Chapter Two - First Encounter
Minutes after the greasy-haired git and the redhead left the compartment, a small boy came in and took a seat, looking nervously at them.
Sirius left shortly after. He was sure the little boy was going to cry at any moment as he missed his parents. His eyes were already welling up and Sirius, as someone who was excited to be away from home and from his miserable parents had no patience to deal with him.
He entertained himself by peeking into other compartments, checking everyone out, looking at the other first years, until he came to a boy sitting alone.
Before he even thought about what he was doing, Sirius slid the door open and went inside.
The boy's head snapped around, amber eyes meeting his and Sirius was thrown for a long moment. Not certain why, he dropped into the seat facing and smiled.
"Missing your parents?" He asked. A large part of him was saying to leave - not to deal with crybabies - but he ignored that part, favouring the voice that reminded him what it was like to be so alone and scared.
The boy took a moment to examine him. "A little bit," he admitted. "But more excited to be going to Hogwarts than anything."
"Yeah, same here," Sirius said. "I've been counting down the days until my freedom."
Remus nodded his head.
"So, do you have a house preference?" Sirius asked.
"I read about the houses," Remus replied. "My father was a Ravenclaw and I wouldn't mind going in there, but it's a privilege going to Hogwarts, so I'm sure I'll be happy wherever I'm chosen to go."
Sirius stared at him. Usually people had their hearts set on a house, or between two houses. But this boy didn't mind at all.
He wouldn't fit into Slytherin - that was already clear - but Sirius had a feeling that there was nothing Slytherin-like about this boy.
"I'm Sirius," he said, offering his hand. "I'm probably going to end up in Slytherin like the rest of my family, but I'm hoping to go into Gryffindor, though I wouldn't mind Ravenclaw that much either... though I don't like the thought of studying that much."
"But I've heard that their common room is filled with books..." Remus trailed off as Sirius pulled a face. "Not a big reader?"
"I guess you are?" Sirius replied.
Remus shrugged. "I didn't have a lot of friends, but books... I always had books."
"I didn't either," Sirius murmured, almost to himself. "Come on, James and the crying kid are waiting for me, you're coming to join us." He reached for Remus' stuff.
"What?" Remus looked bewildered, but Sirius ignored him, walking out of the room with Remus' stuff. Remus quickly rushed after him, following him into another compartment.
"Where'd you go?" James asked.
"Made a new friend," Sirius replied. He turned to Remus as Remus closed the door, looking at the other's uncertainly. "What's your name?"
"Remus," Remus replied.
"Well, sit down," James told them. "The trolley will be around in a bit. Do any of you collect Chocolate Frog Cards?"
Remus reached into his bag and pulled out a stack. "My parents think I only get the Chocolate frogs for the cards," he said, passing them to a delighted James to look through. "But I'm just addicted to chocolate."
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