Everything was alright, for awhile.

When September first came around, both girls made their way to the platform in their own ways. Amara and her parents took their private limo, the mother and father watching their daughter talk excitedly about school the whole time. Leala road in a taxi with her uncle, holding hands and them both trying to calm the other's nerves.

As Leala helped her uncle with the cart of her things, she glanced around for her friend. Jake, smiling faintly at his niece, reflected on a conversation he had with Mark.

The night after the girls had gotten their letters, Amara's dad and long-term friend of Jake, called the man's mobile before bed.

"Hey there, Marky! What's up?" Jake settled the phone between his shoulder and ear as he dug through his dresser for pajamas. Mark didn't call often, magic and modern tech never worked well together. Leala had a phone, but, like most Wizards and Witches, very rarely used it for more than a few minutes at a time. Jake had gotten it for her for safety reasons.

"Nothing much, just my Princess getting her letter! Did little Bluebell get hers?" The playful tone Mark always spoke in had Jake's smile widening. The nickname for his niece never ceased to make him tear up a bit. Bluebell had been what Mark had called Jake's sister, for her eyes and what the flower meant. Mark had always been a sap, and made a point to learn the langue of flowers.

Mercy Edison would always be one of the most charming and wonderful people either of them had ever had the pleasure to interact with.

"She sure did, and get this," Jake chuckled. "she has been saving up for years just so I wouldn't have to pay for everything. Leala has been walking dogs for three years and never spent a cent of it, just to save up for school." Jake sat down on his dark blue bed, resting his forehead on his palm, elbow propped up on one knee.

Laughter was heard over the line, warm and welcoming. "That girl . . . " Mark didn't even need to say anymore. "What house do you think she'll get?" There was an unspoken question in there too. If he thought she'd get the same house as her mother.

"Honestly? She could get any one of them." Jake sighed, laying back across his bed. "I can't tell you how many times she's talked about admiring different people, all for different reasons too. She can find good traits in anyone, and . . . " He sighed again.

"Think she might be a Hat Stall?" Mark's words were soft, spoken with deep fondness.

"She might very well be." The uncle muttered, rubbing his hand over his face.

"Well, I think I know what Amara is going to get." The unease in his words had Jake sitting back up, his brow creased in worry. "I don't think she's going to get what she wants."

Jake blinked, biting his lip. "I can see why you would say that." Such an understatement, Jake had known that little girl all her life. He thought he had a pretty good idea what house she was going to get. And knowing the blonde, she would not be happy. "Do you think it will be a problem?"

"I hope not." This time, Mark was the one to sigh. "We've raised her to see the houses equally, but . . . She's just had her heart set on Gryffindor, because of us, and I know that house-hate has come a long way from where it was-but it's still pretty rough." His words were tense, Jake could imagine him running a hand through his hair and biting his thumb. It was a nervous tick the Wizard had gotten from his own mother.

"It's Amara, I think that girl could overcome anything-just from spite alone." It was meant to be a joke, somethings light and teasing, but came out a bit sadder than he's meant it.

A small chuckle, "That's the problem, I think."

That had been over a month ago, and Jake was still just as worried. They ran through the opening to the platform, taking in the sight of the scarlet train. Leala's mitch-matched eyes grew wide to take it all in.

Jake sighed before kneeling to meet his niece's stare. "Honey," He started, taking her hands in his and smiling softly. "No matter what house you get, I know you are going to take the whole world by storm. No matter what happens, no matter the teachers, no matter what the other kids do, I want you to remember one thing."

Leala smiled softly back at him, gripping his hands with her own. Jake's hands dwarfed hers, his were large and fairly calloused from work, a few scrapes and scars here and there. Her fingers were delicate, long and slender-even though they were fairly small. Everything about Leala was small, physically speaking. The only thing that stood out from that were her wide, round, and emotional eyes.

So much like her mother.

"Remember," Jake said, fighting the lump in his throat. "there is not a thing in this world you can't do. You have the brains," He lightly poked her forehead, and her giggle was enough to cure any broken heart. "the guts," He tickled her a bit. "the will," A squeeze of her hands. "and the heart." He rest her hand on top of his own heart, cupping the pale palm as if it was made from glass. "Don't let anyone, ever, tell you different."

"I won't." Leala threw her arms around her uncle, burying her nose in his neck. When she stepped back, Jake cupped her cheek in his hand and beamed at her.

He got up, still smiling. "Now, off you go. I just know you will do great things, because you already are great." With a kiss to the cheek, he helped her get her things on he train. When she was settled in a compartment, he hugged and kissed her once more and left. "Bye Lee-Lee, send a letter when you can."

He had to leave without seeing Amara, he had pushed back his hours for that day but couldn't get it completely off. Jake had made sure to place the small black box from his dresser into his niece's trunk earlier that day.

His heart was heavy, however, somehow light at the same time.

}------{

Amara might as well have dragged her father and mother out the door. She couldn't contain herself, bouncing all over the place and chattering about anything and everything.

Between getting her things and the day she was to leave, Amara and Leala hadn't been spending as much time together as usual. Though the blonde hadn't thought much of it, Leala was always busy.

But this time, both of them were.

Amara spent every second she could reading over her books, she would have tried out some things but her mother scolded her about it. The girl got lost in pages of spells, potion instructions, stories of how magic had progressed, and diagrams of plants. She had to make sure she was the top student out of her year, that was the first step to being the great witch she wanted to be.

The history book only fuelled the roaring fire in her soul. All these past magic users, names that meant so much that they made it into textbooks and halls of fame, had Amara grinning like a fool. None of them had let anything stand in their way, using their own cunning and skills to take what they wanted.

What she wouldn't do to make sure her name was right there with them.

She was sure she'd get Gryffindor, how could she not with the parents she had? And she was pretty sure she had Leala's house figured out.

Slytherin, obviously.

It's not like Amara had anything against the house, it had produced quite a few greats. It sort of hurt, knowing she wasn't going to get to have her friend in her dorms. But it wasn't that deep, they'd still see each other.

So, Amara let her parents help her with her things on to the train. It didn't take long for the blonde to find Leala, the black haired girl double checking her bags before sitting down.

"Hey, Lea!" Amara squealed, rushing in to grip her friend by the shoulders and grin at her. Neither of them were in their robes yet, Amara's pencil skirt was a rosy pink, going well with her white blouse with black spots. She held in a grimace at her friend's outfit; black jeans, some band t-shirt, and her usual purple hoodie. Amara loved Leala, but the other girl could really do improving her appearance.

A soft meow came from the purple hood, and Amara spotted the kitty from last time she had really hung out with her friend. Vixen was her name, and she was a brat in Amara's opinion. "Hi, Mara." Leala blushed a bit and smiled sweetly.

The two hadn't gone to school together, Amara went to a private school while Leala had gone local, and had only met because their families had always been great friends. Amara was sure Leala would have been eaten alive at the private school, the smaller, shyer, and all together naïve girl would never have survived. Amara on the other hand, saw a challenge and conquered it.

"Hey there, Bluebell!" Amara's dad chimed in, lifting Amara's things into the compartment above them. Amara had always wondered about the nickname her dad had given Leala, but never questioned it.

Leala blushed further, the pleased smile on her rosebud mouth showing how much the name meant to her. "Hello, Sir."

"Hey, hey, none of that, calling me sir makes me feel old." Mark teased, poking Leala's nose.

"Daddy, you are old." Amara said, crossing her arms over her chest and smirking.

Her father clutched at his chest, doubling over. "Oh, my own blood! You wound me!"

"Sorry, not sorry." Amara teased, flicking his forehead. Mark swept her up and spun her a bit, tickling her while laughing. "Daddy! No!" Amara laughed right alongside him.

When he sat her down, Leala was smiling at them with Amara's mum. Daisy had an arm around Leala's shoulders and the other hand on her own hip. "Will you two nock it off? Mark we have to go." She scolded, though her smile took the edge off.

Leala chuckled, hugging Amara's mom around her waist before moving to hug Mark.

Mark wrapped her up in his arms and lifted her up a bit, swinging her back and forth. "Be good Bluebell." He sat her down and met her eyes. "You'll do your mom proud, don't worry." Leala blinked up at him with a smile, eyes watery. "Speaking of your mother," He crouched down in front of her and pulled a small bundle out of his jacket pocket. "this was hers. She was my best friend, I've told you that before, and when your mom graduated from Hogwarts she handed these out to her closest friends."

"Then you should keep it-" Leala started.

"This one, was the one she kept." He placed the small, brown paper wrapped, package in her hand. "It was one of the things she passed onto me. She told me, in a note, to give it to you when the day came." He stood up, kissed the girl's forehead, and hugged her tight once more. "Don't open it until you're in your new dorm."

"You two," Daisy started when her husband joined her by the door. "better behave yourselves." The blonde woman kissed her daughter on the cheek, then did the same to Leala. "And you, Little Miss Thing, better write us." She teased her daughter. Amara stuck her tongue out before smiling and waving them off.

The two dropped into the booths, sitting next to each other and talking. Vixen moved onto Leala's lap from the corner of the seat, where she had moved when Leala got up to greet Amara's parents. The black haired girl ran her fingers through the kitty's fur and let her friend rant about the up-coming year.

"What house do you think you'll get?" Amara asked. She had asked Leala that question too many times to count, and the answer was always the same.

"I don't know, I just know the Hat will place me where I need to be."

Amara huffed, though it sounded too fond to be scathing. "Well, I know I'm going to get Gryffindor." A frown over took her light pink lips. "You know, no matter what house you get, we'll always be besties. Right?"

"Of course, Mara, nothing could separate us."