Yesterday

Yesterday

Chapter 1-

Aboard the Hogwarts Express

Charlotte stood at King's Cross Train Station between platforms nine and ten and wondered What in the world am I going to do now?

But if I can make it this far, she said to herself, I can sure as hell make it further.

Just how far she had come had not quite been elevated to foremost in her thoughts when she was interrupted by a tall, lanky teenager of about sixteen with what looked to be like his mother, his younger sister and his older brother walking across her line of vision. All had eye-catching shades of red hair and the mother was giving her son what looked like becoming a lecture.

"Now Ron, you have to be compassionate towards Harry. He has been through a lot in the past year and..."

"Mum for goodness sake give it a rest. You've told this to Ron at least twenty times in the past two days already and if he hasn't gotten into his thick head that Harry has had a hard year then he is worse friend than I thought." This came from the older of the two brothers who had skilfully cut off his mother's lecture.

"How is Harry getting here anyway, Mum?" This came from the girl, obviously a favourite of the family because the others all looked at her when she spoke.

"Oh, I don't know Ginny, using some complicated Muggle contraption no doubt."

When the word muggle was mentioned Charlotte jumped. Up until that point she had been listening to the conversation with amusement. It had sounded just like her own family. She quickly shut the door into that train of thought and called out to the family.

"Excuse me?"

"Yes?" said the older witch.

"I was just wondering if you knew where platform 9 and ¾ is?" Charlotte said this all very quickly being more than a little nervous.

"Why of course dear, but aren't you a little old to be starting Hogwarts?" The witch looked at her closely. "My you look as if you're Ginny's age."

"I'm fifteen if that helps and yes, apparently I am very old to be starting Hogwarts but this is where mum would have wanted me to come. She went there, you see, and, well, that's why I'm going there..." Charlotte trailed off realising how nervous she must be if she was rambling.

The other witch looked at her sympathetically; not having missed the reference to the girl's mother in the past tense as well as the expressions that came and went across her face in quick succession.

"Of course I will tell you how to get to the Hogwarts express, it will be a pleasure." She motioned towards the rest of her family. "I'm Molly Weasley and that is Ron," Mrs Weasley said this while nodding her head towards one of her sons. "That is Ginny and that is Bill," again she nodded her head.

"Hello," Charlotte said somewhat tentatively.

"Hi, Mum we'd better hurry," the girl, Ginny, replied.

"Goodness! Is that the time? Well then all you have to do is walk, or run, in to the barrier that separates platforms nine and ten." Mrs Weasley looked at Charlotte. "Well, off you go then. Ron, Ginny and I will be right after you. Good luck my dear." Mrs Weasley looked kindly across at Charlotte who replied with an automatic Thank You and started walking towards the barrier.

-~-

What an interesting looking girl. Ginny thought to herself as she took in the old and slightly faded Ravenclaw jumper and scarf, the dark blue jeans, the lavender wizard robes and the black calf length boots. Some how this girl was able to wear this odd mix of colours, muggle and wizard clothing and look perfectly at home in the muggle and train station and Ginny knew she would also be just as at ease in the wizarding world. She also saw that this stranger was very pretty with dark brown, glossy hair (she must have used a charm on that), smallish nose and mouth, high cheekbones and a pair of expressive blue-grey eyes.

Ginny liked her own dark brown eyes and thought they went beautifully with her red-gold hair. She had a feeling that this stranger felt the same way about her own eyes and hair.

"Ginny? Earth to Ginny! GINNY!"

"What mum?" startled out of her reverie.

"Your going to be late," said her mother, exasperated, as she pointed at the clock on the barrier, which showed 10:55.

"Shit!"

"Ginny!"

"Sorry mum, have to go. Love you heaps. Will write, bye!" and with that Ginny kissed her mother on the cheek, ran to the barrier, waved and was gone.

-~-

"Oh where is she?" a girl called Ariane said with a great deal of agitation, looking out of the compartment window.

"I'm sure that as soon as Ginny gets here, she'll find us, don't worry," said her companion calmly, standing up to also see out of the window.

"I not talking about Ginny-She knows perfectly well how to look out for herself. I'm talking about Charlotte," Ariane snapped bad temperedly. "This is absolutely hopeless," she said getting out of the compartment. "I don't even now what she looks like!"

"Oh for the love of peace!" her calm companion said with great amusement as she threw her hands into the air. "Ari, do you know everybody at Hogwarts, at least by sight?" A nodded reply. "Well then, just find a person who you don't know, who looks like she is our age and who is looking lonely and a little shaken." The calm girl put her hands on the other's shoulders spun her round and pointed to a girl who was standing near the muggle entrance looking a little lost.

"Thanks a million, Nat. What would I do without you?"

"Throw yourself off a cliff?" at the look on Ari's face she laughed and told her to move it.

-~-

Charlotte was standing on the platform 9 and ¾ totally at loss about what to do next. She then saw two girls, about her own age, walking up to her and she started to panic slightly Oh, Shit, what have I done now?

"Hello!" said one of the girls. She was tall and slender with long limbs and fingers, a mass of coal black hair, a rather beaky nose that seemed out of place on her face and bright blue eyes. "I'm Ariane, that's Natalia, I'm hoping that you're Charlotte." A nod. "Welcome to the Hogwarts Express!" The girl named Ariane said all of this in one breath, then took Charlotte's trolley, wheeled it to a compartment, loaded the luggage into the compartment, gave the trolley to a porter and the yelled over, "Are you coming or not?"

"Is she always like that?" Charlotte asked weakly.

"You'd better believe it girl. She's also got a fearsome temper, so I'd try and stay on the other side of it," Natalia remarked good-naturedly.

"Does she blow up?" Charlotte's curiosity got the better of her.

"Sometimes. When she blows up it's alright. It comes and then it goes just as fast. No it's when she starts to stew for a bit."

"Not good?"

"Not good."

This conversation had taken them to the compartment where Ariane was waiting.

"Wet hens. Both of you. You're as slow as anything," was the remark that greeted them when they got into the train.

Natalia grinned and sat down Charlotte followed suit.

"Can I ask something?" Nat said after a few seconds of silence.

"Who were you asking Nat?" Ariane asked.

"Charlotte actually - but I do have to ask you something later. Charlotte?"

"Yes?"

"What's your accent? You've only got a little one but it's still there."

Charlotte smiled and replied, "Australian. Mum and Dad were both English so that's why my accent isn't hugely noticeable." She continued, answering part of the question in Nat's hazel eyes. "Mum was a witch. A good one too. I think she was head girl at Hogwarts, I think. Dad was a muggle, he always said that magic made you lazy and that he didn't need it - though deep down I think he wished he had magic. They..." She broke off as anger, pain, and an utter helplessness filled her face.

Nat moved over and gave Charlotte a hug, Ariane, never good with emotional situations was saved from answering by Ginny's ungainly entrance, where she crashed open the door and almost yelled, "Are you saying goodbye or not?"

Whereupon both Nat and Ariane leapt up to the window and hung, half-in and half-out, yelling goodbye. Ginny joined them while Charlotte stayed where she was; she had nobody to wave goodbye to.

-~-

Draco Malfoy strode along the corridor looking into some of the compartments, often stopping to say hello to his fellow Slytherins. He was walking along when he heard yelling, slowing he peered into the window of the compartment and saw Ariane, Natalia and Ginny Weasley. After having another look he realised that there was also someone else in the carriage- new girl he supposed, probably an exchange student. The three girls, really the four of them, as his eyes fell on the new girl again, were some of the best looking in the school. Ariane, who after being extremely clumsy with her long arms and legs had grown into them and had become rather graceful. Natalia was an elven girl, tiny and petite with a slightly up turned nose and long blonde hair. Though she had elfish statue she had nothing of the elfish temperament. Draco had tried and tried again to get her to react but nothing would. She'd just smile and laugh in the most infuriating way.

And Ginny Weasley, well...

"Draco? Why are you standing there like a stunned hippogriff? If you wanted something you can just knock and ask." Ariane said this with a wry smile and on her face, as long as she'd known Draco Malfoy-practically her whole life-she'd never seen him stare at anything. Yet she'd just caught him at it- brilliant! Defiantly blackmail material-Draco Malfoy staring at Ginny Weasley! Wouldn't that cause an upset!

"You should leave the witty comments to the Ravenclaws Ariane, they just don't suit the Slytherin image if you stuff them up."

Ariane scowled, Ginny sighed, Nat and Charlotte were amused, the way that Draco always put the hyperactive girl in her place was both trying and amusing.

"Well what do you want?" Ariane said petulantly.

"I was wondering if you were going to grace us with your presence the prefect's meeting? I think that the Hufflepuff's are looking for you Nat," turning his head to the tiny girl, "Now if you will excuse me I have a prefects meeting to attend," and he turned making for the door.

"Wait Draco- have you forgotten your manners? I haven't introduced you to the newest member of our little group yet." Ariane grinned at Charlotte who smiled back, slightly suspicious.

"Well hurry up then." Draco's air was resigned, he knew that it would be no use to just leave; his cunning housemate knew just how to make him pay.

Ariane grinned again and put on a mock formal air. "Draco this is Charlotte... She has just come over from Australia..."

'Ahh exchange student,' thought Draco.

"...Her mother and my mum were best friends at Hogwarts."

Draco and Charlotte glanced at Ariane, one sharply, one surprised, and Ariane ignored them and continued.

"Charlotte, this is Draco Malfoy. He and I have know each other since we were babies and our fathers are good friends."

Draco nodded. "Hello, nice to met you, now can I go?" He looked at Ariane inquiringly. When she nodded he again spun around and was nearly out the door before he again turned back around. "And Ariane for goodness sake, hurry up."

As soon as the compartment door was closed Ariane burst out laughing. Both Nat, then Ginny soon followed her.

Charlotte, looking at the three laughing friends, didn't know whether to join them and laugh, cry, roll her eyes and shake her head or if she should just lay down and die.

Instead she asked, "What is so funny and why is it funny?"

"After you have know Draco for a few days, months or years, depending on who you are and what your powers of observations are, you'll know, trust me," Ariane replied somewhat cryptically. "Anyway Charlotte I'm really sorry but we three have to go and leave you for our prefect's meeting or what-his-face, our head boy, ahh, oh well - he'll have our badges," Ariane said. "And our heads too," she added, as an afterthought.

"Ahh, don't you just love to be a prefect girls?" Ginny said dreamily. "All the added responsibilities and privileges."

"The privilege of listening to our head boy and girl rave on? When we have all the holiday gossip to hear? Ahh the wonder's of being a prefect." Ariane's voice was thick with sarcasm. "Well girls off we go. Charlotte please don't be offended. We like you a lot but duty calls." And with that Ariane was off-with the air of a martyr, closely followed by Ginny and Nat - both with grins on their faces and a wave for Charlotte.

-~-

Charlotte after a few minutes of contemplating her new friends and the fact that Ariane's mother and her own mum had been friends, went over to a box that was with her luggage and pulled out a small, sleek black and white cat.

"Hello Chole," Charlotte crooned to the cat. After a few minutes, before the cat had completely settled, Charlotte got up, grabbed a book from out of her bag and settled in for a lazy few hours.

-~-

The lunch trolley and the witch that staffed it had been past, Charlotte having brought some pumpkin pasties and chocolate frogs. The three other girls had still not come back from their prefect's meeting and Charlotte was wondering if anything had happened to them, when a boy, a teenager really, with a skinny frame, untidy black hair, glasses and a hint of a scar on his forehead entered the compartment.

"Hello," he said.

"Uhhh...Hello...do you want something?"

"Well I was looking for Ginny Weasley and I saw her trunk and I wondered if you knew where she was?" The boy seemed slightly nervous about something; she had no idea that her eyes and inquiring gaze had unnerved him.

"Yes, she was here but she's at a prefects meeting."

"Oh, Of course. Well could you tell her that Harry was looking for her and that could she come and say hello - we, I, am in the next carriage."

"I'll tell her that."

The boy, Harry, turned to go opened the compartment door but something made him turn around again.

"Yes?" The girl looked up from her book.

"Ahh, I was just wondering who you are, you look familiar yet I don't think I've meet you before."

"Charlotte Adams...sort of an exchange student from Australia."

"But you have no accent!" The boy, Harry, was incredulous.

"So I've been told. Mum and Dad were in English," Charlotte said with a smile, that Harry noticed lit up her face-even if it did seem to be a small one. He thought that he would like to see her smiling properly. "Anyway I've told you my name so you can tell me yours." Another small smile, a smile that had pain behind it, Harry realised.

"Harry Potter, nice to meet you. Sorry I have to go. Neville will be wondering where I am." Harry said this rather quickly and walked off abruptly to his carriage without another word. Charlotte was left staring at the closed compartment door.

-~-

Ariane, Nat and Ginny, prefects meeting finally over, were walking back towards their compartment when they saw when they saw Harry Potter come out and walk rather quickly in the opposite direction.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" they all said in unison.

"Oh this year is going to be FUN," Ariane proclaimed with vengeance.

-~-