Ready As I'll Ever Be Solo Finished

On the easternmost side of Platform 9 3/4, there stood a little girl. She was petite as can be, a tight, tight bun on the top of her head, not a hair out of place. Her pinafore dress was freshly ironed and wrinkle free. Her posture was perfect, and her face was clean as a whistle. Her black Mary Janes were practically sparkling, and she held a little satchel primly at her front. An old looking trunk sat next to her, but it too was just as uniform.
Other children stared at her in awe as they went by, and their parents whispered to each other: “I wish our kid was like that.” She was like the poster child for a young royal or something.

But if anyone dared look closer, they could see that the girl was shaking like a leaf. Her knuckles were white around the handle of her bag, and she had locked her gaze on her shiny shoes.

“Gemima! We’re ready to go, love!”
The girl snapped her head up. She sighed in relief as she spotted her mother and older sister rushing towards her.
“Gem! Here we are!” sang Cath, slinging an arm around her. She was toting a small paper bag in her hand. “Sorry, had to pick up a sammy for the train ride. You know how it is. If I don’t–”
“--Get enough food, you’ll stab a bitch.” Gemima recited.
“Gemima! Language!” her mother gasped.
“But that’s what she says!”
Cath grinned and gave her little sister a hearty high five. “So proud of you.”
Her mother sighed. “Thank Merlin, the train’ll be here soon. It’s not good for me to be up so early in the morning.” She sniffed and used her wand to smooth her windswept hair back into its perfect styled shape.

Sure enough, a piercing choo, choo! filled the air. People quickly flocked to the rails, peering down the track. Gemima leaned forward too, now dangerously close to the edge. Her mother reached out and snatched the hem of her daughter's coat, muttering something about life insurance under her breath.
Suddenly, a great red blur hurtled out of the darkness. Gemima leapt back as the Hogwarts Express proudly rolled into the station. It slowed to a halt with a satisfying hiss.
"Wow..." Gemima breathed. She stared up at the train, open-mouthed. It was ginormous, painted a furious, fire engine red, with glittering gold accents. Thick blue smoke curled and swirled around it, making it look like a mighty dragon in flight. Even after all the times she had seen Cath board the train, it was still a magnificent sight. And now, she realized with a gasp, she was going to ride it too! A tingle of adrenaline ripped up her spine. Her heart was thumping wildly in her ears. Cath stepped beside her and flashed a wicked grin. Gemima felt herself beaming back.

"Ready for the best seven years of your life, Gem?"
Gemima sucked in the cool autumn air. All around her, she could see countless wizards, young and old, all buzzing with the same excitement that she felt. The sun was shining brilliantly in the morning sky. She turned to Cath and nodded. "Ready as I'll ever be."