The platform was crowded with parents, some younger siblings and a few last students. Kanade held on to her brother's hand. She wasn't usually the type to show affection in public, or admit that she depended on anyone, but she didn't want to get separated from him in this mass of obnoxiously tall people. That, and the only thing she really trusted him with was his ability to somehow make her luggage disappear or explode the moment she stopped watching him like a hawk, and he'd been annoying her with threats of that kind since they left the house. But since Mom was working, she needed someone to carry her stuff around for her.
_{She was also a little scared.}

"Did you grab my coat?"

He looked at her, confused.
"What coat?"

"Homuyaaa!"

He laughed, reaching into his bag and pulling out her small silver cloak. "Here you go, dummy."

She grabbed it from him with a narrow-eyed glare. She would've found a way to skin him right there if he'd managed to lose it. It was one of the most important things in her possession - after all, he'd given it to her.

He ruffled her hair, causing her to let out a disgruntled yelp and bump into someone.
"Sorry!" she exclaimed before going back to glaring at her brother. He just laughed and pulled her to a less full entrance of the train.

"Get in already."

She stood on the step and heaved her suitcase and bags inside with his help.

"You sure you'll be fine with those flimsy arms of yours?"

"Shut up."

A loud whistling announced the train would be departing in a minute.

"Alright, see ya."

Homuya turned and started walking away without hesitation.

"Wha- Hey! You jerk!"

Kanade ran out of the train and grabbed his sleeve, pulling him into an irritated hug. He laughed and wrapped his arms around her, squeezing her so tight she immediately started regretting her decision.

"Gaaah... Lemme go!" She started smacking his arm. Finally, he loosened his grip and gave her a kiss on the top of her head.

"That's from Mom. We love you, okay? I'll tell you where I am, so send me all the owls you have."

"Yeah, yeah. ... And I love you too."

Kanade squeezed Homuya's hand one more time and ran back to the train, grabbing her luggage and dragging it down the crowded, narrow hall. She saw him waving outside and waved back as the train started moving slowly, then faster, until it finally sped past the people on the platform and away, leaving Kanade standing there alone with a heart that twisted painfully in her chest.

Mary watched the scene unfold with a keen eye, she hadn't meant to stare she wasn't some weirdo, but Mary herself was a only child. So really she couldn't imagine having a sibling of her own, and wistfully wondered if they would annoy her just as much. Most likely they would since Mary was one who liked her space. Mary watched the girl and her brother hug goodbye. Mary smiled softly and took her luggage into a empty compartment and sat down. She took out her book and began reading Hogwart's A History, when the same girl caught her eye. Mary saw her alone in the hallway, Mary bit her lip and considered getting up to speak to her. Mary closed her book as her wariness turned to resolve. Mary tried to think of something to say as she got up and approached the girl but found no words. So she stood there awkwardly shifting from foot to foot before holding out her hand to shake "Mary Bueno, first year. Its a pleasure to make your acquaintance..?" Mary paused hoping she wasn't making herself look like a fool as she waited for the girl to finish the sentence with a name.

Kanade turned and saw a girl standing in front of her for a moment before said girl held out her hand.

"Mary Bueno, first year. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance..?"

She blinked and shook the girl's hand. She didn't really know how to interact with people her age. She was hoping she wouldn't do anything wrong. In about one out of three cases, the kids she talked to would end up crying at some point during the conversation.

"Kanade. Kanade Himura." She stood there silently, adjusting the sleeve of her shirt. They were both clearly not the biggest social butterflies. "Umm... Mind if I sit with you? The train's pretty full..."

She sat down, stowing away her luggage, then she was just still for a moment, warming her hands between her thighs. Then she looked up and smiled nervously. "I like your hair... Did you dye it yourself?" She paused, looking out of the window, watching the landscape fly past, listening. Then she looked back at Mary, holding up a long white strand. "I didn't... My brother did this. Unintentionally. My mother almost ripped his head off for it, it's the second time he's had a magical accident involving me."

She grinned. "I love him for it though. He's so fun. My mother's very protective, so I don't get to do a lot of risky things. I get it, though." She looked down, seeming deep in thought. Then she smiled apologetically. "Sorry, didn't mean to bring down the mood. Do you have any siblings at all?"

Mary couldn't help but laugh softly with relief as the girl shool her hand, although came out as a nervous giggle, a bad habit Mary developed from childhood. Kanade, the mysterious girl, seemed actually nice! Mary hadn't made a fool of herself after all! As Kanade sat down Mary tried her best to look not too desperate, while also trying not to look like she didn't care, really Mary was just hoping she didn't ruin this potential friendship. Mary was so in her head se almost missed what Kanade said next, "I like your hair... Did you dye it yourself?" Mary was caught off guard by this, not because she wasn't aware her hair was blue, she did know, but because she didn't think anyone would actually like it, her mother had said the color didn't appeal to her skin color, not that Mary cared. "Yes l did!" Mary blushed "It took me forever since l never dyed my hair before, and since l'm hoping to join Ravenclaw l guess the color would match my robes, assuming l make it that is." Mary hoped she wasn't talking to much, or too little or- "I didn't... My brother did this. Unintentionally. My mother almost ripped his head off for it, it's the second time he's had a magical accident involving me." Luckily Kanade interrupted before Mary could think too hard and Mary smiled "l don't know what your hair color was before, but l think the white suits you! l" Mary smile turned a little wistful when Kanade talked about her relationship with her brother and her shoulders slumped when Kanade asked if she had siblings, "l don't have any siblings.. l wish l did! They seem like a best friend, or at least thats what people say." Mary brightened a little at the thought of her pet dog Tulip, "l do have a dog though, his name is Tulip, weird name for a boy l know, but he brought it on himself when on the first week we brought him home we found him eating tulips in the backyard!" Mary couldn't help but laugh a little at the memory, "l miss him.. do you have any pets?"

Kanade had grown concerned when Mary's shoulders had slowly sunk with every word she said, but before she could carefully ask what she'd done wrong, Mary already answered it: "I don't have any siblings... I wish I did! They seem like a best friend, or at least that's what people say."

Kanade's chest lifted with hidden relief at the realization that Mary was an optimist and could look away from her unhappiness just moments after expressing it. She gave her a skeptical grin. "Eh... They can be, but from what I've heard, most siblings hate each other's guts for a long time growing up. But my brother isn't around most of the time because of work and life, so I've never really had a serious fight with him. The neighbour's kids are siblings though, and the sister told me all about their fights. So think of a really, really dumb, annoying best friend that loves to play pranks on you. And the younger ones are like a pet you didn't want."

Mary visibly brightened a little at the mention of pets, and probably at the chance to say something for herself, Kanade thought to herself. "I do have a dog though, his name is Tulip, weird name for a boy I know, but he brought it on himself when on the first week we brought him home we found him eating tulips in the backyard!"

Kanade chuckled with Mary at that. It was the kind of thing you often heard about pets, and while she wasn't really an expert on whether this was a common occurrence, she always enjoyed hearing about it.

"I miss him.. do you have any pets?"

"Oh, no. I think we had a cat when I was little, for a short time, but my mom was allergic so she gave it away. There's a few stray cats in the park near our flat though, and I always pet them. I don't really care if they're sick, they deserve to be loved just as much as any other cat."

She stopped, wondering if she was talking too much. But in the next moment, she forgot her concerns and exclaimed: "Oh! I want a dragon!" She slapped a hand over her mouth at how weird that probably sounded. "I mean, my brother works with them, and I think they're the coolest thing ever. Wait, I have a polaroid!"

She started rummaging through her bag. "Do you have a favorite magical beast?"

Mary smiled softly when Kanade described siblings and began to wish a little more she had one, but decided to focus on the fact that she was making a friend! And she wasn’t doing too bad she hoped, l mean Kanade wasn’t running away screaming, so that was a very good sign! “”It sounds annoying, but also exciting at the same time.” When Kanade mentioned her care for cats Mary’s heart swelled “”l’m sure the cats appreciated it, now that l think of it l saw a stray cat before l got on the train, l didn’t have any treats so it gave her a pat on the head, l kind of wish l gave them a treat now..” At Kanade’s mention of a pet dragon Mary dig into her trunk for a moment before she pulled out her copy of a book about dragons, where they lived, what they ate and Mary couldn’t help but feel envious when Kanade said her brother worked with dragons “l’ve never met one myself but to work with them sounds amazing!” When Kanade asked if she had a favorite magical beast Mary quieted for a moment, thinking and bit her lip, “As amazing as dragons are l don’t think l could handle their fire! So if l had to pick l’d say a unicorn.”