"Are you sure you have everything?" Narcissa asked as Draco, Gregory, and I stood in a cluster together on the train platform. Gregory had insisted that we went by train, because this was a special, luxary train that spesialized in wine tasting. This was a little unfair for me, since we weren't sure if I could even drink any with my new Combination, but it was his trip, so we couldn't tell him how to get there.
"Yes, I have everything." I insisted, handing my bags to Draco.
"Do you have enough Floo Powder?" She questioned.
"Yes. Draco and I tripple checked this morning."
"Do you have all of your pu-" Lucius stopped to corret himself. "Night pants?"
"Yes." I replied a bit more forcefully. A blushed started to show in my checks.
"Draco, did you make sure she has all of her Combinat-"
"Yes. We tripple checked that, too." Draco tiredly answered. Behind us, the train flew its wistle. Gregory picked up his luggage, which had been sitting at his feet, and flashed a wide smile.
"Come on. We can't miss the train!" He took mine from Draco and went towards the train. "Bye Lucius, by Narcissa!" He nodded, before disapearing into the train. We turned towards our parents.
"Well... I guess you've got to go." Nariccsa stepped forward to hug me. I let her ,but stiffened. Lucius hugged his son, then we switched.
"Keep an eye on her." Narcissa told Draco.
"If you get homesick, Floo us, okay? And try not to lose your temper. You have your money, right?"
"Yes. I have plenty of money." The day before Lucius had went to Gringots to withdraw from my account. I was pretty sure he taken it out of the Malfoy account, but there was no use to argue with him.
"Okay. Be good." He kissed my forhead as we pulled away. I went in to give him another hug, then took Draco's hand.
"Bye, guys." He picked up his own bag, and we turned away from Mum and Dad and went into the train. Draco handed the ticket taker our tickets, who gave him a set of keys, and we set out to find Gregory.
Unlike the Hogwarts Express, this train was more like a hotel than a train. We went through a few compartments of seats, but thats' where simularities stopped. As we went farther back, we found that there were bedrooms, like a hotel. They all had room numbers. Draco looked at out key and saw that it was labeled 27. We found the room, and found that the door was already unlock. Draco opened the door, and walked in.
Inside was a large window, two beds, a door that I assumed was a bathroom, and chair. Draco closed the door behind us. My luggage was sitting next to teh bed that Gregory wasn't sitting on.
"This is nice..." I commented, walking over to the empty bed and siitting down. Draco put his bags down and joined me.
"So what are our plans for when we get there?" Draco put his arm around me. I stiffened and scooted over an inch or two. He didn't move his arm.
"Well, my try outs are Saturday, so we have all day to do whatever tommorrow before I have to be at the stadium."
"Are you sure you can even try out? You aren't from Italy..." I looked down. I had talked to Draco about that the day before, but hadn't mentioned it to Gregory in fear of him deciding not to go.
"I don't know." He shrugged. "But how are they going to know I'm not from Italy?"
"Well, your accent, for starters." Draco pointed out.
"And can you speak any Italian?" I wiggled out of Draco's grip and sat on the edge of the bed, looking at Gregory.
"Dov'e la toilette." Gregory replied. Draco and I looked at him in confusion. "It means "Where's the loo." He explained.
"Well, that's useful, I guess. Do you know anything else?"
"A little bit. If we get mistaked for Hookers I know how to tell a guy to back off."
"Why do you know that?"
"Well... I read some book that Mum had when she went on vaction there when she was in school. It was 'Madam Miserelda's Book of Italian Phrases for Proper Young Ladies'."
"That's useful if we need to go powder our noses." I teased, reajdusting to lay down with my head on the pillow. Draco looked over at me.
"Are you tired?" He pulled his pocket watch out of his pocket and checked the time. "It's almost one, and you missed your nap, didn't you? If you're tired, you should probably take it. We promised Mum and Dad that you would take all of your Combinations and take your naps."
"I guess you're right." I sat back up and picked up my suit case. I opened it and pulled out a pair of pajamas and night pants. Another part of the deal was that I wore them every time I went to sleep, just incase. "I'll be right back." I went towards the door that I assumed was the bathroom. Draco bent down over my suitcase.
"I'll get your Combination while you're changing." He explained. I was right about the bathroom, and when I came back out, Draco was waiting with my Combination. I sat back down on the bed and drained it before handing the empty vial to him. I put my wand on the beside table before laying back down, but this time I burrowed under the blanket. Draco sat down on the bed and took my hand. "Do you want a drink of water or anything?" He asked. Gregory watched quietly from his bed.
"No, but I want Melvin." I explained. He nodded and went back to the suitcase. After a couple minutes, he stood back up, frownng.
"I can't find him, Elle. Are you sure you packed him?"
"Yeah, I'm sure. Maybe you just aren't lookng hard enough." I sat up and picked up my wand. "Accio, Melvin!" I instructed. I waited, but nothing happened. "Accio Melvin." I tried again. Still nothing. I lowered my wand as a pang of panic hit my chest. Had I really forgotten Melvin? Of all things, Melvin?
"It's okay, Elle." Draco came back over to me. I covered my face as tears started to fall down my cheeks. "We can Floo Mum and Dad when we get there, okay?"
"Why can't we Floo them now?" I said through my fingers.
"There isn't a fireplace here, Elle. We're on a train." He explained. Another pang of anxiety hit as I realsied how stupid of a question that was.
"Hey, Elle, it's okay." Gregory offered from his place on his bed. He looked at Draco, silently asking if he could come over there. Draco nodded his head yes, and then Gregory came to me as well. "We'll get him when we get there, like Draco said."
"We're here, we promise." Draco continued. I nodded my head, but didn't say that I already knew that. They weren't Melvin, so it wasn't really going to help. The only thing I could do was wait for my Combination to take over so much that I just kinda get knocked out. I couldn't try to go to sleep without Melvin.
"Do you want me to lay with you?" Draco offered. I quickly shook my head no, remembering every other time in the last month or so he had try to lay down with me. That would jsut make me feel worse.
That's when another thought crossed my mind:There were only two beds,and it made me upset to sleep with Draco: But I couldn't sleep alone. My only other option was Gregory.
"G-Gregory? " I shakeily questioned. While Draco and I were talking, he had started looking out at the window at the scenery passing by.
"Huh?" He snapped back to look at me.
"Will you lay down with me? Please?" I looked down, feeling guilty. Draco should be the one doing this, not his best friend.
"I guess so." He shrugged, and walked to the other side of the bed. He laid down on top of the blankets beside me, and I scooted over. I pressed against him, and he put his arm around me. I stiffened, and he took his arm away, but I kept mine where they were.
The anxiety started to go away, and my eyelids began to get heavy with the help from the Combinaiton. I yawned.
"So, I guess this is okay?" Draco asked. At this point I was almost asleep, so I just gently shook my head yes. I could feel Gregory's chest rising and falling. Gregory lifted his head a little.
"Hey, Draco. There is a wine car two cars down. Can you get me some?" Gregory asked. Draco shrugged.
"Yeah. Keep the door unlocked." He instructed and went out the door.
I jumped at the sound of him closing the door, then relaxed again. Gregory looked over at me.
"You still awake, Elle?" He asked. I let out a very quiet.
"Yeah. A little."
"So it makes you upset to sleep with Draco?"
I didn't answer.
"Elle?"
"Yeah." I reluctantly said. It sounded so much worse out loud.
"I wonder why. I'm not blaming you or anything. I just want to know why."
"I don't know." I yawned, and turned over. I nustled my face into his chest. We fell into a silence.
"Elle?" He broke the silence a few seconds later.
"Huh?" I was so tired that was all I could muster.
"I'm really glade that they let you and Draco come with me. I really hope I make the team, but even if I don't, this is still a break from every, especially for you."
"Uh-huh." I was starting to drift in and out.
"Narcissa was talking to Mum and she said your Healer said you needed to get out a bit. I hope this makes you really happy."
At this point I could barley say anything, so I just offered a small, tired smile.