Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Warning: None for this chapter.
Chapter 1 – Reunions & Introductions
The cacophony of sound emanating from Platform 9 ¾ could only be attributed to one thing: the return of students to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry. The crowd of young people and their parents filled the platform next to which stood the scarlet Hogwarts Express, its gleaming cars ready and waiting to carry its passengers back to school.
First year students were the easiest to spot – particularly those with no brothers or sisters to have ventured to Hogwarts before them. These anxious eleven year-olds huddled with their parents, casting furtive glances alternatively between the idling train and the more rambunctious students around them. Two of those more rambunctious students were careening toward the train; their trolleys, laden with their school trunks, swaying dangerously as the boys dragged them in their wake.
"Sirius, stop!" exclaimed the taller of the two boys, pausing and pushing his round, black-framed spectacles back in place. "We're not late!"
The other boy came to a stop slightly ahead of his friend. He looked over his shoulder and gave the other boy an exasperated look. "James Potter! You're the one who said we had to hurry!"
James grinned wickedly. "After four years of doing this, Sirius, I thought you'd have figured it out: if we want to get the good seats, we have to get here early!"
Sirius shook his head, his shoulder length black hair moving to partially obscure his face. He was about to respond when a sharp female voice some distance away caused him to snap his mouth closed.
"Sirius! I will not call you again. Come here at once!"
As James watched, Sirius' expression closed. "Bollocks!" He muttered then turned to James. "Go ahead and grab our seats. I'll be right there." The boy then squared his shoulders and made his way over to the edge of the crowd where an elegantly dressed woman and a young, dark-haired boy were waiting.
"James!" The boy turned away from the scene and in the direction of the voice calling his name. He rolled his hazel eyes when he saw a short, heavyset boy with dark blonde hair huffing toward him. Trailing slightly behind was a tall, thin boy who carried himself carefully, the circles around his dark blue eyes giving evidence of his fatigue.
"Hey, Peter!" James greeted his friend. "Alright there, Remus?" he looked the taller boy over carefully and, at his nod, smiled warmly.
Both boys smiled warmly and fell into easy conversation about their respective summer holidays as they made their way over to the train. "Where's Sirius?" Remus asked, his eyes scanning the crowd for his missing friend. "Oh," he added, frowning. He had caught sight of the dark haired boy standing with his mother, who was currently berating her eldest son with a fair amount of enthusiasm. "What happened?" he asked James.
The other boy shrugged. "Oh, you know, the usual." James struck a pose remarkably like the haughty demeanor of Sirius' mother and mimicked her posh manner of speech, "He behaved in a manner unbecoming the heir of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. Ran off to join the crowd; mingled with the great unwashed masses of non-pure blood ingrates." With a smile that was more than a little forced, James resumed his own accent and finished, "Standard behavior, really."
Remus managed a smile. He knew that James hated the way Sirius was treated at home. The two boys became friends running for this very same train as eleven year-old first years and were now inseparable. There were few who knew better than James just how badly Sirius was treated at home. He used humor to diffuse his own bitter anger at a situation he could do nothing to change; it was this trait that Sirius valued dearly as it gave him the ally he needed without additional awkwardness. And, at fifteen years old, awkwardness was to be avoided at all costs.
"Well, as long as it's nothing new," Remus responded in kind. "Wait, here he comes. Let's not all of us wait out here for him. He'll think we've been watching the whole thing."
James nodded. "Good point, Remus. C'mon, Peter, let's get inside; Remus, you wait for him, yeah?" And with that, they disappeared.
"Hey, Remus," Sirius placed a hand on the other boy's shoulder. "Left you alone, did they?"
Remus looked down at his friend and noted that his blue eyes were a bit brighter than normal and his face was flushed. "Said something about getting a car as far away from the Slytherins as possible."
"Ruddy good plan if you ask me," came the response. "Oi, are you alright? You do look a bit rough."
Remus nodded self-consciously. "Fine; don't worry about me, Sirius. I've handled this myself for most of my life."
Sirius scrutinized him a bit further before nodding. "I know, Remus. It's just that I wish there was some way that it could be easier for you. Look, why won't …"
Sirius observations were overridden by the piercing shriek of the train's whistle, followed by the cry of, "All aboard!" from the Conductor.
"We'd best find the others," Remus said a moment later as he mounted the steps ahead of his friend. "If we don't we'll be separated for sure."
Sirius closed his mouth and nodded, following Remus aboard the train. Some questions were sometimes better left alone, as the young wizard knew all too well.
XXXXXXXX
Once settled in their compartment, the four friends caught each other up on what had been happening over the summer. Sirius had been allowed to spend two weeks with James' family and apparently mischief had reigned supreme for his entire stay.
Peter and his mother had gone to Brighton for a month to visit his grandparents and had met a very pretty young girl while there. Amidst much backslapping and ribald commentary from his friends, Peter was forced to admit that he had, in fact, kissed the girl one starry night on the beach. Blushing furiously throughout the conversation, Peter nonetheless enjoyed the attention and grinned widely for some time after the conversation moved on to other topics.
Sirius declared that James had spent an indecent amount of time working on a plan to woo and win their elusive fellow fourth year Ms. Lily Evans. At this announcement, James threw an empty Chocolate Frog wrapper at Sirius' head and missed the target miserably. "Can't imagine how I could have missed a target that oversized!" the young wizard grumbled.
"Now, now, James – we all understand that you're simply distraught over your inability to make the lovely Lily your very own," Sirius put in, batting his eyes in exaggerated fashion whilst clasping his hands beneath his chin. "Your aim matches Cupid's arrow: wide of your target!"
Remus smiled at them. "You know, James, maybe you should consider a new approach. Perhaps if you ignored her, she'd miss you and come after you instead."
Sirius snorted loudly. "Remus, please! Leave the planning to the professionals! You date less than Peter, for the love of Merlin!" It was good natured teasing, Remus knew – but it was true nonetheless.
"You, on the other hand, are the Heartbreaker of Hogwarts, eh, Sirius?" Remus rejoined, laughing at the look of complete surprise on Sirius' face. "What? Just because I choose not to rise to the bait most of the time doesn't mean that I can't keep pace with the two of you!"
"Yes, well, I wouldn't exactly call myself a heartbreaker, Remus. I can't help it if the silly bints follow me around now, can I?" Sirius asked when he'd found his tongue again.
"Here comes the sweet trolley," Peter interjected, his pudgy hand exploring his pocket for sickles.
Sirius thrust his hand into the pocket of his robes and said, "Keep still, Peter. I've got it, mate. What shall we all have, then?"
Everyone gave their orders and Sirius pulled James up by his sleeve. "C'mon, James. You can help me carry it all back."
As the compartment door slid closed behind them, James caught Sirius' arm. "Look," he pointed a shaky finger at the cart, a scant two feet ahead of them. "It's Lily," he whispered. And it was, indeed, the object of his unresolved affections. The petite redhead was in the process of paying for a cauldron cake as they approached. Standing beside her was a girl neither of the wizards had seen before. Slightly shorter than Lily, the young woman had long, wavy auburn hair and large brown eyes framed with dark lashes.
"Potter, Black," Lily acknowledged their presence; James' tongue affixed itself to the roof of his mouth, if the sounds coming from his face were any indication.
"Evans," Sirius responded with a smirk.
"Does it take the two of you to count out the right number of sickles for your treats?" she asked, overly sweetly. "Or are you just acting as Potter's interpreter for the afternoon?"
"Funny, Evans," Sirius handed over the money and gathered up their items, shoving some into the pockets of James' robes and the rest into his. "C'mon, James." He took the enraptured wizard by the elbow and turned him around.
"Lily," James called out as they moved away from the girls.
"Smooth, James, smooth," Sirius rolled his eyes as the two re-entered their compartment and closed the door behind them.
James and Sirius emptied their pockets out onto one of the seat cushions.
"You were gone quite awhile," Remus observed.
Sirius rolled his eyes. "Evans," he replied and both Remus and Peter looked surprised.
"Did she speak to him?" Peter asked.
Sirius shook his head. "Not in any way he'd want to remember." He ripped the wrapper from a Chocolate Frog and chewed thoughtfully for a few moments before speaking again. "Remus, you and Evans are friends, yeah?"
"Yes, I guess we are. Why?"
"Have you seen her today?"
Remus nodded. "Yes. I spoke with her before Peter and I caught up with the two of you. Again, why?"
Sirius sounded nonchalant. "Oh, no reason really. I just wondered if you knew the name of the girl she's sitting with on the train."
The other boy's voice sounded too nonchalant for it to be true. Remus smiled. "Small girl with long red hair?"
Sirius nodded. "Yes, I believe she had red hair. Do you know who she is?"
"Her name is Kate Morgan. She's transferred here from the Salem Academy of Magical Studies in the States," Remus told him.
"She's an American?" Peter asked, his eyes wide. "I've never met anyone from the US."
"No, Peter. She's British, actually. Her father was American and they moved to the States when she was eleven so she could attend school in Salem, where he had studied. She was there for four years but her father died over the summer and she and her mother have come back to England," Remus explained.
"How in the world did you learn all that?" James asked.
"Lily introduced me to her and the three of us were talking while I was waiting for you. Why did you want to know, Sirius?"
"No specific reason," the handsome young wizard told him. "I just didn't recognize her."
"And she's pretty," Remus finished.
Sirius blushed a bit. "Oh, alright, Remus; yes, she's pretty."
"And she's in our year," Remus supplied, enjoying the vision of his friend shifting with discomfort in his seat.
"Yes, and…" Sirius paused and his expression changed. "…and she's in our year?"
Remus laughed out loud and nodded. "Yes, Sirius. The pretty new girl is in our year."
Sirius smiled back. "Well, then, I would say that this year is looking very promising!"
XXXXXXXX
When the train pulled into the station and discharged its passengers, the four friends managed to board the final carriage headed for Hogwarts. James was hoping to undo the idiotic impression he had made on Lily earlier in the day, by dazzling her with conversation during the ride to the school, but those hopes were dashed when she and the new girl climbed onto one of the other carriages.
"No worries, mate," Sirius consoled him. "Maybe you can chat her up at dinner."
Unfortunately, that was not to be. Lily chose a seat as far away from the Marauders as she could possibly get. Kate, on the other hand, was to be Sorted separate from the first years and she was sitting in a spare seat near the front of the Great Hall until such time that her House had been identified. When the Sorting began, James watched Sirius carefully. When the name, 'Black, Regulus' was called, his friend's carefully arranged expression indifference seemed to slip and he watched the routine intently. He couldn't be certain, but James thought he saw a tightening around Sirius' mouth when the Sorting Hat called out, "Slytherin!" and the rapid blinking of the boy's eyes seemed to indicate that Regulus' House assignment troubled him very much. When at last the final first year had been Sorted, Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry walked to the podium in front of the High Table. He held his hands up for silence.
"Welcome, welcome to all of our new students as well as those who are returning to us for another year within these hallowed walls," he said, his voice magically magnified to fill the huge room. "Our first years have been Sorted into their Houses; but we have one final task for the Sorting Hat this year. Hogwarts is pleased to welcome Ms. Kathryn Morgan, a transfer student from the Salem Academy of Magical Studies in the United States. Not only do we welcome her to our school, but we also welcome her home, to Britain, after having spent four years in America. Ms. Morgan, if you would please step up and take a seat on the stool, we will Sort you into your new House."
Everyone watched as the petite girl did as she was asked and seated herself on the stool. Dumbledore, himself, held the Sorting Hat over her head and, after a short time, it announced, "Gryffindor!" Kate slid from the stool and walked to the space Lily had saved next to her while the Great Hall was filled with applause.
"Thank you, everyone!" Dumbledore spoke again. "and welcome, again, Ms. Morgan. Now, I know everyone has been traveling for the better part of today so I will dispense with lengthy speeches. Instead, let the feast begin!"
As the last syllable fell from his lips, the platters and serving bowls strewn across each of the five tables filled with all manner of delicious food. With no further hesitation, the students began filling their plates and soon, the noise level in the Great Hall almost rivaled that of Platform 9 ¾ earlier that day.
"Looks like Snivellous has just about as many friends this year as he had at the end of last," James observed. The others turned their gaze to the Slytherin table and the tall, thin young wizard who sat a bit away from his fellow students, reading a large textbook while he ate his dinner.
"He's not bothering us, James," Remus pointed out. "Why don't we just leave him alone?'
"I'll give him a reprieve for a few days, Remus," James said. "But I can't extend it to the whole school year; it just wouldn't be right."
Remus sighed. He wished that his friends would leave the Slytherin student alone. While he couldn't know for certain, Remus privately thought that Severus Snape probably had a harder life than any one of them realized. No stranger to hard times himself, Remus thought that leaving the other boy alone was the right thing to do. But he knew James and Sirius well enough to know that this was not possible. Peter, however, would go along with whatever James and Sirius decided to do. He always did.
Sirius spoke up. "Listen, Remus, we all know exactly what the Slytherins are all about and Severus Snape and his crony Lucius Malfoy are the worst of the lot. If they had their way, they would get rid of all the other Houses and we'd all be followers of the Dark. Don't tell me that they deserve any consideration because I won't have it!"
"Gee, Sirius," Peter piped up, lifting his head. "Why don't you tell us how you really feel!"
It was so rare for the smaller boy to make any type of joke; really, it was rare for him to do anything but echo what was said by the others, that his three friends just stared at him for a second or two. Then, as one, they burst into hysterical laughter – Sirius included. James slapped Peter on the back. "Good one, Pete!" and the tense moment passed.
"May I have your attention, please?" Dumbledore's magically enhanced voice boomed over the noise in the Hall. When silence reigned once more, he continued, "The hour grows late and tomorrow you will begin your first classes of the new term. We want you to be rested and alert to soak up all the knowledge your professors will impart to you. Now that our Welcoming Feast is at an end, I would ask all Prefects to gather at the back of the Hall, opposite each of your Houses. All first years should identify the Prefect for their house once they have done so and follow them up to their respective dormitories. The rest of you, our returning students, surely know their way by now! Good night to you all and I wish you pleasant dreams!"
The four boys hung back and waited for the first years to process out of the Great Hall. As they stood watching their progress, James was craning his neck to see if he could spot Lily amongst the students remaining in the Hall.
"You're going to need Poppy Pomfrey to fix your neck at the rate you're twisting it," Sirius snorted in laughter, watching his friend.
James slapped the other boy lightly on the back of the head. "Shut it, you! I noticed you were watching that new girl, Kate somebody-or-other, when you thought the rest of us were too busy eating to notice you! If you're not careful, you'll be spending time in the hospital wing yourself!"
Sirius slung an arm around James' shoulders. "Don't you worry about me, Jamie boy. If Ms. Kathryn Morgan isn't careful, she'll have missed her chance with the great Sirius Black!"
"Careful, Black," a feminine voice spoke from behind them. "If that head of yours gets any bigger, we'll have to use a shrinking charm to get you through the doors!"
Sirius turned to see Lily Evans standing there with her arms folded across her chest and a smirk on her face. Standing next to her was the subject of his previous comment, arms similarly folded but with a slightly curious smile playing around her mouth.
Despite a rather impressive blush, Sirius recovered quickly. Ignoring Lily's barb, he stuck his hand out in front of the new witch and favored her with what he fancied to be his most dazzling smile. "Sirius Black," he said, looking directly into her eyes.
Kate gave Lily a quick glance before clasping his hand in hers. "Kate Morgan," she replied, smiling a bit more warmly. "I'm happy to meet you."
Lily reached over and gently pried Kate's hand from Sirius' grip. "Don't rush to judgment, Kate. Give him a couple of days and I can guarantee that your 'happiness' will be cured!"
"Lily, aren't you going to introduce the rest of us to your friend?" James asked, smiling at the redhead.
"Well, forewarned is forearmed, after all," Lily said. "Kate, these are Black's friends. This one is James Potter and next to him is Peter Pettigrew." Each of the wizards shook her hand and greeted Kate in turn. "And, of course, you already know Remus."
Kate smiled at the taller wizard. "Yes, I remember you from the platform this morning. It's nice to see you again," she said quietly.
"Come, Kate," Lily said, taking the other girl's arm. "I think it's cleared out enough for us to head up to the dormitory.
Kate followed, turning to bid the boys goodnight before exiting the hall with Lily.
"She seems nice," Remus said to Sirius with a sly smile.
"Yes, she does," came the distracted reply as Sirius watched the young woman walk toward the staircase.
"Nice and under the protective wing of Ms. Lily Evans," Remus added. "Good luck there, Sirius. You're going to need it!" And with that, Remus set a brisk pace toward the large double doors.
