Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Remus ran a sweaty hand through his sandy hair, making sure that his eyes were seeing what they should be. His entire body was shaking and sweaty, he was sure, but in this case, he was glad.

"And make sure to write, Remus, darling, and–" His mother fussed, stroking his shoulder. He voice lowered. "– and don't tell anyone… that, please?"

Remus couldn't really hear her, his voice was gone, somewhere with his brain, it seemed, as he nodded continuously.

There was a boy with untidy black hair zooming around the place, and a small pudgy boy with a blonde pudding bowl haircut who was clutching onto his trunk.

Remus only had a brown and battered trunk with a peeling gold clasp on its side, the key to it in his pocket. He fumbled with his hands as his mother seemed to drone on.

"Okay. I think that's all. Now, Remus, darling, just run straight to that barrier, okay, sweetheart?" She said softly, and Remus swallowed.

He wasn't used to people telling him that something was easy. And to him – and in this case his father, too – running through a solid brick wall was not easy and definitely confusing.

His father gave him a yielding push on the back.

The trolley seemed to slip in his hands as his heart deflated.

Okay, this is probably so easy that you just don't understand it. Just run. Remus recited in his head. His eyes flickered up to the red barrier with the sign 9 and 10.

His feet were walking on their own now. Run.

He was carrying speed and his eyes were closed tightly. Run.

He feet were thundering and slipping on the cobblestone. Run.

He was running for a considerably long time now. Run.

Either he was already on the other part of the barrier, or he was simply –

"Son, you're way too far left!"

"Where to you think you're going?" Stop.

Remus' eyes snapped open and his feet slapped the tile as he stopped, the trolley whirling uncontrollably. Some uniformed guide was staring gruffly down at him. He grinned sheepishly.

Remus turned around and faced his father's rather amused face and his mother's worried one. She hurried forward and grasped his arm.

"Goodness, Remus, that's barrier twenty-four, where do you think you were running?"

"I didn't – I mean, no…"

"First time's never a charm, try it again." She instructed, firmly steering him directly in front of the barrier.

"A clear field." His father muttered approvingly, and Remus nodded.

He was running, running, his eyes wouldn't shut – he couldn't turn back now – it was –

Lurch.

Like he was splashing through a humid yet cold air and his feet on a rainy tile, his head was compressed basically farther into the middle until everything let go when he reached the other end.

Smoke was clouding his vision first, with lots of screaming and shrieking coming from the kids and parents in cloaks around him joining in second.

"Five minutes, ma'am, so get a compartment now… There, there, Stevens, your Mother said you can come with me… Get your toad." A young and pimply guide said slowly, shoving a kid up the train's stairs.

"Don't wreak any more havoc, James, or we'll bring you home!"

"A knack for troublemaking is natural, just let him–"

Remus overheard several parents waving firm fingers at their children and then ushering them up the stairs.

Soon, with five minutes left to go glimmering on the clock above the 9 ¾ sign above, the train's stairs were crowded and Remus was one of the last to go onto the train.

If there was one thing he could hate more, it was being social to strangers. And unfortunately, most of the compartments were full, and Remus didn't really want to join anyone. He wondered if it would be okay to just join the driver in the front…?

"Find a spot, dear, the train will start any minute now…" A plump voice gently advised Remus, and pointed kindly toward the compartments. "You can join one of the other students, I'm sure they won't mind."

Remus was only left with the option to yank open the nearest compartment and find himself facing three boys talking loudly.

All three pairs of eyes fell onto his face, and Remus felt his cheeks growing hot.

"Oh, um – the other compartments are full, er, would you mind?" Remus gestured awkwardly, pointing halfheartedly toward the one empty seat.

One of the black-haired ones turned to face a boy with long sleek hair and shrugged.

"Sure." He mumbled, and Remus sheepishly sat down in the extra seat.

The compartment was quiet and awkward while the four sat there. Remus wished that he was still outside of the train. The warning whistle sounded and one of the black-haired boys looked at his hands uncomfortably.

The boy Remus was sitting next to – the blonde-haired and pudgy boy – was staring intently at him.

"I'm Peter Pettigrew." He said brightly, bringing watery blue eyes to his. Remus nodded.

"And who are you?" Some deep and strong voice asked in Remus' direction, and he turned to face the dark haired boy with black and sleek hair.

"Oh, sorry. Remus Lupin." He held out his hand, and the boy took it reluctantly.

"Sirius Black." He muttered, and then resumed looking at his hands.

"James Potter." The last boy said lastly, holding out his hand and shaking Remus'.

"You are a muggleborn, Remus?" The Peter-boy asked kindly.

"No. I'm half-blood. What about you?" Remus answered quietly.

The untidy-black-haired boy interjected a little rudely.

"Pureblood. And Sirius here too. I guess you are too, Pete?" James cut across, Sirius nodding absentmindedly, and then Peter nodded too.

"You guys don't mind, do you?" Remus asked carefully.

"Care about what?" Sirius finally asked.

"That I'm half-blood."

Sirius snorted. "Remas–"

"Remus." He corrected shortly.

"Remus–" He emphasized, a little irritated. "I wouldn't care if you were muggleborn. Don't put a label on someone 'cos of their blood." He said firmly, and Remus nodded quickly. He was a little intimidated of Sirius. It wasn't that he was large and bully-like, but everyone including Sirius seemed very different than Remus. He felt that after this compartment meeting Remus would never talk to them again and just be friendless.

"So… anybody in here play Quidditch?" James began eagerly, looking as though he was simply bursting to say this.

Sirius nodded a little, and James immediately immersed him in conversation.

Peter turned to Remus, but then the door in the compartment opened.

"Anything from the sweet cart, dears?" The plump witch that had told Remus to find a compartment asked kindly, and Sirius and James sprang forward, Peter looking very hungrily at the cart.

"Mum told me to cut back. Besides, I don't have any pocket money."

James tossed Peter two knuts and stuffed a cauldron cake into his mouth. Sirius meanwhile, was sucking on a licorice wand.

"What about you Remus? No money?" Sirius asked.

Remus shook his head, patting his pocket to indicate that he had money with him.

"Ah. What, Mum forbid you to eat sweets or something?"

"No. I'm just not much of a sweet tooth." Remus said quietly, and heard James choke momentarily on his pumpkin pasty.

"Remus? You don't like candy?"

"Well, I like chocolate. My mum brings me Honeydukes chocolate bars for my birthday every year." Remus said hurriedly as Peter stared at him with shock.

James and Sirius exchanged looks, and Remus knew that these people wouldn't be friends with him or probably ever talk to him after today.

"So Remus… What do you like to do?" Peter asked as the lamps went on in the train hall and the mountains they were passing were soon casting big shadows on the fields.

"Oh. Um, read, mostly."

Sirius rolled his eyes on the seat across from him.

"What a surprise." He muttered under his breath. Remus blushed and looked down at his knees.

"I think I'll change into my Hogwarts robes." He murmured embarrassedly and hastily got out of the compartment.

After he got his robes on in the tiny train-bathroom they had, he hung back at the compartment door as he heard them talking.

"–Remus. Honestly, Sirius."

"C'mon, James, the guy barely talks."

"You could be a bit nicer to him."

"Don't tell me what to do. Remus is a – weird person. He's just not very me. Or you. We don't really get along.

"Well, you don't really try–"

Remus slid the compartment door open at the moment he heard James' irritated voice, and James went silent at once.

Sirius blushed. He seemed to have sensed that Remus had been listening, looking at his shoes.

"So…" He mumbled. "What do you read, Remus?" Sirius asked awkwardly, meeting his eyes hesitantly.

"Textbooks. Poetry. Other stuff." He said quietly, and looked at Sirius' curtained hair.

"Yeah. I like Quidditch." Remus could sense that Sirius was actually trying to make an effort, and gave a faint smile in his direction.

And after that moment, Sirius and Remus were compromising mutely to be friends, maybe friends better than everybody else.

Sometime.

AN: There will be more chapters. R&R. Plenty of more chapters.

PLEASE REVIEW MY OTHER RL/SB ONESHOTS BECAUSE IF YOU ARE READING THIS YOU ARE OBVIOUSLY A RL/SB SHIPPER. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!!!

Love,

Julia :D ;O :P