𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉𝑒𝓇 𝐹𝑜𝓊𝓇

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Iris had a routine… a set of motions in the morning that always went just the same and always took just the right amount of time to get her up and ready for the day as quickly as possible.

So, of course, the routine always began the same way, by waking up. Obviously… except with Iris, it wasn't just a simple case of opening her eyes and sighing at the clock.

No… with Iris, she woke up, always at the same time. But never peacefully… instead, always with a panic. That same panic from her first night in that room. The same intake of breath, the same jolt, the same hurried glance around the room. Always she woke in the same search for the dangers of her dreams.

Nightmares… every day like clockwork, they woke the girl from her deep sleep, always starting her routine… perhaps not out of entirely her own will. Rather her routine started because staying in bed was not an option for a panicked mind.

So keeping in mind the girl's routine, the fact of her life that stated she woke in a panic every morning before the sun could touch the sky… September 1st was an odd day. Because that day, there was no nightmare, and it was a break from the pattern.

That day she woke peacefully, stirred awake by the shine of the sun. Nothing but a mumble left her as she covered her eyes with a heavy arm, clinging to the peaceful start to her day.

And she embraced it for as long as she could justify. Allowing herself to rest. The heat from the sun soaked into her dark skin. The light from the sun bounced off her hair, revealing that no matter how dark it was, the color was still brown. She was calm… just lying in that moment, breathing in and out with not a worry in the world. The longer she lay, the more she could elongate that rare start to her day.

Just a breath in and a breath out… every second… maybe not blissful, but definitely calm.

However, as everything does, it eventually had to end.

Moving her arm back to her side with a deep sigh, Iris finally opened her eyes. The cobalt blue ring almost seemed to waver in and out through the dark green.

She only allowed herself one more moment in the bed. Stretching out her arms and legs before getting a move on with her day. Her routine set in motion as she moved towards her wardrobe, asking the same question as always, "What's the time?"

"Nearly nine, Miss." The answer came from the same cheerful tone of the mirror as it always did.

And still, Iris hummed in acknowledgment that the mirror most definitely did not need. But without so much of a thought on her mind, Iris continued on with her machine-like morning preparation. Grabbing her outfit for the day before heading off to the bathroom… the only other break from normal came in the form of a quick wave of the hand.

Time almost reversed, like an inverse of the explosion of her first day in the Inn.

The window softly moved shut, killing the screams of London and cutting off the flow of fresh air. The cheap, thin curtains drew shut, attempting to hide the window and managing to block some of the light, a strange colored glow falling over the room.

The suitcase lifted from beside the wardrobe, thumping itself back onto the ground by the door.

The jewelry box, the books, and the shoes all left their neat homes and tucked away back into the suitcase. Socks flew out of drawers, reorganizing themselves into pairs on their journey. Tops and bottoms neatly folded themselves back into the suitcase. Everything and anything that exploded out on Day 1 orderly returned to where they had escaped.

The room was not entirely back to how it had been. Not just because of the spare items that needed to be tucked into the backpack… no, it still was cleaner. A tab bit more lived in and cared for than how Room 37 was when the teen had arrived.

She was undoubtedly leaving it better than she had entered it.

Iris left the bathroom with her toiletries and night clothes all bundled in her arms, ready to dump them into her suitcase. She nearly went to zip it up when a thought seemed to spark her brain, breaking the robotic-like routine. Rolling her eyes… to the magic for messing up or maybe to herself, she pulled out a pair of shoes.

She slipped them on before closing the suitcase and moving on to situating her backpack. Quickly walking around the room to grab all the loose items. The money bag, her notebook, that strange key, and the envelope.

She was in the process of tying up her hair, backpack waiting to be zipped when… she paused. Something flickered over her face as her eyes seemed to grow darker, the blue pulling back to a thin ring. But the pause was just that. Quickly she continued on, barely taking note of it. Pushing away the strange rush of emotion.

But as the room seemed to grow quieter from the lack of tasks to accomplish, anyone could spot how… blank the girl seemed to be. Matching when she first arrived.

Pocketing her wand, adjusting her pinky ring, tugging at her necklace, and shouldering her backpack, Iris started towards the door. She grabbed her suitcase from the ground on her way, then reached for the door…

Hand on the doorknob, Iris stopped. The emotions from just moments prior rushed back. Placing her head against the door, she closed her eyes and clenched her jaw. Her breaths grew jagged. The hand on her suitcase moved to grasp at her sweater. Her entire body tensed.

There was nothing. No breeze to rustle the curtains, no honks from the cars below. No movement to stir the room. No sound to fill the air.

Silence.

A horror no one gives any mind until it's already settled in.

...

Iris began mumbling, reciting. What exactly was inaudible. But nonetheless, her breathing normalized as her body took up its job once more, and her hand released her sweater.

Head raising high, the girl looked forward. Taking one last deep breath and gaze set, she spoke, "To new beginnings." Opening the door, she added under her breath, "Whatever the fuck that means, of course."

And then she was on her way.

~~~~~~

Fifteen minutes.

Fifteen painful minutes.

Iris had been stood in front of that pillar for fifteen minutes, eyes flickering between the nine, then ten, and finally, the ticket in hand.

9 and 3/4 the ticket said and... well, Iris said to that, "The ticket is a fucking liar."

With the constant buzz of people going about their days, the whistle of trains, and--most irritably-- the ticking of the clock, Iris grew increasingly anxious.

Fingers tapping her leg, the brunette glanced up at the clock, eyes setting into a quick glare as the small hand continued its slow walk towards the 60th minute.

Scanning the mass of moving people, the blue in her eyes flared as if a freshly fueled fire for a moment. A smirk found its way onto her lips as her focus locked on one of the many people in that train station. Pulling along her suitcase, Iris weaved through the crowd that had just left a train. Slowly making her way toward the thin boy who had been stopped by an older lady.

Stopping a few steps behind the boy Iris assessed the situation. She glanced over at the older woman, taking notice of her hands out, palms up, and questioning face filled with worry. Then she looked over the boy, how he was tense and how his weight shifted. Narrowing her eyes, Iris continued from behind the boy.

Behind him, she simply moved to lock eyes with the woman over the boy's shoulder, tilted her head, and asked, "Anyway I can be of help?"

Theodore Nott jumped the slightest as he quickly glanced to the taller girl behind him; rolling his eyes, the boy turned back to the older woman. Blandly he said, "She wants money, and you know I can't exactly spare her any of mine."

Humming, Iris gave the woman a charming smile, "I should have some extra."

The woman's eyes lit up, and the worry was immediately wiped as the teen reached into her bag. "Thank you so much, dearie," her voice was sweet, "I lost my ticket and didn't bring enough money for another. I am so embarrassed, but I just forgot."

Iris' gaze flickered to the woman as she just shook her head and showed her perfectly white teeth to the hunched woman, "It happens. I lost a shoe the other day. No clue how; it's a pair I never really touch. Funny how things just vanish."

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

As Iris pulled out some cash and closed her bag, the beggar's eyes attached to the money, but she did say, "I'm sure it will turn up. Things always have a way of getting back to their people."

Placing the money in the beggar's hand, Iris gave one last toothy smile and said, "That should be enough, just promise me to not harass any more unsuspecting teenagers. Yeah?"

The beggar blinked at the wad of cash in hand, her mouth going agape. Meeting the eyes of the girl towering over her hunched figure, the beggar flinched. Something swirled in Iris's cold eyes sending the woman off in a hurry.

Iris's smile vanished in an instant as she watched the beggar hurry towards the exit, her eyes scanning over her outfit. In particular, the dainty gold watch peaking from under her dirty coat sleeve.

Rolling her eyes, Iris turned back to the boy she had just rescued to find him already walking toward where Iris had stood moments prior. Smirk making a quick reappearance, Iris hurriedly caught up with Theodore Nott.

He had stopped in front of the pillar, asking Iris a question as she moved beside him, "How much did you give to her?"

Iris shrugged, "Based on her reaction, quite a bit. Does it matter though? Not as if I can just go and take it back."

Theodore didn't react to the answer to his question, proving to be a trend for him, instead moving on from the subject completely, "Are you going to go?" He looked from the pillar to Iris, hand on his trunk.

Eyebrows pulling together, Iris looked at the pillar before meeting his plain brown eyes, "Go where?"

A smirk took its turn to appear on Theodore's lips as a response seemed to cross his mind but before whatever thought crossed his mind could be known… he stopped. The smirk vanishing from his face, and… a slight twinge of regret pulled at him. Odd, considering he didn't even turn to look as Iris seemed to tense up, her eyes going cold, guarded.

Keeping his eyes firmly on the pillar, Theodore explained in his perfectly apathetic tone, "You run through the pillar. You'll pass through and arrive on the platform for our train. Go when a train lets people off. The crowd will help not draw attention when you vanish."

It was scary how quickly the girl had recovered. How she took a deep breath as she watched a group push their way onto the platform. How she relaxed her shoulders and sent a toothy smile to Theodore before fixing her gaze on the pillar.

To anyone she seemed completely fine… but her eyes hadn't quite let down their guard as she approached the pillar.

~~~~~~

Platform 9 and 3/4 was, oddly enough, normal. It was just any plain train station, bricks and tracks, and a train. Even the people seemed normal. Most wore what anyone of the ordinary world did. Shirts and jeans and dresses. Of course, there were some clothed in the robes expected of this world, but they seemed a minority.

There were no goblins or small people with elf ears, just people—the typical men, women, and children.

It was all very...

"Underwhelming" was all that escaped Iris's mouth as Theodore Nott stepped to stand beside her.

Her eyes carried over the red steam engine as Theodore spoke, "When you grow up how we do, it is rather disappointing. Hogwarts itself is the thing all the adults and books rave about. The mudbloods always seem to get a kick out of this, though."

Iris hummed, eyes narrowing a fraction, "Muggle-borns," Theodore rolled his eyes at the comment but remained quiet, "That wall is their first real run-in with magic, can't really blame them for getting excited."

The teen shrugged as he silently walked towards the train. Iris was once more quick to follow, her eyes jumping from group to group.

Together the two teens weaved through the crowds toward the back of the train. Reaching the door, Theodore stood to the side as Iris lifted her luggage on the train before going in herself. As the boy did the same, Iris began walking down the car, looking in each compartment until she happened across an empty one.

Quietly the two situated themselves on opposite sides of the compartment, taking out important belongings for the trip and then discarding the luggage on the racks above.

As Theodore sat down, a book already open, Iris rummaged through her bag. Absently her eyes shifted out the window, catching as a father hugged his children before they hurried off, smiles on their faces. She hesitated a bit as she watched the sad smile and tired eyes of the father, the worry lines as he watched his two children walk away for what would be months apart.

Shoulders falling, Iris watched that man as he quickly switched to a smile to wave at his children and gave a small smile to the young child at his side. She couldn't regain her focus as she watched the man pull the young child into a side hug as she yelled out to her older siblings.

She was...

Lost.

The whistle of the train brought her back.

Blinking, Iris turned back to her bag, closing her eyes for a moment; she took a deep breath before continuing her rummaging. Shifting a bit as the train began to move.

Pulling out a book, Iris tossed it on the space beside her compartment buddy; closing her bag, she turned her head to meet the boy's questioning eyes, "The Shining by Stephen King, it's a horror. Not my favorite book, but it's good and new for you."

Theodore picked up the book and turned it to read the back. As he opened the book and scanned the first page, Iris smiled while she took another breath. Iris gently placed her bag to the side before moving to open the compartment door.

Glancing at the boy, Iris called out, "Going to find a restroom, have fun."

Already turning to the next page, Theodore just nodded.

~~~~~~

Lots are stares.

More than enough to qualify as weird and certainly enough to spike some sort of emotions. Whether that be anger, annoyance, or even a sense of pride.

Iris, however, seemed completely unaffected by the stares she received from anyone who spotted the teen.

She continued on as normal. Head up, eyes forward above it all.

They didn't leave in line for the bathroom, if anything they worsened. With all the excitement, the walkways were crowded, and many were too distracted to pay the newcomer more than a curious second glance. But in the bathrooms, the atmosphere was different.

The constant chatter was still present but now people were stationary.

Many seemed to have waited until on the train, so as a result, many girls formed a line. Everyone stood in groups or pairs, and everyone had glanced at Iris at least once. The only difference here was that some didn't stop looking.

Stare, whisper, stare again.

But Iris still was unaffected. Head up, eyes forward above it all.

No one approached.

~~~~~~

The walk back was better.

By the time Iris had left the bathroom people had, for the most part, settled into their compartments. So Iris allowed herself to be the one that looked at people.

As she slowly passed each compartment her eyes would dart between each person inside. One after another, after another. All the different faces. She wasn't searching, wasn't giving anyone special attention. She just acknowledged that they were there.

So slowly, she reached her own compartment, a faint smile reaching her lips as she saw Theodore still sat reading.

In response to the door opening, Theodore just simply looked up. Only keeping his attention on Iris for a second, the boy was quickly back in the book.

Opening her backpack once more, Iris pulled out her notebook and a pencil, but she didn't immediately allow the space to quiet for the trip. Sitting down she asked, "Enjoying the book?"

The boy shrugged, "Fifty pages in, and I feel like nothing has happened. You can just tell it's going to be a long 600 pages."

Iris nodded as she crossed her legs, "I don't like Stephen King that much as a writer. He doesn't really plot his stories, and it shows." Iris looked out the window at the green world. Scrunching her nose, she added, "And he is so wordy. Sure, I've thoroughly enjoyed some lengthy novels, but..." she paused, considering her thoughts, "maybe I just find horror boring."

Theodore hummed as he bookmarked his page, setting the book aside. He joined in looking out the window, "Never read a horror, so can't really say anything."

The compartment lapsed into a moment of silence. The two teens sat upright, expressionless and the slightest bit... tense.

But Iris killed the tension before it could truly begin to grow, "Is Draco Malfoy on this train, or did his father succeed at getting him into Drumstrang?" The girl questioned, gaze switching over to her company.

Theodore scoffed, glancing at Iris as he pulled a face, "That idiot could have gone to Drumstrang?"

"Not a fan, I see. Thought all of you stuck together." Iris remarked, a smile gracing her lips and the head tilt making an appearance.

"I'd quite like not to be involved with any of them. Malfoy, in particular, all he does is demand attention. And he's always going on about Potter." Iris's jaw clenched, an action Theodore was quick to notice yet again.

This time Theodore asked the question, "Have you seen him?"

Iris nodded, choosing not to elaborate as she looked at the boy.

Theodore hummed and ignored her silence, returning to the window. "If you get Slytherin, any relationship you have built will vanish. He's been friends with that blood traitor and mudblood—"

"Don't call them that," came an absent interruption from Iris, her eyes narrowed for a split second.

Rolling his eyes, Theodore continued, "A Weasley and Granger, been friends with them since first year. And they are Gryffindors. Potter is not exactly unbiased."

Iris's eyes moved to look out the window.

Theodore glanced over her tense figure before simply reopening his book, once more losing himself to the pages.

The compartment was lost to the silence, and neither of the teens fought off the new seed of tension that was planted.

~~~~~~

The rain began several hours in.

Both teens laid backs against the wall and their legs out on their seats.

Iris just sat, eyes closed, listening to the sounds of the drops hitting the train. Her notebook closed and on her lap—wand at her side.

Theodore asleep, silent, arms crossed. Book long gone in his trunk.

Iris was alert the moment the train jerked, hitting the brakes as it slowed to a stop. Theodore stirred awake as the lights cut out, only making out the vague figure of his compartment companion. Taking a second to notice how she was tensed, attention on the door.

Theodore immediately turned to searching for his own answers, his gaze going to the window. "Someone's coming on board."

His words came out with a fog… the air growing cold enough that one could see their own breath. The train had definitely not been nearly that cold moment before.

Iris stood from her seat, hand tightening around her wand as one lone word left her lips, "Dementors."

His concern was unseen in the darkness, but his confusion was made abundantly clear, "Why would—"

"Sirius Black."

The boy sucked in a breath, then he quieted, joining Iris in the intense stare down with the door.

Their eyes slowly adjusted to the dark. The silhouettes of one another becoming clearer with every moment.

The rain grew heavier. Louder. Iris could feel the pounding.

The air grew thinner. Colder. Theodore could see his breath.

A figure appeared outside the door. Moving without touching the ground.

"Do you know the charm?" The figure stopped.

Theodore's eyes darted to the girl. "What?" The figure turned.

"I can't do this." The figure opened the door.

There in the doorway was a black-cloaked figure. A creature with a bony and rotted hand. A beast that radiated nothing but evil.

Iris took a shallow breath, her wand dropped. She took a step back.

The beast began to move closer, the rattling breath all they could hear, engraving itself into their minds.

Theodore flinched, his hands clenched. He scooted away.

The beast towered over Iris, the horrible breath taking in more than air.

Then it stopped, hurriedly the beast left. Something seeming to scare it or send it off.

...

The lights turned back on, and Iris collapsed into her seat, clutching her head and breathing hard.

Theodore looked away. Taking time to steady his heartbeat.

A minute had passed before Iris stood and walked out the door. No words spoken and eyes so dark one would assume they were black.