Author's Note: Yes, I realize I am doing yet another Marauder's fanfic... But I've been rereading the third Harry Potter book... and it's soooo good! No, updates for One World, No Coicidences will not stop, but I'm just having a tiny bit of a writer's block right now. It happens. Anyways, on to the important bit... the story! Oh, and no, this is not a JP+SB fic. Sorry!
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Everyone has firsts. First loves, first dates, first heartbreak, first breath, first smile, first friend, first dream, first time they rode a broomstick, and first day at school. But, not everyone can look forward to such a fulfilling life of firsts. Some people, even at young, tender ages, feel that they will never experience any of these firsts. Remus Lupin was one of those children, knowing he didn't have a hope in the world. His own parents couldn't look at him straight. He was their only son, and they knew he wouldn't be able to continue their family name. He would die alone, and if they had had even an ounce less conscience, they would have helped to speed it along.
That was, until a certain Albus Dumbledore rang their doorbell one summer afternoon. He came into their house, ignoring Remus's parents' flattery and meaningless words. He got straight to the point. He wanted Remus at his school. He would make some special arrangements so the boy would be able to attend the school safely. He explained his plans in detail to them, ignoring their looks of complete shock. Professor Dumbledore wanted their useless son? This pathetic boy who would hole himself up in his room, day in and day out, reading? Did this mean that all they had put into him wouldn't be for nothing? He would make a living? One day become something?
The boy, sitting at the top of the kitchen stairs, out of site, but for once not out of mind, heard the explanations, the instructions, the details, and for once in his heart came a glimmer of hope.
Finally his parents were handed an envelope. "I hope to see your son at the start of the year."
It wasn't the last time they saw the man. They would meet with him several times over the next few weeks. Remus would grow to have a great deal of respect for this man. He would not give up his chance at firsts.
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Cool, calm, collected. These were all words that described the young Sirius Black on a good day. Today was one of them. After all, he was leaving Number 12 Grimmauld Place for nine months, and at that moment, it seemed like a very long time. He kissed his mother good bye, however reluctantly, and stepped through Platform 9 3/4. Freedom. He fought the grin that was tugging at his lips and lugged his luggage up onto the train and into a compartment, not realizing nor caring that another boy was already there.
"D'you mind?" said the other boy with a frown. Sirius sat down carelessly in front of him.
"Mind what?" he replied.
"Don't you think you should ask if I want you here before you sit?" the boy raised an eyebrow.
"I didn't think that would be a problem." he said dryly, a feeling of tension building in that place below his ribs. The other boy adjusted his glasses and looked at Sirius with his hazel eyes.
"And if it was?" he continued.
"Then that would be a problem." there was silence between the two boys. "Who are you anyway?" asked Sirius curiously. The other boy held out his hand.
"I'm James Potter. And you?" Sirius shook the hand that had been given.
"Sirius Black."
"Oh." the boy quickly withdrew his hand. "You're a Black?" Sirius ground his teeth. His name always seemed to get in the way.
"Unfortunately." he replied. James gave him a long stare. "I'm not some sort of shape-shifting monster, you know. I'll look the same in five minutes, so you really don't have to stare." he smirked. "Or am I just so good-looking you can't keep your eyes off of me?"
James snorted. "Right. That's it. I'm in love with you." he was being sarcastic, of course. Sirius batted his eyes innocently.
"And why not? I am very good-looking." and he was, as much as the other boy hated to admit it. Much more so than himself. Of course, this was hardly an issue at eleven.
"Which is surprising, considering the people you come from." said James. Sirius put a hand to his chest in mock horror.
"The people I come from? You mean my noble house of Black? By God, man! How dare you say such a thing!" his expression turned to one of haughtiness. "I'll have you know I come from a long line of very attractive people." he hesitated. "Not very, er, good people, but very attractive ones." James grinned, glad he wasn't offended, and was beginning to like the other boy, despite what he had heard about the boy's family.
There was a tentative rap at their door, and it slid open. "Um, do you think there might be some room left over for me? There aren't any seats... I mean, if that's a problem-" the nervous boy said the last bit very quickly. He was nice-looking, sandy gold-brown locks tied behind his head in a ponytail. He was pale, and looked a little bit worse for wear. The other two boys in the compartment looked at each other quickly. This boy seemed so... weak. But then, thought Sirius quickly, it would be very Black of him not to let him sit with him. He didn't want James to think he was an arse.
"Uh, go ahead." said Sirius. The other boy breathed a sigh of relief and sat down, pushing himself up against the wall, reaching into his bag for a book. "Are we such bad company?" The other boy looked up, confusion on his flawless face.
"Sorry?" he said, sounding just as perplexed as he looked. Sirius sighed. Whoever thought that people who read books were intelligent was an idiot.
Sirius pointed at the book the boy was clutching, "You're reading. People only read in company when they're studying or they're very bored of the people they're with. Seeing as you can't be studying because school hasn't even started yet, I'm assuming you're very bored of the company you're with. Namely us. So, that is implying we are bad company. So I asked you, are we bad company." The other boy shook his head, embarrassed. "What's your name, anyways?" asked Sirius, thinking 'So if I hear it I can run."
"Remus, Remus Lupin." Sirius glanced over to James, who had a pondering look on his face.
"I've heard of the Lupins. Kind of disappeared a decade ago, I heard. Are you one of those Lupins?" he asked. Remus nodded with an anxious blush.
"Yeah. That's us." he said.
"Why did you disappear? My parents still talk about it sometimes." said James.
Remus squirmed obviously in his seat. "Do they? Well... I don't really know myself." Although it was obvious he did and just didn't want to tell them. He glanced at the other two boys for a bit then opened his book for some security. James and Sirius looked at each other, both rolling their eyes. Strangest boy either of them had ever met.
The rest of the train ride continued as though the boy wasn't even there. James and Sirius laughed, talked, and stalked out of the compartment together. They came back with a lot of sweets and were laughing over what they had done to the poor boy in the corridor. "And then he trips and-" they howled in laughter. Remus looked up at them with a glare. He obviously didn't approve of their sort of fun.
"I suppose you think it's funny that he's probably going to be in his compartment now. Crying, probably, about what he did to make you hate him so much. And if he's like that, his parents can't be the nicest people, can they? Or maybe they are and he's missing them already! I'm sure you find that very funny. Making a kid cry like that." he snapped, leaving James and Sirius stunned.
"Calm down." said Sirius, surprise still evident on his features. "Look, I mean, you don't know he's crying."
"Maybe there are no tears, but I'll bet you he's upset that someone did something like that to him on his first day." he said stiffly, glaring at them both with all his might.
"Okay." said James with a quick exasperated raise of his eyebrows. "Do you want to get back to your book now?" Remus ground down on his teeth, and went back to reading his book.
Sirius was admittedly feeling a bit of a shock. He hadn't thought about that. It was actually something that he had been trained since birth not to think about. 'It's not about them, Sirius. It's about you.' his father had always told him. He didn't like thinking about that, though. It made him feel sick to his stomach.
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"Allens, Dylan" was put in Hufflepuff.
"Black, Sirius" was put in Gryffindor, resulting in a slightly confused and unenthusiastic cheer from the Gryffindors. A Black? In Gryffindor? It was like watching the sky turning green. It was just unheard of.
"Caidence, Shawn" was put in Slytherin.
"Collins, Sarah" was put in Ravenclaw.
"Dutton, Jacob" who was put in Ravenclaw, was a tall black boy who seemed very nervous, and seemed to be continuously fiddling.
"Evans, Lily" was put in Gryffindor. Some of the Hufflepuffs were beginning to look anxious as they didn't have a particularly large crowd yet this year.
"Gudgeon, Davey" was put in Slytherin.
"Ferguson, Cosette." was put in Slytherin.
"Hobbins, Mellissa" was put in Ravenclaw.
"Jones, Emily" was put in Ravenclaw.
"Kharven, Jansen" was put in Hufflepuff, to their delight.
"Kiernin, Alanna" was put in Slytherin. Her white blond hair was a contrast to her plump red lips and icy blue eyes.
"Laurens, Tabitha" was put in Ravenclaw. She was a pretty girl that strutted to her seat with her straight long brown hair drawn to the side in a ponytail. Her eyes looked at all the boys, a glint sparkling in them. Sirius instantly liked her.
"Lupin, Remus" was, surprisingly, put in Gryffindor as well.
"Moss, Aaron" was put in Slytherin.
"Pierce, Jack" was put in Ravenclaw. He was a dark-haired boy with bright blue eyes.
"Pettigrew, Peter" was put in Gryffindor. He was a small weasely boy who looked as though he had a cold, because his nose was red and snot was dribbling from it.
"Potter, James" was put in Gryffindor.
"Snape, Severus" was put in Slytherin.
"That's the boy from the train." whispered Sirius in James's ear. James smiled. He knew that.
"Woolovitz, Jessica." was put in Gryffindor. She bounced there perkily.
"Xiao, Leon" was put in Hufflepuff. He seemed like a good sort, and was very handsome. Sirius could see Tabitha Laurens glancing at him over the sea of heads.
The Sorting was over, and the new Headmaster Dumbledore stood up, his hands in the air, signaling silence. The hall quietened. Although he was a new Headmaster, he had been teaching Transfiguration for over thirty years now, and the students had great respect for him. "Glad to see so many old faces, and so many new ones. There have been a few things added to our grounds. A whomping willow has been planted, and I warn you all to steer clear of it. Also, keep away from the Forbidden Forest, for there is a reason why it is forbidden. I'm sure you've noticed that I am no longer teaching Transfiguration, so I would like to now introduce your new Transfiguration teacher, Professor McGonagall." there was some cheering at the woman who looked excited to begin her teaching job at Hogwarts. However, she kept her composure, and nodded calmly.
Food appeared on the plates, and Dumbledore smiled. "I think you're hungry by now. Enjoy." he sat down, and everybody began to wolf down their food. Dinner was soon over, and with dreams of magic dancing in their heads, they all headed to their dormitories. Sirius and James found themselves in a dorm with Peter Pettigrew and Remus Lupin. ("Not them, of all people." James had muttered to Sirius as he had seen who his dormmates were.")
And, it seemed, as quickly as it had come, their first hours at Hogwarts were over, and their first day of classes would soon begin.
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Author's Note: I shouldn't be allowed to read. Whenever I read a particularely good book I read it over and over and over again and become obsessed, and then must write a fanfic for it. It simply isn't good for me. Oh well, I enjoy the process. Well, if you like it, Review! And, if not, I hope you'll tell me why. I always enjoy your input. It makes me very happy. Best wishes, Liarra.