The Killing Curse •marauders/harry potter•

One

It was a particularly busy day at Kings Cross Station. The platforms were packed shoulder to shoulder as people hurried to make their trains on time. Families strolled by pushing various carts stacked with suitcases and luggage, and mothers clutched the hands of their children, desperate to keep them close in the bustling crowds.

One family appeared to be obviously lost. A stout, balding man with a greying beard stood to the side against a pillar, intently studying a map of   the station. His family all crowded around him, occasionally glancing up and pointing at the signs overhead that marked each platform. 

James Potter found this all extremely amusing,  growing up at the manor he rarely saw so many muggles all in one place. He stood marvelling at the mundane chaos around him,  occasionally tapping the shoulders of his friend and then gesturing to someone, pointing out their bizarre behavior to the slender boy standing next to him.

James Potter and Remus Lupin were situated beside the wall that marked the separation of platforms nine and ten. They were both standing atop their trunks so they could tower over the crowd -not that Remus needed to stand on top of anything to be taller than almost anyone- able to see everything going on around them.

The train to Hogwarts left in exactly twenty minutes; and neither Peter or Sirius had made it to the platform yet. Although the Black family would never admit to showing up late to anything, this time, they were indeed cutting it close.

Peter, on the other hand, was always late. Without fail, every year, he would show up to the platform with only minutes to spare before the train was due to depart, jogging awkwardly, dragging his dented brown trunk behind him.

Among the crowds of busy muggles there were also a number of magical families. If you knew what to look for, you could easily spot them in the crowd. 

A few yards away from where James and Remus stood, a boy was pushing his cart, a snow white owl sitting on top in an elegant, silver cage, his mother was muttering under her breath about the annoyingly large crowd of muggles that day. Another few feet to the left, an entire family stood together, dark blue and bronze Ravenclaw scarves wrapped around each of their necks, and a wide-eyed 11 year old girl eagerly clutching a sugar quill.

Finally, James spotted Peter Pettigrew and his parents making their way through the sea of people. The short, stocky, blonde was boy walking in front of his parents pushing his cart, his trunk dangerously close to falling off of the front. James let out a loud 'whoop' and fist bumped the air, drawing the attention of quite a few people passing by, and jumped down from atop his trunk, quickly taking off in the direction of the Pettigrews. Remus followed  shortly after. As soon as James reached Peter, he tackled the boy and trapped him in a headlock, rubbing his knuckles through the smaller boy's hair, chuckling at Peter's futile attempts to escape his hold. Finally breaking free, Peter scowled at James while trying to return his hair back to it's natural 'I couldn't be bothered to try to even brush my it' hairstyle, his parents laughing quietly behind him.

Remus, having at least some regard for personal space, just put a hand on Peter's shoulder and squeezed gently, flashing him a grin.

"Where the hell is Sirius?" James exclaimed as he noticed the time. Never once in the five years James had known them had the Black family ever been late to the platform.

"Calm down James, he's right there," Remus grabbed James' shoulders and spun him around, pointing to Sirius making his way toward them.

Sirius Black was alone. He waded through the ocean of people by himself. His shoulders were hunched up to his chin, and his head was hung low on his chest, eyes fixated solely on the floor in front of him.