Steam was billowing over the heads of the impatient passengers at King's Cross Station. It was twenty minutes to eleven on the first of September, although many people there just saw it as a Saturday. There were tourists and commuters alike, hustling and bustling about and creating their own sort of tide, washing here and there around the passengers stood still. Among those being mildly buffeted by the crowds stood Lily and Petunia Evans, one animated and one indifferent.

"Where is it, Lily?" their mother asked, half kindly and half concerned.

"Professor McGonagall said it would be at the barrier between platforms nine and ten," Lily replied, standing on her toes to try and see over the heads of the people around her.

"Over there," her father pointed. "That's platform nine and—that's platform ten!"

"The professor said we can walk straight through, although she said that students and their families go in and out from about half past, so we can always watch one of them doing it if we're not sure. I'm sure Severus would show me how, if only I could find him."

"I'm sure we can find someone to help, either way," Emily said reassuringly, placing her hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Well, we'd better get over there then!"

The small group made their way—valiantly, as the current of people was particularly strong—to the barrier that Lily had described and Petunia rolled her eyes.

"You can't actually believe this is going to work," she scoffed, glaring at Lily with a mixture of pity and resentment.

"Of course I do. Shut up, Petunia."

"Lily, don't say things like that to your sister."

"Sorry, Mum," Lily apologised, annoyed and not remotely sorry.

"Alright, do you want to go or do you want to watch someone else do it first?" David asked, a mild quavering note in his usually confident voice. His wife smiled at him and took his hand.

Lily eyed the barrier with a nervous look in her eyes. Being this close up to what looked like a very solid brick wall with the intention of walking through it seemed like an easier thing to do while she had been the other side of the massive station.

"I think I'll wait," she replied, the same note of concern in her voice as her father had had. Petunia snorted under her breath and Lily glared back. She was about to retort when she heard a clear, assured voice nearby.

"—And it's this way."

Chuckling chased as a tall man and elegant woman followed a boy—around Lily's height with identical hair to the man—towards the barrier and blinked as they disappeared. Lily looked around. Petunia's jaw had dropped slightly in spite of herself, and her parents were looking slightly more comfortable.

"You saw them?"

"We did. Are you ready?" Emily asked, studying her youngest daughter's face. It had changed from apprehensive to electric excitement and she laughed as the girl nodded so violently that her long red hair nearly whipped her sister in the face.

Carefully, Lily and David navigated her trolley—piled high with her trunk, hand luggage and a brand new owl cage—around the barrier and into position, aiming at the wall. Petunia and Emily took their hands and all four of them seemed to hold their breaths as they walked firmly towards the barrier. Then, suddenly, there was no barrier. The Kings Cross they'd walked into from the car park was gone; the Kings Cross that stood stretched out before them seemed a glittering, gleaming rendition of the previous. Around them was a slower crowd, ebbing to and fro from family to family, from trolley to trolley; there were cats and owls, parents and siblings. Above it all, a haze of perfectly white smoke hung in the air, drifting sedately over the heads of the passengers and their loved ones.

"Shall we get you settled before our goodbyes?" David suggested as he checked the clock over the platform. They had fifteen minutes, and the platform was beginning to experience something of an upsurge in students and their families.

"That sounds like a good plan, love. Can you help her on board with her things?" Emily asked, patting his arm.

A few minutes later, Lily and David had found her an empty compartment and had stored her luggage in the racks. Emily and Petunia—much to the latter's horror—had come onboard to say their goodbyes to avoid Lily having to leave her seats.

"If you need anything, let me know. Professor McGonagall said the school has owls so you can always send me a letter," Emily gushed. "Or we can just chat. I'll give you all the news from home!"

Lily laughed and hugged her and her dad tightly.

"Take it easy, kid," he said, a note of pride in his voice mingled with something that sounded like tears.

"I will," she promised.

"I'll see you at Christmas," Petunia said obstinately when it came to her turn.

"Yeah, you will," Lily agreed, a little taken-aback at her sister's coldness.

"We'd better go, we've only got about five minutes," David cut in. Emily began to usher her husband and daughter out of the carriage but Petunia broke loose at the last moment. She turned back to Lily and hugged her tightly.

"I'll see you at Christmas," she said again, meaning it this time. Lily clutched her tightly for a few moments, and then Petunia was whisked out of the door and back onto the platform. Pushing the compartment window down just as a loud whistle blew, Lily leaned out to wave while the train began to move. It was time.

James Potter had heard about Platform 9¾ from his parents, his grandparents, his parents' friends and his friends' parents, but he had never actually seen it with his own eyes. When he stepped out onto the brightly-coloured platform, however, he felt as through it were the most familiar place in the world.

Once his parents had levitated his baggage onto the racks above his head and they'd said a fond goodbye, James sat down and gazed out of the window. He was finally going to Hogwarts. The steam drifted over the heads of the families on the platform and he had a bubbling excitement brewing in his gut. The compartment door slid open, interrupting his thoughts.

"Excuse me, can I share your compartment?"

The boy at the door was pale and seemed to be swaying a little. He had scars over the left side of his face that seemed to go down his neck and underneath his shirt. Behind him was a trunk he appeared to have dragged along the train with him in his search for a seat.

"Yeah, of course," James answered, standing up. "Can I give you a hand?"

"Thanks," the boy replied, helping him to heave the heavy trunk up into the racks next to James' own. "My name is Remus; Remus Lupin," he said, wiping his slightly sweaty hand on his trousers before holding it out.

"James Potter," James responded with a smile. Something told him that he liked this Remus Lupin.

Remus' eyes widened at James' name ever-so-slightly. "A Potter? Damn. It's good to meet you."

"You too, brother. And don't worry, I vow to disappoint my name in every possible way."

A smile crept across Remus' face at that, and the two boys took their seats opposite each other and fell into an easy rhythm of small talk. A few minutes later, however, the compartment door opened again and a taller boy with black shaggy hair entered.

"You mind if I sit here? I'm on a mission to avoid some arseholes."

Remus laughed quietly and James studied the new arrival carefully before a grin spread easily over his face. "Come on in. Any particular arseholes?"

"My family," the boy sighed, nodding his thanks and stowing his trunk away before seating himself and his long legs across the remainder of James' bench. "Pure arseholery emanates from them at all times."

"What are they, Blacks or something?" James asked with a laugh. He stopped as he realised the new boy hadn't reacted. "Are they Blacks?"

"They are," he answered grimly. "My name is Sirius Black, but I'd rather it was anything else."

"Better get into Gryffindor then," James replied, a sparkle in his eye.

Sirius smiled for the first time since he'd entered. It was a wide, handsome smile that lit up his face like a lantern. "That," he stated matter-of-factly, "Would be epic."

"Wouldn't your family hate that?" Remus piped up.

Sirius' smile seemed to grow impossibly wider. "Oh yeah, they'd probably disown me."

James grinned back. "Then they'd hate you hanging out with me, too. James Potter," he said, by way of introduction.

Sirius was overjoyed. "I have no words. This is the single greatest day of my life."

Remus chuckled and held out his hand. "Remus Lupin. Not quite as exciting, but always happy to see fuckery going on."

Sirius shook it and laughed as a piercing whistle sounded and the train began to ease out of the station. This would be a fun ride, he thought.

Hi hi friends! I'm aiming to make this story quite a long one, so any feedback, favourites or follows would be greatly appreciated! I should be updating this one every Tuesday, but we'll see how we go!

Stay tuned and stay safe!

Amelia x