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It was just his luck. Every carriage he came across was either filled, or had some unsavory looking people in them. He wasn’t one to judge, but many of the Slytherins made him nervous.
“What a great way to start the new year.” John grumbled to himself. He was about to give up and sit wherever there was a small bit of space in a Ravenclaw carriage when he came across a nearly empty one. There was only one occupant and he had to tilt his head slightly to get a good look at her.
The brown haired Slytherin was sitting with her back in the seat and her legs crossed above her head against the seat’s backboard. She seemed to be very closely concentrating on a magazine and upon further investigation, John realized it was the laughed at Quibbler.
Without looking up from her article she smiled and nodded. “Well are you going to stand there or come in?” John jumped slightly and bit his lip.
“Why isn’t anyone in here with you?” In a flash the girl flipped around and sat with her legs crossed, it somehow managed to be perfectly graceful and John swallowed. Her cool blue eyes finally turned to him and he felt like that were boring into his soul.
“People think I’m…a bit too much. I don’t really fit in, not that I mind. I know I’m better than all of them and that’s what matters.” She gave him a sweet smile and it nearly defused the sharpness of her statement. She gestured to the seat across from her and John reluctantly went in and sat down, carefully avoiding eye contact as he set his personal stuff down.
Finally he had nothing left to mess with and had to turn to her. She thrust her hand out at him and gave him a toothy grin. “I’m Missy, Missy Saxon, third year Slytherin.” He looked between the hand and her and hesitantly took it. He was not prepared for her to pull him forward and plant a chaste kiss to his cheek before letting him go and flopping back in her chair.
John felt a deep blush creep up his skin and he cursed his genetics, this girl was crazy! It took him a moment to remember words existed, but when he did he stuttered out, “I’m em, J…John Smith, a third year Ravenclaw.” She watched him like he was some pathetic adorable little animal and that only made him blush more.
“A third year like me! Isn’t that great!” Her nose crinkles slightly and John felt his eyes drawn to the movement. “John Smith? Don’t your parents love you?” John looked away then with a noncommittal sound.
His name was always a sore point between him and his parents. They were both obsessed with Muggle things and he had to deal with the consequences. They had their last names legally changed to Smith before he was born and when they found out they were going to have a son they decided to make his name the most Muggle they could. He hated it.
Missy looked him up and down under her lashes and gave a sneaky looking smirk. “I think it suits you and do you know what John? I’m going to let you be my best friend! You really should feel proud. Now you should probably let your other friends know that you won’t be spending time with them much anymore.”
John was thrown completely and the only part of that he could process at the moment was the other friends part. “I..I em, I don’t have other friends…” He fidgeted in his seat, trying to cope with everything that was happening. All he wanted was to find a nice place to sit until the train arrived at Hogwarts.
“Oh you poor wee lamb! Why not?” She was leaning forward with her chin rested on both hands, watching him like he was the most fascinating thing in the universe, it was quite unsettling.
“I’m just not interested in friends. I’m happy being alone. I’m better alone.” He didn’t mention that all the friends he had once had left him, they all leave him in the end. Missy looked at him with genuine concern.
“John,” Her voice was soft. “Everyone should have friends, but if you like, we can be not friends together. Okay?” He looked at her for a moment before nodding.
“Not friends then.”