The Lost Marauders

Off to Hogwarts

Rose, Eli, and James hurried through the crowd on Platform 9 3/4, trying to find an empty compartment. James drifted off and ended up talking to a boy with long dark hair he had apparently met in Diagon Alley. Eli also saw someone he had met in Diagon Alley, someone apparently named Ted, and raced off with him. Rose placed her trunk and Morgana on the train in the last empty compartment. She turned to see where Eli and James had ran off to when she overheard two girls arguing. One of the voices sounded surprisingly familiar.

"Freak!" Rose snaked her way through the crowd to where the shouting had been taking place. There, she found a red-headed girl crying all alone in the middle of the platform with her trunk and owl, passersby giving her confused or sympathetic looks. When the girl raised her head, Rose realized it was Lily Evans, the girl she had met in Madame Malkin's Rose Shop.

"Lily?"

"Oh... Hey, Rose," sniffled Lily, wiping her tears, grabbing her trolley, and trying to look composed.

"What just happened with... was that your sister?"

"She thinks I'm a freak because I can do magic."

"Aww... Come here." Rose hugged Lily tightly and the two walked over to the compartment where Rose had put her things. They loaded Lily's things up next to Rose's. Lily's owl, who, judging by the label on its cage, was named Flora, clicked her beak at Morgana. Suddenly, Rose and Lily noticed that a boy was sitting in the compartment. He had sandy hair and very faint scars across his face. He didn't look at them but Rose could see his face turning red. Rose and Lily sat down in the corner of the compartment. The train began moving soon after and Lily began to sob again. Rose put her arm around her and squeezed her lightly. "It's going to be all right, Lily." She gave Rose a watery smile and buried her head into Rose's shoulder. A few minutes later, James, Eli, and a group of other boys came into the compartment. Eli and James looked over and were going to say something, but Rose gave them a look and motioned to Lily. They gave a look of understanding and sat down in the opposite corner. They ignored each other and things worked out well for a bit. Then, a boy with long greasy dark hair and a hooked nose came in and sat down opposite Lily. They obviously knew each other, as Lily called the boy Severus. They soon began to argue about something and Rose thought it would be best if she just left them to it.

"Hello there." Rose whipped around and saw a boy with dark hair and seemingly effortless good looks sitting next to her. The rest of the group of boys were whispering and snickering across the compartment. Rose made a mental note to kill James and Eli later.

"H-hello." She stammered.

"What's your name? Mine's Sirius Black, but you can call me anything you'd like, baby." Else's heart raced with anger and embarrassment while her face paled and she glanced back at Lily. However, she was still deep in conversation with Severus. She was on her own.

Rose swallowed her fear and spoke. "Save it. I don't think you realize this, but I'm 100% not interested. And also, do NOT call me baby. So, goodbye and good riddance." And with that, she turned back towards Lily, her face entirely tomato red.

"Geez, a simple 'Fuck off' would have worked, too." Sirius's comment made the gang of boys burst into laughter.

Rose, who was trying with all her might to ignore them, heard Severus say to Lily, "You'd better be in Slytherin."

"Slytherin? Who wants to be in Slytherin?" James had heard him too and had chimed into their conversation. "I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?" He turned and consulted Sirius.

"My whole family's been in Slytherin." Sirius looked almost ashamed for a second.

"Blimey, and I thought you seemed all right!"