Platform Nine and Three-Quarters

Will followed his wife, glancing swiftly around the platform for his brother. The familiar head of blond curls was nowhere to be seen. "Looks like Alfred's late," he commented, checking his watch. "Not much has changed."

Lyra rested one hand on her youngest son's shoulder, running a hand through her hair as she searched through the crowd. "Keep your eyes peeled," she told him gently, quickly counting the cases to reassure herself.

Ricardo walked behind his mother, hands stuffed in his pockets as he listened to his father. Rafael was getting emotional, rattling off a list of things to remember. "...And always brush your teeth every day, boys. And don't forget to send us letters! And also..."

June sighed. "He called me, he said he should be here... Hey, there he is. Speak a' the devil. Wonder if Izzy's with him... not that I can see past that giant trunk he's got."
Sure enough, Alfred walked through the crowds, trying his best to be polite while carrying a large trunk and almost knocking people over. "Heh, excuse me... oh, I'm sorry... Oh, dear, pardon me..."


Bianca popped through the wall, almost knocking her father over as she pushed her way over to the Montoyas. "Leo!" she called through her thick Italian accent. "Hey! What's up? How are you doing?"
Giovanni walked after her. "Bianca! Don't shove people aside like that, it's rude. Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Montoya."

Romano and Veneziano were soon joined by a blonde man. Despite his neat suit and tie, there were hard muscles under the sleeves.
"Still traveling in a pack, I see," Basch sighed, smiling. "Just like every year."

"It was awesome!" she exclaimed, giving him a huge hug. "We went to Switzerland 'cause Dad was on business, so we got to stay with Cora and Nic for a whole week! The rest was just boring helping around the restaurant but then Uncle Feli took us to June's summer house in America for a few days! It was totally fun. How was your summer?"

Giovanni laughed, shaking Rafael's hand. "I finally got my growth spurt! I'm almost as tall as Ricardo now, I reckon." He glanced at the other boy to check. Ricardo, a few inches taller, only gave the other a stoic smile. "Close enough, stretch."

Elizabeth was holding a notebook tight to her chest, wondering if she'd be able to find her friends in this mess of people. She passed a gaggle of girls exchanging lip gloss tubes and rolled her eyes. They're probably mindless drones. They are literally all the same, I swear...

Ricardo gave Jane a small smile, ruffling her hair. "Hey, Vargas. Long time no see."

"Bianca was too excited. And I wasn't going to leave her all alone." Romano gave her a small, weary smile. "Not that I regret having twins."

Basch glanced at Nicolas, who was scraping the ground with his cane. He turned his pale, almost white eyes towards Eve-- as if he could actually see her. "Hello, Mrs. Vargas, Mr. Vargas."

"Not really. Only a summer. You ready to start school?"

Nicolas smiled. "Sure. Another year of bumping into people, getting lost in the hallways, slipping on spills I can't see." There was a long, awkward silence before he laughed. "But not really. S'long as I've got my trusty cane, I should be fine like every year."

He shrugged. "I guess. I'm all ready for Qudditch season." He fumbled with an earring absentmindedly for a moment. "I just feel bad for you guys, having O.W.L.s this year."

Nicolas shrugged. "It's pretty normal. At this point I can use my other senses to get the general bearings of a place. Can't miss sight if you've never had it, right?"

"Keep dreaming, J," he scoffed. "I'm Captain this year, for your information. Be afraid."

Nicolas smile. "I've done it before, I'll do it again if I need to."
Basch sighed. "I remember that day. We got a letter from the school that said that the other kid's nose was a bloody mess. I'd never been more proud."

Ricardo rolled his eyes. "Laugh all you want, I get access to the prefect's fancy bathrooms. Anyway, what's that book?"

"We're fine. Gabi has adjusted very well to living in Switzerland, I think. How's living in Rome for you?"

Ricardo raised an eyebrow. "That's... interesting. How's your sister?"