T W E N T Y - F I V E
The Hogwarts Express

"Pandora, we're going to be late!" Lavender's voice pierced through my peaceful slumber, making me groggily open my eyes.

I was momentarily blinded by the light coming through the window, groaning covering my head with blankets. I jumped upon the feeling of a pillow hitting me harshly.

"The train leaves in thirty minutes!" Lavender was squabbling to pack her bag, and pull on her clothes at the same time.

Raising a brow at the nice yellow sundress she was buttoning, I tilted my head. She had on short black heels as well as white gloves adorning her hands. As soon as she had buttoned the dress completely, she pulled out her wand waving it around her hair.

In seconds her face had on the perfect amount of make up, and her hair flowed down her back in the perfect curtain of ringlet curls. With a huff she put her wand away in the recess of her dress, struggling to pack the rest of her items in a trunk.

Looking around the room, I noticed the beds of our other two roommates completely made and their stuff no where to be found. It was only Lavender and I in the room.

"Pandora." She groaned, jumping on her trunk to get it shut. "GET UP!"

Rolling my eyes, I breathed a sigh. Within a second my form was standing in front of my newly made bed, the trunk of clothes Dumbledore had gifted me completely packed and sitting a top the bed closed.

In the place of pajamas was a blue sailor dress with random flats on my feet. My hair was neatly pulled back in a bun, keeping the unruly strands out of my face. Grabbing my cross necklace from the dresser, I put it around my neck looking back to Lavender with a smile painted across my lips.

Lavender watched me with a hand placed on her hip, a frazzled expression on her face. Grabbing my trunk, I smiled. "Ready?" She looked back at her trunk with was practically falling open from the clothes, looking to me with a pleading expression.

Waving my hand, the clothes in her trunk folded neatly and the locks closed tight making her shake her head in disbelief.

"I love having a Nephilim as a friend." She laughed, picking up her trunk.

Together, we laced our arms walking out of the empty dorm. Walter was looking to his wrist-watch a slightly panicked expression on his face, before meeting our figure. He rose his brows looking the our close forms with something akin to a smile.

"Did something happen between the two of you?" He tilted his head curiously, as we all walked out of the common room for the last time as a fifth-year student.

Lavender and I met gazes, giggling slightly. "Nope." Lavender said, me finishing her sentence. "Nothing at all."

~

Lavender, Walter, and I sat in a compartment on the train ride to King's Cross station. Walter and Lavender both were reading as I sat looking at the window. Currently, we were approximately five hours into the ride.

The train buzzed with life as the students all chattered about with glee of their summer plans. My foot tapped impatiently during the travel, not liking the stupid forties dress I wore. I couldn't wait to get home and just enjoy my summer.

I especially was excited to not wear any of these damned dresses. I was good with my t-shirts and jeans, thank you very much. With a sigh, I rolled my shoulders back standing up. Lavender and Walter both watched me, Lavender with a much more worried expression.

I couldn't help but smile, I liked Lavender knowing. It made things much more easy.

"Where are you going?" She questioned, ready to come if necessary.

"To get some candy from the trolley." I exited the compartment hearing the comment Walter was making to Lavender.

"She doesn't have any money." He said, Lavender sighing when she realized the same thing.

With a smirk I passed the trolley guy who was taking the money from some Hufflepuff's, handing them candy in return. Waltzing past him, I stole a licorice wand from the cart. Looking to my right as I took a bite of the flavorful candy, I met eyes with the one and only Tom Riddle.

"Shit." I muttered realizing he just saw me steal the candy.

He gave me a hard look, but luckily didn't bother bringing it to the attention of the man working the cart. He only looked back to what I recognized as his diary, ignoring the chatter coming from the rest of the idiots sitting around him in the compartment.

Shrugging, I made my way back to my compartment sitting back to my spot by the window.

"So, what are you doing over the holidays Walter?" I questioned, making him smile.

"I'm actually just staying home. Maybe volunteer at the hospital with my mother." He smiled, making me grin in return.

"What about you, Lavender?" I looked to her curiously.

She smiled eagerly. "My parents are taking me to Rome." She exclaimed, making nod.

"How 'bout you, Rhiannon?" Walter flashed me a curious gaze.

"Oh, nothing too exciting. Maybe, my brother and I will go on a few adventures." Lavender gave me a knowing look, giggling a bit.

"You have a brother?" Walter said in surprise.

"Yep." I popped the P.

"Why doesn't he go here?" Walter looked confused as he asked this.

"Bastard wanted to stay at Ilvermorny." I smirked at how I was trash-mouthing my best friend. "But our parents are making him come here next year, so..." I trailed off shrugging.

Walter look surprised, "Why hasn't this ever come up before?" He question.

I shrugged, looking to Lavender who trying not to laugh and the confusion on Walter's face.

"How old is he?" Walter was interested at the fact I never told him of my fake sibling.

"A year older than me, but my parents started him a year late so we could be in the same year." I said, coming up with some phony  excuse as to why Alexius who was a year older than me would be a sixth year.

Walter nodded, going back to his reading; Lavender hiding her silent laughter behind her book. With a smile, I looked back out at the bridge we were flying across as we officially left Scottish territory, going back into the land of the British.

~

"Goodbye, I'll miss you two." Walter hugged both Lavender and I, before we pushed him into the awaiting arms of his mother.

Lavender fixed her hair for what seemed like the billionth time, before I shoved her hand down.

"Lavender, you look beautiful." I told her, giving her a reassuring look.

"Oh, thank you. It's just my family is very uptight." Lavender gave a nervous laugh, nodding her head to a male and female who looked to be in their mid forties.

Her mother was a very beautiful woman with jet-black hair and sparkling blue eyes alike to her daughter. Her father had thinning brown hair, and dark brown eyes with a strict looking face. They were both dressed in high fashions that screamed wealth. Both were attractive and both had obviously given their own features to Lavender.

However, they also looked strict, and I didn't like strict. "Maybe I shouldn't meet them." I said to Lavender, her giving me a sorry look.

"Maybe another time, they don't look to be in the best of moods right now." She blushed, trying to hide from her parents who looked annoyed that she wasn't there yet, trying to find her.

Quickly, I gave her hug. "Bye, see you in two months." I winked as she began rushing to her parents.

"Feel free to drop by anytime!" She said, before leaving.

With a smile I turned around, preparing to travel. However, a small yelp escaped me as I was suddenly forced against a wall. Looking up, I was met with the ice blue irises of Tom and a sneering face.

"What the hell!" I exclaimed, looking to him confused.

"Did you pass your finals?" He got right to the point making me look at him confused.

"Of course I did, why do you even wan-" I cut myself off, realizing why he wanted to know. "You don't want me to be kicked out." I grinned in a wolfish way at him.

He rolled his eyes, fixing the sleeves to his traveling coat. Tom wore plain brown trousers along with a dress shirt and tie. The normal fashion for men at this time. I couldn't help but notice his clothes appeared to be a bit worn, but nothing too drastic. However, that was to be expected considering he did live in an orphanage.

"In which case I suppose this is goodbye for the summer, Rhiannon." He spoke, looking down at me standing uncharacteristically close.

"I suppose it is," I couldn't help but drift my eyes to his lips; something he noticed. I had a sudden urge to kiss him; hard. Tom noticed, his own gaze drifting to my lips. He looked at me intensely, stepping even closer so we were chest to chest.

"How is it that you do this to me?" His question was rhetorical, probably not meant to be said out loud.

However, it struck something for me. It only made me want to kiss him more. Tom leaned in, slowly. I couldn't stop myself, it was like my body was moving on its on accord, ready to kiss Tom like there was no tomorrow.

"TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE!" A sudden gravely woman's voice broke through the chatter of the few student's which remained.

Tom flinched, coming to his senses as his head snapped to look behind him. Following his gaze, I noticed him looking to a woman with graying hair. She was skinny and sharp-faced, she was also someone whom I recognized straight away.

Mrs. Cole. From the Wool's Orphanage.

My mind suddenly flashed back to when I visited it just a month ago. To baby Tom, to how sad he was when I left him there all alone.

Looking back to Tom, my eyebrows furrowed at the embarrassment and anger written across his face. He watched Mrs. Cole who was also looking at him, with a slightly disappointed look. As if she was disappointed this handsome boy was back to the orphanage.

Tom looked back to me, taking a step away a hard look in his eyes. He looked surprised himself, shaking his head as he looked back to Mrs. Cole. With a sudden ferocious anger he left me saying nothing, storming up to Mrs. Cole.

I expected for Tom to scream at the woman as he normally would, but instead much to my surprise he stayed quiet just looking angry as he left the station with Mrs. Cole. Few students were around, so no one really noticed; something I'm sure he was glad about.

Around me no one was looking in my direction, when I tightened my grip in the trunk preparing to jump. In a matter of seconds I had disappeared on the spot, not a single person noticing my figure just randomly disappearing.

Like that, golden chaos surrounded me and I felt like I was taken by a storm as I jumped years into the future. In a matter of seconds, I stood in the living room of Balthazar and I's penthouse looking around my home.

A smile made its way on my face at the sound of New York traffic, the penthouse smelled of sugar and whiskey; the scent of home. Turning to the bar, Balthazar was leaned over the counter his usual glass of some alcohol sitting next to him.

It took a lot to make an angel drunk, so usually Balthazar was never drunk. He just liked the taste of booze.

He gave me a grin, walking over and pulling me into a harsh hug. "Welcome home." He said in my ear, make me sigh a breath of relief.