To Hogwarts

Zoe walked around King's Cross. "Platform Eight, Platform nine, Platform... Ten."
She then noticed a barrier between Platform Nine and Platform Ten.
"Excuse me, can you please move?" A muggle walked away. "Okay, if I kill myself, then that's that. But I have to try."
She backed up, and ran at the barrier. Lots of women and men stared. She prepared herself for the impact.
Nothing happened. She opened her eyes, and looked at the platform.
This was it.

--

As she pulled away from her mother, she felt her face splitting into a huge grin. In her hand, the broom compass, reminding her that she wasn't alone on this journey, not by a long shot.
"Love you! I'll write to you asap!" she hugged her mother, voice drowned by the screeching of the scarlet engine behind her. She had to be brave, and she would. Pushing through the crowd of parents, half her attention was on finding the steps up into the train.
She boarded the train with a quick skip, but was halted by a hand on her wrist. "Reet."
"I love you! Be good!" her mother's voice, thick with emotion, was the last sound she heard, before the train door sealed behind them, and the roar of engines overpowered anything else.
This was it, but as much as the longing for Durmstrang loomed behind her, all around her bloomed the sounds of the new, the exciting. Over the engine, she could hear the hoots of owls, the cacophony of students laughing.

Having no trouble finding the platform, Reet boarded the train early to find a good compartment. He stowed his trunk and bags in the overhead then ventured back onto the platform. He wandered from vendor to vendor, haggling hawkers for their wares. Food was his main priority, not having eaten since dinner the night before with Zoe. Raising his head he quickly scanned the increasing crowds unnecessarily, he knew she had not arrived yet. With his beef and potato pie in one hand and a cup of tea in the other he slowly made his way down the line of stalls until he come across a tiny witch. She had no stall, simply sat on a stool, a wooden crate before her, a couple of display cases on top of that.
Reet bent over the cases taking in the beautiful pieces of jewellery. ‘Did you make these?’
‘Every piece, my young sir. Who are you looking for? Mother? Friend? Lover, perhaps?’
He smiled, saying nothing, pointing to a gold treble clef note charm a little bigger than thumb nail ‘I like that’ he tells her.

--

She was completely oblivious of all those around her, he face glowed with good health and excitement. Reet chuckled, increasing his pace as she strode confidently toward the train. The whistle blew as the train began to move and he jumped from the platform up the train steps, making it through the doors with seconds to spare. Reaching out his fingers touched her wrist, her skin hot to the touch, smiling as she turned to him with a smile of her own.
‘Reet’ his name a perfect song on her lips.
He kissed her quickly as the door slid shut behind him, taking her bags from her hands. ‘I have us a compartment further up the train’ he told her with a grin, the same excitement burning on her face choursing through him.

"You haven't told your grandparents yet, have you?" she asked worriedly, closing the compartment door behind her. The train didn't seem to be full so she thought it was ok to keep it to themselves.

Lifting her bags into the overhang Reet shook his head 'They'll know. Question is, what will they do about it?' He shrugged 'I think they might leave me be for the time being. It's Tum I'm worried about, her refusing to come like that, she's up to something. I think I regret freeing her.'
Shaking it off he threw up her other bag then sat down next to her, taking her hand, covering it with both of his. 'Anyway, did you think I would let you come here without me?' He ducked his head to look her directly in the eye. 'You're going to have to try harder to get rid of me.'

"I am sure Dumbledore is open about letting free-elves in Hogwarts." she smiled warmly and ruffled his hair, "I knew you would follow me, I am sorry for dragging you along. I couldn't convince my mother. She really wanted to move here."
For the moment, she settled her things into place and propped herself against the window, and took out her book: Hogwarts: A History.
"We should read this before we arrive there."

Taking the book from her with a smile, he closed it and put it on the seat next to him 'You can read it to me.' He laughed at the look on her face as he pulled a little, flat wrapped box, smaller than his palm, from his coat pocket. 'I think you may like this, I think. We'll see' he said placing it in her hand.

"Not may, I love it!" she exclaimed and hugged him tightly.
She leaned her head against his shoulder and read the book through the journey.
It was almost time for the train to arrive to Hogwarts, students started to get off the train as she looked outside the window and started to day dream about what is waiting for her at the school of wizarding and witchcraft.

He laughed then settled back in beside her, her voice washing over him as she read. He pressed the quaver note on his cuff. The old witch had said it acted as a recording device and he thought it would help him in his studies. Zoe's could do the same, though her could act as a radio and play out loud, too, if she wished. He would let her figure that out for herself.
He stood and stretched as the train slowed, pulling into Hogsmeade station. The founder of Hosmeade village, they had learned from Hogwarts, A History, being a former student of the school they had come to attend.
A voice echoing through the train announced their arrival and told them their baggage would be taken up to the castle for them.
With a smile and a squeeze of her hand, Reet followed his lady from the train.