[OPEN] Encore Une Fois

At Platform 9 3/4, Christian waited behind while Apollo boarded the train. He, presumably, wanted to board before a certain professor arrived, but Christian had some people to wait for. Things were... strange, now, with Charlotte. They'd worked together over the summer, but nothing had really changed for him over that time. He had expected to feel differently. To feel like their relationship had grown. But he wasn't sure.

On the other hand, there was also Ace to think about. They only had a year left to rebuild Potter's Army and to find someone worthy of taking it over. Of course, 'worthy' was a funny word. The person had to be determined and mean well, but it was incredible how sneaky people could be. Knowing the whole truth about someone was nearly impossible, no matter how much time he had.

So he leaned against a pillar to wait for them, hoping that they could corral the other PA members into a carriage with them so they could talk about the coming year.

Yes, uniforms were typical dress for any event aurors wanted to make themselves noticed. It had been "recommended." Screw it. These were kids they were protecting today, and besides Brian liked auror work but he sincerely thought the uniforms looked like the uniforms from a marching band. He hated them. So, he'd gone to the station in jeans and a white cotton shirt, sleeves rolled up, and a brown leather bomber jacket to ward away the fall chill.

He saw parents and students on the platform, and he wasn't surprised the uneasiness was palpable this year, far more than most. He didn't blame them a bit. He recognized some of the parents and some of the students, and he was actually glad to be getting on the train this year, just in case. He leaned back against one of the station's brick column, lit a cigarette and exhaled in a relaxed manner, careful to blow his smoke away from anyone around him. It gave him a moment to scan the crowd around him to look for anything or anyone unusual. So far, he saw nothing to cause him alarm.

It wasn't going to be that many more years from now when he would be bringing his own children here to board the train. That thought gave him parental anxiety that had nothing to do with last year's difficulties. He wasn't ready for "Abs" or "Kota" to be that grown up--not yet, and wasn't sure he would ever really be ready to not be able to find them coloring on the walls of the playroom. The coloring on the walls thing? That made Khaat crazy. Brian, not so much. It was all about perspective. When he tired of their scribbles, he simply flicked his wand at them to make them disappear.

If only he could take care of the fears of all these people half as easily.

Keiran had arrived with plenty of time to board the train, but he glanced outside and caught sight of Brian, so he changed directions. Stepping back down onto the platform, he glanced about for Teddy - the man was an invaluable part of their staff, but Keiran wasn't able to place him within the chaos of the station. Instead, he strode over to Brian, clapping a hand on the man's shoulder.

"Quinn," he greeted warmly. "I just wanted to thank you, in person, for agreeing to participate in the Quidditch match this weekend. It means a great deal to the staff - and, of course, to me."

Keiran grinned properly then. "It will be great fun to have you on our team. You'll have to thank the Lupins for sparing you from the Auror force that day." In truth, he was thrilled to have an Auror around for the event. Hopefully they would have several in attendance, in case anything somehow managed to go wrong.

He desperately hoped nothing would.

Ace Longbottom wanted to be in uniform and robes. She wanted to be ready to start her final year of Hogwarts. But she understood the importance of discretion, and despite her desire to plunge headfirst into the year, she could hold back. For now.

Because it was, after all, her last year. Her mother had not forgotten, of course, tearing up every time their eyes met until finally she controlled the urge, as it only incited her youngest to storm out of the room. She wanted nothing to do with sentimentality, and her eyes hurt when she tried to peer into the future, and her lips didn't know where to start when putting to voice the fondness of auld lang syne. Neville had to ask though. Had to check that of all the fights she was fighting, his ever-stoic daughter wasn't fighting the hundredth-and-ninth fight inside, against herself.

"How are you feeling about your last year?"

"Dunno yet. Ask me when it's over."

And so they didn't ask. Proud mother and father took only one picture while Ace wasn't looking and hurried off to catch the train. She pulled along her own trunk, helpfully lightened by a charm from her mother, and she slipped through the barrier.

"Look, love, there's Christian! Christian!"

Ace flinched and spun around. "Oi. Could we not?"

Hannah frowned. "Now, you stop it."

"He's my friend, mum," Ace hissed.

"What, we can't share him?" Neville said, with a wry grin. Ace huffed and turned away to storm towards Christian. But she stopped, turned back around, and quickly hugged her parents, eliciting a look of surprise from them both. She waved goodbye and turned back, beelining for Christian. She knew here parents would surely be wondering what had prompted that rare display but she doubted her answer would instill them with the sort of optimism they needed when sending their youngest child off. But she had seen and heard enough to learn to treat each goodbye as the last. Just in case.

She stopped next to the Hufflepuff, squinting across the platform of a steely-eyed man she recognized from all her efforts to know the movers and shakers of their country. "Aurors are everywhere," she said. This was, of course, her greeting. She had seen Christian most days of the summer, excluding, of course, that horrible camping trip he had bailed on at the last second, leaving her alone with some pretty rotten company... and Casper Jericho. She supposed she couldn't lump him into the first category.

But Ace was over that. There were too many battles on the horizon for her to begrudge her right hand man for too long.

"Should I grab us all a compartment? How many are we expecting?"

For a moment, Christian thought he'd heard his name. His chin lifted, but he didn't see anyone there, so he rested an elbow on his trunk while he waited. But then, there she was. And he knew that was all he was going to get from her.

"It's probably for the best. But at least the Prophet would probably believe you if you wrote in again," he added wryly. Turning to face her, he lifted one foot behind him to set it on the lowest rail of his cart.

He looked around for Charlotte one more time, but in truth, he wasn't sure he wanted to treat this like any other day. He hadn't been particularly physical with her at work, but he assumed she would want to change that here. And he didn't know how to go backwards again. So he shook his head.

"No, it's fine. I'll come with you. I think it's the same number from the spring. But it's possible people might bring in others. We'll see." He turned to collect his things, glancing over his shoulder at her. "If so, we can decide what all we want to say."

So he gestured for Ace to go ahead and climb on board first, trailing behind while she picked out a space for them.

This is it.
Her final year at this school.

Charlotte came to the station with her parents and her mother just wasn't able to stop crying. It was weird.

"C'mon mom, we knew this will come, now stop crying already."

"I'm so sorry sweety, but I'm really proud of you. You have bright future in this world."

"You know that won't happen, mom. I want to go to college."

"Okay, whatever makes you happy" Amelia smiled and looked at her husband. Proud was written all over his face.

"I'm so proud of you Lottie" he smiled and Charlotte hugged both of them.

Darian and Dariela came to her and she smiled while seeing her friends. She spent most of her free time during the holiday with them and this was the first year she didn't spend all her time with her Muggle friends.

"Do you want to sit with us on the train?" Dariela asked and Charlotte shook her head.
"No, I'm waiting for..." Christian. But then she saw him leaving with Ace. Without even waiting for her.

"You know what, I will be glad to sit with you guys" Charlotte smiled and after hugging her parents one more time, they started walking to the train.

"What is with Zabini boy?" Darian asked and Charlotte just shook her head. It was weird. She really expected them to get bound during the holiday because duh, they were working together but that didn't happen. There were even days when she just couldn't wait to leave the store and go home. Maybe this year will be the end of their relationship and the worst thing, Charlotte wasn't sure if she is sad because of it or happy.

Barbara wasn't able to sleep that night. She was just too excited because the school will finally start again. She spent most of her summer holiday in Croatia with her grandparents. it was so hard to remember that once she lived there. Once she went there at school. Her mother died. And then she had to come in England and it was really hard. She didn't know the language very well. But she managed to do it all. She found a way to live again.

"C'mon dad, we will be late!" She yelled because she was already in front of the door waiting to finally go. She was really afraid that she will miss the train.
"Just a second Barbi, I will be ready in few minutes. Don't worry, we will be there on time" Seb said to her and a few minutes later, they were ready to go.

At Platform 9 3/4 was a lot of people like always. It took for Barbara almost five minutes to find her friends. Seb went to chat with his co-workers and Barbara went to say Hi to her friends. While looking around her she saw Charlie with his mother.

She walked over to him with a smile on her face.
"Hello Charlie," she said smiling and hugged him as if she didn't see him for years.

"Hello Miss McKillon," she said to professor Maddie.

Aneta hates children.
They are so annoying, and this was the worst occasion she attended. Ever.
Luckly, she didn't have children to send to the train and this will be her first time to go to the Hogwarts. She was wondering if that castle is bigger or prettier than her school. After all, she was curious to see the famous Hogwarts school.

They had enough Aurors here, even without her, but she wanted to come just to be sure nothing bad will happen.
If anything bad happens, and she wasn't here, Claire would blame her for sure. So here she was, standing in the corner in her really ugly robe for Aurors and in black high heels. Even if the danger is close, she can look nice after all.
She expected that everything will go nice and that tomorrow, she will be back at her house.

As the wall between platforms 9 and 10 gave way to a whole new world, Stephen and his mother, Elizabeth, were brought to the platform 9 3/4 for the fourth time ever since Stephen had received his acceptance letter from Hogwarts.

Yet, none of them had been as the first. Four years before was the first and last time his father had came with him to King's Cross and ever since it has been his mother who came to drop him at the train station alone. Not even Adriana came. She seemed to be most of her time now with grandfather and grandmother for some reason Stephen didn't know of. He went there at times during the summer vacation and he still thought that to be fun once in a while. But not as much as he did when he was as old as Adriana. He wondered why, however, why they were both constantly shipped off to their grandparents. He wondered what was there that made his parents want them far away from their house.

As any teen, the worse Stephen could ever imagine was that his parents were in some kind of struggle with each other. And that would very much explain why his father was always be away, always working, as Elizabeth claimed he was... But then she always acted as if nothing was going on... How could there be something when she showed nothing to be wrong at any time? And without considering his father because from that one, Stephen couldn't get a morning hello.

Stephen stopped then half way between the entrance and the closest car of the Hogwarts Express and turned to look at his always smiley bright mother. And there it was again: her smile in her lips as she looked at him. Yet, this time there was something strange there and Stephen had no idea of what that could be...

Elizabeth came forward then, hugging him tightly. "I have something for you" she told him as she finally let go off him and searched in her bag for something: a book. "I wanted to give you this by Christmas but since we may not be seeing each other then, here you go. My mother gave it to me when I was around your age. I found it really interesting so I believe you will as well" she smiled. Stephen took it from her hand and glanced at it for a moment. It was a really old book, as it was, but its looks wouldn't surpass any of those that had place back at Hogwarts' library. It had a hard brown cover that was losing its color already and the title was written in fairly golden letters and read: The Chronicles of Kalico, the Dragon Rider by Malcom Lowe. A usual temptation made him look inside and so he noticed a little note in the first page. It takes a great deal of courage to swim against running waters. Make sure not to drown or to be carried along. For then you will either be dead or not yourself.

Stephen looked up at her inquiringly. She smiled sadly. "I believe you will have to figure by yourself" she said. Stephen closed the book and made sure to keep it along with his baggage. He turned to her again and hugged in his turn. "Thank you. For the book" he said. "Anytime. But to make it easier for you... Don't ever let looks deceive you because the truth hides within." Elizabeth told him as he held him tightly as if it was the last time they would be seeing each other. Stephen got even more confused at that but he didn't have much chance to think it through because before he had noticed he was walking towards the train itself pulling his baggage along with him.

Once inside he strode in quest for an empty compartment. Or any of his friends, if so they could be called. And even then one name came into his mind... The girl he'd been writing with all Summer: Medusa. He secretly had wished to meet her in Diagon-Alley when she wrote him she had to go there. But he haven't. So he was then sticking himself for her other possibility: the Hogwarts Express. She had to go here, right? Somewhere...

Previously. That morning...:

Time to go to Hogwarts at last, to be honest she was quite excited to go back where she truly belonged, don't get her wrong she loved being home working on the ranch with her dad but it wasn't where she belonged. Besides her past had a way of coming back and finding her, something that she wasn't always looking forward to seeing every time she came back home. Although today was on a happier note then anything else, she even woke up early to help her father with the horses. Although she was always a early riser due to working on the ranch all her life, it was breeded into her so you can say. Although with her second job her father was doing, she was able to get some newer clothes, which was something she was happy about.


Walking through the madness of Kings Cross startion she stood between wall 9 and 10 and looked happily at the wall, as muggles went on with her day she turned and looked at her parents. "I promise to write every other day, you know how tired Polaris can get from her flights, she needs to rest a day or so."said said simply. She cared about her beloved snowy white owl, she wasn't only her mail carrier for her parents and few the few she as, but she was her friend. "We understand pumpkin, have a good term and see you soon."said her mother as she hugged her along with her father. Hugging the, back she wheeled her trunk around and ran and smiled as she seen the scarlet train that was before her.


Going to put her trunk up and her owl, she stepped onto the train to find herself a empty compartment, maybe just maybe she'll run into one of her friends s she didn't have to fight the crowed for a spot. Walking down the small corridor she seen a familiar boy ahead of her looking for a empty compartment himself. "Stephen!" she called after him hoping that he'll turn his head and see her. It was nice writing to him all summer, having someone else to write to besides Lottie and Barbara was nice, but her parents did tease her for writing to a boy over the summer.