Once on the train, Sirius felt himself relax almost instantly. Except for when Bellatrix snatched the back of his dark robes and whispered closely to his ear.
"You better watch yourself, little cousin. I am in direct contact with your mummy and we don't want the Black heir stepping out of line" She hissed the last half with such disdain - if she hadn't been gripping her wand so firmly against the small of his back - he may have felt bad for her. She deserved this, wanted this more than he did. But that made it better that she never could.
"Cool off, Bella. Lucious is waiting for me. let's go" Sirius heard his younger cousin say. He had never been a fan of Narcissa but in this moment - he was grateful.
"Cissy, don't let yourself be distracted by insignificant things such as a relationship" Bellatrix snapped but relinquished her hold on Sirius anyway. Sirius thought this was a funny comment to say as Bellatrix was in a much more arranged relationship with second cousin, Rodolphus. Cissy was quick to point this out. "These things matter not to the Dark Lord" was her hiss of a reply before she was walking away in a billowing flail of robes. Sirius had heard the term "Dark Lord" for the last couple years. He was not sure who they were other than his family seemed to worship the idea and that rarely meant good news.
"Jeez. Talk about a drama queen" Sirius spun around instantaneously at the comment. It was the cheery-faced girl he had noted earlier. Sirius didn't have much experience talking with girls but assumed they were much like boys and laughed. The Girl was extending her hand in his direction to shake. Sirius frowned at it. "I'm Marlene….Mckinnon and….i know you're a Black" She whispered the end as if it was a nasty secret. "and you may not want to be seen with me and that's fine. I am pure blood though…..Not that it matters. Anyway..Your sisters looked ruddy awful, i mean talk about the wicked witch, eh? and I thought it could be better if you weren't alone. um...maybe we should step into an actual carriage and out of the walkway then?" The girl called Marlene was rambling at a speed Sirius could barely keep up with but smile and stepped into the nearest compartment. Sirius hadn't decided who he had wanted to be but the feeling the cheery girl gave him. He wanted to make people feel good like that, if he could. He didn't know if he could pull it off with the cheer she did but the feeling - he could try that
"I don't care if you're pure blood, you know" Sirius replied while stepping through the doors into a small carriage housing two strangers already.
"oh well cheers then" A girl said bitterly in front of him. She was evidently very pretty. Her face was full of beautiful, large features and angular, lift brown eyes. Her hair was curly but not like Bella's. Neat and maintained with a pin on the left side to pull it out of her eyes that were now giving him a challenging look. "sure you don't want to make sure Lily here didn't steal her muggleborn powers from someone else?" Sirius' mouth dropped open. She was fierce but not in the icy way like his mother but in a strong way that showed courage rather than severity.
"Oh come off it, Dorcas. He didn't mean it like that" Marlene corrected quickly. The tension dispelled and he looked to Marlene who he was sure he had never been more thankful for in that instant. The other girl sat quiet with her face covered in a blush from her neck to cheeks. Dorcas had mentioned she was muggleborn and quite so. She sat in a real jumper and floral suspender dress and her long Scarlet hair twisted into the two three way knots Marlene had.
"I'm Sirius Black" He was feeling very embarrassed. Girls were new most definitely.
"The crest of your racist family is on your robe pins, Posh boy" Dorcas said, she carried that same confidence from before but seemed a bit less accusatory and more lax.
"Hi Sirius" the redhead spoke up. "I'm Lily Evans and if...if you're gonna hate me then go right on." She had that same spunk Dorcas showed but with a kinder tone. She probably didn't even know what she wa a getting into here. She knew nothing about what was to come. Sirius just shook his head again.
"I don't care. why should i?" Sirius wanted this conversation over. The last thing he wanted was to talk about blood purity. He wanted to blend in. Just then the door was pulled open halfway before slamming again. Everyone stared to look at the carriage doors. the doors were awkwardly pulled over again but this time the glimpse of floppy curls he had seen a glimpse of earlier were now standing in front of him. Holding all his belongings at once while trying to open the door.
"Er….there's nowhere else" The boy mumbled. Marlene giggled and hopped up to help the boy inside. Marlene seemed to have the ability to make everyone around her feel like an old friend. Maybe she was old friends with all these people. Maybe he was intruding on this friend group's reunion. But this seemed to not be the case as a moment later marlene asked the boy his name.
"Remus Lupin" He didn't recognize that name from the pure blood list he had memorized. He interplay kicked himself for even thinking of that list and smiled at the boy. He wore muggle clothes but not the fashion forward clothes Lily wore. A tattered olive jumper and brown trousers with a hole in the right pocket area. His face and neck were decorated in silver scars. He thought about the scars that decorated his ankles and wrists. This boy didn't have a happy life. He wondered what spell his mother used and why she wasn't more discrete. Introductions were repeated and he learned last names and that it seemed he had stumbled upon a carriage of desired Gryffindors. Dorcas and Marlene anyway.
"I just don't know. Severus, my friend from him. He tells me he wants Slytherin and that they're the best but i am keeping an open mind" Lily smiled as she scooted over for Remus to finally sit.
"doesn't sound like you'd like Slytherin then" Sirius smirked. Dorcas and Marlene laughed and Remus let out a puff of a laugh.
"You don't want Slytherin then? What will Mummy say?" Dorcas teased.
"Do we even get a choice?" Sirius frowned. He still didn't understand the process of sorting.
"Well according to my Mum, sort of. She says the process is guarded by ancient magic and once you know - you physically can't tell anyone, unless you're a descendant of one of the founders but apparently there's a level of choice involved. That's all i know" Dorcas shrugged but Sirius, Remus and the other two girls stared. This was exciting! He had a choice? Sirius had had so little choices in his life. "So? What house then, Black?" Dorcas asked finally.
The grin on his face formed quickly and he leaned back in his seat. "Who doesn't like a little mystery? I'll let you think on it a bit"
Lily left shortly after to go find a friend of hers and Dorcas and Marlene went to the trolly for sweets leaving Remus and Sirius alone.
"There are spells, you know." Sirius whispered, thinking this was an embarrassing secret. "to cover scars" The other boys face flushed instantly and Sirius realized he must have said the wrong thing.
"erm...thank you" Sirius couldn't think of what to say to tell the boy he wasn't a threat and decided on instinct.
"Say, you know how to play exploding snap? ai can teach you, if you'd like" Sirius began pulling out his deck of cards.
"I know how" Remus grinned and his shoulders loosened before he pulled out the compartment table that was magically hidden in the wall.
The two boys played for another hour before realizing the girls that had accompanied them hadn't returned
"You bring a pet then?" Remus asked. "My father said i could bring a cat but i don't think they like me much" Remus blushed at that and Sirius couldn't figure out why.
"No….i- i didn't want one"Sirius lied. He had asked for an owl but due to the disaster at Ollivanders, he knew better than to expect it. Remus watched him carefully and nodded.
"Hi Boys! where did Dorcas and Marlene get off to?" Lily asked instantly as she opened the door. She had a group of boys behind her, two of which Sirius instantly recognized. "Well that's fine. I found some people without seats"
"You're the Potter boy" Sirius pointed in excitement. James laughed before taking in Sirius' appearance. and frowned.
"so?" Sirius realized how he looked. All Black family look alike. Sam shiny hair, Icy stare and posh cheekbones.
"i just….i know you" Sirius mumbled. James seemed to look at Remus and notice the active game of Explodung snap going on and forget is attitude.
"I prefer James over "The Potter boy" from now on" James grinned. Sirius laughed at that and introduced himself.
"Sirius you're just rubbish at first impressions aren't you?" Lily laughed. She introduced her sour looking friend. He had sallow skin, a long face and large nose. His lips seemed to stay pressed in the same thin line the whole time he saw him. His small, dark eyes stayed on Lily. His hair was long like his own but noticeably less gloss.
"This is Peter." James introduced his friend he had been with in Diagon Alley after an hour of chatting. Sirius found the boy to be just as squeaky as he had in the dark bathroom next to Madame Malkins. he yelped out a hello and looked back down as if unsure what to do next.
"say, have any of you ever ridden a broom?" James asked excitedly. Sirius had. His whole family were trained to be excellent flyers.
"Yeah! my father has the Comet 220!" Sirius said proudly.
"Oh! My dad says if i make the team i can get a Cleansweep six!" James grinned. So Potter did come from money, sirius thought.
"Lily let's leave" the boy with the dark hair had finally spoken. Everyone turned their attention to them.
"What? why?" Lily frowned. "I was gonna ask what team they were speaking of." James grew excited and was about to go on what would have probably been a very detailed description of The his dutch if Severus hadn't interrupted.
"I don't like it here" The boy seemed to look for a reason not to, his eyes scanning across everyone in the compartment before landing on Remus. Who had taken to reading a book silently.
"Why?" James crossed his arms expectantly. The greasy boy seemed to be taken aback by this level of confrontation and his jaw became set.
"Muggle lovers. the lot of you" he spat. This boy just seemed angry and for no reason clear to Sirius. Sirius stood up, taking this as his opportunity to prove he wasn't like his family.
"Listen here, Snivellus. I know the looks of a pure blood wizard. Even Potter here looks the part in his own way and you are no pure blood. Why don't you get your greasy arse out of this compartment before I make you, and don't look at Evans, you want to be a a slimeball blood purity birk, go find a compartment of Slytherins. But Evans here is most definitely not one of you" Sirius surprised himself with the malice he spat. He thought a part of his anger may be more directed to others but decided to shove that thought aside in favor of scaring off the boy in front of him. James was quick to join in, standing next to him and even pulling his wand out. They all knew little to no magic so this wasn't as intimidating as Sirius' balled fists but nevertheless Severus left. Sirius and James both looked triumphant at this and sat back down. Lily's gave had gone completely red and her eyes looked close to tears.
"that was so mean! you guys are right gits" She huffed before leaving the compartment too. The space was silent for a moment as the four boys stared at each other.
"She's mental that one, then" Sirius sighed making the three other boys smile.