4. September 1, 2022

I'm sitting in an empty compartment on the train, my feet on the leather seat, knees drawn up to write, Minuit curled up beside me, enjoying the ride. She is anyways, not me so much. I'm sitting here, writing, and watching the English countryside flashing by just outside my window. I swear all the kids in this school are psychic. Term hasn't even started yet and already EVERYONE seems to know that the new girl that no one's ever seen before is sitting, by herself, with her cat, in compartment C13. Joie des joies! NOT! So, now, I have to put up with people walking by every 30 seconds, quite often more than once, just to stare in at me sitting here. I guess I could close the blinds. At least then…

Startled out of her thoughts by the opening of the compartment door, Nikia looked up to see a short, redheaded girl standing at the compartment door. She was about Nikia's own age, with long hair tied back in a ponytail and a lot of freckles.

"I'm sorry, do you mind if we sit here?" the girl began, "Everywhere else is full." Oh, I'll just bet it is, thought Nikia. Are you sure it's not the fact that I seem to be the newest oddity in this place? Keeping these thoughts to herself, Nikia instead asked;

"We?"

"Oh, sorry. I'm Rose Weasley and this," she continued, gesturing at a boy behind her, "is my cousin James." Recognising the boy, James, Nikia could feel herself blushing, even if no one else saw it. It was one of the Potter boys, one of the ones she'd run into in Diagon Alley! Reaching out to shake their hands, Nikia prayed to herself that he hadn't noticed who she was.

"Hey, you're the one who ran into my dad earlier this summer, he said as he took her hand. He'd noticed.

"Umm, yeah, sorry about that. I'm Nikia," she replied. Releasing James' hand, Nikia saw Rose standing there, looking confused. Rousing herself, Rose just shook her head and asked;

"So, is it ok if we sit here?"

"Oh, sure, no problem."

For the rest of the ride, Nikia, Rose and James talked. They became friends quickly. Nikia was somewhat surprised at how much she liked these two almost-strangers. She would've expected a Potter to be more of a snob but James was a really down-to-earth guy.

At some point, the lunch trolley arrived and Nikia stood up, realising how stiff she was. Noticing her journal laying open on the seat beside her, she picked it up and was just putting it into her trunk when, suddenly, she was hit by a bout of nausea, making her stomach heave and threatening to return her breakfast to the world.

Clapping her hands over her mouth, she bolted out the door.

Reaching the washroom, Nikia flung the stall door open and threw up into the toilet. Pushing her hair out of her face, she stood up and made for the sink, to wash her face and hands.

On her way back to her compartment, Nikia's thoughts were worried. What if…?

"Oof!"

The lurching of the train had barely registered with her, even as she was thrown to the side, but the body that she was now lying across, she most definitely had noticed. Scrambling to her feet, she felt herself flushing for the second time that day.

The boy she had landed on seemed to have just left his own compartment when the train had turned, throwing her into him and taking them both down to the floor.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" she began while at the same time the boy said; "I'm sorry, totally my fault." Looking at each other, they stopped speaking and began to laugh. Taking the boy's hand, Nikia pulled him to his feet. He was good looking, with pale blonde hair and a faintly pointed face. Standing there, boy and girl, just looking into each others eyes, then…

"Nikia!"

Breaking eye contact with the boy, Nikia turned around to see Rose Weasley coming towards them, looking somewhat flustered.

"There you are! Are you alright? You ran out so fast." Not even waiting for a reply, she continued; "We're about to arrive and you still need to change into your school robes! Hullo Scorp."

"Hi Rose," replied the boy. Suddenly aware that he still had hold of her hand, Nikia pulled hers back and put it into her pocket.

"You better change too Scorp," continued Rose.

"Right," he agreed. "See you there then." With that, Rose grabbed hold of Nikia's arm and dragged her down the corridor.

Scorpius POV

As he walked out of his compartment, the train lurched to one side, throwing him out into the corridor where he collided with another body.

"Oof!" they both said. Looking up, Scorpius saw a mass of long, black hair, framing a heart shaped face, with a pair of ice blue eyes, looking back at him. Scrambling to her feet, she began to apologise, just as he began the same thing, even though it was neither of their faults.

On her feet again, the girl extended a hand to help him back up, which he accepted. Looking into her face, Scorpius found his eyes wandering to the blue ones belonging to the girl staring back at him.

"Nikia! There you are! Are you all right? You ran out so fast. We're almost at the school and you still need to change! Hullo Scorp." Rose Weasley came running down the hall towards them.

"Hi Rose," he replied, somewhat sullenly as the girl, Naikia? withdrew her hand from his. Putting his hands in his pockets, he looked past her as she continued;

"You better change too, Scorp. We're almost there."

"Right. See you there then, I guess," he replied, directing the last comment at the black haired girl more than at Rose. With that, though, Rose grabbed hold of the girl, Nikea? and dragged her off down the corridor.

Well, he thought to himself, at least I'll see her at school. Lifting his hand to run it through his long, pale blonde hair, he was brought back to reality by a shout of: "OY! Scorp!" turning, he found one of his best friends, Albus Potter, coming towards him.

"Who the bloody hell was that?" asked Al as he reached Scorpius.

"Not a damned clue," replied the boy, staring back down the corridor to wherever the girl had gone.