Emma's hands shook as she quickly packed her clothes and other belongings into her trunk. She snapped the locks shut and propped the trunk up against the side of her bedpost, wiping a tear from under her eye. She appraised her dormitory, one last time. Breathing in deeply, she savored the faint smell of pine from the Dark Forest that came in through the slightly open window.

She still couldn't believe it, she might never see Hogwarts again. She didn't understand why Dumbledore hadn't tried to put up a fight in order for her to stay, after all, he had been a strong confidence for her when she first told him the story of her parents death. But he was away until after the Christmas holidays, and she had no contact with him.

Emma sighed and sat down on the now bare matress. She raised her hands to her head and pressed her middle fingers into each side of her head, trying to lessen the throbbing from a headache that was commencing. She went over the plan mentally again: Emma would go with Ms. Camden to wherever she was planning on taking her. The moment she had "settled in" she would send an owl to Ryan with the directions on how to get there. He would get his bags and follow the directions, pick up Emma, and then they would run. They didn't know where, but they would go anywhere to escape their current situation. Their first option they had discussed was Paris again, and this was most likely the plan they would end up sticking to.

Emma took one last deep breath and stood up, taking hold of the handle of her trunk and tugging it out of the dormitory and down to the common room.

She passed the couch in the middle of the room and froze, picturing herself and Ryan sitting there like they had done so many times before. Emma smiled and continued on her way downstairs.

Ophelia was still there, stationed right at the foot of the staircase. Emma had to refrain herself from laughing at her unual upright and proper posture.

"I hope you took all that time you spent up there saying your goodbyes, because there's no time now," Ms. Camden bluntly stated as Emma reached her.

"But-"

"What did I just say? Maybe if you didn't spend so much time with that boy-"

"You don't even know him!"

"Don't raise your tone young lady. I don't know how on earth my brother raised you but things will be different in my household. You'll do as you're told, understood?"

Emma could already tell she would be hating these next few days. But the thought of Ryan kept her mind filled with optomism. Their love would overcome anything, especially now. She would be seeing him soon enough...

"Am I understood?" Ophelia repeated angrily.

Emma smirked, "Perfectly."

Emma was awakened early on Saturday morning by the incessant pecking of an owl on her shoulder. She groaned and rolled over onto her stomach.

"Five more minutes, mum," she mumbled into her pillow. But then she remembered, she didn't have a mother anymore...

Her eyes opened as she rolled back over and hesistently scooted up into a sitting position. A black owl that she recognized as a Hogwarts owl was perched upon her beside, still tapping her.

"Okay, okay! You can stop that now," she told the bird. A piece of parchment rested between its left talons. She plucked the paper out and watched as the bird soared out of the open window in the dormitory. She shivered as the cold air rushed in and got up to close it. After she made sure the window was latched shut, she fell back onto her bed and peeled the parchment open.

Dear Miss Dobbs,

We are pleased to inform you that we have made contact with your Aunt Ophelia Camden. She wishes to meet with you in person, so by special arrangments made by the Ministry, she will indeed be able to come and visit the school, as well as see the castle. The date of Ms. Camden's arrivial is scheduled for November the fifth at six o'clock p.m. in the Great Hall. We do hope all goes well with her visit.

Cornelius Fudge
Minister for Magic

Confused, Emma folded the letter back up, slid out of bed, got dressed quickly, and ran down to the Great Hall. During the breakfast hour, she sat by Ryan at the Gryffindor table, discussing the letter.

"Could be a prank," Ryan suggested.

"Yeah, that's what I thought at first, but it seems real enough," she replied.

"When is she coming?" he asked.

"The letter says that she'll be here tomorrow," Emma said showing Ryan the part of the parchment with the date of her stranger of an aunt's arrival.

Ryan skimmed the paper over again.

"And you're sure you've never met her?" he asked.

"Positive. I didn't even know my parents had any siblings."

Ryan's brow creased as he thought to himself.

"What do you think she wants with you now? I mean, it's been over a year since..." he paused, wondering if he should've brought the subject up.

"Ryan, it's okay, you can say that they died. And I thought the same thing. My parents die, I have nowhere to go and no contact from any immediate family, and a year later my 'long-lost-aunt' show up? It's strange," Emma said.

Ryan nodded, staying silent.

"I'm sure she just wants to find out how I'm doing," Emma added.

"I hope."