Hey hey hey just a quick a/n - I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER - THAT SHOULD DO FOR TODAY!
They were opposites.
He was cocky.
She was smart.
He was rebellious.
She was respected.
He loved to annoy her
She hated to be annoyed by him
He thought she was innocent.
She thought he was guilty.
But they did fall in love in the end.
For they never did hate each other; dislike one and others' very existence maybe but they did not hate one another. For hate can never be replaced and if they did hate one another then the boy she encircled in her arms would not exist and neither would the family for which he was fighting.
Because without Lily and James there would be no Harry and He Who Must Not Be Named would forever rule supreme. Because without these two people the world would be forever tainted by evil.
For …
He was cocky.
She was smart.
He was rebellious.
She was respected.
He loved to annoy her
She hated to be annoyed by him
He thought she was innocent.
She thought he was guilty.
They were Lily Evans and James Potter.
And love conquers all.
5 years earlier
Relationships and Professors
"LILY!" Maxine screamed, running down platform 9 ¾, her brown hair flying out behind her and her bracelets sounding like bells. Lily stopped and turned around staring at her friend, confused at the urgency that the words were spoken in. Maxine screeched to a halt and exclaimed excitedly: "James Potter just asked Caroline out!"
Lily rolled her eyes dramatically and twisted her ginger hair around her finger, mocking her friend's eagerness. "Maxine, I don't really care, Potter is an ignorant fool; good luck to her 'cause she's going to need it." Lily replied.
"Awww come on! You're normally nice about this stuff. Marlene's the mean one."
"Hey I'm not!" whined a blonde sixth year with freckles and an up-do who was trailing behind with her best friend's luggage and owl. She was frowning as she said, "I just don't know the big deal about this guy and he isn't even smart."
"Yes he is," giggled Maxine, "He got 3 Os in his O.W.L.s," she announced in a matter of fact way, "and he's brilliant at Quidditch chaser! And he's a … a …" she stuttered seeing Lily's uninterested face and then shrugged, "Well at least he's off your back, no more: 'I won't hurt your friend if you date me.' But now he has an excuse for, well, you know…"
"For what?" questioned Lily, now interested.
"For bullying Snape." Maxine stated, in an official tone, shrugging she turned to grab her owl. She grabbed Marlene's wrist and began to drag her away when Lily caught the former's arm and tugged at it forcefully.
"Wait … why?" She questioned, her bright green eyes were narrowed in concentration. "Maxine are you saying that because he's over me that he can start bullying MY BEST FRIEND!?" her voice raised an octave near the end and a few heads turned in the group of Gryffindors. Maxine shrugged and began to walk away; she was no longer interested in a conversation that would go nowhere. Lily followed, calming down with every step she took, wearing her polished prefect badge with pride and thinking her outburst was irresponsible and the she should give a better example.
The three sixth years stepped onto the Hogwarts Express, not anticipating any drama for this should be another long, boring train ride in which the ginger would complete all the books that she had been ordered to purchase this year. The brunette would complete all her summer homework that she had discarded to the bottom of her trunk – only to be discovered last minute by her disapproving mother. The blonde would finish all the gossip columns of the major magic and muggle newspapers and the next three editions of Witch Weekly – for her mother was the editor of this widely adored publication – before she realises that she actually has summer homework; which would be done as quickly as possible, completed and copied before being discarded and replaced by the Christmas edition of Witch Weekly. However, this did not happen, as they had all hoped, for an unexpected visitor arrived in their compartment and to all the girls' surprise fell immediately and swiftly asleep.
For a grown man he looked very scrawny and unkempt. His bald patch was covered by a thin layer of mousy brown hair; his grey trousers were baggy and wrinkled; as was his shirt; he had high cheekbones that his skin stretched over, making it seem transparent; his three day old stubble was greying and his small grey eyes darted about like an excitable rabbit who's carrot had been spiked with butter beer. This was the sight that greeted the six curious eyes of the three girls in Gryffindor.
"Is he a homeless muggle, Lily?" whispered Maxine who, even though she was deeply tanned from frequent holidays to Egypt and Cyprus, had gone pale because of the unexpected arrival of this dishevelled little man.
Lily shook her head but she still looked confused, "No, the magic borders aren't as obvious to muggles as they are to us." She murmured quietly, as to not disturb their sleeping guest.
"But he could have followed us through the entrance into platform 9 ¾." She mused doubtfully, watching as the late first years and gaggles of third years boarded the train. The platform was full of waving and tearful relatives, sending off their children. Smoke from the Hogwarts Express filled the platform, billowing out of the funnel, and created a hazy layer above the sea of bobbing heads.
Lily shook her head once again and replied, "No, they probably have spells guarding the entrance to keep out muggles or at least muggles that aren't aware of magic."
"A squib then?!"
"Strongly doubt that, he wouldn't be on the platform let alone the train squibs - aren't they meant to be disgraces?"
"They're not!" exclaimed a disgruntled Marlene McKinnon, "My cousin is a perfectly respectable squib! Plu-u-u-u-u-s-s-s-s-s," she continued, dragging on the final word, "I know who he is …"
"Who?!" asked the blonde and ginger, excitedly.
"Well isn't it obvious …" she continued teasing.
"No!" they exclaimed, frustrated, then covered their mouths realising they might've woken up their sleeping companion. They all glanced sideways, Marlene continued smirking to herself, a glint lit up in her bright blue eyes as she teased her friends.
"He's Professor Greengrass," she announced, proud of herself.
"How did you know?" enquired the confused red-head.
"It says on my trunk," rasped a broken voice from the pile that was Professor Greengrass. "I'm not deaf you know!"
"Oh, sorry sir!" gushed a red-faced Lily Evans. At this moment in time - the red-head flustered, blonde scowling and brunette smiling triumphantly – James Potter and his fellow Marauders, strolled into the into the compartment with an air of importance; or, as Lily and Marlene thought it was, arrogance. First came Potter with his nest of hair and spectacles, next came Sirius Black with his long, unruly hair and stormy grey eyes, then entered Remus Lupin who looked pale and ill but still had a knowing smirk written across his face; and finally Peter Pettigrew scampered in at their heels, his hands twitched every so often yet he was also grinning.
"Hello, Professor Greengrass, nice to see you, sir," Potter nodded towards the sickly looking man and smiled, he then turned to the three girls who were seated together, "Marlene McKinnon, what's got you so smug?" he asked genuinely interested.
"None off your business Potter! You …" her tirade was stopped short when the train's power shut down and it screeched to an immediate halt. The lights then began to flicker and the glass of the windows shattered. Lily clutched Marlene's arm, Maxine cowered down peeping through her fingers, the Marauders' smiles were wiped off their faces and they stood frozen to the spot. Only the professor did not look afraid as a cackle of insane laughter filled the air, he whispered, "Here they come through the wind, the many masked men."
"Who?" enquired Lily in a whisper.
"The Death Eaters, Evans, The Death Eaters are here." replied James gravely.
A Request
Severus found an empty compartment and sat down – peace at last he thought to himself as he slid into the seat by the window. The countryside blurred past in a mix of golden fields and orange trees. He adjusted his prefect badge and smirked inwardly as he remembered his mother's face when she saw it. Carefully he removed his potions book and looked through the margins where he had begun to annotate and eliminate steps to various potions, which he and Lily had completed in third year, in his messy scrawl. He sniffed in disgust, realising a minute mistake by the authors of the sixth years' potions book. Quickly he corrected it and the he sighed realising how lonely and sad he must seem seeing as he had read this book at least three times already and was disgusted at the slightest error. He shut the book with a sigh and looked out of the window expecting a bleak, solitary train ride ahead of him. He was reflecting on this when a thick set and a skinny Slytherin marched in with triumphant smirks and tapped him on the shoulder. Severus Snape grimaced and turned round acknowledged his fellow Slytherins; "Mulciber, Avery."
"Hello, Severus, we're going to have visitors today on the Hogwarts Express." Mulciber's fat lips spoke the words in thorough excitement and Severus grimaced, dreading what was coming next.
"Aren't you interested, Severus?" commented Avery, snidely.
"Yeah well you should be because they're here to see you, boy, and us of course. But you'd better watch out. And …"
"… That's …"
"… 'Cause …"
"… They …"
"… Are …"
The two boys smiled and were about to finish their, obviously rehearsed, speech when the train's power shut down and the Hogwarts Express screeched to an immediate halt. The lights then began to flicker and the glass of the windows shattered as a voice from the shadows whispered, maliciously, "Death Eaters…"
Then a cackle of feminine laughter filled the air, an unnatural gust of wind made the hairs on the nape of their necks stand to attention. A cold finger swept down each of their arms. The nail was sharp and pointed, leaving a graze down their arms the sixth year caught sight of the unusual woman before them. She was in her twenties with long, thick, black hair; a pale but animated face; her eyes were defined by a thick charcoal-black line under each and framing the top; her lips were blood red; her cheekbones, high and defined and her expressive, yet pencilled in, eyebrows were raised in a mocking gesture. She would have looked beautiful if she was not insane. For this was Bellatrix Lestrange and she was most definitely insane.
She cackled once again and spoke clearly but in a hushed voice: "I have a message from the Dark Lord. You are to report to the new professor of muggle studies – Professor Greengrass – who, in fact, is my husband, Rodolphus." At their confused faces she continued … "Polyjuice potion, boys, and this is the task the dark lord burdened upon your …" she sniffed and cocked an eyebrow, "Young shoulders. You are to use one of the unforgivable curses on someone in Hufflepuff, Slytherin, Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. In total that should be four unforgivable curses. A word of advice is DON'T GET CAUGHT. The deadline is Christmas. Do this and you will be an official Death Eater – a loyal and respected follower." With this announcement the witch cackled again, louder and eerier in the deafening silence. Once again the lights went out and as they plunged into darkness, the three Slytherin boys felt the rush on unnatural wind, once again, as Bellatrix Lestrange departed.
She didn't even say goodbye.
The three boys stood stock still and suddenly Avery, "Oh Severus … someone's in trouble …"
"If you hurt her, I'll…" he replied through gritted teeth.
"You'll what? Chose a mudblood…"
"Don't call her that!" Severus butted in.
"… A Slytherin" He finished indicating to himself and feigning innocence.
Severus drew out his wand when a voice piped up in the corner: "Tut-tut-tut boys, fighting already. Over victims, as well. Snape you'll have to loosen up to be a Death Eater. We don't mind who gets killed." He looked greasy and crumpled. Suddenly, his right eye began to twitch; frowning he took a swig of a foul smelling potion in a corked bottle. He grimaced and coughed loudly and clearly.
"Rodolphus Lestrange." Severus stated bluntly and without emotion.
"Professor Greengrass, sir, you mean Snape." He fixed on Snape with beady eyes and then glided out of the compartment a neutral look on his face.
The fight
After the third cackle the Marauders unfroze; realising who it was. Bellatrix Lestrange. Sirius' cousin. But they were too late to be of any use. Two seconds later they were, once again, plunged into darkness. When the lights switched on the professor was gone. James' eyebrows shot up when he saw who was clinging onto his arms. Lily Evans. She saw at the same time and dropped his arm with disgust written across her face. Her eyes narrowed and she opened her mouth to say something when she was interrupted by a exclamation of:
"I've got to go ummm … see whether they stole any ummm … chocolate frogs!"
This was followed by four "Don't forget me"s and the five speakers trampled out. Lily and James were left behind, oblivious to the trick their friends had just played. There was an awkward silence in the compartment when James broke the uneasy silence in the single way he knew how to; he talked about himself. "So, Evans, what did you do over the holidays? I went to see Ireland verses Bulgaria, in Bulgaria. Bulgaria won, unfortunately. Then we went to see the pyramids in Egypt – they were good but there was lots of well … ummm … sand." Lily tried to add in a snide comment but James held his hand up and continued, "We sailed down the Nile and my mom fell in – now that's a story! – we were in this small rowing boat and suddenly her wand – or was it her magazine, did you know they have Witch Weekly in Egypt? – and she saw a crocodile, she was screeching at the top of her voice: 'NO, NO! STOP, STOP! GET IT, GET IT!' when she suddenly fell in…" he stopped, seeing Lily's annoyed expression, "What now, Evans?" he asked.
"Oh nothing it's just your mother nearly DIED! For Merlin's sake!"
"Evans, my dad stunned the crocodile, she wasn't in danger or nothing!"
"Anything, you mean anything."
"That's what I said!"
"Is NOT!"
"Oh, to be honest Evans I don't really care!"
"Well, that's obvious!"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing, Potter."
"Tell me, Evans."
"No!"
"Yes!"
"No!"
"Yes!"
"No!"
"Yes!"
"No!"
"Yes!"
"No!"
"Yes!"
"No!"
"Yes!"
"No!"
"Yes!"
"Alright, Potter, I give in do you really want to know why?"
"Yes!"
"Well, Potter," she began, "It's because youre a selfish warthog who care for nothing but themselves. You never listen in class because you just want to be an air head Quidditch player but youre going to have to face facts: NO ONE CARES! You might be Mr. Know-It-All now but the only way you'll get through life is by trying …"
James interrupted, coldly, "Well, at least I don't hang around a Death Eater…"
"I DO NOT!"
"… And a slag …"
"NO I … Wait, who's a slag?"
"Zoë McKean, duh …"
"Z? She hates everyone!"
"Yeah, fooled you has she? – she was my first lay …"
He was interrupted by a red faced girl with angry blue eyes and short, choppy hair. She slammed open the door and stood on the threshold. Slowly she approached James and asked in a quiet tone: "Really, Potter was I? Because I don't remember sleeping with filth like you! And when I think about it I'm still a virgin. AND I DO NOT SLEEP WITH MAN SLAGS LIKE YOU!" She slapped him across the face and breathed in his face. Turning to her best friend she stated officially, "I was walking past when he said it. And you're right I DO hate everyone." With that she sat down, got out her book and shooed James off with her hand.
Because she was Zoë.
And hated almost everyone.
Except for Lily.
Because Lily was impossible to hate.