Come on Home ((Bryce))

[Ashley Hill]

Ashley huffed irritably to herself as she looked around the empty dorm room. All the beds were made that morning, compared to the usual untidiness in the morning. If it were just any other school day, she would be missing breakfast, but today was the day everyone left for summer vacation. The walls were also bare clean; all the Quidditch posters, pictures, movie, music and even house pride posters were off the walls, leaving the ugly white color behind. Sighing, Ashley sat down on the wooden ground Indian style. Tigger peeked up from on top of her trunk, his green eyes staring affectionately into her brown eyes. “You don’t happen to know where it is….do you?” she asked watching as the cat sneezed lying his head back down on the hard wood. Hanging her head back, Ashley stood up from the ground, picking Tigger up and setting him down on the bed. Opening the front of the trunk, she her heard if unclick, before opening. Digging out her Quidditch bag, she unzipped the zipper, digging inside for her favorite pair of dragon hide skin gloves. “It’s supposed to be here!” she cried sitting back down on her knees, resting her elbows on her legs. It couldn’t be back in the locker room. If they were, she wouldn’t have to time to go get them anyway. “This is just perfect!” she whispered harshly zipping the bag back up. “I just bought those too!” Sighing, Ashley set her bag back into the bottom of the trunk before closing the lid and locking it.

Running her hands through her hair, Ashley first picked up her large shoulder bag, which had her magazines and music inside. She always brought an extra bag with her when she went on long train rides back home. What was going to keep her entertained for almost half the day? Yes, she had her friends there, but normally it got boring sometimes. Second, Ashley got her cat carrier, putting Tigger inside making sure the lock was fastened so when he tried to paw his way out, the door wouldn’t open. Third, she lifted her trunk up on its wheels, wheeling it out of the dorm room, down the steps, through the portrait hole, and outside where the carriages waited to carry students to the trains. Finding a carriage by herself, Ashley settled inside, staring out the window at the green lawns. She wasn’t too excited like everyone else for summer. Her parents were making her work at the restaurant as a waitress, probably trying to convince her otherwise to take up the restaurant with her sister. Well, Elina had Eliah now, so they both could carry on the family tradition. Within all the bitterness Ashley felt, the carriage stopped, someone voice calling out. “Are you going to get out?” Nodding her head she packed her things back up, heading out of the carriage, the red Hogwarts train in clear vision.

It didn’t take to long for Ashley to find an empty compartment toward the back of the train. Mostly the first and third years were in the front, everyone else in the center, the back just left for anything else. Smiling, Ashley set her shoulder back on the velvet, cushioned seat, picking Tigger carrier up. Unlocked the front, she watched as the cat jumped out onto the seat, sitting down, his colored tail swishing about. Smiling, Ashley took out her wand, her heavy trunk flying up on the compartment above along with the carrier. Tucking her wand back into her pockets, Ashley sat down on the seat next to Tigger the loud whistle of the train blowing once. She had just made in time. Unclipping her shoulder bag, Ashley took out her muggle CD player along with some headphones looking inside for her new CD. Finding it in the case, she set it inside, turning the on button while pulling the headphones over her curly hair. Leaning back into the seat she smiled as Tigger curled up next to her, her hand subconsciously reaching out to pet him behind the ear. She didn’t even hear the door to her compartment open as the train began to slowly roll on by.

[Bryce Alexander]

"I know that it's so cliche, to tell you that every day I spend with you is the new best day of my life..." Bryce sang aloud as he hummed the tune to the chorus in his head. He held his wand to his mouth as though it were a microphone and danced energetically in front of the mirror before drying his hair and pulling a comfortable pair of jeans on, followed by his favorite t-shirt and zip-up sweatshirt jacket. The knowledge that it was his last day at Hogwarts for the school year made him quite happy. Bryce had had enough school work to last him a while, and he enjoyed the prospect of knowing that he would have the whole summer to relax and do things that were actually fun for him. Plus, he knew that he would be spending a lot of time in Paris, which he had grown to love over the time he spent there during the holidays.

Seeing that everything was packed and ready to go, Bryce gathered his things, double-checked that everyone else had left their quarters in proper condition, and left the Hufflepuff boys' dormitory with a satisfied smile on his face. Being prefect, he was the last one out since he had to check to see that everyone else left the place in order. With his hands full, he made his way out of the castle and boarded one of the carriages that would take him to Hogsmeade where he would load the Express. Again, more prefect duties awaited, however, given the excitement of most students, the train ride home was usually spent chatting and sharing summer plans. Bryce always seemed to think that the train ride back to school was the time when more students found themselves feeling the need to break the rules. After a summer without magic for many, it always seemed to be the opportune time to plan for the pranks and other mischief to start the year.

Boarding the train, Bryce whistled the notes to the same song he had been singing earlier. The catch beat had become stuck in his mind, causing him to repeat it over and over again. At least though it was a song he liked and it matched his mood quite well. As he passed each compartment, Bryce took the opportunity to peer in, making sure that everything was in order. Nothing out of the ordinary prevented him from continuing on his way. He kept going, and didn't stop until he saw Ash sitting alone in one of the compartments. Figuring he had checked in on most of the other compartments, Bryce decided to stop here.

Ash, having music playing, failed to hear him enter. Grinning, Bryce took a seat beside her and saw that she was petting Tigger who sat on her lap. He quickly slipped his hand onto the cat's neck just as Ash went to pet Tigger. When she felt his hand and finally noticed his presence, Bryce gave her a sly smile. "This seat reserved?" he asked, knowing that even if it was, there was the whole rest of the compartment that was empty. "You can't tell me that you planned on riding the whole way home all alone now can you?"

[Ashley Hill]

Ashley starred blindly out the window watching as some students hurried onto the train. The train’s whistle blew loudly again causing the rest of the people outside hurry onto the train. Resting the side of her head against the window, she turned the volume up as the next song played. She was silently mouthing the lyrics to her favorite muggle band, The Goo Goo Dolls, her head slightly nodding to the beat. So far the compartment was empty. No one even tried to open the sliding door to peek inside. It seemed strange to Ashley but she didn’t mind spending the way back home alone. Normally Ashley couldn’t stay in one compartment for long. She always stayed in one for a short few minutes, chatting happily with the people inside before leaving to find another one. That’s what Lenora and Ashley did on train rides, but Ashley wasn’t in any kind of mood to go from one place to the next. Lenora was probably chatting with a couple other Gryffindors, or maybe even the Ravenclaw she hung out with. Shrugging, Ashley continued to pet Tigger as the train finally started forward. The station at Hogsmeade slowly passed by, being replaced the open green fields of the country side. Tigger purred happily in her lap as Ashley gently rubbed him on his favorite spot behind the ears. Her mind was wondering off on things to do over the summer. Working was top priority, hanging out with friends, Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley trips, and maybe going to a Quidditch match.

Her hand rested briefly in her lap, her brown eyes still staring distantly out the window before she began to pet him again, freezing as she felt something different. Ashley’s fingers slowly traced down the softness until she finally looked up. Jumping out of her seat as she noticed Bryce, Ashley took off her head phones, music blasting out from the ear pieces. “Oh my god, Bryce….you scared me,” she told him taking a deep breath to calm her racing heart. Looking down at Tigger she noticed her hand was still on top of Bryce’s, the tip of her fingers still resting on his smooth skin. Pulling her hand away, Ashley tried to hide the redness that was beginning to form on her cheeks. “No…you can sit here just as long as you don’t try to scare me again.” Laughing she looked around the compartment noticing that Bryce didn’t bring his belongings. “Where are your things?” she asked looking from her own trunk that was stored above to Bryce. Tigger yawned quietly in her lap before jumping onto Bryce’s looking for attention. Laughing, Ashley rolled her eyes at her cat. “That’s Tigger. He’s probably the laziest, greedy, attention seeking cat you’ll ever meet.”

Rubbing him behind the ears shortly, Ashley put her CD player back into her bag before returning her full attention on Bryce. She hadn’t talked to him much lately since the night they were locked in the classroom. “How have you’ve been?” she asked repositioning herself on the cushioned seat so she faced Bryce. “Haven’t spoken to you in a while…so anything exciting planned for the summer?” Ashley said remembering that he told her that most of his holidays were spent up in France with his mom and sister. “You’re still going to France to visit your mom and sister right?”

[Bryce Alexander]

Bryce sat and smiled, looking up at Ash who was scared out of her seat. When she pulled her hand away, he almost reached to grab it back, but stopped himself as Ash's cheeks turned a light shade of crimson. He felt his own begin to warm up but then Ash questioned where his things were. "Oh, I left everything in the prefects' compartment," he explained.

A bit startled, Bryce jumped back a bit when the cat sitting on Ash's lap leaped onto his own. "Hey, Tigger," he said, petting the cat's soft head. "Aren't most cats lazy, greedy, and attention-seeking?" he asked with a laugh. Then, Tigger hopped onto the floor, chasing after a magical sparkler that someone had let loose in the corridor.

Ash didn't seem to think Tigger's disappearance was something to worry about, and so Bryce listened to her questions instead of chasing after him. "Me? I'm fine," he said with a shrug. "I managed to finish classes with acceptable grades. Even Astronomy," he added with a grin. "What about you? All outstandings?" Bryce rummaged through his bag and pulled out a bottle of pumpkin juice that he had remembered packing for the trip home. He popped the cork and held it out for Ash to have a sip of.

"France." He was thinking out loud when Ash asked if he would be seeing his mother and sister. "Yeah, I'm going," he said, a hint of sadness in his voice. He wasn't going to get into it, but he figured Ash would ask and so he explained anyways. "My mom won't be there though." Bryce took a drink of the sweet juice himself and then continued. "She has a boyfriend now, and they're traveling. Bri will be there though," he added with a shrug. "What about you? Have you ever been to Paris? The Eiffel Tower is quite a sight in person, you know."

[Ashley Hill]

Ashley gazed down at the ground, trying to hide her blush from Bryce. She didn’t quite understand why she was so embarrassed by the contact between their hands. Actually, the feeling kind of excited her. Maybe she…kind of liked him? Glancing up from the floor at the wall, Ashley blocked those thoughts from her mind. The truth was the thought of actually liking Bryce scared her. It wasn’t because of him. There was nothing wrong with Bryce, it was just her own fears and guilt from the past scared her. Her past was the reason why she didn’t trust people with her heart. Ashley was still beating herself over with what Ryan went through, even though she was finally in terms with it. She felt bad for not feeling guilty or even thinking about him anymore, but it was the only way she could move on with her life. She wasn’t all too over hyper anymore. Actually, Ashley liked her new self quite a lot. When Bryce finally spoke, her rushing mind seized as her eyes flickered to the compartments. Her trunk was still tucked away safely in the storage compartment. She almost forgot that Bryce was a prefect, but before she could say anything Tigger had already jumped out of her lap. Ashley grinned as Bryce began to pet him commenting on the cat’s lazy side. “You’re quite correct, but I think Tigger thinks he’s the king.” Rolling her eyes at her cat she watched as he leaped out of Bryce’s lap, chasing after a sparkler that went off into the corridor.

Shrugging, Ashley leaned back into her seat as Bryce changed the topic onto the past term. He had passed all his classes with acceptable grades, even Astronomy. Looking over at him she shook her head as he asked if she got all outstanding. “Not exactly…” she began finding it quite weird how she didn’t pass all her classes the same. Normally it was Elina’s thing to always get outstanding, Ashley was just acceptable. Though, now, she was taking her school work more seriously. “I got average score in Astronomy…I’m actually thinking about dropping that class. What about you? Ready too get your head out of the stars?” Ashley asked, nodding her head at the idea. It would be nice to have another break period during the week. “My best class was Care of Magical Creatures. I’ve actually found a new fascination of dragons.” Thinking about the time Professor Hagrid spent going over the section of Dragons. Since the students couldn’t actually go see one in person, they only briefly talked about the creatures. “There had to be a class you did extremely well in, Bryce...what about Arithmancy, or Transfiguration?”

When Bryce offered her a sip of the pumpkin juice, Ashley smiled, taking the bottle. She took a sip as Bryce thought out loud about his trip to Paris. He didn’t seem to be too excited about seeing his mom and sister. When he explained, she frowned, handing him the bottle back. “I’m sure you’ll have loads of fun with Brianne. Have you got any idea what you two are going to do?” she included, not knowing what exactly to say about his mom’s new boyfriend. Bryce didn’t seem all that excited about it, so Ashley decided not to press the maters as he asked her if she had ever been to France. Ashley shook her head, her brown eyes meeting Bryce’s blue ones. “No…I’ve always wanted to visit the second city of romance.” Twirling a small curl around her finger, Ashley tried to imagine what France really looked liked. “What does Paris really look like? There aren’t men around with big mustaches, wearing those funky black hats and stripped shirts around? ” she asked curiously wondering how Bryce felt toward the city added with a little bit of her own humor. “I’ve only ever been to Italy, which is where I’m going this summer to visit my dad’s parents. I normally always gain a lot of weight when I go. My Nonna always is cooking and trying to feed me every hour….Have you’ve been to Italy?” Ashley twisted her body around in the sit, pulling her knees to her chest as she rested her chin on the top of her knees.