Thorns Like Any Rose

Evelyn O'Brien stood in the pouring rain, her face upturned. She closed her eyes. Her eyes were what were so unique about her. They were the color of dawn. The deep purple color right as the light started to appear. The gentle rain fall pattered against her skin making her tingle inside. Her honey blonde hair was plastered to the sides of her face. She had never felt so... free. Everything in her past was closed doors and bars on the windows. Not here, she had finally escaped. She was going to start a new life, put all of her past behind her. Hide it in the corner of her mind. She had finally escaped from her father's clutches. For sixteen years of her life she had been locked up in his huge castle now she would never see his malicious face again. He thought he could destroy her spirit by locking it up in a steel cage. No, not with Evelyn. No one could tame her heart; no one could tame her soul. The magic flowing through her veins was what made sure of that. She was born to be free and that was how she was going to keep it. She crouched low in the overgrown and wild brush. Her father would probably wake up any minute from that potion she had given him. So, she was 60 miles from her home. Her father had loads of contacts. He had found her instantly last time she escaped. So she took a little more caution this time.

She had gotten a letter from a place called Hogwarts a couple of days earlier. It was a letter of acceptance to the magical school. A school!

She had never been to a school with other students. She had been tutored. When her father saw how happy she was he of course had ripped it up and thrown it into the fire. What he hadn't known was that another one arrived the next day. She hurriedly grabbed it and hid it. That was where she was going. So Ireland was a little far away from England, especially, on foot. She would just have to find other means of transportation. She whipped out her wand and stuck it out in front of her. There was a loud popping noise and then in front of her was a huge purple double-decker bus. Gold lettering over the windshield spelled The Knight Bus. Then a conductor in a purple uniform leapt out of the bus and began to speak loudly to the night.

"Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. Just stick out your wand hand, step on board, and we can take you anywhere you want to go. My name is Stan Shunpike, and I will be your conductor this evening." The man said in what sounded like one breath. "Hello miss, how may I help you," Stan went on taking out an umbrella and placing it over Evelyn's head.

"I need to get to London," Evelyn said grabbing her trunk that was behind her.

"Yes, ma'am," he said taking her trunk from her and putting it on the train.

"How much will that be?" she asked as she boarded the train. She looked around. There were several beds and then night stands next to them.

"Everywhere is 11 sickles," he told her. "But for fifteen you get hot chocolate, and for fifteen you get a hot water bottle and a toothbrush in the color of you choice. That bed will be yours," he said pointing to a cozy and warm looking bed. Evelyn got her money out of her trunk.

She had plenty she was sure and even more in her Gringotts safe. She had stolen her key from her father while he was sleeping and took some money. She gave the money to Stan and he placed her trunk under the bed.

"Is there anywhere I could change?" she asked him.

"Oh!" he exclaimed looking down at her sopping wet jeans and tank top.

Her cloak hung damply from her dripping at the edges. "Um... there is a changing room in the back just there." He said pointing to a door at the back of the bus. She grabbed some clothes from her trunk and headed through the door. She heard Stan say, "Take her away Ern," as she shut the door. With a loud BANG, the bus was moving. She was leaving. She was actually leaving. She changed clothes and muttered a drying spell for her long blonde hair then sat on her bed.

"What's your name?" Stan Shunpike asked as he noticed she was sitting there. Her father couldn't be looking for her already; it couldn't hurt to tell him.

"Evelyn O'Brien," she told him.

"That's a pretty name," he muttered turning back to the windshield. She sighed and looked out the dark window. The speed of the Knight Bus was very fast and the scenery was nothing but a blur. It seemed only two minutes she had been staring out the window when Stan called her name.

"Evelyn," he said softly.

"Hmm," she said turning.

"London is coming up," he said. "Exactly where did you want to go?"

"Oh," Evelyn said hurriedly pulling the letter out of her cloak. "Um...

Diagon Alley? The Leaky Cauldron?" she said. He nodded and told the driver. With a loud BANG, they stopped. Stan grabbed her trunk and led her into the small and shabby looking building that was The Leaky Cauldron.

"Here you are," he said putting her trunk by the door. She nodded.

"Have a nice night," he said closing the door behind him. Evelyn looked around the smoky pub. Hags, warlocks, goblins, and any other creature you could think of were in the pub. She sauntered cautiously past them with her trunk to the bar.

"Hello miss can I help you?" an elderly gentleman asked her.

"Yes, I was seeking some accommodations for tonight," she told them.

"I'm supposed to meet someone named Rubeus Hagrid tomorrow." The man nodded.

"Aww yes, you must be Evelyn then," he said. "My name is Tom." She smiled warily.

"Yes, I'm Evelyn," she said.

"Well you will have room number 6," he said taking her trunk from her and heading up the stairs. She followed him to the room and he opened it. "Here you are," he said handing her the key. "Have a nice evening."

"Thank you," she said. As the door closed, she sighed and lay on the bed. She couldn't help the excited giggle that escaped her.