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 Was it just Imogen or had the train ride lasted forever? And it hadn't even been fun because Callum had been so mean to her. Calling her Mo and bossing her around and saying he didn't even want to marry her. Who did that? Who made a girl cry? And why wouldn't he want to marry her? That was so... it was just stupid! She was pretty and wealthy and well bred and pureblood - practically perfect! What more did the stupid oaf want?

 But the past was behind her now. The train ride was over, she'd had her dinner and chatted with friends, and now she was all settled in to her dorm room again. It was so nice to be back! Away from parental supervision and her idiotic baby sister. If they would only expell Geoff and let her skip all her classes, Hogwarts would be perfect. And she was certain that once she wrote to her Daddy, Callum would be much nicer to her, whatever he may have said to the contrary. Her Daddy could fix anything.

 So as Imogen flopped on her bed with her extremely fat, extremely grumpy tabby cat, Duchess, she wasn't feeling too badly about life. Actually, she had a lot to be excited about. She had a boyfriend now. Sure, right now he didn't want to be, but he was stuck with her and eventually he would accept that and realize it really was the best thing that had ever happened to him. And he was older and so handsome and perfect...Plus, she was willing to bet she was the only third year girl with a fiancé. Hah! All she needed now was someone to brag about it to.

It was awful when you had holiday in the tropics and school in the tundra—at least that’s how Naomi viewed returning to the UK from holidays.

Although, there was also the matter that every other step she took in Jamaica led to a party or trouble, whereas fun didn’t just happen at Hogwarts, you had to find it, or make it yourself. It was a rather depressing for Naomi to return, but she didn’t plan on staying still for very long.

She scuttled up the steps of the 3rd years girl dorm in her black leggings and tall grey boots, bracing her gloved hand on the stone wall of the staircase, keeping her limbs from freezing off. She didn’t want to adapt to this climate again. And she didn’t want to be snug in her hooded jacket, splaying over her thighs like a dress bottom to keep the upper parts of her legs warm. The girl entered the dorms with a rather bored expression, gift-wrapped with a green-striped scarf and framed with wild and loose curls and bangs, passing over Imogen Marsh and her fat cat.

Naomi strolled over to a window by her bed, contemplating what to do before school started, but the idea of getting away with something without anyone really being around to care to catch her or stop her yet seemed unexciting. Instead, she pulled out a parchment, quill, and something to write on, slid back on her bed, and tried to will herself to write a letter to her uncles before they drowned her with gillyweed again and tossed her in the lagoon again.

There was only so much gill breathing and water sporting you could do before you just felt like someone rolled you up in seaweed and served you up on a platter.

Ohhh, there was Naomi! After three years, Imogen wasn't exactly sure that the other girl liked her, and Miss Foley certainly seemed to be making an effort to ignore her at this present moment. But Imogen didn't require an enthusiastic listener. She just needed someone with a pair of ears, who was willing to nod and smile at her as she rambled gloatingly on.

 "Naomiiiii!" She sing-songed at the other girl, rolling over onto her tummy and propping her chin up on her hand, smiling widely as though they were the best of friends. Which, at the moment, Imogen had decided that they were. "How were your holidays? Did you have the best time? I bet you did, you got to go to the beach and everything right? That must be soooo super nice. I was stuck at home all break."

 Imogen rambled on, twirling a strand of bright red hair around one finger, and at this heaved a dramatic sigh. "Staying home was so boring. My little sister wanted to cling to me every second of every day." It had seriously hampered her social life, not to mention done damage to her reputation. It was impossible to look grown up and cool when you were hanging out with a child.  "And it was like, super cold out."

 "But it wasn't all bad," she added optimistically. Was the other girl listening? She wasn't sure. But she assumed so. Who wouldn't want to listen to the riveting tale of her Christmas holidays? "I got loads of shopping done and my Cousin Jasper - Jasper Marsh, you know, the musician - took me to the Winter Fest in Hogsmeade and we went ice skating. And I got some really nice Christmas presents and, oh, by the way..." she paused dramatically, cheeks flushing pink in excitement, and carefully watched the other girl to take note of her reaction, "I'm engaged!"

Naomi heard the rustle of the bed as Imogen threw her attention upon her and sang her name. Naomi rolled her lips together absent-mindedly and then directed her hazel green irises up at the red-headed third year. She didn’t mind company, but she wasn’t sure whether the girl was going to be tolerable or not, she really didn’t have anything against her, but she wasn’t sure if she quite wanted to put up with it at the moment. But the other girl’s smile was somewhat assuring.

Then Imogen commented on her holidays, of course she had the best time, why wouldn’t she? Although she had never known Imogen was fascinated by her trips back to Jamaica, or really cared, and Naomi was rather satisfied knowing someone else enjoyed the warmer climate compared to the dreary winter. A pleasant and calm expression overtook her Naomi and she just shrugged, trying to shrug off the lulled sense of calm, but to no avail. She might have said something, but Imogen didn’t really stop long enough to let Naomi give any input. She was just on one of her jumbled rambles about something and nothing.

Naomi then lazily nodded as she looked back down at her parchment, trying to read, but her head was only filled with Imogen’s holiday news. Should she just give up writing a letter and pay attention to the girl? She didn’t really want to, but it was the most logical option. Instead she just kept staring down at her parchment. Yes, she knew the musician. Maybe she wanted to ice skate, but she enjoyed swimming and drinking smoothies more. Naomi got presents too, although only Liadan ever takes her shopping… Engaged?

The Jamaican girl’s lips pursed in curiosity, but she tried to twist them to a calmer expression as she eyed her parchment, but all she felt was disbelief. Was she pulling her leg, Naomi tilted her head a little and looked up at the girl. The flushed red cheeks and excited smile and squeal told her otherwise, and Naomi felt a pang of jealousy inside of her.

She was in no rush to get engaged, but it was convenient for it happen at such a young age. But she wasn’t about to ramble on about herself, “Congrad’ulations,” she milked out. Now what else was the red-headed Slytherin going to go on about, she wasn’t going to continuously throw more jarring revelations at Naomi, was she?

Erin was running a little bit late.  Not that wasn't unusual, it was just her since of misdirection took her...well anywhere.  It was not so much as she did not know where she was going, as much as she changed where she wanted to be.  Consequently, she walked in a lot of circles.  Her mother said that was good for her calves, but said something about a lady being on time.  Erin did try to please her mother, but there was just so much to do, so much to see, and so much to play with in this world.

As she skipped up the stairs, she heard her roommate, say "I'm engaged,".  She had to stop for a moment.  The announcement was sufficiently shocking that even Erin paid attention to that tidbit of information.  Now that she had actually processed it, she squealed "Congratulations! Ooh- When's the wedding?" Erin asked.  After all if there was engagement, Erin assumed that there would be a wedding. 

Of course, that was all Erin's mind could process at any one time. She shortly reverted to playing with one of her bright and shiny objects, happily watching it bounce up and down on her bed. 

 Naomi's response was not as high pitched or loquaicious as Imogen would have liked, but it was a response, and consequently proved that the other girl was not ignoring her, as the red head had momentarily feared. Imogen just couldn't handle being ignored. Her smile widened, and she nodded. If she hadn't been the teensiest little bit afraid of Naomi, she would have done the whole squealing-and-hugging thing.

 Instead, she opened her mouth to continue babbling on but was distracted by the entrance of her other roommate - Miss Erin Dark. Imogen's mouth remained fixed in a little "o" for a moment, before her grin took over again and she bounced a couple times on the bed. Another listener! One who obviously appreciated the grave importance and excitement of the occasion! Oh, this was fantastic.

 "Four years," she heaved a dramatic sigh, as if this were some great tragedy. It sort of was. Being married would mean Imogen was set for life. She would have wealth and security and social standing - all of that stuff that was supposed to be so important. Callum would have to love her best of all, even if he didn't want to, and she could go live with him and his family and no one could tell her what to do anymore because she would be a lady. But she still found the entire idea sort of odd and slightly unsettling and scary. She supposed she just needed to get used to it.

 And in the meantime, she wasn't going to let anyone know about her uncertainties. She would just show everyone how ecstatically happy she was - or at least, was going to be. This was something to gloat over and gloat she would! "I have to finish Hogwarts first and he has to start a fabulous career so he can afford to get us a biiig house and buy me lots of pretty things and take me to parties. But it's going to so nice! Mrs. Imogen Knight!" The redhead flopped onto her back and giggled. "It sounds quite sophisticated, don't you think?"

Naomi was a bit surprised that Imogen just kept talking, since she really didn’t offer much in terms of conversation, then again, nothing ever stopped the red-head before. The tall Slytherin girl just rolled over on her side and put down the pitifully blank parchment beside her on her sheets.

Then Erin entered and Naomi took in the blonde girl for a minute. Then she decided that maybe Imogen could focus her attention on Erin, although Erin’s attention span was a bit of a problem, but maybe Imogen wouldn’t care about that. 

But then the Dark sibling gave Imogen fuel for her unstoppable babbling and Naomi was tempted to just pull the curtains on her bed and cast a sound-filtering charm. Of course she couldn’t exactly recall how to do it so she just tapped her quill on the letter and treated Imogen as white noise. Maybe there was a spell for that too, so she didn’t have to listen to Imogen talk the rest of the day away.

Maybe Naomi just had to say something to quiet the red-head Slytherin, or divert her attention away from her and over to someone who cared to care, although she was almost positive Erin wasn’t that someone, it was close enough, “I guess eet depends on how so-fist-ticated you are when di’ bot’h of you grow up.” She wagged her quill a bit without looking up, “Four yeers, ‘dats a lot of time.” Naomi finished off, not exactly understanding what she was saying, but it sounded like a good way to turn Imogen off, to Naomi, anyway.

Erin had completely zone out after Imogen said something about four years.  She had been, once more, completely and utterly distracted.  Realizing that her roommates were actually having a conversation, Erin decided she needed to contribute something to it.  She did not have a clue about what they were talking about until Naomi spoke up.  Four years. Engaged.

"I'm not sure I could remember to do something in four years," Erin commented, completely honest, not really caring how it sounded.  Of course, Erin had a hard time remembering what she was supposed to be doing tomorrow, and she had a pair of victims friends that reminded her what to do for five of her seven classes.  Noticing that a bright and shiny object had somehow landed on her bed, Erin picked it up and put it in her dresser.  She was about to make a further comment on the engagement, but then saw her roommate from the Caribbean. 

She was wagging her quill.  Wondering what that meant-

"Did we have an assignement due over the break?" Erin asked, knowing she didn't do it if there was one.

"Oh I'm going to be super sophisticated," Imogen assured Naomi quickly, completely confident in this. How could she not be? She was a Marsh. Her family practically bled elegance and sophistication. It was just the way things were. Some people were born fabulous, some people weren't. Imogen was fortunate enough to be one of the former.

Her roommate was right, however. Four years was a long time. And Imogen was kind of glad. She was only just barely fourteen, she wasn't ready to get married soon. Besides, in her current, developing state, she wouldn't exactly fill out the bodice of a wedding dress properly. She needed that extra four years to, um, mature. "It is a long time," she agreed, nodding. "But it'll give me plenty of time to plan, and pick out my bridesmaids and everything. You guys are invited of course!" She offered grandly, favoring the two girls with a bright smile. It would, naturally, be the event of the year. In four years.

Of course, Erin apparently wasn't confident that she could even remember. This was not entirely surprising. Erin was good natured and friendly, but she had an even shorter attention span than Imogen! She probably couldn't remember to do something in four minutes. "I'll send you an invitiation to remind you," she offered, nodding.

Did they have an assignment due? Really? How could Erin think about school work at a time like this?! Imogen was almost offended that her dorm mate wasn't more enthralled by her exciting news. "I don't know," she replied, carefully smoothing out the mildly annoyed frown that was threatening to take over her features. "The engagement drove homework completely out of my mind!"

An invitation to a wedding, in four years, for one of the Knight brothers? Naomi couldn’t say she was exactly thrilled at jumping on and accepting an invitation to the event. Maybe for Blake’s wedding, but she hardly cared much for Callum and Imogen’s wedding. If she went it would probably be for the sake of bothering Blake.

Of course then there was her being so confident in the fact that she would remember inviting them years from now, or would still want to, especially since the red-headed Slytherin seemed quick to forget other engagements, “Storm prolly was havin’ us do somet’in. Not what I got here though” Naomi eyes snaked over to Imogen’s face, catching the twitch of annoyance in the other girl’s expression.

She just about gave up on writing a letter and just flipped her quill through her fingers, somewhat bored, and idily creeped out her tone, “Wasn’t aware ‘dat somet’in due next week topped somet’in four years away.”

Erin was surprised.  To her, it seemed as if the entire dorm had gone quiet for almost a month, but as soon as her dormmate spoke up, it seemed to put some life back into their small party.  Her thoughts on relativity and the nature of time would have to wait.  For one, she had neither the vocabulary nor the astronomy background to actually use any of those words in a sentence.  More importantly though, her dormmates were expecting a response. 

Erin was not entirely sure, but it seemed like Naomi was egging on Imogen.  Erin really couldn't be too sure though, sometimes she was sure she was the only reason her two dormmates got along.  Not because they were all the best of friends, but because it took at least two people to keep track of the easily distracted witch.  Regardless of her thoughts on the matter, her dormmates had made a few comments.  Now was as good as anytime to join the conversation. 

"Ooh.  That's probably a good idea to send me an invitation.  Congratulations again, that really is an accomplishment," this thought turned her to thoughts of Percy.  And how he still had not made a move.  Her roommate had gotten engaged, and Erin had gotten nowhere with boys.  Which was kind of sad, considering she had her first modelling shoot over the break.  Granted, it had only been a couple of days back, but the young witch had gaga-eyes for the Ravenclaw Fifth year.  Still, when she started thinking of Percy, she could not hold a bad mood for long.  She was on a rapid train to la-la Land.