Chapter 1: Lonely Little Boy
It started in September with a lonely little boy in a lonely little compartment on a train filled with people. He hadn't even bothered to ask to sit with anyone, but could you blame him? Remus had been an outsider his whole life.
Growing up a werewolf isn't easy, let me tell you that. And Remus Lupin-who had always been a little bit smaller than everyone else, whose thin brown hair had never been quite the right color to be fetching, whose introverted nature had been cute when he was smaller but now was a bit concerning- had a harder time then most pre-pubescent lycanthropes, if that was possible.
The trouble was, Remus really was a nice bloke. He was plenty intelligent, if serious at times, yet he still loved talking to people- but people never seemed to want to talk to him.
So when the door to that lonely little compartment rattled open one hot September 1st, it would be safe to say Remus was surprised.
In sauntered three boys- one was tall and shockingly good-looking, who carried himself like a king, slouching but somehow at the same time keeping his nose high in the air. The next wore a sly grin proudly on his face, dark hair sticking up in the back and slightly crooked glasses that rested idly on his nose. The third was a surprise, though. He was squat and chubby in an endearing kind of way and had a touch of eagerness in his step that betrayed the fact that he had spent his whole life running after people who were "better" than him, as he was doing now. Remus's eyes widened as he regarded the new stranger, whom he recognized as one of his own- a pariah. But what was one of them doing with boys like the other two?
"Is it alright if we sit here, mate?" the second boy drawled in a northern accent. Remus tore his gaze away from the smaller boy and turned instead to the one who had spoken, pausing for an awkward second too long.
"Oh yeah, of course," he said, rushing to move his bags from the seats around him. The trio slumped into the now-vacated spots. The one who had spoken nodded in greeting.
"I'm James. Nice to meet you."
"Remus."
"And I'm Peter," the short one offered in single hushed breath. Remus smiled back at him, and then turned expectantly to the third boy who was now staring out the train window. Upon realizing that he wasn't about to say something, James nudged the boy sharply in the ribs. He turned his head slowly, eyebrows raised in what was almost a challenge.
"Sirius. Sirius Black." Remus felt like laughing at the pure drama that lingered to every syllable as it tumbled out of Sirius' mouth but upon catching another glance at the boy's threatening, stormy grey eyes, thought better of it.
"Right, nice to meet you," He said brightly. James rolled his eyes and mouthed 'sorry' with an apologetic grin, and Remus waved it off with a slight smile.
The train ride had been awkward at first. It seemed that the three boys had known each other years prior to meeting on the train. At least that explained why Peter was hanging around with the other two, Remus reasoned. But soon that would change. New school, new people, new friends. When the only thing binding a friendship together was the fact that it had existed for so long, it was bound to fall apart. Remus had been burned by that cruel fact before.
James and Peter had initiated polite small talk with him for a couple of miles, but it soon was clear they weren't really interested in being friends. And Sirius- well Sirius had barely said three sentences, choosing instead to brood silently out the window the entire ride, his long hair draping over the sharp planes of his face. The four of them sat uncomfortably for a second until Peter spoke again.
"So, Remus, what do you like to do?" Peter asked.
"Loads of stuff, I guess. I really like reading-" at this point Remus was cut off with a derisive snort from the form sprawled dramatically against the window, but continued after a disconcerted glance in that direction.
"-and music. Bands like Led Zeppelin, Blondie, you know?" Sirius once again cut him off.
"You listen to Zeppelin?" he asked in pure disbelief, a strange grin on his face. He was leaning forward now, his fingers met in a temple as he rested his arms atop his open legs. Remus was confused.
"Yes…?" it trailed off into a question. Sirius let out what could only be described as a bark of laughter then leaned against the wall of the train again. But this time he turned his head towards Remus and watched him intently. Only slightly perturbed, Remus turned back to the other two.
"What house do you reckon you'll be in, Remus?" The question came from James, who was now leaning against the back wall of the train, a bored net cast over his face.
"Oh, I don't really know. I really like school, so maybe Ravenclaw." James let out a disinterested nod and turned towards Sirius. James had seemed so friendly when the two had first met, but now he reminded Remus of a cat who bores of the mouse its been chasing in favor of more difficult game.
Sirius glanced back over at James and the two of them held each other's gazes for a second, seeming to communicate some secret message to one another. Abruptly they broke off and Sirius looked back out the window.
Remus looked in confusion at Peter, wondering if he'd noticed, but the smaller boy was staring at the train door, the disappointed expression of someone whom had seen this exclusive conversation happen several times too many written on his face. So Peter was friends with the two, but the three of them weren't close, Remus deduced. Sirius and James had a select bond.
The foursome was saved the trouble of another uneasy quiet spell as the rattle of the trolley cart grew louder and the door was pushed open.
"Anything from the trolley, dears?" Remus scanned the smorgasbord of familiar candies but nothing really struck his fancy.
"Do you have any chocolate?" He inquired.
"Sure," she answered with a quick smile, deftly pressing the bar into his palm with one hand and snatching the sickles out of his hand with another. She looked around expectantly at the other boys. James and Peter both bought chocolate frogs, but Sirius simply shook his head in dismissal at the witch, though he wore a slightly flirtatious smile as he did so. Remus inwardly rolled his eyes.
Soon the door snapped shut, the cart rattled off and the only sound that filled the carriage was the rattle of the trains wheels on the track and the noisy sound of eating as James and Peter finished off their chocolate frogs and compared cards. Remus was looking at Sirius, who was watching the other two with an amused expression on his face until he noticed Remus' gaze, upon which he dropped back into a scowl and turned back out the window.
It wasn't long before James stood abruptly and stretched.
"I think I'm going to take a look around the train. Anyone fancy coming with?" He looked around at the other boys.
"I'll go!" Peter volunteered eagerly.
"Sounds great…" James trailed off disinterestedly, looking at Sirius.
"I'll pass. Have fun, mates," Sirius said with more warmth than Remus had heard him use the entire time he'd known him. James turned to Remus as a last resort, the unspoken question of desperation on his face. Remus shook his head, and James turned to look at Peter.
"Right then, guess it's just you and me," he said. Peter smiled brightly back at him and the two left the compartment. Sirius watched the door shut behind them, then turned silently back to the window he had been contemplating for nearly the whole ride.
Remus reached for the candy he had brought, the plastic wrapper wrinkling loudly under his fingers as he unwrapped it.
"D'you want some chocolate?" he asked, presenting the bar to Sirius. The other boy looked up in surprise for a second, and studied Remus' face for a moment, as if wondering whether to trust him or not.
"Yeah, I would, actually," he said, leaning forward and breaking off a self-entitled half. Remus tucked the rest of the chocolate back into his bag hurriedly and looked back at Sirius, who had already managed to finish his.
"So what about you?" Remus queried. "What house do you think you'll end up in?" A dark shadow crossed Sirius' face and he sank back into his seat, as if shying away from Remus. When he looked up, his expression was guarded and one eyebrow was raised challengingly.
"I'd like to be a Gryffindor," he said carefully, still watching Remus' reaction.
"Right then," Remus responded, bemused as to why that was such a big deal. More silence. Then,
"So you really listen to Zeppelin, huh?" Sirius asked with another laugh.
"Yeah," Remus answered, laughing with him. "Why is that such a surprise?"
"I don't know," Sirius paused for a moment, studying Remus thoughtfully. "You don't seem the type." Remus held his gaze for a moment and opened his mouth to say something when the train door slid open and James and Peter came back in.
"You might want to change into robes, Remus " James said, slumping down into an empty seat. We're almost here."
