Chapter Text
Oh, this is just impossible, I think as I let my eyes fly over the crowd of people on the platforms. Between the loud noise of the train whistles, the hurrying footsteps of commuters who are late, and pleasant stroll of those who are enjoying a day off, the chaos that is King's Cross Station makes me terribly lost and out of place. I look at the ticket again and let out a deep sigh. You just know it’s magical when your ticket says you have to be at platform “9 ¾”. It is slowly starting to look like I will miss the train on my first day of school.
Yet another new school... I hate his so much.
The familiar feelings of insecurity and anxiety make me feel small, just like when I was little and my dad held my hand when we walked to the gate on my first day. First days, I must say - I've been to so many schools that I'm afraid I lost count already. The feeling is even worse today because my dad can’t walk me to the gate this time. In fact, he is not even walking me to the platform; I just have to see how to get there myself. Though I'm not sure how.
Just a moment ago my parents dropped me off at Kings Cross station, both smiling at me half-heartedly; I could see in their eyes that their minds were already occupied with other things - that important business meeting, that presentation that needs refinement, the budget for this quarter...
“I’m sure you’ll like Hogwarts, sweetie” my mom had said. “I had a great time there myself, I just know you will love our common room!” Apparently she already “just knew” I would follow in her footsteps and be put in the Hufflepuff house too.
“I’m sorry we can’t come with you to the train, but you won’t be alone, honey,” my dad said when he gave me a hug. “Soobin will be waiting for you at platform 9 ¾.”
Right, Soobin, my best friend from back when we lived in South Korea for some time. A guy I haven’t seen in seven years will pick me up from the platform. How am I supposed to find him when I can’t even clearly remember his face? Whenever I try to think of what he looked like, for some reason images of bunnies keep popping up in my head. That will be really helpful… My anxiety slowly worsens as I return to the moment and start pushing my trolley towards the platform which I truly hope is the right one.
My mom tried to explain to me which barrier I apparently need to run through to get to 9 ¾, but I think her memory must have gotten worse after all these years because when I try to put my hand through the one she described, all I can feel is cold brick stones. Great, now what, try out all the barriers on the platform?
I am starting to feel lost already, and it must show as I repeatedly, and increasingly more in panic, tap the stone arc trying to find a way through, because suddenly a boy approaches me and asks: “Are you by any chance looking for platform 9 ¾?”
He smiles at me shyly, and I'm immediately endeared. He has a very sweet appearance: his eyes are brown and almond-shaped, his nose is a little pointy (in a cute way) and his hair has a slight curly wave in it. He is also very tall for his age, since I presume he is a few years younger than me because of his boyish looks. A bit baffled I stare at him, and his face changes into slight panic, like he realises he made a big mistake by asking a muggle about platform 9 ¾.
But before he can open his mouth again I stutter: “Y-yes, I am looking for 9 ¾. Could you show me where it is?”
He seems relieved as he smiles and says: “But of course, follow me!”
A few moments later I find myself on platform 9 ¾ together with the sweet boy. I thank him profoundly, because I'm pretty sure I would have missed the train completely without him tapping in.
“You’re welcome,” he says with a cute smile, amused by my relief. He opens his mouth to say more, but is distracted by a women in the distance yelling: “Hueningkai! What took you so long?”
He blushes and says to me: “Ah, that’s my mom. Sorry, I’ve got to go. See you around!”
I wave him goodbye and wonder about his strange name. Never met someone called Hueningkai before.
I’ve successfully taken one hurdle by getting to the platform, but now I have to try to find Soobin.
Somewhere. In this massive crowd.
I look around for boys with an Asian appearance, and I do notice some. A bit further away, a cute boy with huge, innocent, round eyes hugs his parents goodbye; but he is clearly in Ravenclaw house, and I know Soobin is a Hufflepuff. Closer to me, an attractive boy with grey hair (must be dyed) chats cheerily with his friends as they get on the train, bouncing around as if he just can’t contain his excitement, but the group wears red and gold colours, so again the wrong house. I let out a deep sigh and feel like I should just give up and step on the train, when someone taps me carefully on the shoulder with a soft “Excuse me?”
I turn around, and find that I have to look up to meet the eyes of the guy now standing in front of me. His black, straight hair is parted in the middle and partly falls over his very dark, almost black eyes. He has a cute nose that slightly scrunches because he is smiling at me sheepishly now, and two dimples pop up at his cheeks.
Those dimples… Wait a minute.
Then he mentions my name and asks if that is, by any chance, me. I am stunned when I realise that it is indeed Soobin who is standing in front of me. Looking at his face, I suddenly understand where all the bunny thoughts came from. But damn, he has gotten tall. And he is quite good-looking, actually.
Wait, what am I thinking?
I snap out of it and force a smile. “Yes, that’s me,” I manage to say, and then I don’t know what to do. Shake his hand? Or give him a hug?
Soobin’s smile grows even brighter, his eyes are sparkling.
“Ah I just knew it! So nice to see you again, it has been so long,” he says, and then he gives me a warm hug, which brings back a lot of memories.
We make some small talk as Soobin, like a real gentleman, carries my luggage onto the train. I follow him to one of the cabins to sit with him and his friends, and I am surprised to see the doe-eyed Ravenclaw and the grey-haired Gryffindor waiting for us. My mom always made it sound like people from different Houses didn’t really get along...
“Hyung, who is this fair maiden you brought along?” the handsome Gryffindor asks Soobin in Korean when he gets up.
“Hi, how are you? I am Beomgyu,” he says charmingly in English when he shakes my hand. His hand is very soft, and he holds mine delicately, like I’m some precious flower.
“Hello, I am fair maiden,” I answer in Korean, and then we all laugh at Beomgyu’s shocked face.
“You-you can speak Korean?” he stutters, his air of coolness leaving the room.
“I still can, though it has been a while, so it’s a little rusty,” I answer him, and then I proceed to greet the Ravenclaw, who introduces himself as Taehyun.
“Soobin-hyung never told us you were this pretty,” he says with a cheeky smile, making me blush heavily and unable to reply.
As soon as we sit down, the train starts to move towards Hogwarts.
“I was just wondering, how come it is your first day?” Beomgyu asks me. “You don’t seem fourteen to me,” he continues as he looks at me from head to toe, making me feel just a tad uncomfortable.
I shake my head and sigh. “No, I am starting in the fifth year actually.”
“Oh? So you’re our noona!” Beomgyu smiles.
“She is even my noona, now I think of it,” Soobin ponders.
“I guess so. I transferred here from Beauxbatons, and before that one from Mahoutokoro, and before that..." I quickly realise it's a bit too complicated and maybe also unnecessary to relay my entire academic career, so I just conclude with: "Ah, never mind. It's just that my dad switches jobs a lot..."
“Oh that sucks, having to start at new schools so many times…” Taehyun looks at me pitifully; I just nod my head in silence.
“You’ll be fine, I’ll help you around, noona,” Soobin tries to cheer me up as he pats my head.
“Are you already convinced she’ll end up in your house, hyung? She seems more like a Gryffindor to me,” Beomgyu chimes in. “I can show you around our common room if you like, noona,” he says with a smirk as he winks at me.
Soobins friends sure are flirty, I wonder as I once again feel my cheeks become red.
“Her mom was a Hufflepuff too, I just know she will join me,” Soobin says confidently and then he smiles at me warmly, which makes my heart flutter just a little.
I am starting to feel like this is going to be a long train ride…