The farewell at the platform had been further complicated by Louis sniffling once or twice, enough to cause looks from his family, but he was firm. He was better, damn it. He had already missed out on enough because of this stupid Muggle sickness (honestly, no one had thought to cure pneumonia yet?) and he wasn't about to miss any of the school year on top of it. So he shuffled onto the train and immediately got into his school uniform and robes - it was better to get it over with sooner rather than later. His poor nice clothes, all packed away... oh well.
Louis looked in the tiny, smudged mirror in the train changing compartment and quirked his eyebrows as he spiked up a few pieces of blond hair and straightened the green and silver of his tie. The sight of it caused a smirk. He loved being in Slytherin. Loved it. Screw the people who branded all snakes as manipulative and evil, he was proud and curious and he looked damn good in green. Besides, that strength made him forget his sniffles and the embarrassment of leaving camp early, gave him the courage to stride out into the train hallway.
Just in time to see a girl he didn't know slip away from his cousin. Louis breathed out a grin as she brushed past him and then looked at Alex.