Four To The End (prev Shifting Lines) Book Three (Marauders Era)

Chapter Twelve - On The Train

Author's note: some internalized homophobia, vague emetophobia, and body talk. And a quick note about the American schools: I don't like the "canon" idea of there just being one. I know that's what's been said, I just don't like it.

Also I'm going to get a bonus chapter out this Friday, since this chapter is literally just the train ride haha I thought I'd post a second chapter this week too :)

-x-

One of the first things Remus realized, once he and his friends were settled in their compartment, was that the rest of them had gotten taller. It was extremely unfair. Every single one of his friends had gained at the very least an inch and, in James's case, at least two, while he was still the same height he was at the start of summer. Ugh.

James had always been rather scrawny with knobbly elbows and knees, but he seemed to be more limb than ever. His messy black hair had gotten longer and wilder over the summer and his dark skin had gotten a bit darker. He was wearing new glasses, too. Or really, a new style of glasses. They made him look older than thirteen, in Remus's opinion, and when he asked James about them, James proudly declared they were an aviation style.

"They're brilliant!" he said, adjusting them proudly. "I love how they look on me!"

Other than his rather chubby cheeks, Peter had grown thin—well, somewhat thin; thin for him. Though he always did over the summer because his grandfather put him through the paces. He had gotten quite tan, and his usually mousy-brown hair had become blonde from all the time in the sun. It was still in the bowl-cut style he detested, but his mother insisted he have.

Remus reached up, running his fingers through his own hair. He had only gotten into a fight about it with his mother once, near the beginning of the summer, when she had seen how long it had gotten at school. She despaired over it the night they got home, wanting to know if he ever got it cut. Honestly, he rarely went to see the hair witch that came in multiple times a month. There was usually a long waiting list and it felt like a waste of time. So his hair was usually very long and shaggy—though, nowhere near as long as Sirius's, which came down slightly past his shoulders now. Remus's currently came down to the bottom of his ears, but at school it would go as long as nearly chin-length, except for his fringe which always hung long enough to cover his eyes when he needed it to. He just didn't have time to keep his hair in some sort of perfect state all the time! Or... much of the time. Or ever, really.

"Third years!" laughed James, bouncing in his seat. "We are third years now, lads! Can you believe it?"

"Since I'm turning fourteen in two months, yes," said Sirius.

James kicked him while Sirius laughed. "Oh, shut up, you're ancient, you shouldn't be allowed to talk."

"Only cause you're the baby," Sirius said, kicking James back.

"I am not the baby—"

"Younger than Remus—"

"Shut up!"

Sirius began counting on his fingers, slowly to make it meaner. "October, November, December, January, February, March—end of March, really, so pretty much almost seven months until you're fourteen! Lil baby Jimsy-Wimsy."

"There's loads of students younger than you," Peter said helpfully.

Unfortunately, that put Peter on James's radar. His eyes narrowed behind his glasses and he gave a thin-lipped smile before digging around in his bag. "Petey, I have something for you! Some sweets I found!"