Phloem said
Gus snapped his head back up at the voice, turning to the source. Standing in the doorway was a girl -- a year or two younger than him, he reckoned. And if his memory served him correctly, the redhead was a Ravenclaw. He'd only seen her in school a few times and they didn't know each other too well, if at all. But, if there was one thing Gus was good at, it was meeting new people. Snapping the book he had been reading shut, his lips formed themselves into an endearingly lopsided grin. The Complete Encyclopedia Of Toadstools wasn't exactly the most exciting reading material, and now he actually had a reason to put it off. "Yeah, go right ahead." Gus replied, motioning at the cushioned bench opposite of him. It was only then he spotted Charlie unceremoniously sprawled all over said bench as if it was her territory and hers alone. An exasperated sigh escaped from Gus as he grabbed ahold of the cat, translocating her onto a spot beside him instead. Despite the cat's initial protests, she ended up deeming her new location as good as the previous one and settled down, curling up into a multicoloured ball of fluff. "Sorry about that. Charlie here thinks she owns the entire world."Right as he was finished apologising for his cat, Gus noticed that the newcomer had a cat as well. Truth be told, it wasn't all that surprising since cats were one of the more popular choices of pets here at Hogwarts. Don't get him wrong, toads and owls were great and all, but they lacked the cuddliness that most people looked for in a furry companion. Not to mention that toads lacked the furry part entirely. And cats were a personal favourite of Gus. Back at home, in spite of his parents' objections, he routinely made the rounds of the neighbourhood with an extra large plastic bag filled with tinned cat food for the strays. So it was to his utter delight that this girl from Ravenclaw had an ocicat cradled in her arm."Oh, you have a cat too!" Gus blurted out before he could stop himself. "What's his name? A moment later, Gus realised that he hadn't even introduced himself yet. "...Oh god, sorry. Where are my manners? Augustus Stoker, very nice to meet you." He stuck a hand a for the redheaded girl to shake. "And you are?"
Frankie was more than relieved at the news; the other compartments were either a bit too crowded or a bit too daunting. She had no problems with Slytherins, but when two Slytherins are in a room together
alone, you begin to dread what they could be cooking up. The only daughter of the Blackwood family snapped the compartment door shut behind her before sitting in the spot where the boy’s cat had just been. The cat in her arms, which had once been struggling but since fallen limp, was let go and he promptly began scouting the train room.
“Sorry about that. Charlie here thinks she owns the entire world.” The Hufflepuff chuckled and Frankie shrugged her shoulders. She would have said something, but the boy quickly changed the subject with an exclaimed, “Oh, you have a cat too! What’s his name?”
“Oh, this little devil? His name’s Jabber because he never shuts up.” Jabber seemed to mewl in protest at the insult. Jabber had begun to sniff at the boy’s luggage once he had finally made it up to the top railings where it was stowed. Shaking her head, the redhead diverted her attention back to the guy at hand.
“…Oh god, sorry. Where are my manners? Augustus Stoker, very nice to meet you. And you are?” Frankie took the proffered hand, shaking it twice before letting go.
“You talk a lot.” Frankie chuckled, not in an annoyed manner but just as if it was a fact. Then again, it might just be because she’s new. “I’m Frankie Blackwood, Ravenclaw fifth year. You play on Quidditch, don’t you? I remember seeing you. I’m not much of a fan of the sport myself – I’m afraid of heights – but, to my knowledge, you’re pretty good.”
The redhead hoped the train would be leaving soon, because she was itching to go back to school and learn more. Of course, she wasn’t looking forward to the homework, but she dearly missed the vastness of the school library. She had been stuck with muggle books the whole summer since her parents had no way of receiving any wizarding ones. Frankie is pretty sure she memorized all of Shakespeare’s works, she’s read them so much.
Banned
