Alone in the designated prefect's compartment, Waker levitated her trunk gingerly into the storage rafters above the seats, and looked toward the window. Hints of fall were beginning to creep in, cooling the air, but the summer sun was still in full force, throwing its rays onto platform nine and 3/4. Cats weaved in and out of children and their luggage, parents smiled, shouted, or sobbed, much to the obvious humiliation of more than one classmate. As familiar faces fleeted in and our of the picture frame created by the pane of glass, Waker's own expression changed subtly. When the wide-eyed, trademark gaze of a too-familiar Hufflepuff caught her attention, she frowned and reflexively moved away from the window, settling at last onto one of the handsome but cozy stretches of seat that adorned the scarlet steam engine's old-fashioned compartments.

She was rather certain Fauna hadn't seen her staring this time, but Waker had no desire to repeat what had happened only five minutes ago: awkward eye contact and a brushing of cloaks on the crowded platform. The Ravenclaw hadn't known it was her former friend until the girl turned around, and then she was unmistakable, with her Fauna-esque coloring and mannerisms. Somehow, despite many summer days spent fluttering around Diagon Alley on behalf of her temporary boss Marietta Grimlish, Waker had not managed to run into the Blake girl, whom Jasper had told her was working at the record shop. Making things more uncomfortable still, she'd been told (by more than one person) that Fauna had been trying to find her during the Woodcroft Festival, before the terrible incident which took place the Shrieking Shack. But Waker hadn't been able to bring herself to say anything; amidst the herds of students and pets and luggage, she'd simply stared for a few agonizing seconds, her mouth opening briefly, and closing again when she thought of Devlin's smirking face. She'd carried on to the train, charming her trunk in front of her.

Unclasping the light cloak she'd worn on the platform, she pulled it from around her levitated toward one of the hooks near the compartment door. The badge pinned to her blouse was shiny and foreign, and still sent shivers and thrills through her whenever she looked at. It made her a bit nervous, too, though she loathed to admit it to anyone but the select few whom she trusted.

Astonished at the announcement over the summer that he had been selected as the seventh year prefect for Slytherin, Zoey's grin couldn't have been more fierce upon his face. Eyes were watching him as he not only made his way through the crowds in the muggle station, but even more so when he appeared onto Platform nine and 3/4. Carrying a royal purple trunk in one hand and a miniature house, inside his new feline friend, his clothes were what people were eyeing. Of course, he was an odd dresser, and today's outfit was no surprise, though it was probably a surprise to the first years boarding for their new adventure. He wore a velcro tank top, with multiple items attached to the outer portions; a scarf the color of the depths of the oceans; silver, yes silver, lycra shorts with a belt that spelled the word, 'PREFECT.' His shoes were boots almost knee high, and they were made from bamboo. Sunglasses with exe's on each lens were upon his face. Yes, Zoey Gabriel McAdams was back in full force, and now he was a prefect.

He boarded the train, getting more looks from more students and students-to-be. He cared not for the on-lookers, but just that he and Notorious, his cat, were safely and happily situated into a compartment. Realising he had a badge on his chest with a large, emerald 'P' encrusted into it, he figured the perfect spot would be the prefect's compartment. It was near the front of the train, and it was there where he opened the door, revealing only one other occupant, a Miss Waker Nolan. "Hey, lovely lady. Miss me?" He smiled, and his eyes sparkled under his dark shades, though she would've missed it.

Slowly, he lifted his trunk onto the racks above them and then released Notorious, Tori for short, out of her cage. She jumped into the seat he'd soon be occupying and he placed her cage next to his trunk. Holding his arms out, she jumped into them, and he sat down, settling in and she curling into him. Lifting his shades with his free hand and setting them above his brow, he smiled once again at Waker. "How are you, doll?"

George was a little late getting to the platform. First it was because his parents had woken up to find him putting back together their bathroom, and a leak had sprung somehow in the shower. It was somehow his fault that they had cold showers and were grumpy adults throughout the breakfast. It was as if they were personally torturing him! All he wanted was to be back near Waker again; as much time as they had off, it never seemed enough.

He’d hung out with other friends, of course. His favorite bike was given a tune up and taken out on the town a number of times, visiting muggle friends he hadn’t seen all year while he was ‘off to boarding school’ He also made time to hang out with Laney, and a few other graduates. It was bittersweet, of course; they were exulted in the fact that they were now out of school. And if he’d been smarter, he could have been done with it as well. Smarter in the sense to not get himself expelled, anyway.

So when finally he reached the platform, George gave his parents a quick hug and pats on the backs before he moved quickly into the throng of students, able to see over a good number of fresh first years. Patting one on the head as he walked by, he gave her a smirk and a wave as he glanced over his shoulder, keeping his pace up. George could be friendly. And he recalled some of the anxiety of that first everything. The first time getting on the platform; the first time riding the train; the first time seeing the Castle. All of it was an adrenaline junkie’s dream.

Maybe he’d see the younger girl later on the train, or even at the school. Maybe she’d even get accepted into his house! Grinning at that prospect, he stopped short of the train door before hoisting the trunk up the couple of stairs. Once up into the familiar coach, he let out a breath, nodding a greeting to someone waving at him, laughing and saying ‘hey!’ to another kid starting to drag their trunk around. He stopped first at his chosen cabin, near the Prefect one, shoving his trunk out of the way.

He was too excited to stick around and chat with anyone stopping in. He gave one guy a pat on the shoulder before pushing past, giving him an apologetic smirk and offered to play a game of wizard chess when he got back. Fixing his pants slightly, tugging them up just a little, he winked at a passing younger girl who gave him a shocked look. He had his belt on! Just not as tight as it could go. The white button up collar shirt was a bit disheveled, half tucked in and buttoned into his denim trousers, the sleeves carelessly shoved up his arms to above his elbows.

George had even been gracious enough to pull on a taupe button vest, open, to help hide some of the bigger wrinkles of his shirt. Just in case his shirt got ripped open (who knew when that might happen in some empty compartment or when stretching too wide), he had the gray tank top underneath. His worn in brown boots felt comfortable, and he walked with confidence towards the cabin he sought.

Stopped once by a friendly helper, he accepted a glass of water and continued on his way, sipping it as he moved out of the path of destructive little children; he thought he even saw Sebastian in the mix. Once to the cabin, he pushed it open and stepped in, his smile dropping when he saw Zoey. Slighty perplexed and a little irritated, he quickly glanced around. Then he felt better. His grin was immediately returned and he moved over to Waker, careful of his water as he wrapped his arm around her tightly and pulled her into a hug, kissing her. It had been way too long since he’d talked her into a trip to the beach. Pulling back, his eyebrows rose and he looked her over, holding her hand out. “You look gorgeous.”

After a brief moment of admiring, he licked his lips and glanced over his shoulder absentmindedly. “McAdams. Con…grats.” He was a Prefect? Interesting. Moving his glass up slightly, George took a step back for a moment, though his foot caught on something (maybe even the leg of a bench behind him). He let out a yell as he propelled backwards, the glass gripped tight in his hand though the contents within did not stay so viselike. They went shooting out as he tried to stop himself from falling on to his back. Finally catching his balance, his arm with the water having waved out at his side throughout the ordeal, he took a moment to breathe, a bit more embarrassed than anything. Gripping the pole tightly, he slowly started to right himself, glad he’d found something to grab on his descent.

Glancing around, he winced. “Sorry mate?”

[[Up to you if he got water on Zoey or whatever]]

Although Jordyn detested having to leave her friends, she was fully willing to take advantage of her new position as prefect in the prefect compartment!  She was going to enjoy all the treats that being a prefect gone one, and looking down at her new badge, well, she couldn’t help but be just a little excited about the whole thing!  After all, she was glad to be able to actually punish her stupid little brothers for being troublemakers now!  And she had access to the prefect bathroom (one dreamed of such things), so life was going rather splendidly.
 
The parting at the platform had been seamless (accepting the accidental dropping of one of her bags, which resulted in quite the glare).  But, otherwise, she kissed both of her parents on the cheek and bid them farewell before swiftly disappearing onto the train.  She personally couldn’t wait to leave each fall – the freedom to do what one wanted at school was so much more fulfilling than anything else.  Not to mention she was getting older and that meant she wasn’t to be treated like her little brothers anymore.  She deserved some extra responsibilities that her parents just did not want to give her.  Smothering her was just so first year! 

So, she confidently strode on the train, almost tripping over a first year (timid little squirt) and though lost her balance for half of a moment, did not let it stop her movement toward her chosen destination: prefect cabin.  She didn’t care if there would be older students in there; it never fazed her much to begin with.  She thought she was right in assuming her place and opened the door to the compartment with poise, smiling in an all too calm manner.  There were a few already in the compartment, some she knew better than others, but again, she was not deterred. 

It appeared there was a little scene going on as well, she had picked the perfect time to appear.  Carter spilled on McAdams, one of the weirder slytherins she had come across.  Really, she didn’t know what business he had dressing himself these days.  He could have passed for some muggle in an asylum.  At least he had no lasting connection to Jordyn, outside of their positions as prefects.  Hopefully he wasn’t head boy and didn’t have any say in changing policy.  She could only imagine the traumatic decisions he would make in regards to wardrobe.  Slipping in behind the clumsy Gryffindor, Jordyn crossed her ankles and daintily plopped into a seat. 

“How smooth of you, Carter,” she tried not to smile too much, but could not help herself.  It was a wonder he made quidditch with grace like that (not that Jordyn really follows the sport... but, one can't help but hear things...) Glancing around the rest of the compartment, amidst the awkward display, she took in the rest of the faces.  “Hello.”

Looking up from her own badge suddenly, and letting her hands drop to her lap, as if she hadn't just been staring at the shiny new treasure, like a child with a Christmas toy, Waker appraised the voice's owner. "Hello..." Zoey McAdams was the sort of person who should have been painted into one of the portraits that adorned the corridors of Hogwarts castle. His silver shorts were nearly reflective, and the shoes looked like they belonged to another era. Waker privately though he rivaled Astrid in the eccentric wardrobe department, and she could never quite decide whether to admire or remain baffled. In the end, it was a bit of both. Waker would never wear anything like it. Her gaze settled on the Slytherin's belt and she narrowed her brows, then raised them.

Meeting his eyes, she opened her mouth, but couldn't quite decide how to respond-- or what she wanted to say first. "I don't know, but I definitely missed silver lycra shorts," she said after a moment. "They're a scarcity in my hometown. Shockingly."

Despite the hundred ways to analyze Zoey, Waker's attention was momentarily drawn to the cat. It seemed content to leisurely coil into the Slytherin. Owls and cats, she thought, were the best pets to bring to Hogwarts. The former was practical, the latter independent. She couldn't say the same for rodents or toads, each of which had the habit of appearing at the most inopportune times, such as the common room in the middle of the night, while Waker was alone and pouring over books. It was slightly (exceptionally) creepy, particularly when she happened to be writing Potions essays that involved ingredients like toad lungs.

Returning the boy's smile ever so slightly, she inclined her brows again. "I'm well, actually." The holiday had gone a lot better than she'd imagined, the internship had seemed a success, and her time spent with George was unlikely to be forgotten. And then there was the Head Girl position. Deciding not to elaborate just yet, she turned the question around. "But possibly not as happy as you," she continued, gesturing toward his ensemble. "I think you could use the word Prefect in there somewhere, Zoey. You might want to let people know." Indeed, it was almost a stranger outfit than usual. Maybe he was in high spirits... maybe it was some sort of victory outfit, and Waker hadn't received the memo. "I hope this doesn't mean you've won the book chall--" She'd been about to inquire after the little reading contest he'd proposed in her yearbook, but the door opened again and in walked...

"George!" She was startled at first, but the surprise melted into a smile, and Waker entangled her arms around his neck to return the kiss before remembering that they were in a rather intimate space with only one other person. Granted, in the past several months, she'd been much more at ease with... expressing herself in public, so to speak. George pulled back, and Waker's eyes fluttered open, her cheeks warming. Her gaze flitted from the Gryffindor to the Slytherin, and back to George. "You look pretty good yourself," she assured him, smirking at him. It really did feel like ages since she'd seen him, though they'd spent their fair share of time together over the summer. She only had a moment to admire, unfortunately, because in a strange combination of bad luck-- water taking flight-- and good luck-- George not managing to break his neck, or waste another of his apparent nine lives-- the weather in the compartment became a little wet.

Waker fumbled from her seat, clutching toward the arm that hadn't grabbed the pole. She instinctively latched onto George, her eyes widening as he came to a steady rest. She wasn't sure whether it was her relief or her surprise at the sheer weirdness of the turn of events that caused her brown gaze to go so doe-like. Her lips parted and she looked to Zoey... and his cat. Was it only a childhold myth, about cats and water? Comically, she seemed to wince even as George did. "Drying spell," she suggested quickly, her opposite hand drawing her wand.

In a feat of perfect timing, the fifth year Slytherin whom Waker knew to be Devlin's newest girlfriend (unless her intel was outdated) made her entrance. Waker gently let go of George's wrist and took the glass from the same hand, balancing it atop the seat. She murmured a drying spell, hoping to help. But her eyes now roamed Jordyn Dimbleby, and the untarnished Prefect's badge that was identical to Zoey's. The deer quality that had danced across her face dissolved, replaced by narrowed eyes. Maybe if Waker had made the playful jibe at George, it would have been fine-- fun, even. Something they could whisper and laugh about later. But when it was someone else, she felt a touch of irritation. "It was smooth," she concurred, giving a sort of fake smile to Jordyn. She pulled at the hem of George's shirt, moving back toward her seat, and encouraging him to sit down with her. She lifted the glass she'd taken from him. "Not even a scratch," she mused aloud, holding it up to the light, and then turning pointedly to the Gryffindor, smiling with more sincerity.

Finally, remembering the wildly dressed Slytherin (how in the world could she have forgotten him, really?), Waker poked her head around and addressed Zoey. "We haven't... drowned you or anything, have we?"

[Outfit]

Beatrix Dark trotted through the train, making a B-line for the first compartment. She heard that the prefects were there... And... Well... She was a prefect. Oh my! Miss Beatrix Dark is a PREFECT!? She stuck her head up high and wore her badge openly on her chest. Which, by the way, showed her cleavage like she was a desperate, unemployed, burlesque dancer, or... Like a snobby pureblood witch with weird clothes and blinding pink hair. Which she was. The snobby pureblood part, that is. Beatrix pushed and shoved her way through the bigger students and yelled on the top of her little voice "MOVE IT, PREFECT COMING THROUGH! I'll have Professor Snark come after you!" Though Analiza Snark probably would never listen to a word the small Ravenclaw had to say. She was, however, a Dark. And the Darks were never really likable people. Another shove and Bea was halfway there. Oh the excitement!

With a swift flick of the hand, Beatrix opened the compartment door and found herself behind a rather tall Gryffindor boy and a Ravenclaw girl "Excuse me." Her bubbly voice called to the very tall man. "I don't mean to interrupt this lovely public display of affection, but this IS the right compartment... Right? You see, I'm a prefect... And I want to be with my fellow prefects..." She then realized the girl was Waker Nolan. Bea knew for a fact that Waker had gotten Head Girl, since Beatrix was a very strange girl and stalked those she admired. "Ohh. Never mind." Her voice sounded a bit airy as she silently moved around the boy, awkwardly, and noticed something immediately much more exciting.

"Zoey!?" She squealed, unable to handle herself. Bea dropped what little things she was carrying and reached her arms out to give Zoey an affectionate hug. She hadn't seen her friend all summer and it was very surprising to have ran into him like this... Especially... As a... Prefect? "OH MY MERLIN! ZOEY! YOU'RE A PREFECT, TOO!" Beatrix exclaimed before jumping up and down with joy. What a lovely year this shall be! She couldn't wait to meet her fellow Ravenclaw prefect, no sir! Beatrix then blinked, dumbly, before turning to Waker Nolan and saying "Oh. Nice to see you, Ms. Nolan."

Now, Mysti made her way to the front of the train, trunk still in tow.  She figured she should probably get up there before everyone got there and she missed out on exciting prefect stuff.  And she was incredibly excited about seeing who else was a prefect! Though, while going to the front, she looked around for some other friends.  And she spotted one not too far in front of her, with brilliant pink hair.

“Bea!” Mysti exclamed, but it was pretty loud and it seemed Beatrix Dark was trying to get through people.  Did she just hear what she thought she heard?

Continuing towards the front, she noticed Beatrix was going up there too.  Could Bea be a prefect too! Oh, that would be just brilliant to be prefects together!  Mysti quickened her pace and watched as Bea made her way into the cabin.  Then she heard a loud exclamation about Zoey, from Bea.  Mysti laughed inwardly and continued on to the cabin, and soon entered.

“Well, hello, Bea. Trying to blast someone’s ears out?” Mysti laughed and looked around the cabin at the others in there.  “Hello, everyone else, too. Doing well I hope?”

Mysti then took her trunk and put it up above everyone’s heads on the luggage rack.  Once she got it up, she nearly fell down.  But thankfully she was able to save herself and just jumped down.  This would be an interesting train ride.  Especially with little miss Plastic herself, Jordyn Dimbleby in the cabin too.  Mysti took a seat where there was some space and waited for more to arrive.

After four previous trips to school, it seemed most of his fellow Hogwarts students had grown accustomed (or at least bored) by the tall, gangly blond boy's abnormal and out of place appearance.  Really, only the youngest kids seemed to be pressing their noses against the train windows, gawking at Sasha as he raced towards the train in his pressed slacks and leaped through the doors, the tail of his randomly selected school blazer catching as they clapped shut behind him.  Carrying his brass-cornered suitcase down the train corridor, looking for a empty seat. As usual, it was pointless to look for an empty compartment. 

The cluster of second years gave him a brief, scathing glance as he hoisted his suitcase up into the luggage rack and slipped into an empty seat.  Resting his head against the corner of compartment, he closed his eyes and took a few minutes to catch his breath.  Under the pretense of catching a 10AM train to Paris, Sasha had had to catch the 6Am train out of Guildford.  It had been a long morning. 

Sasha wasn't sure how long he'd sat there with his eyes closed but, finally, he pushed himself to his feet and fished his recently acquired school letter from his bag and (finally) settled down to read it.  Of course, he knew what was on the supply list - by the time he'd gotten to Flourish and Blotts, enough students had already purchased their books that the shopkeeper knew which books Sasha needed.  But, there was still something about reading that official letter - of feeling the parchment in his fingers. 

Of watching the badge and spare letter fall into his lap?

Sasha picked up the badge and turned it over in his fingers.  He blinked several times as he stared at the small P nestled in the Ravenclaw shield before looking towards the younger boy next to him for verification.  The boy was, still, pointedly ignoring Sasha in favor of his friends.  Unfolding the spare letter, Sasha read through the congratulatory letter.  As he reread the All prefects will meet in the prefect's compartment on the Hogwarts Express, he could feel his chest tighten and his shoulders sag.

"Scheiße!" Sasha called, causing the younger students to jump.  Quickly, he launched himself to his feet and, after grabbing his fake school blazer from his seat, he dashed from his compartment into the hall.  Half a car down, he stopped and raced back, grabbing his suitcase from the overhead compartment before dashing, again, for the first car. 

Muttering "scheiße, scheiße , scheiße" under his breath, Sasha pushed himself through the compartment door and skidded to a stop.  "Sorry, sorry, sorry" he continued to mutter, substituting the apology for the german profanity.  "I didn't -"  What?  Know?  That wasn't a way to start.  Really, there was no reasonable explanation so he gave up the attempt.  "Sorry," he simply offered without any idea of what to say instead.

Josh pushed towards the Prefect's compartment from his position near his brother's compartment, where he had been sitting. He had the prefects' badge on his Muggle clothes, he would change later.  Arriving at the previously forbidden area, the prefect's Compartment, he opened the door and stepped inside. " Bea! I didn't know you were a Prefect too!" Josh exclaimed, it was somewhat of a surprise.

“George!”

Talk about a butterfly feeling in his stomach. He didn’t mind hearing her say his name like that… Surprise was fun. It was even better when she responded in kind. She was quite a little minx, surprising as well the longer he spent with her. He liked it, though. Very much. Putting his arm out and shrugging slightly at her returned compliment, he grinned at her, his eyes moving over her face. It had been too long since he’d seen her. “I have to do what I can to look as good as you.”

George was lucky enough to have a sweet girlfriend who helped him from falling onto the floor. Or at least offer a worried grasp. Drying spell, why hadn’t he thought of that? Oh right, because he wasn’t the brainiac out of the two. Not that he minded; he liked the fact that he had such an intelligent young woman to show off on his arm.

“How smooth of you, Carter.”

Raising an eyebrow at the younger girl, George grunted as he pulled himself back up, fixing his shirt slightly. He chuckled when Waker spoke up for him and he winked at her, letting her pull at his shirt without so much as a word. Sitting down next to her, he looked at the glass as well, leaning a little closer and grinning wide. “You’re amazing.” Kissing her cheek, he took the glass from her. He wouldn’t mind just watching her for a bit. He forgot how many Prefects there were, though, and knew it wouldn’t be a very quiet trip in this cabin.

When she asked Zoey a question, he glanced towards the fellow classmate and made an apologetic face. “Sorry mate, still getting used to my feet I guess. The cat al—?” Then the door opened and a loud voice came through. His eyes moved to the new addition and it went to move back to Zoey, whom he’d been asking how the cat was, when he realized what he’d just seen. His eyes quickly flittered back and his eyebrows rose just briefly. His eyes were not as smart as he would have hoped.

They traveled down to the boots but definitely admired the top for a brief moment. Then he reminded herself she wasn’t anywhere near his year. And that Waker was next to him, and his shoulder touched hers. So in the span of a few seconds he quickly looked her way, trying to appear innocent. It was the pink hair that caught him off guard, honest.

Then they started coming in one after another and George felt more and more cramped. Making a face, he saw another kid from his house come in. Nodding to Josh, George leaned over and kissed Waker on the cheek. “I should let you guys get to it then. I’ll save you a seat if you get a chance.” Winking once more, he squeezed her hand before standing up. “Excuse me…” He walked past the crowd and out of the Prefect cabin, chuckling to himself before heading back to the cabin he’d taken as his little area. Maybe Sebastian would be around.

As more people entered the compartment, room kept getting smaller and smaller. George Carter, prefect for Gryffindor, congratulated him with somewhat awkwardness and surprise. But just as soon as George congratulated him, he spilled a drink on him. Notorious immediately hissed, claws dug into his legs and arms, and the cat was out the door, running down the train. Zoey wouldn't go after her, considering she would return once she was dry. Pulling his wand out, he cast a quick dry spell on himself, and then regained his posture, rubbing the claw wounds. "It's alright Carter. But I only forgive you cause you're a sexy boy." If Carter wanted awkward, Zoey was prepared to give it to him.

Finally, when a giant, red ball of hair entered the room, he was happier than he'd been all summer. It was his old friend, his best friend, his other half, Beatrix Eleanor Audrey Dark. Immediately, she pounced him, exclaiming happy greetings. He pulled her into him, allowing her the spot his cat once was in. With her on his lap, he smiled bigger than ever. "Beatrix, my love," He placed a kiss on her cheek, "Oh, how I've missed you in my life. Marry me, darling, so we'll never be apart." He smiled, holding her on his lap. Sure, they were a weird pair, but they were soulmates... sort of.

Turning his attention back to George, who was about to ask him about the cat, he read him quickly and contributed, "She'll be fine, Carter. I don't doubt it. She just needs to dry off." Others started entering the compartment, and soon it was getting packed. He let Beatrix sit on his lap, as to save some room, and because she wasn't a nuisance at all to him.