The Next Generation: Year One [a Harry Potter fanfiction]

Chapter Two - The First Train Ride

Chapter Two - The First Train Ride

Echo was still looking for a compartment when the train began moving, causing him to stumble a bit.

Everywhere he looked was full. Until, at least, the very last compartment. The young boy sighed in relief when he saw it wasn't full. He braced himself and pulled open the door to reveal a young boy and girl sitting opposite each other.

"Excuse me, but everywhere else seems to be full. Would you mind if I sit here?" The blue-eyed boy asked, nervous that they might turn him away.

"Sure. We've got room," the boy said, gesturing to the nearly empty compartment with a big, welcoming smile.

The small boy was relieved. "Thanks." He stored his things and sat next to the other boy, taking a moment to survey the two in the compartment.

The girl was around his age with pale skin and long, curly red hair. Her eyes were chocolate brown and currently focused on the rather large book in her hands. Hogwarts robes already hung on her frame. Freckles dotted her face here and there, just enough to make her look cute.

The boy was cuter, though, Echo noted. His black hair was even more untidy than the other boy's and had a slight curl to it. Pale skin covered a body that was taller than the other boy's but still considered slightly short. Then there were his eyes. His eyes were a brilliant shade of green that Echo had never before seen in eyes. Like emeralds, he thought distractedly. He had on jeans and a brown sweater.

Echo might have been caught staring by the boy, if said boy hadn't also been staring at Echo. He marveled over the beauty in front of him, idly wondering if the silver-haired person was a boy or girl, but quickly deciding it didn't matter. Either way, the one beside him was beautiful, with deep, royal blue eyes that seemed to see straight into your soul. And yet, the emerald eyed boy could sense something. There was something about this stranger that was…well, strange, and unlike any other he had ever met.

The girl looked over the edge of her book, curious as to why her friend was not making introductions, but understood why when she caught sight of the looks they were giving each other. Her eyes widened marginally. Looks like Albus has got a new crush, she thought with a smile, her intuition telling her that's what this was about. She trusted her intuition, as it was rare that it failed her. After a few minutes of them still making googly eyes at each other, she began to get curious as to if they were ever going to actually talk. Taking matters into her own hands, the girl bookmarked her page, closed the book she had been reading, and placed it on the seat next to her.

The two boys started when the redhead cleared her throat. Echo blushed at the girl's amused smile, realizing he'd been caught staring after all, but not seeing the matching blush on the other boy's cheeks.

"Hi, my name's Rose," the girl said, extending her hand. "And you are?"

The silver haired boy took the girl's hand and shook it, forcing his eyes not to flicker back over at the other boy. "I'm Echo." He was glad when the two didn't even bat an eye at his strange name.

The stranger's voice was quiet, and from the pitch Rose and her friend assumed the stranger to be a girl.

Rose gave her companion a look and he realized what she wanted with a start.

"Oh, right! My name's Albus," The boy said, also holding out his hand.

Echo took it and both boys gasped. Electricity shot through them both at the touch and they quickly retracted their hands, though the sensation had not exactly been painful, just unexpected. The blue-eyed boy looked down at his still-tingling hand with wide eyes and then back up into the boy's eyes, finding him doing the same. Their eyes connected, shock and curiosity mirrored in both.