The Hogwarts Express lay like a gleaming splash of paint against the grey as is chuffed gently alongside the platform 9 ¾, awaiting the start of the new school year. Students and parents milled around on the platform, the traditional colours of black, grey and silver melting into a mass of blankness. Yet, in this sea of nothingness, there were no frowns, tears or sad faces. It seemed as if the brightness of the train had spilled over into emotions, shunning away the depressing dreary overcast day and leaving only happy memories and elated faces. Younger children hung off a parents' arm, giggling and squealing happily, not a care in the world. Older students were hugging laughing parent's goodbye, and every now and then a doting mother would brush away a tear of pride.

Lily watched the scene around her and couldn't help but smile. Countless fellow students walked by, some giving a wave, others shouting out a greeting and earning a reprimanding slap on the arm from a mother for their efforts. She grinned as she watched Kenneth Hummel's mum give him a sharp slap across the back of the head after he had wolf whistled at Lily. He spun and cringed, despite the fact that he was a head taller then Mrs Hummel, and she had had to stand on tiptoe to attack him.

'Lily.'

She turned to face her parents and they smiled at her. Within a heartbeat, Lily's mother swooped down on her, pulling the final year student into a huge hug.

'We're so proud of you!'

"Mum…' Lily choked. 'You're kind of… strangling me…'

Mrs Evans backed off fast, her face red with embarrassment, but Lily just smiled brightly up at her. 'I know, I know. I'll be good, I'll study hard, I won't get into any fights… unless it involves a certain someone-.'

Lily's mother glanced over the top of her daughters' head and spied a tall boy with messy black hair, laughing with three other boys as they heaved their trunks onto the train.

'He can't be that bad.'

'He is.'

'But if you just-.'

The Hogwarts Express whistled loudly and Lily jumped at the opportunity. 'That's my cue! Bye!'

And before they could do or say anything, she kissed each on the cheek, flashed a brilliant grin, and in a whirl of fiery hair, she darted onto the train.

'Lily!'

A scream of giggles and a cloud of blonde hair plummeted into a stunned Lily. She struggled to keep her balance as the small blonde hugged her tight. "Hey!'

Lily laughed and pushed her hair out of her eyes. The corridor down the train was packed with people and voices echoed in the tiny space, making the noise deafening. The little blonde girl heaved a stunned and winded Lily into the closest compartment. Two heads turned towards her and split into identical grins.

Hannah, the blonde one, bounded over to the nearest seat and threw herself into it with a giggle. 'It's been ages! Oh, Lil, you have no idea about what happened on the holidays! I couldn't fit it all in one letter so I thought I'd leave it until now-.'

Lily smiled indulgently at the twins, Anthea and Theressa. They knew very well just what Hannah was like. Once she decided there was a story to tell, she could go forever. Lily settled herself in for a long listen.

By the time the food trolley had come and gone, the woman guiding it down the corridors rolling her eyes subtly at Lily, a quirk of the mouth to show her amusement at Hannah's high speed detailed story telling, Hannah had almost run out of steam. Almost.

'Enough!' Theressa cried suddenly, running her fingers dramatically through her curly brown hair. She stared up at the ceiling, holding her head in her hands, as though she were looking into the face of some deity. 'Please, please, let that be enough! If there is anyone up there, anyone at all, enough of this torture, I've learned my lesson!'

'Which lesson is that, Tess?' Lily asked, as Hannah giggled good-naturedly. Tess shrugged.

'Never again should I resist the urge to tape Hannah up when she begins to talk.'

'Tess, if you're trying to be funny… it ain't working.' Anthea shrugged. For the best part of Hannah's story, Anthea had buried her nose in a magazine. Even now, she didn't look up, turning the page as she spoke.

'Yeah, well, you get that…' Tess answered with a grin. She turned back to Hannah, going against her own advice. 'Hannah, did you hook in with that boy, hmm?' She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. 'Give him the time of his life, huh, did you?'

Lily groaned and buried her head in her arms, her knees tucked up to her chest, her hands almost covering her bright head. She hardly even heard the compartment door slide open.

'You can't hide like that, Evans.'

She looked up and frowned slightly. One person she wasn't exactly best buddies with lounged in the doorway, one hand propped against the frame. He was effortlessly elegant, extremely handsome, and Lily could sense without looking the change in her friends'. The three of them suddenly straightened up, Tess ran her hand through her dishevelled hair, Hannah blinked hard and smiled and Anthea… well, she just glanced up and then away. That was all she had ever needed.

Lily bit her bottom lip. 'Can we help you in any way, Black?'

'Use your imagination.'

'I'm pretty sure cursing you is out of the question.'

He grinned, apparently not stung. 'You're getting good at this. This, back and forth insults.'

'You've never met my sister.'

'Ah. But I'm mates with lover boy.'

Tess laughed. 'Lily still thinks he doesn't like her like that.'

'He does not!' Lily's temper flared suddenly. With a stab of annoyance she noticed a glint of amusement in Sirius Black's eyes. Hopeless, she thought. There was not one guy who was interested in her like that. It wasn't like she was pretty or anything. I'm a tomboy! Honestly, where they get these silly daydreams.., she said to herself.

'Well, ladies,' Sirius Black gave a sweeping bow and grinned amiably at Lily. 'I'll go give him the fantastic news that you're looking exceptionally pretty today.'

He dodged the flying book and headed off down the corridor, his laughter still ringing in Lily's ears. Idiot, she thought.