1st of September had finally arrived and both the sisters were more than excited to start their 5th year. Paige was a year older than Ivy, but had received her letter later, around the same time as Ivy's. So both the sisters started Hogwarts together.

With lots of advice, instructions and promises for good grades, the girls finally bade their parents goodbye and boarded the Hogwarts Express. Ivy could already feel the magic thrumming through her body. She had just a summer without magic and her wand was desperate to be used.

She dragged her trunk behind her, making way towards the usual compartment where Ivy and Paige sat. The latter had stopped to greet one of her million friends, and they seemed to be in a never ending conversation so Ivy decided to move ahead. Sometimes, she really thought the Sorting Hat had accidentally put Paige in Ravenclaw instead of Hufflepuff.

Ivy was stopped in her tracks when she saw Sirius coming towards her, waving at her with a smile. Ivy turned around to see if he was waving at anybody else, but was pleased to know that nobody else stood there. "Hello Binns," he said, once he reached her. "Hey," she responded back, her thoughts leading her back to the day in Diagon Alley.

"Do you need me to carry your trunk for you?" Sirius offered, and without waiting for her reply, picked up her trunk. "No, no it's alright," Ivy said, embarrassed as she tried making him put the trunk down.

"You sure? It sure is heavy." He asked. Ivy nodded, still feeling embarrassed. He was a Black, he wouldn't even have to lift his finger at his house to get his work done and here he was offering to carry her trunk for her.

"Okay, as you wish madame," he said with a grin, his grey eyes shining. Ivy smiled back and thanked him for the offer.

A compartment door nearby opened, and James Potter poked his head out. His hair were messy as always, glasses askew and something green and slimy was stuck to them. "Oi padfoot, come in here," he called. "This grow-your-own-slugs kit is getting a bit outta control."

"Oh, hello there," he said as he caught sight of the Ravenclaw. "I'm sorry but I seriously need Sirius right now," James said mischievously.

"No problem," Ivy replied with a chuckle. "I'm James Potter by the way, but you probably already know me," he introduced with a cheeky smile, coming out of the compartment to stand with them.

"Who doesn't?" Ivy said with a smile. "I'm Ivy Binns," "Nice to meet you Miss Binns. Are you in fifth year?" James asked, but before Ivy could respond, a shrill scream came from inside the compartment, along with a "Sit down Wormtail!"

The boys looked at the compartment and then at each other. "It was very nice to meet you, but we'll talk some time else. Duty calls," James said with a smile and Sirius waved her goodbye as both of them entered their compartment.

Ivy still saw no sign of Paige but was visibly happy with the encounter she just had with Sirius. She hummed a merry tune and then slid open her compartment door, only to see a Slytherin already sitting inside.

"What are you doing here?" both of them said simultaneously as Regulus Black looked up from his book.

Then they both rolled their eyes together.

"I've always sat in this compartment with Paige. Get lost from here," Ivy said, putting her trunk down.

Regulus shifted his attention back to his book. "I don't see that as a reason for me to not sit here." He replied lamely.

"This is my compartment." Ivy stated stubbornly as she sat on the seat across from him. "I don't see your name on it." He said, not looking up from his book.

"Well I don't see your name either." Ivy shot back with crossed arms. Regulus rolled his eyes and took out his wand, muttering a spell that allowed him to carve an R, A and a B onto the wooden wall of the compartment.

"There you go," he said. "Satisfied now?" Ivy glared angrily at him. "What is your problem!?"

"The door to outside is right there." He pointed towards it. "I'm not moving from here. I will sit in this compartment today, you're the one that has to leave." Ivy stated. Now that Regulus had told her to leave, she was determined to not step a foot out. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction.

Regulus was starting to feel annoyed now. "I came here first. I won't leave just like that."

"Fine!" Ivy said, sitting across from him. "I won't leave either!"

"Fine!"

The compartment door opened to reveal Paige but one look inside and her smile vanished, eyes went wide with shock. Almost throwing her trunk, she ran back outside. Regulus and Ivy shared a look, then glared at each other.

In just a matter of seconds, Paige came back almost dragging Sirius behind with her.

"Look at this!" she said, pointing towards the pair. "How is this even possible?!" Sirius' eyes widened. "Hold me Binns, I think I'm going to fall," he said dramatically. "Binns and Black are sitting together in a compartment!"

"Shut up!" Ivy and Regulus said simultaneously, directing the insult towards their siblings.

"Now they're even saying stuff together!" Paige commented.

Ivy could see people slowly gathering outside the compartment, taking secretive peeks inside. The rivalry between Regulus and her was very well known at Hogwarts. And this was starting to piss her off.

"Stop making a scene you both," she said through gritted teeth. "I am already pissed off, don't make me angrier."

Paige immediately whipped around. "Shoo, shoo!" she told the students, waving her hands like one would wave birds away. "Go away children, you don't want to face the witch's wrath." The students gave Paige weird glances but left none-the-less.

"Leave now, you too." Regulus told Sirius in a bored tone. "As you wish, brother." Sirius replied jokingly, then went back to his compartment. Paige put her trunk aside, then sat besides her sister, Regulus sitting across from them. Now that she had stopped being dramatic about the whole situation, she could sense the tense atmosphere.

"So," she said, trying to initiate conversation. "How did you two manage to sit in the same compartment?" "Your sister is very stubborn." Regulus responded before Ivy could reply. As of habit, she just glared at him.

"Yes, very," Paige said with a chuckle. She then started opening her box of Bertie Botts Every Flavour Bean that she had bought on her way to the compartment. "Do you want some?" she said, offering the box to Regulus. But before he could reply, Ivy shot her sister a death glare. "—or maybe not." she said pulling her hand back. "Thanks, but I don't like these anyways." Regulus replied, throwing a nasty glance at Ivy.

The compartment door suddenly opened to reveal another student. Thomas Nott looked inside then his mouth hung open. "So it is true!"

Regulus wore an annoyed expression. "Not you too!"

"I gotta say I'm deeply hurt," Thomas continued, making his way towards Regulus. "You ditched your best friend to sit with the girl you apparently hate."

"I didn't ditch you," said Regulus. "I was waiting for you here but she showed up before you."

"Oh, yeah, I um, got a little distracted." Thomas replied sheepishly. "Anyways, I'm here now." He said sitting down besides Regulus, making himself comfortable. Ivy and Paige looked at each other, then at Thomas. "Great!" Ivy said under her breath sarcastically.

The rest of the train ride comprised of Regulus and Ivy glaring at each other, throwing snarky remarks in between while Paige peacefully with her eye mask on, unbothered by the pair. Thomas Nott turned out to be very talkative and kept jumping from topic to topic to talk about, trying to include Ivy in the conversation too. Then she glowered at him, and one look from her made the boy shut up. Regulus ignored Thomas most of the times, only replying once or twice but Thomas didn't seem to mind.

Regulus was quick to get off the train when they reached the Hogsmeade Station, Thomas trailing behind him.

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Ivy could feel everybody's eyes on her ever since she had left the train. People were not so subtly whispering about her, and it was starting to get on her nerves now. There was no mistaking what they might be gossiping about and Ivy didn't know what the big deal was. She really regretted feeding her ego and not going out of the compartment.

Even through dinner, she could feel the two girls near to her opposite left talking about her. "That's it," Ivy said through gritted teeth and stabbed her fork right in the middle of her roasted potato, attracting attention.

"If you're gonna gossip about me, at least try to be a little secretive." she said, pointing her finger at both the girls, who now seemed too interested in their dinner. The ravenclaw table went quiet, everybody's attention on the blonde now. "But we're all curious," interrupted a guy. "You're too intimidating for anyone to ask you yourself, so people tend to gossip." "Did you really sit with Regulus Black? And there was no bloodshed?" another girl piped in.

"Yes. Yes I did," Ivy replied annoyedly. "Now if even one more person asks me about this, or gossips—," her eyes directed towards the pair, "—I swear I am going to hex you to oblivion. Understood?" The students nodded on impulse, a few calling her scary under their breaths. The rest of the dinner was undisturbed.

Paige plopped down on her bed as soon as they reached their dorms. "At least unpack your trunk." Ivy told her. "Too tired!" Paige responded as she pulled her covers over her, already drifting into her slumber. Paige could fall asleep anywhere, any time and have no problem.

Ivy shook her head at the girl and continued to unpack some of her stuff. Alexis Cresswell lay on her bed reading a different book than what she was reading during dinner. "Weren't you reading another book during dinner?" Ivy asked as she put away her neatly folded clothes. "Oh yes, I finished that one already." Alexis replied, flipping the page for the fourth time in two minutes. "How many did you read this summer?" Ivy asked.

Alexis put down her book and began thinking. "I think.." her voice trailed off as she recalled. "..seventeen."

"Seventeen?!" Ivy repeated. "Alexis, I love reading too but you practically inhale the books." "I must say I have a fast reading speed." Alexis said with a chuckle. "And I added 30 different fictional guys to my list of crushes." she said with a dreamy look.

"Ugh why can't real guys be like these fictional characters?!" she said with a weary expression. "Because they are real." Ivy replied.

"Weirdly enough that makes sense." Alexis agreed. The girls were interrupted when their fourth room mate, Maria Ogden entered. "What took you so long?" Alexis asked as Maria sat down on her bed, taking out the hair tie that gathered her hair.

"Oh I was just talking to Sean in the common room." Maria replied, now putting away her things. Alexis sat up excitedly. "Do I see a friends-to-lovers brewing? You even sat with him in the train today!"

"No you don't," Maria was quick to reply. "And what are you talking about, I always sit with him in the train." "You've practically been best friends since first year, you both are perfect for friends to lovers." Ivy interjected. Alexis nodded excitedly in agreement.

"No we aren't," Maria denied, not meeting their eyes. "And talking about train compartments—"

"—oh, don't get me started." Ivy said with a bitter expression. "Did you just change the subject Maria?" Alexis raised an eyebrow. "Did I?"

"I don't know why everybody's making such a big fuss out of it," Ivy said. "It wasn't that big of a deal." "Well, it is though," Maria said. "You both can't be left somewhere together without bloodshed or somebody getting hexed."

"Yeah, why did you sit with him anyways?" Alexis asked. "Ego." Ivy responded. "Still, people are reacting so stupidly to it. I just sat with him in the same compartment, it's not like we kissed or something!" Ivy continued on in her annoyance. Then upon realizing her words, she gagged, feeling her dinner churning in her stomach at the retching thought.

Alexis and Maria also seemed to be shocked on hearing that. "It's okay I love a good slow burn enemies to lovers too." Alexis said, her eyes sparkling with excitement. Maria hid her laugh as Ivy threw her pillow at Alexis, the other girl shrieking with an apology, as she laughed at the same time.

"Never!" said Ivy throwing the other pillow at Maria, who had clearly failed in hiding her laugh. One of these days, her friends would die at her own hands.