[h3]ASTRID[/h3]
[indent][indent][indent]The hall was abuzz with chatter, friends who hadn’t re-joined one another on the train now flowing in conversation. Voices shouted from one house table to another, although the table swathed in green and silver remained within their own company. One such girl who was laughing and talking was Astrid Turpin, second born child to Auror Gregor Turpin and his wife, healer Cassia Turpin.  Her older brother Erik had left school before summer and was now in training with the Falmouth Falcons, the most violent team known to Quidditch. Her brother held the Hogwarts record for most broken bones, being one of the most infamously powerful beaters the school had ever seen. Erik had been somewhat of a living legend among the halls, and had been incredibly popular amongst boys and girls alike. He had also been one of the toughest students, her and had such an influence on her school career that every boy took their safety in their hands if they dated her. At the time it had been horrific and she had to keep her relationships quiet, Erik always had an eye and ear out for his popular younger sister.

But now she was here without him, about to watch her younger brother Jory be housed. She was also free to talk and flirt without the warning eye of Erik, her final year would finally be her year. And so she laughed and she talked, exchanging flirty little stares with the odd guy or two. She sat amongst her usual group of friends, Lily, Marlene, Karen and Flora. The five of them had been incredibly close since they first met all those years ago. Lily was her closest friend, although the pair was vastly different at times. Lily now sported a shiny badge reading Head girl, and already it was causing her to be a damned sight more serious. Having just returned from escorting the students in, she pushed her red hair back from her shoulders, the scent of cold entwined with the heavy tresses. “There’s a transfer” She told Astrid, who was now staring at her plate with a desperate hunger.

“Oh really, didn’t know they do that” Astrid replied, pushing back her hair. It seemed to have grown even more over the summer, the wavy locks now reaching her waist and no short of fullness. 

“Yeah, she is from France” Lily replied, her eyes catching James as she sat down and blushing a little. Astrid watched her and smirked as she looked over to James, who sat across the bench and a little to the side of them. And as she looked to James she caught the stare of Sirius, who offered her one of his most devastatingly charming smiles. In return he gained a rather dry look, but it ended with the smallest of smiles as Lily continued to talk in her ear, though she didn’t really listen any more as McGonagall came out onto the stage, a grim faced Filch placing the stool and the tatty sorting hat onto the platform.

As the doors opened and the shaking first years poured in, Astrid straightened up and looked over to the gaggle, her eyes quickly picking up her blonde haired brother. She beamed with pride, as her friends turned around and all cooed at how cute he was. “Oh I hope he gets Gryffindor” Astrid said as she watched them group together, McGonagall going through the usual spiel about the process, Astrid indulging in conversation with Flora, ignoring the warning stares she was getting from Lily.

When it came to her brother’s name, Astrid straightened up a little and at last paid attention. The hat was barely on his mop of curly hair before the seam of the hat split and roared out “Gryffindor!” Astrid was amongst the loudest as she cheered and applauded, offering her little brother a beaming smile as he rushed back along the bench to sit with the other first years, offering an eager wave to Astrid. Once he was seated her attention was once more slack as she went back into conversation mode, looking up every now and then, and trying to ignore the growl of her stomach.

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[h3]REMUS[/h3]
[indent][indent][indent]His scarred hands were on the table as he listened to Sirius talk. He had fled to the Potter’s before summer, and had now been unofficially adopted. It wasn’t surprising really; James and Sirius were as thick as thieves, almost impenetrable at times. Remus never found himself left out though, and he also had always been welcomed by the Potters. In fact, he has spent a week and a half there with the whole group this summer. But he had had to leave a little earlier than planned, losing himself in having fun with his closest friends meant he hadn’t been keeping as close an eye on the moon as he should have. It had slipped up on him and if it had not been for Sirius and James, who knew what would have happened! He still could not thank them all enough for what they did and what they continued to do for him, and never would he ever stop being so grateful to all of them.

But that did not stop him from feeling horrendously guilty, the fact that he had attacked Sirius, or that he had left his mate with a scar of his own now. But every time Remus brought it up he was quickly told to forget about it, followed by banter that only Sirius could provide. 

As James came back through after performing his head boy duties, he shook out his scruffy hair and smiled over to Lily. “Never gonna give up, are you?” Mocked Remus towards James, the latter having been nursing a crush on the girl since their first year.

“He who waits, Moony” James replied with a shove of the elbow. Across from them sat the other half of their group, Peter and Sirius. The former was as ever a little unbelieving of who he was friends with, the second sat with such enviable ease and confidence he had girls the room over all a flutter. 

“Wish they’d hurry up with the sorting, I’m starved!” Stated Remus as he looked to McGonagall come into the room and go through the same old routine.

The students were called forth and the hat placed atop their heads, and he applauded with the rest as they joined Gryffindor, a little extra cheer as Astrid’s brother joined them. And then once the first years were sorted, the Transfiguration professor made another announcement. It was only then that Remus had noticed the girl sat to the side of the first years, who was yet to wear her house colours. Whose dark eyes nervously cast about from the most perfectly exquisite face. “Who’s that?” He asked to James.

“French transfer apparently” James replied. 

Remus nodded in reply, watching as she was presented to the school, and his shoulders immediately dropped as a few wolf whistles sounded. Remus was poor, he was scruffy and he was a werewolf, on the list of catches for this new school beauty, he was at the very bottom. But he watched as she was sorted into Gryffindor, and he applauded with the rest. Lily got up from her seat to meet with the girl and bring her back, and Remus only half followed her as he felt the heat rise up the back of his neck. As a form of distraction, he turned and watched Dumbledore as he stood to make his annual speech.

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