Sirius Black was the first to arrive. He warily walked along the hall of the train. His feet knew where to go. it was as if they were on autopilot. They kept walking and walking. It seemed like ages. The train kept on moving as did he. Then his feet stopped and it felt as if his heart had as well. He knew that he had arrived.
He could hear voices from inside of the compartment. Voices that he'd ached to hear for far too long. Slowly his hand raised to open the door. Before he could do so the door slid open.
"About bloody time." James Potter greeted him with a smile.
Sirius couldn't hold back, he threw his arms around the man. He held on afraid that he would vanish if he let go. A smile stretched across his face as he pulled back to take in James. "Sorry I kept you waiting. You know I've never been quite good with time."
A red haired female wraps her arms around Sirius. "We'll forgive you this time, just don't let it happen again."
"It won't, Evans." Sirius said, kissing her on the cheek.
The three of them just stood there for a moment, smiling at one another. They didn't talk, they didn't need to. They had been with him for so long, despite being so far apart.
For the first time, in a very long time, Sirius Black was home.
—-
Remus Lupin didn't quite understand why he was suddenly on the train that he'd taken to Hogwarts oh so many years ago. Yet there he was, in it's hallway once again. For it to be the train, it was silent. The only sound that could be heard was the gentle chugging as it moved along the tracks. In the distance the sound of faint voices could be heard.
Then he was running. He ran down the halls as fast as his feet could take him. Even that didn't seem to be fast enough. It seemed like ages, but then he was finally there. The voices had gotten loud, clearer. His heart was racing so much so that he felt it may burst out of his chest at any moment. He didn't want to be mishearing things. It wasn't possibly. Surely he was overthinking. His mind had to be playing tricks on him.
"Oi! Moony, stop overthinking everything and open the bloody door." Someone said from the inside. Sirius.
He opened the door, a smile growing on his face at the sight before him. Sirius and James sat beside one another, an arm wrapped around each other as they laughed about something or another. Lily sat across from them, shaking her head but smiling all the same. They turned to face him.
"Look who it is. Here to keep us out of trouble, Moony?" James asked before pulling him into an embrace.
"As if he could stop that from happening." Sirius said, wrapping his arms around both of them.
"Let the poor man be. He's already stuck with you lot." Lily said, making her way towards him. She kissed him on the cheek.
Remus looked at them. "Is this real? Are you really here?"
"Yes, we're really here." Sirius smiled. He hadn't be able to stop since he'd arrived.
Remus Lupin was no longer alone, for the first time in a long time.
—
Many many many many years later, Harry Potter found himself walking down the halls of the train. A small voice in his mind told him to travel to the apartment where he'd first seen a man on his third year. He knocked on the door, staring at it for a moment. His heart was racing. He was so very nervous. He didn't quite know what was waiting for him on the other side but he knew that maybe, just maybe it was what he'd been looking for.
"Come in," came a voice that he hadn't heard in many years.
He opened the door cautiously. He was instantly greeted with four smiling faces, faces that he had only dreamed about seeing again for a long time.
"My boy, look how you've grown. My sweet Harry." Lily Evans Potter was the first to greet him. She pulled him close, holding him in a way that he'd longed to be held by her.
His arms encircled around her, breathing in her scent of lavender and magic.
"Stop hogging the boy." James Potter stole him away, hugging him. "Has anyone ever told you that you look far too much like me for your own good?"
Harry laughed. "Only a bit. Except my eyes. I have my mother's eyes."
"And your godfather's winning personality." Sirius hugged him, squeezing him tight.
"Sirius!" Harry held his godfather tight. Then latched onto Remus. "Remus!"
Remus chuckled, ruffling his unruly dark hair. "Welcome home, Harry."
And he was. Harry Potter looked around at those who loved him, faces that he'd longed to see. He was home. He was with his family.