Crossover
Chapter 8: Trowa Barton
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Chapter 8:
Trowa Barton
style='mso-tab-count:1'> Trowa Barton had been enjoying himself,
even if he didn’t show it. The look on professor Snape’s face when Wufei and
Duo had escaped from his magical ropes had been priceless, and would have made
his day had it not been that the trip ea only beginning.
style='mso-tab-count:1'> Diagon Alley had amazed them all, and
had immediately become Duo’s new playground.
style='mso-tab-count:1'> Two hours and several particularly
interesting non-magical curses later and Snape had managed to corner the
braided maniac. The poor man had been a sight to behold: robes in tatters,
covered in feathers and other… interesting substances (acquired while running
through the Owl Emporium), hair quiet burned (pet salamander section, in the
pet shop), red faced and snarling at everything that moved.
style='mso-tab-count:1'> Had Trowa been anyone else, he would
have laughed his ass off. As it was, he still proceeded to do so, while holding
up an equally mirthful Quatre. Wufei had looked as if he couldn’t decide what
to do: laugh or save Duo’s as and then laugh.
style='mso-tab-count:1'> The matter was taken out of their hands
by Madam Hooch. She had come into the store, looked at them all and then
dragged Snape away (smiling widely) with the excuse of “cleaning him up”.
style='mso-tab-count:1'> The rest of their shopping excursion
had gone much the same way, to the hilarity of their companions (well, except
for Snape).
style='mso-tab-count:1'> But all good things must come to an
end, and this one did so with a short floo trip to Kings Cross station and
platform 9¾ so that they could all take the train to school.
style='mso-tab-count:1'> The Express had turned out to be a
bright red, ancient looking machine, in surprisingly good condition.
Considering it was taken care of with magic, it shouldn’t have been so
surprising, but non of them had ever been so close to such an old, functioning
machine.
style='mso-tab-count:1'> Snape had taken one look at Duo’s
child-at-Christmas expression and taken a hasty retreat.
style='mso-tab-count:1'> Madam Hooch had finally lost her
composure and laughed to her heart’s content. Duo had looked proud (immensely
so) of himself; Wufei, comically exasperated; Quatre, mirthful; and Trowa was
pretty sure that he himself had looked vaguely amused.
style='mso-tab-count:1'> The train was quiet big, but finding
seats for the four of them in the same compartment had been somewhat hard. They
finally found an empty one at the end of the train and proceeded to claim their
space.
style='mso-tab-count:1'> A few minutes after leaving the
station, though, the door was flung open and three kids about their age walked
in: a tall, red-haired blue-eyed boy; a petit, bushy-haired cinnamon-eyes girl;
and a short, green-eyed dark-haired boy (whom sported the weirdest, lightning
bolt-shaped scar on his forehead).
style='mso-tab-count:1'> The trio froze, as if not expecting
there to be people in that particular compartment.
style='mso-tab-count:1'> The girl quickly pulled herself
together and remembered her manners.
style='mso-tab-count:1'> -“Hi, my name’s Hermione Granger. This
are my best friends: Ron Weasley and Harry Potter.”
lang=EN-US>She motioned to the red-head and the green-eyed boy as she spoke.
The later took a lightly defensive expression, as if expecting them to comment.
lang=EN-US>
lang=EN-US>-“Pleasure to meet you. I’m
Quatre Winner, and these are my friends: Trowa Barton, Wufei Chang and Duo
Maxwell.”
lang=EN-US>
lang=EN-US>Leave it to Quatre to play his civilian role impeccably.
lang=EN-US>
lang=EN-US>-“What, no Raberba?”
lang=EN-US>
lang=EN-US>Although Dou should really be throttled with his own braid. Or
perhaps they should lend Wufei’s katana to Snape. Trowa was about to loose
himself in the possibilities of untraceable murder when he caught sight of
Quatre’s pointedly raised eyebrow.
lang=EN-US>
lang=EN-US>Ok, it would have to wait.
lang=EN-US>
lang=EN-US>The eyebrow rose higher, and he decided to let it go, this time.
lang=EN-US>
lang=EN-US>A full blown frown.
lang=EN-US>
lang=EN-US>Ok, plans to murder Duo abandoned indefinitely.
lang=EN-US>
lang=EN-US>Quatre’s sunny expression returned before he could even blink.
lang=EN-US>
lang=EN-US>It was freaky how he did that.
lang=EN-US>Hours went by, spent in chatting up their companions and stuffing
themselves full with the tasty little treats they had bought to a witch that
had passed by with a cart full of candy.
lang=EN-US>
lang=EN-US>Duo had gone for seconds and, if the screeches coming from the front
of the train were any clue to go by, he had gotten himself into trouble.
lang=EN-US>
lang=EN-US>The braided menace had returned a few minutes latter, looking like
he had been on a fight, but with his maniacal grin firmly in place.
lang=EN-US>
lang=EN-US>They had spent a few more hours talking.
lang=EN-US>
lang=EN-US>And then the train had stopped and the lights had gone out.
lang=EN-US>
lang=EN-US>Something was wrong.
lang=EN-US>
lang=EN-US>All four of them had immediately moved to secure the door and
window. Hermione proved to have a good head under pressure: with a soft “Lumos”,
she gave them enough light to see what they were doing, but little enough not
to be noticeable.
lang=EN-US>
lang=EN-US>Harry moved towards the window and peeked out. When he turned
around, his face was ashen.
lang=EN-US>
lang=EN-US>Hermione grabbed his arm while Ron asked
lang=EN-US>
lang=EN-US>-“What is it?”
lang=EN-US>
lang=EN-US>Harry looked at him, wide eyed.
lang=EN-US>
lang=EN-US>-“Death eaters.”