Written for the QLFC round 2

Team: Pride of Portree

Position: Seeker

Prompt: Hogsmede Station

Word Count: 995

As Sirius disembarked from the train in Hogsmede station he felt true freedom for the first time. His parents were far away in London, along with his brother, and his cousins had all run off to get into the carriages to the school. First years didn't take the carriages though, and until he was herded onto one of the little boats he would enjoy the knowledge that no-one could see or hear anything he was doing.

James, Sirius' new-found friend, began to head towards the boats, but Sirius wasn't ready to give up this freedom yet. He knew that as soon as he reached the castle he would be back under the watchful eyes of his cousins. He could guarantee that Narcissa would be reporting every move Sirius made to his harpy of a mother, hoping to worm her way into an inheritance she was unlikely to receive from her own parents, being the third-born daughter.

Sirius grabbed hold of James' arm, hoping to keep him in place for just a few more moments of blissful freedom.

"What?" James asked, looking confused. "You're not scared of a bit of rain, are you?" Sirius glanced out from under the cover of the platform at the torrential downpour he had failed to notice in his excitement.

"It's hardly just 'a bit of rain', is it?" Sirius replied. "But that's not it, anyway. It's…" Sirius stopped, unwilling to explain to someone who was somehow both a total stranger and a best friend exactly what the problem was. He looked around hurriedly for something to explain away his reluctance to move. Grasping onto the only thing he could see that might occupy his friend, Sirius pointed across the platform.

"He doesn't look too happy, does he? Do you think, perhaps, we ought to help him?"

James' eyes followed the direction of Sirius' pointing finger to a brown-haired figure hunched over slightly, looking like he would prefer to be anywhere but Hogsmede station.

"Well, he certainly doesn't look ready to head to Gryffindor, that's for sure," James said. "Not a lot of courage in that one. Still, takes all sorts, my mum says. Even Hufflepuffs like him." James nodded in the direction of the boy who Sirius could see was watching them reservedly. "And slimy Slytherin snakes, too, I guess," James added as an afterthought, nudging Sirius.

"Hey," Sirius grinned, rubbing his arm where James' pointy elbow had connected. "I'm headed for Gryffindor, if I get a choice, remember?"

"Prove it then," James said, folding his arms across his chest. Sirius thought he was probably trying to look smug and superior, but he actually just looked like an idiot.

"You look like an idiot," Sirius said.

"Yeah, well, shut up!" James replied. His cheeks had coloured slightly, but he was smiling nonetheless. "Just get over there and ask him if he wants to share a boat."

"Fine then, I will." Sirius strode over to the boy and smiled in what he hoped was a reassuring way, but judging by the wary expression in the boy's eyes, he was not succeeding. As he got closer he could see that the boy wasn't quite as small as he had thought upon first sight, but was simply trying to make himself seem so. Sirius was all too familiar with that behaviour, having seen it first in himself and later in his little brother. It was a way to make yourself look unimportant and unthreatening, a way of telling people that they had already won, even when it looked like there was nothing to win. Sirius immediately felt sorry for this boy, sympathised with whatever had made him act like this, despite not knowing what it was.

"Hi, my name's Sirius. That's James, over there. You want to share a boat?" Sirius stuck out his hand.

The boy nodded and took the proffered hand, shaking firmly.

"I'm Remus," he said, shaking hands more firmly than Sirius expected. "Remus Lupin."

"What house are you hoping for?" James said, joining them.

"Not sure really," Remus replied, looking James in the eye. "All I want is somewhere I can make friends. Other than that I don't care."

"Told you," James said to Sirius, not bothering to lower his voice. "Hufflepuff through and through, that one."

"I don't know," Sirius replied, smiling at the boy he thought just might be his second ever friend. "I think there's a Gryffindor in there, somewhere."

Remus smiled, and it seemed as though he was a whole new person. No longer shy and hunched over, but standing up straight and looking as happy as anyone to be at Hogwarts.

"Let's go find a boat then," James said, grabbing his bag and striding out into the rain as though he hadn't a care in the world. Sirius happily followed him, dragging Remus along for the ride.

Almost a year later, Sirius found himself back on the train station platform. Still accompanied by his two first friends and the third he had found alone in a boat, he thought he was the happiest boy alive. Unfortunately, he knew that would change as soon as he reached London.

"Worried about your parents?" James asked, running a hand through his slightly-too-long hair.

"A bit," Sirius said. "It's been nice, living in Gryffindor, where they couldn't see me or send Cissy to spy on me."

"Here," James said, thrusting a bundle of cloth at Sirius' chest. Sirius felt the silky material and the unmistakable texture of magic woven through cloth.

"I can't take this," Sirius whispered, trying to put it back in James' hands. "What if I lose it? What if they take it? What if-"

"Don't worry so much," James interrupted. "Just use it to get some privacy every now and then. It's not like I'll need it in the holidays."

At that moment, Sirius realised that he didn't just feel like the happiest boy alive. He truly was the happiest, all thanks to his friends.