Lily brushed through her hair and then pulled it loosely into a pony-tail. She then looked across her bed at Brooklyn Johanson. Brook was one of Lily's best friends. Brook sloppily braided her hair back out of her face and threw her small brush into her old messy trunk. Lily then looked across to the other side of her and saw her other best friend Elaine Crasslend. Elaine was the pretty one out of the three. Lily often wondered why she stayed with Lily and Brooklyn. Lily was a bookworm who hardly ever talked with beautiful green eyes hidden behind glasses and gleaming auburn hair that was usually pulled up. Brook was an orphan that was a true tom-boy. She had shoulder length sandy blond hair usually pulled into a messy braid with light blue eyes. Laine on the other hand was a true lady. Her gorgeous black hair fell to her elbows in a most dignified manner and her violet eyes drew in everyone who looked at her. Her father worked in the Ministry at the head of Sports and gaming. One word that described her family would be rich. She got along with everyone even the popular. The one thing Lily couldn't figure out though was what she was doing hanging around Brooklyn and Lily.
"Lil are you done packing?" Brook said breaking Lily's trance.
"Um ya why?" Lily replied still a bit in her mind.
"I was wondering if you wanted to help me pack." Brook asked making her famous face that got Lily to do anything.
Lily looked over at Brooklyn and there she was trying to get her trunk to shut closed with all the clothes bulging out of it. Lily laughed and walked over to help Brook. As Lily finished folding Brooklyn's clothes she started closing it the lock on the trunk broke. Brook blushed a bright pink.
"I'm sorry Lil I've been meaning to get a new one you know, but …" Brook trailed off.
"It's fine." Lily said smiling at Brook and readjusting the glasses on her nose. Lily knew Brook's circumstances and she felt bad for her. Lily quickly did a reparo spell and the trunk was once again fixed.
"Are you two ready yet?" Elaine asked putting on some lip gloss.
"Ya." Lily and Brook replied together. And off the three went with their trunks to the train.
The three piled with their trunks into a carriage. While they made their way in the carriages to the train Laine tried to convince Brook to let her hair out and as usual a fight broke out between the two ending with both of them yelling at each other. Lily watched in amusement as the two fought over Brooklyn putting out her hair or not. When they arrived at the Hogsmeade station Brook and Elaine were still at it and Lily had to tell them they were there in order for them to get out. As they handed the train supervisors their trunks and animals Elaine said hello to many people who started to talk to her but they saw Lily and Brooklyn and made up an excuse to go. Brook even stopped to say goodbye to some people although they were all boys who she had played in quidditch. Lily didn't say goodbye to anyone for she had no friends except the ones she was with now. She did have many who made fun of her though and she was sure they wouldn't miss a chance to say their goodbyes.
The three entered the train and began to look for a place to sit. They had just looked in about 5 when Lily opened a compartment door she wished she hadn't opened. Inside was one of the people who wouldn't miss a chance to say their goodbyes to her they were the marauders. When she had opened it she had planed to see if anyone was in there and if there were to apologize and to move on, but when she opened this door she looked around the compartment and saw the 6 most people she hated the most. She froze for a moment as she saw Remus Lupin reading, Peter Pettigrew eating, James and Christine cuddled in a corner, and Sirius and Katie in the other corner kissing. She quickly tried to close the door but it was stopped by James stopping it.
"Well if it isn't Loser Lily." He taunted catching Sirius's attention.
Lily started to walk away, but James caught her by her forearm.
"Let me go James." Lily said trying to hold herself together although she was shaking with fear.
"Why I'm sure you don't have anything better to do and besides we want to have a little fun." James said tightening his grip around her arm. She cringed with disgust as she felt his hand tighten around her. She tried to pull away, but only resulted it in having her shirt rip.
"Where are Brook and Laine?" Lily thought hoping they would pop up from thin air.
James, Christine who was James's girlfriend, Sirius, and Katie Sirius's girlfriend started laughing hysterically as the shirt ripped. Lily's face turned a dark shade of red as they laughed.
"Can you believe that?" Christine said still laughing, "She's so poor she can't even afford decent clothes."
"I wouldn't be talking Christine," Brook said," Your hair is so greasy it looks like you accidentally dumped your head in a deep grease fryer."
James and Sirius started laughing, but stopped when they saw Christine giving them dirty looks. Christine elbowed James in the ribs as if to say "are you going to let her talk to me that way". James nodded and then said,
"You know what Brook your not much better off, I mean at least Loser Lily can afford some clothes that are new, but you I mean all your things are hand-me-downs from 20 years ago."
Brooklyn blushed brightly. Lily knew that James had hit a soft spot of hers. Brook's determination that usually won her all the fights went away and embarrassment replaced it.
"Evans now really if you are forced to come to Hogwarts you really must at least not disgust everyone you associate with." Katie said rubbing her head on Sirius's shoulder.
"James?" Elaine said as she came down the hall and looked at James holding Lily's torn shirt," What are you doing?"
James released Lily's shirt and then said,
"I… I… I was just giving Los- I mean Evans here some advice on how to fix her shirt."
"Well then I will give you some advice. Stay away from my friends. I thought you would treat fellow class mates better." Elaine said her violet eyes sparkling with violence.
"Laine what are you doing hanging around with these freaks you're way better then them. I mean they are no better than Slytherins!" James practically shouted.
That was too much. The whole hall went quiet and heads poking out of other compartments went silent as well. Brooklyn usually the person never offended lunged at James. Lily watched as she got 2 good punches in before Sirius got her off. Finally Lily spoke in a voice near a whisper although everyone heard it well enough.
"I'm sorry you feel that way Potter," She said," but to us you are the Slytherins picking on the muggle-borns."
Lily picked up her trunk and began down the hallway. She looked back and saw Elaine giving James the most disgusted look ever and Brook who still had Sirius holding her away from James shove Sirius's arms off her. She picked up her trunk and at the worst possible time the stupid trunk lock broke. Sirius looked at Brook who was struggling to keep tears down pick up her stuff. He bent down to help her with this and James girlfriend giggling uncontrollably, but Brook just shoved him off and shoved the last object in her trunk. She then picked up the trunk by both sides so as for nothing else to fall out and she walked down the hall too.
Elaine opened a compartment that she had gotten and let Lily and Brooklyn go in before she shut the door. Lily herself put her trunk away and sat down by Elaine. Brook on the other hand threw her trunk on the seat and then sat down by the window. The tension in the room could have been cut by a knife. The things James had said were so hurtful. She looked at Brooklyn the strong, the impenetrable and saw her crying. Not only had James struck a chord on herself he had hurt Brooklyn also.
"I'll…" Brooklyn muttered a little above a whisper, "I'll show.."
"We'll show them Brook." Elaine said reaching an arm across to touch Brooklyn's arm.
"How?" Lily said almost on the verge of tears herself, "How can we show the most popular people in school?"
No one knew. There was no way to trick the marauders. Lily looked at Brook usually the one with all the ideas on revenge, but there was nothing. She thought over all James had said. All he cared about was appearance. If you were pretty you were popular, but if you weren't then you were at the other end. Then something clicked in Lily's head. They would embarrass them publicly just like they had done to her so many times. She ran over the plan in her head. She would need Elaine's help greatly and it would involve a new Lily and Brook.
"Do you have an idea Lily?" Elaine asked looking at her.
"I think so, but it will take a lot of work." Lily said smiling to herself.