Chapter 20 - Hogwarts Express Ⅱ (1/2)

Severus awkwardly hands the card over to Lily and gruffly says, ”Rowan, must you eat as if you were in a hurry all the time.”

Rowan grins back, ”But I like to watch you eat, Sev.”

Severus narrows his eyes as Lily quickly intervenes, ”Now you two, don't start fighting!”

”Pfft,” Rowan snorts, ”Please I win every time.”

”No, you don't,” Severus growled back.

”Want to bet?” Rowan sneered.

Before the two of them can actually have a go at each other, Lily tugs on Severus's sleeve, while James reaches over and grabs Rowan's wrist. Rowan turns to face James with a dark gaze, who hastily pulls his hand back as if burned. ”There, all done,” James cheekily said.

Rowan rolls her eyes as Sirius snickers and says, ”Yup, he was just waiting to touch a girl, this one.”

”Sirius!” James roared back as Sirius poked fun at James.

Rowan ignores the two of them and unwraps another chocolate frog, before handing over the next card over to Lily and Severus. Seeing Rowan remain unflustered by his teasing, Sirius coughs and mischievously opens a bag of Bertie Bott's every Flavor Beans. ”Care to try one?” Sirius innocently asked as he held out the bag to Rowan.

Rowan narrows her eyes at Sirius and reaches into the bag and grabs a small handful. Sirius's eyes bulge as Rowan stuffs the handful into her mouth and swallows. Rowan slightly grimaces at one of the beans, but quickly finishes chewing. ”There, happy now?” Rowan loftily said.

Sirius dumbly stares at Rowan as James snickers back. ”Don't tell me, you can't do the same, Sirius?”

Sirius glares at James as Lily whispers to Severus. ”What's that all about?”

”Those are literally any kind of flavored beans, literally any kind,” Severus dumfounded whispered back not able to believe that Rowan is fine.

”You mean like you could get a blood flavored one or even a grass flavored bean?”

”Or worse.”

”Oh, golly,” Lily whispered to herself rather aghast and impressed at Rowan's courage.

Grimacing Sirius sticks his hand into the bag and pops a handful into his mouth. Sirius doesn't even finish the first bite, before spewing the mouthful of jellybeans back into the Bertie Bott's bag. They all grimace as Sirius gazes accusatory at Rowan as Rowan innocently gazes back.

Breathing loudly, Sirius points at Rowan with one finger and huffs. ”How did you do that?”

”I've eaten worse things before,” Rowan truthfully answered, before turning to gaze out at the scenery. Severus remains rather quiet at the truth of the statement. Starving, they had learned to eat anything no matter how terrible the taste including half-eaten food from the trash.

Lily glances over at the twins and feels something is off but knows better than to ask. Sirius snorts in disbelief and turns back to James as he quickly changes the subject. Sirius and James talk all about all sorts of things as Lily looks intrigued and Severus adds the odd comment or two. Rowan, on the other hand, closes her eyes and just listens as the train comfortably chug along. The sun continues to do the same as it too crosses to the other end of the sky and begins to wane.

The sun had long since started to set as Rowan suddenly gets up and grabs the neatly folded robe from her knit sack pouch. ”What are you doing!” Severus exclaimed as he saw Rowan taking off her jacket.

Rowan grabs the black robe from inside the pouch and says. ”It's sundown.”

”So, what?” Severus snapped.