ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴅʀᴀᴛᴛᴇᴅ ʟɪʟᴀ ʜᴏʟᴍᴇꜱ || ᴅʀᴀᴄᴏ ᴍᴀʟꜰᴏʏ x ᴏᴄ || ʏᴇᴀʀꜱ 1-3

delay in departure

Kings Cross bustled from end to end with students trying to get into Platform 9 and 3/4, as well as Muggle pedestrians going about their day to day life. I was eager to get to school, my head filled with questions and an urge to visit the music room. I hadn't had a strange dream since the one in Crete, but I was still wary. I brought my necklace with me in my trunk.

I hoped to take it to Dumbledore at some point, thinking he might know of it's origins. I bid goodbye to my father, who, like me, was looking just a little more tan and sunburnt than before the summer had begun.

"Don't get into too much trouble," he advised. "But if you do, I want to hear about it."

"Of course," I assured him. He ruffled my hair affectionately before we parted ways.

I hauled my trunk onto the train, looking around for anyone I could sit with. The first few compartments were older students, mostly prefects. Around the middle I found Hermione and a red-haired girl I could only assume to be Ginny, Ron's younger and only sister.

"Lila!" Hermione exclaimed. Only then did I realize the two of them seemed quite distraught. Ginny was nearly in tears, and Hermione's lips were red from her biting them.

"Oh dear," I closed the door behind us. "What's wrong?"

"Let's get your luggage in first," Hermione suggested lightly, allowing Ginny to gather her bearings. The three of us lifted it with some difficulty.

"This feels heavier than last year," she murmured. Well, I expected it would be. I'd brought along a few extra belongings, but did not bother mentioning them. I was more concerned with why they seemed so upset.

"Harry and Ron didn't make it through," Hermione fretted. My eyebrows shot up at the news. Didn't make it? Meaning—

"So they can't get on the train? They can't get to school?" I too became worried. What were they going to do? They couldn't just not come to school. Surely something would be arranged, right?

"It's all my fault." Ginny put her face in her hands. "I wanted to make sure I had my journal."

"No, don't blame yourself," Hermione shook her head, patting her back comfortingly. "Fred and George took a long while as well. Even I had left one of my books behind."

I tried to smile comfortingly at Ginny. "Don't worry! I have dozens of empty journals. You absolutely could borrow one of mine."

"It's okay, I have it," Ginny shook her head and suddenly closed herself off, looking down. "And thanks, but I really like this one."

Hermione and I exchanged a look. "That's alright. I understand."

The door slid open, and the three of us looked up hopefully. I felt a scowl come to my lips as I met the eyes of Draco Malfoy.

"Disappointed to see me, Holmes?" He asked, taunting me. I sighed.

"As always," I frowned at him. "What do you want?"

"A clean compartment, but I suppose that's impossible to find," he surveyed the compartment. "Two mudbloods and a Weasley who probably has fleas."

"You're so predictable, Malfoy," Hermione said with an eye roll. "Your insults are the same every time."

While Hermione and I were unfazed, Ginny looked rather uncomfortable. Malfoy noticed this and quickly picked on her.

"Those robes look like they could do with some fixing," Malfoy said, ignoring us. "How many brothers have those gone through before you?"

Crabbe and Goyle laughed at this.

"Your nose looks like it could do with some fixing, Malfoy, perhaps just a little to the left." Ginny balled up her fist. "I'd be happy to do the honors."