Bedknobs and Broomsticks [HP fanfic; BNB Book 1]

Homeward Bound

Emilie peered around Geoff into the compartment he had stopped outside, then jerked her hand from his and folded her arms across her chest. He looked around to see her frowning at him.

"No," she said flatly. "Absolutely not."

He dropped his hand from the door's handle. "Emilie, there's nowhere else. All the other compartments are full."

"I don't care. I am not riding all the way back to London in a compartment with with Sirius Black."

"He'll behave himself, I promise." Geoff grabbed hold of her arm with one hand, pulling the compartment door open and drawing her in behind him.

Sirius, still laughing from whatever joke he had made, turned to see who had entered. The grin on his face evaporated instantly. He frowned at Geoff as Emilie seated herself across from him, her arms folded firmly across her chest.

"Be nice," Geoff said as Sirius opened his mouth. "If you behave, so will she."

"Behave?" Sirius lept to his feet, groping in his robes pocket for a wand. "Don't you order me around like a dog--"

"Sirius, sit."

Sirius turned, wand raised, to see Remus hadn't bothered to look up from his newspaper. He struggled for a moment, the wand in his fist trembling with rage, and finally dropped himself back onto his seat, thrusting his wand back into his pocket and scowling.

"We can all put up with each other for seven hours, can't we?" Geoff asked, sitting beside Emilie and putting an arm around her shoulders, ignoring the dark frown she shot at him.

"Personally, I'd rather choke down a dozen Cockroach Clusters than be stuck with that in a train compartment for seven hours," Sirius said. "Or maybe chew off my own leg."

"Believe me, the feeling's mutual," Emilie said. She settled back into the seat, looking sullen.

"It's nice heading home to a family that loves you, isn't it, Moony?" Sirius asked, tossing his head to knock his dark hair out of his face.

Remus ignored him and turned another page of his newspaper.

"Not that I would know," Sirius went on, "seeing as my family never loved me. But then, I guess I just wasn't cut out for killing half-bloods and Muggle-borns."

Geoff felt Emilie shift in the seat beside him. "Lay off, Sirius," he said. "We all know how you think. There's no reason to--"

"I didn't say anything about her," Sirius interrupted. "I was talking about my family. If she wants to think I'm accusing her parents of being Death Eaters, that's her business. It isn't my fault if she's offended."

"Yes, it is your fault, and--"

"Drop it, Geoff," Emilie said, shaking off his arm and standing. "I'll just find another compartment. It's fine," she added, looking at him as he caught her by the wrist. "Really." She left the compartment, making a rude hand gesture back at Sirius through the window before disappearing down the train's corridor.

"Brilliant," Geoff said, shooting another frown at Sirius as he stood to follow Emilie out.

"Excellent. Now we don't have to hear her banshee voice whining any more."

Geoff rolled his eyes, considered mimicking Emilie's hand gesture but thought better of it, and left the compartment without saying anything further. He looked down the corridor after Emilie, but it was empty; she had already disappeared into another compartment. He set off down the corridor, glancing in each compartment he passed. Halfway down the train car, he found her sitting in a compartment obviously complaining to Snape, who didn't seem to be taking much interest in what she was saying, his eyes fixed on the passing countryside. Kurt was seated across from them looking mildly irritated, Mariah curled up at his side, asleep.