Chapter Text
Wednesday 1st September, 1971
Camille Winchester has an ordinary life.
Well, ordinary is relative, she supposes, but the fact remains that most of the things she worries about on a day to day basis are little. Which album to listen to today, if she should cut her hair, what she might want to be when she grows up. Nothing too out of place for an 11-year-old girl.
There is, of course, the other part.
That's what she's mainly concerned about now. Her dad told her she could bring 5 records to her new school, the one full of stories and whimsy and sparks of new adventure, and she's sure that 5 isn't nearly enough for a place like this. She's bringing Bridge Over Troubled Water, of course, and a few others that she couldn't bring herself to leave behind. She considers for a moment before stuffing Moondance into her trunk as well, hoping her dad won't care. She takes one look around her bedroom, like they do in stories, before turning around and closing the door behind her.
She sits for breakfast, like she normally would. She kicks her feet under the table, feeling like the sun was made only for this day. Her mum smiles as she spreads jam on her toast. "You excited for your first day then?" Camille nods. Her mother sits across from her, passing the plate, a knowing look on her face. "Alright well, fill me in. What're you the most excited about?"
Camille chews thoughtfully for a moment, contemplating. She's excited to use her new wand, of course, and to know new people. -- The thought of meeting them put a bad feeling in her stomach, but to know them? She couldn't think of anything she wanted more. Well except... -- "Sorting, I think."
Her mum arches an eyebrow. "Oh yeah, which house do you want?"
She shrugs, she's not really though about it much, to be honest. "I guess I'm more just excited about being sorted."
Her dad comes to sit down as well, a tired but happy look behind his spectacles. Camille remembers how he spent most of last night sorting records for the shop. "Well, wherever you're at will be great, I'm sure."
Her dad didn't know much about Hogwarts, not having been there himself and generally contented to worry about what affects him. Camille wishes she were like that, sometimes, but she generally puts the thought to rest fairly quickly. She's been told she's a dreamer by just about everyone older than her, and when she lets herself acknowledge it, it's actually one of the things she's proudest of about herself.
She finishes her toast so quickly that by the time her parents are done, she's already got her nose in a book. In fact, she continues reading it the entire car ride to the station, and by the time she looks up, she's standing on the platform, looking up at her dad. His eyes are slightly misty.
That happens to her a lot, that sort of rushing of time. Some days the minutes feel like hours, but others there's only milliseconds all at once, like she's being jumbled forward by time itself. She kicks herself internally for letting it happen again, closes her book, hugs her mum and dad goodbye, and waves as she steps onto the train.
She fixes her hair, suddenly feeling out of place. She's heard stories, of course, mostly from her mum.
She just hopes she can live up to some of them.
She walks past most compartments, not quite sure where she'll fit in. She settles on a mostly empty one in the back. A sweet looking girl with long straight hair is talking to someone with a book in her lap. She takes a breath before sliding open the glass door. The girl looks up at her, and she sees who she was talking to. A black-haired boy with forlorn features. He speaks first. "Can we... help you?"
Camille fiddles with her necklace, -- 'Amethyst, for confidence', -- her mother had said. "Er- I was just... sorry-"
The red-headed girl hits him lightly with her book. "Oh don't be rude, Sev," She admonishes, "Wanna sit with us?"
Camille nods, sliding the door closed behind her before sitting next to the girl. "Yeah, thanks.
I'm Camille." She holds her hand out, and the girl takes it.
"Lily. That's Severus, he's my friend." The boy sizes her up, and she shifts uncomfortably, but apparently he decides she's alright, because he holds his hand out too. Camille takes it.
"Erm, hi. I'm Camille."
He raises an eyebrow. "You mentioned."
"Right, sorry."
They fall into a silence for a moment, and Camille looks around the compartment. The train has yet to start moving. She stares at the brick wall out the window for a moment before looking back at Lily's book. "What're you reading?"
Lily's eyes light up. "Hogwarts: A History. It's wonderful. I hadn't heard of the place, until I got the letter that is." Camille notices Lily's accent, the way she drops her H's at the
beginning of certain words. She likes it. "Are you muggle-born too?"
Camille shakes her head. "My dad's a muggle, but my mum's a witch. I've heard lots of stories."
Lily's face turns serious. "You have stories of Hogwarts?"
Camille shrugs. "Er- yeah, I reckon."
Lily turns in the booth so she's sitting on her knees, facing Camille completely. "Tell me everything."
"Oh- well er- My mum was a Ravenclaw, and she-" Someone raps at the door, a dark haired boy with coyote-like features. "Oi, Severus, me and the other's grabbed a spot up front, come join."
Severus grins, nodding to Lily. "Can she come too?"
The boy shrugs. "I s'pose." Severus grabs Lily's hand and drags her out of the compartment. She throws an apologetic look at Camille on her way out. The door slides closed. Camille stares at her hands.
The train starts moving.