{9 ¾} stay gold { benny / open }

The water was suddenly cold.

“Ara!!” Tomie screamed from the bathroom, fury in her voice as she scooted backward in the shower, nearly slipping on a bit of shampoo she’d dropped on the bottom of the bath when she’d started washing her hair. She still needed to rinse out the conditioner, but clearly someone (her stupid brother, no doubt!!!) had used up all of the hot water. She was already running a little late; things weren’t off to a good start.

Barely five minutes later, Tomie was dressed and stumbling out of the door with her family, heading to the fireplace at the end of the hall. She cringed, raising her shoulders up to her ears as her mother dried her hair with a quick spell. It tickled. “Makasih, Mama,” she said, running a hand through it and trying to act normal. Tomie was nervous, but it wasn’t because she was going to school; in fact, she was rather impatient to get on the train. Her little kitten had been sleeping when she’d packed him into her backpack. He wasn’t moving, which meant he was probably still asleep? Definitely not suffocated from being inside her backpack or anything… right?

The small group made their way to the platform and Tomie spotted Benny and his family straight away. The train was only leaving in a few minutes, so everyone still on the platform seemed to be in a bit of a rush. Tomie was thankful – she was anxious to check on her kitten. “Hey,” she said to Benny and his family, a little breathless. She waved to his mum. “Busy morning?” she asked him, “I was half convinced we weren’t going to make it.” Tomie laughed. Her casual grin did not support her worried words at all.  She hugged her mum tightly, but pulled back quickly. “Da, Mama! Yeah, me juga! Love you too!”

Unlike the lingering, teary goodbye from last year, this one was short and sweet. She waved to her family one more time before hopping through the train doors, where she only had to wait a fraction of a second before Benny joined her. The brunette shrugged one of her backpack straps off as she gently shifted the bag around to the front. She unzipped the large pocket and glanced inside; two big eyes were looking back at her. “Totally unfazed,” she said, sounding impressed.

Benny was pretty sure he'd forgotten something important, it troubled him the entire way to King's Cross but eventually he let it go. He had his wand and he supposed at the end of the day that was really all he'd need right? His trunk felt heavy on the cart as he pushed it toward the pillar that served as an entrance to the platform and that comforted him. Benny had been in such a rush to finish helping his younger brother pack this morning that he couldn't remember if he had actually finished. It was Joshua's first year and that made this morning even more hectic than he had been expecting. They'd all ran around the apartment, collecting the last of the times, throwing them into the rickety old trunks until finally rushing off to the train station.

By the time they got there Benny felt a little out of breath, his summer tanned cheeks a bit pink, but there was an excited smile on his face. He remembered being so nervous this time last year but now there was a new sense of confidence. Partly because he'd done it before and was now an incoming second year but also because it was Josh's first year, so he had to put on his big brother pants. He'd spent the last few nights explaining everything he could think of to his younger brother, trying to help him prepare, but there was no way he'd covered all of it.

The family pushed through the magical ward and nearly crashed into another student's cart on the way around the platform but eventually they caught up with Tomie and Benny gave her a big wave. "Preeeeetty much," He laughed out an answer to her question, busy barely began to cover it, but they were all here now and the Gryffindor already felt himself relaxing a little. Exchanging goodbyes with his parents, his grandmother, and the youngest Rivera child, Benny followed Tomie into the train with Josh not far behind. "You can sit with us or---" Benny wasn't even able to finish the thought before his (far more outgoing) younger brother was dashing off to find new friends his age. "Or, not," He chuckled as he joined Tomie in looking into her backpack to see the little kitten curled up inside.

"Did you name her yet?" He asked as they passed by some older students and started looking for an empty cabin to claim.

Tomie shifted out of the way as Josh ran past her. Despite the fact that there was only a year of difference between them, she felt so much older than Benny’s little brother.

“Him,” Tomie corrected, though she wasn’t sure. “And I dunno, I’m thinking Azami? You know,” She made a circular gesture at her face. “The spiral faced girl? Oh –” Tomie touched the wall of the corridor with her spare hand for support as she felt the train take off. That was it, then. This was the start of their second year. The young witch couldn’t help but grin at her friend, feeling a strong sense of déjà vu. It was only natural that her second year was starting just as her first had; with her best friend.

She glanced back in the bag as they started walking. Her cat… kneazle… whatever… was getting a little more agitated now, trying to climb up out of the lip of the bag. He was a raggedy little thing – clearly the runt of the litter, which was why she’d assumed his mum had abandoned him in their attic. His claws were getting pretty sharp, though, and he was full of endless energy now that she and Benny had been taking care of him. “What about Tomie Junior?” she cooed, scooping him out of her bag so she could cradle him. “Little TJ? Or would that be too many letter-only names in the group?”

Tomie came to an empty compartment. “Lets pop in here,” she said. “We can find the others in a bit, I think he needs to stretch out.” Tomie pushed the compartment door open roughly with her foot, not hesitating in putting her cat down on the seat as she stuffed her bag overhead. He stretched and promptly started slicing up the seat’s cushion. Tomie took the seat opposite him, resting a leg out onto the chair across from her in case he wanted to climb over. He seemed to like crawling all over her and curling up on her tummy when she was sleeping, though it was a bit of a problem, since he’d also been shredding her t-shirts...

Azami reminded him of the comic book they had read over the summer, the one that had basically haunted his dreams for a little while. Once he'd stopped being scared he'd realized it was actually a pretty good story. If he could just forget the way her power worked. Benny scrunched his nose up at the name though, after she'd corrected him calling the cat a boy, and then shrugged his shoulders. The train took off and he followed Tomie down the corridor until they found an empty compartment and continued the conversation.

Benny listened to her go through another possible name, laughing a little at the idea of a Tomie junior and another initialed name. "I kind of like it, though." Benny smiled brightly as he watched her unzip her bag and let the little creature out. "Think it'll bother JR?"

"Not just because Azami is a girl's name but," it wasn't that he particularly cared about that sort of thing but honestly the cat seemed a lot more like Kirie's younger brother to him. A little bit impulsive, a whole lot destructive. He settled into a seat and tossed his small back pack on the floor between them before finishing the thought. "I think Mitsuo is a lot more fitting," Benny smirked as he sat back against the seat and watched the kneazle set in on ripping the cushion next to Tomie to shreds. He thought it was fitting.

“Yeah? TJ?” She glanced out of the window, wondering where their other friends were. If they didn’t show up soon, the Gryffindors would have to go looking for them. Shelby and JR in a compartment together? The idea was kind of funny; it made Tomie feel like she was missing out, but at the same time a part of her thought those two were maybe the least compatible dyad of the group... "Wilhelmina junior?" Tomie mouthed a silent bleh! like she was throwing up. "That's basically what I am anyway," she commented with a huff. Her dad was Willem, she was Wilhelmina – they might as well call her 'WJ', not that that rolled off of the tongue.

“What about Benny junior?” she asked, pausing to think of the initials that would make, and then snorting. “Azami’s iconic, though,” Tomie countered, smiling as her little cat crawled up her leg to sit in her lap. He yawned, seemingly tired out by the five minutes of slicing and started pawing her leg. She stroked his patchy fur absentmindedly. Where had Joshua gotten off to? If he got into any trouble, Benny’s mum would be mad at them both. “What about JR junior?” she asked with a teasing grin. “You know – J R J R?” She laughed, “Oh lets give him a bunch of middle names!” Tomie pulled her hand back as it got a little scratch; her cat was now catching its claws on her t-shirt and she’d gotten in the way.

Another year, another train ride. Shelby, her skin still tanned from her excursion overseas, bounded on the train with confidence she hadn't had the September before. She still felt like a giant, especially now as she moved from the mixed crowd of adults into the train corridor, but she also knew she was strong now from a summer of rowing. And adventurous! She held onto the memory of that one late night excursion vividly as proof that she had nothing to be scared of the coming year.

So with minimal tears, Shelby pulled away from her folks, stepping with Ingvar on the train and immediately splitting off from him in search of her own friends. She saw some of her year mates, and excited looking first years. They seemed so small! She had the paperwork for SNAIL in her bag, along with the two clubs she wanted to propose to Flitwick. Shelby Trickett was prepped this year for anything.

She spent a minute chatting with some upper years she had hung out with at camp before looking for Tomie and the others. She had brought snacks again - more, this time, not just the custard cakes, and she couldn't wait to share with Benny. JR would get extra - he hadn't gotten one last year.

"Knock knock," she said when she found the compartment, walking in with a big smile. "Who wants cakes?" Spotting the kneazle, she gasped. "Who is this!!" she exclaimed, immediately moving to pet the new friend.

The summer holidays had gone by so fast.

That was always something he’d heard old people talk about, – how quickly ‘time flew’ – but that he’d never really believed, much less appreciated… until now. Bren could have sworn that he’d first arrived in Vermont only yesterday, but it had actually been a month-and-a-half. And now here he was, boarding the scarlet steam engine for his second year at school. It wasn’t that he wasn’t looking forward to going back to Hogwarts, but he would definitely miss the summer’s complete and utter lack of responsibilities. Camp had been everything he could have asked for and more. Aimée had gone, too, and Bren was mildly surprised they hadn’t crossed paths more frequently.

Speaking of Aimée – all she seemed to be able to talk about since their school letters had arrived was Ravenclaw’s upcoming Quidditch season. If Bren thought his elder sister had quite exhausted the topic now that the new term was beginning, he was sorely mistaken… if anything, the closer they’d gotten to today, the more she’d talked about it. But fortunately she also seemed to mind increasingly less as to whether or not anyone was actually listening. He’d been toying with the idea of going out for the Slytherin team, but in all honesty he was more than a little terrified to potentially go up against his sister in a match. She was about as fierce and strong-willed as they came – anyone who didn’t know her more than superficially might think she fit the stereotypical Gryffindor mold.

Surprisingly, he wasn’t able to spot any of his friends right away on the platform when they finally arrived; that wasn’t the case for Aimée, and she departed to board the train with a hasty kiss and over-the-shoulder wave to their parents and youngest sister. Bren followed more slowly, taking another minute to say goodbye before boarding himself.

He meandered slowly down the aisle, which was still decently queued-up, and was further delayed for a few long minutes by a cluster of boisterous older boys. Too timid to simply push or shove his way past them as he'd watched several others do, he waited until there was a big enough opening for him to squeeze through; and as the train lurched forward, the group began to dissolve and Bren was able to move a little more freely along the queue.
As he passed a compartment he caught sight of Tomie, Benny, and Shelby in his peripheral vision; he slowed for a fraction of a second, deliberating, but changed his mind and kept going. The three of them and JR had formed an unofficially official sort of… squad… that he felt awkward about breaking up by taking what he assumed to be JR’s spot in the compartment.
Fortunately he didn’t need to travel much further before he found an empty one, dumped his stuff in it (making sure his initials on his trunk were clearly visible in case anyone wanted to join him), and weaved his way back through the crowded aisle to his Yearmates’ compartment.

The door was ajar; the slight boy slipped halfway in with a smile and a wave, still wary of intruding too much without express invitation.
“Hi! Long time, no see.” A week and two days, in fact. It was a lame joke but Bren wasn’t exactly the wittiest. But his gaze landed on the Kneazle, then, and his tentative smile broadened. He definitely had a soft spot for animals.
“Oh, wow! Whose kitten?”

"J R J R? Really?" Benny said with a deadpan look that quickly shifted right back into his typical dimpled smile. He shook his head at the idea but laughed anyway. He wondered how JR would feel about being the kitten's namesake, and that thought made him grin even more. He was bouncing in his seat by the time Shelby came into the cabin, and Benny turned to give her a wave. This year's train ride was shaping up to be just like their last one, and that was comforting. Benny was far from as nervous this year as he was last year, but having more of their friends around would make it more fun. And not just that, Benny was quick to realize one significant fact: Shelby always brought snacks. "Oh me please," The twelve-year-old said quickly at the offering of cakes and held his hand out toward her.

Shelby moved in toward the kitten, and Benny thought to warn her, but it seemed like the kitten only tried to bite him. He pulled his hand back and settled into the seat again as the Ravenclaw set out to pet the still-unnamed kitten, and before long, another student joined them. "Hello, Bren," Benny said to him with another wave and a smile and quickly took it upon himself to answer the question posed.

"Tomie's, still doesn't have a name though," Shooting a look at the Gryffindor girl, Benny nodded.

Tomie smacked his arm playfully, “Yeah~” she whined, “then if he has kittens one day we can call them J-R-J-R-J-R.” She raised her eyebrows as if it was a serious suggestion before breaking into a loud laugh. By the time Shelby came into the compartment, Tomie’s cat had napped and woken up again. He was playing with (destroying) Tomie’s shoelaces by her feet.

“Shelby Trickett!” Tomie declared. “It’s been an age!” She would have gotten up to hug her friend, but she was by the window and her cat was at her feet, so she didn’t get up. Still, she put a hand on Shelby’s shoulder as soon as she was close enough to reach. After a moment, she scooped her teeny little cat up in her hands, holding him up for Shelby to see. “We found him in the attic,” she added, “he’s a bit scratchy though, so watch out…” she watched carefully as Shelby reached in. So far, her cat had scratched both Benny and Weasel Warren. Tomie, for one, was convinced she had formed a near-magical bond with the creature.

Another person appeared in the compartment and Tomie was a little surprised when it wasn’t JR. The morning had unfolded just like last year so far, so she’d been half expecting him to be the next one they saw. Absentmindedly, Tomie wondered where Wendy was. Probably with her million siblings, she guessed. “Hey Bean!” she said, reaching out for a sort-of-hand-slap that resembled a mix between a high-five and a handshake. "We found him in our attic," she added to Benny's answer helpfully, giving him a grin. "He's mostly friendly, but a bit bitey and scratchy sometimes â€“ so you can pat him but be careful!" She placed the kneazel-cat down on a seat, where it began scratching at the seat cushion.

"Yeah, she bit me, look?" Benny said he held his summer tanned forearm up toward the others to show off his tiny little bite scab. He pointed it out, just in case they didn't see it, and then sat back in the seat. "Didn't hurt that bad, though," The wizard said while pretending to be tougher than he was. It had hurt, but only for a second, and then he forgot all about it until just later.

"We thought she was the boggart moving around in the attic," Benny added on to Tomie's story like they had told it a hundred times (which they probably had by now) and smiled. Thankfully they hadn't had any run-ins with the boggart this summer. It had been a relatively peaceful summer, really. After returning from Summer camp, Benny had spent a lot of time with his family and with Tomie and the other kids in the apartment building. They only got into a little bit of trouble too! Which was something for the pair of adventurers?

He pulled his sneakers up onto the seat, tucked them under himself so that the kitten would have more room to move around on the floor. It was a funny little thing, always climbing and pawing at things. "She needs a real name Tomie," Benny whined a little and pulled a face at the kitten's owner.

"Who needs a real name?" JR asked as he slid into the compartment with a cool smile as he saw his yearmates gathered there already. It was the start of a new year, but the Slytherin felt much more comfortable than he had this time last year. And it wasn't just because he didn't have to stick with Nola and listen to her friends chatter on for the whole train ride.

Their parents had come to King's Cross to drop them off as was customary, but JR spent the whole time craning his neck (while trying to appear like he wasn't) to try to spot his friends. Even the two inches he had grown over the summer didn't really help considering how many people were crowding the platform. His mum was nagging him about his schoolwork and how often to write her and not to eat too many sweets while his father placed a heavy hand on his shoulder and got in a few last pieces of advice for the coming quidditch try outs that they had discussed at length over the summer. JR felt a twinge of the familiar pressure, but he nodded seriously and told his father he would keep him updated on the try outs. He was only a second year, but his father had high expectations and therefore, JR had high expectations for himself as well.

Still, today he couldn't do much about it. He moved through the crowd smoothly, hopping on the train, before he realized he had left Griffin's carrier back by his mum. He sent her an apologetic smile as he returned for it and then went through the train corridor looking for his friends. He hadn't even bothered a real goodbye to his sister who he was sure was looking for her own group to sit with. He hadn't seen much of his friend since camp had ended, but he was looking forward to this coming year for more than one reason. He smiled at Shelby in greeting as he came into the cabin, pushed his knuckles toward Bean to pound, nudged Benny with his elbow, and then took up the seat next to Tomie as he tossed her a bag of her favorite candies that he had gotten from the trolley witch.

Then he tilted his head as he noticed the newest addition to their group. "Who's is this?" he asked with a grin, looking at the kitten who was busily vandalizing the seat cushion.

"The kitten does," Benny answered quickly, not even bothering to give JR a proper hello; they were long past doing that every time one of the second years entered the train's cabin. And after spending nearly the whole summer bunking with JR, Benny didn't feel like a formal greeting was really needed anymore. It had been so much fun basically sharing a dorm with the Slytherin that Benny was almost sad that they wouldn't be in the same house when returning to Hogwarts again. Still, he had plenty of Gryffindor friends, and Ravenclaw too! So it wasn't all bad.

"She wants to name her JR JR," Benny said, forgetting again that it was a boy kitten, and then chuckling. "What do you think about that?" He asked JR, and the others, with a look on his face that always came before another giggle. "Wait, him, its a boy." The preteen wizard remembered, and that realization made him laugh some more. Laughing was easy, especially around friends, and it was good for the nerves too. Nerves he was trying to pretend he wasn't feeling as the train really got moving, and their second year was real and truly upon them.

Another figure appeared at the door. “JR!” Tomie’s face lit up as the Slytherin casually interrupted their conversation. She reached out for another high-five-handshake hand slap, and even considered getting up for a hug or something as JR stepped into their compartment. She decided against it though, shifting a bit as JR came over to take the seat beside her. She grinned at him, wanting to ask him about the rest of his summer, catching the bag of sweets with one hand.

“He’s a bit violent,” she said, gesturing at the cat unnecessarily as it demonstrated her claim for her very clearly in front of them. “So be careful if you try pat him,” she added smugly. So far, he’d tried to scratch pretty much everyone except for her. Tomie was half convinced he was her magical familiar, and that she’d spend the year with her kneazle-cat on her shoulder or something. "Thanks by the way," she said, opening the lollies JR had tossed her way.

“That was a joke, Rivera” she protested, kicking at Benny’s leg with a playful grin. “Nah, he needs something more… I dunno, magical? Where’s Wendy when you need her, huh?”

Where was Wendy? That was a good question. When Tomie brought up their Ravenclaw friend Benny wondered if she was sitting with other friends. He knew she had some siblings, but he wasn't sure if any of them were still in Hogwarts this year, and that thought reminded him of his own brother. "Do you think I should go check on Josh?" He pondered, even though he knew his little brother was far better off than he had been on his first ride, Benny still worried. He had sworn to his mum that he'd look after him and he took the promise seriously.

Toying with the ripped threads, thank you nameless homicidal kitten, on the back of his seat Benny kept his eyes on the door. He wasn't going to go, because then he'd give up his seat in the cabin, but he couldn't stop thinking about it. Then again, if the cat bit him again, he might have to excuse himself anyway. "Maybe give her a superhero name, then?" He offered.

“I’m sure he’s fine,” Tomie said, waving a hand. “He abandoned us, remember?” she asked, popping one of the jellybeans into her mouth. She almost gagged, and spat it out into her hand in a second. “Mould,” she explained, standing up so she could drop the half-chewed jellybean out of the small gap in the window. Naturally, she immediately went back to eating them. “Anyone want one?” she asked, the delicious, buttery flavour of popcorn chasing the gross taste away in her mouth.

“Him,” she corrected for the hundredth time, but she barely noticed she’d done it. “Mikky Blue?” she asked, glancing Benny’s way. “Vera Miro? Superman??” She laughed.