The Time Has Passed {Open}

[Dominique Keys]

Dominique stood on the platform, watching as people crowded onto the train,laughing and talking happily, and she knew that they were all excited to be going home and seeing their parents and families again. She watched as a group of first years ran by with one of them saying something about how her father had wrote her a letter about all the fun holiday stuff they were going to do.

It seemed strange to Dominique just how happy everyone seemed at going home and seeing their families. Did no one have any problems at home? Did no one have an overbearing mother? Or a demanding father? Or even a sibling they clashed with at every turn? Did no one have problems? From the way they were acting, it didn't seem like it.

For her though, the last thing she wanted to do today was get on that train and go home. A year ago she'd told herself that she was going to stay in Hogsmeade rather than going home, but her grandmother had been ill, giving her little choice but to return home. This year, though, what was stopping her? Dominique must have stood in the same place for about ten minutes, just staring at the train as people passed her by, before she finally turn on the stop and headed for the small bathroom on the station. It was empty when she got there, so she pulled her case in with her, and managed to hoist it up onto the closed toilet so that it couldn't be seen, then she climbed up on top of it, being careful to make sure that she, and it, wouldn't fall.

Dominique wasn't sure how long she'd sat there, but after a while there was a loud whistle - the warning that the train would be leaving any minute. She heard the bathroom door open and the gruff voice of the conductor asking if anyone was there, and from the grunts and groans, he got down to floor level to peer under the bottom of the stalls, probably looking for any signs of feet. Dominique held her breath, not moving a muscle in case he heard her.

It appeared, though, that she was safe, because the door slammed shut and there was a yell on the platform. The usual noise of the train pulling away echoed around the small bathroom before silence fell. Dominique sat perfectly still despite the silence, not daring to move for what had to have been at least another ten minutes, and it was only then that she slowly got down and dragged her case out of the stall with her. She peered onto the platform but there was no one in sight, not event he conductor.

For a while, she found herself just staring at the stop where the train had been. I can't believe I did it... There was no going back now. The train was gone, and Dominique was still in Hogsmeade. There was no going back now. What she did need to do, was get off the platform without anyone questioning why she had her case with her, and wasn't on the train.