Everything we touch turns to ruins.

Cassie said goodbye to her parents. Or well, she said goodbye to her mother and had an argument with her father. Lizzie was at school, but Cassie had said bye to her earlier that morning before she left. She grabbed her case, and pulled it onto the train. It was a bit difficult making your way through the train, with everyone in the hallways. Lyssa usually got there before her, so she kept her eye out for the girl and eventually found her about half way up. Opening the door she pulled her case in and dumped it in the middle of the floor. "Hey," she said tiredly, but with a small smile. Nice to see her again.

Looking up quickly and looking rather startled while she was at it, Lyssa did everything in her power not to visibly jump when Cassie walked in the compartment. She had been so deep in thought that she hadn't noticed the other girl until she had spoken. "Hi."

Cassie sat down on the seat opposite with a sigh. It would be good to get back to Hogwarts. "How was your summer?" she asked. They'd written letters, but those usually weren't filled with much information about what actually was happening through out the break.

"Um....it was.....interesting," Lyssa answered, trying to keep things vague. "Yours?"

"Interesting how?" Cassie asked trying to find a comfortable way to sit with her feet under her on the chair. "Mine was okay. The middle was good. Things a bit," she shook her hand vaguely. "Through the beginning and especially the end. But yeah, good."

Lyssa shrugged. "Just interesting. I'm glad that yours was good, though," she replied with another shrug. She really did not want to go into detail about her summer vacation.

"Ish," she added as an afterthought. And than shrugged. "I'm just glad to be out of the house, can't wait till we get back to school. Summer goes for a bit long sometimes. They should cut a week off and stick it in the christmas break or something."

"Wouldn't that be nice..." Lyssa muttered looking out the window of the compartment as the train started to move. "Shorter summer, longer winter holiday..." However, her mind wasn't really on the topic and it probably showed in her tone as she spoke.

Cassie frowned at her friend. "Are you okay?" she asked her. She was acting a little off. Usually the first half of the conversation on the way to school was chipper and talking over the top of each other.

Lyssa forced herself to pull her attention away from the window and the landscape passing by at a quickening pace and to focus it back on her best friend. She gave Cassie the best smile she could conjure up. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Cassie continued to frown. "Are you sure?" she asked, just to make sure. She stretched out her feet and crossed them over, adjusting the position she was sitting in.

Lyssa nodded at Cassie. "Completely sure," she said. "Why? Don't you believe me?"

"Your acting a bit strange," Cassie commented, still not a hundred percent sure, she shrugged.

Lyssa forced her eyebrows to pull together in a confused expression. "Strange how?" she asked keeping her tone light. She really needed to pull her act completely together soon if this was already happening and the year hadn't even started yet.

"I dunno," Cassie muttered. "Distracted. Your voice is a bit," she shrugged. "I dunno," she said again. "Just strange."

Lyssa raised an eyebrow. "You're imagining things, Cass."

"Maybe," she muttered. Though she was pretty sure that she wasn't. "You sure you are okay?" she asked again.

"I'm absolutely positive, Cassie. I promise, I'm okay."

"Okay then," Cassie said with a nod. "If you're sure."

Lyssa also nodding, turning back to the window again.

Cassie sighed, and pulled out a book.

A silence fell over the two, and Lyssa got the feeling that this was going to be the longest, most awkward train ride in the six years they'd been going to Hogwarts.

Cassie was sure that something was up. The two of them hardly ever had awkward conversations. But she didn't particularly want to bring it up again right at that moment because Lyssa would deny anything.

Biting her bottom lip slightly, Lyssa looked away from the window again. "I'm gonna go find my brother," she said unable to take the silence much longer. "There's something I need to ask him about."

"Okay," Cassie said with a frown. "I'll see you in a bit I suppose..."