All Board! Ⅲ

Pushing the trolley forward, James carefully makes his way towards his worried friends. Sirius, Remus, and Peter all anxiously wait for him. "Hey," James sheepishly greeted them.

"Why didn't you write, Prongs?" Sirius's grey eyes narrowed. "We've been worried sick about you! Don't you know that!" He paused and pointed at the ring on James's hand. "And do you have any idea how mad I was that I learned about your and Rowan's engagement from the Daily Prophet?! We're supposed to be your best mates!"

Sirius sullenly pouted causing several girls around them to sigh at his handsome looks. "At least, I can always count on Severus," he huffed. "He wrote to me during the holidays and told me of the news."

"Sorry," James guiltily admitted. "I guess I just got stuck in my head."

"Idiot," Sirius snorted, before punching James on the back and then wrapping an arm over his shoulder. "On the bright side, Remus here is going to be a big brother come April."

"Padfoot," Remus warningly said narrowing his eyes at his friend.

"The ever-lovely Hope Howell even proudly announced that the next little Moony is going to be named Romulus," Sirius proudly said. "I intend to be a doting surrogate big brother."

"You already have a younger brother," Peter drily interjected.

"But Regulus isn't younger brother material," Sirius snorted. "He's no fun, he's far too serious."

Unable to keep it in any longer Remus finally smacks Sirius on the back of the head. "Ouch!" Sirius whined rubbing the back of his head glancing accusingly at Remus.

Peter sighed in exasperation, "That's only because Regulus usually gets away with most of what he plots unlike you, Sirius."

"But that's half the fun!" Sirius proudly protested. "And besides I got lots of younger cousins during the break including a new one right here at Hogwarts, Lorcan D'Eath," he proudly said as he puffed out his chest. "I'm sure to be a great role model!"

Peter rolls his eyes and says, "Quyen is waiting for me, I'll see you all tonight at dinner." Swiftly leaving before he murmurs some he can't unsay, because Sirius had rather sharp ears when it was inconvenient….

"See ya, lover boy," Sirius taunted Peter before his gray eyes zero in on Peter's upper lip.

"WHAT IS THAT!" Sirius gasped in shock and envy pointing at Peter's upper lip.

"Oh, it's a bit of a mustache that I've started growing for Quyen," Peter flushed bright pink in embarrassment. He knew it wasn't much, but it was the thought that counts!

Remus curiously leans in and says, "Mm, well, you've got a thin line going. It looks like you're going to start shaving soon, Pete."

"Yeah, you've got a bit of stubble starting to grow in too, Remy," Peter pointed out to his much taller friend.

"What?!" Sirius squawked enviously. "You two can't start shaving before the rest of us!" He deflates like a luminous balloon without air as though he had honestly expected to go through all of life's processes at the same time with his friends.

Peter and Remus rolled their eyes as Peter mumbled about Sirius being the most childish one among them. Ignoring Sirius, Peter happily hurries over his girlfriend, and the two of them hand in hand head over to a train compartment. They really were a nice couple.

With Peter gone, Remus says, "I'll catch up with all of you later, I have Prefect duties," before hurrying off to help a couple of 1st years with their trunks.

With Sirius moping still James and he searches for a compartment, before spotting an empty train compartment with a delicate, handsome youth with floppy hair and innocent hazel eyes, Terry Greengrass. "Terry, thank you for saving us a seat! I knew you would come through for us!"

Terry merely sniffs at the two of them, before calmly opening the cat carrier to release his cat. A long-haired cat in shades of brown, gray, white, and black emerges from the carrier. Alchemy is not only handsome but an adorable Norwegian Forest cat with a bright pink nose and matching pink paws.

Alchemy happily climbs onto his master's lap and rolls on his tummy for a tummy rub. He happily purrs, before rolling around to receive more adoration from his subjects namely Sirius and James. The two boys pet the cat for a bit before Alchemy flops down on a train seat to take a beauty nap. Being a cat is a very tiring business, don't you know?

The train whistles once last time as snowfall begins to pour down the heavens. They peer out of the fog-covered windows, when the train begins to slowly move, before hurtling forward. Soon they are hurtling past London and into the countryside on their way to Hogwarts.

After a moment, Terry clears his throat and bows. "To heir of the House of Potter, I express my condolences for the untimely departure of the family matriarch, and I express my good wishes and congratulations in your betrothal to Rowan Prince. May joy and children grace your marriage."

Sirius makes an ill face trying not to gag, but James quietly accepts the sincere expression. "Thank you, Terry."

"Ug," Sirius shivers causing Terry to narrow his eyes at him,

"Sirius, I don't need to point out your utter disregard and lack of true intentions towards Tiffany, do I?"

"Wait, what?" Sirius blurted out in embarrassment.

Terry refrains from slapping his face and questioning exactly why his friend liked this idiot? He loudly sighs and rubs his hand over his face. "Considering that Tiffany's family is a predominant family and more importantly her mother is a Selwyn, they will expect a pureblood courtship and marriage."

"Oh," Sirius dumbly said, before scratching his face for one moment with his finger. "Oh, well, I'm the heir to the Black family," as if that excused everything.

Terry finally covers his face with his hands. There was no getting through to this blockhead. At least, Sirius had parents who would be able to fulfill the requirements. No wonder, they were eager to marry Sirius off to Tiffany. Tiffany was all that stood between the Black family's suicide in polite society! And if you asked him, Tiffany got the shaft end of the deal.

The door abruptly opens to reveal the face of Severus. Terry smirks and says, "Don't tell me, you already need a break? The Hogwarts Express has only been in movement for ten minutes."

"Oh, shut it, will you?" Severus grumbled moving to sit on the other side of Terry.

"So, what brings you here so early?" Terry curiously asked as Sirius and James both glanced at Severus.

"I just needed some peace and quiet," Severus truthfully replied and closed his eyes. There had been a few children weeping in a train compartment with their friends over the loss of friends, family, and neighbors. He had unable to bear it and had left Rowan behind to console Lorcan D'Eath and Glenda Chittock along with their two solemn dry-faced friends, Gilderoy Lockhart and Jacob Clayton.

Severus recalled from the list that they had been given that Lorcan D'Eath had been orphaned. Glenda Chittock was apparently a neighbor and had resided at Fernburgh during the giant attack. And though the Chittock family had largely survived unscathed, they had lost friends and neighbors in the attack.

Even though they had already been forewarned, Severus found that he was not coping well at the mere mention of those lost in the giant attacks. It was as though his aching wound was being painfully jabbed over and over again. The wound was still far too raw to touch, and he could do nothing to force the wound to heal faster. Unfortunately, only time would heal all things.

Terry and Sirius exchange a serious look detecting that there was something genuinely wrong with Severus. Trying to change the mood, Sirius says, "Well, I've got some good news to share, it looks like I'm going to be a cousin," he puffed out his chest. "I mean Cissa had little Aurora in early December, but it looks like Andromeda and Cousin Arthur's wife, Molly Weasley is expecting again and even Barty's mum. Cousin Barty Crouch Sr. is rather excited and so is the rest of the family with so many younglings being added to the family."

"Plus, I have over a dozen new cousins that I previously didn't know," Sirius excitedly explained. They had a chance to meet great-uncle Marius, his son, Marius Ⅱ, and his son, Marcel, and little Marcellus, who was the same age as Bill Weasley. The two small boys instantly bonded along with the rest of their new cousins who were similar in age. The children in particular adored Lorcan D'Eath, who was now also part of the family.

Now Sirius was absolutely delighted to gain even more family such as Cousin Annis, who was a hag. Or her brother, cousin, Eaton Black, who'd fought in the muggle war and had great tales to recount that even his parents found fascinating. And cousin Eaton had two sons Thurman and Harmon, who were both very nice (though they were squibs just like their father). Their wives were a bit timid being muggles, but their children were absolutely fascinated by magic. Cousin Thurman had five children and Cousin Harmon had four children. Their children were all squibs the older children were immediately enrolled into the Quattor Academy to start the new semester and the younger ones would join them upon turning of sufficient age.

Frankly, Sirius knew the elders of the family were absolutely thrilled at the addition because out of Cousin Thurman's five children four of them were males, and out of Cousin Harmon's four children, two of them were males as well. Overall, the Black family lineage had doubled with them alone. And with squibs now capable of having power in wizarding society, the Black Family had a powerful bargaining power and more so with so many offspring. Once the children are grown, despite being squibs many prominent pureblood families would surely visit their doors to ask for their hands in marriage. It would be a win-win situation for all.