Severus and I arrived on Platform 9 ¾ and I looked at the scarlet train. This was going to be the last time that the two of us would get on the train together.

"Severus?" I turned to him as we were about to board the train.

"Yes, Em?"

"Promise me that you'll be here with me next year. Please?" I asked.

He turned me so that I was looking at him. He looked directly into my eyes and said "I will bring you here next year. You will not be alone. I promise you that."

"Thanks Severus." I said.

He put his arm around me and we boarded the train together.

"Are you going to sit with me and my friends?" He asked me. He was referring to his new "friends" Zander Avery and Anthony Mulcibur.

I was glad that Severus had found people who had accepted him but I knew deep down that there was something not quite right about the two of them.

I shook my head. "No Sev. I'll be okay." I said.

"Okay. I'll come check on you in a little bit." He said and I slid into an empty compartment.

I looked out the window and saw my fellow students saying good-bye to their parents and their parents hugging them and kissing them. This was something that I never had and I was very jealous as I watched the students on the platform. I had never had parents who cared about me or wanted to wish me well on my way to school. My eyes landed on Lily Evans, a very pretty 7th year girl with red hair and bright emerald eyes. I could see her new Head Girl badge gleaming on her chest. She was the only person, other than myself, that Severus had ever loved. A few feet away were Sirius Black and James Potter. These two boys were the people I hated most at Hogwarts. They had tortured Severus since 1st year for no good reason and they weren't exactly nice to me either. Although, to be honest, there were few people who were nice to Severus and myself at Hogwarts. The Slytherin House had accepted us but few had extended the hand of friendship to either of us. Severus had a reputation for not necessarily being the cleanest person in the world, being very interested in dark magic, and for being a nerd and I had lived in the shadow of that my entire time at Hogwarts.

Regulus Black walked onto the train with his best friends Evan Rosier and Rabastan Lestrange.

"Why are all of the compartments full?" Rabastan asked as they walked down the corridor trying to find a seat.

"Here. There's room in this one." Evan said.

"Snape's sitting in it." Rabastan said looking in the window.

Regulus looked in the window. A girl with sleek black hair, that was pulled into a long pony tail was looking out the window. "Oh. It's just Emmeline."

His friends looked unsure.

"There's nothing wrong with her." He said and opened the door.

She turned, a little startled and Regulus took a long look at her. He had never noticed how strangely pretty she was or maybe she had just changed over the summer. She was incredibly thin and wore a black turtle neck and grey skirt with black tights. Which Regulus found a little strange since it was quite warm outside. Her pale skin contrasted greatly with her black hair. It was almost like looking at a black and white photograph. Except that her eyes, which were a dark purple stood out along with her pale pink lips.

I was very startled when I heard the door to my compartment open. I turned to see three very handsome boys standing in the door to my compartment. Regulus Black, a haughty boy with black hair that fell into his stone grey eyes, stood in front of a very tall, lanky boy with sandy blonde hair named Evan Rosier, and behind him, Rabastan Lestrange, a shorter, stockier boy with curly brown hair and blue eyes.

"Do you mind if we sit here?" Regulus asked.

I just shook my head and Regulus sat down next to me and Evan and Rabastan sat across from us.

I found this very strange. None of these boys had really ever taken the time to speak to me. They were all in Slytherin and in my year and I had had many classes with all three of them, however, I didn't really know any of them. The reason that they had chosen to sit with me was very mind-boggling.

I looked around nervously at the three of them.

Regulus then asked. "How was your summer, Emmeline?"

"It was alright." I said timidly. "How was yours?"

He smiled. "It was pretty awesome. I went on holiday to Spain with my parents."

"Wow." I said. "I've never been out of London. Except to go to Hogwarts."

"Really?" Evan asked. "Your family just stays at their manor all the time?"

Regulus shot Evan an "are you stupid?" look.

"umm. I don't exactly live in a manor…" I responded my voice trailing off at the end.

Evan just nodded. Apparently he didn't know many Slytherins who weren't from wealthy families.

The three boys became engrossed in conversation and I decided to get a book out of my bag and began reading.

The compartment door opened for a second time and in the door stood the most beautiful girl in Slytherin House, 5th year, Abelinda Rookwood. She was tall with honey-blonde hair that fell in perfect curls, bright blue eyes, a perfect smile and a body most girls would pay a lot of money to have.

"What are you boys doing down here?" She asked. "There's room in my compartment." She said shooting Regulus a dazzling smile. "Plus this one is a little…Let's just say you can sit somewhere better."

I continued to read pretending that I couldn't hear her.

"Thanks, Abby, but we're fine here." Regulus said.

She tossed her hair and said. "Alright, then. I guess I'll see you around later."

The other boys pounced on Regulus the moment the door closed.

"Abelinda Rookwood just invited us to sit with her and you said no?" Evan asked.

"She's the prettiest girl in the school!" Rabastan yelled.

Regulus shrugged. "Yeah, she's pretty but have you ever actually talked to her? She's about as smart as History of Magic is interesting."

Evan gave him a weird look. "Since when are you interested in girls for their brains?"

"I'm not saying I wouldn't date her, just that I don't want to ride the rest of the way to school listening to her."

The other boys nodded.

I came to the end of the chapter in my book and decided that it was about time for me to change into my robes.

I stood up.

"Where are you going?" Regulus asked.

"Just to change into my robes." I said and exited the compartment.

I reached the changing rooms and almost turned around as James Potter, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew were hanging around outside of them. I decided to try to sneak past them without them noticing me and was successful. However, on my way back out I was not so lucky.

"Snivelly's sister." I heard the voice of Sirius Black say.

I kept walking without looking back toward him.

"We're talking to you, Emily." James Potter said.

"Don't call me that" I mumbled turning around. Emily was what my father called me…not as nickname but because he didn't remember my name was Emmeline when he was drunk…which was most of the time.

The three of them walked up to me. "And why not?"

"What are you guys doing?" I heard the voice of Remus Lupin who had just come out of the dressing rooms.

Peter responded. "Just asking Snivelly's sister how her summer was."

"Leave her alone, guys. Has she done anything to you?" Remus asked.

"She's related to Snivelly. That alone is enough." Sirius Black laughed.

"Come on." Remus said. "Lay off. Let's go back to our compartment." He said and the three of them turned and walked off the other direction. Remus turned to look at me. I gave him a small smile to say thank you. He nodded and followed his friends back to their compartment.