Quote:
Originally Posted by
Erindipity 
So this was it... the trip back home. She'd be lying if she said that it wasn't bittersweet, honestly. Of course she was ready to leave the madness that had been the term behind, but also... she wasn't keen on the thought of going home to sit alone for most of the summer. But so was the way things were. Perhaps her siblings would take pity on her and see to it she got to do some things?
For now, though, her focus was finding an empty compartment for she and Benji to share for the trip back to London. The Hufflepuff peered into compartments as she passed, eyes scanning for signs of life, and then avoiding those that indeed had people inside. And then FINALLY she found one that was free of human and pets alike!
Entering said empty compartment, the girl plopped down and pulled her cat carrier onto the seat next to her. "Soon as Benji finds us I'll let you out," she said softly to the white and single black spotted feline. Now where was the boy of her dreams?!
Benji could hardly believe it had only been nine months since he’d boarded the Hogwarts Express, full of anticipation for the new school year and excitement at the thought of being away from his parents and at Hogwarts once more. Of course, he hadn’t known how the year would actually unfold. Nine months? No way. It seemed like it had been five years or something, the way it had dragged on.
Sure, things had been set right at the end-of-term feast — and thank Merlin! He certainly
was grateful for that — but that didn’t change the fact that he had had to endure the regime of terror for so long. He still felt a little unsettled, truthfully. Like he’d had no respite, and now he was heading back to a home that didn’t feel much different. That was why he loved Hogwarts so much usually. It was a break from the indifference or anger (with nothing in between the two things) he endured at home. But this year... it just hadn’t been.
Still, he reminded himself that one good — no, not good, GREAT — thing had come of this year: Penny Lane Goodman. He was almost positive that he wouldn’t have survived the year without her. And now his top priority was finding her on the train... But there were so many compartments and people buzzing all about that it was a little stressful, honestly.
He peered in compartment after compartment, occasionally offering a muttered apology to other students who he had accidentally interrupted and who looked very annoyed with him. It took him several tries before he finally spotted a familiar figure through the window of the door. Hurriedly, he slid it open and slipped inside. “Hey,” he said, his face flushing a bit at Penny’s mere proximity, a broad smile breaking across his face. He almost sank into the seat right across from her, then thought better of it and sat beside her, the cat carrier on the other side. It was a tight squeeze, but... Well, he didn’t exactly mind that, you know?