selenophile || remus lupin

chapter ninety three

1 September 1977

10:48 am

"Hurry up, we need to be there in just a few minutes!" Mia called out to her children upstairs. They all ran down the stairs, Mia floating their trunks down just behind them. "You all have everything?" she asked. The three of them nodded and affirmed that, but she said, "Well, if you find that you've forgotten something, don't hesitate to write and we'll send it straight away."

The three kids, Remus had spent the last night of summer with his parents, grabbed onto either Euphemia or Fleamont's arm, and within seconds, they were standing inside Platform 9 ¾ of King's Cross Station. The crowds were busying rapidly, new children awing at the red train while other parents tried not to cry as they sent their older children off to school for the last time.

The three children and two parents started parting their way through the crowd, finding the entrance to board the train. As they were walking, Ophelia noticed that the crowd started to thin out and part, much too early for it to be parents leaving their children. She looked further up ahead and saw the reason.

Walburga, Orion, and Regulus Black were walking through the platform, all dressed in a neat black with a posture that seemed almost superficial. Regulus was looking down at the floor while Walburga pushed him forward with a grip on his shoulder so tight her fingers were turning white.

Upon seeing them, Ophelia grabbed Sirius' arm, needing a constant to steady her. She started shaking, reminded of what she was forced to escape over the summer, what she was forced to endure to earn her parents' pleasure. A sudden nausea flowed throughout her, threatening to creep up her throat as she swallowed to push it down.

"Do not throw up, do not throw up, do not throw up," Sirius said, looking at his old family. "Trust me, I wanted to too when I first saw them after escaping. I didn't, though, and you won't either. Besides, you are not going to spew all over my new shoes, or I will kill you before you can say Godric Gryffindor."

The group of five walked through the crowd successfully before stopping in a lesser crowded area to say their goodbyes for the term. James hugged his parents goodbye, the three whispering into each other's ears. Then it was Sirius next, Mia hugging him until she pulled away and gave him a short lecture about behaving right. Finally, Ophelia was beckoned over with wide arms in her direction which she promptly walked into and hugged back, a silent thank you for everything Mia had provided for her over the summer.

"Now you listen to me, if anyone gives you any, for lack of a better word, shit, you just write to me and I'll tell their mothers to give them hell from us. I could give you a lecture to keep these boys in line and to stay out of trouble, but all I want from you is for you to be safe and happy. Can you do that for me, dear? Just stay safe and stay happy. We are always closer than you think if you ever need us, just an owl or floo away," Euphemia whispered to her.

"Thank you for everything you've done for me, both of you," she responded, looking back and forth between Mia and Monty. "I don't know how I can thank you enough."

"Just being around, and helping take care of James and Sirius is enough. Being the best daughter we could ask for is more than enough," Fleamont reassured her.

The train whistle billowed into the station and the last of the students began to board the train, including Ophelia, Sirius, and James.

"Let's go find a compartment, Pads, and then I've got to go head the prefects meeting," James said, shoving Sirius after he responded with a pout. "Coming, Phee?"

"I'm going to go check in with Reg, but I'll meet up with you during the prefects meeting. You've told Lily you're the head boy, right?"

"I wanted it to be a surprise," he grinned, lopsidedly.