Alanna followed Remus down the train nervously. She was so scared of starting at Hogwarts. She didn't know what to expect, given that her entire family were Muggles. She just had to trust that Hogwarts was where she belonged.
"This one's free," Remus said as he slid open a compartment door. Alanna peeked in and saw that he was telling the truth. The compartment was void of any students.
Remus sat down. He gestured for Alanna to sit. She closed the compartment door and sat down opposite him. The two sat there in awkward silence for a few minutes, unsure of what to talk about.
"So you're a Muggle-born?" Remus asked, trying to make conversation. Alanna shrugged.
"My whole family are what you call Muggles. If that means I'm a Muggle-born, then yes. I most certainly am."
Remus chuckled. "I'm a half-blood." Alanna frowned in confusion. "It means that one of my parents is of magical blood, and the other is just a normal Muggle."
Alanna nodded as she caught on. "Right, and the term 'half-blood' would be because you have half of the magical blood, right?"
Remus nodded with a smile, happy that she was catching on quickly. "Yeah!"
"So what are people called who have two magical parents? Full-bloods?"
Remus smiled. "No, they're called pure-bloods. But you were close."
Alanna grinned. Remus smiled in return.
Their conversation was interrupted when a knock sounded on the compartment door. Looking up, Remus and Alanna saw a young, chubby boy standing there. He pointed at the spot beside Remus, silently asking entry. Remus looked to Alanna for permission. Alanna shrugged in response. Remus smiled as he stood up and opened the door for the boy.
"Hello," Remus greeted him. The boy scurried in like a rat and sat down beside the window.
"Hi," he squeaked.
"I'm Remus Lupin," Remus introduced. "And this is Alanna ... Alanna ..."
"Alanna Harpshire," Alanna introduced. She extended her arm towards the boy. "Pleased to meet you."
"P-Peter Pettigrew," the boy introduced. He took Alanna's outstretched arm and shook it lightly before dropping it. Remus returned to his seat after closing the door over.
"Nice to meet you, Peter," Remus smiled brightly. He seemed happy to have gained another friend in the space of two hours or so.
Remus and Alanna continued their conversation on blood types while Peter chipped in occassionally, but clearly preferred to listen. He didn't seem the type to talk much.
"What are you, Peter?" Alanna asked suddenly, trying to include their newest friend into the conversation. "Blood-wise, I mean. Are you a Muggle-born?"
Peter shook his head. "No, I'm a pure-blood."
Alanna nodded with a frown. She bit her lip as she glanced at Remus quickly. Before Peter had joined them, Remus and Alanna had been discussing how some pure-bloods liked to think they were superior because of their pure bloodline. Alanna thought it was outrageous to act like that, but she knew she couldn't exactly just change everybody's beliefs in the blink of an eye.
Another knock on the door brought Alanna from her clouded mind. She glanced up and groaned internally when she saw two smirking boys standing there.
Remus stood up to allow them into the compartment but Alanna grabbed the back of his jumper. Remus turned around as Alanna stood up.
"I'll handle this."
Remus gave her a pointed look.
"Don't give me that look, Remus! Do you really want the likes of these two terrorising us in here?"
Remus glanced at the two still smirking boys and then looked back to Alanna with a pleading look on her face. Alanna crossed her arms and rose a brow.
"Are you serious?"
"No, I am!"
Alanna's jaw dropped as the two rude boys invited themselves into the compartment. The boy with shaggy black hair and round-rimmed glasses took one of the spare seats beside Alanna. The other boy who had long black hair turned and outstretched his arm to Alanna.
"Sirius Black, pleased to make your acquaintance," he introduced. Alanna glared at him.
"I don't like you already," she muttered.
"Ouch," Sirius hissed. "That hurt."
"Good," Alanna huffed as she returned to her seat. Sirius sat down between her and the black-haired boy, who was watching his friend in clear amusement.
"James Potter," the boy introduced. Alanna ignored his extended hand and instead turned to watch the passing students in the train corridor.
"Alright, then." James retracted his hand and looked to Remus. "You are?"
"Remus Lupin," Remus introduced. "And this is Peter Pettigrew, and that's Alanna Harpshire."
Alanna took a deep breath before she turned to James and Sirius.
"Look, if you're going to cause trouble, I'd suggest you leave now," she said quickly. "I'm not exactly in the mood to put up with any crap from anyone."
Remus' eyes widened. He'd never seen Alanna in such a furious state. It was quite surprising to say the least. He turned to Peter, who's eyes had widened in surprise as well. Neither boy expected this from the quiet, almost shy Alanna they had witnessed ten minutes ago.
"Fiesty," Sirius grinned. "I like that in a girl."
Alanna scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Please."
"Honey, if we wanted to cause chaos, we would've done it by now," James said girlishly. He pretended to flip his hair while Sirius chortled at his friend.
"You're such a douche, James," he sniggered.
"Oh yeah? Let's see you do a better hair flip, then. Go on," James challenged. Sirius rolled his eyes.
"Dude, I have way longer hair than you. I'm totally gonna win this competition."
James folded his arms, strongly believing that he had the better hair flip. Alanna rolled her eyes as she turned to watch the two childish boys. Sirius flipped his long hair over his shoulder. Peter began clapping enthusiastically. When nobody else joined in but instead stared at the boy, the clapping slowly faded to an end and he lowered his hands. He settled them in his lap.
"Sorry," he murmured. "I thought it was amazing."
Sirius turned to James with a cheeky grin. James turned around in his seat, facing the window, much to Sirius' delight.
"Oh, come on, Jamesie," he cooed like a mother to her child. "I promise I'll let you win the next competition we have. Forgive me?"
James smirked as he turned around. He grabbed Sirius head and cried loudly.
"Of course I forgive you, darling! You are the love of my life!"
That said, the two made disgusting kissing noises. Alanna turned away to let them have her moment.
What nobody seemed to realise was she was actually trying to conceal her amused smile.