AN: I don't own anything related to harry potter first off.

next. i was really surprised to find out that no one had written a fic about Stan Shunpike yet, i know the timing is all off and his passengers probably didn't get involved until later and i know he rides a broom later in the series but i wrote this after re reading prisoner of azkaban so go figure.

hope you enjoy anyways :)

A night on the Knight Bus

"Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. Just stick out your wand hand, step on board and we can take you anywhere you want to go. My name is Stan Shunpike, and I will be your conductor this evening."
"So, this is the Knight Bus?"
"Yup; that your case sir?"
"I'll get it, its ok."
"Don't choo worry 'bout it. I got it. Now shift!"
The gangly conductor pushed past the dishevelled wizard and clambered off the bus to lift the battered case.
"You don't have to." The wizard murmured helping the young conductor with the overlarge suitcase.
"Cor blimey the moon is huge tonight innit! D'y'think it's a full moon?"
"No." The wizard replied shuffling backwards up the stairs of the mammoth purple bus.
"How'd'y'reckon?" He asked giving the suitcase an extra nudge.
"It's just… A shave too small to be a full moon." He replied stumbling back onto the bus and falling back slightly.
"Easy there. Shoulda let me do it on me own. I'm good at my job I'll have you know." He chided.
"Of that I have no doubt."

Stan decided his latest passenger was either a shut in or a recluse, both terms he wasn't entirely sure of the meaning of but he was certain they suited the wizard fairly well. He wore extremely shabby robes which wasn't uncommon on the Knight Bus as most of the passengers couldn't afford brooms or were too lazy to disapparate with all their suitcases. The Floo network had been on the fritz lately so his work had been cut out for him as more people were using the service to get around without being detected. Not that he minded as it meant more work for him and he appreciated the money. He was saving up for a broom of his own, it would be top notch material with a polished handle and a well kept trimmed tail. He promised himself if he got one he'd polish it every day and ride it only when the weather was fine so it wouldn't get wet or messed up. Sometimes sitting in his armchair as he was driven around the country back and forth he daydreamed about actually riding a broom for the first time. He imagined flying through the air majestically, swooping around in loop the loops, skimming under bridges and gliding over mountain tops. There was no way of knowing if he'd be a natural but he knew once he got on the broom he'd just know how to manoeuvre it. He could tell he was a natural.

'Your hot chocolate sir."
"Thank you." The pallid wizard in shabby robes gratefully took the mug from Stan as it was nudged toward him. "But I'm afraid I didn't pay you for this."
"Nah don't worry 'bout it. Looks like you could do with a nice mugga hot choc if you ask me." Sometimes Stan could tell when people needed a mug of hot chocolate, it was part of his job to make people as comfortable as possible on the bus and although the poorly dressed wizard hadn't paid for the extra treatment he could tell he needed one and he had such a sad face. Stan could tell he really wanted one; it was his conductor's intuition. Besides everyone needed a mug of hot chocolate when they were travelling!
"So where you off to then?" Stan asked flouncing on to the bed next to the occupied arm chair.
The wizard was taking a long nourishing drink from his well prepared hot chocolate and trying to anchor his suitcase as the Knight Bus careered through the night with his other hand. "Somewhere secluded." He replied quietly resting the mug on his thigh.
"Why's that then?" Stan asked his legs swinging as the bed shifted back and forth.
"Just need to be alone the next few nights I believe." He replied a sorrowful smile playing across his pale lips.
"Oh right. Getting away from the missus eh?" Sometimes Stan was wise beyond his years. He knew all about wizards using the Bus to get away from nagging witches.
"Not exactly."
The dishevelled wizard alighted the bus in the middle of a secluded forest right next to an odd looking cave. "Ern you sure this is where he wanted to go?" Stan asked the wizened bus driver.
"Ar." Ern replied matter-of-factly.
"Why is he getting off 'ere?" Stan asked watching the wizard lug his suitcase off the bus and stumble towards the cave.
Ernie shrugged in reply and watched intently through his thick rimmed glasses the wizard's progress giving him a slight wave as he turned to look back at the bus almost forlornly. Stan lifted his hand in a wave too and the wizard raised his hand and tilted it towards the bus in salutation before disappearing into the shroud of darkness surrounding the cave.
"What a nice bloke." Stan sighed. "Well. Take 'er away Ern."
A couple more witches and wizards boarded and alighted the bus but none surprised Stan as much as when a particularly flustered witch stuck her wand hand out and scrambled onto the bus.

"Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. Just stick out your wand hand, step on board and we can take you anywhere you want to go. My name is Stan Shunpike, and I will be your conductor this evening…" He raised his eyebrow. "How'd choo get your 'air that colour?"
"I need to know, did a pale looking wizard with brownish hair and quite shabby robes get on here-"
"D'you know your 'air is purple?"
"Sorry?" She was distracted by his interruption.
"It's really purple! Is that natural?"
"No… See he's quite tall, well medium height actually… He's got light brown hair; it's going a bit grey actually… He's a bit pale and ill looking… I'm really worried about him. Have you seen him?"
"Did your ears just change?" Stan cried.
She sighed and angrily pushed past him and marched onto the bus; Stan caught off balance grabbed onto the door frame to steady himself and quickly trotted after her.
"Excuse me, have you seen a pale looking wizard, dressed a bit shabbily, uhhh he had light brown hair and-"
"Ar." Ern replied.
"Does that mean yes?" She asked perplexed at the driver's reply.
"Ar!" He replied with more gusto.
"Ok…" She spun on her heel turning to Stan. "Does that mean yes?"
"We'll find him love. No worries." Ushering her to a chair and turning to the driver. "Take 'er away Ern."
"Ar!"

The young witch sat in her armchair tapping her booted foot against the floor repeatedly, glaring at Stan as he wandered by with a mug of hot chocolate, he made a movement as if to offer her some, but she raised her eyebrow in a very threatening manner which Stan didn't like the look of so he swung in the opposite direction offering it to a particularly old witch snoozing in a bed instead.
"'Ere are love. Want some cocoa?" The sunken faced witch squealed with surprise as Stan leered over her and pulled the cover of her head with her spindled fingers. "Sorry love. We'll be getting to your stop soon so you'd better wake up in a bit yeah?"
"What about me? When will you be taking me to my friend? Have you even seen him or am I wasting my time?" The witch in the armchair leapt to her feet upon hearing him say this.
"Was your 'air always green?" Stan jumped upon turning and finding her bearing over him her nose a mere inch from his own.
"No!" She groaned pulling back frustrated.
"Listen 'ere! We had your friend 'ere but we need to drop a couple o' other people off first. It's just manners." He declared almost managing to muster some force.
"I have manners!" She snapped stalking back to her armchair which was actually Stan's usual position but he had been too intimidated to ask her to move.
Stan looked at the fast cooling cup of hot chocolate in his hand and decided to take a sip of it before offering it to anyone else. He figured he'd drink the cold part and leave the warm bit for who ever he gave it to.
"Small mugs eh Ern." He joked as he managed to drain the mug in a long gulp.
"Ar."

Four stops later.

"This is getting ridiculous! Do you know where he is or not? Where did you drop him off! It can't have been that long ago! I really need to find him, he's might hurt himself!" The now royal blue haired witch pounced on the terrified conductor.
"There was a… a nice guy in here. I gave him a hot chocolate and we dropped him off at a cave and er…" Stan stammered.
"A cave?" She snapped. "If you're lying! I could hurt you mister! I'm an Auror!"
"It was a cave! Weren't it Ern!" He helplessly turned to the driver who was furiously turning the wheel to avoid a lone cottage. "By the way what's an Aura? Innit one of those light shows in the sky or summat?"
"Auror is elite law enforcer from the Ministry of Magic."
"You talk!?" The witch cried incredulously.
"Ar!"
"Please! Just… take me to him. I have something that will help him; he needs it before tomorrow night."
"Choo care about this fella a lot dontcha." Stan could tell when a person really cared about someone. He got a fair few couples on the bus every now and again and they were always really passionate and loud when they had an argument. He hadn't ever had a long term girlfriend. One time a wizard left a bottle of firewhiskey on the bus and he had drank it enjoying the warming feeling it had in his belly not really knowing exactly what it was; then he accidentally fell face first on a pretty young witch who was snoozing in an armchair.
Unfortunately she had slapped him and Ern had dragged him off the bus and sat him in a puddle for a while and gave him some hot chocolate and told him that falling for people is no excuse for launching yourself onto them.
It was good advice; Stan never fell on a pretty witch again.
"Yeah… I just don't want him to get hurt… Please help me find him." She cried placing her palms on his lapels and hanging her head.
"Next stop; to that cave place. Take 'er away Ern!"
"Thank you…"

"Are you sure this is where you dropped him off?" The fuchsia haired witch asked as Stan warily followed her off the bus into the darkened forest.
"Yer, I'm-"
"REMUS?" She shrieked running towards the cave.
"Ern… This is the place innit?" He turned to the driver who was peering through the windscreen rubbing at the condensation then nodding at a scared Stanley.
"REMUS!" She cried again skidding to the entrance of the cave. "Are you SURE?" She repeated panicked marching back towards the headlights.
There was a scuffling from within the cave, Stan shuddered wondering whether the noise coming from the cave was the nice sickly wizard or what had eaten him.
"What's that?" Stan squeaked.
The witch spun around and lit her wand illuminating the cave entrance as a hunched figure stumbled forward.
"REMUS!" She raced towards the figure.
"Look out it might be a… Werewolf or summat!" Stan cried.
The witch wrapped her arms around the figure and grey sleeved pale hands stretched around her shoulders.
It was the sickly shabby wizard Stan had taken a liking to before.
"I found you." She wept as her legs seem to crease beneath her and she fell to the floor the small frame of her partner also falling to the muddied floor with her. Both were holding each other on the floor in the cave entrance arms caressing almost intimately and Stan felt a bubble of warmth in his stomach despite clouds of condensation coming from his mouth. Rubbing his hands together and exhaling on them he inched closer and saw the witch's hair turn violent red as she held her friend streams of glistening tears reflecting from the light of the headlights.
"Aw, ain't that sweet Ern." Stan smiled turning to the driver whose forehead was pressed to the windscreen.
"Ar." He could see him mouth through the window.