Hufflepuff Princess

3

I had already finished packing before Lily and Louis arrived.
After we ate breakfast, we loaded everything into the car and started the long trip to the portkey.
The car, like many other things in the wizarding world, was huge on the inside.
Louis sat beside me and Lily sat in front of us.
The way the seats were positioned, made it so Lily was facing us.
I pulled Quidditch through the Ages, which I'd read millions of times, out of my backpack.
Louis looks at me, and Lily pulls out Maximum Ride Forever.
Looks like Louis forgot to bring a book.
I rummag through my backpack again and hand Louis, Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief.
Louis thanks me and says, "I forgot to tell you guys! We're picking up my friend, Fox, on the way."
I smiled, "YAY! New friend!"
Louis smiled at me.

- 1 hour later -

I looked up from my book when we pulled into an unfamiliar drive-in.
Louis' mum parked and Louis climbed out of the car.
"Come on!" Louis exclaimed.
Lily and I followed him to the front door of the tan colored house.
I spotted tons of colorful cats wondering around the perfectly trim yard.
A fluffy bright orange cat chased one with a rose pink tail.
I giggled as Louis knocked loudly on the door.
After a few seconds, the door was opened by a boy with black hair.
He was a little taller than Louis.
He smiled at Louis, then looked at Lily and I.
Louis smiled and introduced us.
"This is River Scamander," he said pointing at me, "and Lily Lovegood."
I smiled.
Louis looked back at the boy, "This is my best friend, Fernando Chang."
The boy, Fernando, smiled. "Nice to meet you both."
Lily blushed and I continued to stare at a cat with green spots.
"Also, everyone calls me Fox," said Ferna- Fox.
We followed Fox inside.
The boys went upstairs to retrieve Fox's bags.
My eyes darted around the house.
Every room had a theme.
The living room was white.
The kitchen, orange.
And the entryway was coral.
Louis stumbled down the stairs carrying a huge suitcase.
Once he reached the bottom, a tall woman appeared at the top of the stairs.
"You must be Fernando's friends," she said, walked down the stairs with Fox behind her.
I smiled at the woman.
"What are your names?" The woman asked Lily and I.
"I'm Lily Lovegood," my cousin said, pulling her light blonde hair with colored tips into a ponytail.
"My names River Scamander," I told her, pulling on my sweater to straighten it.
The woman smiled, "That's a nice combination," she muttered, looking at the purple and blue tips of Lily's hair.
I smiled down at my bright blue sweater with a yellow R in the middle, which Louis' grandmother made for me.
Molly, Louis' grandmother, had also made one for Fox for this trip.
Lily already had one from last Christmas when I also received mine.
Louis had requested a sweater to match mine, so his was yellow with a blue L in the middle.

- 30 minutes later -

We all climbed in the car.
Fox sat beside Lily and me beside Louis.
I smiled at Fox and asked, "What's your favorite color?"
He thought for a second and said, "Red, yours?"
I thought for a second and said, "Aqua blue, yellow and silver!"
I smiled as mom started the car.
My mind drifted away from the conversation and I remembered seeing the colorful cats in Fox's yard.
"Why are your cats weird colors?" I asked Fox.
His cheeks turned a vibrate shade of red.
"Um... I used to... well, I like cats and one day when I was six or seven, I accidentally turned my cats ear bright blue. Ever since then, when I imagine a certain cat with some weird pattern, it changes it."
Everyone stared at Fox and he shifted, obviously uncomfortable.
Not wanting Fox to be embarrassed, I asked Louis and Lily a silly story from their childhood.
Louis' eyes widened and he took a deep breath, "I can talk to animals."
My eyes widened.
Louis turned to me, "Soren likes when you read to him."
My face heated up, "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
Louis suddenly seemed to think that the floor was very interesting.
"I was afraid to," he mumbled.
I awkwardly patted his shoulder.
Fox extended his arm toward us.
As did Lily, placing her hand on top of Fox's.
A light blush appeared on Fox's face.
I put me hand on Lily's and Louis placed his on mine.
"What should we say?"Lily asked, smiling.
I thought for a second, "The Jr. Marauders?"
Everyone beamed and we brought our hand up in the air and shouted, "THE JR. MARAUDERS !"

~mack~