands remained motionless
"I'm away to see if Oscar's watch is still working"
"Do you want your trunk back up?"
"Yes please, if you don't mind. Give me a minute" I said to them as they both stood up to push it back up as I slid the compartment door open and glanced both ways to everyone else who had stuck their heads out to see what was going on as I caught sight of Tristan
"Tristan?"
"Oh hi Amelia, Bloody hell what happened to your wrist?"
"My trunk wanted to flatten me- is Oscar in there?" I asked as he nodded and turned his head back as Oscar appeared beside him a moment later and looked at me curiously before glancing to my wrist as his eyes widened and he went to open his mouth
"Ignore my wrist. Is your watch working?"
"No, it's stopped completely. Tristan?"
"Mines has stopped too-" he started to say as the train lurched side to side and I stumbled backwards as the compartment door shut forcefully and I was quickly steadied by the two
"Thank you- why's it so dark in here?"
"The lanterns went out just as you had opened the door" Draco said as the three of us stood together and I looked past him and to the window where the glass was starting to freeze over
"Is that-?"
"No, that's not me-" I reassured them as I glanced at my hands as the train gave another lurch and a cold feeling swept over me
"I think we better sit down, Draco you too" Blaise said quietly as he took ahold of my hand and pulled me down onto the seat next to him before wrapping his arm around my shoulders as Draco sat back down opposite us as I shook my head at him
"Sit on this side" I told him quietly as he stayed still for a moment as I took my wand out and flicked it as a numb feeling spread through my left hand as he took the space next to me and I stretched my fingers, able to move my hand normally without any pain, knowing that it was only temporary and that the pain would come back soon enough as I glanced between them before trying to look out the window
"You don't think someone's getting on do you?"
"Nobody ever gets on the train when it's half way through a journey..." Draco muttered quietly as he trailed off, his eyes glued on the door as I tore my gaze away from him and turned to the door, turning about as pale as him as I watched in horror as the cloaked arm came into sight through the compartment door, the scabbed and rotting hand inching towards the handle as it started turning as I felt Blaise's hold tighten while I grabbed at Draco's hand, pushing past the pain that was slowly coming back. Watching the door slide open slowly I felt myself grow cold and my breath get caught in my throat as I tried to breathe as the dementor floated in, every ill word my mother spoke of me ringing in my ears as an empty feeling crashed over me as it moved it's head between us before turning back to me as it's low, rattling breathing filled my ears as my eyes stayed glued to it in fear as I watched it inch closer while I felt Blaise pull me towards him as I managed to move my head as he held it against him and I hid my face in his arm, eyes clamped tightly shut
"Lia? Amelia?" Opening my eyes I looked at my hand which was gripping tightly at Blaise's jumper as I took notice of the lights that had turned on around us and the familiar feeling of the train moving again
"Is it gone?"
"Yeah it's gone, are you okay?" Blaise asked quietly as I nodded soundlessly as I moved my head and lifted it as I glanced around, the compartment looking like it had before the dementor had appeared as chills ran down my spine at the thought
"Do you need your inhaler?"
"N-no- I'm- I'll be- sorry" I mumbled as I let go of his jumper and sat up properly as I realised the pains coursing through my hand and wrist as I carefully let go of Draco's as I brought my hand towards me and stared ahead as I carefully rubbed at it
"I don't know why you're apologising"
"I shouldn't have of acted like that"
"There was nothing wrong with your reaction Amelia, it was so unbelievably close to you, anybody would've reacted like that" Blaise said quietly as I shook my head as I moved my hand to take my rings off as I handed them to Draco
"Why do I have these?"
"Keep them for me please, I'm away to see if someone can heal my wrist" I explained quietly before getting to my feet as I left the compartment with a slight wobble to my feet as I held my wrist up and made my way along the train, passing compartments where people were talking about what had happened
"Black!" Turning around to see who had shouted my name I met the face of Roger Davies as I stopped and watched as he walked towards me
"That's your fault, you know"
"What's my fault, Davies?"
"The dementors. They're here because of you and your siblings. Just because your father is on the loose and looking for another killing spree to go on-"
"Excuse me?" Looking up and past me he stepped back and walked back down to the compartment he had came from, not going back in until he threw one last look in my direction
"Is everything alright?" Turning around I jumped in surprise as I looked up and stared into a pair of strangely familiar brown eyes and I watched as we scanned each other's faces as my eyes traced the scars running across his skin before moving to his greying hair and then to his old and worn cloak as a small smile formed on his face while I looked at him as a confused feeling fell over me, recognising him but not knowing where from
"Do you want me to heal that for you, Amelia?"
"How do you-?" I started to ask confused but stopped as I caught sight of the smile on his face as he drew his wand and carefully pressed it against my wrist as he mumbled quietly, a subtle crack meeting my ears as he flicked his wand and a bandage started wrapping itself tightly around my wrist before he tucked it away
"That was quite a bad break"
"Yeah... my trunk..." I mumbled quietly as I kept my eyes on him and watched as he shook his head amused before pulling something from his pocket and handing it to me as I looked down at the chocolate confused
"You've had a bad run in with the dementor, you're very pale-"
"I naturally am"
"Even I think this isn't your natural skin tone entirely. The chocolate-"
"Will help make you feel better and release serotonin, endorphins, dopamine, oxytocin etcetera etcetera" I cut him off, knowing instantly what he was going to say as it dawned on me and I stared at him with a look mixed with shock and surprise as his smile faltered slightly
"Eat. It will make you feel better, like you said. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to speak with the driver. I'll see you at the feast" he said smiling before walking past me as I turned and stared after him before pulling myself away from my thoughts as I walked down the train to the end compartment, opening the door on the two girls as they jumped to their feet
"For the sake of Merlin, Amelia!"
"Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, are you two?"
"Yeah, it was only in here for a couple of seconds"
"Lucky you"
"Is that why you're so pale?" Daphne asked as I nodded before moving as I broke apart the chocolate and handed them some as I nodded for them to eat it
"It'll help- is Astoria alright?"
"Oh I'm fine!"
"Oh bloody hell! I didn't even see you there!" I said with a light laugh after her voice had appeared from beside me as I turned and looked at her and Thalia with a smile before handing them some chocolate
"You're very pale"
"Thank you- Wait, where's Millicent?" I asked confused as I looked to Pansy and Daphne who glanced at each other before shrugging to me
"We didn't even see her get on the train"