muggle love stories - remus lupin

eliza: the hogwarts express

Eliza's eyes darted around platform nine and three quarters, searching for an opening in the crowd so she could manoeuvre her way to one of the train carriages without barrelling into someone and mowing them down. Her opportunity finally arrived when a skinny blond-haired boy moved out of the way of his mother's embrace. The young girl charged forward and weaved her way to the train, calling apologies over her shoulder as she rolled over people's toes.

When she finally reached the train, Eliza waved to her parents one last time before boarding the train. She let herself into an empty carriage and shut the door behind her, putting all her effort into hauling her suitcase onto the rack above her head before pulling her book out of her (aptly-named) book bag. She scribbled down notes as she read but almost dropped her book at the sound of someone sliding the door open and poking their head inside.

"Hello!" The boy was tall and thin, with dark hair and a hunched but confident demeanour. "Do you mind if I sit in here? The rest of the carriages are a bit full at the moment." He grinned and tilted his head like a lost puppy, his round glasses glinting in the soft light of the overhead bulb. Eliza nodded and gestured for him to come in before turning back to her book. She began writing another note when he interrupted once more. "I'm James Potter, I'm a first year. What's your name?"

"Elizabeth Morray but I go by Eliza. I'm going into first year too." Eliza smiled brightly at him before turning back to her book. She attempted to remember what she was rapidly writing down but she had lost her place on her page and couldn't seem to find the spell 'Alohamora' on the worn page decked with tiny print. She pushed her glasses further up her freckled nose and peered at the page before her. She had finally located the spell when she was interrupted by a group of two boys at the door.

"Hi there! I'm Sirius Bl-"

"Yes, fine. Come in and sit." Eliza cut the boy with the shoulder-length hair and cocky smile short and waved her hand to allow them entry. The sheepish boy behind him smiled gratefully and scurried in behind him. She continued with her previous note on the unlocking spell and almost threw her book down in annoyance when yet another boy appeared at the door. She glanced up at him and felt silly for her almost over-reaction as she took in the boy in front of her. He was tall with sandy blonde hair and he seemed exhausted. His face was dotted with scars and he was clutching a book in a similarly beaten up condition as Eliza's own.

"Sorry, would you mind if I sat in here? I can't find room anywhere else." His eyes were nervously glued to the floor and only darted up to look at each person individually before resting on the floor again. Everyone turned to look at the girl's face which had now softened greatly. She nodded gently and hummed her approval when he caught her eye, throwing him a kind smile before going back to her book.

The carriage soon filled with chatter and laughter as everyone got to know each other. Eliza mainly remained caught up in her book, as did the tired boy beside her until they began to take it in turns to visit the train bathrooms to change into their Hogwarts robes. When Eliza returned, the boy smiled at her and asked her about her book in a way that she knew he wasn't just being polite - he was genuinely interested in hearing about it.

~

Before long the five passengers found themselves getting off the train and seeing Hogwarts in person for the very first time.

A large man with a large beard greeted the passengers off the train and instructed first years to grab a partner and get into a boat. Eliza ended up in a boat with Sirius, while James and Remus boarded one together and the boy Eliza would come to know as the anxious Peter Pettigrew got into a boat with a girl who was trying and failing to make small talk with him.

Sirius was midway through his third pickup line of the boat ride when he was rendered speechless by the view before them. The golden lanterns strategically placed around the outside of Hogwarts castle and the Black Lake really conveyed how magical their destination would be. The castle loomed over them but the lights made it seem like they were travelling home from across a great sea. Every student fell silent in awe and could tell this place would soon feel like home.