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CHAPTER TWENTY ONE - 🍂 ୧ jack, jeff . . .
johnny, jason! ও🦌

IT WAS FINALLY TIME FOR THE NEW, school year to, begin, after the summer, had come, to a conclusion. Autumn, had arrived, with her parents, at Platform 9 ¾, to prepare, for the fresh, year ahead.

Autumn found it amusing to watch her mother's unique behavior on the platform, walking with her eyes closed while her father carefully guided them forward. Autumn was the last one to board the train, and she thoroughly enjoyed observing her parents as she pushed her cart filled with belongings.

The scene repeated itself every year, and to Autumn's delight, it never changed. The familiar ritual had become a comforting constant in her life.

Eager to spot her friends, she scanned the sea of students and their guardians. Searching for Raven with her signature blonde hair, often adorned with vivid dyes, proved fruitless, even as Autumn strained her eyes.

Aurelia's voice caught Autumn's attention, drawing her eyes towards Elliot. A somber aura enveloped him, but she pushed forward, standing beside him silently, waiting for him to speak.

As Elliot finally spoke, he turned his gaze towards Autumn and murmured, "I think I did something horrible to Lily..."

Taken aback by his words, Autumn tried to maintain her calm and replied, "What do you mean? What happened?"

Despite his evident anxiety, Elliot leaned his head on Autumn, seeming to find comfort in the simple touch. With a heavy sigh, he confessed, "I really wanted to tell you both right away, but I didn't know how ..."

Autumn responded with gentle, reassuring words, patting him lightly on the head. She also flashed a supportive smile, saying, "You don't have to say it if you're not ready, but whenever you are, we're here to listen and support you."

Autumn's attempts to reach Elliot were abruptly halted when she caught Lily's gaze, causing the latter to hasten away without pause. Astonished, Autumn stood speechless as Elliot sighed and admitted, "That's my fault..."

A moment later, Elliot regained his former position, yet he remained quiet while standing upright. He whispered, "I'll talk to her," bidding farewell to his family before quickly rushing through the entrance where Lily had disappeared.

A beat of silence followed, and Autumn noticed the distinctive, unruly hair. Her nerves flared as her parents conversed with Elliot's family, her focus shifting to the unruly hair once more.

Navigating the crowd of students and their families, Autumn gradually made her way through. An unexpected jab had her teetering forward, but she was spared a fall by unforeseen hands gripping her, preventing a humiliating stumble to the ground.

"Not quite the embrace I envisioned," a distinctly familiar voice echoed in her ears, and Autumn looked up to see James peering down at her with a pout on his face. Stepping back from his grasp, she let out a light chuckle, followed by a cheeky grin.

"Not exactly the hug I had planned to give you..."

James laughed wholeheartedly at her playful response, raising his hands in mock surrender. In response, Autumn walked over and wrapped her arms around his midsection in a warm, tight embrace. Breaking the hug, she let out another laugh and said, "Now, that's more like it."

As they stepped apart, Autumn's breath hitched as she found herself on the receiving end of loving, gentle gazes. Her heart skipped a beat, and her curiosity grew. An older couple approached, and her mouth hung open as they inquired, "Oh, is this who I think it is?"

James responded to his parents' question with a bright smile, confirming her identity. He then pulled her alongside him, placing them in front of his family. Calm yet nervous, Autumn waited to see what would happen next.

With a gentle gesture, she acknowledged them and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you both."

Euphemia gently grasped her hand, holding it with both of hers. With a warm and sweet tone, she introduced herself and Fleamont, saying, "It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Euphemia, and this is Fleamont, but you can just call us Mia and Monty, it's easier on the tongue."

Autumn chuckled and returned their smiles, replying, "I've heard a lot about you both from James."

Releasing their hands, Euphemia released a gentle sigh, followed by a smile, as she placed a hand on Autumn's cheek. "You are just as lovely as James has described," she said.

At the mention of James, he had quickly looked away, but not before she had seen. A wide grin, then, stretched, across Autumn's lips, as she tried, very hard, to contain her laughter.

Autumn fought to control her laughter at the sight of James's obvious embarrassment. It was a struggle, but she managed. When Fleamont wished them a great year, she nodded in agreement, her smile unwavering.

Mid-conversation with James's parents, Autumn suddenly felt two pairs of hands on her shoulder. Her parents made their presence known, and she turned to give them a glance.

"Mum, Dad," she acknowledged them, her parents responding with a loving smile.

Autumn had begun to speak, but her parents stepped forward and interrupted her, introducing themselves. They reached out and clasped the hands of the older couple.

"I'm August, and this is Aurelia. We're Autumn's parents," they said.

Autumn had laughed and moved beside James, taking note that he had finally recovered from the extreme embarrassment. She raised an eyebrow, a teasing smile gracing her lips, as she inquired, "Feeling better now, after that?"

James let out a grumble, saying, "Come on, Autumn, at least pretend you didn't see or hear that."

She couldn't help but let out a peal of laughter at James's comment. Taking a moment to compose herself, she replied, "Oh no, you can't pull that on me. I saw everything, and I have to tell you, it was the most amusing thing I've ever witnessed."

James pouted, turning to her, and said, "I see you've become quite bold over the summer."

Autumn snickered and retorted, "Only with you."

James blinked, unsure of how to respond to Autumn's innocent smile. Rather than responding to her comment, he decided to change the topic.

Engrossed in their conversation, the duo were blissfully unaware of their parents' continued presence in front of them. Aurelia noticed this and discreetly elbowed her husband's arm. August shot them a skeptical look, his expression hinting at disapproval.

Autumn noticed August approaching her and James and promptly nudged him in the side. Their parents laughed, amused by the situation.

August inquired, "So who is this?"

Autumn chuckled and responded, "Come on, you know exactly who this is, and I know you're just trying to get to me."

August chuckled back and said, "Ah, so this is Jack?"

August had a talent for irritating her, as he leaned forward to match James's height. With a sly smile, he deliberately mispronounced the name, successfully getting under her skin.

"No, Dad, it's not-"

"No, no, it's definitely Jeff, or was it Johnny?"

"Da-"

"Jason?"

August, particularly when it was intentional, was adept at frustrating others, much to the dismay of Autumn.

"Hello, sir, it's actually Ja--" James aimed to politely reintroduce himself, only to be interrupted by August, who quickly interjected with another incorrect name.

"Oh, it's Jared!"

August had guessed every name except the correct one, leaving the Gryffindor boy utterly flustered. Autumn, with her hand covering her face, struggled to contain her second-hand embarrassment.

August was midway through blurting out another name when Aurelia suddenly intervened and struck him on the head, ordering him to stop. She approached James with a soft smile.

James's expression brightened as she greeted, "It's nice to meet you, James."

He smiled warmly and returned, "It's a pleasure to meet you as well."

As August joined Fleamont to load the luggage, the mothers stayed with the teens. Euphemia and Aurelia started their own conversation, stealing moments of conversation amidst the bustling atmosphere.

Left alone, James and Autumn seized the opportunity to talk without interruption.

"So, uh, your dad isn't my biggest fan...?" James asked, appearing a bit nervous, given August's cool demeanor towards him.

Autumn chuckled and reassured him, "No, he's just being silly. He did the same to Eli."

James visibly relaxed upon learning that her father hadn't targeted him alone.

James chuckled upon learning that her father had assumed that Autumn was with him. "He thought you two were together or something?" he asked.

Autumn's father clearly enjoyed keeping his daughter on her toes, exploiting every opportunity to do so.

She let out a sigh and nodded, replying, "Yeah, he's primarily doing this to intimidate any guys I talk to."

Autumn pursed her lips then paused, realizing James was looking at her curiously. "Oddly enough, he stopped his act after the second fake name," she added with a puzzled expression.

August clearly saw his actions as harmless fun, assuming it would be nothing more than a game. Little did he know, his antics had exceeded the realm of mere teasing, as the older man persisted for far too long.

As Autumn mentioned that her dad usually stopped at the second fake name, James raised an eyebrow and queried, "So he doesn't normally go to the third or fourth wrong name?"

Autumn shook her head, and James glanced away, looking for their friends amidst the crowd, his smile still hidden. After a brief moment, he spotted a few of their friends approaching.

Autumn turned to James and inquired, "By the way, I thought you'd be with Sirius. Where is he?"

James nodded, replying, "Yeah, we were at first, but he said he was going to have a quick chat with his brother as soon as we arrived."

Suddenly, Autumn was enveloped in a warm embrace by Raven. Pete and Remus followed closely behind. Her smile widened upon seeing them, having eagerly awaited their reunion since spotting them from afar.

The smile stayed on her face as Raven clung to her, clearly needing her attention. Raven nuzzled her head against her cheek, expressing her affection. "I've been looking all over for you, Autumn," she pouted.

Remus joined James and Peter, watching as the girls continued their warm embrace. He observed, "They saw each other during the summer, but they're acting like they haven't seen each other in years."

Peter chuckled, and James joined in, followed by Remus, creating a chorus of laughter. As the girls finally broke from their warm embrace, Raven stepped back and greeted James.

As the group reunited, the mood took a slight downturn with Sirius's arrival. He appeared somewhat downtrodden but attempted to conceal it, not wanting to dampen his companions' excitement.

Bidding farewell to their parents with a few heartfelt waves, the six friends embarked on their train ride to Hogwarts for their sixth year.

Seating arrangements proved to be quite uncomfortable, with all six of them packed into a small compartment. Autumn and Raven couldn't help but worry about their missing friends, with neither Lily nor Elliot in sight for the entirety of the journey.

The group had previously agreed to wait until they arrived at Hogwarts to search for their other companions. Once the train had finally stopped and the students disembarked, the group scanned the crowd, hopeful to spot their friends.