𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐋𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐏𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞 | 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐖𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐲

The Teacher's Train

author's note: i love all of you. *kisses* you set my soul on fire.

𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁

September 1st, 1994

Elodie had never thought about how the teachers got to school. It hadn't crossed her mind once. So, it came as a little bit of a surprise when Snape woke her up at 3 in the morning on the first of September, and told her they had a train to catch.

Elodie, completely out of it, muttered, "George, piss off, it's too early..."

Her father yanked the covers off of her cot. "Don't use that language with me. Our train is earlier."

"Our train? What do you mean our train?"

"Have you forgotten I am still your professor?"

Elodie groaned. "I should have just failed my OWLs..." This was the wrong thing to say. Snape was already furious at her for failing Transfiguration and History of Magic.

"I need not remind you that you did." Snape said sternly. "Be ready in ten minutes."

Elodie rolled out of bed, glancing at her already packed trunk. It had been prepared for days in anticipation of going back to school, and really the only thing left to do was get dressed. However, Elodie was feeling particularly lazy that day, and wanted to tick off her father, so she took her trunk and her cat and went downstairs in her pajamas.

"You are not going to wear that on the train." Snape said, when he saw her trackpants and an old shirt that she had stolen off of one of the twins.

"Why, d'you think Minnie hasn't seen me in my night clothes?" Elodie said flatly. "I show up to class like this, sometimes."

Snape sighed, clearly not wanting to argue. "Hurry up, then."

𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁

The normally packed station of Kings Cross was almost barren of passengers when they arrived. It was a sort of melancholy feeling, being there without her friends.

"Merlin, I'm tired." Elodie yawned. "When's the train coming?"

They were sitting on a small wooden bench in Platform 9 ¾, Elodie teasing Cheese with her feather quill to keep him occupied. Snape checked his watch.

"About an hour."

"An hour?! So you woke me up at three in the morning for nothing?!" Elodie yelped.

"There could've been traffic." Snape said, the corners of his lips forming a smirk.

"We apparated." Elodie reminded him exasperatedly, although he already knew.

The two sat there in almost complete silence (sometimes Elodie would poke his arm to ask how much longer they would have to wait, or to bother him for no reason in particular) until teachers started filing onto the platform, and finally, the train arrived.

Well, this was awkward. And boring.

The teacher's train was smaller, and much more quiet than the usual Hogwarts express. Elodie sat with her head pressed against the window, trying to zone out from the teacher's idle conversations.

She ran through scenarios in her head: maybe she would wait for Fred at the train station, and there would be some romantic, slow motion run to each other on the platform.

Elodie made a face at herself. Merlin, who had she become?

Maybe she could write him a letter now, and hope it could make it to him on time. Dear Freddie, it would say. You're an idiot, please shag me.