They were done. The year of brutal schooling over, the students were returning from whence they came. The train ride was surprisingly quiet, even the usual trouble makers and rowdies settling back and just relaxing. For the most part.
In one of the last compartments, Harry sat with Ron and Hermione, occasionally talking about things that had happened during the year. Harry was reluctant to discuss what had occurred after he left the other two and while Hermione was willing to let it lie, Ron seemed anxious for Harry to spill. It was during one of Ron's more subtle questions that Staros knocked and opened the door.
"Heya, Harry! Ron, Hermione," Staros said with a nod to the others. He sat down next to Harry and propped his feet up next to Hermione who looked at him rather pointedly.
"What do you want, snake?" Ron asked rudely. Staros sighed.
"Seriously, Ron. One of these days, this black and white judgment of yours is going to make someone pretty damned ticked. I left the other Slytherins so I could NOT have to listen to this kind of crap. You sound a lot like Draco, and he was getting on my nerves with his whining about his grades. So, to answer your question, what I want is to spend time with people who are not being asses."
Ron's face scrunched up and he looked like he was about to respond when Hermione stepped in.
"You know, Ron, he does have a point. Staros has been nothing but polite to you all year and you still go out of your way to be a prat whenever you see him. It kind of is a lot like Malfoy and Harry, although Harry just tried to ignore Malfoy instead of be polite to him. Maybe you should try that instead, Harry."
Ron looked betrayed at Hermione taking Staros' side, but the thought of Harry being polite to Draco still managed to tweak his mouth almost into a smile for just a moment. Then he remembered he was supposed to be angry. He turned to back to Staros and was opening his mouth when Harry threw in.
"Ron, please. It's the end of term. We're going home. I'd like to say I'm happy, but I have to go back to the Dursleys. So a little less stress before I get locked up for the summer would be great. You don't have to like him, or even talk to him, but please, just leave the arguments for another time. You can hit Malfoy if he shows up."
"Oh, that won't happen," said Staros. "Seems Drakey-poo ran into a couple of doors after he irritated a few seventh years with his complaints. Their scores for their NEWTs weren't as high as expected and they didn't take well to his whining about our first year's grades like they were life and death."
Ron did laugh a bit at this, but quickly snuffed it and resumed looking offended at something. Or trying to as the corners of his mouth twitched occasionally. But he did try and keep faced away from Staros who smirked at him. Hermione 'accidentally' bumped Staros' feet off the seat which almost caused him to fall off his own. Ron still tried to stifle his laugh and keep from grinning, resolutely keeping his head turned away and refusing to speak.
"Hermione, heard you pissed off the 'Claws this year. Made top grades all around?" asked Staros.
Hermione blushed a bit, but pulled her grade report out and handed it over. Staros looked it over and whistled.
"Damn girl! How the heck did you manage a hundred and thirty percent? And on transfiguration? Jeez, there's not a score on here under perfect. That's it, the aliens have landed. She's gotta be an android or a clone or… maybe… she's a Dalek in disguise?" Staros said remembering a British TV show.
Harry burst out laughing. Ron looked confused. Hermione huffed and took back her card. Staros just smiled at her.
"Seriously though, great job, Hermione," Staros said after a moment. "Oh, and thanks for the help through the year. Couldn't have remembered half this stuff without you. Right guys?"
Harry nodded and said, "Thanks, Hermione."
Ron looked embarrassed but said thanks as well. Hermione blushed and mumbled something that could have been a 'Your Welcome.'
The rest of the train ride passed in small talk and long silences. Harry even fell asleep a couple times. No sign of Draco ever darkened the door nor did anyone else come by to bug anyone, mostly Harry. Staros was about to nod off himself when the train pulled into King's Cross. Hermione was engrossed in another book. It looked like the third year potions book if Staros saw the title right. Shaking his head, he nudged her with his foot before shaking Harry awake. Everyone took notice that they had arrived as the train braked and slowed into the terminal.
Chaos ensued. If loading the train was bad, what with the parents saying tearful goodbyes and siblings wanting to go, and the occasional person who wanted to stay, then the sudden rush to leave was just insane. Loading was leisure time compared to everyone trying to grab their trunks and get off at the same time. Prefects tried to keep order but as most were not in school robes anymore, they were just ignored for the most part.
Staros waited with the others until most of the rush was gone. Ron had wanted to run out with everyone else, but one look out into the halls had convinced him that waiting and playing a quick game of exploding snap was a better idea. That and nearly being hit by a trunk when he stuck his head out.
When they finally decided it was safe to venture into the train corridors, they all grabbed their trunks, save Staros who had Carcerous fetch his earlier, and headed out. The loading area was still terribly busy with a few of the second and later generation students still hanging about saying goodbyes or waiting for parents to come pick them up. Mostly it was first and second generation students bustling about while waiting their turn to move through the barrier which was guarded by two old men. The two men kept the students moving through the wall at a relatively steady, but staggered, sets of twos and threes, most likely to keep from revealing the entrance's existence by having a hundred kids pouring out of it suddenly.
As the group made their way out to the 'real' world, there were several people who stopped Harry to say thank you, wish him well, promise to write, and even one horribly embarrassing marriage proposal by a witch easily twice his age. Fortunately, the guards took care of her before things got too weird.
Ron's family was waiting off to one side and the group saw them first so naturally moved that way. Introductions were made with Mrs. Molly Weasley being impressed with how polite Staros was, if a bit leery of his house affiliation, although the Twins may have caused her to be more wary than the Slytherin bit as anyone the Twins liked was bound to be trouble. Having dealt with things like this his whole life, Staros ignored it. She did seem mildly concerned with Staros being alone and not having a family picking him up which Staros thought was nice.
After leaving the Weasleys, they found Hermione's parents waiting. Again, introductions were made and Staros found them rather pleasant people. Small talk was kept short as the Grangers were taking an extended lunch from their practice to pick up their daughter and had to hurry on.
Finally emerging from the train station, Harry stopped suddenly upon noticing a rather large, surly looking man stalking towards them. Staros sized the fellow up and wondered just how he was managing to walk so fast. The guy weighed in at four hundred pounds, easy. He also looked very, very unhappy as did Harry.
"Ready then?" asked the large man when he stopped in front of them.
"Yes, Uncle Vernon," Harry replied quietly, picking up his trunk and following the man as he turned sharply and wasted no time walking towards a car in which sat a rather thin woman.
Staros followed along, wondering at the lack of basic manners that usually included at the least, introductions. It wasn't until they reached the car that the man noticed Staros tagging along.
"Here now," the man started, "just where do you think you're going, boy?"
Staros raised an eyebrow at the man.
"Since you asked, oh so politely, I am walking in the same direction as you. Since the parking area is where my car will be waiting, I see no reason to, say, walk around the station before heading out. And since I wished to have a final word with Harry here, it was rather convenient that you didn't park on the roof now wasn't it?" Staros replied, his voice dripping sarcasm.
Harry looked terrified. He hurriedly put his trunk into the boot of the car and got in, watching his friend stand in front of Vernon like David and Goliath but not wanting to make things worse by interrupting.
"Do you have any idea who you're speaking to, boy?"
"Obviously not, since you failed to introduce yourself. I'll go first. I am Lord Staros Aniken Marcus, Earl of Moneda and Lord of Foula, heir apparent of the Marcus Family line, and Knight of the Garter."
Vernon's eyes bugged out for a moment as Staros rattled off his titles. Then he started to swell up and turn a bit purple as he obviously didn't believe a word of it.
"Boy, I'll have none of your nonsense!" the man started to yell, attracting the attention of a nearby constable. Said constable wandered over to see if there was something wrong. As the constable was stepping up to the pair, a man in a black suit with dark glasses and an obvious radio earpiece walked around the corner of the building, caught sight of the group and made his own way over, speaking briefly into his shoulder.
"Is there a problem here?" asked the constable.
"This boy's spouting off a bunch of hogwash and folderol! I want him removed and his parents notified about the lies he's going on about immediately!" Vernon shouted, attracting more attention and causing the man in the suit to quicken his pace.
"What's he on about, son?" asked the constable to Staros.
Before Staros could answer, the man in the suit arrived at the group.
"Have located package. Local L E on site. Will advise," he was saying into a visible microphone on his lapel. "What seems to be the problem constable?"
"Don't rightly know as yet. Who might you be?"
"Agent Wolkins, SS," the man said, pulling a small wallet out and handing it to the constable. The constable flipped it open, checked what was inside, looked up at the man in the suit, and back down at the wallet again before flipping it closed and handing it back.
"And what might Her Majesty's interests be here at King's Cross if I'm allowed to ask, agent?"
"Our young lord here. Security detail to escort him. Thank you for your assistance, we'll take it from here."
The constable nodded and left the immediate area, but didn't stray too far in case his help was required.
"Lord Marcus, the car is this way, if you please," Agent Wolkins said.
"Now see here!" Vernon started.
"Sir, I suggest you lower your voice and back away from Lord Marcus. I am already well within rights to have you detained."
"No need for that, Wolkins," interrupted Staros. "I only need a brief word with Harry here and we'll be going."
Staros stepped up to the car window where Harry had been watching in fear and confusion for the last several minutes. He pulled a couple of books out of his inner coat pocket and handed them to Harry. Harry glanced down at the titles, a Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage and Manners for Men.
"I need you to read these, Harry. Study them. Practice them. Wouldn't do to have you cause a fuss if I need to introduce you to the Queen if you can't tell a salad fork from a soup spoon, eh?"
"Um, ok," was Harry's very confused reply. He just didn't see that he was ever, not ever, going to be introduced to the Queen, but it probably couldn't hurt to learn better manners. Then Staros leaned close.
"By the way, you don't need to get worked up about Quirrell," Staros said very quietly so only Harry could hear. Harry stared at him in shock. "You didn't kill him. I did."
With that, Staros turned and left with his escort, leaving a very confused Harry and Vernon to stare.