𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐎𝐘 𝐖𝐇𝐎 𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐃 ━━ harry potter

chapter thirty-four

Ben's reluctance to return home for the holidays was palpable. However, the reason as to why was significantly different than the one in his first year. Luckily, the fear of encountering his parents had lessened, thanks to the lie he had told them during summer, but a different concern now took centre stage. While a slight worry lingered about Draco's potential promise-breaking, his primary concern was parting from Harry.

Although he knew that being with Ron and Hermione would offer Harry protection, he couldn't help but feel uneasy at the thought of being separated from them for an entire week.

Having said goodbye to his friends, he left early for the train, hoping to secure a seat on the train. Upon his arrival, he stumbled upon Thomas and Leah Adams, who were entering an empty compartment.

"Hey!" he called out. The boy turned first, responding with an infectious grin.

"Hello!" he chimed.

Leah, momentarily not seeing him, eventually locked eyes with Ben. Her initial curiosity transformed into a welcoming smile. "Hi," she greeted warmly. "Do you want to sit with us?"

"Oh, yes, I would love to," he answered at once. The girl gestured him to join them inside the compartment, so he did. "Thanks."

Both Leah and Thomas sat down, and Ben did the same, choosing the seat beside the boy's. He couldn't quite put his finger on the reason, but a sense of nervousness had settled in him.

"Do you have any plans for this Christmas?" he asked, as casually as he could.

Leah responded, "My family and I are off to Switzerland for a skiing trip."

"Didn't you go to Switzerland last year, too?" wondered Thomas.

The girl nodded, her braids dancing with the movement. "We've been going there every year since I was seven, when my older sister Zahra moved there."

"How old is your sister?" asked Ben.

"She's turning twenty-seven next week."

"Oh, wow, you never told me you and your sister are so many years apart," gasped Thomas, looking deeply surprised.

"Yeah, well, my older brother is thirty," she added. "I'm pretty sure I wasn't planned. Zahra used to call me an accident when I was a toddler."

"Older siblings are always so sweet," commented Ben, with an obvious sarcastic tone. "I have an older sister, too, her name's Audrey."

"Ugh, I wish I didn't have any siblings," complained Leah, letting herself fall against the back of her seat.

"I wish I had siblings," retorted Thomas, as the train began moving. "I hate being an only child, it's the most boring thing ever! My parents don't enjoy inviting people over, and my house's always so silent."

Ben's heart gave a jolt. If Thomas's parents didn't like inviting people over to their house, why would they decide to host a Christmas Eve dinner with the Malfoys and the Walkers? What if it wasn't true, and it was just some sort of trap to make him go back home? He couldn't come up with any reason as to why they'd want that, though. So perhaps he was just being paranoid.

"That's why it confuses me that, all of a sudden, my father decided to invite the Malfoys and your family," he looked at Ben as he pronounced the last two words. "But I was really happy when I found out that it wasn't just the Malfoys. My father told me your mother was hesitant about bringing you or not."

"I wonder why," said Ben sarcastically.

Thomas chuckled. "But he then told me she'd decided to bring you, too, and I'm really glad she did. It would've been the most boring thing ever."