The Secrets of One's Heart
Sirius stood on the platform with restless energy. His mother stood beside him. She held his hand with one of her own and his brother's with the other. The people around them were milling about, and then he felt a tug somewhere within him. He froze for a moment. He knew what this tug meant, as he had been taught what it meant by his parents. Anyone was supposed to learn about it, of course. But his parents also claimed that such things were beneath them. Everyone not pureblooded enough was beneath them. Instead, Sirius and Regulus were taught by soulmates by their uncle Alphard and cousin Andy. Andy was short for Andromeda and she had known that she was soulbound for years. She had promised to introduce him to her soulmate when he came to Hogwarts. It was one of the many reasons that he was looking forward to going.
A nondescript family was standing closer to the train. A man was looking at his wrist-watch frantically. The woman beside him held her son's hand with tight grip, and their son himself was pale. Very pale. He was wearing long-sleeves even though it was hot, and he was rubbing his left arm absentmindedly. All three of them looked afraid of something, as if they believed that they could be attacked by something at any minute. Sirius thought it preposterous, really. After all, who could dare attack in the middle of the crowd as densely packed as this?
The three moved towards the train, and his mother finally let go of his hand, though she kept her brother's in hers. Sirius followed the small family, and watched as the boy's mother kissed his forehead. His father shook his hand before allowing him to board the train, along with his trunk. A small owl was sitting on top of said trunk, and Sirius couldn't help but think that they were both alike. They were both cute, for one.
Sirius froze in his track. Where had that thought come from. Boys rarely thought other boys were cute. It was just one of those things, after all. So he shouldn't be thinking those things. Soulmates were an exception, of course. But he couldn't have one, could he?
He was still trying to process this when the other boy turned around to stare at him in disapproval.
"It is wrong to stare, you know," he says admonishingly.
Sirius blinks. It appeared that he had already started on the wrong foot, and with his possible soulmate at that.
"What's your name?" he asks, because it makes sense to ask about someone's name when first meeting them.
"Remus," the other boy responds, while shaking his head. "Remus Lupin."
"Pleased to meet you," Sirius says, extending his hand. "I am Sirius Black."
He waits expectantly for Remus to shake his hand, which he eventually does, however reluctantly. The train lets out a sharp whistle at that moment, and Remus sighs.
"We'd better go in before the train leaves without us," Remus says wryly.
Sirius knows then and there he likes Remus. He would make this work, his parents be damned. His parents and everything else that got in the way of their happiness.
Neither of them noticed the pamphlet Remus' father had dropped. There was text on it, preceded by a title.
FENRIR GREYBACK STILL AT LARGE