"Hurry up, we are going to miss the train!"

Minho calls out urgently to his brother while tugging at his trunk and school bag, and attempting to lift them together in a herculean feat to move faster.

It fails though, because Minho is still a scrawny young boy of twelve, and despite being tall for his age, simply does not have the muscle. He gives up, defeated, and looks imploringly at his brother casually sauntering up the stairs from where he has just paid the cab. Minseok grins at him, eyes crinkling up into crescents, and shakes his head teasingly. "You are going to get too much attention Min. Remember what our parents told you before we left, be careful at King's Cross and don't do anything to let the Muggles notice you!" Just as Minho was about to retort, Minseok cut him off again curtly. "Our parents placed you in my charge remember!"

Minho huffs but does not dare to say anything further. Much as he may argue with his brother at home, there are some lines that cannot be crossed in the Choi family, and he is much too well-drilled as the younger son to attempt to disobey, especially in public.

Therefore he bites his tongue and quietly waits for Minseok to help him stack their luggage on top of a trolley before making their way onto Platform 9 3/4. Minho's eyes are wide as he takes in everything about him. Coming from a pure-blood family, he has actually had little opportunity to experience the Muggle world, and the bustling scene at King's Cross is a revelation for him. He moves sub-consciously closer to Minseok. Although he would have hated to admit it, the proximity of his older brother makes him feel safer. His thoughts flicker back to this morning at home, where his parents gently bidded him goodbye before he and his brother got on the cab on the long journey to King's Cross. Despite his parents' clear show of affection in their farewell, he still feels a moment of heartache that they did not deem it necessary to travel with him. Of course, they are busy and it is more expensive to hire a bigger car... but then he remembers the fuss they made when it was Minseok's first time and how they had travelled down then. He takes a breath sharply, unwilling to go down that all-too-familiar path any further, and resolutely focuses his attention on his surroundings again.

"Alright, here we are. That's the first-year carriage I think." Minseok points out to Minho, who was inwardly gasping after making the somewhat nerve-wracking run through the concealed wall. Not that his pride would have allowed him to admit it. He now gapes a little at Minseok. "Aren't... aren't you travelling with me?"

Minseok laughs and ruffles his hair. "Don't be silly, I'll be travelling with my own classmates in our own section. Anyway, you will definitely get laughed at if you follow me. You wouldn't want that do you?" For all his fondness of teasing his little brother, Minseok genuinely cares for Minho and wants him to settle in well. "Don't worry, you will make friends soon enough. C'mon, I'll help you make sure your luggage is all settled."

Without further argument, Minho steels himself and steps into the first-year carriage. His heart thumps hard. Minho has always been painfully shy. At home, where he is most comfortable, his natural boyish personality is able to assert itself, but it has always been something limited to only his close family. Even among relatives, he has appeared somewhat stiff and rude. In the midst of strangers, as he is now, he cannot help but feel growing panic. He concentrates on breathing as he steps through the first door and peeks in at the other first-years already comfortably laughing and joking with each other. Some of them look curiously at him as he walks by, but then turn away dismissively just as quickly.

A feeling of extreme loneliness wells up inside him. Minho has never been good at making friends, and thanks to his older brother who has outshone him from young in virtually everything, had found it even harder for him to step out of the shadows. He swallows once, hard, then ducks into an empty side carriage. "It's ok, Minho." He tries to reassure himself inwardly. "It's just a short journey and then we will be there soon. Once the sorting is done you will find your own friends." He takes his wand out, to examine it and also ostensibly to appear busy if anyone looks in. The truth is he is very proud of his new wand as well anyway. They had just purchased it at Ollivander's a few days ago, and he had been awed at the instant connection he felt when he picked up this particular one of cherrywood. His parents had congratulated him, this particular wood is symbolic of good fortune and love, it seems, and can be seen as a positive omen for his new start in school. Minseok, of course, had then endlessly about finding love in Hogwarts.

Minho had laughed it off, even gotten a little angry with Minseok until his parents told the latter to cut it off. Minho is emphatically not interested in love or anything along those lines. His passion was for sports, especially Quidditch, and he was determined to make it into the team and prove himself. Which has to be Gryffindor. His breath catches as his thoughts switch track over to that one overpoweringly unwelcome possibility - what if he does not qualify for Gryffindor? His whole family had always qualified for that house, it is practically expected of him. How can he be anything else?? But there is always that risk, he will never live it down if... even in his own mind he cannot admit the possibility of being anything else. He leans against the window, desperately wishing that today was over and they are already sorted and settled.

"Hello, is this seat taken?" A soft voice speaks in his ear.

Minho jumps up, startled out of his thoughts. He turns to see a young boy standing in front of him and smiling rather shyly. He is a little shorter than Minho, and there is a delicate beauty in his features interspersed with puppy fat that makes him look incredibly adorable. His eyes are a beautiful clear green, so light as if they almost appear transparent, and Minho blinks twice to be certain that he is truly looking at him.

"Um, hello?" The blonde boy smiles at him again a little uncertainly.

Minho finds his tongue. "Uh-uh, y-yeth." His face pales and he has the urge to dig himself into the ground. Plagued with a stutter and embarrassing lisp as a child, he has managed to outgrow it over the years, but it still creeps back on him in moments of stress. Like this one. He blushes hotly and averts his eyes from the boy. "I, I mean, yeth... yeth..ssss." Minho turns his head almost in a desire to bang his head against the window.

The boy's smile widens, but it is an understanding one. He reaches out his hand, a smooth, pale arm, with fingers as delicate as his features, Minho notices, and places it on Minho's darker hand. "Thanks. It's really noisy over there in the main carriage, and I'm looking for somewhere quieter to sit. My name is Taemin." He pauses, then continues, eyeing Minho. "Would you like to be friends?"

Minho's heart suddenly expands in a glow of joy. "Yeth.. Yes I would, I mean. My name is Minho."

An hour into the journey, Minho has spoken to Taemin more than he would ever have thought possible with a complete stranger. Taemin, he finds, is also a pureblood, but his family comes from the South, which explains why they have never heard of each other. Taemin has a older brother as well, and they bond as they exchange grouses of being the youngest in the family. Taemin is gentle and witty and Minho feels wonderfully comfortable in his presence. Yet, there is an almost-wicked lilt to his smile when he makes a joke, and a dancing light in his eyes when he looks at Minho that makes him alternately want to blush, or hug Taemin close and laugh with him together.

Their joint laughter has attracted more first-years. Two other boys, one called Kibum and the other Jonghyun, have wandered in, primarily because Kibum claimed the boisterousness outside was causing danger to his hairstyle. The two seem so close that Minho thinks they have known each other all their lives, only to realise at some point in the conversation that they have actually just met as well. Kibum is sassy and insecure, making flippant comments seemingly designed to irritate others, but subsiding almost just as easily when Jonghyun teases back, unconcerned. Minho thinks he will not get along with him.

Jonghyun, on the other hand, instantly gains Minho's liking. His light brown eyes, lighter than that of Minho's chocolate brown ones, are gentle and warm, belying the confidence of his bearing. Minho is almost envious of that confidence, yet strangely it does not bother him. He thinks this is primarily because of Jonghyun's voice, which is astoundingly soft and soothing, and flows through Minho like that of savouring a warm bowl of soup on a winter day. He has a leader's bearing, speaking up for all of them when the prefects look in on them, and initiates the rowdiest jokes.

At some point, the conversation drifts to the Sorting, and Minho forgets his shyness to jump in with fervour on the topic. "My family has always been Gryffindor, so well, I have to be in it, you know. Besides, we all know it's the best one!" He looks around for support.

Kibum scoffs. "Gryffindor is all brawn and no brains, I've heard. I would much rather be in Ravenclaw."

Minho bristles, but Jonghyun cuts him off with a snicker. "Kibum, it is going to be hilarious if you end up in Gryffindor, you realise that right. Some really smart people have come from that house anyway. Myself, I don't quite care, although I hope it's not Slytherin. I dont think I will fit in there. Taemin, what about you?"

Taemin smiles understandingly at Minho. "Oh I don't care too much about it. I'll let the Sorting Hat decide. I'm sure whichever House I get into will be great."

Jonghyun presses on. "Seriously? I thought you said you're a pure-bred. Wouldn't you have some tradition of sticking to a house? What about your father?"

Taemin's smile flickers again but his eyes are hooded in shadow as he leans back against his seat. "Well, actually, he was from Slytherin. He was the Head Prefect, as a matter of fact."

There was a short silence as everyone processed that.

Minho saw Kibum about to draw a breath and jumped in first. "Well, I think Slytherin is alright. I mean, it's got a reputation in the past, but it's doing really well now, according to my brother. In fact, they have been winning the House Cup these few years!"

Taemin flashes him a quick grin, and Minho smiles back at him.

Jonghyun and Kibum look embarrassed. "Sorry, Taemin, I mean, we wouldn't know you know. Us two, we are ignorant Muggles after all."

"Yes, and at least Jonghyun is from the city. You could have knocked my parents over when that owl first appeared at our house. They thought it was the village prankster who had run out of normal jokes!"

Taemin laughs good-naturedly, and the rest join in with him. Jonghyun then offers to head out to purchase some snacks from the bar buffet, and Kibum follows him.

Minho huffs and leans his head back. Next to him, Taemin continued playing with his own wand. Minho has noticed that Taemin has a tendency to fidget with things around him, fingers moving restlessly from item to item. He suddenly raises his head and grins at Minho. "You do that a lot."

"Huh, what?" Minho self-consciously tugs at his clothes.

"You make these little noises. Like that just now." Taemin imitates his huff, blowing out his cheeks dramatically. "And your eyes go even bigger. I mean, they are already so big they take up half your face! But when you are concentrating on something, you start to look like a dark-skinned frog."

Minho cracks up. He has never had any hung-ups on his looks, having always been a scrawny gangly kid, and he is well-used to being teased for his abnormally large eyes. "You are hilarious, you know that! I'm so glad I met you here. I thought I wouldn't make any friends until after the Sorting."

Taemin's expression turns serious. "So, you are definitely going to Gryffindor?"

Minho looks at him, a bit surprised. "Well, yes, I have to, you know. My brother is there now, and my family always has. All my life, we've talked about me being in there, like it's... expected. I can't imagine being anywhere else. That is, I hope to, of course, if the Sorting Hat will let me."

Taemin stays silent, leaning forward so that his hair falls over his forehead and covers his face.

Minho stumbles on. "But ah, I mean, we can still be friends right. Even if we are in different Houses. I would like to, I mean." He feels a sudden fear, that he might not see Taemin again after they leave this train.

Taemin looks up at him then, and his smile is astonishingly radiant. "Yes, of course. I want to stay friends. From the moment I saw you at the station, I thought we would be good friends, you know." He paused. "You looked lost, but your eyes were so kind. I knew we would get along."

Minho's heart suddenly beats rather painfully. "You saw me at the station?"

"Yes, that's why I followed you." Taemin's eyes were bright as he looked directly at Minho.

Somewhere in a part of Minho's mind, he could not help wondering at that statement. But for the moment, he was filled with a kind of gratitude, and gladness, that he has found a friend who seems as eager to be close to him as he does. He grins at Taemin, but could not find the words in himself to speak just then. He has never been good with words.

Taemin leans forward suddenly, distractingly close to Minho. "Will you join Slytherin for me then?"

Minho stares at him. "What do you mean?"

"Since we are friends. Best friends, right? Would you join Slytherin if you have the choice?"

Minho stammers. "Well, I don't know. I mean... but it's not like we get to choose, don't we?"

Taemin is deadly serious. "What if you can. What if I let you in on a secret, that lets you choose which House you want to go to with the Sorting Hat? And if I'm there, you can join me."

Minho feels himself to be in a quandary. It was a moot question, of course, not even worth asking, since there is no such option. Yet he could not bring himself to give an untruthful answer to his new-found friend. He swallows hard, then sits up straight and looks back at Taemin. "Taemin, I ... I can't. I'm sorry. I mean, it is a matter of my family and my own dream, to be in Gryffindor. I've never wanted anything else." He drifts off uncertainly. "I'm sorry..."

Taemin suddenly smiles, and the beauty of his smile dances across his face like a shooting star. Even in the midst of his discomfort, Minho wonders afresh at Taemin's good looks, and what his parents must look like.

"Don't worry, I was just teasing" Taemin lightly assures Minho. He watches Minho draw a breath of relief, and laughs. "You are very serious, aren't you. I have to be careful when joking with you"

Minho smiles back, relieved. "I know, my family says that about me as well."

Taemin draws a hand lightly across Minho's lap. It is an innocuous gesture, but something about it makes Minho's gut twist, in an unfamiliar feeling. "And you are a good boy too. But I could tell that the moment I saw you too. You won't do anything naughty would you?"

Minho laughs a bit uneasily. "You make me sound boring. I'm not that bad!"

Taemin looks up at him from the corner of his eyes. "Don't worry, I'll teach you!" He grins wickedly. "We can be the two musketeers. No one will believe us, not with our looks."

Minho blinks at him, unsure how to react. But before he has a chance to say anything, a sudden clatter at the doorway causes them both to swivel their heads. Another student lay prone over the floor, and seems to be clutching his ankle in some agony.

Exclaiming, Minho rushes over and helps him to his feet, while Taemin quickly clear their bags from the opposite seat for him to sit.

The boy adjusts his glasses before smiling at them both crookedly. "Ah, hello, sorry about that. I was trying to find a new carriage because the main one was too loud, and the train jerked, and I lost my balance... uh..."

Taemin smiles comfortingly at him. "It's ok, I hope you are alright? Do you need anything?"

The boy's eyes widen and he flutters his hands deprecatingly. "Oh no, it is ok, thank you!" He stops, and blushes. "If you know me, it's kinda common, I'm a little clumsy, haha. Anyway, my name is Jinki." He holds out his hand.

Taemin catches hold of it and shakes it. "Hello! Mine's Taemin, and this is Minho. It is nice to meet you."

Jinki smiles at the two of them. He has a particularly sweet smile, that transforms his face and makes Minho feel like he's bathed in sunshine. "Well, thanks, and sorry again for disturbing you both." He hesitates, but Minho has already pre-empted him. "Would you like to stay here instead? There's only four of us, it will be quieter for you."

Jinki's smile widens. "Yes, yes I will. Thank you."

Jonghyun's dark brown head popped up from behind the door. "Hello hello, we are back. And guess what we got. Butterbeers for everybody." He catches sight of Jinki and does not lose a beat. "Good thing I got an extra one. It was meant for my greedy friend Kibum here who insisted he wants seconds, but I guess he will have to give it up now." He winks chummily at Jinki.

Jinki immediately smiles back, grasping the situation smoothly. Despite his rather clumsy and goofy exterior, he exudes a certain quiet charisma that cannot help but attract Minho's attention. He speaks clearly in his light tenor voice to Kibum. "Thank you, that is so kind of you. Please let me buy the next round." Kibum, who was about to complain, was immediately silenced, to everyone's surprise and his own as well, and Jonghyun mimes a silent high-five to Jinki before proceeding to introduce themselves.

Taemin catches Minho's eyes and roll them a little, jokingly. Minho's mouth quirks and nudges Taemin back. He would never have believed it, but he seems to have already made friends, even before stepping into Hogwarts. His heart beats as he thinks of the days and months that lie ahead of him, and he knows that he will no longer be alone.