The Other Half

Chapter 1

September 1st, 1976

Emilia was being dragged along by her hand, her mother at the other end. Euphemia Potter was a curvy woman with salt and pepper hair falling around her shoulders, wearing a long green dress. Her brown heels the struck loudly against the white tiles of King's Cross.

Emilia's brother, James, was being dragged along on by Euphemia's other hand. Their father, Fleamont, a tall and slim man with greying dark hair, always tussled, wearing a blue sweater, pushed a cart overflowing with luggage in front of them.

"Mum, we're 16 you don't have to hold our hands anymore," James complained, adjusting his round frame glasses as he looked at their mother. A few months ago James would've had to look up at their mum, but after a growth spurt over the summer, he stood at 6' 1", a handful of inches taller than Emilia, and could now look down slightly. That didn't stop Euphemia from appearing taller than anyone in the room with her presence. As she narrowed her eyes she said "James Potter, I am going to drag you along because someone," she said pointedly at him, "takes too long to do their hair in the bathroom and now we're late for the train."

"But it never stays in place," James said quietly to himself.

Emilia laughed, "curse of Potter genes."

It was true, both fraternal twins shared the same dark curly hair, dark eyes, button nose, and horrible eye sight as they both wore thick glasses. The Potter genes had been dominant as they'd both taken after their father. But, frame wise, James looked like a replica of their father, slender, and athletic. Emilia was a copy print of their mother, tall and curvy.

The four pushed through the wall between platforms 9 and 10 and emerged on the Hogwarts train platform. Euphemia finally let go of her children.

"Geez, firm grip mum," Emilia said, wrong out her hand.

Euphemia rolled her eyes, though a smile crept upon her lips. She grabbed both her kids into a big hug, kissing their foreheads she said "I love you two so much and I'm going to miss you!"

Fleamont joined the family hug, "we are so proud of you two, Quidditch Captain, Quidditch Star, top of your classes."

James and Emilia wriggled out of the hug, faces painted red. "Mum, Papa, thanks but we got to get onto the train."

Fleamont nodded, "of course, of course. Write soon!"

James and Emilia hurridly said some goodbyes, grabbed their trunks, and boarded the train.

Finding their friends' compartment only took a few.

"My favourite pair of twins!" Sirius exclaimed as they entered the carriage.

James rolled his eyes, "we're the only twins you know."

"That's not true," Sirius replied, "I got some twins cousins on Dad's side, you know Castor and Felis Black."

"High praise, we're better than some blood supremacists," Emilia said with a laugh.

"Only praise I got," Sirius shrugged and smiled.

"What on earth did I walk into?" A low Welsh voice behind them said.

Emilia turned around, looking up to face Remus Lupin.

"Just complimenting our dear friends," Sirius said.

Nodding with a smile, Remus lifted his trunk above his head and placed it on the shelf above the benches that lined either side of the compartment. Remus, like James, had grown a lot over the summer, standing around 6' 4" now, definitely the tallest of the group, as James and Sirius were the same height. James and Sirius lifted the Potter's trunks onto the shelf.

The four sat down, James and Sirius on one side, Emilia and Remus facing them on the other.

Remus and Sirius were their best friends, both wicked pranksters in different ways. Sirius was charming, outgoing, and dramatic. He wanted his pranks to be known as his and didn't mind getting caught.

Remus on the other hand was rather shy, until you got to know him, and reserved and calculated. Never getting caught on his own, and very creative, he was the secret mastermind of the marauders.

Remus' hair was wavy and mousy brown, he had dark brown eyes, and freckles that decorated his face, two scars ran down the diagonal of his face, and his nose was a bit crooked. He had a quiet presence and although was covered in scars, he was incredibly handsome, as if he didn't know it yet.

Sirius on the other hand did know he was stunning. High cheekbones, a sharp jawline, and black eyes that focused on whoever was talking to him. He wore his thick black hair in waves that ended just below his jawline. He was slender, not skinny and lanky like Remus, but muscular from Quidditch.

The train started rolling away from the station and James lent out the window to wave goodbye to their parents one last time. Emilia couldn't help but notice Sirius' whistful stares at James' warm goodbye. Sirius had run away from home a year ago, over the summer. He now lived with the Emilia and James. He had gone ahead to London that morning to collect some things from home. The Potters had insisted on coming but Sirius refused, citing that it would only make his parents angrier. Euphemia put her foot down on him going alone though and it was agreed that McGonagall would accompany him as an ambassador from the school. McGonagall had helped Sirius a lot, getting away from the Black Family, and approving Fleamont and Euphemia as his guardians in the eyes of the school.

This past summer had been loads of fun with Sirius. Since first year he had tried to spend the summer with them but his strict parents had refused. Now that he was living with them it was wonderful, the three of them had played Quidditch all summer, gone swimming in ponds, and drank so much butterbeer they were almost sick. Remus had come and spent three weeks with them and had swum with them every day, no one had mentioned it, not to make him feel watched, but he had swum without a shirt on, revealing all his scars that stretched across his chest and back. Remus was someone who wore wool sweaters religiously and barely showed more skin than he had to. It made everyone feel very trusted when he had done that.

"Where's Wormtail?" James asked the group. The train had left the station and the fourth marauder had yet to join them.

Emilia wasn't officially a marauder, her role was more like a guest star. She hung out with her brother and his friends a ton, but her true friends were probably a few compartments over.

"He'll be along," Sirius shrugged.

On cue, a short and rather pudgy boy with sandy blonde hair, grey eyes, and large teeth entered the compartment. Looking quite flushed and dragging his trunk behind him.

"Hi, sorry I'm late," he said. James jumped up to help Peter with his bags.

As the marauders were reunited, Emilia took that as her signal to leave and find her friends.

"Bye boys," Emilia said as she got up to leave.

Sirus reached out to grab her hand and in a mock theatrical voice said, "my lady, do not depart from us! I shall die if you leave, I cannot go on without your glorious company."

Emilia laughed as she allowed Sirius to kiss her hand, his puppy dog eyes gazing up at her. "forgive me my lord, but I must depart."

Sirius leaned back on the train bench and laughed, "alas, see you around."

Emilia waved again and left the compartment.