Rating: Yes, I know that I've updated the rating to M, but I've never been quite sure about the rating and I figured that it was better to be wrong than removed off fan-fiction. So, here it is.

Disclaimer: None of the characters mentioned in this story belong to me, but rather to J.K. Rowling, I promise to return them to her once I am done with them. The poem which this story features is taken from the novel, The Smoke Jumper by author Nicholas Evans.

Part One – Marauders Meet

"If I be the first of us to die,

Let grief not blacken long your sky."

---

September 1971

Remus Lupin had always been a rather small boy for his age, or so everyone said. His small stature had been one of the many reasons – never the right one – that his parents had given him when explaining why he would not be starting at Hogwarts that year with the other young witches and wizards of his age. But despite all of the arguments his parents had made, all of the reasons they had given, Remus – with the help of a certain Headmaster – was about to truly enter the world of magic.

Remus closed his unusual amber eyes as he approached the barrier separating the muggle platform from the wizarding one. Taking a deep breath and dispelling all of his fears, Remus took one more step, pushing through the barrier and stepping for the first time onto Platform 9¾ . The first thing Remus saw when he opened his eyes was the rapidly approaching form of a short – and rather chubby – boy of Remus' own age. There was a resounding crash as the other boy's trolley collided with Remus' own.

Picking himself up and wincing as he felt new bruises forming on old ones not yet healed, Remus looked down at the youth who had crashed into him.

"I'm so sorry. I lost control of my trolley," the other boy said as he attempted to pull himself free of the mess that was their trolleys.

"Oh, that's all right. I was bound to a get a few bruises today anyway." Remus shifted a trolley before stretching out his hand to help up the bigger boy. "I'm Remus, by the way. Remus Lupin. A first year."

"Oh. Thank you. Me too, I'm Peter Pettigrew." Peter stood up and Remus noted that they were of an equal height, though the other boy was definitely wider than Remus was. Peter's hair had obviously suffered many minutes of grooming this morning, and Remus smiled as he noted that it now had the appearance of a mop. His eyes were a blue colour and they were continually darting all over the platform, never maintaining contact with Remus' for long.

"Do you think that we should go and find a carriage? It looks like the train is getting ready to leave." Remus was telling the truth, for while they had been trying to untangle themselves from the mess of their trolley's the other students had all made their way onto the scarlet train.

The two boys picked up their luggage and followed the other students onto the train, only just making it through the doors when they closed sharply behind them. Peter and Remus walked up and down the corridor of the train, trying to find an empty carriage. Unsuccessful, they knocked on a door at the very back of the train which contained only one boy, who appeared to be around their own age with long black hair hanging down past his shoulders. The other boy looked up at the sound of the knock and they entered quietly.

"Do you mind if we share the carriage with you?" Remus asked politely, pushing a lock of his tawny hair out of his eyes. "It's just that everywhere else is full."

"Sure. I wouldn't mind some company. No one else will be brave enough to share a carriage with me." At Remus and Peter's questioning glances, the dark haired boy continued. "I'm a Black. Sirius Black." Remus stared at the boy opposite him with wide eyes, he had heard numerous stories about the Black family, and none of them had been good. Beside him, Peter was staring aimlessly out of the window. Sirius smiled faintly when he saw Remus' eyes widen. "Don't worry, I'll understand if you no longer want to share a carriage with me."

"No, its fine. I don't mind. It was just a bit of a shock, that's all. I'm Remus Lupin and this is Peter Pettigrew." A few moments silence ensued before Peter piped up, speaking for the first time since entering the carriage. "What house do you all think you're going to be in? I think that I'll probably end up in Hufflepuff. They seem like a good house."

Remus winced. This was not the kind of subject he would have chosen to speak of with a Black. For hundreds of years the Blacks had been loyal to one house at Hogwarts only.

"Slytherin." Sirius said, his voice dripping with disgust. "I'll be in Slytherin for sure. All the Blacks are in Slytherin." Remus looked up at Siirus when he said the name Black, for it was not ringing with the family pride he had expected, but with a hatred that was only thinly masked. "What about you Remus? What house do you think you'll be in?"

Remus felt his cheeks begin to burn, he hated being the centre of attention. "I don't know, I've never really thought about-" Remus was cut off abruptly as another boy loudly pushed open the doors to the carriage.

"Sorry to intrude. Everywhere else is full. Mind giving me a hand?" This was directed at Peter who immediately jumped up off his seat where he had been eating chocolates for the last few minutes. He got his trunk settled and sat down next to Sirius, opposite Remus and Peter. "Oh, I'm James by the way. James Potter."

"I'm Sirius, this is Remus and Peter. And have you ever brushed your hair?" Remus laughed at Sirius' question, he understood what he meant. James' black hair looked as if it had never been brushed. It stood up messily all over his head and Remus thought it highly unlikely that it would ever be made to lie flat. James sheepishly ran a hand through the said hair before adjusting the glasses which covered his hazel eyes and had been slipping down his nose.

"Yes. In fact, I brushed it only a few minutes ago. It never stays neat." As he said this, James ran his hand through his hair again, making it still more impossibly messy.

"You should try not running your hand through it so often." Sirius said, running his hand through his own hair, which fell back to its former position, looking completely unruffled. "If you don't, birds will start to lay eggs in it any day now." All four of them laughed at this and the rest of the journey to Hogwarts was passed in laughter. Remus was able to forget for a time the terror he had felt before stepping through the barrier, fearing that someone would discover his dangerous secret and that he would be forced to leave Hogwarts having only just started there.

That night, as Remus lay in his bed with his three new friends around him, he felt happy for the first time in ages. The four of them had all been sorted into Gryffindor – very much to Sirius and Peter's surprise – and now they were preparing to spend the next seven years together. Remus rolled over and found himself looking at Sirius' face and his last thought before sleep consumed him was how lucky he was to have such good friends.