The Canis Major

C h a p t e r 2 4

The rest of the week at James' had been the best winter break I've ever had. It was all great until James had disappeared one night. It was quite weird staying at his house when he wasn't even there. None of the other boys seemed to mind, so I got over it quickly.

Now it was time to return to Hogwarts. Going back felt more different than ever. Having the boys on either side of me as we entered the King's Crossing Station might have been the main reason why.

It was one of the coldest days of winter. I was shivering and had a death grip on my trunk. James had gotten a few carts for us to share. I lifted the blanket off the cage holding Felix. I had added multiple blankets including one inside in order to keep him warm.

"Are you guys coldblooded?" I muttered as we started to head towards the barrier.

"You just get cold easily," Sirius answered. I rolled my eyes. When made it to the barrier between us and the platform, James was the first one to run through. Then it was Peter.

"Does James usually disappear randomly during your visits with him?" I asked as Remus ran through.

"Not usually."

"Do you know where he went?"

"No idea." Sirius smirked at me before he started running. I watched as he disappeared beyond the brick wall. I let out a sigh. I could see my breath float away in front of me because of the cold air. I gripped the cart tighter before breaking into a light jog. My joints ached a bit from standing so stiffly in the cold. I managed not to flinch as I ran through the barrier.

It was just as busy as I remembered it to be, except now it was colder. A lot colder. The boys were gathered a few feet away. I walked over to them.

"Are we going to get on the train anytime soon?" I asked, my teeth starting to chatter. The rest of them ignored me because of their investment in a conversation, but Remus turned towards me and gave me a slight nod and smile. Peter and Sirius seemed to be arguing about something. I saw Lilly pass us and gave her a slight wave when she did. She waved back with a small smile on her face. My eyes flickered away before they flickered back. I saw James and her make eye contact for a few seconds before Lily turned back to talk to Severus.

I looked at James who was now staring off distantly. I'm pretty sure that was the first time I had seem them retain eye contact without Lily glaring at him. I tried to gain his attention by staring at him, but he didn't look this way. I let it go.

Without telling them, I left to go get on the train. I was relieved by the warm air as soon as I stepped on. I lugged my trunk and other items with me as I tried to find a compartment. I stopped in the first one I saw was empty. I put my stuff away and took Felix out of his cage. I sat near the window and leaned my head against it.

Felix had a mixture a light brown hair and white spots. I shook my head when I thought of what could have drove Sirius to buying an animal he knew nothing about it. Wizards in the muggle world were truly fascinating.

It seemed like it was taking a while for the boys to board the train. I started to remember how early we had gotten here, so I didn't worry about it. My head snapped to the door when I heard the compartment door open.

Regulus Black stood with a solemn look on his face. His grey eyes didn't notice me at first. The similarity between him and Sirius surprised me once again. The most noticeable difference now was his long, black hair tied into a pony tail. It wasn't very common to see males with long hair outside of bands around. Even less common to see it tied back. However, it suited him.

Regulus' eyes only found mine when he turned around after closing the door. They slightly widened for a second before returning to normal size.

"Is it alright if I sit here?" I was about to answer, but he started speaking again. "Or is my brother and his goonies going to kick me out?" His head was slightly titled and eyes slightly narrowed as he said this. I was caught off guard. My mouth kept opening and closing as I tried to think of something to say. He didn't wait for me to respond before he put his trunk away and sat down across from me. It was silent for a bit. Neither of us said anything, so I stared out the window. I started wondering what would happen if or when the rest of them got here.