Disclaimer: I don't own any of it! JKR, the genius, does. As if there was any question in your minds…

So What Am I so Afraid Of?

Chapter 1: Welcome Back

Lily Evans tugged a heavy wooden trunk through a crowded platform toward a scarlet steam engine that would take her to her seventh and final year at Hogwarts. Pushing through the crowd, she headed toward the front of the train where she knew the Head's Compartment to be.

"Lily Evans! You're looking lovely this year!"

Lily knew she was still too far from her compartment to keep moving and pretend she hadn't heard, so she laboriously turned around and came face-to-face with Rita Skeeter, a busy-body Hufflepuff 6th year. "Hello, Rita," Lily sighed.

"So, Lily. Let's talk. You're Head Girl this year I see. How do you feel about that?"

"Okay, I guess. Check back with me in a few weeks when I feel like I know what I'm doing." Lily tapped her foot impatiently and checked her watch. She had 15 minutes to be on that train and ready to greet the Prefects.

"Oh I see," Rita smiled and began to scribble on a small pad of paper.

Head Girl Lillian Evans recently admitted to this reporter that she has no idea what she's doing.

"Ugh! Would you stop writing!" Lily was definitely getting irritated and was ready to get to her compartment.

"I'm sorry, Lily, but it's my duty to.." Rita stopped abruptly and stared at her notepad. It had gone blank.

"Tsk Tsk, Rita. Harassing the Head Girl. You could get detention for that," James Potter said leaning against a near by pillar, twirling his wand in his hand.

"James!" Rita cooed. "Care to give me a quote?"

"Oh bugger off, Rita," James smirked, and Rita, admitting defeat, retreated.

Hey, Lily," James said grinning and walking towards her. "Can I walk you to your compartment?"

"Look, Potter—James. Thanks for your help, and I know that Quinn being my best friend and Remus being yours, we're probably going to see more of each other, but we're not friends," Lily sighed.

"We could be," James offered.

"Go to your compartment, Potter."

"Well, I do have to get some stuff from Sirius, but I'm sure I'll be seeing you really soon."

Rolling her eyes, Lily started pushing to the Head's Compartment again. This summer Quinn had told Lily and Bree that she was writing to Remus Lupin. Before long, they were what Quinn categorized as "close". Lily was happy for Quinn, but she was concerned about the time she was sure to be spending with Sirius Black and James Potter.

Finally arriving in the Head's Compartment, Lily discarded her trunk and moved across the hall to the Prefect's room. In less than five minutes, the train started rolling and Prefects started pouring in.

"Welcome back, everyone. Please take a seat with the rest of your House," Lily instructed.

"Hey, Lily, whom I'm not friends with. We meet again."

Lily wheeled around to find James standing in the doorway. "Look, I really don't have time for this right now and you don't belong here."

"Actually, Lily, he belongs here. He belongs just as much as you," said Remus from the Gryffindor section.

"Hmm?" Lily said impatiently.

"You're looking at your Head Boy, Lily!" James replied merrily.

"Oh you must be kidding," Lily marveled. Then, seeing that they weren't, she moved on. "Okay, let's get this meeting started."

"Hello, Prefects, and welcome back! I'm James Potter and I'll be your Head Boy this year. Shocking, yes, but true all the same. And…" He glanced at Lily, indicating that she should introduce herself.

"I'm Lily Evans, Head Girl. Basically all we need to cover today is patrol schedule for the train ride and the first week. I've devised a plan that I think will suit everyone. For today, we'll spend approximately eight hours on the train. Divided by four houses, that gives each house two hours to cover. Three years per house, everyone will patrol for 40 minutes today, and then you're done. Take these timetables. They explain what time slots you have today, and this week around the corridors." Lily began passing slips of paper around the compartment.

"That will cover everything until we can have a more in-depth meeting after classes begin. Any questions? Excellent. Lily, anything to add or alter?" James asked.

"No, I think we've covered it," Lily said, amazed that James had even the slightest idea what he was doing.

"Great! Meeting adjourned!"

Lily slipped back through to the Head's Compartment to drop off the notebook she had been storing the timetables in.

"Bree and Quinn told me to tell you they're in the compartment directly across from ours. Very back of the train," James said coming into the compartment.

"Oh, okay. Thanks," Lily said absentmindedly, and she slide back out of the compartment and set off to find her friends.

"Lily looks amazing," James informed his friends once he got back to his compartment.

"You know who looks amazing this year?" Sirius asked. "Hannah Clawson. Have you seen her?"

"Hufflepuff 5th year?" James asked.

"6th year," Remus corrected.

"So close."

"Oh and did you guys see Connor Yards? Dimwit broke his arm not even a week ago. Muggle mum. Made him cast it. Won't be playing in his first Quidditch match this year," Sirius laughed.

"Ravenclaw 3rd year?" James guessed.

"Slytherin 5th," Remus answered again.

"Oh not even close, James," Sirius said, and quickly after ducked a wizard chess bishop that had been tossed at him. "So, tell us more about Evans."

"Well, to begin with her hairs gotten longer..." James started.

Lily, Bree, and Quinn slide into a carriage outside Hogsmeade station. As they traveled up the grounds they talked about the year that lay ahead.

"I can't believe it's our last year," Quinn whispered. She was always the sentimental, nostalgic type.

"It's gonna be great," Bree reminded her. "We're gonna make it the best ever."

Lily looked at her friends. Bree was smiling, obviously thinking of all the ways they would "make it the best." Bree was the tallest of the girls, standing only 5'6, and had long black hair that fell perfectly straight down to her waist. Bree looked like she could handle herself, and she could. Quinn was staring at the illuminated castle. Quinn also looked exactly like she was: innocent. Quinn's hair was perfectly blonde matching her stunning blue eyes. Her hair fell in curls around her eyes and shoulders.

Smiling, Lily slouched back into her seat. "Yeah, we'll make it our best year."

(A/N: And so concludes the first chapter of my first fic. Is it awful? For those who don't know, my name is Cali. Feel free to email me at . Please review. Should I continue with another chapter? REVIEW! PS: I'm a bit of an authors note fiend. But I promise to always put them at the end so if you'd like, you can scroll right past it. REVIEW! Thanks!)