Knowing that certain important people would find him, West got off the carriages and made short work of loading his trunk up and claiming a compartment near the back. Nice compartment, big enough for plenty of his friends to join him if they wanted to, even if he had plans to sit with just one person in particular.

The soon to be fifth year sprawled comfortably on one of the long seats, back to the window and facing the door, having to bend his knees to actually fit given how much he'd grown over the past few years.

He busied himself counting the last of his coins, seeing if he had enough for snacks from the trolley when it came around.

Carriages first, Prefect's visit second, and then Alice was wandering around the train corridors and nonchalantly barging into every compartment there was. Not it, not it.. why'd he have to claim one that was in the back, again? She must have interrupted at least a dozen or so people before she finally stumbled upon the right one.

"Found you." Except West was occupying a whole seat for himself, and the other one was just so far away. Alice sat crosslegged on the floor next to his sprawled out figure instead, reaching for the one of his hands that looked least busy with coin counting.

"Hi."

He looked up from his counting.

"Hey." She got a bigggg smile and a hand squeeze, a far cry from the mopey staring he'd directed her way at the feast. For reasons. "Whatchu sitting all the way down there for?"

West shifted, dropping one leg to the floor and bending the other up so she could sit in the space between them and lean against him if she wanted to.

"It's much more fun down here than up there." Which was why Alice always sat on the floor of the train for every ride to and from school. But he hadn't ever been in a compartment with her, had he? West could move down there too, if he wanted.

But apparently he didn't. She shifted as well, shuffling over a little to sit in the space between his legs and rest her chin on his knee. "Selina's picking me up from King's Cross."

Which meant stay away at the train station or get death glares and bat beatings from an overprotective redhead.

Oh really? West didn't believe it, and obviously she didn't really either given she was happy enough to come and join him. He snuggled her happily.

"Oh yeah? Aspen's picking me up, I think I'm safe." Really. With an Aspen around West wasn't scared of Selina. Not that he was anyway, but still. "Selina doesn't know we made up yet, huh?"

It was more fun on the floor, really, but only when Wests weren't on the seats.

"She is?" That meant that she was the one needed to stay away then. And Alice could hide behind Selina and Mortimer if need be, which made her feel slightly safer. Slightly. But she really didn't want to receive more eyeballs.

He got shrugs in response to his next question. "Selina doesn't know lots of things." And only got told stuff when she had information requiring bribery. Or cookies, cookies worked too.

"Yeah, me and Mo. Taking us both home." Since they were neighbours and all. Last year it had been Vivi who was charged with picking them up, it was Aspen's turn. West was really excited to see his sister.

Oh and he should probably mention.... "Me and Mo... we're sort of friends again I think. Sort of. Trying to be anyway." It would depend though. Would Mo take the things he'd said to heart? Actually listen to the things what bothered him?

West leaned forward and nuzzled her cheek. "Selina knows enough." Did Alice tell her the good stuff too? Or just the not so good stuff?

"... oh." Alice personally felt much less likely to get torn limb from limb or hexed or something equally painful by Mo's sister, but... yay for Aspen pick ups. And stuff.

And he and Mo were buddy-buddy again. Or trying to be. Or.. what? That part required more elaboration, so West just got looks while she patiently waited for it.

But while she awaited proper explanations, there was perfectly good time for snuggling that wasn't being put to waste. "She does." Alice was slowly learning how to resist cookies, too, even better.

"He came and bugged me when I was sketching out about things." She knew what things. "And I don't know, we talked some. I don't know what will happen or whatever but... yeah. We'll see." Mo had realised the whole deal with West forcing the syrup on him was to save him from the messed up ice cream, so there was that. There were still things to work out though. For both of them, probably.

West pocketed his coins and wrapped both arms around Alice instead. Because he could.

"Where's Dora?"

Minerva walked through the train looking for a compartment.. She wanted empty.. She wanted to be alone. Half thinking the back shouldn't be the place she went, her feet had other plans as they made their way into the place she had been going since first term. Had she ever sat anywhere else on this train. She vaguely remembered sitting in the middle or front once and it was only because of a fight she had.

Walking past compartments with other students Minerva knew they wouldn't do. She knew she had to be in one alone. That short carriage ride felt long even with the comfort of her best friend. She hated the feelings she was having and she was just ready to be away from the emotions. She just hoped by fall she could be her again. The bubbly, social, smiling, hugging Minerva. Not this unsocial, crying, depressed version that had been her for what seemed like forever.

Finding an empty compartment Minerva entered and set her things down. Placing Fluffy on the char next to her she sat curling into her familiar ball with her legs to her chest and wrapped her arms around resting her head on her knees looking out the window. She wiped at her wet eyes and just hoped for some sleep.

Once he had gotten off the boat and made it through the station, Ethan entered the train through the back. He knew the prefect compartment was up towards the front and that he'd have to stop there, but he thought the walk up the corridor alone would help him clear his head.. plus this would count as one of his duties to walk through and make sure everything was cool, right?

As he walked, he allowed his green eyes to drift through the windows of the compartments, not being nosy, just making sure there were no problems. Then a figure in one of the compartments made him stop. She was alone and curled up in the ball he had become accustomed to as of late. Ethan had intended on spending the train ride with her once he got his prefect duties out of the way, but he decided to sit with her now. He could see the other student leaders later.. and come back and join her again when he was done.

He slid open the door and allowed Elise to walk in ahead of him, then he stepped inside himself. Ethan watched her for a moment with the hint of a smile then lowered himself on the bench next to her. "Hey.. is this seat taken?" he said with a smile, mostly joking as he knew she wouldn't refuse him.

Yaaay, it was finally time to leave. Theo pranced around the train trying to find his friends, but specifically, his girlfriend. They would definitely see each other in the summer, but it wasn't quite the same as seeing someone almost every day at school. He had to have goodbye snogs and stuff. He peered through many windows as he made his way back of the train, but still couldn't see her. Maybe he WAS a bit early to be boarding the train, though. Theo was an eager beaver.

Oh!

HOLT.

Theo swung the compartment door open and popped his head inside with a BEAM. "Hey. You guys seen Dora?" Because after looking all over the train and not finding her, she MUST have been here at some point with West and Alice. Oh, not interrupting anything are we?

It was funny that Theo was looking for Dora, because Dora had been looking for him TOO. In all the wrong places apparently since she still had yet to find him.

She'd not managed to find him before the carriage ride, which meant riding with a bunch of people she didn't care to even bother getting to know, and now that she was finally on the train she'd still not managed to find him. Or any of her friends that she was needing to find at this moment.

Was everyone hiding from her?

It was a theory, except for Theo.

He probably wanted snogs just as much as she did, and you didn't get those by hiding from your girlfriend.

The almost-not-a-fourth-year searched the entire train from front to back until she caught a glimpse of her most favorite Slytherin. She kept him in her field of vision (which wasn't that difficult) and caught up with him. Slipping her head under him so that his arm was around her shoulder and both their heads were in the compartment, she grinned at him. "I've seen Dora. Heard she was looking for her boyfriend."

And she found hiiiiiim.

And an Alice and West.

Such a win.

Her eyes turned to grin at them. "Hi, guys."

Minerva had just shut her eyes when she heard the door slide open. Sighing a bit to herself she knew alone wasn't going to happen, but she was hoping for at least a few more moments. She wasn't even going to look up until she heard the voice. She wiped at her eyes and lifted her head giving a faint smile. "Yes it is actually... It's being saved for a super hot keeper boy, prefect, and recent graduate." She cuddled into him hoping he could stay for a bit at least knowing he had prefect things to do. His final prefect duties.

"Did you have a nice boat ride?" She felt a sting in her saying that. She wasn't sure why, it was just a boat ride, but she knew the meaning behind him being on that boat. Looking down she gave a small smile at Elise and watched as Fluffy bounded over to the cat. "I think Fluffy is going to have to go through yet another adjustment next term without another friend. " She felt her lip tremble over that... She tried to figure out something better to talk about, but even the near future wasn't a good topic. She knew his mom was going to waiting on them at the train station and the term topic was not going to be pleasant and neither was her giving a history talk and then in a few days she would be headed to hopefully begin some sort of healing process from this term.


She looked up at her boyfriend giving him a small trace of a smile, "Can you stay long or do you have to head towards the Prefect compartment?" She really hoped he wasn't leaving just yet at least.

Wade walked through the halls just looking forward to another nice long ride back home. It was strange, knowing he will next return here as a seventh year. Quite wierd, really. He tried not to think too much on it along the way, since there still was one more eventful summer left before he could accept that.

At the first empty one, he let himself in, letting the door shut on its own as he plomped down onto the nearest seat. Then he rested his hands against the back of his head leaning. Time to get comfortable.

Taylor wandered down, going to the back. The back was where she seemed to always get pulled to by her friends so it was a habit. Tay turned just in time to get a glimpse of Wade entering a compartment. She followed him then knocked on the door, sticking her head in a little, "Mind if I join you, Wade?" Taylor gave him a smile, already changed into her normal street clothes. Her curls were tied back into a ponytail and her dress matched her sparkling green eyes. She smiled in happiness as she waited for him to answer. Tay had a feeling that they would be good friends.

"He did what?" Alice squinted at him carefully, trying to shrug off his arms, because it was quite difficult to give looks to people when they were squishing you like that. His 'talk' with Cactus still wasn't making any sense but.. y'know. Boys. They were dumb and stuff.

"Told you Dora said I could sit with you. Just you. But she might stop by anyway." Which Alice wouldn't mind, because Dora time was her favorite time, and she hadn't had a proper dose of it since waffle rolling the previous day.

And it looked like she WAS getting a Dora, as well as Thinsley. His shoes were goo-free now, too.

"Hi."

Did either of them bring food? Good compensation for gatecrashing.

It didn't take long before Wade could feel the train move on its own. He contemplated on what to do for the time being before he heard the door open, oh cool, it was Tay. "Hey," He smiled at her before gesturing to the seats around. "Sure, make yourself comfortable." He waited until she got settled before asking, "so, you about ready for the summer?"

Tay smiled as he gestured to the seats. She slipped in and let the door close again. Taylor sat down in the seat across from him after putting her bag above the seat. Tay smiled at him, "Thanks." She nodded, "Yeah... I am actually... what about you?" Taylor messed with her ponytail as she glanced at him.

"Just me." He repeated and she got another nuzzle. Well he didn't mind people joining them since there were plenty of people he wanted to see before disappearing for the summer. Not that he expected he wouldn't SEE them it was just that he wanted to, especially being in a better mood now than he had been at the feast.

A MUCH better mood.

He was about to answer Alice about Mo things when Theo appeared. West lit up, a big happy grin. Everything was good now see? See? No more moping. He opened his mouth to say he hadn't seen Dora yet but expected her to appear eventually but then it wasn't necessary since her head appeared right there under Theo's arm.

"Dora and her boyfriend should come and sit down in here with West and his awesome girlfriend." West said, indicating the entire free seat opposite where he and Alice were snugged up. He was entirely ignoring Alice's attempts to shake him off and give him looks. He planned to get his fill of hugs before they had to part upon reaching Kings Cross.

"Anyone bring food? I've got a few coins scrounged up, but not all that much after the turnstiles, not if you girls want birthday presents this year." Seriously. They could've had birthdays more spread out, it'd be healthier for his pockets.

He had deeeeefinitely interrupted something.

As much as seeing West and Alice being all snuggly made him feel a bit sick in his guts, he was soon distracted when someone popped their head under his arm. And he TOTALLY jumped, but it was okay, it was his girlfriend. Theo grinned down at her then moved his arm that was resting against the door, and wrapped it around the back of her waist. "Well, she found her boyfriend." Was this a game of some sort? Theo made a kissssssssssy face...

Woah, woah... there was ALMOST kisses but hellloooooooo... this was no snogging parade!

He COULD have whisked Dora away somewhere else, but they were soon invited to sit down here. Which was okay, too. "I have..." Theo sat down opposite the other two with a bump, then fumbled around in his pockets and pulled out a few Bertie Bott beans, and a... CHOCOLATE FROG.... wrapper. "Oh... well I have enough beans for one each."

So what if they had sat in his pocket since yesterday? YOLO.

Dora was used to all the jumpiness that usually happened when she snuck up on Theo, and so she just grinned cheerfully in response, having expected that exact reaction from him. "Cause she's such an awesome girlfriend." She totally didn't miss the kissy faces he was making either, but for reasons, and because if she was getting kisses she wanted them ALL, Dora only responded by reaching up and fluffed his pretty hair some.

"You called me Dora." Did he know? She wiggled her fingers at West, and moved in with Theo, snuggling up beside him when he sat. "I don't want beans." Or bean. Why was all that in his pocket? She pulled out her pouch and reached in. "I don't have candy, but I have pumpkin pasties and cauldron cakes." She did make a small stop at the trolley, anticipating some eating to happen while on the train.

She pulled them out of the pouch and held them out for her friends to take, but didn't lean away from Theo since she was all comfortable and stuff. "I expect gifts, West. Better gifts than Alice even." She made silly faces at her bestie.

West DID have an awesome girlfriend, didn't he? Most awesome one there was. She'd finally ceased her attempts to shake him off and let her chin stay on his knee that was propped up. Alice had a very good view of everything from there, including Dora's silly looks getting shot her way. Theo kissy faces, too.

Which she really didn't need to see, but, y'know.

"I don't have anything, but I'll eat yours," the soon to be sixth year informed her best friend, attempting to squirm around in her boyfriend's arms to grab some snacks. His arms were in the way, did he know? "You don't have to get me presents if you let me reach a cauldron cake." She made faces back at Dora too, a fish one, except her cheeks were still sore from earlier, so it didn't last very long.

And then she looked at Thinsley and his beans. "Can you tell what flavors you have?" Not that she was eager to eat anything out of his pocket, but still. Flamsteed's goblin spit and troll bogey cookies had completely ruined Bertie Bott's for her.

"I'm down for beans." West told Theo casually. This was probably no surprise but it wasn't like there was any risk of contamination in Theo's pockets of all the pockets in the world. Cleanest pockets in all of Wizarding Britain for sure. He wasn't so concerned about the flavours, that was part of the fun.

He looked at Dora and grinned. "Well its your name." But y'know, don't get used to it and all that. He only had because Alice and Theo had and it just flowed naturally given the circumstances. She was still his Siddie, no question.

And of COURSE she was prepared with snacks. West lit up and loosened his grip on Alice. "I'll let you reach a cauldron cake if you grab ME one too." He told Alice. "And I'll still get you a present." He winked at Dora too. "And you. When have I not delivered on gifts?" He liked giving gifts actually. It was one of the ways West showed how much he cared, he worked hard trying to be really personal with his choices.

Now why wasn't that cauldron cake or bertie beans in his MOUTH yet?