The Marauders: Year Five #Wattys2017

P.A.H.W.F.A.H.W.W.N.D.J.P.

P.A.H.W.F.A.H.W.W.N.D.J.P.

Sirius was laying across one of the benches in the compartment on the Express, his head on his balled up leather jacket, right where Remus always sat, feet up on the arm rest. Peter pushed his way through the door and hurriedly closed it behind him as the crowd outside jammed it's way by, jostling and shoving about, headed for their compartments. "Where the fuck is my Moony?" demanded Sirius, sitting up, his big black boots thumping as they hit the floor of the train.

"McGonagall came and got him before we got on the carriages and I thought he'd only be a minute so I waited but he didn't come back so I had to get on a bloody carriage alone and all that was left to ride with were Slytherins and blimey, even without Rosier, they're still a load of tossers..." He sat down on the bench and reached into his pocket and nervously pulled out a couple licorice wands. He bit into one and threw the other at Sirius.

Sirius caught it and bit the tip off it, then got up and went to the window, unlatching it and shoving his head out. He looked up and down the platform, which was quickly emptying. Steam was already rising up from the engine and he chewed the licorice wand, watching as a wizard in a blue uniform magicked the steamers into the storage compartment and Hagrid stood on the platform, waving to several people who were hanging out the side of the train calling goodbye to him - including Dexter Cardwell, who was leaning so far out of the train that he nearly fell out and Sirius saw Liam and Wally grab hold of him by his jumper just in time as Dexter yelled "whoooaaa!" and they tugged him back inside.

But there was no Remus Lupin anywhere.

"Ferfucksakes..." Sirius grumbled as the train let out the first warning whistle and the last of the students on the platform scrambled for the doors. He grabbed his jacket and bent to snag his ridiculously long Gryffindor scarf from the floor, "I'll be right back, Pete."

"Where are you going?"

"To cause a distraction so they don't pull out without Rey!" Sirius answered and he ducked out of the compartment, still winding the scarf 'round his neck.

Peter bit his fingernails. He wondered fleetingly whether Sirius would've gone to stop the train from leaving if it was him, Peter, rather than Remus, that had been late.

Sirius shoved his way through the oncoming traffic in the corridor. "'Scuse me, comin' through, comin' through... Nice hair, there, Maryrose, great colour - wotcher, Warbeck - 'scuuuuuse me. Horny humpin' hippogriffs! I mean; can't you see there's a bleedin' person tryin' to get through, stay on your own side of the corridor for Merlin's sake - bloody hell..." He cursed and squashed his way all the way back to the door and hung out it, clutching the handle so that he was half in and half out, blocking off the entrance so the doors couldn't shut so the train couldn't take off. He looked across the platform at Hagrid, who was still waving to students from the windows. "Oi. Hagrid!"

Hagrid looked at him, "Mr. Black, what're'yeh up to?" The tone in his question insinuated that, because it was Sirius Black, he was clearly up to something.

Sirius feigned being affronted, "Me? Up to something? Come now, Hagrid. When am I ever up to something?" Several of the kids leaning out of the train laughed at this and Sirius winked at them and they snickered all the harder.

Hagrid muttered something that sounded like it might've been only every bleedin' time I see yeh.

"Anyway, I'm not up to anything. I'm looking for Remus. Have you seen my Moon-Moon lately, mate?" Sirius asked, looking about anxiously.