Who: Emmeline Vance and Caradoc Dearborn
What: Train station antics? idk
Where: King's Cross, Monday morning (a little early, shut up I've been waiting like five days)
Note: Sigh I never get to use these icons lmao



Ugh, she really didn't want to get on that train. Emmeline stared disdainfully up at the Hogwarts Express, wondering if she was actually going to miss it come June. Probably, but right now she'd rather be in her lovely flat snogging Caradoc. Ha. Well. It was much better than going to Hogwarts without Elphias or Juliet, hm? Yes, the dorm would be missing Juliet's presence greatly (even Anneliese taking care of Nibbles during the holiday couldn't help their situation), and Dedalus was going to be an absolute wreck without Elphias around. The Order was doing their best, researching and trying to figure out some sort of potion to help, because three of their own had been struck with it too, so---this really was getting out of hand, and being inside Hogwarts would not be helpful at all.

So, no, she wasn't going to get onto the train until the whistle started blowing. Maybe when its wheels started moving.

Dedalus and Anneliese were doing their prefect business, Brad had stayed in school, Ellie was probably snogging Davy somewhere, and Emmeline realized that she didn't have many friends outside of Ravenclaw. Not really a problem, but when your housemates were occupied, that left you alone. She supposed she could find Brianna to squeal about the healer program, but. She was comfortable on this bench, with her feet propped up on her trunk, reading. Because that's what Ravenclaws did when they were bored. Read.

It wasn't that he felt wrong about coming to the platform without Juliet, just--- gauche. Not even gauche, because technically, she still wasn't healthy. Perhaps guilty? No, not that, he was fairly certain that was concerning something else with her... Caradoc couldn't quite explain how he felt at that point, walking through the barrier, but it wasn't something he-- oh. As he turned the corner and lay eyes on the loud scene in front of him, it came to him. Absolute disdain. Yes, he had disliked the Hogwarts Express ever since third year, finding it cramped, loud, obnoxious and boring, among other things. But, the knowledge of knowing he didn't have to step foot on it did help.

Now where was she? His eyes scanned down one side of the platform, looking for any sign of a--- ah. Reading. Caradoc rolled his eyes, and shook his head from side to side as he slowly began to walk in Emmeline's direction. Hm, well, yes. That was going to change. He hadn't been expecting to see her on the train yet because he was well aware about how she felt about going to back to school (along with the rest of Europe), but reading in front of it? Come on now. She could rebel much better than that.

Caradoc stood directly before her, hands in his pockets, still obviously going unnoticed for a few seconds or so. Hm, yes. That was going to change also. Leaning forward, he quickly jerked the book out of her hands and pulled it up to his face to read the title. "The Grapes of Wrath? What is this?" he spoke with a smirk on his face, and not looking down at her yet.

She should have known. It wasn't that she hadn't thought about asking him to go with her, but then Emmeline realized he'd most likely laugh at her and make her feel stupid about asking, so she'd simply went by herself. But, this was an interesting twist, and Emmeline kept her feet properly propped and crossed at the ankles on her trunk, puffing her cheeks for a moment before bothering to respond. She looked out across the train, wondering if this was the start of the whole plan. Be seen together in public, get everyone talking. She should probably swoon over him, but then they'd know she was faking.

"It's a muggle classic, but I just finished a chapter dedicated to a turtle crossing the road so I'm not sure if I'm going to bother finishing it," she said, squinting as she looked back up at him. Really, she had no idea where she got all of her books, but, this one was taking the cake. A turtle. Crossing the road. For an entire. Chapter. Steibeck was a nutter.

"What brings you out here? Reminiscing? Picking up Nibbles? I'm sure Juliet misses him so," Emmeline said dryly, looking for some sort of news about her friend's condition.

"Mmmmm."

He flipped the book over in his hands, inspecting the back cover. Why would she want to be reading this complete rubbish? It hardly looked interesting from the front, or the back. Not to mention, all the back had was what seemed to be little appraising blurbs about how bloody wonderful the book was. Why read it when all the author did was get his friends to write nice things about his work? Either way, Caradoc did not find it appealing. So, he quickly pocketed it and turned back his attention to Emmeline.

"Why--- to see your shining face, of course," he said, leaning forward slightly and dropping his chin to look at her. The topic of Nibbles was unfortunate, because sadly enough, Caradoc did have to pick up the stupid rodent. Juliet, in her complete insanity, had begun to wail for the thing this morning, insisting that it be brought to her at once. Since, she was fine and rodents were allowed in the Intensive Care unit to begin with. But either way, she apparently had been going on about it last night too, which only made the Healers ask him to go retrieve the damn thing. So, yes, he did need Nibbles, but that wasn't why he was here.

"But if you must know, I have been ordered to bring Nibbles to the hospital by the end of the day," he sighed, shaking his head slightly. "Though that doesn't mean I actually have to."

"Oh, darling, I knew you cared!" Emmeline said in a obviously fake, sweetened tone, nose scrunching greatly to emphasize how simply dear his presence was to her. If they had to fake--not fake?--date, then, she was going to use it for all it was worth and embarrass Caradoc when she could. Though that could lead to him not actually snogging her behind closed doors, which was something she didn't actually want to give up. So, the tone dropped immediately and Emmeline finally pulled her feet off the trunk, sitting up right on the edge of the bench. The news of Juliet's actual requests did bring a sense of reality, that there was trouble going on outside the station that she wouldn't be able to help with when she went back to Hogwarts.

Emmeline frowned at the train once again, knowing she was going to end up falling asleep for most of the ride anyway. Or, well, everyone was going to be in a sour mood, which would mean silence, which would mean her falling asleep. So she wasn't looking forward to that, and she looked up at Caradoc, maybe he could give her something to dwell on, "Have you heard anything?"

Which was a vague question, but it needed to be. Maybe he'd heard something from the Order that they couldn't relay to her yet, maybe the healers had said something, or maybe...maybe there were whispers among the death eater ranks that he'd caught wind of.

For a second, Caradoc's smile twitched into a frown, and his shoulders suddenly tightened. He didn't--- want to talk about this. Juliet, the virus, what he knew, what Emmeline presumed he knew, or anything along those lines. Not that they shouldn't (well, just not here) because it had to be, but. He just didn't like to mush his two works together, because then things began to get more complicated than they already were. Caradoc knew Evan was around here somewhere, dropping his sister off. Plus, there were bound to be at least half of the death eaters he saw nearly every day walking around the station as well.

And, well. At this point, looking like a death eater was just a bit more important than looking like the order member that he wasn't suppose to be. Even though Caradoc's body relaxed after a few moments, the hard look cemented on his face took a bit of time. He looked at Emmeline for a short while (what he wanted to do was just snog her at this point), before pulling the book out of his pocket again to inspect the front cover.

"No, not really," Caradoc responded in a dull tone, quickly growing bored with the book again and putting it back in his pocket. It went silent for a few seconds between them, and then--- "Are you going to give me a kiss goodbye before you leave? I came all the way out here."

Emmeline's lips pursed and she looked from Caradoc to the train, then down to her trunk. Hm. His response didn't necessarily mean it was the truth, but she knew it was all she was going to get out of him. She'd grown accustomed to this vague sort of conversation among Order members, so she simply nodded, puffing out her cheeks again and holding her breath before she gathered her thoughts. With a slightly dramatic sigh, her shoulders slumped greatly before she stood and barely refrained from bouncing up on her toes to plant a very annoying, sickeningly sweet kiss on Caradoc's lips. No, no, that wouldn't be believable at all, now would it? Had to put on a show for their first public appearance. Ooh la la.

"Carry my trunk and you've got a deal," she said, tapping her nose a few times. Her eyelashes batted a few times before tightening her cloak around her. Not only were they putting a show on for the unfriendly eyes that were apparently watching her, but---her friends would see, too. Last thing Dedalus knew was that Caradoc had caused her to burst into tears, so, this would definitely be a surprise. And who knew how the gossip mill of the school would react.

But, she didn't care. Emmeline smiled lightly up at Caradoc, knowing full well that she didn't care at all about what some rumors said about them. He was doing something incredibly brave for her, and even after all of that he actually wanted to be with her, so---to say she was smitten would be too silly for this, but whatever whispers might start really could not bother her while knowing that he cared. Oh, she would have that on Caradoc for the rest of his life, knowing that he cared. "Come on now, don't want to make me miss the tea trolley."

Caradoc looked from the trunk, to Emmeline, and back to the trunk for a few moments with skepticism spread across his face. Was she kidding? No, her batting of the eyelashes was not going to work on him. He certainly was not going to lug that beast-of-a-transporter all the way through the train into a random compartment just because she wanted him to. Or suggested it, for that matter. He pulled his lips together tight in a slightly aggravated sort of way, and the let out a short breath. But there really wasn't--- and she couldn't---- they were--- and here he thought he would've been able to get out of dragging a trunk to the train this time.

"Oh no, the atrocity of mere thought of missing the tea trolley," Caradoc drawled out, his head slightly swaying around as they walked. What the hell did she have in there, anyway? Actually, no, he didn't want to know, because he already did; more books. Perhaps one piece of light clothing. The thought that at least no one had come up to them yet was good; he didn't particularly feel like talking to anyone else, besides Emmeline. Though, it would be mad fun to harass some random fifth year like old times.

Though he still hated the train. And Hogwarts. "Whatever would you do without it."

No one had come up to them, but Phoebe Smethwyck nearly fell between the gap of the platform and the train at the sight. Emmeline couldn't help but laugh, and she tilted her head to the side as they stopped in front of an entrance. The warning whistle had blown, and they were definitely blocking at least a dozen students, but she didn't care. There were plenty of other steps to use to get onto the train, if they were really that eager to get on. But, honestly, Hogwarts' stupendous novelty had worn off on even the first years by Easter holiday. Everyone was ready to be done. Emmeline knew she had no desire to board, but the time was nearing.

"I guess this is goodbye." Emmeline watched the trunk drop ungracefully to the ground and she smirked up at Caradoc. Taking a step toward him, she fiddled with the front of his cloak, shoulders heaving a heavy sigh. She honestly was going to miss him, and she knew that even more random journal entries would follow, so she could talk to him. Not that she'd never randomly put up a journal to attract his attention before...no, no, this was an entirely new development. "Tell Juliet she must get better; there are too many obnoxious Gryffindors for one girl to verbally strike down on her own."

She smiled a bit sadly, but because he had carried her trunk (and actually shown up at all), Emmeline kissed him first, probably a bit harder than she should've in public, but. She wasn't going to see him for a month--oh, and there was that convincing the death eaters that she was actually head over heels.

"You're going to miss me," he said to her in a sly tone, mouth wide in a teasing smile. And he knew she would, because he would miss her, which obviously meant that she would miss him to begin with. It was a complex system, Caradoc knew, but it always worked like that. As Emmeline put her hands on the front of his robes, he grasped onto her elbows to hold her tight where she stood. Hmmm, see, this was why he had come (and not for the stupid rodent which he did---- need also, but); to be able to snog Emmeline Vance in a very public place in front of a large room of people. Who could say nothing, and only watch, because most of them were fourteen-year-olds anyway but, rumors did travel faster that way, didn't they?

"Mmhm, yes, because someone needs to help you keep those Gryffindors in line," Caradoc finished in a low tone, though he was sure she could still hear him. Not that it really mattered, because they started to snog just about three seconds later, and Caradoc couldn't care to remember what he had said anyway. He gripped onto her arms tighter, and pulled her close for those few seconds as they pushed hard against each other. Too soon for Caradoc, the last warning whistle blew, and he reluctantly pulled away from her. For the most part; he really just moved his face to the side of her head, getting a good whiff of her hair as he spoke through a light smile.

"You don't really need to go," Caradoc said quickly into her ear, but let go of her anyway.

Emotionally, mentally, Emmeline had been over Remus a long while before they broke up. They both knew it, their breakup had been amicable, sad, but---they had both known. They were smart people. So right now---Emmeline's breath caught in her chest as he whispered into her ears, eyes shutting lightly. It had been a long, long time since she'd felt something like this. A somewhat cheeky grin crossed her face, and she pulled at him again for a hug that wasn't really a hug, but---this shouldn't be filled with so many emotions already. They'd only started snogging on Sunday, and---no, Merlin, anyone could tell you that she'd fancied Caradoc for years (not that she'd ever admit that to him, never, ever--) so her subconscious had been waiting to do this, to hold him and kiss him and miss him when he was gone.

Someone yelled to get on the train, a hitwizard probably, they'd been on patrol, and Emmeline finally pulled back for one last look. Right now, she didn't care if her expression fully revealed everything that was going through her mind at the moment, no, she really didn't care that he'd be able to read every etch of her face and she could feel the look in her eyes and---haa. Emmeline let out a surprised laugh as they hefted her trunk up the steps, and she jumped up to the bottom one. She could feel the train rumbling as the train got ready to move.

"You're taking me to Hogsmeade!" she shouted over the sound of the engine, cuffing Caradoc's chin lightly before a prefect tugged on her sleeve to pull her up and into the corridors of the compartments. Part of her eagerly wanted to find a window to watch him disappear into the distance, but all the window seats were taken by the time she found a place to sit---oh, well. Her procrastination had been of the grandest kind.