Chapter 1
Southampton, England, April 10, 1912.
Hundreds of people ran across the pier next to the Titanic.
Some were passengers, others were there to say goodbye to loved ones– not knowing what was going to happen.
White Star Line employees tried their best to get the guests' luggage onto the ship and to the cabins undamaged.
Accordingly, it was loud and confusing.
"All third-class passengers… with a forward berth… this way please! This queue!"
"It's a big boat, huh?" a father asked his little daughter.
He had picked her up so she could see the Titanic better.
"Daddy, it's a ship," she corrected him without hesitation.
"You're right." Of course she was right.
Then a car came to a stop in the middle of the crowd. The personal chauffeur opened the door and a young man with chin-length black curly hair and stormy gray eyes got out of the car.
Regulus Black.
He was just eighteen years old and he should have been excited about the trip, but he wasn't.
The young man looked around the pier before his eyes fell on the Titanic. It was strange, he heard all this stories about Titanic and thought she would be more... more.
As Regulus looked around, two more young men got out of the car.
One was Regulus' brother Sirius Black. His brother was older than Regulus and also had black hair.
And the other Severus Snape, the heir to a very wealthy family with black hair and eyes that were as dark as his hair.
Sirius and Severus were, unlike Regulus, fascinated by the largest ship of its time.
"I don't see what all the fuss is about. It doesn't look any bigger than the Mauretania," Regulus commented barely looking at the ship.
"You can be blasé about some things, Regulus... but not about Titanic. It's over 100 feet longer than Mauretania–" Severus said. "–And far more luxurious."
"Well I don't know what you mean," Sirius said, staring wide-eyed at the ship.
"I'm telling you, frère, this journey will change our lives."
Sirius put his arm and Regulus' shoulders and pointed first at the Titanic and then at the horizon.
Regulus rolled his eyes. Even if this journey would change their lifes, it would certainly not be for the better.
"Your youngest son is far too difficult to impress, Walburga," Severus commented while helping the two young men's mother out of the car.
"So this is the ship they say is unsinkable," said Walburga.
She wasn't unimpressed by the Titanic, but she was rather skeptical.
"It is unsinkable. God Himself could not sink this ship–" Severus said enthusiastically.
"Excuse me," one of the staff addressed Severus.
"What?"
"You have to check your baggage through the main terminal. It's round that way, sir."
"I put my faith in you good sir," Snape said and gave the man a bill.
"Now kindly see my man."
Severus turned and gestured at his man for everything, Lucius Malfoy. A man with blue eyes and light blonde hair.
"Yes sir. It's my pleasure, sir. If I can do anything at all…"
"Yes, right." Malfoy had grabbed the other man by the coat and accompanied him to the suitcases.
"All the trunks from that car there- 15 from here. And the safe, to the parlor suite… rooms B-52, 54, 55, 56," Malfoy explained.
As soon as Severus had rejoined the others, a loud whistle sounded. This prompted him to look at his pocket watch.
"We better hurry."
Severus offered Walburga his arm and together the group entered the Titanic.
"Welcome aboard, sir. Welcome to Titanic."
It was the ship of dreams to everyone else except Regulus.
For him it was like torture. This ship was supposed to bring him to America. And there his life as he knew would change.
The same for Sirius. Their mother had asked him to find a rich woman to marry.
Regulus' older brother had just nodded, but Regulus knew that Sirius would not look for a wife.
He already told Regulus all about his plan: Sirius would come with them to America and then, the moment they were there, he would disappear. But of course, he had not forgotten his little brother.
Sirius would take him with him whether Regulus wanted it or not.
~~~~
As the Blacks boarded the Titanic, a group of four sat in a bar close to the pier. Seated at the table were Evan Rosier, Barty Crouch Jr., James Potter and Lily Evans.
James Potter wore glasses that brought out his brown eyes. The 19-year-old had black hair, brown skin and a smile that could outshine the sun.
His childhood best friend, Lily Evans, had green eyes and her long red hair was tucked under a cap.
The group was in the middle of a game of poker. On the table were their stakes– some money, a pocket watch and two tickets for the Titanic.
"You idiot. I can't believe you bet our tickets," Barty hissed at his friend.
"You lost our money. I'm just trying to get it back."
While the other two argued, Lily leaned slightly towards James. She had been against it, but James had bet all their money.
"James, you are crazy. You bet everything we have."
"When you got nothing, you got nothing to lose," James replied.
And he was right. They had nothing but some clothes and less money.
That's why they wanted to go to America, to start a new life there.
"Evan?"
The addressed put a card aside and took a new one. Then it was James' turn, and he did the same.
"All right, moment of truth. Someone's life is about to change," James said.
"L?"
The young woman put her cards on the table and scowled at her best friend.
"Nope," James commented.
"Nope," Lily repeated in a tone that told James to leave her alone.
"Barty?"
Barty also put his cards on the table, which were no better than Lily's.
"Nothing."
"Evan?"
Evan laid his cards on the table and they looked a lot better than his friend's or Lily's.
"Uh-oh. 2 pair," James murmured.
"I'm sorry, L."
"You're sorry? You bet all our money, you–"
Lily grabbed his shirt and pulled him closer before swinging out to punch.
"I'm sorry you're not gonna see your mom again for a long time..." James said quickly and Lily let go of him in surprise.
"–'Cause we're going to America."
"Full house, boys!"
James threw his cards on the table.
As James wanted to hug Lily, Barty grabbed James' shirt too and for a moment it looked like James was going to punch him. But instead, Barty let go of him and got into a fight with Evan.
The two best friends jumped for joy. They couldn't believe they were so lucky. Lily and James would go to America– on the Titanic.
"We're going to America!" James fully realized now.
"We're going to America."
"No, mate," the bar owner, who was standing at the counter, addressed him. "Titanic is going to America, in 5 minutes".
The man pointed to the clock hanging on the wall as he said the last words.
"Shit, L Come on."
James quickly shoved the money they won into his pocket. He grabbed Lily's hand and together they ran across the pier.
The pier was still packed with people waving to loved ones on the Titanic.
"James, you're really crazy!" Lily yelled over the noise.
The red-haired young woman had more trouble making her way through the crowd than James.
"I know," the young man replied. "But that's why we're friends!"
"That doesn't make you any less crazy!"
"Maybe, but I've got the tickets."
James looked over his shoulder and saw Lily a few steps behind him.
The young man grabbed her hand. Together they fought their way past the people.
"Come on, I thought you were fast," laughed James.
The two arrived just in time at the third-class passenger entrance. The White Star Line employees were in the process of closing the doors and retracting the gangway.
"Whoa. Wait! Wait!"
"Hey, wait! We're passengers!" the young man shouted at the officer.
"Have you been through the inspection queue?" the young officer asked.
He was tall and had short brown hair.
"Of course," James lied cheerfully. "Anyway, we don't have any lice. We're Americans. Both of us."
The officer named Lupin looked at the tickets, then stepped aside and let Lily and James onto the ship.
"Right. Come aboard."
"We're the luckiest children of bit– beautiful women in the world. You know that?" James said as he and his best friend walked down the aisles. They wanted to be on deck when the ship cast off.
"Of course I know that."
Just before the ship departed, James Potter and Lily Evans stood at the railing of a deck of the Titanic, looking down at the people on the pier.
"Good-bye!" James waved to the people.
"You know somebody?" Lily James asked, slightly confused.
"Of course not. That's not the point," James replied. "Goodbye! I'll miss you!"
A smile crept onto Lily's lips and she shook her head.
That was typical James… and that was a good thing. A very good thing.
She watched James wave at strangers for a moment, shrugged and decided to wave as well.
"Good bye!"
"I will never forget you!"
And with that their adventure begann.
~~~~
Lily and James then decided to head to their cabin.
The corridors were full of people who are also looking for their cabin.
Among others, a mother with her children, a girl and a boy, ran past the two friends.
The girl didn't pay attention to where she was going and ran into Lily.
"Excuse me, sir," said the girl.
Lily looked at her briefly in surprise, then remembered that she was wearing pants and had her hair tucked under the hat.
"It's okay," assured the young woman.
"Come with me, darling. Let's go," mumbled the mother.
She pulled the little girl towards her, gave Lily an apologetic nod and continued her way.
"James, what's our room number?" Lily asked as they walked down the next corridor.
"360," James answered her question.
As they walked down the following corridor, James and Lily looked for the number 360.
357… 358… 359…
360
"Oh, right here," James addressed Lily.
The black-haired young man opened the door and they entered their cabin.
The two had to share the cabin with three men– probably friends of Evan and/or Barty.
"Hey, how you doing?" James addressed the men directly.
"James. Nice to meet you. James Potter. Nice to meet you."
He shook hands with the others.
While James greeted her roommates, Lily immediately climbed onto the top bunk of the bunkbed.
"How you doing?" James clapped one of the men's shoulders and turned to face the bunkbed Lily was lying on.
"Who says you get top bunk, huh?" he asked her while he tried to tickle her.
Then he threw his bag on his bed.
"Where's Evan?" one of the men asked a second who was sitting on the bed.
"Oh – um – that's a funny story."
Lily and James told the two men what had happened just a few minutes ago. Of course, they weren't enthusiastic, but had to accept the new situation.
Then the two best friends decided to go to the dining room for dinner. They said goodbye to their new roommates and left the cabin.
In the hallway, James grabbed Lily's arm and held her back.
"Hey, listen. If anyone gets too friendly you tell me, ok? I will protect you."
Lily looked at her best friend for a moment before nodding.
Then James smiled at her.
"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm very hungry."