Siobhan knotted her hair around her fingertips then smoothed it down self-consciously. King's Cross station, particularly on the hidden platform, was busy, far busier than anything she'd ever seen on the island – even more so than Diagon Alley. Her heart throbbed in a curious mix of excitement and fear, the strangeness of leaving home for the first time so very real.

Her free hand was clamped in a vice like grip around her older brother's wrist and he had inexplicably winced but otherwise said nothing. He could see him scanning the crowd as he levitated both of their trunks onto the train and a rare smile that spread across his face. She knew well enough that their home on the island wasn't [i]home[/i] anymore, not since he had stormed out. Hogwarts was his home now.

She hoped that she would like it as much as she had. Merlin, how embarassing it would be if she felt [i]home-sick[/i]. 

The MacFusty patriarch – her father – stood stoically at the back of the crowd, staring distrustfully at the green on many of the older students' robes, even his own son's. Siobhan was surprised he had stayed still for so long given that he was a flighty, restless Gryffindor alumni. She had been told many times that she was the spitting image of him; that she would definitely make the Lions proud, much to her – and Alistair's – dismay.

Alistair shoved his trunk into the very end carriage that nearly glowed green given how many Slytherins were inside. When she moved to follow, he grinned at her and leant over (quite far, given her short stature) and rest his chin on her head. “Don't worry, Siobhan,” he said reassuringly, “Mum and Dad'll love you no matter what house you end up in. But that doesn't mean you're not going for Slytherin, of course.”

Siobhan managed a watery smile. “Of course. Siobhan for Slytherin. It matches like you said.”

“Now go and make friends in your [i]own[/i] year.” Alistair ran a hand through Siobhan's hair and stood up, shouting, “Maggie, come on; the rest of us have taken over the back carriage!”

“Alistair? Where do I go?” Siobhan asked, panicked, to which he paused, then pointed at the carriage that the Slytherin named Maggie had just wandered out of with a half-smile that wasn't entirely directed at her but rather behind her.

Alone, Siobhan made her way down the crowded corridor, passing compartment after compartment that she could tell was full through the frosted glass. Sure enough, the one Alistair pointed to only had one person in it – how he knew those things, she had no idea – and she mustered up her courage and pulled open the door.

Smiling nervously at the boy inside and half-pulling her trunk in with her, she hesitantly moved to take a seat. “My brother Alistair told me to see if I could sit in here... I'm Siobhan, Siobhan MacFusty,” she started. “I think he knows your sister.” The resemblance was uncanny between the dark girl who Alistair had smiled at and the boy in front of her.

Siobhan just hoped that the stranger wanted to go into Slytherin just as much as she did.