Fixing the Future

Wood

Alyssa woke to the loud trilling of an alarm clock.
'Ughhhh.' She sat up groggily and stumbled out bed, trying to find the source. She bumped into a trunk and tripped over.
'Ouch.' She grumbled. She eventually found her alarm which had fallen under the bed. She was rather amazed that no one else woke from the noise, but checking the alarm, she realised it was 5.30 so most people would be in deep sleep. She headed to the bathroom and changed quickly into her robes and brushed her hair so it fell in its usual glossy curls. She didn't bother with makeup- after all, she hadn't worn any in almost a year and she was used to looking a lot worse. Taking a shower was a luxury.

She only took 10 minutes getting ready and she still had lots of time till students could have breakfast. She read for a while and then just after 6, she headed down to breakfast. This was the earliest you could be down so only 3 or 4 other people were there. She took her time eating breakfast and she read whilst doing so and at about 6.30, she went to the library and started studying time travel in the hopes she could find something that would help them to get back home but she found nothing. Travelling this far back in town was unheard of.

After about an hour of reading up on the matter, she gave up and went outside to the quidditch pitch. It was the first day of school so there was no practice, meaning it was completely empty. Grinning, she reached into her clutch and rooted around for a minute, eventually pulling out her broom triumphantly. It was a Firebolt- present from Sirius- and she hadn't used it in a while being rather preoccupied with the war and horcrux hunting.

She waved her wand over the broom to disguise it to anyone else as a more appropriate broom based on the time, before straddling it and kicking off from the ground. Alyssa had always enjoyed flying, unlike her sister, and she became a chaser in her second year. She whizzed around the school grounds, the cold wind blew her hair wild and when she landed after a good half hour of flying, her cheeks were flushed pink. She headed back towards the castle when,

'Hey!' A hand grabbed her arm.

She spun instantly, slipping her wand from up her sleeve into her hand and twisting the persons wrist, her first thought having been 'deatheaters.'

'Ow.' She dropped the person's wrist and stepped back blushing when she realised it was a fellow student.
'I'm so sorry, I though it was- well never mind. Are you okay?'
'Yeah, no I'm fine just give me a minute.' He scrunched up his face and flexed his wrist, 'no broken bones!'

Alyssa went evened redder with embarrassment.
'I'm so sorry.'
'It's fine really.'
'Um...Did you want something- not meaning to be rude or anything?'
'I just wanted to say, you're really good at flying. I haven't seen as skilled a flier as you in a while.'
'Thanks! That's really nice of you.'
'You're the Slytherin transfer student right?'
She glanced down to the floor,
'Yeah... that's me.'
'Cool! Are you gonna try out for the Slytherin quidditch team then?'
'Probably not.'
'Why?! You're amazing.'
'Thanks, but I don't really want to draw attention to myself.'
'Oh. That makes sense I guess. There aren't many transfer students, especially 6th years- if you don't mind me asking, why did you transfer?'
'Just personal stuff.'

He seemed to get the message that she didn't want to talk about it so instead he stuck out his hand.
'I'm Julian Wood- Gryffindor quidditch captain.' He puffed out his chest in pride at this. Something in Alyssa's brain clicked into place. Of course he was a Wood. She didn't know how she didn't see it before with his thick Scottish accent and love for quidditch. At least she knew where Oliver got his quidditch mania from now.

Realising she had been silent for a couple seconds, she quickly accepted his hand and smiled warmly,
'Nice to meet you Julian, I'm Alyssa Granger. Why are you so intent on making me join the quidditch team if I'll be against you?'
He shrugged and then said,
'You have a rare talent. It would be a shame to waste it.'
She smiled, then her eyes widened,
'First period starts in 5 minutes. We've better be going. What year are you in?'
'Same as you- sixth. I've got Potions first- Professor Slughorn.'
'Ooo! Same. Wanna walk together.'
'Sounds good!'

They walked to Potions, mostly chatting about quidditch and ignoring the weird looks they got from people. A Slytherin and a Gryffindor.

Half way there, they saw Luna.
'Luna!' Alyssa beckoned the blonde over and she skipped happily to them.
'Hello Lyssa.'
'Hey! What have you got first?'
'Transfiguration. You?'
'Double Potions. Oh! Luna this is Julian Wood, Julian this is Luna Lovegood.'
'Nice to meet you Luna.'
'Yes, I am very happy to speak to you too Julian. I'm happy you too are talking even though you're in different houses. The marauders were telling me we can't be friends because you're a Slytherin. I think that's ridiculous.'
Alyssa rolled her eyes,
'Well luckily the marauders don't control the school. I get house rivalry but this is a whole other level.'
'I agree, I have tons of friends who are in Ravenclaw.' Julian added.
'Ravenclaw is a wonderful house. I'm still very cross with the sorting hat for putting me in Gryffindor.'
'Right, well it's nice meet you Luna, but we should probably be going.'
'Okay! See you at break Lyssa. And I hope to see you around too Julian.'

She then skipped away down the hall.
'She seems nice,' Julian said.
'Yeah. A bit different but she's lovely.'
They arrived just in time to Potions and Slughorn grinned at them.
'Okay, is everyone here?'
At that moment, the marauders burst through the door.
'Not late Professor! Just on time,' Sirius said with a smirk.
'Yes yes, okay then. Now that we're all here, I have organised a seating arrangement for you all.'
There were many groans at this.
'Here we go,' he began gesturing to work spaces and calming out names, 'McKinnon and Fortescue, Mr Black and Wood, Boot and Miss Black, Pettigrew and Potter...' eventually he got to Alyssa, 'Evans and Snape, Granger and Lupin.'