Friendship is when you love someone with every ounce of your being and genuinely want them to be happy even if it means sacrificing something your self to make them happy. A true friend is someone you can talk to about your feelings, someone you can tell things you could never tell your family or even your partner. They are someone who you don't have to talk to but someone you want to talk to; someone you will go out of your way to be with. Friendship is when you love someone so much you want to hold them and never let go, someone you want to rest your head on and cry, and you would let them cry on you too. It's someone you can talk to about things you disagree on and end up being closer for that disagreement. It's when you think about someone and how close you are to them and how much you love them and you smile and are happy all over.
Friendship is when your love for someone exceeds your need for them.
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10:47 am, 1st September, 1971
The small girl looked around the stunning platform in a daze. A complete daze.
Nothing. Nothing could have possibly prepared her for this.
She'd heard so many stories of adventure, mischief, and magic but now it was all coming true.
The regular, slightly faded, red brick floor guided her away from the platform entrance. Slowly, placing one foot in front of the other like a toddler learning to walk, she neared the train.
The Hogwarts Express.
Almost with an atmosphere of proudness, the scarlet train stood with steam rolling over the top and dozens of trunks being loaded aboard it.
"Darling, please slow down." Her mother's voice pleaded from beside her as they struggled through the dense knit crowd.
"Harper!"
She stopped, suddenly recognising the stern voice of her mother. Slowly now, the girl turned around and looked up.
Her mother stood above her, with her dark black hair tucked tightly into a bun that perched on the top of her head. Elizabeth Brooke had an aura of grace about her like no other. The woman moved as if she floated. Her long, layered, emerald dress that matched the shade of her narrow eyes, floated down to her ankles and only added to this impression of flying. As she stepped forward, her pristine, coal-coloured leather boots tapped against the hard flooring. When she raised her hand to hold her daughters cheek, a small, unusual smile grew on her porcelain face. The corners of her cherry lips curled upward ever so slightly, causing the corners of her eyes to crease - the only sign of age that befell her face. It was unnatural for a woman of her character to show any sign of warmth towards others.
Harper Brooke, on the other hand, was a completely different story. Whilst she had the same figure of her mother, ever so tall and slim, that was the only apparent similarity between the two. Her tanned skin glowed under the warm light of the platform. Long, wild hair cascaded down her body, ending just at her waist. The girl's hair was just darker than her skin, but even darker still were her large, round, deep brown eyes.
"Listen... I know you don't see things the same way I do but you have to listen. The mud-muggle borns here," Elizabeth leant forward ever so slightly and lowered her voice, glancing around the room. "They're not right... Just, please stay away. For my own sake, I can't have you associating with them and dirtying our name." She held out her hand to take the girl's arm.
"Our name? I don't want anything to do with the selfish, disgusting legacy you think you've built. If dad were here... If he was here I wouldn't have to listen. He'd agree." Harper hit back as she pulled herself from her mother's grasp.
"Your father isn't here. We both know why and I won't listen to you talk about him." Harper's mother hissed, desperate for her daughter to stay.
"He isn't here because your family scared him away. Your family not only ruined his life but mine too." She spat, before sliding away from her mother and deeper into the crowd.
Words couldn't explain the amount of adrenaline that rushed through her veins. Harper had only stood up to her mother twice before but now she was leaving home until Christmas there was no hiding her true feelings.
Suddenly a loud whistle pierced the air, reminding Harper that she needed to actually board the train.
Quickly, she clambered aboard, hoping to find an empty compartment to sit in.
As she slowly travelled down the train, eyeing the compartments filled with weathered benches and wide, open windows. Each one was full of groups of friends, already laughing and smiling - everyone looking forward to their time at Hogwarts.
Somewhere near the back of the carriage Harper found a single, empty compartment.
The engine of the train burst to life with a road, causing the floor to vibrate under her feet ever so slightly. With a small sigh she pulled the door shut behind her and collapsed onto the fabric-coated bench.
It wasn't long until the train pulled out of the heart of the city of London, revealing sprawling countryside, laced with green and blue, as far as the eye could see. Harper sunk down in her seat, resting her feet on the edge of the bench opposite and leaning her head against the window.
Finally. She was free from home.
Before her mind could drift away in a daydream-like-trance there was a small knocking noise. At first she thought nothing of it. The knock most likely wasn't on the door of her compartment, after all it had been barely audible. Before the thought was completely pushed from her mind it happened again. Another knock.
Squinting her eyes, Harper turned to see and equally tall, skinny boy stood on the other side of the scratched glass door. She flashed him a small smile and pushed herself upwards.
Returning her smile, the boy pulled the door partly open.
"May... May I come in?" He asked nervously, clutching a tattered black book to his chest.
"Sure, of course!" She exclaimed as an even wider smile grew on his face.
"Thanks." He muttered, pulling the door closed behind him before shuffling over to sit down opposite her.
She finally had the opportunity to look at the boy who had joined her. His short, brown hair was scruffy and threatening to fall down into his eyes. The boy wore a long grey sweater that had threads falling out of it all over and his brown boots looked like they were five steps away from falling apart.
But it was his face that drew her in. His cheeks and forehead had scars over them that couldn't have been more than a few months old. But those scars layered over even older scars which layered over even older ones. As her eyes skimmed over his face he pursed his lips, keeping his eyes glued to the floor. But that didn't stop her, she watched his deep green eyes rapidly moving from one point on the floor to another in a state of anxiety.
"I'm Harper Brooke, it's lovely to meet you." She held out her hand to him with a warm smile plastered on her face.
The boy looked up with an undeniable expression of confusion and shock. Almost as if nobody had ever shown him an act of friendship.
"Oh... I-I'm Remus." He started, "Sorry, Remus Lupin." He corrected with a sheepish grin, extending his own hand to shake hers.
Harper sunk back down in her seat, once again extending her legs to rest on the bench opposite.
"What book is that?" She asked curiously as Remus flicked through the coffee-coloured pages.
"It's my dad's copy of Hogwarts: A History." He explained, closing the book and placing it down on his lap.
"You can read if you want, I don't mind." She shrugged.
"It's okay, I'd quite like to get to know you better... Maybe, we could be friends?" He ran his hand through his hair nervously, "I don't know anyone here."
"Me neither, don't worry." Their eyes connected and they both smiled.
A peaceful silence fell over the compartment for what can only have been a second before the compartment door flew open, nearly shattering the glass in its frame.
"I'm joining you."
The boy entered and flung himself onto the seat beside Harper. His shaggy, black hair fell over his face as he let out a long breath.
"And you are?" Harper raised an eyebrow at the boy.
"Sirius Black." He pushed his hair out of his face and folded his arms.
"Harper Brooke." She nodded at him.
"Remus Lupin." Remus piped up.
"I know I probably intimidate you because I'm so cool but-" Sirius turned his attention from Remus to Harper and his words stopped tumbling from his mouth.
The boy had dazzling grey eyes that skimmed over Harper's features. His face was strongly defined yet his hair could not have fallen looser. Sirius' faded blue shirt was half tucked into his torn jeans and he smelt strongly of mint.
Before anyone had a chance to resume the barely formed conversation the door once again opened.
This time two boys stumbled in.
One was rather tall, his short brown hair was messily piled up on top of his head and large, black glasses perched on the bridge of his nose. A confident smirk glued to his face, he stepped in. Behind him, followed a slightly shorter boy, with mousy-coloured hair and startled looking eyes.
Neither said anything for a moment as they eyed the young people that sat in front of them.
"I'm James Potter... And this is Peter Pettigrew." The taller boy gestured to the shorter boy behind him, presumably Peter.
"I'm Sirius Black, this is Remus Lupin and... Harper Brooke." Sirius introduced them.
"Well, it's nice to meet you guys. I think you're cool enough to be my friends." James sat down beside Remus as Peter remained lingering in the doorway.
"Sit down Peter." James patted the space beside him and slowly the boy made himself comfortable.
"Cool enough to be your friends? I think you'd be lucky if I let you hang out with me." Sirius laughed.
"It's seems both of you have enormous egos and I think you're forgetting neither of you have any other friends." Harper pointed out, furrowing her eyebrows.
"Okay... You're feisty enough, I'll let you chill with us." James pushed his glasses up his nose.
"Why would I want to do that?" She asked, folding her arms and instantly resembling the same posture as Sirius.
James eyed them both slowly before turning to Remus.
"So... You in too?" James didn't give him a chance to answer, "We're going to be the most popular." He stated proudly, staring at the wall as if foreseeing the future.
"Guess I can't back out now." Remus sighed, tucking his book out of sight.
That was the day. The day the marauders first met. The day a lifetime-long friendship was forged between five students as they awaited their first moments at Hogwarts.