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Chapter 6

Dumbledore had taken the surprise quite well, automatically placing Cole in Gryffindor to be with James. He assumed that if one would be placed there so would the other. Besides, they needed a fifth person in their dorm room. They'd had an empty bed for years.

He'd decided in the end that Cole would sit through his owls, but no other testing would be required. If it had been anyone other than the Potters in charge of his tutoring it might have resulted in a different decision. He'd been pleased to hear it when Cole had chosen the job of an Auror for a career path as had James. Thankfully he hadn't had the need to destroy his dream after the results of the OWLs. He'd managed to score fairly well on all of the ones beneficial to becoming an auror.

Dumbledore might have been delighted with the boy, but there were two people less than pleased to learn of his existence. One was Severus Snape who posed little threat seeing as how he was in a separate house. The other, however, posed some semblance of a threat. He was Peter Pettigrew, the forgotten Marauder.

A short, slightly underweight boy with sandy blond hair stuck his head into the train compartment. "Hi g-," he faltered upon seeing a fifth person already sitting with his friends, but he quickly forced himself to recover, "-uys."

"Oh, uh, hi Peter," James lifted a hand in greeting, smiling and motioning him into the already cramped room. "Sorry there isn't any more room in a seat, but then again there usually isn't since Lily started sitting with us."

Peter looked around, cautiously working his way inside the small room and making space enough for himself in the least crowded area on the floor near the door. He wasn't the only one on the floor. Sirius seemed to have chosen the floor as well, curled up in a corner near the window at James' feet with his head resting against his friend's leg. That was when Peter noticed James was also sitting across from himself with Lily on the other bench. "Uh, James? What's going on?"

Color crept up Cole's cheeks realizing that the boy was referring to him instead of his friend.

"That's Cole, my twin," James piped up cheerfully filling in the boy with the made up explanation, completely missing the look of utter loathing in the boy's pale eyes as they appraised the new addition to the group. Cole, however, caught sight of the anger and was for once relieved to have Sirius so close to him in stead of feeling self conscious about the intimate contact.

"Hello, Peter," Cole murmured softly, wary of the boy. The others had all welcomed him with an open heart, but this one... this one clearly didn't want him around. He'd have to watch his back around that one. He might give the impression of being timid and weak, but those eyes, they held a startling threat to prove himself, no matter what means were necessary.

Peter forced his lips into a smile before turning away from Cole with disinterest. He began chattering away about his summer spent with his relatives to no one in particular, but with the hopes of dragging Sirius' attention away from the intruder and onto himself. It wasn't that he had a thing for the guy, but he was paying the most attention to Cole and Peter preferred that no one pay much attention to the boy. Therefore, he needed to divert everyone's attention away, especially James and Sirius. He wasn't blind. He knew they were the core of the group. The others generally followed in their footsteps so if he got them to pay more attention to him than to the new boy, then so would Lily and Remus.

Unfortunately for him, like always, no one paid him any particular mind. Sure a few listened to him, but Sirius remained leaning comfortably against Cole's leg, one hand haphazardly circling around the ankle. To his astonishment, Cole seemed to be the one paying the most attention to him. He didn't care if it was James' brother, he still didn't like the boy. He still felt like he was being replaced, and it was for that same reason why he disliked Lily.

At least he had one edge over the boy. He doubted that the new kid was an animagus like the three of them were. He'd be forced to sit out when they went out every month with Remus during the full moon. He smirked comforting himself with the thought. That was sure to drive a wedge between Cole and his friends. Cole would be jealous and get upset and find new best friends in order to try and make the Marauders jealous in return, only it wouldn't work. He dreamily gazed out the window, losing himself in his thoughts about all the possibilities for removing Cole from the Marauder's inner circle.

He was still day dreaming when the train came to a stop. He startled, transforming into a rat when Remus gently nudged him with his foot to get his attention. He blushed, changing back, realizing where he was and who had bothered him. He grinned up sheepishly at the werewolf and took the offered hand to help him to his feet. "Thanks, Moony."

"No problem," he smiled gently, if a bit tiredly. The summer had been hard for him at times. He wasn't always able to get to the Potter's home when the full moon came around. It was far more taxing to go through the experience alone than when he did so with his friends. At least then, he was able to keep his mind intact somehow. Other times, it was a trial to keep a focus on his human emotions and thought processes.

The group made their way off the train, Lily wandering away to visit with some of her female friends whom she hadn't the chance to see over the summer holidays. Everywhere around them, students could be seen giving them curious looks, all of which were directed at the black haired twins. The only ones who seemed to give it no thought were the new first years. After all, they hadn't been around to watch only one Potter for the past six years and then suddenly without warning there were now two.

Severus Snape watched the pair distastefully. He'd heard the rumor on the train that the Potter Quidditch star had a twin along with him this year, but until then he hadn't fully believed the rumors. After all, they often tended to be false and highly exaggerated. He took a step backwards in shock when the look alike turned his eyes directly upon him and smiled in a warm fashion, arrogance non existent within his eyes.

It had to be the twin. There was no possible way those eyes belonged to his rival James Potter. James never failed to look upon him with distaste and arrogance. This boy seemed to possess neither emotion as he smiled at the startled Severus who continued to hold his usual scowl in place. He wondered why the boy had even looked his way in the first place. Perhaps he had felt his steady gaze on him and his twin.

He continued to watch as James glanced his way, hazel, feline-like eyes narrowed with annoyance, simply for having to lays eyes upon him, Severus supposed. He ignored the look, but continued to watch the scene before him. James took hold of the twin's arm intending to physically turn him away from being able to see Snape, but was surprised when the boy pulled his arm out of the grip, shaking his head. James shrugged shooting a glare in Severus' direction then turning back to his twin shrugged and went back to talking with Remus. Severus was taken aback when once again the boy turned to him, shrugging lightly as if to say that he didn't know what was up with James and clearly mouthed 'Sorry' before smiling up at Sirius Black who had been trying to get his attention since James had turned away.

Snape snorted to himself in disbelief, hauling himself into the next waiting carriage. He simply sat back, resting his head against the seat cushion and attempted to erase the entire incident from his mind. His head snapped back up when a certain scrawny underweight Gryffindor stumbled into the couch a few minutes later. Snape snarled at him wishing him to be anywhere but sharing a ride with the little worthless rodent, "what are you doing here? There are other coaches."

Peter jerked, a tiny squeak tumbling from his lips as he sat down against his better judgment. "N-no there i-isn't. They're all fu-full," his voice was small and whiny, grating on the Slytherin's ears like nails on a chalkboard.

"Stop the drivel. I don't waste time on vermin like you. I see the new addition to the group has replaced you. Not surprising. I would have done so as well," he sneered maliciously, instinctively knowing that that was precisely what had happened. It didn't surprise him. The same thing had happened two years ago when Potter began dating Evans.

The boy's eyes narrowed, color rising on his cheeks as he turned away. "Cole will never take my place. They'll tire of him soon enough. James has already gotten into a disagreement with him and it's only the first day of school," Peter snickered to himself having enjoyed every minute of the dispute. "Apparently, Cole decided not to take James' word about you being a slimy git. Who knows why when it's as plain as day."

"Shut your mouth before I ensure that you are no longer capable of opening it," Snape snapped at the boy, turning his head to watch out the window after opening the curtain. The Slytherin stared moodily at the passing scenery, barely seeing any of it as they ambled by. So his name was Cole. It would be interesting to see how the year played out.

Peter had been about to say more, but thinking better of it, immediately closed his mouth with an audible click. He wasn't about to toy with the Slytherin's temper without his friends around to defend him. It was no secret that he wasn't very good with his wand.

*~*~*

"Cole, you have to trust me on this. Snape is a greasy haired git. You're better off not giving him the 'benefit of the doubt' as you like to call it. He'll only disappoint you. He's a Slytherin and he's going to be a death eater when he graduates if he isn't already," James snapped angrily as the carriage jolted into motion.

"James, don't take it personally, but shut it. I'm not you and I'm perfectly capable of choosing to have other friends than the ones we have in common. You don't have to like all of them, just like I don't have to like all of yours. Take Peter for example. I don't like him, but he's still your friend. I'm not complaining. It isn't my job to order you around and it isn't your job to order me around. I'm not a child. If I make a few mistakes along the way, I'll deal with them and hopefully I'll learn something. But, please James. I don't want there to be a strain between us just because there is a possibility that I might become friends with someone you hate. He looked like he needs a friend," Cole finished softly, beseeching his friend with his eyes to understand that he needed some independence of his own, that he couldn't simply walk in he predecessor's shadow for the entire year.

James stared at his twin for a long moment before a sigh escaped and he nodded once in acknowledgment, "alright, Cole. I understand where you're coming from, but don't expect us to stop hating each other suddenly."

"I won't. Thanks James!" Cole launched himself across the cramped spaced and squeezed his twin tightly in gratitude. "I knew there was a mature side of you in there somewhere," he teased as he eased himself away, laughing as James mock punched him in the arm.

TBC...