Remus Lupin awoke to find himself in the dark. The train carriage that had been happily rumbling and chugging a few moments ago, had come to a complete stop. He glanced out the window. They weren't at Hogwarts, so where were they? He felt and icy cold penetrate his worn coat. He was suddenly aware of the panicked voices around him. It could mean only one thing.
"Quiet," he barked, getting to his feet. His voice was rough with disuse. Several frightened pairs of eyes stared at him out of the darkness. He couldn't see any of the faces to which they belonged. He took out his wand, wary of what would inevitably come. Sure enough, the compartment door slid open bringing a fresh wave of fetid, freezing air. One of the students had fainted and was on the floor twitching.
"None of us is hiding Sirius Black under our coats." His voice broke a little as he spoke his friend's name. It had been years since he had spoken those syllables and they sounded foreign to his ears. The terrible creature didn't move, it's sightless eyes sweeping the carriage. Lupin grasped at the first happy thought that came to his mind; kissing his love, Sirius, for the first time. Not Sirius Black, the murderer, just Sirius, his best friend. "Expecto Patronum!" The silver creature burst out of his wand. It was foggy since the memory itself was fogged by grief. The Dementor turned and left the compartment with a swish of it's rotten cloak and a last breeze of death scented air.
Lupin turned to the students as the lights in the compartment flickered back to life. He looked at the boy who had fainted and for a moment his heart stopped. He knew that pale pointed face and black messy hair. For a moment, he was convinced that James Potter was lying on the floor in front of him. Then he realized that the boy wore glasses and had a thin lightning shaped scar on his forehead. His stomach jerked with acute sympathy for the boy, who, he now realized, was not one of his best friends but one of his best friends' son.
He shooed the others from the boy's side and knelt over him. The boy's eyes were darting back and forth beneath his eyelids and his forehead was creased with worry. He shook the boys shoulders gently and when that brought no response, slapped his face gently. "Harry, wake up. Harry!" The boy's eyes snapped open and two of the other students practically pounced on him.
"Are you alright?"
"—Never been so scared in my life."
He walked over to the window as the train began to move again. Reaching into the pocket of his coat, he pulled out a big bar of chocolate, which he snapped into pieces. He made sure to always have some chocolate. It was something his friends used to joke about endlessly. Used to joke about. They had been so close. Now two were dead because of the third and the third was in prison. He sighed deeply, and turned around to offer the chocolate to the students.
Lupin left the carriage and walked up the corridor of the long, scarlet train to the where the driver sat, steering diligently. The driver looked up at him and smiled. "Aye, Mr. Lupin. How are you, my lad?" Lupin smiled grimly. He and the driver had been friends ever since James and Sirius had set off fireworks in their compartment. It was an odd friendship. The driver was at least twice Lupin's own age, but he never showed it. Lupin ran a hand through his graying hair.
"Eh, I can't complain."
The driver chuckled. "Laddy, if anyone has the right to complain, you do."
"Well, I can't. I'm fine." Lupin glanced out the window. "How much longer 'til we get there? One of the students collapsed when the Dementors came aboard."
"Damn vermin. Who?"
"Harry Potter."
"Ah. Well that figures." The driver sighed and glanced at Lupin. "You don't look like you liked it either." His eyes twinkled. "Haven't had any chocolate yet, eh?"
When Lupin didn't smile the driver put a calloused hand on his shoulder. Lupin looked up and shrugged a little. The driver nodded. Though it was unspoken, they both knew he was remembering Sirius.
"Well, I'd better get back to Harry and the others. Thanks, Sir." Lupin left the compartment and walked back down the corridor.
When he reached the end of the train, he noticed that none of the students had eaten their chocolate. Poor things, he thought to himself. "I haven't poisoned that chocolate you know." They jumped at his discreet entry and hesitantly nibbled on the candy.
For the rest of the ride, Lupin sat in a corner of the compartment and half-listened to their happy chatter. The majority of his mind, however, was on his three best friends. The Dementor's arrival had reminded him of things he had sworn he would never ponder again.