Rish took a seat, brimming with excitement. She was actually in the Hogwarts Express! She smiled and looked towards the door, where students were rushing in.

She had been waiting for this moment for too long. Ever since she learned about magic, she’s dreamed of getting into Hogwarts. She’d also heard stories about making your first friends here, ones that might stay with you for a long time. Friends were right up there with her love of books and art. Rish sighed happily. She’d never had friends like that at her Muggle school. She knew bullying all too well. Of course, she’d had her share of good friends, but they always drifted away after a few years anyways. She shook her head, taking her mind off of the past, and looked out the window, pink glasses hitting the edge softly, thinking that she could get a fresh, new start here at Hogwarts.

She remained lost in her thoughts for only a few moments as the shuffling of feet became louder.

As the students walked to their seats, Rish waited for someone, anyone, to come sit beside her. She wasn’t a patient person, anyways, and fiddled with her fingers all the time.

Turning a thread of silky black hair in one finger over and over again, she wondered when someone would come sit beside her, not even considering the possibility that maybe no one would come.

Finally, someone came to her seat. Rish immediately snapped her head to look at the smiling girl, and Rish smiled from ear to ear as well. The girl looked friendly, and Rish felt a warm, fuzzy feeling in her chest. Maybe they would be friends after all!

“Hi!” Rish said, holding her hand out. “I’m Rishita Sen, but you can call me Rish. What’s your name?”

Interacting with @Rish Sen

Platform 9 3/4 is bustling with what seemed like hundreds of people. Most of them towering over Lauren, as she was only 11 years old after all. She clung to her mother and father's hands as they lead her through the crowds and towards the train. After promising to write to them and a proper goodbye, Lauren walked towards the train's entrance. With her bag slung over one shoulder she confidently stepped onto the train.

Stepping onto the train felt surreal to Lauren. She couldn't believe that she was actually finally here. The train from the outside seemed a bit smaller than she had anticipated but once your step on board, it felt a lot bigger. She couldn't help but stop and take it all in. There were students walking in and out of different compartments chatting away to their friends. The excitement was almost like electricity rushing through the air. Even after listening to all the stories her dad had told her about all the magical happenings at Hogwarts, nothing could really prepare her for the real thing.

Lauren is jolted out of her thoughts when a boy pushes past her yelling, "Move it first year!"

'Rude, although I should probably find a compartment and get out of the way,' She thought to herself.

Quickly moving through the train's cabin she found a reasonably empty compartment. There was only one girl who was sat there and she was wearing pink glasses. She looks reasonably nervous so Lauren assumed she must be a fellow first year. The girl also looks really friendly so she figured she would ask to sit with her. Once she enters the compartment the girl's head snaps towards her. Lauren can't help but smile at her.

“Hi!” the girl says, holding her hand out. “I’m Rishana Sen, but you can call me Rish. What’s your name?”

Still smiling, Lauren takes the extended hand and shakes it.
"Hi, my name is Lauren Stonewood, and Lauren is fine." She giggles
"It's nice to meet you. I really like your name, by the way, it's really cool."

Lauren has a good feeling about this girl. She hopes she's not intruding by sitting with her so she asks pointing to the seat across from her,
"Uhh, do you mind if I sit here? I don't really know anyone else."

Interacting with @Lauren Stonewood

Rish suppressed the urge to jump out of her seat. The girl in front her seemed really nice. Rish’s mind wandered, thinking about what might happen in the future. Would they be friends forever, or would she drift away like all of her other friends? She almost grimaced at the thought, but knew better not to. She didn’t want to make a bad impression on the girl, after all.

Oh, god, she thought, mentally sighing, I’ve never been this self-conscious in my entire life.

I snapped out of my thoughts and kept the smile on my face, my hand still outstretched towards her, trying to forget about everything that just went on in her mind and trying to focus on the girl in front of her.

You know, you’ve never been too good at focusing. A part of her thought.

It was about to say something else when Rish lashed out. In her mind, of course.

Will you just SHUT UP?! She scolded herself. She took a deep breath, and was finally able to focus on the girl when she took my hand. I glowed, and her smile grew wider.

"Hi, my name is Lauren Stonewood, and Lauren is fine." The girl—Lauren—shakes her hand hand giggled. Rish forgot about all of her worries and gripped her hand tighter. "It's nice to meet you. I really like your name, by the way, it's really cool."

“Thanks.” Rish said softly, still grinning from ear to ear. “Yours too.”

She smiled again, but it soon disappeared. “Uhh, do you mind if I sit here? I don't really know anyone else."

Rish almost snorted.

What the heck?

Did she think I didn’t want her to sit with me?

Well, at least she was glad that it wasn’t the other way around.

She came back once again, and upon seeing that Lauren was waiting for her response, it hit Rish that she might think Rish was hesitating, and her eyes widened for just a moment before she stumbled to the side to make room for her.

“Yeah, of course!” I said, and Lauren seemed... relieved? Rish shook it off, laughed it off in her mind as Lauren sat next to her. “Hey, so what Hogwarts House do you think you’ll be in?”

Interacting with @Rish Sen

Rish seemed to be contemplating her question and Lauren grew a little nervous. However, Rish seemed to snap out of her thoughts and quickly moved over, making room on the seat.

“Yeah, of course!” She said.
Thank Merlin, Lauren thought and released the breath she was holding. She sat down on the seat which was actually surprisingly comfortable and placed her bag down on the floor next to them. The compartment was reasonably big and had beautiful yet simple decorations everywhere. The seats were a muted red and there was a window on the opposite wall to the door. There was also a table-like-shelf under the window with strange stains on it, which Lauren imagined was from years of sweets being spilt on it. However, once comfortable Lauren turned her attention back to Rish.

Rish smiled again and asked, “Hey, so what Hogwarts House do you think you’ll be in?”

Lauren paused for a moment thinking about how to answer her and started by saying,
"Well my family, or at least the Stonewoods, are mostly known for being in Slytherin. Although in more recent generations there have been quite a few Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs. My mum is from America and went to Ilvermorny so she doesn't have a Hogwarts house."

Lauren thinks to all the very tense conversations and Stonewood family get-togethers shes had to endure over the years. She honestly doesn't get along with the Stonewood side of her family. They're all about blood purity and anti-muggle. She really hates the lot of them and they don't much like her or her mum in return. Although, Lauren really hopes that the information about her family being Slytherins doesn't scare the girl off. She's only just met her but she's hoping this friendship will last.

Continuing, she says, "But I've never really seen myself as a Slytherin or Ravenclaw. I think I'm more likely to be placed into Gryffindor or maybe even Hufflepuff." She finishes.

"What about you? what house do you think you'll be placed in?"

Interacting with @Lauren Stonewood

Lauren seemed to contemplate the answer, hesitant, and honestly Rish couldn’t blame her. She had no idea what house she would be in herself. It wasn’t something you could just decide whether you’re clever, smart, hardworking or brave on a whim, anyways. Everyone had a bit of every House in them, no one is just one. Rish couldn’t contemplate all the house rivalries, after all.

Looking back to Lauren, Rish realized that she looked a little nervous. Were her parents expecting her to be in a certain house? Her mother was a Ravenclaw and she never pressured Rish to be in the same house, and she could only hope that that was not the case.

Lauren started to speak, and Rish turned her attention to her. "Well my family, or at least the Stonewoods, are mostly known for being in Slytherin. Although in more recent generations there have been quite a few Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs. My mum is from America and went to Ilvermorny so she doesn't have a Hogwarts house."

Rosh suddenly noticed that Lauren looked scared. As if Rish would stop being her friend because her families were... Slytherins.

She mentally facepalmed. What is with her and thinking I’m evil?

She knew Slytherins were considered the ‘evil’ house, but honestly? Rish couldn’t bring herself to care. Just because someone’s in Slytherin doesn’t mean they’re the reincarnation of Voldemort.

And Slytherins were ambitious. Rish was definitely ambitious, it was a good trait to have.

But apparently, Lauren thinks that Rish thinks the opposite. She looks like she’s about to stutter when she next speaks.

"But I've never really seen myself as a Slytherin or Ravenclaw. I think I'm more likely to be placed into Gryffindor or maybe even Hufflepuff." She says.

“That’s cool.” Rish says, unsure of what else to say. So many thoughts were going throigh her head at the moment, but not one of them were let out as she spoke.

Lauren smiled. "What about you? What house do you think you'll be placed in?"

Rish hesitated, but after a few seconds of thinking she shrugged. “I honestly don’t know. I mean, my Mum was a Ravenclaw, and I love books, but I don’t know if that makes me a Ravenclaw. And there’s also Hufflepuff, which I think I might be, too. But to be honest I might even be a Slytherin if we’re talking about ambition, and maybe a bit of Gryffindor, but—”

As she was talking, her inner voice was scolding her. Stop talking!

But she couldn’t. She knew she was going on with her infamous rants, but there were so many things for her to talk about, and she just needed to let it all out—

“—but I think that I would probably either be in Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff.” She finally finished.

To her relief, it seemed like Lauren was actually still listening, and in the moment Rish felt so grateful to have met someone like her.

“Sorry.” Rish chuckled nervously, “I have a bit of a problem.”

Interacting with @Rish Sen

Lauren patiently waited for Rish to formulate her answer.
Eventually, Rish shrugged and said, “I honestly don’t know. I mean, my Mum was a Ravenclaw, and I love books, but I don’t know if that makes me a Ravenclaw. And there’s also Hufflepuff, which I think I might be, too. But to be honest, I might even be a Slytherin if we’re talking about ambition, and maybe a bit of Gryffindor, but I think that I would probably either be in Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff.”

Lauren listened intently, fascinated by every word. She was relieved to know that her Slytherin side wouldn't bother Rish. She had met one too many people who disliked Slytherins and never gave her much of a chance. Even though she may not poses as many Slytherin values didn't mean that she disliked them just for the sake of it. If she was being honest, she had a lot of respect for Slytherins. However, the few who are 'bad eggs' tend to think her morals align with their own because of her last name. It's refreshing to finally meet someone who genuinely seems to want to get to know her and judge for themselves.

Lauren thought back to what Rish had said. Ravenclaw made sense, she seems really smart. Lauren thinks about how cool it would be to have a super-smart friend. Think of all the cool and interesting conversations! Endless fun if you ask her. Plus she could have a free tutor because Merlin knows Lauren has whatever the opposite of a green thumb is. So she already knew Herbology was going to be a problem for her. She can already see the look on her Herbology professors face but that's a future Lauren's problem.

However, Rish also said Hufflepuff. Lauren would definitely know she could always count on Rish to have her back. She could get her to steal some food from the kitchens for her now and again. Lauren chuckled in her head, a smile coming to her lips, at the thought of the types of adventures they could be going on in the future.

However, while Lauren was yet again, lost in thought, Rish seemed like she was having her own internal battle in her head before saying, “Sorry, I have a bit of a problem.”

Lauren's face contorts into confusion. "A problem?" She asks confused. "What do you mean?"

Does she think I'm uninterested in what she's saying? Or that I don't like her really adorable rambling? Lauren hopes not, she thinks its wonderful.

Interacting with @Lauren Stonewood

“A problem? What do you mean?”

Rish looks up at Lauren, shocked. Did she really not know, or was she just asking that to make her feel better.

Rish didn’t know which of the two she actually wanted to be true.

This was one of Rish’s infamous ramblings, which she hated. Since she was super talkative, she made better friends with the shy people, which the others call her ‘victims’. It was a joke, but it still hurt somewhere deep inside.

At least the boys didn’t do that. That was probably why she made so much better friends with them.

“Oh, you know,” Rish said. “That. Talking too much.”

“I don’t that that you talk too much.” Lauren’s expression was scrunched up. “Please don’t ever think that.”

Rish then felt like squealing as loud as she could, but then the entire train would be able to hear. So she suppressed all of her gratefulness and warmth towards her into one word.

“Thanks.”

Lauren just smiled, and Rish wanted more than anything to hug her for being amazing. But, of course she didnt. Though she let her impulses get the better of her quite often, this was definitely not one of those times.

“I mean, no one’s ever did that before.” Rish kept going, and her mind willed her to stop, but her mouth just kept moving. “I mean, yeah, I had good friends, but then in a few years they always drifted away, or I had to move, or something. That’s probably a big reason why I’m just so excited to be here, you know? To meet people like you.” And probably why I’ll be a Hufflepuff, a small voice said inside her head, words unspoken but were shown in her eyes. She felt her heart flutter for a second, seeing as she finally let that out. But, a small part of her sighed and facepalmed.

Curse your sappiness, it thought.

But Rish ignored it. She smiled weakly at Lauren, letting the warmth in her chest settle, exactly how she liked it.

Interacting with @Rish Sen

“Oh, you know,” Rish said. “That. Talking too much.” Lauren's face scrunched up in confusion.

"I don't think you talk too much. Please don't ever think that" Lauren says frowning, hating the thought of someone telling this obvious ray of sunshine that she was anything but great.

Rish's smiled as she said, “Thanks, I mean, no one’s ever did that before. I mean, yeah, I had good friends, but then in a few years they always drifted away, or I had to move, or something. That’s probably a big reason why I’m just so excited to be here, you know? To meet people like you.”

The 'to meet people like you' warmed Lauren's heart. She chuckled to herself and smiled thinking, 'this girl is totally a Hufflepuff'. Lauren wasn't known to have the most cheery of personalities when you first meet her. In fact, she's been told she can be quite cold towards people she's newly met. It's one of the things she tries to work on. She hopes she is doing a better job with Rish seeing that the girl is so nice. She would hate to mess up their friendship before it even started.

"Well, clearly you haven't had very good friends in the past. I hope we can change that." She says with a smile. For some odd reason, Lauren felt the strong urge to protect this girl. No one was going to mess with her new friend.