Platform ¾'s was brimming with a motley group of witches and wizards with their children in tow. The most eyecatching sight would've been the crimson steam-engine, proud and bright, and humming with occasional bursts of sound and smoke. Voices of tearful goodbyes rang through the air - mingling with the heavy footsteps of those who were just a tad bit late.
"All right, children."
"This is your first year here, and we've talked it over. You know what to expect and that we're very proud of you both," said a heavy voice, proud and cheerful, coming from a tall and lean man with emerald eyes concealed by a pair of wire-famed glasses. On Harry's arm was his wife, Ginny, and infront of the pair were their children, James Sirius Potter, and Lily Molly Potter.
The twins looked to their parents with expressions of apprehension and excitement, and Harry was swept away by how much older they looked. It must've been the dim light.
James had grown into a lanky boy with knobby knees and a goofy smile. With his windswept hair and large, emerald eyes, he was the spitting image of his father with the button-like nose of Ginny. The most noticable difference between father and son was the lack of eye-wear. Like his mother and sister - glasses were an unneccessary accessory.
Lily, too, had grown to be tall and thin, her auburn hair curling near her elbows. Her fringe, which often fell into her equally bright eyes, was pulled back with a red barrette - though small strands had stubbornly escaped and rested on her eyebrows. Upon her cheeks and nose were the freckles of the Weasley nature, and most of her features - mouth, nose, chin - were similar to the ones residing on Ginny's face.
The pair blinked at their parents for a moment, offered several hugs and kisses, and turned to leave, heading towards the rumbling machine. Lily had just boarded, with James behind her, when their father yelled to them, his hand in the air to gather their attention. "Have fun and listen to your professors!"
An uneasy silence hung in the air for a brief moment before James, looking confused, shouted back, "At the same time?"
"So, are we just to enter any compartment that we please?" James questioned his sister, dragging his trunk behind himself and trying to avoid running into Lily's. The corridor in the train was uncomfortably tight, especially since numerous students were attempting to squeeze past the first years, looking disdainfully down at them.
"That's the idea," she responded, brushing back a curl. "Though I suppose we're to avoid any that have especially older students, or Slytherins, for that matter."
James nodded his agreement, and finally came to one that looked empty. Slowly, he slid back the glass-paneled door, and entered without grievances. Lily, who had obliviously continued to walk ahead, didn't realize that no one was behind her.
"I expect the train ride to be a few hours at the least. Mum said that we wouldn't arrive to Hogwarts until dinner, and that certainly implies a lengthy journey, now doesn't it?" She offered a burst of laughter, then paused mid-step. "Oh, look here. There's only one boy in this one." Lily took her twin's silence to be reluctant concurrence, and slid open the door.
At her entrance, the boy in question whom was seated at the window, looked at her curiously, his grey eyes slightly narrowed. He looked quite proper, straight and prim, and looked at her appraisingly. Lily instantly didn't like the feeling, the feeling of being judged. She continued to stare, at a lose for words. She only moved when he interrupted her thoughts, a slow drawl escaping from his mouth, "Might I help you?"
"We'd like to sit here, please," she said, clutching onto the handle of her trunk with sweating hands. She felt dreadfully intimidated - this boy held an aura of being very important, and very aware of his good-looks that were so evident even though he seemed to be Lily's age.
A smirk instantly displayed itself upon his features, and with a cocked head, he said, "We?"
Lily was starting to feel annoyed, and, as if stating the complete obvious, retorted, "My twin and I."
"I'm not sure you're aware," he said, leaning back into the cushions of his seat. "But we are alone. If you do, in fact, have a twin, you must have lost her."
"James is a boy," she snarled, and looked over her shoulder, completely surprised that she was, as this boy said, alone.
Meanwhile, a young boy with raven hair sat alone in a compartment, more annoyed than confused. He had stubbornly figured that his sister had cast some sort of spell that had either made her invisable or made her disappear completely. The fact that she could have been swept off in the crowd simply didn't occur to this boy, who furiously cast his gaze to the window.
Slowly, the door slid open, and James whipped around. "Oooh," he said, his arms crossed. "Came crawling back, have you?"
"Well," laughed the intruder, drawing his form into the compartment. "I did miss you since you last came over, which was, when? Last Tuesday? But I don't think 'crawling back' is exactly fitting."
James grinned, his features relaxing as he regarded his friend cooly. "Sorry, Nate, thought you were Lily."
"Ah," replied James' fellow first year, dropping into the seat opposite James. Nate was a good friend of Lily's, and James' right hand man. Incidentally, he was one of Ron and Hermione's children. He was the first to attend Hogwarts however, and was excited at the prospect. Brian, Danny, Julianna (Jules) and Anna Grace stayed home, and were not too pleased about it.
Taking a heavy breath, Nate glanced around easily, his eyebrow raised. "Where did Lily go off to, anyway?"
"Couldn't tell you," he replied, placing a hand in his unruly hair. "She was infront of me, then poof. I'm sure she'll turn up."
Nate shrugged in response, then drew a box of Bernie Bott's Every Flavour Beans and rattled it ominously. "Interested?"
"Are you going to sit here the whole trip?" sneered the boy, his arms folded across his chest.
"Yes. Do you mind terribly?"
"I suppose not," he replied, though diverted his attention towards the window, carefully avoiding her gaze. Lily was quite content with that, and followed his gaze towards the scenery. They sat in easy silence for a long time, the only sound being their light breathing, until it was interrupted by an announcement coming from above:
"Would all students please take the time to secure all possessions and dress in their uniforms and robes. The Hogwarts Express is nearing Hogsmeade's Station."
The pair jumped up, rifled through their trunks, and left together towards the end of the corridor, where there were bathrooms and changing stalls available. Lily took her time dressing - carefully attending to her Hogwart's tie (as she had no House one, yet) and smoothing out the wrinkles in her robes. She could hear her friend's stall door bang open, announcing he was finished, and since she could hear no departing footsteps, she assumed he was waiting for her. Cheered, she finished up quickly, and ran her fingers through her hair with one hand while pushing open the door with the other.
"Would all students please take the time to secure all possessions and dress in their uniforms and robes. The Hogwarts Express is nearing Hogsmeade's Station."
James looked up to the speaker that announced this, then moved towards his trunk to grab for his robes and uniform (which his mother had folded, sitting on the top of his possessions). He looked to Nate, who was waiting, and the two of them left for the changing stalls down the corridor. There was only one stall availabe, so James motioned for Nate to step in, while James merely waited for one of the other two to open up. He certainly didn't have to wait long, as one with a very blonde boy stepped out. He didn't leave, lingering behind, which James took to mean he was waiting for a friend.
Moving towards the stall, James inclined his head to the boy, but only received a sneer for his effort. Blinking, he entered the stall, closing it behind him as he heard the one to the right open, and then two pairs of departing feet.
'He'll be sorted into Slytherin - that's obvious', James thought to himself, shrugging off his t-shirt.
A/N - Please review and let me know what you think!
A Legend Continued by Meryl Montgomery
Chapter Notes: Disclaimer - Everything belongs to J. K. The only thing that is mine is this keyboard.