Clare looked at her mothers tear stained face on platform 9 3/4. The Hogwarts Express was right behind her and Clare did something she hadn't done something for over two years. She grabbed her mother in a hug, her mother at first was surprised but then relaxed to the hug and grabbed Clare into a tight almost suffocating hug.

"Be careful PLEASE!" Her mother begged her when the hug ended

"I will mom. I'll write you and Dad every week and tell you what's happening."

Clare walked onto the train and with one last look at her mother she closed her eyes and disappeared onto the train. She looked around her not exactly knowing what to do or where to go. She just stood there for a few seconds, a couple of students pushed passed her. She hugged the wall of the train and found a empty compartment at the very back of the train which she was happy about.

The compartment had huge open windows, the day was nice and to Clare's delight the windows opened.
She opened the window and pulled out her cigarette pack from her purse and took her lighter and lit the cigarette. The smoke hitting her lungs as she inhaled, and then breathed the smoke out the window. The train was moving now and the beautiful English country side moved quickly past her.
Clare wasn't sure of what to think or expect Hogwarts to be. Her mother had told her a few things, her mother had also stayed up late teaching Clare some basic spells after her mother had taken her to get a wand at Allivans.
She took another deep breath of smoke in and she looked at the compartment door when it began to open.

A tall boy with longish black ruffled hair walked into the compartment. He looked like all of the guys the girls back home had plastered on their walls.

"Oh sorry. I didn't realize anyone was in here." He said when he saw her standing by the window.

"No problem." She replied taking another inhale of her cigarette.

He looked at her for a while, not exactly knowing what to say or do.

"I haven't seen you around here before." He said finally

She sat down and nodded.

"Yeah. I'm brand new to the whole magic thing. Parents were a witch and wizard but gave it up after some kind of tragedy happened with magic." She shrugged

"The names Sirius Black." he said extending his hand to her

"Clare Monaghan." She replied putting her cigarette in her left hand and taking his hand with her right.

"Do you have another one of those?" He asked pointing to the cigarette

"Yeah. you want one?" She asked

He nodded "I could really use one." He smiled slightly

She handed him the pack and he took one out and put it in his mouth, she lit it for him and he inhaled.

"I didn't know wizards smoked cigarettes thought it was only a thing of non magical people." She said taking a smoke

"Usually we don't. but I took them up last summer. And they're starting to grow on me." He said

She nodded

For a while the two sat in silence just smoking. Then Sirius looked at his watch and nodded towards the door.

"I better get going. My friends will be looking for me. Nice meeting you Clare. and thanks for the cigarettes." He said as he flung the butt out the open window

"No problem." She said as he left

Sirius closed the door and paused for a second. He walked down the hall and moved into his friends compartment a few doors down.

"Where did you walk off too Padfoot?" James asked

"Just met a girl that's all." Sirius replied