Julia listened and nodded, "Maybe try showing her that? It wouldnt hurt at least." She looked over at him,"I told my dad how much I had been worrying about you. He told me he thought you were a smart guy and that things would be okay." She kissed his cheek,"I think my dad is slowly warming up to you." She giggled.

Amira giggled,"True...plus if they hadn't started, all of us wouldn't be here now...The girls and I would be in our compartment, you guys in yours, figuring you hated our guts."

"She has. Didn't say anything about the painting." Caelum sighed then chuckled when he heard about what her father thought about him. "I'm glad your father understands that I am literate."

"So, any news on who the Head Boy and Head Girl are?"


"No, more like Caelum would still be blind to the fact that he's liked her since-- Ow, what was that for, Frank?" Aren glared questioningly at Frank who slapped his arm.
"What do you mean what was that for? What you were about to say was a secret." Aren whisper-shouted at his friend, slightly hoping the girls would let the topic go.

Julia nodded and hugged him again gently, "Things will work out." She said softly,"They always do in the end." She looked up at him,"In the meantime, focus on keeping yourself out of trouble, Mr. Malfoy." She added with a fake scathing tone.

Amira giggled,"What? Hes liked her since first year? Because that is what I figured. " she put her long hair in a ponytail,"I know Olivia's had a crush on Framk for that long."

"Hey!" Olivis said reproachfully, blushing and looking away in embarrassment.

Frank sputtered, eyes darting between Amira and Olivia. "Y-y-you- First year?! I- I-"
"Breathe, Frank. Remember to breathe." Aren aided his friend between erratic intakes of oxygen as he tried not to laugh. "Now isn't this great? Everyone's bonding."



"I do, if I must point out, try to stay out of trouble as much as I can. The only times I've been in trouble were on those rare occasions where someone was there to bring trouble to me. Therefore, we can clearly see that it was not me looking for trouble, it was trouble coming to surprise me with a pan to the face and a pat on the back." Caelum chuckled as he encircled an arm around Julia's shoulders then looked out of the compartment window, watching as the trees thinned into fields and the sun slowly sinking into the horizon.

He turned contemplative as he remembered that they were nearing Hogwarts, and the memory of the events that happened just days prior caused him to unconsciously tighten his arm around his beloved as if afraid to lose her. "You know I'll love you always, right? Even when I don't show it as much as those saps in movies do?" he mumbled into her fiery curls.

Amira nodded,"Same with Olivia's crush now that I think of it." She said, giggling as Olivia blushed, fuming silently.

Julia hugged him tightly,"I don't expect you to show off to the world all the time that you do." She said softly,"Once in a while works just fine so I won't forget it and worry I'll have to hex someone to get you back." She giggled at that last part.

(( … has Aren asked Amira out yet? O.o ))

Aren laughed with Amira before settling into a content grin. "So," he started, eyes looking off into an expanse of possibilities, "what are you two planning on doing after graduation? I bet Julia's just dying to become the next Madame Malfoy, but what about the two of you?" He directed his gaze at Amira with a cheeky glint in his eyes. "And I know you're not one who wants to be chained to a ring right after graduating."


Caelum hummed into Julia's hair and let his head drop onto the compartment's wall behind them, his arms wrapped around her waist and his eyes closed as his nose pressed into her hair and shoulder, pausing for a few seconds as he fought away the pull of sleep. "I'll keep that in mind." He smiled into her robes. "Wouldn't want you to ... hex ... any witchens ... 'r'wiz ... rds." His voice lulled and his breathing slowed, his arms loosened from her waist but tight enough to not let her go as he finally got more of his long-needed sleep, the illusion charms on his face and neck weakened with his lack of focus.

(Omg...I don't think so. I think she thinks he sees this a just for fun.)


Amira smiled,"After graduation my family is taking a trip to India." She said,"Since that's where both sides of my family had immigrated from. I'm greatly looking forward to it. I was told I can even bring friends. Five friends to be exact." She looked at Aren,"Wanna go?" She asked,"Olivia and Julia are coming. I still had to ask you guys if you would want to."

Julia let out a soft gasp, seeing how tired he was, "Caelum..." she murmured, disappointed that he hid this from her,"Why were you hiding this from me...?"

"Would it be right after?" It was Frank who answered, a calendar surfacing onto the front of his mindscape. "'cause we'd be swamped with Healer Examinations -if Aren manages to pass the N.E.W.T.S.-." he whispered the last part of his sentence, a mirth in his eyes as Aren called for his attention.

"Hey!" His friend exclaimed indignantly. "I am confident in my abilities to pass our N.E.W.T.S."

"Yes, but you need at least an Exceeds Expectations, Aren. Not an Acceptable."


The bags under his eyes and his cracked lips wavered beneath the weakened charm, accentuated with skin paler than usual, but the softness in his eyes and the small smile upon his pale lips told a different story from his harrowing appearance. He looked calm, content, as he held onto Julia, snuggling into a warmth he would never want to let go of.

And soon enough, the Hogwarts Express rode into Hogsmeade station, its horn blowing into the cold night of August, waking any sleeping passengers from their sleep. Caelum blinked his eyes awake, the charms once again strengthening and hiding any faults upon his skin, and smiled at her as he fought away a yawn that dared to pass through his lips. He looked through the window at the groundskeeper who was busy herding the first years for their boat ride through the lake and spotted the carriages waiting for the higher years.

"Another year starts."

Amira giggled,"No theres some space in between. A couple of weeks. But I think you guys would have fun."

Olivia nodded in agreement.

Julia kissed his cheek,"Be careful." She said to him gently,"And make sure you get lots of sleep tonight..."

"That would be great! We'd have just enough time for the trip then." Aren grinned as he laughed to himself, vibrating with energy. "Who would have thought that the Slytherin trio would become the wizarding world's greatest healers, huh?"

"We aren't healers yet, Aren. And we're far from being the greatest."

"Yeeaaahhh, but we would be come the greatest!"

When the train reached Hogsmeade, the two said their farewells to the witches, promising to meet up in front of the great hall right before the first years would arrive at the front doors and left to fetch their friend.


Caelum's eyes widened just a bit before letting out a breath. "Mm. I would," he answered just as Aren and Frank burst through the doors. "Times up, lovebirds! We need to get going before the firsties reach the castle." Aren giggled as he strode in to grab his friend from his seat and started dragging him towards the carriages. "Wouldn't want to run out of carriages!"

Frank sent an apologetic smile at Julia for his friend's antics. "Amira and Olivia are probably already by the carriages too. Come with?"