A/N: I am SO sorry it's been so long. I've been on vacation and working almost constantly. But i did as i promised. Hogwarts Express this chapter :D and i even got through the sorting. So PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE review. i've hardly gotten any and they are what make me get better! Anyways...i'm hoping to get the next chapter up in less time than this one took, so keep checking back!

"AJ!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"SIRIUS!!!!!!!"

"Oh for the love of Merlin…" James shook his head as he walked onto Platform 9 3/4. As luck would have it, apparently he had walked onto the platform right as his two friends managed to find each other. He watched in mild amusement as they ran headfirst toward each other…and then headfirst into each other, snickering as he walked toward them. James was so amused that he failed to watch where he was going and ran straight into someone.

A rather frail looking boy fell right over as James careened into him. James rushed to help him up. "I'm so sorry mate. Should have been watching where I was going!" He held out his hand which the brown haired boy slowly took. "My name's James by the way. James Potter. I hope I didn't rough you up too much." James said as he pulled the boy to his feet.

"Remus Lupin. And no, I'm sure I'll live to do worse. Thanks for helping me up."

"It's the least he could do after he nearly killed you," growled Robyn protectively, who quickly shoved James aside to approach Remus.

"It was an accident Robyn."

"Yeah. I was too busy watching them." James pointed over to where AJ and Sirius were both rubbing their foreheads grumpily.

"Whoa! It's her!" Robyn and Remus cried simultaneously.

James looked at Remus and Robyn curiously. "You guys know AJ?"

"Unfortunately," grumbled Remus.

"Aw she isn't that bad. Especially considering the family she comes from. The Jenkins's are known as some of the cruelest purebloods out there but I don't think she really fits in with them. They kind of hate her for it I think." Robyn listened with interest as the three weaved their way through the crowd towards AJ and Sirius, though she couldn't help but notice the look of disgust and doubt that Remus had on his face.

"Oh hey guys!" AJ cried happily. "I can't believe you two know James. Now we can all be best mates!" The surrounding group looked at each other awkwardly.

"Actually AJ I just knocked Remus down. I have hardly spoken to him."

"Oh…well you will know him 'cause I predict we're all going to be best friends."

"Sirius laughed. "What are you a seer now?"

"It is in my blood."

"Doesn't it skip generations?" Robyn suddenly spoke up, quietly.

AJ looked at her, happy that Robyn had chanced speaking when it was so obvious that Remus wasn't fond of her. "Yeah. Normally it only skips one or two though. We haven't had a decent seer since my great great great grandmother's great aunt."

Over top of the booming crowd came a shrill whistle signifying the approaching departure of the Hogwarts Express. There was a wave of motion as parents rushed to say a quick, final goodbye to their children for the next couple of months. The group was rapidly separated; AJ and Sirius were swept toward the train.

"I don't know why you want to be friends with them so badly. That girl is way too quiet. She doesn't seem like she'd be worth wasting your time," Sirius said in AJ's ear.

She stared at him incredulously for a moment before anger flashed across her face. "How dare you!" she growled, glaring into Sirius's surprised face. "She is going to be my best friend soon, and I wouldn't be a very good friend if I let you talk bad about her to my face."

"What's wrong with you? You can't know who your best mates are before you even talk to them. It doesn't work that way."

AJ took a confused step backwards. "B-but I do know."

"How?"

"I just…do."

"Well you just can't. It's not like you need anyone other than me…and maybe James anyways. Just stop trying to find these weird people."

"You can't tell me what to do!" AJ said stubbornly, crossing her arms.

"Yes I can. I'm your boyfriend."

"Not. Any. More." And with that AJ stomped off onto the train leaving her ex boyfriend standing confused and annoyed on the platform.

"Good. I didn't want to be your boyfriend anymore anyways." Sirius said looking around to see if anyone had noticed his embarrassing situation. His eyes fell on a group of girls standing nearby giggling. "I'll show her. I don't need her."

Sirius approached the nearby group with his normal self assured swagger back in place. "Hi. I'm Sirius Black. Who might you girls be?"

Robyn and Remus had managed to stay with James, but they soon boarded the train without him. Because they were boarding so close to departure there weren't many open compartments but after about 5 minutes they were settled into one toward the front of the train. They had barely closed the door behind their trunks before it was slammed open again. They looked with wide eyes as AJ practically ran into the compartment. The girl was obviously upset about something but they watched as her eyes fell on them and a smile was forced onto her face.

"Hey guys! I'm so happy I found you two!" She sat down across from them. "You guys don't mind if I sit here right?"

Robyn blinked a few times before finally responding, "No. It's perfectly fine, but…why aren't you with James and that other boy?"

AJ looked slowly between the two, resting her eyes on Remus a few seconds before returning them to Robyn. "I think that I have spent way too much time stuck with just Purebloods, don't you?"

Robyn glanced sideways at Remus and could tell that AJ's manner was quickly breaking through his shell. She watched as he narrowed his eyes a bit and opened his mouth. "Why? Decided that it's about time you started hanging out with halfbloods and mudbloods, people you can push around?"

AJ's mouth twisted into a sad smirk. "I'm a Jenkins. I could push around Purebloods if that's what I really wanted. I like getting my way, but I'm not my mother. I'm not whatever Pureblood hurt you either Remus. A lot of us are mean. James and- James is one of the nicest Purebloods I know. His whole family is that way. I want to be like them. Don't fall into the trap and hold my blood against me."

Remus eyed her for a moment and then he slowly nodded and said, "Do you mind if we start over?" Robyn looked at them both with a smile.

"Sure."

"Hi I'm Remus Lupin and this is my best friend, Robyn."

"Hi I'm AJ. It's nice to meet you. May I ask where you are headed today?" AJ responded with a laugh.

"Hogwarts."

At that exact moment the train lurched forward and they all giggled at the irony. Soon they had fallen into comfortable conversation ranging from favorite foods to what houses they hoped to be sorted into.

James was alone and he didn't like it one bit.

He had looked everywhere and hadn't been able to find Sirius or AJ. Finally he knew he had to get onto the train so he went searching for a compartment. It was slow going dragging his and AJ's and Sirius's trunks. How he got stuck with all three he had no idea, but he was going to get them back somehow. None of the places he looked were open so finally entered one with a few boys playing a card game. They waved that he could stay and so he quickly got settled. He kept one eye on the card game as the train began to move. He almost had the game figured out when the door slid open.

"THERE YOU ARE!" Sirius stood in the doorway with his arm around the shoulders of a sad looking redhead.

"Sirius! Finally mate, where've you been?"

"Oh walking around with this lovely flower here." Sirius gave the girl's shoulders a little squeeze.

James ignored the girl. "But where's AJ?"

"Why should I know? She's probably off crying that this isn't her I've got my arm around."

The redhead looked up at the boy with something that went from shock to disgust. She pulled away and went to sit in the corner of the compartment. Sirius hardly noticed. James watched her sit then went back to questioning Sirius. Soon however it was obvious that Sirius wasn't going to tell him what happened and so they both got involved in the card game.

Lily watched as the card game got rapidly crazier. These guys were starting to act really weird. Yelling. Throwing cards. Jumping around when they won. Hitting things when they lost. They were acting like freaks. Her eyes quickly filled with tears. 'Petunia thinks I'm a freak. Maybe she's right,' she thought. 'I'm surrounded by people she thinks are freaks. It won't be long and I'll act just like them!'

Tears were still streaming down her face ten minutes later when the compartment door again slid open. The boys already in the compartment completely ignored their new arrival. They ignored the first albeit angry words that came from Lily. It wasn't until they heard the word "Slytherin" that they all turned around.

"Who wants to be in Slytherin? I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?" said James loudly.

"My whole family have been in Slytherin," said Sirius in reply.

"Blimey, and I thought you seemed all right!" James said with a smirk. Sirius smirked back. With Sirius and James on one side, it only took a few minutes of teasing before Severus and Lily were both very annoyed.

"Come on, Severus, let's find another compartment." Lily said with obvious exasperation.

The two left the compartment to obvious catcalls and made their way to a surprisingly empty compartment where they spent the rest of their train talking. At first conversation was a bit stilted due to their recent argument, it wasn't long however before they were again on the best of terms.

Before long, the train arrived at Hogwarts. There was the usual awe from the first years as they all got off the train and could see the castle in the distance. Mayhem ensued as the head boy and head girl attempted to herd the second through seventh years away onto the carriages. A booming voice suddenly broke over the crowd. "Do I hav' ter do ever'thin around here? Firs' years! Firs' years this way!"

All of the first years ran to the boats, eager for the sorting to occur. AJ, Remus, and Robyn ended up in a boat with a few other strangers. They watched as Sirius and James walked up to another boat. Sirius looked AJ right in the eye as he helped another girl onto the seat next to him. Her eyes narrowed as the girl held onto his shirt in fear of the surrounding black water. Sirius smirked at AJ as he carefully slid his arms around the girl.

Robyn and Remus watched the proceedings with interest. They saw AJ narrow her eyes in return and then 'accidently' fall into one of the boys in their boat. Both were surprised at the perfection of her act as she giggled in embarrassment but continued to hold on to the boy 'for support.' They watched as both AJ and Sirius began carefully trying to outdo each other until the boats entered the pitch black docks underneath the school and were ushered in line in to be sorted. By this time the anticipation was too great for either to worry about their little contest of wills.

The line was walked out in front of the school. Each face filled with wonder as they saw the amazing surroundings that were the Great Hall. Four huge tables filled with hundreds of students stood in front of them. Perfectly polished silverware graced the tabletops. Two huge doors stood closed behind the tables. Candles floated over head just underneath the ceiling that was a perfect replica of the sky outside. It was beautiful.

Slowly, name after name was called. Sirius was right near the front of the line. He desperately wanted to break tradition, wanted to be in any house but Slytherin. When Gryffindor was called his heart leapt. He walked to his table amidst the normal applause and sat down in relief. He watched as the quiet girl his ex girlfriend wanted to be friends with joined him, as well as the pretty little redhead from the train joined the table- though she looked at him with disgust for some reason- followed by that boy named Remus and then his ex girlfriend herself was surprisingly sorted into Gryffindor as well. He was hardly worried as James stepped up to the hat. James too was sorted into Gryffindor. He came to sit next to Sirius with a joyful high five.

Thoughts of hunger were just starting to cross Sirius's mind as that boy they had dubbed "Snivellus" was sorted into the house he wanted. Slytherin. Soon after, the tables filled with more food than any first year had seen before. For Sirius, this meant that all was right in the world. Even though he was stuck in the same house as Alice, at least he wasn't in Slytherin. Sirius quickly invented a plan to avoid AJ as much as possible. He was in the final stages when suddenly a huge glob of shepherd's pie hit him in the face.

Startled and angry, he looked around to see who had dared to throw food at him. He looked down the table. Though no one looked guilty he knew. It was AJ. He filled his spoon with a mountain of mashed potatoes and hurled it toward AJ. Unfortunately, it never reached her. It hit a fourth year girl right in the ear. She squealed with the most annoying sound he had ever heard, and while bringing her hand up to see what hit her, she flung her plate onto the lap of the boy sitting next to her. This boy jumped up, knocking all the nearby dishes flying into more people. Soon it was a massive chain reaction. There were only five people without food on them at Gryffindor table by the time the food stopped flying, and Sirius knew something else. He knew he was going to be in a lot of trouble.