I Love You, But Please Die!

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I hummed to myself as I skipped up to the barrier between Platform 9 and 10. I had one arm hooked around Nick's and one around Jason's. They weren't impressed by my amazing ability to skip at the pace of them walking. Jason is still antisocial, but he remembered deodorant today. And, might I add, that it is very nice smelling. It's positively addictive. Ew! Did I just say that about my brother? Ah well, I'm only telling the truth. I let go of them as we came to the barrier and stopped.

"Bye bye, sweetums!" Mum said, hugging Jason. He remained frigid and had his arms snapped by his sides the whole time. "Don't forget to write, okay?" she asked, letting go of him. Jason pushed his sunglasses on to his head as a response. I bought him those sunnies. Very cheap, but very reliable.

"Bye, my gorgeous!" Mum said, hugging Nick. He briefly hugged her back, smiling in the most innocent way possible. Mum hasn't found out about the vase we broke playing hide and seek. "You make sure Belle stays safe, okay?"

"Yes, Mummy!" Suck up!

My mother turned to me. "Take care, honey. Don't forget to stay away from bad influences, and do try and act more lady-like!" She gave me a hug and I nodded.

"Bye, Daddy!" I yelled, giving him a massive hug and a kiss.

"Goodbye, Love." He bent down as Mum turned away. "I've fixed the vase," he whispered.

Hahah...Oops! "Thanks, Dad!" I whispered back and the boys and I turned to wave goodbye.

"Bye!" the parents called one last time as we disappeared through the wall. Mum and Dad barely ever come onto the platform with us.

I think this will be the first year in Hogwarts that I won't make a fool of myself as much as I usually do. I've jinxed myself, haven't I? Jason, Nick and I walked over to the train. My luggage was dragging along the floor, creating holes and bumps in the pink wood. Mum brought me a pink, rose-decorated trunk when I was only a baby. She was over the moon when she found out she was having a little girl. She signed me straight up for Hogwarts, along with Jason and Nick. She had to explain that we weren't triplets - although we are known as the 'Henrys three' - and that she wanted Jason to be in a different house so he didn't feel like he wasn't 'special'. I reckon he is special, in his own little way.

"Bella!" somebody cried from behind me.

I turned to find Sarah standing on the platform, holding her luggage. Sarah Jones is a skinny blonde. She can be a bit of a bookworm at times (Ravenclaw, what do you expect?) but she does have her highs and lows - Literally. Poor Sarah is bipolar and has a bit of a split personality disorder too. Despite this, we are best friends. She has to take a small potion every few weeks that will keep her as normal as possible. She has incredibly large brown eyes and really long eyelashes. See why Mum would adore having her as a show pony to take to parties and pageants?

"Sarah!" I squealed and we gave each other a big hug.

"Hey, Nicky!" she said, kissing my twin on the cheek.

I've learnt to stand their closeness. It was really weird for the first few months but now it's okay. I'm a third wheel. But who doesn't like a tricycle? When one of the back wheels break, there is always one to back it up, it's really hard to fall over and they look totally awesome.

"Come on, let's go get a compartment," I said, leading Sarah away.

We shoved our luggage in a compartment and sat down. Nick ran off to sit with his friends and Jason had disappeared long ago, way before Sarah turned up. Sarah and I had the compartment to ourselves when the train pulled out of the station. It wasn't long before some Slytherins turned up and tried to kick us out.

"Get out!" a slimy-looking one sneered.

Sarah and I couldn't be bothered to fight with them so we grabbed our stuff and bailed. The four Slytherins pushed past us in the corridor and Sarah was knocked into a defenceless little first year.

"Sorry!" she said, picking her trunk back up.

"Let's go find Jason. I don't really want to hang around Nick's friends," I suggested.

Sarah nodded. "Yeah, his friends are gross."

We walked to the very end of the carriage and straight up to the last one to the left. It is where the Gryffindor boys have been sitting since first year. "Knock, knock!" I said, not having a free hand to actually knock on the door with.

James Potter answered. He had a shiny 'Head Boy' badge on his chest.

"Ooh, congrats on the badge!" Sarah said.

"Thanks! Step right in."

Jason looked up at the sound of Sarah's voice. He scowled when he noticed we were both pushing our luggage into the racks above his head.

"What do you want?" he grunted, taking his sunnies off to glare at me better.

"Slytherins kicked us out," I said.

"Want us to go get them?" Sirius Black asked, pulling his wand out.

"Nah."

Sarah and I squashed in between Remus Lupin and Jason. I got another whiff of his deodorant. I wonder if he is trying to impress somebody. Maybe it is aftershave. You know what, he must be doing this because he has finally realised how bad he smelt before and was slowly suffocating. Yes, that must be it.

"So, who did something fun during the holidays?" I asked once the silence started eating away at my brain, much like hairspray.

"I went to Paris!" Remus said.

What I'd give to go to Paris... Next time, I'm going to sneak into his luggage and go with him.

"Hey, hey!" came a voice from the door. It was Nick.

"Hi, Nicky!" everybody chorused apart from Jason.

"I'm being sieged by siblings!" Jason moaned, slouching down in his seat.

Moody git.

"Belle, follow me! I have to show you something." He turned to James as I got up to leave. "Lily is looking for you. You didn't show for the Head Meeting!"

James swore and ran out past me. I followed Nick out and through a few carriages.

"We aren't going to go to another bathroom and get stuck, are we?" I asked, getting a few nervous glances from some second or third years.

"Nope."

"Then where are we going?"

"You'll see."

We walked around for a while until we came across an empty compartment. He closed the door behind us, and I must admit I was getting a bit worried for his sanity. Something wasn't right. Nick wasn't himself. He pulled out his wand and stunned me. I fell to the ground, whacking the chair on my way down. By then I was very scared.

"Sorry, Belladonna, about the whole thing."

He stood up straighter and walked away. That was so not his voice. And since when has he been calling me Belladonna? It's always been Belle or Bella and sometimes even Bee - never Belladonna. I laid there on the cold floor, thinking about all the different ways I could get out of the situation. The only thing that would get me out was if somebody found me. I'm finding that I am partly blaming Sarah. How could you forget your best friend? But I'm trying to not. I know Nick would never do this. It must be polyjuice potion. That is the only option.

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I am dying of boredom. Complete and utter boredom. I've tried counting sheep, I've studied the roof for a good hour and I have even found where Davy Kills kicked a hole in the wall three years ago. The repair marks are still there.

It slowly got dark and I slowly started catching a chill. I wonder if it is possible to die from the cold whilst stunned. I heard people in the corridor start to walk to the restrooms to get changed into their robes and I tried calling out. Nothing. I waited around (what else could I do?), hoping somebody would find me. The train came to a stop and a big commotion began outside. All the people started getting off and most of the noise died away.

"'irst 'ears, 'dis way!" Hagrid boomed and I felt the last of my hope drain. Hagrid doesn't leave until most of us have already jumped on carriages.

I started humming a song in my head as I listened to the train's engine rev. I'm not really worried about not being found. School doesn't start till Monday and it is only Friday. I am pretty sure Sarah once told me that somebody checks the compartments for people before closing. I sure hope that is true. I don't think I can wait until December to get off without food.

I was getting pretty delusional, lying there on the floor, trying to see if I could blink. I even think I was imagining footsteps.

"Belle?"

Maybe I wasn't imagining.

I tried to see who was at the door, but my position prevented it. I waited until their head was leaning dangerously over my motionless form. It was Remus. I was so relieved, I bet even the people in China would have been able to feel it. Remus quickly said the reversing spell and I stood up, coughing.

"Thank goodness I found you!"

"Yeah!" I coughed.

He handed me a hanky. "Here, I don't want you spreading germs."

"Gee, thanks," I said sarcastically, following him out of the train.

If it was cold inside, it was below freezing outside. I started shivering really badly. Really badly as in I-whacked-Remus-in-the-belly-with-my-arm-it-was-that-violent. He frowned and pulled his wand out again. I got a bit nervous seeing as somebody pretending to be Nick did the same thing a few hours ago. He cast a warming spell over me and I stopped shivering. The effect was really amazing. The spell even warmed up my bones and they started glowing. Okay, maybe not. That might have just been the hours of being alone catching up with me.

"How are we going to get to the castle?" I asked, realising the last carriage had just disappeared over the second hill.

"We'll have to walk."

Great.

"There is no other way, is there?" I asked, throwing myself on the ground.

"Stop being so dramatic!" Remus laughed.

I crossed my legs and folded my arms. Remus shook his head.

"Come on. It's only a few kilometres. I'm sure Sarah, Nick, James or maybe even Sirius will realise we are missing and tell somebody."

"A few kilometres?" I yelled. "Its ages away."

Remus sat down next to me. "The warming spell will ware off soon and there is only so much magic your body will take. We have to get up there before you freeze."

I frowned. "Why did you come looking for me anyway?" I asked, trying to keep away from the subject of getting up.

"I didn't!"

I suddenly feel very unloved.

"Then why were you walking around the train once everybody had left?"

"It's my job to check the train as Prefect. I was held up with a few sleeping fifth years under a spell so I was running late for the rest of the train. I noticed that you had left and hadn't come back. So...I kept looking just in case."

"You're pretty responsible, you know?"

He smiled. "Thanks. But how did you end up like that in the first place?"

"Well...I can't really explain it," I admitted, lamely.

"Go on, try for me."

"Somebody pretending to be Nickypoo pulled me away into the empty compartment and stunned me. I had been lying there ever since..."

"Nickypoo?"

Dang! Did I really let that slip? Note to self: Start using Nick's real name around attractive Gryffindors, otherwise it will come back and bite you on the behind.

"Err...Nicky." I cleared my throat and stood back up. "We better get up to the castle. I'm freezing."

He stood up too and nodded. "That's what I said."

We silently walked over the hills to Hogwarts. The gates were left open (thank God) and we walked straight through. I was actually very surprised that they let us in. I wasn't sure of the opening times. We were a few metres up the hill when something spurted out of the gate and hit me square on the back. It threw me down to the ground and I felt Remus fall next to me. I pulled my head out of the snow and looked around. There was a thick layer of green slime covering us. It smelt minty, which I assume is a bonus.

"GROSS!" I screamed and Remus put his hands up to his ears.

"Quit the yelling!" he yelled.

"That's an oxymoron!" I said, proud of myself for remembering the word.

"Did you just call me a foxy moron?" Remus asked, taking his hands away from his ears.

"No!"

"Yes you did!" he said, grinning.

"Nah."

"Yes you did. Don't deny it!"

I wanted to wipe that grin off his face, but I was glued to the ground. I assume the green stuff has something to do with this.

"Err...Remus?"

"Yes?"

"I think we are glued to the ground."

"Don't try and change the subject!" He managed to stand up, the green stuff putting up a fight. "I think you are right," he added after a few moments.

"Thank you!" I said, throwing my hands up from my spot on the floor. I managed to twist around so I was in some form of sitting position. Remus put his hand out to help me up. Bad idea. I grabbed it without thinking and he helped me stand. Just as we went to pull away, the glue made a bubbling noise and stiffened.

"Remus, we are stuck."

"I can see that, Belle."

"I was only trying to help."

Remus sighed. "Now what?"

I had to think for a while. "Well, I guess we should just make our way up to the castle and take it from there."

"Okay," he agreed.

We walked side by side, up the path to the castle. It was rather awkward, holding his hand. I mean, it's not like we do that on a weekly basis or something. I was getting very cold, probably from the spell wearing off. I was shivering quite badly too. Wordlessly, Remus took the jacket off his left arm (the free one) and spun it around over my right shoulder. It created a kind of inside-out shield for me.

"Th-thanks," I said as one of the more aggressive shivers went up and down my spine. Curse the cold.

"No problem," he replied, wiping some of the green slime off his arm with his scarf. Unfortunately, the scarf wound up stuck to his hand and he looked like he had a flipper. "You have a flipper," I stated.

Remus glared at me so I turned away and started walking a little faster to keep up with his long legs. Sometimes I wish I was taller. But then, I notice how much easier it is to trip Nick over when I'm short and everything is okay. We made it to the front doors (after I complained I was tired a thousand times) and Remus quickly pulled me inside. The temperature was much more appropriate inside. I'm guessing it was about 15 degrees higher. Much, much better.

"Finally!" I squealed and started running toward the doors to the Great Hall.

Seeing as we were attached, Remus and I went flying into each other as I stumbled. I hate gravity. The green goo stuck us together again - this time, in a much more awkward position.

"I can't breathe!" I huffed through Remus' shoulder.

"Quit that! You're tickling me!" he replied, trying to blow my hair out of his mouth.

"I can't! My shoulder is stuck to your hip!"

"What does that have to do with your hair in my mouth?"

"The fact that my head is stuck to your arm!"

Remus laughed. I laughed. Somebody else laughed.