The Most Beautiful Boy
~*~
Severus’ trunk is heavy. It is dangling from his thin arms when he arrives at platform 9 3/4. Sunshine casts a joyful glow on the surrounding people. From behind him, a young boy runs into Severus’ shoulder. The young boy keeps running towards the train without a worry or an apology.
‘James!’ A middle-aged woman in expensive robes calls out to the young boy. She reaches Severus and holds his shoulder. “I’m so sorry, are you alright ?” She checks Severus’ robes, and tightens the clasp of his cloak. ‘Sorry about James, he is just very excited to go to Hogwarts. You understand, don’t you ? You are excited for Hogwarts too, aren’t you ?”
Severus, feeling slightly awkward because of the attention, just nods. “Are you all alone ? Here, let me help you with your trunk.”
They found James sitting in one of the compartments in the middle of the train. Severus' old trunk is shoved next to James’ new one. The woman encourages James to be friends with Severus as she bids her goodbye. There is something in James’ eyes that Severus does not like. He wants to sit next to the window, but James puts his foot on the seat. Severus’ nose crinkles as he looks at the dirty boots.
“Why are you wearing women's clothing ?” James asks.
Severus looks down and flushes. They were his mothers’ old Hogwarts robes. Everything except the trousers. The buttons on his shirt reveal it. “Don’t know, why are you dressed like a mini-version of your parents ?”
James narrows his eyes. He opens his mouth to say something, but the compartment door opens. A slender girl with light red hair and bright green eyes walks in. “Hello” her smile accentuates her apple cheeks. “Do you mind if I sit here?” In a hurry, James puts his foot off the seat and forcefully pulls Severus to the seat besides the window. “Of Course not! Please, have a seat” he says and gestures to the seat besides Severus. The one next to the compartment door. The arm that James pulled hurts, and Severus scowls at both James and the girl.
“My name is James”
“Lily”
Lily’s cheeks turn slightly pink. Severus sees the interest in Jame’s eyes and the intrigue in Lily’s eyes. He rolls his own eyes. Who would ever fall for an arrogant spoiled brat like him?
James tells Lily about the letter he received. His parents joy, the trip to Diagon Alley for School supplies, and the congratulation gifts from his parents and their friends. Severus looks out of the window as they talk. He sees the children on the platform entering the train. He smiles. He’s going to Hogwarts. His mother’s smile whenever she talks about her school days flashes through his mind. It's so different from the tired expression she usually wears. Now that I’m gone, what will mother do? This question haunts him. It haunts him when he’s listening to music. It haunts him when he’s watching the fish in the nearby lake. It haunted him when he nearly befriended a group of friends at Spinner’s End. He wants to run away from that question. But something that haunts you, runs with you.
Severus shakes his head, forcing his mother out of his mind. Lily and James are giggling now. They’re in their own world, with no attention to Severus. Not that he wants any. He decides two things. One, he doesn’t like Lily, and two, he has to do something to pass the time with these two dunderheads.
He always has a book with him. This time, one on intermediate charms. It is old and torn, but a good book nonetheless. He opens it but just as he is about to read it, the compartment door opens. “Hello” a boyish voice says.
“Sirius !” James’ excited voice makes Severus look up. In the opening of the compartment door stands a boy with shoulder-length hair. It is tight in a low ponytail with a few loose strands in the front. His wide smile reveals a set of straight and pearly white teeth. He wears a loose white shirt with the two uppermost buttons unbuttoned. It reveals a glimpse of the sturdy body underneath.
Severus freezes. He wants to run and hide, but also be there for an eternity. He could not stop staring.
“Come on James. You're going to make a fool of yourself on the first evening. I would not miss it for the world. What else would I be laughing at tonight ?”
The two met in a brotherly hug. James guides Sirius to the seat in front of Lily. “This is Lily, she’s also starting this year.”
“Sirius Black, nice to meet you. James is the reason my mother once scolded me so loudly that she lost her voice.”
“Ha!” James hits Sirius's shoulder. “I might have had the ideas. But it was Sirius that insisted on doing them.”
Sirius chuckles. He leans his back on the wooden wall beside the compartment door. He has a full view of the space now, and his gaze meets Severus’ staring eyes.
Sirius scans Severus from head to toe. “And who are you ?”
Lily and James both turn to Severus. Under their eyes, he's aware of his sleek greasy hair, the flowy old robes, and worn out vintage book with half a spine missing. “Se, Severus”.
He can feel the heat in his neck, his cheeks, his ears. James’ eyebrows go up in slight surprise. Lily’s mouth opened, a little, and a small smile puffed her cheeks. The shame is too much to handle, so he quickly goes back to his book.
“Pleasure to meet you” he hears Sirius say in a low tone.
James, Lily, and Sirius’ laughter fills the air again. Severus tries to focus, but can’t seem to understand the words that compose the sentences. Their laughter is like a wall beside him. He’s so aware of it. Slowly he turns his head to Sirius. Sirius' body moves with him when he laughs. He is so happy between James and Lily. Sirius’ eyes meets Severus’. Severus quickly looks back to his book.
Nothing makes sense anymore. How can he think, when the most beautiful boy alive is sitting in his compartment ?