“I can’t believe it’s already the start of another year, and we’re going to be fifth years,” Amber huffs out as she shoves her trunk into the assigned compartment. The Hogwarts Express blows it’s horn twice - final call and, as always, Eric is nowhere to be found.

Henry, lounging by the window with his feet propped up on the opposite side, just throws another jelly bean into his mouth. “I know, right? I feel like I didn’t get to do everything I wanted to do in summer,” he says with a sigh.

Amber shoves his feet off the opposite side, making him nearly fall off his own seat. She ignores his choking and fumbling as she plops herself in the seat opposite him.

“Yeah well, that’s probably ‘cause all you did was sleep and watch shojou dramas on your laptop,” Amber clicks her tongue.

“What?!” Henry shrieks, mouth full of sugar and Amber makes a face at him. “I did not!” he cries, mouth still full of sticky goo.

“Just finish your disgusting snacks first,” Amber mutters. Henry continues to make sounds of protests, even as he obediently swallows his sticky sweets.

“I did not watch shojou dramas, I was trying to work on my musical score!” Henry says when he’s finally swallowed. His teeth still has bits of jelly bean stuck to it, but at least it’s more sightly now.

Amber just raises an eyebrow at him. “I was at your house, Henry. Your computer history was and shojou dramas, and you’ve been trying to write that musical for seven years,”

“You can’t rush a blockbuster,” Henry sniffs with affected pride.

Eric stumbles through the doors at that moment, looking a little dishevelled. His hair is a windblown mess, glasses askew and his blue tie hangs around his neck undone, but at least he made it on the train this time.

“Hey,” he gasps out as the Hogwarts Express blows it’s final horn and begins to chug away.

“Hey yourself,” Amber responds coldly, face blank, before she breaks into a grin and punches his shoulder (making him wince). “Glad you made it this time, Namnam,”

Eric sighs, fixing his glasses to sit on his nose properly. “That one lasted the summer, huh?” he says as he shoves his trunk into the assigned compartment.

“Yuuuup,” Amber drawls, emphasising the ‘p’.

“Couldn’t ‘Eric’ just stick instead?” he asks, exasperated.

“It’s Amber,” Henry says, eating liquorice now. “If she doesn’t call you by a nickname, then you’re in massive trouble, and should start reciting defensive charms,”

Amber shrugs. “Pretty much,” she says, unbothered.

“I missed you guys,” he says, eyes crinkled in a gentle smile.

Amber grins. “Well, that’s ‘cause you went hopping to the other side of the world. Tell us about Australia!”

Eric laughs, “Well there’s a lot to tell, I don’t know where to start,” he says.

“Well, I worked on my musical score,” Henry says around a mouthful of liquorice.

Amber makes another disgusted face. “That’s gross. And also, you were a lazy potato all summer, stop lying,”

“I was not a potato!” Henry cries, nearly spitting out liquorice as Amber grimaces.

As the two of them start arguing (Henry insisting he was productive, and Amber just pleading him to not talk with his mouth full), Eric rolls his eyes but smiles. “Did not miss breaking up these fights though,” he sighs, waiting another moment before stepping in before the two of them end up getting physical.

Amber peers around Eric’s shoulder to see the first years trailing into the Great Hall. They all look nervous.

“Do they get tinier every year, or is it me?” Amber mutter