We Three

1st of August 1940

Lyall awoke at the crack of dawn to his parent’s bickering, they never cared to lower their voices for his sake, he tossed over in his sheets muffling the sound with his pillow. He had just turned eleven a few weeks before, he always hated having his birthday in the summer as it meant he’d have to spend it with his parents. It’s not as if he had any friends to spend it with either but he much preferred to be alone, his parents would always try to make the day special, he hated that, that they pretend to be happy and he had to act as if he was. There was no cake of course as they lived in a muggle village and things were very scarce with the war going on, even so he probably would have gone without a cake anyway. He knew what day it was, as every young wizard did, today would be the day his Hogwarts letter would arrive. As it did for every freshly eleven year old - wizard that was - not for the muggles, Lyall always wondered what it would be like to be a muggle if his life would be the same kind of dull or if it would be better. Still his Hogwarts letter did bring him a small sizzle of excitement, maybe not as much as every other child was feeling bubbling and overflowing with it, but it’s still something he thought. He was knocked out of his thoughts by a screeching voice.

“You tire me Edward!” His mother, Donna hurled at his father.

He couldn’t see him, but he knew what he was doing, he could imagine him clearly. Sat with his paper raised in-front of his face lounging back in his chair with one leg on top of the other. He was always like this, whether he was reading alone in silence or while Donna was shouting insults at him, he simply sat, never moving, barely breathing. He would only let his mouth open one or twice once he grew tired of it. 

“Quiet!” His father boomed, not the high sort of loud, the type of loud that was somehow still low and deep. Lyall could swear the only time he heard his father speak was when he was silencing his mother, a still quiet fell over the house no more shouting, just silence. Lyall couldn’t blame his mother, not really as he understood how she must feel, completely and utterly alone.

1st of September 1940

He stood on the busy platform 9¾, it was filled with new and old students, the sobs of children leaving their parents and parents leaving their children, his own mothers hands gripping firmly on his shoulders, he looked very small holding his very large suitcase in his clammy hands. He shuffled on his feet waiting for his mother to send him off, he knew she was thinking of a way to say goodbye in a motherly way, something she found very hard to do. 

“Well then, Lyall” his mother finally uttered. 

“Yes?” he asked, his voice very small. 

“No it wasn’t a questio-“ his mother sighed, annoyed.

She held the bridge of her nose as if Lyall was just a burden to her. “I don’t want you talking to any muggles, do you hear me Lyall?” her eyes burned on him, muggles? He had never known of muggles in Hogwarts. He probably should have asked his mother more about this, but he didn’t see the point, so he simply nodded. She tutted at him

“Do try to make some friends, it’s important for you, speak more, I don’t want you to be like your father, always quiet.” Lyall nodded in response. The sudden sound of the Hogwarts express made him jump, he could feel his mothers disdain for his restlessness.

“Be off then” His mother simply stated. “I will see you in the summer Lyall” and with that she turned on her heel and walked away, leaving Lyall alone. 

________________________________

He stepped onto the train, he hauled his suitcase behind him. Other students passed him, giggling with their friends, he approached the door to a carriage in which he thought was empty, there was no sound coming from it. He slid the door open and jumped at the sight he saw before him, two boys about his age but looked much more mature then him sat in the cushioned seats, one had long bright blonde hair almost white, lyall shuddered at the sight, the other boy sat with him had jet black hair and sharp angular features, very easily distinguishable. He trembled in the doorway, his breath heavy.

“Out!” the blonde haired one growled through his teeth, Lyall slammed the door shut and quickly scurried back, almost falling.

He found an empty carriage and flung himself in shutting the door behind him. He slumped on train seats, his chest rising heavily. Once he calmed himself down, he rested his head on the cool train windowsill shutting his eyes tight. He jumped up startled by the sudden burst of the carriage door opening, he quickly pulled out his wand - it had been his fathers, at least that’s what his mother told him - he pointed the wand at the door. 

“Woah!” A girl standing in the doorway said startled. “Calm down!” “It’s okay” the soft voice said, Lyall lowered his wand realising the girl was not a threat, lyall looked at the girl puzzled, she had a funny look to her, wildly curly blond hair that sprung everywhere, her robes were decorated with all kinds of bright colours, she had a very muggle look to her. She looked kind though, lyall thought to himself. 

“Sor-rry” Lyall stuttered out, still breathless. 

“It’s alright!” the girl smiled at him, to Lyall’s surprise she stepped in and sat down opposite him, she shot a hand out to him. “Enadora Lovegood” she said wide eyed, Lyall shakily shook her hand. 

“Lyall” he said, slumping down on the seat. 

“Cool!” Enadora said fascinated, Lyall wasn’t sure what was so fascinating about him. “Never heard a name like that before!” Endora said smiling eagerly, Lyall guessed she must be a muggle, it didn’t bother him much even though it should according to his mother. “I’m a muggle born you see, I think that’s what they call me” Enadora said shaking her head. “Anyway I-“ she started but was cut off by another intrusion. A boy stood in the doorway, he looked into the carriage. 

“This free?” He stated, he had very messy hair, messy things annoyed Lyall a-lot, he had round glasses that slumped on his face. 

“Why yes!” Enadora cried out very excitedly, the boy nodded and sat down next to Enadora. “I’m Enadora, Enadora Lovegood” “I know I have a witchy sounding name, but I’m a muggle! I think Enadora means, fountain or my parents named me after a boat! Imagine that a boat!” “but you can call me anything you like!” She was practically giddy by now.  “Like Dora or End or Arodne or En or Ora, I spouse you could call me fountain if you really wanted to! Ha! Imagine that Fountain Lovegood!” she looked at the boy breathless and dazed. “You can call me anything really I suppose” Enadora beamed, the boy's mouth was wide open at Enadora’s spir of words. 

“Errrr…” the boy said, he seemed almost terrified.

“And you are?” Enadora said clearly oblivious to the boys shock.

“Charlus Potter” he said wearily. Enadora yanked his hand, shaking it vigorously. 

“Oh my!” Enadora beamed “What a stupendously wizard like name!” Charlus forced a smile, he still looked terrified. “Well now we’ve been formally introduced” Enadora turned to Lyall “This hear is Lyall” Endora gestured to Lyall who had seemingly believed he had become invisible. “Lyall…sorry I don’t think I got your last name” Enadora chuckled, finding it very amusing. 

“Lupin” Lyall said. He could feel Charlus looking at him, he didn’t dare to look back. 

“Wow!” “How very-“ Endaora started before being interrupted.

“ENDORA!” came a screeching voice, a girl appeared in the doorway, she had round glasses on and brunette hair tied into two pigtails. She glanced at Charlus and blushed, she giggled twirling her hair. 

“Potter” she giggled, Charlus looked uncomfortable. 

“Yes Myrtle?” “What is it?” Enadora said slightly annoyed after being interrupted in her flow of words. The girl widened her eyes at her, she stopped her foot. She seemed like she was about to burst into tears. 

“Nothing…” she sulked. “No one ever wants to talk to stupid Myrtle!” she practically roared out, she ran off crying loudly. Enadora jumped up. 

“ Oh Myrtle! Wait!” Enadora called after her. “I’m sorry!” She said running out of the carriage. Lyall let out a breath. 

“Madden that one” Lyall jumped at the sound of Charlus Potter's voice. He kicked himself for it, probably looking stupid. He simply nodded at the boy. 

“Don’t talk much do ya, lupin?” Charlus said, pulling a chocolate frog from his pocket. “Here” he said offering it to Lyall, he perked up a bit at this, he really did love chocolate. Lyall look the chocolate. 

“Thanks” he said. Opening up the box. 

“S’alright” Charlus said. “Was she really a..a muggle?” He asked Lyall. 

“Yeah, think so” Lyall replied, feeling more comfortable. 

“Are all muggles that crazy, do you think?” he asked Lyall again, he was sure why he was asking him, he didn’t know much.

“I dunno” the carriage fell silent for a moment. 

“You know, I like you lupin” Charlus said through panting breathes. Lyall looked up at him, people often didn’t pay him much attention.

“You to” lyall said back, finally trying to smile. Charlus smiled back, he’s round glasses gleamed. 

“So are you a prueblood?” Charlus asked, not in a bad way, he seemed to be intrigued. Lyall shook his head. 

“No, my family isn’t rich” Lyall was sure he’d heard his mother say something or other once about the potters, he didn’t really listen much just blanked. His family was middle class, not part of the elite families with huge inheritances, he didn’t mind though he thought being rich mustn’t be all that nice as every one he met with money seemed to be even more miserable then him.

“My family is, I hate it though, really.” Charlus said, “I always have to go to these stupid dinners and be all nice and posh, and of course have to watch my parents parade my perfect brother around.” Charlus said this with a shiver. 

“Doesn’t sound very nice” Lyall said, it really didn’t he supposed most people would love to live like Charlus, but Lyall didn't because he understood he must be quite lonely. 

“Yeah” Charlus said, he seemed happy that Lyall didn’t make some snarky comment. “What got you so jumpy then?” Charlus asked, Lyall was always jumpy but even more so after a startling start to his train journey. 

“There were these boys, in a carriage” “very terrifying” lyall said shuddering at the thought. 

“Two boys?” Charlus asked, “one blonde?” He asked, Lyall nodded. “Must be Malfoy and Black, tossers them” Lyall hadn’t know very much about the names of the pureblood families, he hadn’t had may other interactions with other wizards other then his family’s who didn’t talk to him much. 

“Who are they?” Lyall asked feeling uneducated. Charlus eyes widened. 

“You don’t know?!” Chaurls said shocked. Lyall shook his head. “Woah mate, you need to get out more.” “The blacks are like this pureblood crazy family, they all marry each other, and disown anyone who so much as speaks to a muggle” “Malfoy is the same” Lyall felt sad for them, it didn’t sound all that nice. “They all end up in Slytherin” Charlus said. 

“Is that bad?” Lyall asked, he didn’t see why it mattered. 

“Of course!” He still didn’t explain why though, a silence fell, the carriage door slid open, Lyall sighed, great more people he thought to himself. Another boy stood there once again chest broad with blond hair. He stepped in nodding at the two boys before sitting down. He extended a hand to Lyall first. 

“John Sayre” he said shaking Lyalls hand, “Pleased to meet you” he said with a valiant smile. 

“Lyall, Lupin” he said, he felt very small next to John, he held himself so well. Charlus shot his hand out to John, he too seemed in awe of the boys confidence. 

“Charlus Potter” he said straightening up. 

“Ah yes, Potter” John said, Lyall thought the Potters must be well known. “My mother speaks of your family very highly” Charlus slumped back at this, he rolled his eyes. 

“Dunno why, we’re not that special”  he said with a huff.

“Yes, well.” John said finding it all very awkward. Lyall looked out the window, he could see the Scottish highlands coming in view, it really was beautiful. 

“Woah” Charlus said as the train moved on, “awsome” he said pushed up on the window, his mouth practically smushed on the window, lyall grimeced. 

“I hear there’s a new head of Gryffindor this year” John said very knowledgeable. 

“Really!” Charlus sais exited, “I’d love a new head!” He beamed. 

“But you don’t even know if you’ll be in Gryffindor” Lyall spoke up. 

“Yeah, but my whole family is, so I should be” Lyall didn't see why this mattered. 

“Doesn’t mean you have to be” Lyall said matter of factually. 

“Yeah, you're right” Charlus perked up a bit. 

“I don't mind very much what house I’m in,” John said, still sitting very prim, “I’m sure that the sorting hat will choose correctly” he was very intellectual. 

“As if!” Charlus choked. “Purebloods defenetly bribe it” 

“Well then, good thing I’m not a pureblood” John said with a sense of pride, Lyall found it admirable. 

“Wish i wasn’t” “stupid blood purity” Charlus said with a huff.  

“Mmmh” John said, raising his eyebrows with a small flicker of distiane. 

“ANYTHING FROM THE TROLLY” a voice came from the hall, the carriage door opened, a lady with a trolley full of all kinds of magical sweets and treats stood in the doorway. 

“Anything from the trolley?” she said, gesturing to the trolley. 

“Two chocolate frogs, please” John said with a charming smile. She handed him two chocolate frogs. 

“I’ll take it all!” Charlus shouted grinning, Lyall widened his eyes. 

“Thats gonna cost a fortunate!” John said also wide eyed. Charlus grinned even wider, if that was even possible. 

“Ah, something I have a lot of!” He grinned, John tutted. 

“You ought not to spend it all” John said. 

“Ah who cares Johnny boy!” Charlus said smacking Leo on the back. 

After a long time of unloading the boys sat with a carriage full of sweet treats. 

“And you dear?” The woman asked, Lyall didn’t have any extra money, it’s not that he couldn’t afford it his mother just didn’t give him any. 

“No thanks” Lyall shook his head, the woman nodded and went on her way. Charlus and John exchanged looks. 

“Take what you like boys!” Charlus smilled and and opend his arms out to the pile of sweets. Lyall cracked a very small smile. 

“Thanks” Lyall thought he ought to speak more, he reached out and grabbed a handful of sweets and dug in, John tutted. 

“You two are gonna get sick” John said, shaking his head.

“That’s the fun of it!” Charlus beamed, Leo rolled his eyes and neatly dug into his own chocolates. 

“OH MY!” they heard a voice shout from down the hall, it sounded just like Enadoras. “What a wonderful selection of wizard treats!” She said loud enough for everyone to hear, Charlus grinned at Lyall knowingly. 

*********

Charlus let out a low grumble as he held his stomach, Lyall's own stomach hurt, probably not as much as Charlus though. 

“Ughhh” Charlus groaned. 

“I told you” John said with a smug look, Charlus shoved him. 

“Oh shut it Sayre” 

The train came to a sudden stop, Lyall jolted forward, Charlus held his mouth, John shot up.  

“We’re here!” He said exitedly. Charlus grumbled sickly, John yanked him up. 

“Come on!” He said eagerly running out, Lyall followed behind them.