Part Two: Trains and Ties

Much to Chrom's annoyance, the two of them are separated quickly by all of the adults in his life and possibly the older ones in Robin's. Potter looks mostly amused, lips quirked and eyes sparkling behind his glasses. Fredrick, Lissa under an arm, looks like he swallowed a lemon. The other boy looks practically like a twin to Robin, barring the extra centimeters of height and the clown smile. He hefts Robin up to his feet properly and gets a displeased scowl for his trouble. He only beams all the more. Then the boy turns to Chrom. He steps between Chrom and Robin deliberately, eyes glinting beneath the lids.

Chrom pretends it's not really weird for a kid his own age to do that and instead smiles at him. "Hi!"

Because that's what good, polite people do.

And to his surprise, the other holds out his hand. "Hi, I'm Henry, and that's my cousin you're manhandling over there." He giggles for some reason.

Robin groans. "Hen-"

Henry giggles again. "Yes, my dear other half is making friends without me! Not fair, Roro, not fair."

"I'm sure you can screen them just fine from behind me." There's amusement now, loud and clear and it's nice to hear.

"I'd rather not, thanks!" Henry's eyes flicker towards Emm, who has at this point rested her hand on Chrom's shoulder. It's soothing but he's not a baby he can talk to people. "We're in front of royalty. As well, cawesome as that is-" Robin groans and the woman behind them who had been eyeing Frederick like a sack of meat does the same. "I'd rather not have you tempt the wrath of her with your dashing good looks and friendly disposition."

Morgan makes a cawing sound from their spot and Lissa immediately reaches for them with eager swipes. Finally. Someone smaller than her.

Emm, just Emm, not the future Exalt of the Ylisse family (just one more year until she's out of reach forever and has to be so perfect and good it's inhuman like she isn't already), raises her hand to cover up her giggling. "I'm afraid I'm not quite so praiseworthy yet."

"We must prepare ourselves for the inevitable," the other woman says, holding back a sneer. "Come on now, we've found a good compartment." She eyes them all once more and Chrom suddenly wonders if he needs to duck. "Thank you, once again, Ylisse boy."

There's something so formal about the whole thing, so binding that Chrom wants to ask about it. Instead, however, Robin catches him with a disarming smile, scarred cheeks contorting a little. "See you later."

And they're gone, grouped around each other like wolves in a den.

"Those were the Plegia, then," Emm says. She straightens a little and looks at Chrom fully, green meeting blue. "Are you all right?"

I think I'm in love. Chrom doesn't say this, because it's undoubtedly mushy and nobody will believe him. (He's not even sure it's true.) Instead, he grins, flexes one arm like the muscle there is more pronounced. "Course!"

His sister smiles like a mother would, and hugs him close. Without hesitation, he hugs her back.

For a second, he sees the woman hand the child to Robin from up on the door. Then Lissa obscures his vision with her dress and Frederick's stiff but encouraging arm. His chest swells with gratitude and love.

And grief, so much grief.

Robin follows Henry down the unmoving train, Morgan babbling sweetly against his neck about the people they had seen, the Ylisse family, and all the things they were saying and doing that the child could see. He nods along to them. He smiles for them.

"You liked them, didn't you?" he says. They nod eagerly. "You want me to braid your hair so you can show them?"

"Yap!" Their hands flap a little like wings against his chest.

His heart hurts, so much.

Happiness is like a candle flame~

Don't be poetic.

Henry opens the door of the compartment and Robin's vision is immediately awash with green and tinkling sounds. Morgan squeaks at the sudden tight space but Robin doesn't stop the ensuing hug. He knows who it is and it makes him smile a real smile.

"Tiki," he says, voice warming like coals over a stoked fire.

Tiki smiles into his throat. "Yep. Welcome home."

"We haven't even arrived yet."

She giggles and pulls away, peering at Morgan now. "Hi again, sweetie!" When Morgan reaches out, Robin lets them go, eagerly, to the girl.

Tiki adores Morgan, knowing everything, possibly more than Robin does, about them. Tiki adores Robin too, but that may just be because they both live in defiance of what is and could be and what the elderly think is necessary.

Whatever the reasoning may be, they are friends, and by the gods, that is enough.

"Love me too, Tiki~" Henry chirrups and without hesitation, Tiki throws an arm around him too, and they're pulled inside with soft peals of laughter. Robin, hands-free, slides the compartment door closed and draws the curtains halfway.

They settle in for a few minutes and Henry, draping himself over Robin's legs, declares, "We met your fam-fam, Tiki."

"Really?" Tiki brushes her pink cloak down. "I've never met them but I suppose that would be inevitable, wouldn't it?"

"Lady Naga has always been a weary sort," Robin says to be polite and keep another pun from escaping Henry. Which was the polite way to put it really. Lady Naga, who had forged the Falchion, had always been leery of the humans she observed. The fact that Tiki was, over a thousand years after its inception, finally allowed to go to the school of the ancestors, was strange in and of itself.

Robin, that said, didn't want to push it. His friend was allowed outside, allowed to be around others without too much supervision. He didn't want to risk Naga's change of heart.

So he didn't. He settles beside them all as Tiki tells them of the latest place she had explored, the Highlands where the trees grew vast and deep. Morgan sucks their thumb.

Soon, the train begins to roll away.

"Slytherin," Tiki says immediately, looking at Robin with pride. "You love playing with stereotypes, and what's better than a Slytherpuff alliance?"

Robin laughs. "And what makes you so sure that you won't be in Slytherin?"

Tiki smiles a little more, leaning on him. "Everything," she says as Henry fishes out a new book. "Much as it would be nice to follow in Mar-Mar's footsteps, he'd probably be cross at me for making such a so-called important decision based on that alone."

"She's thinking hard," Robin says to Morgan, who lets out a tiny sound as if agreeing. Robin smooths down their hair. They'll perk up soon, he thinks, glancing at the two of them. Morgan's always been a sturdy child.

Tiki sweeps into a minor bow. "Of course! I have a reputation to uphold." She turns to Henry, eyes sparkling with some mirth. "Ravenclaw," she says with a proud nod.

Henry perks, perpetually smiling eyes softening at the edges. "You betcha! I intend to cawse all kinds of problems."

Robin rolls his eyes and Tiki laughs, clapping her hands. "I can't wait to see it, even if Ravenclaw has eagles." Morgan mimics her, earning more snickers about the compartment.

The trees and plains roll by and Robin feels his heart hurt from watching. A farmer boy's life would be long and laborious, but ultimately nature is the one with the dice. Not people. Sounds nice.

And morbid. No need to think of that. Grima scoffs at him in boredom. Robin brushes his coat and joins in the conversation with his friends.

Or at least, until the sweets trolley rolls by. Tiki has tried very little of it, so Robin watches her pounce on a Chocolate Frog with a familiar, nostalgic enthusiasm.

Not really, not as good.

It's true but they shouldn't say it.

If Hogwarts was like this, he would have some optimism.

Henry opens his mouth to spit out a green bean, sprouts probably, you could never sweeten sprouts, when there is a loud clatter outside their compartment, followed by a flash of dark blue hair.

All of them move, Robin, bringing Morgan close to his leg. They peep with enthusiasm at first but at the second rattling, their eyes narrow and they start to tremble. Robin glances at Tiki, who is already moving towards the door.

She opens it so fast it should have broken the glass. "Is everything all right out here?" For a moment, Robin does not hear Tiki, his soft, good friend who is afraid of catching butterflies and breaking their wings, but the familiar Voice of the Divine Dragon.

Without thinking, he places his hand over hers.

In Chrom's defense, he hadn't meant to cause Hogwarts Express anarchy. He hadn't intended to go into this causing problems.

However, James Sirius Potter was a, pardon his language, jackass, so Chrom could be forgiven for not taking his shit. (He learned that word from a house elf!)

Everything had started all fine and neato. Albus, a fellow first year, had stuck to him like glue, after nervously babbling at his own parents and family, the Potters (and he'd heard all of that fun stuff about how they were the other side of the coin to them, no parents where they had them, three siblings and so much love in a war that has never ended.) whatever fears he had, like Houses and loneliness and unity. Chrom wonders how that can be something to fear. It shapes your life for the next seven years, yes, and possibly beyond but it doesn't mean it's all bad, just that it's a change. But Albus is afraid of it, with a famous father and mother and a brother with a reputation and many many other things, his life is so weird and heavy.

So Chrom, being raised by a good family, sits with him and Rose Weasley in the compartment. She shoots him disgruntled looks and he never knows why. They don't get along, usually because his sister is his responsibility and he does it, unlike Rose with her brother. Maybe it's just because he's another boy and she feels outnumbered. Maybe it's because of the other boy in the room, Scorpius Malfoy and they're just in too close proximity.

It's not like anyone doesn't know who the Malfoys were and what they used to support. But it's not like he's his father who decimated most of a population of people for Dark Magic and it's not like Rose is her mother who has made sweeping Ministry strides and thought of nothing but bettering the world now that she was old enough but did it rude and wrong.

Scorpius shrinks in his seat the longer she looks and Chrom clears his throat, watching Albus watch them. "Okay, uh… is this really necessary?"

Albus blinks, fiddling with his neat shirt and his bag and watching Scorpius and Rose again. "What?"

Chrom waves his hands. "This. You all… twitching like this. Like we're gonna break some laws if we all hang out. It's Hogwarts, a giant school. We're in the same year and going to share classes. Wouldn't it be easier if we at least got along a little?"

Rose mutters something and Scorpius winces. Chrom squares his shoulders. He's not smart but he can debate with the best of them because if he can't cut people physically, there are many many other ways. "What, cause he's the son of an ex-death eater? Cause he's got some Slytherins in the family? Your mom always told me that was a load of unicorn dung… Not in those words," he amends at the sight of her narrowed stare.

Finally, she deflates, guilt flashing on her face so much like Sully when she got caught ripping her pants into shorts. (where is Sully anyway?) "You're right," she says slowly, measuring out each word. "I just… you've heard dad, you know… you think he's joking?"

"But you wonder," Albus mumbles half-heartedly, looking at his hands. "What if it's as bad as you think? What if we're all right and..." Chrom watched him screw up his face, features twisting like a swallowed lemon. Then he rose to his feet, strode to Scorpius, and held out his hand. "I'm Albus Potter, you're Scorpius Malfoy. Let's be friends."

It is one of those ineloquent statements that only could work coming out of a kid's mouth, but the idea of laughing at it dies in Chrom's throat at the sight of Scorpius' smile. And it's nice, really it is. He and Rose introduce themselves and for a while, Chrom is able to forget about the scarred up boy and the child in his lap and just focus on normal things.

Then, enter James Sirius Potter, who is both of his namesakes in spades.

Chrom isn't too fond of his family name's fame, but it does have a duty attached to it, a requirement to stand for what people think is right and good, for what needs to be done, rather than what is easy to do and get away with. James Sirius Potter, two years his senior, seems to think being a Potter means the world will turn your way and damn the things that disagree with it. And it's always been that way.

Chrom remembers being five and missing his father and watching James Potter tackle his own into a chair before his eyes, heedless of the fact that he'd been supposedly sleeping minutes before and that Chrom himself was still on the couch. He remembers James waving newspaper clippings at Emmeryn, remembers his high ten-year-old voice telling her that negotiating was for cowards and Slytherins and while not really knowing what it meant, still making his strong sister's breath hitch a little.

To be fair, he also remembers Sully kicking him in the butt and not so accidentally turning all of his hair into flowers. Gods, that was funny even now.

"What's going on little bro, cuz, blueberry?" His voice sounds as interested as Chrom feels and the drawl of it makes Chrom twitch for Falchion. And he knows that's bad, he's used it before and gotten in trouble when the noble adults tried to teach him hunting so he knows not to use it on people or animals (he's too young and that's bad, he knows, plus they're not at war anyway) but he wants to bash James' head with the bottom of the hilt and watch him fall back into a compartment door.

"Making friends," Albus replies, voice taking on that edge that sounds so much like Mrs. Weasley (Ginny, Mrs. Weasley is my mum kiddo, he hears in his head.) "What are you doing aside from being a wart?"

James laughs and Fred and Roxanne roll their eyes in that good-natured way of theirs that means there are no targets yet. But Chrom is prepared. "Just about to change. If I have to hear Victoire fuss us out of it one more year, I'm going to scream."

"Well you won't seeing as she's graduating," Rose replies, voice tart. "It'll be your one year of responsibility then off you go."

Chrom snorts. Victoire was one of his sister's best friends ever, and thus, he liked her, but she was also the teeniest bit of a mother hen. They all admittedly needed it but still, he'd never say that out loud.

James rolls his eyes at her, fully prepared to let it be for the moment (probably to go back to teasing Albus over not being a Gryffindor) but then the snigger Scorpius had been trying to restrain behind a polite hand burst out into a guffaw.

James' head turns, almost cracking, eyes narrow, mouth thin. Hates to be mocked, because Lissa once had covered his sweater in sick up and Chrom had made her face his way on purpose and he'd never really let it go.

Something in his shoulders seems to spike up further. "Oh," he says, the frown turning into a sneer. "It's the Malfoy boy."

Scorpius, unlike earlier, scowls. "It is," he says and he's trying to sound three years older than he is and Chrom can't help but feel bad because that never ever works. "Want to make something of it?"

James' sneer grows into a crooked grin. "Might," he says. "I thought you said you were making friends, not dooming yourself to Slytherin."

Albus gets to his feet, bony fists clenched. "Dad says it doesn't matter!"

"Dad was being nice." James waves his hand. "Come on Al, the cousins are looking for you."

Roxanne is rolling her eyes skyward and grabbing at James' arm, prepared to let him hear it.

Chrom moves between them. He's always been sturdier than Albus and James, comes from years of using weapons and running about getting into trouble. "I think it's none of your business." And his eyes are steel and street raged.

"Wasn't asking you," James said, using his extra centimeters to tower over him.

Chrom smiles and it's that smile that his family swears will be the death of him. "Wasn't giving a bloody hoot," he replies.

James' free hand goes to his pockets before anyone can say no and Chrom, like anyone with sense, ducks, and charges.

It's so worth it to see James clatter to the floor with that yelp of pain. He doesn't like that but he's so happy about it.

Unfortunately, he isn't fast enough to pin him, and now he has three wands pointed at his nose. Chrom would say something about playing fair, but considering he's a first year, this whole thing's not fair, to begin with.

"Is everything all right out here?"

Two doors down, a girl comes out, dressed in layers of silk, green ponytail swishing about over the strange circlet on her head, and she is so familiar and his brain can't remind him where-

And Robin is right behind her, Morgan on his hip and free hand over hers.

She seems to ignore him, standing tall and regal and examining them over Fred's shoulders. Then she spots Chrom. A small 'o' of surprise fills her face.

"Oh… cousin Chrom," she says and the o turns into a smile. "It's your first year too?"

Chrom blinks once, twice, then his eyes go wide.

"Tiki?"

And she laughs. "The one and only."

Okay, James Potter or not, this is going to be the best year ever.