Lorelei was, quite frankly, out of her element here. She drummed her fingers up her thighs, convinced she was doing something wrong. Maybe she shouldn’t have changed into her robes already. Were the other kids wearing robes yet? She’d forgotten to look as she walked by, too focused on finding an empty compartment. She didn’t want to impose her presence on the other kids. Better to let them choose to sit by her, rather than the other way around.
As she noticed those thoughts, though, she silently chastised herself. She should have chosen to sit with others, they were surely making lifelong bonds right at this very minute, and she was too caught up in her own head to take the opportunity. Now they would show up at the castle and she would be all alone.
So much for a change from home.
To distract her mind from her racing thoughts, she closed her eyes and pictured Platform 9 3/4ers. She played back through the moments where she’d said goodbye to her family, hugged Masie, her tear-stricken 6-year-old sister, and promised that she’d be back for Christmas. She gave hugs to her other sister, Surena, and to her mum before turning her attention to her dad.
“You’ll do great, pumpkin. You’ve got an excellent head on those shoulders.” Her father whispered in her ear as she melted into his embrace.
Lorelei shook her head sharply, brought back to the present by the threat of tears welling in her eyes. It was going to be nearly four months until she saw her family again, and that truth hadn’t hit her until this very moment.
Feeling sufficiently sorry for herself, Lorelei grabbed her trunk and placed it on the seat next to her. She balled up her day clothes to place on top before leaning over and resting her head on the fabric. She willed her overzealous brain into some kind of restfulness, hoping with all her might that no one would happen across her compartment and find her in this tearful state.
