Alone together Private: Clodagh O’Donnell Finished

Clodagh couldn’t find her friends anywhere. She checked most of the compartments, asked anyone she had seen (which was quite embarrassing)and eventually came to an end. Her legs were tired, feet sore and throat sore from the amount of questions she had asked. As of now, she was more concerned about finding a quiet compartment so she could rest her aching feet.
Everywhere on the train seemed to be busy. Friends catching up, couples reuniting in the most disgusting way and enemies either glaring at each other or arguing seemed to fill the area.
Clodagh finally came upon a compartment with a girl who looked a little older than herself. She had wavy brown hair, hazel eyes, freckles and were those scars?
Weird
She slid the door open but the older girl stayed in the same position.
“Do you mind if I sit here? Everywhere else is full”
The small girl looked down when she felt the heat on her cheeks again. It was as if the brunette hadn’t heard her, still not even looking in her direction.
“I’m Clodagh O’Donnell”
She said as she held her hand out.
Clodagh waited for her to answer, the nerves kicking in.
@Olivia Williams

Word Count: 200

The train had slowly started to roll and no one had sat in Olivia's compartment so she picked up a book and started reading. But her thoughts kept drifting off to the summer. Her father hadn't been very present, said there had been a lot going on at the Ministry. Olivia had been alone but that hadn't bothered her. She had taken many trips to Diagon Alley. It had cheered her up a bit to look at books at Florish and Blotts and pet animals at the Magical Menagerie.

Then her thoughts drifted to her mother and Olivia automatically began to finger her bracelet. She didn't remember much of her mother because Olivia had been very young when she passed away. But she remembered how her father had always been happy when Olivia's mother was alive. He had never been so happy since.

Olivia realized that she couldn't read because of how her thoughts were always flying away. She closed the book she had on her lap. It was only then that she noticed the girl standing in the doorway with her hand outstretched. Olivia hadn't noticed her.

“Hi,” Olivia said slowly and calmly. “Can I help you with something?” Then Olivia realized that she had probably introduced herself and asked if she could sit there. “Sorry, I didn’t catch your name. I’m Olivia, Williams. You can sit here if you want,” Olivia said, smiling a small but warm smile.

Clodagh still hand her hand in the air, waiting for an answer. The older girl started to fiddle with her bracelet when she realized that Clodagh was in the doorway.
”Hi,” she began,”Can I help you with something?”
Clodagh just grimaced. She hadn’t heard her,
Maybe she just wasn’t interesting enough.
As all these thoughts swarmed through her head, she could feel her face going red again, she probably looked beetroot!
The brown eyed girl spoke up again,
“Sorry, if I didn't catch your name. I’m Olivia Williams.” she said with a small smile.
Relief filled the small girl, she just hadn’t heard her.
“Clodagh O’Donnell,”she repeated, “Nice to meet you Olivia.”
She sat in front of the girl and held her hand out again.
Clodagh was hoping they’d be great friends.
I wonder if she likes pranks?
They might have great adventures together, exploring the forbidden woods her brothers told her about! Or maybe they would sneak into the kitchens together and have a midnight feast with the houselves as her father used to do! Hope blossomed in her chest, hope that she and this girl would have a great time at Hogwarts together! Maybe it was a good thing she couldn’t find her friends.

@Olivia Williams
Word count: 210

Olivia hesitated, then took Clodagh's hand. "Nice to meet you too," Olivia said. She studied the student in front of her. "You're a first year, right?" Olivia then asked.

Of course she was. Olivia's thoughts flew away again. To the previous year when Olivia started school. It had been as expected. Quite lonely. But Olivia told herself that was how it had to be because she was a werewolf. She was stuck in her thoughts for a moment before she looked up at the girl in front of her again.

“That must be exciting? Starting Hogwarts?” Olivia asked, hoping she sounded friendly. “Which house are you hoping for? I’m in Gryffindor myself.” Olivia wanted to get the girl in front of her to chatter so Olivia didn’t have to. She wasn’t very social, but that was okay with her.

Olivia thought that maybe Clodagh would like to be friends with her. At least before she found out more about Olivia. Her secret and her bad grades. Olivia was ashamed of it. She was always too much. Always wrong, never fitting in.

Olivia tore herself out of her thoughts again and looked at Clodagh. “You’ll be fine at Hogwarts,” Olivia said, smiling. “Because you’re normal,” she added to herself so Clodagh wouldn’t hear.

The girl in front of Clodagh hesitated before she finally took her hand,
“Nice to meet you too,” she paused for a moment before speaking again, “You’re a first year, right?”
Clodagh nodded frantically, she was so excited for her new journey to start. On the way to the train her sister had gotten rather mad at Clodagh when she wouldn’t stop bouncing her leg. She was rather nervous at the same time.
What if I get separated from my friends?
She decided not to worry about that until the time came.
”That must be exciting? Starting Hogwarts?” Olivia asked in a kind manner. ”Which house are you hoping for? I’m in Gryffindor myself.”
Clodagh had been prepared for this question. She had given hard thought into it when she got her letter and ruled it out to two houses. Most of her family had been in Gryffindor, except her second brother. He had gotten into Hufflepuff which wasn’t a shock to the household as he was always the more patient, loyal and generous member of the family. Clodagh opened her mouth to answer the Williams girl.
”Either Gryffindor or
Hufflepuff! But I don’t mind.” she exclaimed.
Clodagh wondered if herself and this girl could be friends no matter what house she was in. She was never one to talk to strangers, it was quite strange really but it was probably just the nerves talking.
Clodagh hopped into the seat in front of Olivia and studied her intently.
Those were definitely scars I seen earlier!
She wondered how she had gotten them, maybe Olivia would tell her but Clodagh would just have to wait and see…

@Olivia Williams
Word Count: 279

Olivia nodded and then sat quietly. The silence grew bigger and bigger. Finally it almost started to become embarrassing. So Olivia picked up her book again and started reading.

It was Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them by Newt Scamander, one of Olivia's absolute favorites. She read slowly while feeling Clodagh's gaze on her. But Olivia had decided that if Clodagh wanted to talk, she had to take the initiative.

Olivia read for a long time. But her thoughts flew to other things, mostly to her previous year at Hogwarts. Like the time she got lost and ran into a prefect, or the time she met another student at Hogs Head on her birthday. Not to mention every time a month… Olivia pushed that thought far back.

Then she thought about the summer that had been horrible. All alone, no letters, and the pain once a month. For the second time, Olivia pushed that thought to the back of her mind.

She tried not to think too much about how abnormal she was. That once a month she turned into a deadly beast. But it was hard when she had scars all over her body. Olivia quickly adjusted the collar of her knitted sweater and the sleeves so that they covered her properly. If Clodagh had noticed them… Olivia pushed the thought far back for the third time. Of course she hadn’t noticed. But that was when she asked…

It had grown very silent after Clodagh had sat down. Olivia was reading her book again and Clodagh, well Clodagh was still studying the girl in front of her.
Her thoughts were swirling again, all these different questions running through her head about the older girl’s scars.
I should ask her
Clodagh opened her mouth but closed it just as quickly again. Maybe she shouldn’t ask incase it’s something private, but yet again maybe it wasn’t. Could the Williams girl maybe have had an accident? What if she was a violent person and got into a fight!
Anxiety gripped at Clodagh and she could feel her hands start to shake.
Maybe I should leave
Clodagh took deep breaths and tried to calm herself down.
I’m just overthinking again
She told herself.
She took in Olivia again, she definitely wasn’t a violent person. How could she think of that! The quietness in the compartment became awkward and Clodagh felt her skin itch with embarrassment. Maybe the brunette was waiting for Clodagh to start a conversation!
She saw Olivia adjust her woolly jumper.
Was she nervous?
Clodagh debated on what to say and finally decided to be straight forward.
”If you don’t mind me asking, why do you have so many scars?”
She gripped her chair in anticipation of the other girls answer.

Word Count: 222
@Olivia Williams

Olivia froze and looked up at Clodagh. She opened her mouth, closed it, opened it again, and closed it a second time. Olivia didn't know what to say. Surprise, I'm a deadly creature? No. No, no, no.

Olivia took a breath and adjusted her shirt. “Scars? I don’t have any scars. You must have been wrong,” she said as truthfully as possible. She hoped Clodagh wouldn’t see through her lie. But she already had, Olivia knew.

Olivia sighed and grabbed her upper arm. “It’s kind of… private,” she said, hoping Clodagh wouldn’t press any further. But she probably would. Olivia prepared herself for every possible scenario. She could take the train back to London if Clodagh found out her secret. It wouldn’t be that hard.

Olivia wondered if Clodagh would understand. Maybe… or the whole school would find out.

“You could say I’ve been through some tough stuff,” Olivia said finally, feeling obligated to give Clodagh a more detailed explanation. “But I’d rather not talk about it.”

Olivia put her book away and picked up some chocolate, it helped when she felt bad. If only there was someone who would understand. But Olivia was doing fine on her own, she told herself. But in reality she was only getting worse with each passing day.

Clodagh regretted asking the question as soon as it came out of her mouth. Olivia seemed to get flustered and the air had turned tense.
Why is she getting so worked up? She should’ve just asked another question like what the girls favourite colour was but it seemed as if the curious side had taken over her.
Olivia was now trying to fix her shirt as if the fabric alone was suffocating her and fear was now showing in those brown eyes.
The girl in front of Clodagh finally seemed set on an answer and had opened her mouth to speak,
”Scars? I don’t have any scars. You must have been wrong.” That was the biggest bluff Clodagh had heard in a while, which wasn’t too long as her brothers seemed to take a liking to it. She would have preferred if the second year girl had chose to keep quiet instead of making a rather obvious lie. Clodagh shifted uncomfortably on her feet.
“It’s kind of private,” Olivia had spoken up again, and seemed to have paused in deep thought,
“You could say I’ve been through some tough stuff. But I’d rather not talk about it.”
Clodagh’s eyes had softened in understanding. She was grateful that the Gryffindor girl had chose not to stick with her bluff, even if she hadn’t opened up to Clodagh fully, she still let her in a bit.
Maybe I should stick to less personal questions for now.
”What book are you reading? Is it good?”

@Olivia Williams