Train Ride With Friends

Train Ride with Friends

It was a miracle I had even been aloud into school with my 'condition', as my parents had called it, but to have a large tree that attacks you to protect me during the full moon, and for the nurse to look after me in the mornings, that was more than I ever could have expected. Headmaster Albus Dumbledore had invited my parents and me up to the castle just a week before for tea and crumpets to discuss the situation. My parents were endlessly grateful for his accommodation of me, and Dumbledore really seemed like a nice guy. He explained the routine I would go through every full moon, going to the Hospital Wing after dinner instead of my common room and then being escorted down to the Whomping Willow where a knot in the tree base would freeze it for long enough for me to get into a tunnel under the roots. That tunnel would take me to a house in Hogsmead, the nearby village. Dumbledore had secured the building so that I was completely safe, and everyone was completely safe from me. There, I could live out the Full moon before I was collected in the early hours of the morning and returned to the castle. What made me really warm to Dumbledore straight away though, was that just before we left his office, my parents making their way to the door, Dumbledore leaned down, winked at me, and placed a whole packet Sherbet Lemons in my overly large coat pocket. So here I am, four sherbet lemons left, despite the one in my mouth, my trunk in the luggage rack above my head, on my way to Wizarding School.

*~*~*~*

The platform is still busy with students and parents, bustling around as the platform master strides among them, calling five minutes until departure. In the solid brick, latecomers are appearing every few seconds, first years like myself looking shocked at the apprehension of just running through a brick wall.

In the corner by the wall, a small thin boy with sallow skin and a hooked nose stands looking down at the ground, scuffing his feet against the red brick platform. His trunk is on the cart next to him, a dark mahogany wood with silver fittings. His hair is short and dark, shining as the light catches it. It is only moments before a tall man approaches him, the same sallow skin and hooked nose, his own hair long and pulled into a respectable ponytail trailing down over his billowing robes. The man turned and stalked across the platform, the boy following, dragging the trolley over to the train. Next to the door, the man has paused and is talking to a tall student with shoulder length blond hair and a pointed face. The small boy stares adoringly at the older boy as they are introduced and the older boy helps him bring his trunk aboard, disappearing from my view.

The last students are boarding the train and as I see the boy from outside drag his trunk past my compartment, it is clear the older boy has abandoned him. Within seconds, he reappears and opens the door, looking around meekly.

"May I share with you?" His voice is small and shallow as he looks at his shoes, moving his toes on his right foot from side to side, digging his heel into the carpet.

"Of course." I reply, smiling broadly. "I was beginning to think I smelt."

"The musty smell of rot is all over the train, it isn't just you." He informed me. Not sure whether to take that as an insult, I merely shrug.

"Good to know I suppose."

With great effort, he heaves his trunk into the luggage rack and takes the seat next to the door, as far away from me as possible. Looking back out onto the platform, it is merely parents now, waving off their children and calling last minute advice.

"Remember to be careful on the stairs, there are trick steps."

"Be nice to all your teachers."

"Do your homework."

"Avoid Filch like the plague."

"Don't worry about the sorting." I grinned slightly.

"Where do you think you'll be sorted?" I ask him, hoping desperately for more than a one-word answer.

"Slytherin." No such luck.

"My dad was in Gryffindor, but his brother was in Ravenclaw, so I think I'll be in one of those."

"My entire family has been in Slytherin. I will be there."

"I'm Remus Lupin by the way."

"Severus Snape." Up close, the boys hair looked more greasy than shiny, and his eyes a little too dark.

"Which classes are you looking forward to? Defence looks good, and Charms."

"Potions, I hear the professor is extremely skilled. Of course, my father has been trying to spoon feed me as much of the information as possible to give me a head start."

"My dad tried that as well. My mum's a Muggle though, so I think she ways paying more attention than I was half the time." His nose wrinkled slightly at the mention of my mother being a Muggle. Then again, if his entire family were in Slytherin, it was very possible he was a higher class pureblood, always believing Muggles were below them.

"Not surprising if you were learning Defence. We learn nothing interesting until the end of our third years when we begin on Werewolves." His tone was passive, but the hairs on the back of my next were on ends none the less. I can't help it; as soon as the subject comes up, I tense. We fell silent as the train began rattling its way out through open countryside. Students still bustled to and fro past our compartment as the door opened and a trunk toppled into it.

"Sorry." A boy appeared behind his trunk, backing into the compartment. "I swear, my brother said it HEALED acne!" From down the corridor, a loud angry bellowing could be heard and the boy closed the door, turning to face us. Small round glasses framed his hazel eyes and his jet-black hair stuck up unruly in every direction imaginable. "Don't mind if I hang out in here, do you?" He grinned cheekily and pushed his trunk to the window and sat down, instantly propping his feet up on it. Severus glared at him with distaste before pulling out a long roll of parchment and disappearing behind it.

"It's fine." I smiled.

"First year?" The boy asked, clasping his hands behind his head and leaning back leisurely.

"Yep."

"Me too. Hoping for Gryffindor. I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be that bad, but Hufflepuff seems like a cop out if you ask me, and Slytherin..." he waved a hand dismissively, "pah! Don't even get me started." From behind the parchment, Severus's eyes were narrowed and glaring at the same spot. He wasn't reading.

"Gryffindor would be nice, but I'm not really bothered." The boy leaned forward, stretching his arm across the gap. I took it and shook it lightly.

"James Potter."

"Remus Lupin What did your brother do to that boy? He sounded mad."

"Don't have a brother." He replied, leaning his head back in his hands. "Great Slytherin brute looks like a volcano. I merely upgraded him to a Bubotuber." Severus's eyes were merely slits, as James continued to insult the house Severus wanted to belong to. I chuckled. James followed my gaze.

"Do you have a name Big Beak?"

"What did you call me?" I could tell why Severus wanted to be in Slytherin, his hiss was very convincing.

"Well, your nose. You could disperse a London traffic jam with that honker."

Without a word, Severus rolled up his parchment, heaved his trunk from the luggage rack and stalked from the compartment much like whom I assumed had been his father. Before the door even slid shut, another dark haired boy pushed a trunk through it, laughing heartily to himself.

"Someone needs to tell grease ball down there that the grunge look is only for Muggles." James laughed loudly as I cringed slightly, hidden well behind a light chuckle. Severus has seemed all right.

"Sirius Black." The boy exclaimed grinning wolfishly, hauling his trunk into the rack.

"James Potter, and this is Remus Lupin."

"Hey!" Sirius nodded to me. I nodded back and shifted in my seat just as Sirius slumped down in Severus's seat and put his feet up along the seats, his back to the door.

"You a first year Sirius?" James asked.

"Yep. One of the ickle newbies just waiting for a Slytherin to shove his head down a regurgitating toilet!" Sirius commented as James and I both laughed loudly.

"Ignore the Slytherins. My dad says they're all mouth anyway." James replied smoothly, he didn't seem like a normal timid first year to me, then again, neither did Sirius.

"They are mate." Sirius replied just as smoothly. "My entire family are in Slytherin. Then again, my family are a bunch of prats." I raised an eyebrow as he shrugged. "Ok, my cousin Andromeda is ok, and I have a Uncle Alphard, but they're not what my family deem respectable." He put his fingers up and made little quotation marks as he said respectable, I grinned.

"Do you think you'll be in Slytherin?" I asked curiously.

"God, I hope not." Sirius replied disgusted. "Nah, I'd have to put up with my cousins Narcissa and Bellatrix. Right cows they are. Bellatrix is like a walking time-bomb waiting to curse you, and Narcissa, well, I suppose she'd be all right if she wasn't dating this prick named Lucius Malfoy."

"I've heard of the Malfoy's!" James interjected. "My dad hates his father. Says he's a stuck up prat who sucks up to the Minister way too much. Apparently gives loads of money to charities to get out of stuff." Remaining silent, I gazed out of the window at the rolling countryside, wondering how long it took to get to Hogwarts. I knew it was unplottable, but that it was somewhere in Scotland, hidden in hills.

"You alright over there Remus, mate?" Sirius asked, looking at me curiously. I opened my mouth to answer, but as I did, a small mousy boy tumbled backwards into the door, scrambling desperately at it until Sirius pushed it open and the boy tumbled into the compartment and onto the floor. The door slid shut with a bang, at which the small boy jumped again, looking around as if we'd all pull out our wands and turn him into a rat. I looked down worried at the boy, while Sirius and James fought hard to suppress giggles.

"Are you alright?" I asked as the boy pushed himself to standing and backed into the corner near the door, banged into the wall and jumped a foot away from it again, at which, Sirius shoved his knuckles into his mouth to stop himself laughing. James didn't even try as he just laughed loudly.

"A Seventh year said he was going to feed me to the Giant Squid for bumping into him."

"Ah no, you don't have to worry about the Squid eating you until you're in at least second year. I hear first years are too chewy." James replied through laughs, this; is anything, made the boy look even more terrified.

"I'm Remus." I commented to the boy, hoping to calm him down. "This is James and Sirius." They both nodded through their grins as Peter took the seat opposite Sirius, crossing his legs on the seat and grabbing the soles of his trainers, rocking back and forth lightly.

"Peter Petigrew, are you all first years?" We all nodded

We all fell silent, me sitting looking out the window, leaning my elbow on the windowsill and my head in my hand, James with his hands clasped behind his head, cradling his head in them and his feet up on his trunk, Sirius, leaning on the wall of the door to the corridor, his feet up across the seats, and Peter, holding the soles of his shoes, pulling his legs tighter crossed every so often and rocking lightly with the motion of the train. No one knew what to say until the snack trolley arrived.

Sirius's eyes lit up at the sight of all the candy and brought a large selection of everything he could get his hands on, James did the same, Peter and I buying a few choice snacks and a drink each. Sirius loaded his sweets on the chair in front of him and began ripping packets open, shoving them into his mouth unceremoniously. James laughed at Sirius's behaviour, saying he acted like a dog, and behind opening up his chocolate frogs, but closing the boxes as soon as he had removed the card, winking at me and putting the sweets in his pockets as he went through his cards, either placing them in his jeans pocket, or throwing them onto the seat next to him, motioning that he already had them. Munching on a Pumpkin pasty, I looked back out the window, clouds covering the sky and rain falling in the distance, growing closer.

"Peter, I'll swap you a chocolate frog if you eat this Every Flavour Bean." Sirius proposed, holding out the bean and chocolate frog.

"What flavour is it?" Peter asked, sniffing the air as if the bean smelt foul.

"No idea. Go on!"

"No, I shouldn't." Peter looked down at his knees and took a bite of his pasty.

"Come on!" James joined in, picking up a Cauldron Cake, "I'll throw in one of these." They looked to me as I looked around shocked and picked up a Liquorice Wand.

"Yeah ok, one of these as well."

"Oh, well, ok." Peter grumbled, taking the bean and shoving it in his mouth and chewing it as quickly as possible before swallowing, James and I cheered.

"What was it, what was it?" Sirius asked through our cheering. Peter, who looked like he was about to vomit, took a swig of pumpkin juice.

"It was horse radish!" We all laughed loudly as Peter took another swig of his juice.

The next half hour was spent with us daring each other to eat the weird looking beans, after a while though, Peter began suspecting that Sirius had fixed it to give him all the horrid tasting ones as he received Bogie, vomit and earwax whereas ours had all turned out to be mainly normal, apart from my Brussel Sprouts and custard flavoured one. Who ever heard of putting brussel sprouts with custard? Sirius, of course, denied the charges, though the cheeky glint in his eye told me he wasn't being entirely truthful.

Just as James and Sirius had began throwing beans at each other, trying to catch them in their mouths, including a spectacular dive from James in which he had jumped out from his seat, caught the bean, then tripped over his trunk banging his head on the window only to discover the bean was rotten egg flavoured and spat it onto the floor, the compartment door slid open and a girl with long red hair in tight ringlets and shining emerald eyes appeared. At the sight of James spitting the bean onto the floor, Sirius, Peter and I bent double in silent laughter such that I could hardly breathe, her nose wrinkled and she spoke rather harshly.

"You should have your robes on by now. The Prefects are checking the train."

"And whom may you be?" Sirius asked in as posh an accent as he could muster, a snooty look plastered to his face making it even harder for me to contain my laughter.

"Lily Evans." She replied, obviously unimpressed by Sirius's mocking.

"Well, Lily Evans," James continued, taking up the same demeanour as Sirius, "it is a pleasure to make your aquaintance, and could you please inform the Prefects heading this specific direction to..." His façade fell instantly and his voice continued in his normal amused manner, "sod off!" This caused Peter to laugh so hard that every eye minus James's to turn to him. James however, was still looking over Lily Evans.

"Well fine, but do not come crying to me when you receive a detention." Without another word, she turned on her heel and strode from the compartment, James instantly jumping up and gazing down the corridor after her retreating form.

When he finally returned to his seat, a prefect opened the door saying we would be arriving soon. We changed silently, until a mouse like squeak issued from Peter as he had tried to place his head in the sleeve by accident and had become stuck. Five miutes of tugging and squealing (mainly from Sirius reaching through the sleeve and trying to pull Peter's head all the way through by the hair) later, Peter fell back into his seat, his head fully extracted but a little pink around the ears and he pulled his robes on, first the wrong way around before he corrected it, his face turning a violent shade of red in the process.

Outside, the sky had turned to an inky black but it was as clear as the early summer, despite the fast approaching autumn. The terrain had become much steeper as the train wove its way through the hills. I watched intently hoping for my first glimpse of Hogwarts (as we had arrived by Floo Powder to Dumbledore's office before) as James pulled a pack of exploding snap cards from his pocket for a few games before we arrived.

Six games and two smoking eyebrows on Peter's part later, the train pulled into the station, all the doors swinging open and a loud overhead announcement telling us to leave all our luggage on the train. From outside, a loud booming voice was calling for the first years as a man the size of a small giant passed our window making me jump, Sirius and James exchanging almost identical grins.

I shoved my hands in my pockets as we all stood, grinning at one another and all hoping we would end up in the same house. My right hand rustled against a plastic bag and I pulled out the remaining four Lemon Sherbets I had forgotten I had. Opening the bag, I took one and offered them around. James, Sirius and Peter took one with a grin and popped them in their mouths, us all sucking them softly as we made our way out of our compartment and down onto Hogsmead platform.

*~*~*~*

Remus Lupin stared at the empty coffee cup in front of him, his badly scarred hands from twenty-five years of monthly transformations clasping the old and chipped china, his slender fingers curling around the still cooling cup. It wouldn't be long until he would have to brew another jug of coffee, and not long after that until Molly Weasley would appear at the doorway to the basement kitchen and ask if he had once again exchanged a good nights sleep for a night of endless hours of staring longingly into a slowly disappearing cup of coffee. He would once again nod solemnly as she bustled around him, making him an overly extravagant breakfast, and once again, he would take merely a few bites before retiring to an unused room of Twelve Grimmauld Place to continue his solitary sorting. He didn't dare close his eyes, not even if it were for that decent nights sleep Molly constantly scolded him for avoiding.

For when he chanced to close his eyes, those faces from his first train ride taunted his vision, mocking his emotions. Every face was dead to him. Whether lost to him by another, or long since having avoided conversation with, they were all dead. But to those few, those few he hated even more than his own merciless life, those that were dead in a different manner altogether were the worst. Those he would kill without hesitation for taking away the few he had ever cared about on that first train ride with friends.