Serendipity (S. Black)

TWO

"sometimes i feel like giving up but i just can't."

*

"We're not going to make it in time!" James complained as the four boys ran from the station. "If someone hadn't insisted on fixing his hair before we left, this wouldn't be a problem!"

"Hey!" Sirius shouted back. "Someone wanted to look nice. There are girls in that castle, you know!"

"I've only got eyes for one. And so do you!"

"At least I don't doodle her name in the corner of all of my essays!"

"Padfoot, Prongs, for the love of Merlin, shut up," Remus said. He thrust his hand into his robes for his wand and instantly panicked. "Where's my wand?"

"You lost it?" Peter asked. "You're supposed to be the responsible one in this group!"

"Funny. Really, it is. Sirius, have you seen my wand?"

"I have no idea where it is," Sirius said idly as he hurried towards the carriages. His long black hair was being held up into a messy bun with a wand.

"Give it back, you idiot!"

"No, I look nice now."

"Use your own!"

"But my wand doesn't match my robes, Moony!"

"Who cares?!?"

"Just because you refuse to have any fashion sense doesn't mean that I can't!"

The two continued bickering until they reached the carriages, where only one remained. In it sat three girls: Lily, Marlene McKinnon, and Eva. Sirius stopped in his tracks.

"Let's just walk," he whispered urgently in James' ear. "If we hurry, we'll still make it on time to the feast."

"Not on your life. Come on." He climbed up first and sat right next to Lily, who looked like she wanted to die.

Sirius ended up sandwiched uncomfortably between Peter and Remus. He tried to meet Eva's eyes, but she was too busy pretending to be engrossed in the book Remus lent her. She definitely was pretending, though, because her eyes didn't move from a fixed place on the page.

"Hi boys," Marlene said, trying to break the obvious tension. Sirius raised a hand in greeting but didn't say anything.

"Hi, Marlene. Have a nice holiday?" Remus asked.

"It was good! Really good, I went to Paris. Yours?"

"Could've been better, could've been worse."

"Ugh, I hate these things," she said, pointing to the carriages that appeared to be drawing themselves, at least to her. "They're creepy. I wish we still rode the boats, like the first years."

Sirius found himself transfixed by the creatures pulling the carriages. The horse-like animals were black and skeletal, but they didn't seem menacing in the slightest. He'd have to ask Hagrid what they were. He'd never seen them before.

"When did they get things to pull the carriages?" He asked if only to keep everyone talking. "They weren't there last year."

"Nothing's there, mate. Your jokes are getting rusty. Nice try." James punched his shoulder playfully, but Sirius frowned. They were there. He wasn't imagining them.

Remus instantly glanced at him, like he knew something. And for the first time, Eva met his eyes. Pity crept into her expression.

"Later," Remus mumbled to his friend.