The train cruised through the country side, gliding on the tracks as wind on water. Abigail sat quietly across from her younger sister, Elizabeth, looking out the window. She heard her sister sniff, and she looked over at her slightly confused.
"Are you okay, Lizzie?" she asked quietly. Abigail and Elizabeth may be sisters, but they were complete opposite, mainly in appearance. Abigail wore her curly strawberry blonde hair to her waist, and her light green eyes popped against the clothes she wore. Elizabeth, on the other hand, wore her wavy brown hair just past her shoulders, and her ice blue eyes changed in intensity with her mood. Abigail could tell Lizzie was nervous.
Elizabeth wiped a tear from her eyes. "I'm fine, Abbie. I'm just scared, of course. I've never been away from Mum and Dad for this long, and I miss them already."
Abigail sighed. "I know, but trust me. It's not as bad as it seems to be. I was in your position just last year. You'll see. You'll love Hogwarts."
Elizabeth nodded, looking down, and Abigail returned her gaze to the window, taking in the hills rolling by. She smiled as the bitter sweet memory of exactly one year ago came rushing back to her.
Abigail, Elizabeth, and their parents, Aden and Emily, stood on platform nine and three-quarters saying their goodbyes as Abigail headed off to start her first year at Hogwarts. Elizabeth clung to her mother's hand as she watched her father give her older sister a hug and kiss goodbye. Abigail had started to walk away when she heard Elizabeth gasp.
"Abbie!" she cried, quickly wiping a tear away. Abigail turned back to her family with confusion on her face.
"What is it Lizzie?" she asked, slightly annoyed. Elizabeth had been very strange since Abigail had received her Hogwarts acceptance letter.
"I- You will write me, right?" Elizabeth asked quietly.
Abigail smiled. "Of course I will, Lizzie," she said softly. Elizabeth smiled widely, let her mother's hand go, and ran to her sister, wrapping her arms around her tightly. Abigail laughed softly and hugged Elizabeth back. "Don't worry," she said. "Next year you get to come with me, and remember what Brady said?"
Elizabeth nodded and let go of Abigail, going back to her mother's side. Abigail smiled at the lot of them and waved to them before she hurried to awaiting steam engine.
Abigail was jolted from her memory by someone rushing into their compartment and slamming the door. She whipped around at the sound, and her wide eyes took in the sandy haired boy who stood before her and Elizabeth. He had unmistakable terror in his eyes. Out the corner of her eye, Abigail could see Elizabeth looking at the boy in a sort of confused and aggravated way. The boy gulped and ran a shaky hand through his hair.
"I- I'm terribly sorry. I didn't know anyone was in here, and there are some lunatic boys from my house making a ruckus in the corridor," the boy said awkwardly, rubbing an arm absentmindedly.
"No apology needed," Abigail smiled, having heard the commotion for the brief moment the door had been open. "I'm Abigail, and this is Elizabeth," she said, gesturing to herself and her sister.
The boy nodded slightly towards both girls. "I'm Remus," he said nervously.
"Remus Lupin?" Abbie asked, perplexed. Remus nodded. "Huh. We're in the same house. It's nice to actually meet you."
Remus smiled weakly. "It's nice to meet you too, and you, Elizabeth," he said, feeling a hint of relief filling his voice. Elizabeth nodded to Remus and smiled slightly before turning her gaze to the window.
"You can sit down if you like," Abigail offered to Remus. "No one else is with us." Remus smiled once again at Abigail and awkwardly took a seat next to her.
"Err, so- so why haven't we met until just now? I mean, since we're- we're in the same house?" Remus asked timidly. "I saw you a couple of times in the common room, with some older boy, but I never thought to introduce myself. So….I guess it's somewhat my fault we've never met before-." He stopped short as he realized both girls staring at him, Elizabeth's stare blank, and Abigail's slightly amused. She laughed lightly, and Elizabeth remained quiet, looking back to the window. "I'm rambling, aren't I?" Remus's face heated with complete embarrassment. "Sorry."
Abigail laughed again. "Don't worry about it. Nothing to be ashamed of, and us not meeting before now is not your fault, completely. I had plenty of opportunities to introduce myself last year, but I didn't. I'm just as much to blame as you are."
Remus smiled. "Thanks," he said.
"You're welcome," Abbie smiled. Just then someone else burst into their compartment, slamming the door shut behind them. When he turned around, he met three pairs of eyes with his own.
"Uhm, hi," he said quietly, pulling slightly on his shirt collar.
"Hello," Abbie and Remus said, giving the boy amused smirks. Elizabeth just nodded in acknowledgement. The boy's eyes grew wide for a split second as he took in Elizabeth, and his cheeks grew pink as he realized Abbie and Remus still looking at him.
"My apologies for barging in like this, but it's a circus—"
"In the hall," Lizzie finished for him with a small smile.
"Exactly," he breathed with a smile, his cheeks deepening slightly. "Oh, I'm Regulus. Regulus Black."
"Sirius Black's brother?" Remus asked flatly, his small smile slipping. Regulus rolled his eyes and sighed.
"Yep," he said, popping the "P" and taking a seat next to Elizabeth. "Sirius is my brother. The oddball in our family. The only one to get placed in Gryffindor in generations. My father says if I don't end up in Slytherin he'll place himself in Saint Mungo's. So, what's your names?"
"I'm Elizabeth, this is my sister Abigail, and this is Remus, who we met not too long ago," Elizabeth explained before either Abigail or Remus could open their mouths. Abigail's face was filled with confusion as she looked at her normally quiet sister. Lizzie caught Abbie's eyes, and her face turned crimson. She quickly looked to the window, hoping to turn the attention away from herself.
"It's nice to meet you all," Regulus said. Remus nodded to Regulus, and Abigail blinked and smiled at him. Lizzie kept her gaze out the window, watching the small towns that were passing by.
With the silence that fell upon them, yet another person dashed into their compartment. Abigail's eyes snapped to the newcomer and grew as wide as saucers.
"Brady!" she exclaimed, standing in shock. She took her seat again immediately, her face turning just as crimson as Lizzie's.
"Hey Abbie," the boy Brady smiled. Remus raised an eyebrow before looking down to the floor.
"How'd you know I was in here?"
"Alice told me where I could find you, so here I am. I was looking for you at the station, but…"
Abbie nodded once. "Sorry. I was helping out Lizzie." Elizabeth shot her a glare.
"Don't worry about it," he said as he took in the others in the compartment. Lizzie smiled up at him, and he smiled back. "Well, I'll see you at school? I would ask if I could sit in here with you, but it seems a little crowded."
Abigail nodded once more. "At school, yeah." Before she could finish her sentence, Brady was back out the door and closing it behind him. Abigail sank back into her seat with a sigh and went back to looking out the window, silence settling around the four kids once again.