Disclaimer - Wish I owned it. Wish I were in it. Alas, neither is true.
Express
Albus Severus Potter looked at the tiny boy in front of him. Somehow, in all the confusion of leaving King's Cross, he and Rose had wound up, alone, save for the boy, in the last compartment on the Hogwarts Express. The tiny boy was fast asleep. Albus took in the olive skin, the shiny black curls, and handsome features.
"Hey, Rose?" Rose looked at him. Then she followed his gaze to the second boy. "How old do you think he is? He doesn't look old enough to be a first year."
"He must be. He's on the express isn't he?" Rose turned back to her book. Any worries about the sleeping boy could wait until he was awake to answer questions.
Albus sat back as well, looking out the large window. He didn't think very much about anything but the scenery as it flew by. They were passing open fields, overgrown and heavily splattered with wildflowers.
"It reminds me of home." The new voice, soft though it was, filled the compartment. Albus jumped clear out of his skin. His mindless watching now a thing of the past, Albus stared at the boy who had just woken and spoken. "Don't die there, my friend. I didn't mean to scare you like that. Guess you were farther out that I thought."
"Who are you?" Albus heart was beating rather too hard for him to appreciate the rudeness of what he blurted out. The other boy seemed entirely unfazed by it.
"Zaiaas Reed," he said simply. No more information was forthcoming. Just as Albus was thinking of what to ask next, and how to sound kinder doing it, he was given another small jolt to his senses. This time the voice belonged to Rose who he had merely forgotten was there.
"Have you ever been to Hogwarts before?" She looked expectant like she was about to find out how to make boys into Christmas presents. She leaned closer to Zaiaas. He seemed unperturbed by here encroaching figure.
"I don't remember any of the details, if that's what you want, miss. But yes, I have been there." He smiled at her. It was a kind of smile that made you believe you were well liked and entirely welcome to just be yourself around the wearer.
"Oh," Rose seemed disappointed, but a small smile appeared on he lips for him. Everyone waited for a moment. Albus' mind rushed, there were several things he wanted to ask this odd boy, but which should be first. Zaiaas, on the other hand, was content to oblige the silence.
"Zaiaas," Albus hesitated for a moment, and then simply let a question slip out, "what woke you?"
"Smelled food," he said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world, but Albus found himself bewildered: food on a train? The dark haired boy's face lightened, "And here it is," he said sitting up.
A nice looking witch pulled back the compartment door. "Anything from the trolley dears?" She smiled at the eager look on the smaller boy's face. "Try a pumpkin pasty, dear? They're lovely." She motioned to a small stack of brightly orange packages.
"No thanks, ma'am. I'll just look. Feast for the eyes and all that, you know."
Rose looked around at him in bewilderment. "You woke up for the food," she said. "Aren't you going to buy anything?" Zaiaas didn't move, but spoke without hesitation or concern.
"Haven't got any money." He stared on at the confetti colors of the loaded down cart. Albus was aghast. This boy had been sent to a place he knew essentially nothing about, without a cent, and he seemed not to care.
"Oh, well, my." She hesitated for a moment. "Dear for a look like that, I can't resist. Take your pick." There was a nervous flash of realization that she may have left the offer a little too open-ended. Albus thought so too. If he had had no money, he would get hold of all the food he could, just in case.
"I think I'll try one of those pastries, ma'am." Zaiaas obviously didn't use the same logic that Albus, and it appeared Rose, who seemed slightly surprised, did. He seemed to be operating on a version of caution and flattery will get you everywhere. "If you think they're good. I'm sure I'll like them." Another one of his all encompassing smiles sealed the deal. Even without money Zaiaas Reed had just earned himself an end to the sharp pains in his stomach. He accepted the treat gratefully and sat back in his place by the window, waiting patiently for the witch to finish with the other two children.
After the witch had left, Rose whirled on Zaiaas. She was blustering at him for information even before her thick red hair had settled. She seemed to think the whole situation very contemptible. Her words grew sharper, though not vulgar, as she accused him of charming the poor lady. And through it all, the black eyed boy sat quietly, allowing her to run herself out. Albus on the other hand was startled into inaction. Never before in his life had he seen Rose so very angry.
Just as Albus was about to speak up, stop the angry words, Rose seemed to run out. She's stood there, the blotchy color of her cheeks looking strange beneath her freckles, fists clenched, saying nothing. There was a moment of relative stillness.
Zaiaas decided that she would say no more. Thus it was his turn. "I assure you, miss, that I did nothing to her. She did what she did because she wanted to." The statement was short and the words were cool, but Zaiaas did not sound angry. In fact he was not angry. He was disappointed. Generosity among European wizards was stilted and uneasy. He sighed. It was a shame that the children were as distrustful as those who had gone into war and come out the other side.
"Rosie, my dad would have done the same thing. And Grandma too." Albus words seemed to have an even greater effect on her than Zaiaas'. When she turned her attention to him she was significantly calmer. Her eyes seemed to say you think they would just give things away to someone for free? "Really, Rose, think. If Dad or Grandma were faced with a child as gleeful at the sight of food as Zaiaas here was, even if they couldn't have any and weren't asking they would give them something. You know it. We're kids to her not dangerous, grown up Slytherins." Rose finally relaxed.
"So you are Rose? Pretty name, very fitting too." The smallest of the three turned his attention to the green eyed boy across from him. "I don't believe I know your name." He waited patiently for the tousle-haired boy to respond. It was clear that he would not go on without an answer.
Albus had no problems with that, though, and answered quickly to fill the semi-silence of the train compartment. "I am Albus Potter." He offered his hand and the boys shook.
Zaiaas, now more comfortable that those who surrounded him were trustworthy enough for names warmed into, what for him passed as, normalness. "What's a Slytherin?"
The three children fell into easy conversation as they explained all about Hogwarts. Zaiaas ate his pumpkin pasty which, as promised, was very tasty. They spoke happily for most of the remaining trip,
and though Zaiaas would seem to float away out through the window on his right for stretches of time, everything remained comfortable between the three.
When night fell Albus changed into his Hogwarts robes. Zaiaas made no move to do anything of the sort. He was again lost in thought outside the window. When Albus tapped his shoulder and said he should change, they would be there soon; the curly topped boy did not look up and said with little concern that he didn't have any and not to worry it would be fine. Albus motioned for Rose to be quiet. He was beginning to understand that this strange boy really did have a handle on things even if others could not comprehend.
The train arrived in Hogsmeade Station. Following instructions, they clambered off the train with just themselves. The were the last to reach Hagrid's calling form, save for a girl, who looked in the moonlight as though she were made entirely out of the same, who walked up from another direction at about the same time.
After a long moment, where Hagrid stared at a spot just in front of Zaiaas, they were lead down a path. The group of moderately sized children and one half-giant stopped on the banks of the black lake to drink in their first look at Hogwarts castle. "No more'n four to a boat." Movement returned and they all clambered into the wide shallow boats.
It was at this point that Zaiaas abandoned Albus and Rose. He wanted to share a boat with the moonlight girl. They both appeared to be stragglers. Shine, as he was now thinking of her, was asking a black boy if she and the boy with her could join him. She and the boy, who had black hair and much the same skin tone, were on opposite sides of the boat. They leaned down and placed their hands on the side, then, after a moment of what appeared to be silent communication, they boarded in exactly the same fashion.
Zaiaas was now only a few feet from this particular dingy. The black harried boy spotted him and in an instant was waving him over. Shine looked over her shoulder to see what her companion was waving at.
"Oh. Would you like to join us?" Zaiaas nodded that he would and stepped easily into the boat as if it were not floating. The black boy seemed to find this far more impressive than the others. Hastily he introduced everyone then asked before Zaiaas had finished helloing, "how'd ya do that without filppin' the boat?"
Zaiaas laughed warmly, at home in the presence of these people. "Good balance," he looked at his left foot, "and far too much time in canoes." The simple answer was enough and he smiled brightly. The group went silent as they began to cross the lake with a small lurch. Zaiaas watched the girl next to him, whose name turned out to be Covey Longbottom; she had an air of disinvolved involvement that pulled his mind gently in her direction.
He let his left hand drag in the water; it was cool and refreshing, full of live things. He looked down from the castle into the water. There was a gigantic squid swimming below his hand. It rose higher under the water and Zaiaas leaned over the side of the boat.
"Hey! Yeh daft boy! What do yeh think yer doin'? Yeh'll fall in!" Startled by the shout Zaiaas whipped his head around. The boat gave a starboard wobble. As if just to make sure, the black eyed boy knew they would not tip, the squid raised one spade-ended tentacle out of the water and lifted him up. The boy's stomach was wet now. He pulled up his knees and placed his hands carefully, he pushed himself up onto all fours, better ensuring that he would no take a swift tumble into the cool water. Zaiaas now looked down into one great yellow eye, only mildly distorted by the moving water.
As gently as he had been lifted, Zaiaas was set back in his seat. The Giant Squid waved his tentacle for a moment then dove out of sight.
The inhabitants of every boat stared at him. An awestruck silence hung in the night. Even the crickets seem stunned at the quiet end of his ordeal. Zaiaas bilked for a moment. He too was a little surprised, not by the actions of the great mollusk, but by the muteness it caused.
Zaiaas tipped over backward. Laying in the bottom of the rickety vessel, he roared with bubbly-sweet laughter.
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Author's Note: I will not beg for reviews. It is nice to be able to see that people are reading. Something like: I read it, Good or Bad: will suffice.