***A/N*** Hey guys! Coming down to the wire now. We have thirteen chapters left and they are probably going to be packed with a lot of things so get ready! But before the chaos starts, I thought it would be nice to have a light-hearted Annie POV. I think I'll be back tomorrow with another update if all goes the way it should, but if not, I'll be back Thursday! Lots of love xx
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"Sorry to bother you, but have you by any chance seen an orange journal? Leather bound orange journal to be more precise?"
I've only got a few more hours to get my things packed and head off to the carriages for the train ride home. I can't bloody wait to be back in London and away from the mean girls and the boys who fancy me, and the school, and assignments...
Mum and Dad aren't going to be too thrilled that my highest grade is an Acceptable but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.
"Do you hear that Izzy?" Miryam asks, "I think it's trying to communicate with us!" The girls burst into a fit of laughter and go back to getting ready for the day instead of talking to me.
"Please? If you've seen it you can just tell me, I won't even be mad if you've read it," I say trying really hard not to sound like I'm begging but I mean. I only have a few hours till I have to be on the train back home.
"Are you a Ravenclaw or not?" Diana asks, "Just use Accio? What, do you think that because you're the only pureblooded one in here that you get to boss us around all the time?"
My cheeks grow hot with both anger and embarrassment, "I – no, that's not what..." I take a breath and try to get my emotions under control like Mum tells me to do when I get cross at home, "Thank you for the suggestion."
The girls find the fact that I'm thanking them utterly amusing because they burst into a fit of laughter again, "Thank you ever so much Madam Diana!" Rachel says, fixing her posture so she is standing the way that I do.
"Oh, but of course Madam Rachel! I do wonder what the house elves are cooking this fine morning for our breakfast!" Diana responds.
"Actually I don't have a house-elf, my aunt Hermione wouldn't like that very much. Neither would Theo..." I mutter as I turn around to finish shoving all my clothes into my trunk.
The girls either didn't hear or didn't care because for the next hour and a half they make fun of me, talking in fake posh accents and parading around the room giggling. Thankfully they get bored soon and I can actually search for my journal.
"Hey, Weasley,"
I turn around and Zach is standing in my doorway with his hands shoved into his pockets. Truth be told I haven't really talked with any of them since they all told each other that they fancied me. Well, Albert didn't say that he fancied me so I've been talking to him and Lorcan, but not the other three.
"Hey," I say turning back around.
"Have I done something to make you feel like you can't have a conversation with me?" he asks. I don't think that he's walked into the room. I didn't hear his footsteps.
I find my journal hidden behind one of the tapestries on the wall and pick it up before turning around, "Hm? Oh no, you didn't do anything. Exams really got the better of me I guess."
A lie. And I think he can tell because luckily for me I inherited Dad's inability to tell a perfect lie. Mum on the other hand can lie through her teeth with no signs to give her away. Trust me, we used to test it as children.
"Okay... Well, are you done packing? Cause I was just going to head down to the carriages. We can walk together if you'd like."
Now I'm sort of regretting finding my journal cause I don't have an excuse. My trunk is closed, my backpack is stuffed full...
"Yeah that'd be great," I say to him. I don't think I've ever like actually spoken all prim and proper this much recently. I tend to keep that for when I'm at Nans and she's telling me about the new knitting pattern she found in Witch Weekly.
I cast a simple levitation charm on my trunk and hike my backpack over my shoulder and walk out of the door. Zach moves out of the way, casting his own levitation charms and follows me down the stairs.
"Dad hates when we use magic instead of doing the hard work ourselves," I say to Zach. Figure it'll be better to fill the weird silence with random facts and things instead of well... awkward silence.
"Aren't both your parents from wizard families though?" he asks coming up beside me when we reach the common room.
"Yeah but Dad thinks it's necessary to learn to live without magic cause it might not always be there. Which doesn't make much sense considering that being magic has to do with your genetics and things but who am I to tell him that he's wrong and his logic is flawed. Mum also doesn't use much magic around the house. She spent time living with Muggles after the war and nearly swore of magic all together."
"What would you rather be? A wizard in a muggle family or a squib in a wizard family?" Zach asks me.
"Oh, that's an interesting question!" Jessie says, cutting into our conversation.
Great now there's two of them.
"Uh, I thought you were at the train already," Zach says to him.
Jessie falls in pace beside me as we walk out of the common room and into the corridor.
"I was, got there early, found a good compartment to put my stuff in. Just thought that my friends could do with a walk down there."
"I'm already walking with Annie so..." Zach says.
"So that means that I can join!" Jessie says loudly, "Annie are you excited to go back home for the holiday."
"You don't even know," I grumble under my breath.
"What about my question Annie? I think mine is a little more thought-provoking don't you think?" Zach says trying to outsmart or outwit or out whatever it is that Jessie is trying to do.
"I love thought-provoking!" Raphael says coming out of literally nowhere. If we weren't at Hogwarts and thirteen I would have thought he apparated, "Speaking of thought provoking; Annie did you read that book I suggested?"
"No, I was going to read it over the holiday, if I have spare time. Here's hoping my brother's wedding doesn't interfere with everything..."
"Your brother's getting married?" Jessie asks, "I thought he was in like fourth year."
I scrunch up my face, I get that people may make a mistake when it comes to Theo's gender and things but it still gives me the ick every time, "Theo's my sibling, not my brother and they use they/them pronouns. Freddie, my older brother is getting married."
Jessie turns beet red, "Oh crap, I'm sorry I didn't know..."
Raphael and Zach laugh to themselves and Jessie shoots them a look.
Thankfully, before it gets too awkward, Lysander, Lorcan, and Jordan come around the corner, "Hey!" I call to them. I look at the three boys who are either laughing at each other or embarrassed, "I'll see you guys on the train. Or we'll chat over the holiday."
"Yeah, See you Annabeth," Raphael says.
I quickly say another goodbye before running to meet my friends, my trunk following behind, "Christ you people have really got to learn to come rescue me sooner."
Jordan peers over my shoulder, "You needed rescuing from three hot blokes?"
I scrunch up my nose, "You can have them. I'm not interested."
"You're not interested?" Lorcan asks with big eyes.
"Course I'm bloody not. I wanted friends and they fell in love with me or whatever. I walked out of my dorm with my shoes on the wrong feet the other day, there's no way I have the brainpower to deal with a relationship."
Lysander bumps Lorcan with his elbow and laughs but Lorcan's eyes drop a little. He's no longer super thrilled about seeing me.
Jordan puts her arm around my shoulders and we walk down the corridor together towards the staircase, "So are you inviting those boys to Freddie's wedding?" Jordan asks moving her head from side to side.
"Godric no. Even if I wanted to, it's Freddie and Evie's wedding. I don't think they'd want a bunch of thirteen-year-olds running around."
"Well not anymore thirteen-year-olds," Jordan laughs, "I can't wait. I love getting all dressed up. Do you know what Evie's dress looks like?"
"I don't even know what my dress looks like. Mum and Evie picked it out and it's waiting for me in my room."
"Aunt Vi's got killer taste. Wish she'd pick mine out. Dad and Papa haven't got a clue what to buy a girl between the two of them."
"What? You don't want to wear sweater vests and bowties for the rest of your life?"
Jordan and I laugh wildly as we walk out of the entrance hall and down towards the carriages that are waiting, "Dunno, the sweater vest and bowtie thing seemed to work for Bertie."
"Bertie's dating Theo," I point out, "You could do a lot better than Theo."
Jordan gets onto the carriage first then helps me with my stuff, "True... hey, do you know when Aunt Vi is actually having her kid?"
"Uhm, I think... October? I don't really know how pregnancies work."
Jordan laughs, "Well you see Annie, when a witch and a wizard love each other..."
The carriage lurches forward and starts down the path towards the train, "I know that bit. I just dunno like how being pregnant works."
"Papa says it's nine months."
"Nine months? That's a long time."
"About as long as we're in school for."
"Yeah, a long time."
"Speaking of when a witch and a wizard love each other..." Jordan looks behind us, like the Longbottom boys aren't in a totally different carriage and can't hear us, "I think I fancy Lysander."
I roll my eyes, "What is with everyone fancying everyone now? I mean why can't we all just be friends?"
"Cause boys are pretty and Lysander has gotten prettier," Jordan giggles, "I mean come on! Those Ravenclaw boys that you've been hanging out with are pretty too. Haven't you noticed?"
"No, I really haven't noticed."
"Well, what about Lorcan?"
"He's a Ravenclaw boy."
She swats my arm, "He's our Ravenclaw boy, making him different than the other ones. Come on, if you date him and I date Lysander and then we all get married, we could be sisters!"
"We're thirteen. Marriage is for old people, like twenty-year-olds."
"It was just an idea!" Jordan says before sticking her tongue out at me, "Three galleons says that Bertie and Theo are talking about marriage."
"Please don't..."
"Or Cassie and Theseus, or Ash and Ophelia..."
I groan, "I can only handle one sibling marriage right now please stop talking."
Jordan erupts into a fit of laughter, "I wish that one of my siblings is going to marry someone like Evie. She's perfect."
We get our things out of the carriage and head towards the parked train that is waiting for us. Seventh years everywhere are saying goodbye to Professors and their peers. It's like it sort of just dawned on me. It's only going to be me and Theo at Hogwarts next year. That and all of our cousins... but it'll just be us...
"Oi, let's go, before all the older kids take up the good spots," Jordan sings snapping me out of my little haze. The train is always packed with laughing and crying students as they say their goodbyes and find a spot on the train to sit. Jordan guides me through the mess and we manage to find a half-decent spot in the middle of the train.
Just as Jordan and I get our trunks in the racks above, Lorcan and Lysander shove their things into the train compartment, "We've got to go find Alice. Apparently, she's got something that she has to tell us before we get home," Lysander says putting his trunk in the racks, "You two will be here for the trip eh?"
I glance at Jordan who is practically drooling and I roll my eyes, "We'll probably pop in with our sibling and cousins and things but we can wait till you two are back," I say to the boys.
Lorcan nods, "Right, we'll try not to take too long."
The door to our compartment opens and Jessie pops his head in. I do my best not to let out an audible groan, "Room for three more?" He asks.
Jordan smiles, and before I can say anything she says, "Course!"
I thought I was safe, the fact that Jordan and Lysander didn't really like the Ravenclaw boys when we first started hanging out, I figured that meant I could keep the two groups separate. But no... here they are, sneaking into my compartment for a nine-hour trip back to London.
"Oi Annie, I was thinking of getting my parents to take me and my little brother to Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes during the summer. If I stop by do you think you could give me a tour?" Jessie asks.
Zach laughs, "You've never been to Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes? Come on mate, it's the best wizard shop in Diagon Alley!"
"Do you ever come up with the product ideas, Annie?" Raphael asks, "I figure you do given you're so creative."
Jordan shoots me a look and smiles knowingly at me.
"Uh, I've come up with a few things. But it's mostly Mum, Dad, and Ophelia that do that sort of thing," I say, "I've got Annie's Invisi-ink named after me but it wasn't my idea."
"How'd you get that one?" Jessie asks with a smile on his face.
The train lurches forward and I can hear a few people shouting goodbye to the castle.
"I was really little and I drew all over the walls in the living room. Mum nearly had my neck but Dad laughed and laughed and eventually turned it into a product so I could draw on the walls without Mum finding out... just don't cast Lumos in my living room and we'll be good."
The three boys burst into laughter which is a bit annoying. I know as much as anyone that what I just said was not this funny.
Lorcan and Lysander return pretty quickly, "I hate her," Lysander sighs as he plops into an empty spot on the benches. Which just so happens to be right beside Jordan, "All she wanted to do was make sure that we were on the train. She could have just sent us a text message or summat."
"It was Mum's idea. I swear she doesn't trust us."
I laugh, "Luna's got every right not to trust you lot."
"Yeah but Dad's literally on the train right now," Lysander says, "In the professor's box? He could have just checked in on us. Why'd it have to be my snot-nosed sister."
"I like Alice," Jordan says, "She seems sweet."
"Too sweet," Lysander grumbles, "She's just like Mum, head always in the clouds."
"What's wrong with having your head in the clouds?" I ask him, "Cause you're friends with someone who's head is up there a fair bit."
"I love when people's head is in the clouds," Raphael says.
Jessie nods, "Oh me too! I love it!"
Lorcan rolls his eyes and I look at Jordan, "I'm going to go find the rest of the Weasleys. Come with me."
"But I don't want..." Jordan starts but I take her hand in mine and pull her out of the compartment.
Once we are alone and walking down the train to where the others usually sit, Jordan bumps her hip into mine, "Three boys pining after you? I bloody wish."
"Ugh, you can have them if you want. I hate it. They're acting like idiots."
"Cause they're boys. And boys are idiots."
I can hear Ophelia, Cass, and the others before I see them,
"And then I said, 'listen darling. I love you and everything but we're never going to see each other after tonight," Darcy says loudly.
"Oh come off it! You didn't say that to Bailey!" Cassie squeals before laughing with everyone else.
"Swear on my life!" Darcy laughs.
"Uncle Fred's had a bad influence on you,"
They all burst into laughter again just as I pull open their compartment door.
Ash is lying in Ophelia's lap with her legs over Chandler's lap. Darcy is sitting beside Cass, who has got Theseus' arm wrapped snugly around her shoulders, "Hey string bean," Theseus says.
Cassiopeia spins around and looks at Theseus, "String bean? You have a nickname for my little sister?"
Theseus shrugs and Cassie kisses him on the lips passionately.
"What's up Banana?" Ophelia asks.
I shrug, "Just making sure that you've all made it onto the train."
"She's hiding from boys," Jordan pipes up from behind me.
That gets everyone's attention.
"Boys?" Ophelia asks, "How many boys?"
"Are those the ones you've been sleeping with?" Theseus asks.
Ophelia and Cassie glare at him, "Sleeping with!? She's thirteen!"
"You can come stay in here with us if you want," Darcy suggests.
"Or you can tell me how many boys there are," Ophelia says.
Ash sighs, "They're the Ravenclaw boys in your year, aren't they? I've heard them talking about you."
"Why is it that everyone is getting more than I am. Bloody thirteen years old and has more than I've ever had," Chandler groans.
"How many boys?" Ophelia says again.
I turn around and look at Jordan who is smiling just slightly at the chaos she's started.
"Three boys fancy me and I don't fancy any of them," I say to my sisters and their friends.
"But they're flirting with her all at the same time and it's driving her mad," Jordan says.
I roll my eyes, "Why don't you go find Gilbert or Laurie?"
"Bertie's probably snogging Theo right now and I don't want to see that. And you've got another thing coming if you think I'm going to go hang out with a bunch of manky first years."
"Bit of flirting never hurt anyone Annie," Ophelia says, "I'd just go for it if I was you."
"You've already given yourself the talk, I think you're fully prepared to take this on," Cassie laughs. Theseus kisses her cheek for no reason at all.
"I wish Freddie was here, he actually gives advice," I groan stepping out of their doorway and letting the compartment door slam shut. I can hear them all laughing inside.
"You've really got to learn how to keep a secret you know that?" I say to Jordan.
She laughs and links her arm with mine, "Oh come on Annie pie, what's the worst that could happen hm? They make fun of you for a bit?"
"They use it as inspiration for a product...?"
Jordan sucks on her teeth, "Well maybe they could make a product after me. Feels like I'm the only one without one. You and your siblings all have one, Victoire has one, Molly has one... both my Dads have one..."
"You just have to do something out of the box and totally mad in front of Dad or Uncle Fred. That'll get you one for sure."
Wrong thing to say because Jordan's face lights up, "Really? That's all I've got to do?"
"Please don't do anything this summer. I'm begging. We have two weddings we have to get through."
"That's exactly why I should do something!" She says happily, "Bring a little happiness into the stress, you know?"
"No, no I really don't know."
"Don't worry my little Weasley. Jordan's got it all sorted."
"I hate when you refer to yourself in the third person you know."
Jordan smiles,
"Trust me, I know."