Mark My Words
Lily Evans strode across Platform 9 ¾ with a purposeful air. She pushed her cart with her parents following closely behind. Once through the barrier, she turned and beckoned for her parents to come. She saw a tall blonde with wavy hair and sparkling blue eyes conversing with her parents, and Lily quickened her pace. "Abby! Abigail Worthington!"
Abby turned and saw Lily, and shrieked, "Lily! Merlin, it's so good to see you!" She dropped her tote to embrace Lily.
Abigail Worthington, or Abby as she reminded people tirelessly, was an effervescent girl with a gregarious personality. Utterly captivating and charming, she could flirt worth a damn. Rarely, however, did she flirt. She did have a boyfriend, named Matt Clarkson. She was much more preoccupied with her studies and her best friends. She was remarkably bright and logical.
Lily turned back to her parents, but they were already talking with the Worthingtons. The two girls said goodbye to their parents, who wished them well for the fall term, and they left. Lily and Abby searched the pandemonium for their other best friend, Katie Wood. Well, her given name was Katherine, but anyone who attempted to call her that was hexed to Timbuktu. Lily and Abby had quickly learned this on their first train ride to Hogwarts, where the three girls met and became irrevocably attached. Her eyes scanning the crowd, Lily located Katie who was hugging her mother. As Katie dragged her trunk over, she spotted Lily and hurried over. "My goodness, Lily, Abby, it's been so bloody long. I missed you so much!"
"I know," agreed Abby, hugging Katie tightly. She pulled away, examining Katie's face, which was extremely tanned, no doubt from many hours playing Quidditch with her brothers, Alden and Colin. "Playing loads of Quidditch, of course?"
Katie grinned happily. "Of course. All the time. Except Colin has been driving me mad- he couldn't do the Wronski Feint and it took him twelve tries!"
Lily rolled her eyes fondly at her friend's obsessive adoration of Quidditch. Suddenly there was a loud sound, and they realized the Hogwarts Express was about to depart without them.
"Oh, fuck. Let's go before we don't get left here! Hurry!" shouted Katie, bounding towards an entrance. The others followed suit. They quickly found an empty compartment and settled into it.
Katie had dark brown hair and green eyes. Her straight hair became her. She was of a medium height with a thin, athletic body from years on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. She was a Chaser. Though she worshipped Quidditch, she was immensely intelligent and cunning. Her sharp wit and sardonic humor were refreshing – and bloody hilarious. She had caused Lily countless times to spit out Pumpkin juice because of something Katie had said. She also, rather unfortunately, caused Lily painful mortification with some of the … forthright comments she said. Another fitting word was 'rude'.
"So, Lily," Abby said slyly, "I see you've become Head Girl."
Lily smiled, laughing, before replying, "Yes, I suppose so. My parents were so excited – I mean, honestly, it's not that big of a deal."
Katie protested, "You're bonkers! Of course it is! It's wonderful. And who's Head Boy?"
Lily pondered this for a moment. "I'm not quite sure."
Abby shrugged. "Haven't got a clue."
Katie said, "Well, they'd better damn well be hot, Lils, because you get to live with them."
"Oh, come off it," said Lily, "don't be ridiculous. Speaking of which, I'm off because I'm almost late!"
"Lily, you're no fun! You know that means you're early! You're too bloody punctual!" Abby called after her.
She entered the Heads' compartment after leaving Abby and Katie in their usual compartment. She was, as usual, punctual. If she were bound and gagged – she might, might admit that she was err – slightly – okay, compulsively punctual. It was a rather an … OCD-like tendency of hers. Unlike the Head Boy, it appeared, who was now a few minutes late. She played with her hair mindlessly, bored. Suddenly the door slid open and in entered … Potter.
"Potter!?" she said disbelievingly.
"Yes?" he retorted, smiling at her incredulity.
"What … what the bloody hell are you doing here?" she demanded, rising from her seat. Her gaze traveled from his hair, which he was, of course, running his hand through his unfailingly mussed-up locks to his face, with his chiseled jaw – err, no, his hideous face, to his broad shoulders in a blue sweater, upon which sat his Head Boy badge. Lily looked at it, uncomprehendingly, until it hit her.
"NO!" she cried. "This can't be happening."
"Well, uh …" James trailed off nervously, "I'm afraid it has. Dumbledore, you see, has made me … Head Boy. And you, presumably, Head Girl. Not that that's surprising, in the slightest," he added quickly.
"But you're immature. And an insufferable prat. And ugh," she groaned running her hand through her auburn hair, which the sunlight danced on, playing with the panoply of shades of red.
A flash of hurt passed over his handsome features, which he quickly masked with a pompous grin. "Nevertheless, Evans, will you go out with me?"
"You are so sodding arrogant. There is no chance that I –" she walked nearer to him "- will ever go out with a megalomaniac like – " she pushed his arm angrily "- you."
She turned and stalked off towards the door, but before exiting, she whirled around and added, "Moreover, you moron, you'd better bloody well make an effort to be a decent Head Boy, or, mark my words – I will report you to Dumbledore without hesitation and have you stripped of your title."
James winced as the compartment door shut. He sighed heavily and ran a hand through his messy hair, once again. He decided to return to the Marauder's compartment where Remus was reading intently, Sirius was laying languidly on the seat, and Peter was staring confusedly at his candy bar. Why, James had no idea. Peter was well, Peter. And not quite the brightest person he'd ever come across.
Remus looked up and smiled brightly at James. "Right. So, Prongs, how'd it go? Was Lily … alright with the news?"
James grimaced and said, "As well as could be expected, I suppose. She's shocked, to say the least. Hopefully she'll accept it and won't massacre me by the time we arrive at Hogwarts."
Sirius grinned at this admission, and remarked casually, "You dolt. She won't just massacre you – she'll castrate you and then feed you to an Acromantula. She's utterly daft."
James glared at him. "Thanks, Padfoot, I appreciate your support."
"Ah well, mate, my pleasure." Sirius grinned cheekily.
"Anyway, I don't know what I'm going to do. This is our last year, and therefore, my last chance. I've got to get her to fancy me. I just don't know bloody how. I've tried everything, and nothing works," James said, a tad dejectedly.
"Prongs, you just need to go about it more … subtly, shall we say. You can't inundate her with demands that she date you. She thinks you're pulling her leg, mate. You need to show her you don't just want her for, well, a shag," Remus said sagely.
"You're absolutely right. I just hate that she won't give me the sodding time of day. It's been years. I'm running out of patience," he replied, running his hand through his hair.
"Mate, I'm sorry. I am. But, cheer up, you get to live with her now. Show her then."
"I'll give it a shot, I reckon. She'd better come around though, or I'll be barking mad." James shook his head.
Lily stalked furiously back to her compartment. She slammed the door shut behind her.
"That fucking idiot was made Head Boy!" she said furiously. She was incensed by this piece of news had been told to her. Dumbledore had some gumption, she thought angrily, to make such a moronic pathetic excuse for a human Head Boy. What had the world come to?
Katie gaped unattractively. "You're bloody joking."
Lily recoiled. "I wish to Merlin I was."
Abby flinched a bit. "You have to live with him, too. Shit, that's going to be bad."
Lily's face flushed a horrible shade of red and she put her head in her hands. "Fuck," she muttered, "I totally forgot about that."
Katie put her arm on Lily's shoulder. "Listen, you'll be fine. We'll be here for you this year. As for him, keep contact to a minimum. Just be businesslike, and fulfill your obligations. Otherwise you needn't socialize with him.
"Although, Lils, he isn't that bad. He's a bloody good Quidditch captain, and a decent bloke to be around. Damn funny too."
Abby interjected wryly, "Gorgeous, too."
Lily scowled. "He's a prat! He just makes me daft!"
In the very least, the selection for Head Girl and Head Boy would make for one interesting, if not tumultuous – or any other spade of unpleasant adjectives Lily could conceive of to describe this predicament – year.
The door opened suddenly, and the Trolley lady offered them sweets, which caused Katie to procure some galleons and spend the lot on chocolate frogs and other delectables. Katie then proceeded to eat all this candy with gusto while Lily and Abby looked on, horrified.
"Err… Katie?" Abby said, wrinkling her nose.
"Yes?" she replied, her mouth stuffed.
"Must you eat like such a pig?"
"Absobloodylutely," she answered, shoving more candy in.
Lily heaved a groan. "For God's sake, why must you eat like that? More importantly, why aren't you the size of a hippogriff?"
"Well, I have a penchant for sweets. So I eat them. Want one? They're delicious!" Katie exclaimed cheerfully.
Lily accepted one chocolate frog. "At least I'm not a pig," she said, unwrapping her sweet.
Abby scrunched her nose again, and declined. "I've lost my appetite," she proclaimed.
"So, Abby, my dear, how's Mark?" inquired Lily, munching on her chocolate frog.
"He's good. He was made Prefect for Ravenclaw for this year. Oh by the way, so was I." Abby grinned impishly.
"Merlin, Abby! That's ruddy amazing!" said Katie, gleefully. She threw her arm affectionately around Abby and embraced her.
"Now, Kats, when are –" began Abby.
"Oh, bloody hell!" cried Lily. "I'm late for patrols with him."
"Lily, don't be stupid. He's not that bad. It could've been worse. They could've picked … me!" said Katie.
"But he's horrid! A right twat. I can't stand him any longer. He's been torturing me for years! Now, after Dumbledore has evidently gone mental, I have to live with him. I repeat, for your edification, live with him. He's more arrogant than the rest of his friends combined and he's just an arse. Oh, Merlin, I have to go, see you two later!" Lily waved as she dashed out of the compartment and found Potter.
"Evans," he nodded.
"Potter," she muttered.
"Shall we, my dear?" he grabbed her arm.
"Get it through your thick head, I am not your 'dear'. Nor may you touch me!"
"Fine, Evans," he conceded, slightly coldly, "Let's just do this."
He sighed and led her out of the compartment. They completed their rounds in silence. Really awkward silence. Oh bloody hell, thought Lily. She darted apprehensive glances at him. His face was reserved, unreadable. Lily sighed and stared ahead.
Finally, the reached the Prefects' compartment where all the Prefects sat, biding their time. Lily plastered on a welcoming smile as she stood in front of them, James next to her. He smiled widely at the Prefects.
"Welcome everyone. I'm Lily Evans, the new Head Girl, and this –"
"Is James Potter, as you all know," James flashed a bright smile and Lily rolled her eyes.
"Anyway, we're the new Heads, and we will be in charge of you. However, it's a joint duty to carry out all our obligations. Feel free to come to Potter or me with any concerns. We will now assign patrol schedules. Potter and I will take the remaining spots," Lily stated. Unfortunately, she added silently.
She pushed back her straight, long hair with her hand and she glanced at Potter to make sure he wasn't exploding the compartment or something just as likely. He was staring at her with an intense gaze. Lily suddenly felt caught off guard. She quickly ended eye contact with him and said to the Prefects, "Well, everyone, I believe we're finished. Next meeting will be communicated to you by your Heads of House. Thank you!"
She strode out of the compartment and headed to her own.
"Oh, God," she groaned once she sat down.
Abby said concernedly, "What happened?"
"Nothing happened. Well, I mean, it went smoothly. It's just Potter."
Abby said in a bored voice, "What did he do, Lils? What was so bad that he did?"
"He just was so ugh! He just kept looking at me –"
"Looking? What's wrong with that?"
"I don't know, okay? He's just so bloody annoying. And egotistical."
Katie was playing with a strand of her hair as she said dryly, "Lily, listen to me. You've gone mental. You need to relax. Everything will be okay. I promise. I know it seems like the end of the world that Potter's been chosen as Head Boy, but it's not. It will be fine."
Lily looked like she was about to retort, before sighing and assenting, "Okay. I'll stop ranting."
Thereafter, they talked about their summers as the train approached Hogwarts. It couldn't be that bad of a year, even if Potter was Head Boy. Could it?
Oh, fuck.