Good evening my loves. Welcome to my new fic. I haven't posted on here in a while because, you know, life happened.

This fic will be about the formative moments of the four boys we all know and love as the Marauders. There'll be six chapters, possibly one or two more, but six at least.

Up first, we have that fateful meeting on the Hogwarts Express!

If you like what you read, head over to my tumblr: .com. I have loads of 'mini-fics' and headcanons and convos that aren't published here, and I'm always happy to answer any asks, whether it's for some writing or you just want a chat or maybe even you want to know something about me.

But, for now, enjoy! Reviews are, of course, always a pleasure.

Not all brothers are the same, and there are many different kinds of brotherhood. There were, of course, brothers who were more than just blood, but two halves of a whole, their movements and minds, hearts and spirits in sync not through years of fraternity, but from that moment upon meeting and their souls could finally say, Ah! There you are! These were the brothers James and Sirius.

Then there were the brothers who worked hard to forge something strong. They would work out and beat down the bitter tastes of uncertainty and strangerhood and they too would know each other well, and perhaps appreciate it all the more, so hard had they toiled to form the bond. These were the brothers James and Remus.

Some brothers were idols, of course. Something to be worshipped and admired, and not even the harsh reality of truth could tarnish the image for they could do no wrong. A brother would encourage this, foster this devotion for the warmth of feeling it spread through his mind and through his chest. It was an unequal bond, but stronger for it. These were the brothers James and Peter.

Other brothers were there to sooth, to comfort, to nurture. Where hurts lingered beneath the surface these brothers would draw it out, smooth it out and try to heal. Sometimes conscious, sometimes not, these brothers were grateful, loved each other and needed each other. These were the brothers Remus and Sirius.

But there were also the brothers who could not meet as equals. Clouded eyes that could never see the other quite clearly and tongues that found it hard to match and be understood. Such differences did not necessarily negate love however, and each of these brothers gave something to each other: one a protector and a shield, the other something to be protected – a purpose, a charge. Gifts, yes, but gifts that were sometimes resented. These were the brothers Sirius and Peter.

Our brothers met on a bright and crisp 1st of September in the busy London thoroughfare of King's Cross station. For some of them the event that brought them there was eagerly anticipated but wholly expected and for others, a privilege they feared could be taken away at any moment (so sure he was it was a mistake). Yet, all four brothers had been accepted at a school of prestigious learning, After being ushered off by the families to the gleaming, scarlet train (some more enthusiastically than others) they found themselves abound for new realms of adventure.

Sirius felt really quite grown up. Where other parents, terrible parents, had cuddled and teared over their children on the platform, Walburga and Orion Black had only reminded him of how to conduct himself as their heir of Black and sent him off with a clap on the shoulder and a pat on the head. Even little Regulus had only handed him his small case, helping him onto the train and cast a breathless smile before rushing back to mother and father. And, well, since Sirius was not an infant, he felt now was a very good time indeed to exercise his independence and maturity.

You may find your cousins, Sirius, father had instructed. They will introduce you to some acceptable children.

And yet, seeing as all his cousins were girls and so wouldn't be Blacks forever, Sirius didn't really feel he had to listen to them all that much. He would be a Black forever – head of the family one day, as father had told him, and a Black didn't take direction from anyone. So Sirius bypassed the carriage that barely contained Bella's shrill laughter and made his way through the train for a compartment of his own choosing. He wold introduce himself to other children. Eleven year olds were perfectly capable of that thank you very much, father.

Passing one compartment, one whole carriage away from Bellatrix, he heard some noises that demanded investigating. Sliding open the door, he saw there were two figures inside as opposite as they could be. One was skinny as a wand, the other round as a bludger. One was dark-haired and smiling, the other blonde and biting his lip, worried-like. One was brandishing his wand and the other had it sat on the seat as far away from him as it could be.

"Y-you can't set off fireworks inside!" said the Other. "Something will catch!"

"No it won't," said One. "Relax Pete, I – oh! Hello!"

One and other – Pete – had finally noticed him. Sirius nodded and raised a brow, like he saw Father do.

"Looking for a seat are you? Well, plenty room here. I'm James! And this is Peter."

Peter waved. Sirius stepped into the carriage, sliding the door closed behind him, holding his hand out to James – the friendly one.

"Sirius Black."

"Ah. Black." James puffed up his tiny chest and grabbed the proffered hand with surprising vigour. "Nice to meet you, chap! Jolly good." He was teasing, Sirius realised. "An honour, really."

Sirius slunk into the seat next to where James had been sitting. His brow however had yet to come down.

"Sorry," Peter apologised to his shoes. "James is, well, he's a bit excited isn't he?" Like Sirius would know him better after only a few moments acquaintance. "I think it's making him a bit…funny."

And James looked flabbergasted, wounded even. Sirius flicked his medium-length hair. "Uncle Alphard says you aren't having any fun at all if you're not at least half mad."

And now James looked wicked, eyeing him. "How come you're not bunked down with the Slytherins?" He was too gleeful to be really suspicious.

"They're not interesting, and I wasn't interested."

"They're horrible," Peter side-eyed him.

"And you would know?"

James shrugged. "They're Slytherins, mate."

"Not horrible – just boring, and terribly stuffy," like he didn't know that's exactly what James thought of him. Though he suspected he thought it was funny, not awful. "If I'd wanted to hear about house politics and how everyone in the carriage was connected to the family I would have stayed at home. Mother hosts enough parties for that."

James sniggered. "Ah – the curse of a pureblood." He patted Sirius in sympathy. "The you're stuck with us! We're trying to catch fires."

"No we're not!" It was the most assertive Peter had been since he slid in here, Sirius thought, and even then he was wringing his hands and tapping his feet in the most horribly staccato rhythm.

"It's a magical train, Pete! We can't burn it down."

"That doesn't mean we should try!"

Sirius grinned and it looked a little too wide for his smooth and pretty eleven-year-old face. ""Yes it does."

And with two wands raised into the air and a rather brief disagreement on the correct flourish in Incendio, ("It's on the -dio!" "No, it's the -en-dio. Reg and I do this all the time.") a soft voice said "Oh" and managed to prevent the burning of the Hogwarts Express.

"I – perhaps I should find somewhere else. Sorry –"

James called. "Oi!" and Sirius hooked a finger into a stranger's collar and tugged him back – a moment of almost telepathic synchronicity.

The newcomer was flush against the compartment door, despite James haven taken his seat gain and Sirius a good step backwards. Pale knobbly fingers clutched at a tatty book and pressed it into his chest.

"I won't tell," he whispered. "I promise I'll just – leave, I'll-"

"Does he think we're Slytherins, Peter?" Sirius kept his eyes on Newcomer.

James snorted. "Not likely. Have a seat, there!"

"No I don't-"

Sirius grasped his shoulders, tugged him from the door, manoeuvred him into a seat. Peter lurched for his wand lest Newcomer sit on it. It was very brand new and he would be heartbroken to snap it. Newcomer sat with a flump.

"Hush," Sirius said and took his own seat.

Peter liked Newcomer. Newcomer was quiet – not bold or brash or confidant like those raven-haired boys across the way. No, Newcomer would be like Peter. Peter had decided.

"Pete," he waggled his fingers at him.

"I- Remus."

He frowned, like the name displeased him. "Are you a pureblood, too? Sirius has a daft name as well." James guffawed and Sirius groaned.

"What? I – no? Why, what –"

"Well you don't have names like James and me. Purebloods like that sort of thing."

"Here," James berated as far as an eleven year old could berate. "Mine are pureblood and not a ridiculous name to be found in our house."

"You said you had a cousin named Elvendork."

Remus loosened his clutch of tatty-book. Sirius flicked his hair again. They spoke with one incredulous voice. "Elvendork?"

"Well excuse me, Mr Wolf-baby and Lord - Lord Dog Star, which is actually pretty cool, but still!. Elvendork's respectable compared to those."

He didn't mean to say it, but Remus' mouth opened anyway. "It really isn't."

Sirius chimed in. "Not even close."

"Thanks Peter," James mumbled darkly.

"Chin up, James," Sirius smiled lop-sided, looking at Remus. "If you're lucky Remus here might have a brother –"

"I d-"

"Called Romulus."

James looked very nearly pleading. "-don't. Er, sorry?"

"S'alright. Elf's a prat anyway."

And Peter was sitting there wishing he hadn't brought up the subject of pureblood names. Sirius wasn't supposed to be teasing Remus so easily already. James wasn't supposed to be trying so hard to make him feel welcome yet. He – Peter – needed a particular friend, and Sirius' arrival had made that clear that was not going to be James. So he tried again.

"What house do you think you'll be in Remus? Ravenclaw, or?" He pointed to the tatty-book.

Remus shrugged quite delicately. "I really don't know. What – you?"

"Dad's a Hufflepuff," he'd said proudly. "But – but his Uncle's second cousin – Gelda – was a Gryffindor."

"The Potters are Gryffs through and through."

"And the Blacks Slytherins – mostly."

"Always!"

"Mostly, Potter. My cousin was sorted into Ravenclaw a few years ago. Aunt Druella couldn't show her face at Black House for weeks."

Remus felt the need to defend the House Peter had seen fit to relegate him to. "What's wrong with Ravenclaw?"

Sirius shrugged. "I don't know. It's not Slytherin."

So Remus deducted, "That's where you want to go."

Grey eyes looked at him all perplexed. "And be trapped in a dungeon with Bellatrix and Narcissa, bossing and mothering me?" He smirked at James. "Not likely."

"Be a Gryff," James suggested cheerfully. "Can't get further away from Slytherin than that."

"Mother would die of embarrassment." Sirius sounded entirely too pleased at the prospect.

"Dad's not too fussed where I'm put," Peter tugged Remus' sleeve. "Think he's just happy I got my letter. He was worried for a while but it turns out mum had been using it to stop the table wobbling."

Sirius and James were bewildered. "She what?" "Why?"

"She's a muggle, isn't she? She doesn't think of magic first."

James couldn't imagine living like that and he said just as much. Sirius nodded, grim and agreeing.

And for the first time that day all six eye were on him. "She doesn't let dad use it all the time, either. She says it makes you lazy. Says you can't ever learn the meaning of hard work if you solve everything at the flick of a wrist."

The pureblood faces scrunched in distaste and confusion, but Remus nodded, sagely for a boy of eleven. In this too, he was more like Peter. "That makes sense. My mum's the same, sometimes."

Peter nudged him, just a little bit. "Me and you Remus. We'll be working twice as hard and do half as well as those two, swanning around the place."

"Pardon yourself. I do not swan."

"We'll be brilliant, mate."

Remus didn't agree though. Remus didn't actually say much of anything to that – only frowned a bit and put his head down and at length, "Yes, well. We're not likely to get sorted the same, anyway."

Yet, as it turned out, the brothers four were 'sorted the same', becoming Gryffindors together, although only one of them was truly unsurprised. That same evening they discovered that Peter never drank with his meals, that James absolutely hated elbows on the table, that pumpkin nearly made Sirius sick, and that Remus loved chocolate more than anything else in the world. They were still strangers of sorts, of course, but over these small discoveries a fraternal band began to bond that would soon alight the tales of Hogwarts with mischief and infamy, and the magical world with bravery, daring, recklessness, betrayal and a tale never to be forgotten.