Not Your Fate

“Are you sure you got everything?” Lucas asked for what seemed to be like the hundredth time during their trip. They lived a good thirty minutes from King’s Cross, the train station where their way to Hogwarts was, so they took the subway. It was a little awkward; six kids — well, technically five kids and one wizarding adult — clustered together around two big trunks in a cramped train coach, but it wasn’t that bad of a ride. 

“Lucas, yes , we have everything,” Solene sighed, rubbing her temples to try to fight off the headache that’s been bugging her since the moment she woke up. She didn’t get that well of a rest the night before, whether it was from excitement or nervousness, she couldn’t tell, but the jolting and screeching of the subway did not help. “If we forgot anything, just send it through Apollo.”

Speaking of the owl, Apollo was comfortably in his cage in the room Lucas shared with Jem and the twins back at their apartment. The owl was still very quiet, only screeching when he wanted food, and his big black eyes were freaking Solene out slightly, but hey, at least it wasn’t in her room while she slept.

She had asked Jem and Lucas why they named the owl Apollo, since naming a dark owl Apollo was a bit contradicting, since Apollo was the Roman god of the sun, but they just smiled and said nothing. There was obviously a reason behind it, but if they weren’t going to budge, then she wasn’t going to push.

“Okay, okay,” Lucas replied, noting his sister’s obvious annoyance and steadying Tommy when the train groaned to a stop. “This is us. Let’s go.”

Lucas picked up one trunk on his own, using his free hand to guide the twins and Soph out of the train car, while Solene and Jem worked together to lift the other one out of the doors, apologizing whenever the brown box knocked into someone.

“Are we close?” Solene asked her brother as they climbed the subway steps and surfaced on the gloomy streets. The road was packed with beeping cars and Muggles clutching their hats and parasols as they navigated through the normal chaos known as London.

Lucas grinned, pointing towards a train station on the end of the busy road. “That’s it right there.”

Solene sighed. That was at least a hundred meters away, and her headache showed no signs of lessening. “Let’s get walking, I suppose.”

It was difficult, trying to stick close to each other on a busy sidewalk while also lugging heavy trunks and some backpacks with them. They were all relieved when they finally arrived at the station, all tired and slightly sweaty despite the chilly air. 

“Where’s platform 9 ¾?” Jem asked, looking up and reading the platform signs and frowning when there was no Platform 9 ¾ in between Platforms 9 and 10.

Lucas smiled mischievously, snatching two empty carts and putting Solene’s and Jem’s luggage on it. “Follow me.”

Solene rolled her eyes at Lucas’s display, knowing that he felt his ego slightly inflated whenever it came to showing his siblings things that they don’t know about. Solene didn’t know where the platform was located either, but she’d rather die than give her brother the satisfaction of knowing that she’d be lost without him.

Lucas led them to a wall, a wall that stood between the signs of Platforms 9 and 10.

“Luke, I know that you struggle with your left and right, but this is a wall,” Solene said, sarcasm evident in her words as she looked at her brother. She was convinced that he had lost his more important senses of logic during his years in a magic school.

Lucas grinned at her, eyes twinkling. “That’s the thing, dear sister. This is the way to our Platform!”

Lucas cleared his throat and looked away when some Muggles threw odd glances at him. He may be loud and dramatic, but he wasn’t going to receive some letter from the Ministry about some Muggles finding out about the platform because of his theatrics.

Cal blinked, confused. “But… it’s a wall.”

“A magical wall,” Lucas corrected him, whispering the word. “We have to pass through this wall to make it into the platform.”

Solene’s eyes darted between the wall and her brother, feeling unsure. She knew perfectly well that her brother had probably run through this wall a lot to get to Hogwarts, but that didn’t stop her from feeling reluctant. After all, going through a very solid-looking wall seemed like the start of a disaster.

Lucas sensed their hesitation. “I know it sounds crazy, but it’s the wizarding world. A lot of things that make sense here sound crazy at first until you get used to the idea of it.”

He pulled the carts back, putting more distance between him and the wall. He handed Solene’s cart to her. “Look, it’s better if you start on a run so you can’t back out midway as easily.”

He gestured towards Jem and Soph, asking them to go to him, and they reluctantly did so after a nod of encouragement from Solene. 

He sighed at their fear. “Look, I’ve been doing this for years, and not once had I actually rammed into a solid brick wall. We’ll be fine, trust me.”

“You promise?” Soph asked, looking up at her brother with her wide, young eyes.

Lucas’s eyes softened as he ruffled her hair good-naturedly. “I promise.”

Solene and the twins stood to the side and watched Lucas shuffle to the side to give Jem some of the handle. Jem grasped it, taking a deep breath to ready himself. Lucas bent down and propped Soph on his shoulders with a little help from Cal. 

“Ready?” Lucas asked. Both of them nodded despite the worry in their faces.

“Go!” Lucas pushed the cart, Jem following the motion as they went towards the wall.

The twins gasped and covered their eyes in fear, and Solene instinctively flinched, waiting for the collision that never came.

“Okay…” Solene cleared her throat, blinking a couple of times to make sure that they did actually disappear behind a brick wall. 

She looked down at her brothers, who were still covering their eyes, and chuckled. She pried their hands away from their faces. “It’s okay, they passed through.”

It took a few seconds for them to process it, but after the shock wore off, Tommy immediately started jumping eagerly. “Our turn! Let’s go, let’s go!”

Tommy skipped to the cart containing Solene’s belongings, Cal begrudgingly following behind him. 

“One of you should sit on top of the trunk,” Solene instructed, and Tommy took the opportunity with little hesitation. 

She looked at the younger twin, the corners of her lips turning upwards in reassurance. She knew that Cal didn’t contain as much confidence as Tommy did, but she would never fault him for it. After all, she would always be there to support him.

She placed one hand on the cart’s handle and the other held Cal’s hand and squeezed it. Call squeezed it back as he also grabbed the handle with his free hand. 

“Ready?” She asked them both, and she got nods in return. She looked back down at Cal beside her and felt pride when she saw the rare determination on the boy’s face. He was ready indeed.

“3… 2… 1… Go!” Solene and Cal moved in sync, pushing the cart with all their might as Tommy giggled manically on the trunk, shuffling a little to get into a better sitting position.

Solene forced herself not to close her eyes when she neared the wall, wanting to see it happen so that she wouldn’t be as afraid anymore. 

Her world turned black, but she knew from the squeaking of the cart, the yells from Tommy, and the squeezing of her hand from Cal that she was wide awake, so she kept pushing the cart forward.

The darkness soon gave way to light, making Solene squint at the sudden brightness. They emerged from another wall, and Solene had to dig her heels in the ground and forcefully pull the cart backwards to avoid colliding with a passing kid and his parents. Their sudden appearance seemed to startle them.

“Sorry,” she said sheepishly, letting them walk by.

“Finally!” Solene turned to face Lucas, whose smile was all teeth as he approached them. Soph was jumping beside him, holding his hand and also holding Jem’s in the other. “Here I thought that you lot had run away.”

Solene rolled her eyes, but returned the smile all the same. She saw that they were no longer pushing a cart. “You already loaded Jem’s things?” She asked Lucas, who waved her question away impatiently and grabbed their cart. 

“Yes, yes, we did, now it’s time to load yours.” Lucas took the cart from her and pushed it towards the train. Jem followed him to provide assistance, but not before leading Soph to Tommy so that they could yap about the exhilarating experience to each other.

Solene kept a firm grip on Cal’s hand as she looked around and finally took in her surroundings.

All around her were witches and wizards, all of them busy with their own tasks; loading up trunks in the storage compartments of the train, hugging their kids or siblings in farewell, and students already in billowing school robes chatting with their other school friends as they climbed the stairs into the train.

Hogwarts Express, Solene read in her head as her eyes drifted over the gold letters painted on the side of the transportation she was expected to board soon.

Everyone dressed in cloaks and robes made her feel out of place in her baggy jeans, sneakers, and thin black shirt with sleeves that reached her wrists. She twisted the rings adorning her fingers out of habit, the few things that she has left of her parents.

She heard a sniffle from beside her. She looked down to see Cal’s body shaking as he wiped his face with the back of his hand.

Solene kneeled down to meet Cal in the eye, concern immediately influencing her thoughts. Did he get hurt? Did someone scare him?

“Cal, what’s wrong?” She asked gently, placing her hands on his shoulders.

“I —” He hiccuped, stopping himself to try and calm himself down before speaking again. “I’m gonna miss you.”

“Aw, sweetheart,” Solene cooed in sympathy, her brows pinching together as she pulled her brother into a hug. He immediately wrapped his arms around her neck, body shaking from silent sobs. “I’m going to write to you as much as I can, and I’ll be back for Christmas, okay? I’m not going to be gone forever.”

“But — But you’re gonna be gone for a long time!” Cal cried louder, his voice reaching the ears of his siblings and interrupting their merry conversation. They turned to him, and Soph, ever the empath, already had tears pooling her eyes as she ran towards Solene and hugged her tightly.

“I wanna go with you!” Soph sobbed, putting her chin on Solene’s other shoulder.

“You know you can’t, Soph.” Solene’s voice was laced with genuine sadness as she clutched her siblings tighter. She gestured to Tommy to join the hug, and despite his grumbles, he joined in. But Solene could see through him clearly. She knew he was going to cry as well, and she knew that she was correct when she saw a few tears slip down his cheeks.

“I want you all to be good to Lucas, okay?” Solene said, her voice softer than it’s ever been. “He’s going to need all the help he can get in the house. And be good to each other as well. If you have any fights, what do you do?”

“Apologize,” They mumbled, making Solene nod in approval. 

She pulled back slightly so her siblings could see her face. “You support each other like always, yeah? Ask Lucas to help when you want to write to me, and I’ll reply as soon as possible.”

“We’re gonna really miss you, Sol,” Tommy said, his voice uncharacteristically quiet. 

“I’m gonna miss you all too,” she patted their cheeks individually. “But I’ll be back soon, and we’ll see each other again.”

“And you’ll make sinigang ?” Soph asked hopefully.

Solene’s eyes crinkled in the corners. “And I’ll make sinigang. I promise.”

“Sol!” Lucas approached them. He blinked twice at the tear-stained faces of his younger siblings, but Solene shook her head, silently telling him not to question it. “Right, uh… the train’s departing soon, and I was gonna tell you to say your goodbyes, but it seems you’re already one step ahead.”

“Jem, say goodbye to your siblings,” Solene called to the boy standing behind Lucas. She put her palm on each of their heads and ruffled their hair before standing up so they could talk to Jem.

She approached Lucas, and he immediately brought her into a bear hug, catching her off guard for a moment before she reciprocated it, tucking her chin in the juncture between his neck and shoulder and wrapping her arms around him.

“I’m proud of you,” he whispered, tightening his grip on her stomach as he spoke. “You’re gonna love it in Hogwarts, and you’ll do so well there, I know it.”

“Thank you,” she said, her voice soft as she closed her eyes. The two of them rarely hugged, since Lucas was a bit awkward with physical contact, but she knew that they were both going to miss each other a lot. They haven’t been in the same house together for more than five months since before Lucas attended Hogwarts, and despite that setup not changing (although this time they switched places), it didn’t make departing any easier.

Now that Solene thought about it, she never said goodbye to her brother in King’s Cross since his first time leaving. This was a first for both of them.

Lucas was the first one to pull away, dabbing his eyes with his jacket sleeve briefly. Solene offered a soft smile. “Take care of them, yeah? I left you some notes on their usual habits and cravings so you know how to deal with them. If you need any help, don’t hesitate to send an owl to me.”

Lucas chuckled, removing the backpack from his shoulder and handing it to her. “You’re treating me like I’m the younger one.”

“You might as well be,” Solene shrugged, teasing him as she slung the straps on her own shoulders. The bag had her change of clothes and some more personal items that she didn’t feel comfortable parting with, like books and accessories, along with some extra money.

The horn on the train blew, making Solene jump slightly.

“Time for you to go,” Lucas said, his voice a sigh. He looked over Solene’s shoulder to call Jem, and he pulled away from his siblings reluctantly.

“How are you feeling okay?” Solene asked him, and he nodded, not offering a verbal response. Solene took no offense to it, rubbing his back from over his bag lightly. “We’ve got this. You aren’t alone, remember that.”

Jem nodded again, this time leaning into Solene’s touch for the comfort all of the kids sought in her: it wasn’t only the touch of an older sister, but it was also a touch that was almost motherly.

“See you, kiddo,” Lucas placed his hand on Jem’s head, patting it. “Have fun and make some friends there, eh? Maybe even meet your soulmate.”

Jem flushed at the idea, and Lucas laughed at his expression. Solene’s smile tightened, the marks on her skin warming slightly underneath her clothes at the mention of soulmates.

I’m not doing this for them. This is for me, and I don’t care if I meet them in Hogwarts.

… But what if I do?

Solene stopped her train of thought as they ventured in an unwanted direction. Focus on school, Sol. Studies first.

“Both of you enjoy the experience, yeah?” Lucas grinned at the two of them. “Now, get on the train before you miss it!”

Solene led Jem to the stairs to board the train, stopping to let him wave at their family one last time before entering. Solene gave them a smile and a wave as well, returning Soph’s heart hand gesture before disappearing into the chaos of the train.

Jem was waiting for her amidst the sea of people walking around in the cramped hallway. Jem grabbed her hand and let her walk in front of him, carving their path through the masses.

“How’re you feeling, Jem?” She called over her shoulder, wincing a little when she felt an elbow accidentally meet her side.

“Suffocated,” Jem replied, his usual wit returning. Solene chuckled in response, head bobbing around as she tried to find an empty compartment.

She quickened her pace when she spotted one, hoping to get to it before anyone else did, and she succeeded. She slid the door open and let Jem in before closing the door behind her. The glass surprisingly did well in muffling the ruckus outside.

“You want to find some friends to sit with or do you want to stay here?” Solene asked Jem as he sat down on the comfy chair across from her. 

“I’ll stay here for now,” Jem answered, removing his bag and putting it between him and the window. “I’ll make friends when there’s less people outside.”

Well at least one of us was eager to meet new people. Solene nodded, leaning against the window and putting her bag on her lap, hugging it as she peered out the glass. 

The train’s horns blew once more, and the train lurched forward slightly before going in a slow pace. Her eyes searched the crowd outside until she made eye contact with her brother.

“Jem, look,” Solene waved at Lucas, and he waved back frantically. Jem kneeled on his chair to be able to see better as he waved as well.

Solene laughed slightly as she saw Tommy, Cal, and Soph push through the crowd as the train accelerated, hoping to keep in pace with it, but soon enough, they ran out of tiles to walk on as the train tracks extended, forcing them to stop and just wave instead.

Solene waved back once more, watching them until the light mist of early September swallowed them and kept them out of sight.

Solene let out a deep breath. She had an uneasy feeling in her stomach again, like it was meant to replace her now healed headache. She couldn’t help but worry about something.

She distracted herself from her emotions by looking out of the glass door. The crowd had considerably lessened when the train started moving, now dwindling to a few pairs or trios roaming around in a last-minute search for a cabin. Two students that looked a few years younger than her took a double take in Solene’s spacious cabin, most probably tempted to ask to stay there, but they immediately backed off when Solene gave them a blank stare.

She smirked victoriously when they rushed away. I still got it.

“I’m gonna start walking around,” Jem said, catching her attention. 

Solene smiled. “Okay. Be careful.”

Jem rolled his eyes, shouldering his bag and standing up. His head was angled downwards, and his back was slightly hunching, signs of his slight nervousness that he tried to hide. “Yeah, yeah, I will. See you.”

He left the cabin, giving his sister one last glance before leaving completely.

Solene slumped back in her chair, sighing. She rubbed a hand over her face. The noise that she’s had to deal with that day was overwhelming, and she felt her energy ebb slightly. She leaned back, letting her head rest in between the window and the cushioned backrest. She set her bag beside her and put her feet on the chair, bringing her knees to her chest so she could rest her elbows on it to cover at least part of her face from passersby.

She regretted not wearing a jacket, and cursed at herself for not packing a jacket in her bag. All her clothes were crammed in the trunk stowed below. She would have really liked the security of a hood over her head, but, as her mother used to say, “Beggars can’t be choosy.” She would have to work with what she had.

She closed her eyes, feeling her consciousness surrender to the tantalizing embrace of sleep quicker than normal.

Just as she was on the brink of sleeping, there was a knock on the door. Her head snapped up, immediately alert and annoyed at whoever dared to interrupt her rest. 

She saw that the disturbance was a redhead, with freckles sprinkling her pale cheeks, a girl with skin a deeper shade than hers and long dreadlocks framing her pretty face, another girl with short, puffy, curly hair that looked like a well-styled bush, and a smiley blonde with silver earrings dangling from multiple piercings on her ears and thin black necklaces adorning her neck.

Great. The moment I drop my bitchy stare, people bother me. This universe will never let me rest.

The redhead in front slid the door open slightly so she could speak. Her expression was sheepish, and Solene was suddenly aware of the fact that she was glaring. She let up her stare a bit, but not entirely. She was still feeling annoyed.

“Sorry to bother you,” she said, smiling apologetically, “but we couldn’t find a free cabin, and we couldn’t help but notice that you’re the only one in here. Is it okay if we sit?”

She studied them for a moment, debating whether she would let them in, in the end she nodded and gestured to the seats around her.

The redhead’s smile widened in gratitude, entering the room with her friends flowing in behind her. “Thanks.”

Her, the taller girl, and the curly haired girl sat on the couch in front of Solene, while the blonde one chose to plop down beside her, sitting a bit too close for her liking. Solene felt grateful for the backpack in between them, a barrier to keep her safe from unwanted touch from strangers.

“You saved our lives,” the blonde one said dramatically. “If it weren’t for you, we would’ve had to sit with Snivellus .” She said the last word with a sneer, venom in her tone, making Solene raise an eyebrow curiously.

“He’s not that bad,” the redhead tried to defend, but her three friends gave her knowing looks, which made her sigh in defeat.

She perked up, looking at Solene, who still hasn’t said a word since they showed up. “I’m so sorry, we forgot to introduce ourselves! I’m Lily, Lily Evans,” she stuck a hand out for Solene to shake, and Solene slowly reached over to clasp it, dipping their hands once before letting go.

Lily didn’t seem discouraged by her subtle hostility as she continued to introduce her friends. “This is Dorcas,” the girl with dreads waved and smiled softly, “and Mary” the girl with curly hair waved, “and —”

“I’m Marlene!” The blonde beside her said cheerfully, too loud for Solene’s liking.

Solene put her feet down on the ground, feeling foolish that they were still up like she was some emo kid. “Nice to meet you all, I’m Solene.”

“It’s nice to meet you too, Solene,” Mary said. Lily smiled at the progress of building a connection with the mysterious young lady.

Marlene was the next one to speak, leaning in to Solene and making her tilt her head back to the window in discomfort as she tried to keep at least some distance between them.

She really likes my personal space, Solene thought, a small polite smile on her face.

Marlene didn’t notice. “What year are you? You’re new here, but you seem like our age.”

“I’m a fifth-year,” Solene replied, her voice slightly formal like she was replying to a curious adult’s questions rather than a slightly nosey teenager.

“Marl, back up a little,” Mary suggested, making Marlene sigh but she followed nonetheless, giving Solene more space to breathe. She gave the girl a grateful glance.

“You’re in our year, yet you’re new to Hogwarts?” Dorcas asked, her voice quiet as she tilted her head in curiosity. “I didn’t know transfer students were allowed in school.”

Lily seemed interested in Solene’s case, bright green eyes studying her. “Where did you transfer from?”

“I was homeschooled,” Solene said, the lie smoothly leaving her tongue. She knew that she would get questions, and she thought it would be best for others to think that she had prior education to avoid unwanted attention. “I decided to transfer when I heard of Hogwarts’s education.”

“Was the education you received before not that good?” Lily asked. Her words seemed rude, but Solene knew that it was just an innocent question. 

“Not quite,” Solene hummed. “Any tips you guys have for me?” She asked, successfully diverting their attention away from her past.

Marlene thought about it for a moment, before saying, “avoid the Marauders. They’re a rowdy bunch.”

Solene cocked her head to the side. The name rang a distant bell in her memory. Lucas mentioned something about them, but Solene couldn’t remember what. “Bullies?”

“Oh, no no, not that kind of ‘rowdy,’” Lily waved the possibility away, scoffing incredulously. “They’re just…”

“Overwhelming,” Mary supplied, making Lily turn to her and grasp her hand affectionately. Solene noticed the tender look in her eyes as she did so. 

“Thanks love,” Lily turned back to Solene. “Yes, they’re overwhelming. Overall, they’re good boys, they’re just —”

“Pranksters!” Marlene laughed. “They’re amusing sons of bitches, especially Sirius.”

Dorcas tsked, giving Marlene a scolding look at her language, but she simply smiled and cheekily blew a kiss to her, making the girl bury her head in the book she had in hand.

Oh, Solene thought, her suspicions confirmed. Soulmates.

Suddenly, being in the room with them felt suffocating.

Solene stood abruptly, her smile turning guarded and strained. “Excuse me, but I need to go to the bathroom. I’ll be back.”

She grabbed her bag and stored it in the overhead rack so it would put some distance between her things and the girls, as she gave them one last smile before leaving the compartment.

In her rush, she accidentally bumped into a slim body.

She looked up, eyes wide. How did she let herself be that distracted? “I’m so sorry, are you alright?”

The boy, with wavy black hair that barely grazed his shoulders and cold brown eyes, smiled at her. Solene knew a practiced smile when she saw one.

“It’s alright, I wasn’t watching my step,” he said, his tone slightly blank. He brushed off his sleek black robes, calling Solene’s attention to the expensive-looking clothes.

Once again, she was put on alert. She didn’t know this kid, but she got the impression that he was from a wizarding family that was well off in terms of money to afford normal robes of intricate texture.

And from what she learned, people from rich wizarding families were often assholes.

However, she didn’t want to judge the boy too quickly. She didn’t know him at all, so the least she could do was keep an open mind and give him the kindness she would give any stranger.

She nodded before walking past him, careful not to make her shoulder brush his as she resumed her walk to the end of hallway where the bathroom was located — or at least, she hoped that was where it was.

She paused when she saw a familiar face in one of the compartments. She didn’t open the door, but she made eye contact with Jem through the glass as he listened to two other boys speak avidly about something.

She put a thumbs up in question, and he discreetly returned one with a small smile. Solene nodded once, satisfied with his reply, and she walked away to enter the bathroom.

The moment Solene closed and locked the wooden door behind her, she put her back to it, her head leaning back as well. Her eyes fluttered shut as she steadied her breaths in hopes of calming her panicky heart.

It wasn’t like she met her soulmates. She just saw two pairs of soulmates who were cozy and comfortable with each other, but that was enough to make her tunnel her vision slightly.

That’s what soulmates are supposed to look like.

Solene pushed the thought away, focusing on the present and forcing the past back into its chest in the back of her brain. 

She put her cold hands on her warm neck. The action comforted her with its familiarity; she did it a lot whenever she had situations like this. Her neck was — in her opinion — the most vulnerable part of her body, and protecting it made her feel protected as well.

She took two more deep breaths. She was going to meet a lot of people with healthy and strong soulmate bonds in school, and she couldn’t do anything about it except deal with it. So what if they were head-over-heels for their lover? It wouldn’t affect her. It shouldn’t affect her.

Two more breaths.

She turned and put her hand on the doorknob, pausing to make sure that she was ready to go back to the cabin before unlocking the door and leaving the bathroom, a blank look returning to her face as she was a girl that could get hurt by nothing, especially harmless memories from the past.

“Welcome back,” Mary greeted her, grinning as she entered the cabin. “You came in at the perfect time.”

“You just missed the boys,” Dorcas informed her, noticing Solene furrowing her brows a little in confusion.

“Which was why you came at the perfect time,” Marlene repeated, laughing as she patted Solene’s vacant seat, urging her to sit down.

She obeyed, crossing her right leg on her left knee and leaning back, relaxing slightly.

I’m unaffected.

“I think you would get along with those four,” Lily said thoughtfully.

“Especially Remus,” Dorcas added, reopening her book and bringing it up to her face so she could read properly. Lily nodded in agreement.

Marlene frowned, thinking. “Nahhh, I think she’d get along with Sirius.”

“James can also be friends with anyone,” Mary added.

Solene nodded along. “Yeah, I agree. I totally know who you guys are talking about.”

Marlene and Lily laughed, and Solene felt a warm feeling pool in her stomach. 

I’m unaffected.

Their conversations went on like that until the sun dipped down and let the moon have its turn in the sky; well it was mostly just the friends chatting amongst one another with Solene replying when asked about something, but Solene was fine with it. They seemed nice, but she never had to entertain a group of girls her age before. The closest thing that she experienced was taking the order of a girl friend group in the restaurant she worked in, but that wasn’t much help.

She felt a bit ashamed of the gratefulness that spread through her body when Lily looked out the window and saw the distance between the train and the school. “I can see Hogwarts. We better get changed.”

Solene immediately rose. If these girls were friends, then they were most probably comfortable with changing together in the compartment. “I’ll head to the washroom to give you guys some space.”

“You can change with us!” Marlene offered. The grin on her face seemed to be permanent, despite occasionally varying in wideness.

Solene shook her head, politely declining the offer. “It’s alright. I’ll try my luck in the bathroom.”

She grabbed her bag from the rack above her head and gave them a final smile and wave before escaping to the safety of the hallway. 

There were people mucking about, some already changed into their robes, while others were holding bags which probably contained their own clothes. Kids that looked around her age had different house colors highlighting the black cloth they wore. There were reds laughing as they walked by her, yellows occasionally mixed with blues scattered in the cabins, but the greens were nowhere to be seen. They were probably somewhere on the other side of the train.

Solene wondered what House she was going to be sorted in. Lucas had given her a little briefing on the different Hogwarts Houses a few days ago, after their Diagon Alley trip. 

To her, Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff was the most promising. The house of those that had wisdom as their strong suit, Solene knew that she had a higher chance of ending up in Ravenclaw. She found comfort in gathering new pieces of knowledge. Although she wasn’t exactly kind, Lucas said that she was very loyal, so Hufflepuff was a likely option. Besides, Lucas had nothing but good things to say about the friends he made in that house, so maybe she would have better luck making friends who didn’t pry into her past there.

Gryffindor didn’t exactly pique her interest. Lucas was from that house, but from how Lucas talked about his experience in the school, Gryffindors seemed loud and boisterous, which wasn’t really her taste. The only good thing about being sorted into that house is that she looked good in red.

But she also looked good in green if she were to be sorted into Slytherin, but she knew that they didn’t exactly have a good reputation. They consisted entirely of purebloods, and most of them were arrogant, loud-mouthed, and disrespectful to anyone who dared question their authority or to muggle-borns. However, she heard that they were known for their ambition and their determination to do what they must to get what they want. That was probably the only good thing about them.

Oh well, I just hope that I get sorted into the house Lily and company are in.

She was able to slip through the building crowd and snag the bathroom right after a short boy with light hair and red robes exited.

She changed quickly, not wanting to keep others outside waiting too long. She felt like she was going to stand out more, a fifteen-year-old student with no color other than black, gray, and white adorning her robes, but she would have to worry about that later. She just hoped everyone was too busy with their own things to care.

“‘Scuse me,” she muttered repeatedly, weaving through the gaps between impatient students in casual clothes with grace. She felt eyes lingering on her, but she kept her head down to avoid making contact with any of their curious or judging gazes.

She finally made it through to her cabin. The door looked opaque, like someone inserted cloth inside the glass. It confirmed her guess that the girls changed in the compartment, and she knocked twice on the door so that she doesn’t go in when they aren’t finished putting on clothes.

“Come in!” Lily called from inside, and Solene slid the door open, stepping in and closing it behind her.

The only ones standing were Mary and Marlene, the former fixing her red tie and the latter adjusting her skirt.

“It’s so weird seeing a person our year without house colors,” Marlene muttered, staring at Solene. The girl felt self-consciousness bubble in her stomach, but she just smiled at Marlene and took her seat near the window.

Lily swatted Marlene, the back of her hand making contact with the girl’s thigh. “That’s rude!” Lily scolded, frowning at Marlene disapprovingly.

“I didn’t mean any harm by it!” Marlene raised her hands defensively. “I was just being honest.”

Lily looked like she wanted to retaliate, but Solene spared her from the useless argument. “It’s fine. I wasn’t really bothered by it.”

Lily didn’t look like she believed her, but she dropped the argument. Marlene sat down in her seat, a bit quieter now out of guilt most probably. Mary and Dorcas were the ones who filled the awkward silence with their own quiet conversation.

Solene tuned them out and decided to stare out the window. The school was significantly closer than earlier, and the nervousness in her gut made her breaths shallower and her fingers twitchy. She didn’t know what to expect, and she hated being left in the dark. She didn’t want to ask the girls in her cabin either, since she didn’t want them to know that she was anxious.

Her gaze shifted to the gray clouds and the half-moon in the sky, feeling some comfort from the twinkling of the stars and the steady brightness of the moon.

That cloud looks a little bit like a stag, Solene thought to herself, her eyes trained to the shape in the sky that only she could see. 

She never really believed in fate, but if it was real, she mentally begged whatever deity that controlled her destiny to make the next upcoming hours bearable and uneventful.

The blaring of the train’s horn echoed throughout the inside of the train, alerting all those onboard of the moment they were all waiting for. Some cheers were heard, and the volume of the chatter increased.

They finally arrived in Hogwarts.