Platform nine and three quarters was over crowded with people as it always was when the train was leaving for Hogwarts.
Among these people was seventeen year old Lily Evans.
"Lily" called a loud familiar voice.
Lily who had been scanning the crowd turned her head to find standing only a few meters behind her was one of her best friends Marlene McKinnon.
"Marlene" cried Lily overwhelmed with happiness as she hugged her friend who she had not seen all summer.
After a couple minutes Marlene croaked "Lily I can't breathe".
"Sorry" said Lily releasing her friend from the tight hug.
"Where's Molly" asked Lily.
"I'm right here" came the quiet sweet voice of Lily's other best friend Molly Ringle.
Lily turned her head to the direction the voice had come from to find sure enough there was shy and meek Molly.
"How was your summer?" asked Marlene as Lily pulled Molly into a backbreaking hug.
"It was great," said Molly "Arthur asked me out".
"Really that's great Molly" said Lily releasing her friend from the hug.
"So did you do anything with him" asked Marlene.
"Oh my god Marlene is that all you ever think about," said Lily as Molly's usually pale skin turned a deep red.
"Wow you did do something, Lily our little girls growing up so fast," said Marlene ignoring Lily's comment on her one track mind.
"I think we should get on the train and go find a compartment" said Molly hoping it would distract her two friends.
The three girls grabbed their trunks and pushed there way though the crowd to the entrance of the crowded train.
Then they walked down the narrow corridor inside the train peering in to the compartments as they searched for an empty one. The quickly found one and after stowing there belongings in the over head racks the settled into the seats and closed the door so they could continue there conversation.
"So what did you do with him" asked Marlene.
"Do we have to talk about this" protested Molly.
"Fine" said Marlene giving up "Lily what did you do this summer?".
"I spent the whole summer watching my family plan Petunia's wedding," said Lily in disgust.
"Wow the hags getting married. Who's the unlucky guy," asked Marlene.
"Vernon Dursley a fat muggle but he deserves her," said Lily.
"That bad huh" said Marlene.
"I had to sit through two months of dinners of him talking about his drill company" Said lily shuddering.
"Lets talk about something else" suggested Marlene sensing her friends discomfort "I got a tattoo".
"What" said Lily snapping out of her thoughts about her sisters wedding and staring at her friend wide eyed.
"You what" said molly in her loud voice that she barely ever used.
"I got a tattoo," said Marlene standing up and yanking down her black pants to reveal inked into the skin of her arse a tattoo of two broomsticks crossed like crossbones. "Wow McKinnon nice tattoo" said a voice from the door of the three girl's compartment.
Marlene quickly yanked up her pants recognizing the voice immediately.
She turned around to find sure enough in the door of the compartment stood none other than Sirius Black. And as usual behind him stood the other two marauders and Sirius's best friends James Potter and Remus Lupin.
"Black it's a new year cant you find some one else to stalk" she said in her sickly sweet voice.
"Stalk don't flatter yourself McKinnon" said Sirius "anyway would you ladies mind of we joined you everywhere else is full".
"Knock your self out," said Marlene rolling her eyes and plonking herself down between Lily and Molly.
Lily stiffened as the three marauders sat down in the seats opposite her and her friends and she felt the familiar gaze of the Gryffindor seeker on her.
As an ackward silence settled over the compartment lily resorted to staring out the window.
Remus watched as his friends sat in discomfort.
"How was you're summer Molly?" said Remus breaking the silence but not the awkwardness.
"Great" said Molly smiling dreamily.
Marlene made a quick mental note to press for farther info over what molly did with Arthur later after quickly glancing at her friend's dreamy smile.
"What did you do?" said Remus.
"Umm" said molly attempting to think of something to tell Remus other than the thing that had made her summer so great "I went to the beach a lot and worked on my tan. What did you do?" Molly finally came up with.
Puzzled because molly looked paler than usual Remus replied "nothing much I just wanted summer to be over as fast as possible so I could get back to Hogwarts".
"Oh yeah" said Molly.
The compartment settled back into silence less ackward more peaceful this time.
Lily was staring out the window, James was staring at Lily, Marlene was staring at the ceiling, Sirius was staring at the floor, Remus was staring at them in amusement and Molly was lost deep in her thoughts.
After a while the compartment door opened and the lunch lady stuck her head through it.
"Anything off the trolley dears" she asked sweetly.
"Chocolate frogs please" said James and Lily at the same time.
Realizing they'd said the same thing James looked pleased and Lily turned red.
"Here you go dears anything else?" asked the lunch lady after handing Lily and James several chocolate frogs each.
"Bertiebots every flavoured beans" said Sirius.
The lunch lady handed Sirius a packet of every flavour beans before leaving closing the compartment door behind her.
"Want one" said Sirius opening the packet taking one putting it in his mouth and then extending the packet to Marlene.
"Thanks" said Marlene in a barely audible voice which was unusual, before taking one and sticking it in her mouth pleased to find she'd gotten one that tasted like strawberry's.
Next to her Lily tore into her first chocolate frog not even caring that James was staring at her intently.
After opening the packet she caught the frog before it could jump away and stuck it in her mouth savouring the taste. Chocolate frogs were her addiction.
As the remains of the of the chocolate frog packet slipped onto the seat beside her James eyes lit up.
"Woah you got a Victor Harlen card" said James pointing at the card.
"You can have it I already have one" said Lily handing James the card.