He climbed up the steep staircase slowly, his lonely footsteps echoing loudly in the empty building. Reaching the top of the stairs, he paused for only a moment before continuing down the hall, the floorboards creaking softly under his feet. The door at the end of the hall squealed painfully as he opened it and gazed into what would be his new room. The wallpaper was dark and peeling and large dust bunnies huddled in the corners of the room. Two little beds sat side by side with two small chests lying at their feet, illuminated only by the dirty window across from them. Remus sighed as he plopped his battered old suitcase down on the dingy bed closer to the door.
Thunderous footsteps crashing up the stairwell caused him to jump, whipping around in time to see three scruffy looking boys looming in the doorway.
There was silence for a moment as the four boys watched each other.
"Who's taking this room?" The shortest of the boys finally broke the silence. He was chubby with short blonde hair on his head and a worried expression on his face.
The tallest boy laughed wholeheartedly and pinched they chubby boy's side, causing him to squeal like a pig. "You will Pete!" he said as though it was obvious and ran a careless hand through his unruly black hair.
Pete did not like that arrangement. "I don't want to share a room with some weirdo I don't know! You take this room James!"
James shrugged, adjusting his large round glasses. "I don't want to share with him either. You take the room." Remus tried not to feel offended.
The third boy, who through all this had stared at Remus with an unreadable expression, finally spoke up with cool confidence. "I'll take this room, you guys can grab the one next door. I don't mind sharing with a weirdo."
He winked at Remus.
Remus blanched.
James and Pete shrugged indifferently and raced to the next room to claim beds. The confident boy strode into the room as though he owned it, dropped his bag in the middle of the floor, and flopped down on the bed Remus had chosen, resting his feet on Remus' suitcase. He moved gracefully and as though he hadn't a care in the world. Everything about him seemed perfect, from his long dark hair to the deep eyes that stared at Remus so intently. His alluring presence made Remus rather nervous and he had no idea how he would be able to share a room with this boy for an entire semester.
"So love, it's just you and me," the boy shot him an award winning smile. "Name's Sirius. What's yours?"
"R-rem-mus," the shy boy stuttered out, blushing pitifully at being addressed by such a perfect creature.
Sirius looked at him thoughtfully. "That's a pretty name. Matches your pretty face."
Remus laughed nervously as he brushed his long, tawny fringe out of his amber eyes and turned to the window hoping Sirius wouldn't pay him any more attention. He could feel those eyes were still on him though.
A heavy silence settled over them, smothering them, making it hard for Remus to breathe. He hoped Sirius wouldn't just forget about him.
Unfortunately for Remus, this was only the beginning.