Doors open.

THEO'S POV- In another life.

From the first moment I saw her on the train, I knew I was fucked.

Of course, I was only eleven.

But I knew there was something about her. Something about the way she spoke to me, the way she hid herself in the train compartment, how cautious she was, but once she started talking she couldn't shut up.

I loved it.

I found comfort in it.

After spending eleven years in the manor, after watching... my father was a horrible man. I haven't spoken to anyone my age, in ages.

But when I met her, it just, it came so easily.

"Is this seat taken?" I nearly whispered as I slid the door open.

A girl, who looked my aged looked up from her book. I automatically noticed her shaking hands, her legs she couldn't keep still, and the way her fingers gripped her book.

She was nervous.

"Uh, yeah. Yeah it is." Her voice was so soft, so sweet.

I crept in and sat across from her.

She was so pretty, she had the longest hair I'd ever seen, and her eyes were a deep shade of a color I'd never seen before, they seemed to sparkle in the dim light of the train.

I felt my heart skip a beat as our eyes met, and for a moment, we just stared at each other.

I wanted to keep talking to her.

"So," I broke the very awkward silence, "What house new you hoping for?"

She looked up from her book, and for some reason, looked sad.

"I actually don't know anything about the houses, or the school for that mater," She let out a light laugh, "So the best one I guess."

I wanted to hear her laugh again.

"So, you're a muggle born?" I whispered.

Part of me shocked, part of me didn't care.

I just wanted to talk to her.

"A what born?" she laugh again, and I felt my stomach jump.

"Like, born to non-magic family?" her confusion made me smile.

"Oh, I'm sorry I don't know the terms yet." Her cheeks got flushed with embarrassment, "no I'm from a magic family? Is that what you call it?" She giggled.

I think I found my new favorite sound.

"So you're a pure-blood." I smiled.

I hated that a part of me felt relieved.

"A pure-blood, sure." She nodded, "I was young when I was," she stopped and her face filled with sadness, "I spent most of my childhood in an orphanage, at first for normal children, then for magical children. The other kids weren't kind, so I stuck to myself mostly. I never learned any of the basics or anything. Then, once I got my letter and no one else did, I really stood in my room."

I felt a pang of sadness wash over me, hearing about her difficult childhood. Hearing other kids had it bad too.

I knew I'd find the other death eaters children, Draco Malfoy, Mattheo Riddle. But, she had it bad, in almost the same ways I did.

I felt comfortable for the first time in a long time.

"So, um, what was it like, being in the orphanage?" I asked, trying to sound gentle and non-intrusive.