moon cycles and raven feathers [r. lupin]

| 5 |

september 1st, 1976

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"i don't think there's every been an american transfer student at hogwarts before."
"why are you transferring?"
"are you already sorted? what house are you in?"
"are you on the run from the law?"

cath had expected people to ask her questions, but she hadn't expected them so early or so eager, or just from one person and she most certainly wasn't expecting to be asked if she was a criminal fugitive.

"no, i'm not on the run from the law? why would i be? no, better question, why would i decide to go through the work if transferring schools if i was on the run from the law? wouldn't that leave like a paper trail or something?" she said to the two boys she had met on the platform as they got ready to board the train.
"ok, good point but-"
the boy she had learned was named sirius cut his friend off, "sorry about him, love"
"sorry about him, love" james mocked, "but really, what about my other questions? the non criminal ones? hmm?"
cath made a mental note that this 'james potter' was pushy, and a little annoying, and after noticing sirius' sly grins she decided that she could bet money on this boy being a massive flirt.
"my father got a job with the ministry, he's a foreign emissary or something, that's why i'm transferring, and i have been sorted, i'm a gryffindor. i think that how you pronounce it." she paused "does that answer all of your 'non criminal' questions?"
"ye-"
cath cut him off "oh, and my name's catherine or cath i guess, you know, since you hadn't bothered asking."
"got it. cath. sorry about that."
"you said you were a gryffindor?" sirius has cut in finally after simply watching cath quickly realize that james could be a bit... much.
"yeah, red and gold, and like lions and stuff, right? honestly i really didn't look into the houses too much."
"that's the worst description of gryffindor. ever. isn't it pads?" james said bluntly, his use of a nickname confused cath but she quickly forgot that when sirius and james launched into a rant about how great the gryffindor house is. the word valor was thrown around more times than she could count and there was an absurd amount of impassioned hand movement.
"so i take it you're both gryffindors?" cath asked, cutting the boys off in the middle of their impromptu speech.
"that's right. and proud gryffindors at that!" james beamed.

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by this point the three students had began to actually board the train to hogwarts, so while james continued him ramblings about america and gryffindors and while sirius made a sly comment or two about american girls and their 'sweet american arses' cath casually searched for an empty compartment. the two boys must've noticed her searching at some point because it didn't take them long to ask cath to just come to their compartment, presumably so they could show off their new american pet and so they could continue her seeming endless joint interrogation/lecture.

cath, of course, realized that if she hadn't been new, and american, and scared of platform 9 3/4 she would still be searching for a compartment to occupy. in a way, her father had been right about her being exotic and exciting. though she did still have trouble thinking of salem as exotic she was beginning to see the perks of being the new girl.

previously lost in thought and not all too interested in their current conversation, cath only started fully paying attention to the boys again when two others joined the compartment. one of them was tall with sandy brown hair and odd scaring while the other was significantly shorter, more plump, and more seemingly uncomfortable that she was in their compartment. cath couldn't quite figure out from the look in his eye if he was uncomfortable because she was new or because she was a girl though.
"this-" james gesturing to her dramaticly "-is cath! she's american!!" cath smiled at the new boys, who introduced themselves as remus and peter respectively as they sat down.
"say something!!" james urged her "she has the accent and everything!" he said to the boys.
cath laughed at his excitement "hello" she said with another smile. the boys seemed just as mildly amused as sirius did with her accent but no where near as ecstatic as james. "oh come on! is this not exciting to you? she's new! she's american! she sounds weir-... erm... american!!" cath laughed once again at his fascination with her nationality.
"you know being an american isn't that interesting, right? and my accent isn't that strong, i don't know what's so amusing about it"
"trust me love, it's strong alright." sirius chimed in "see! pads gets it! moony, wormtail, why aren't you more excited about this?" james looked at the two boys but started talking again before they could answer "and, best part, she's a gryffindor!"

a light bulb seemed to go off over the tallest boy, remus', head when james said that she was a gryffindor, "ah, so she'll probably end up being friends with lily? think she'll put in a good word for you even though all you've done is talk about her accent?" "bloody hell prongs, you can't just talk to a new girl so she puts in a good word with evans!" sirius said hitting james on the arm. james pretended to be hurt "i am shocked and appalled that any of you would ever imply that i would do something just to impress lily! i hadn't even thought of that, but-" james grinned in cath's direction and leaned in  "-would you be keen on putting in a good word catherine? trust me, it's for a great cause!" remus and sirius  pulled james back "it's really not" said remus.

cath laughed at the boys antics for the rest of the train ride, occasionally interjecting just to have her accent commented on which was more amusing and less irritating than she thought it would be. she wasn't sure if she should believe that james didn't have an ulterior motive for inviting her to join his friends but she honestly didn't mind, she was just happy to have a compartment to ride in. it didn't matter to her if she had made life long friends or not, but, as the train approached hogwarts she did find herself hoping that their conversations would exist outside of the hogwarts express though, after all they would be in the same house.

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maybe that necktie would be good for something, cath figured that a little house pride might do her good.