"We'll see you at Christmas, or half term if we can figure that out," Lily's mother fussed, kissing her on the forehead lightly, in case her gaudy red lipstick would smudge.

"We always miss you when you're at school Lils," her dad added in helpfully, pulling her in for a hug from the side, while also looking around at all the other parents who were in the same position with their children.

They mirrored nearly all of the other couples, dropping off their children for the first or last time, with the exception of one thing- the girl standing behind them with a scowl which could scare off even the fiercest of brutes. She crossed her arms, and pursed her lips.

"Oh you look like you've swallowed a lemon, do say goodbye to your sister! We're even taking you to see your boyfriend like you asked!" Lily's mum looked towards the taller girl, and she sighed and pursed her lips even more (which made her look stupid, in Lily's opinion).

She pushed her golden blonde, only nearly orange hair behind her shoulders and looked down into Lily's general direction. "Bye freak, don't get any freakier," she said almost curtly, but gave her a wicked grin, showing she meant no harm (mostly).

Lily's family was quite average, compared to some of the families on the platform.

When she was younger, she'd always be quite proud to have what her friends would call 'cool' parents. Her mother was lean, with gorgeous ginger hair, and she had even gone into modelling when she was younger, while her dad was an engineer, working on rockets and planes, and on his off days going to queen concerts and mosh pits.

But right now, her parents were the epitome of uncool, unknowing, and completely clueless in this new world which only she belonged in. She used to try to explain stuff to them, especially to Tuney, but they didn't seem to care, except for her dad wanting to know how the brooms flew in Hogwarts.

It felt awkward and clunky to try and bring her parents into the life she had almost left behind for the summer. Not being able to practice magic, she became an average girl again who could go to the library and buy clothes with her sister again (not that she ever enjoyed it, she would complain when Tuney would go through the same sale rack twice 'just in case she missed anything').

"I love you all," Lily tried to smile, but ended up looking down at the cuffs of her jeans, and flexing her toes inside her black boots, "I'll miss you."

Before Lily could add to her statement, Petunia scoffed and said, "wish I could say the same for you," after a jab in the ribs from her dad, she let out a strained "but, you know we'll miss you too."

They both tentatively smiled at each other, and before they could revel in the moment of there not being an argument between them, their dad commented, "this would be the part where your mum calls for a group hug," with a wry grin.

"We are not doing that!" Petunia gasped, and Lily added, "Mum, that's so embarrassing!"

"I wouldn't!" Mrs. Evans gave Mr. Evans a steely glare, and the brave man just chuckled. Lily, absolutely terrified that her mum would follow through with her dad's plan still, quickly picked up her bags and began to leave.

"Yes, I'll stay safe, etcetera, etcetera," Lily said while walking towards one of the entrances to the train. She passed her bag to her dad, and then stepped onto the train, and he passed it back to her. They had always done it that way, even though Lily now was stronger than her 11 year old self, and could carry her case onto the train herself.

"We don't even have to ask you if you'll stay safe, you're too good!" Her dad said humorously, "the only thing you've ever done to break the rules is wear those boots, which you've spent half the summer worrying about if they would pass for regulation or not!"

Lily let out a giggle at her dad's statement, it was just too true. She took pride in it though, being good, honest, and proud was basically her house's description. She waved her dad off happily, and went to sit in a carriage which was free, which happened to be the next one down.

She looked out through the window, seeing her family in deep conversation without her, and couldn't help a sense of longing which came over her. They looked right- usual- together, all so tall (unlike her) and good-looking, her dad returned to them and his arm slid around his wife's waist and Tuney was exaggeratedly pointing to the way out, Lily could almost her hear her saying:

"If we don't get out now, we won't get out for ages because then everyone will be trying to leave!" But she knew her parents would never want to leave without seeing the train set off, it was almost an unsaid rule that they never left before the train left the station.

She pulled a book out of the top of her case, and then shoved it into the overhead compartment, and fell down onto the leather seat with a sigh. It felt like a return to normalcy, she could almost feel the magic in the air (or the sweat of prepubescent teens, but whatever).

Before she could open the book, however, she heard a knock at the door, and she looked over to see the pointy face of her friend Severus. She gave him a soft smile, eyes widening in delight, and moved her hands in a motion to come in.

At least that's what it seemed like to him, but honestly, she almost couldn't wait until they got to school, and they would only really see each other in lessons. She liked Severus, as a friend, and that entire summer, she had gotten the slight idea that he liked her much more than she liked him. It grated on her nerves.

Every second day, he would come over and knock on her door, asking if she wanted to go on a walk with him. In first and second year, it had been cute and well received, they would go walking around the lake which was a ten minute walk from their houses (which were very close together).

He had grown up with magic, and she hadn't, so he would always show her little tricks and magical objects which really would make her eyes light up, and her smile grow. But that quickly became old, and even her parents agreed that he was coming to see her too much.

She wanted to study! Go swimming! Spend time with her sister! Sleep! Not go on the same walk she had been going on since she was about 9, and her parents would let her go out on her own.

"Lily," he put his bag away while speaking to her, "I thought we were getting a ride to the train station together this year." He had such a soft spoken manner she couldn't help but stammer out an apology she didn't exactly mean.

"I-I thought you would be coming here the magical way," she smiled ruefully, knowing she definitely did not think that.

"Well, there's no harm in it, because that's what I did in the end, we were running late." And with his returning smile, she knew she was forgiven.

"Are you excited to be going back? I am, I feel like I was going crazy not being able to do magic all summer." Lily answered her own question in excitement.

"I practiced a little bit of potions work over summer," he admitted, "my grandmother was doing some, so she let me help." Lily had met his grandmother once, when the older, frail looking woman had come out to tell him to come in when his parents wanted him, and she had acted like Lily didn't exist, which Lily felt was a bit rude.

Still, she couldn't help thinking that potions work was a more productive way she could have spent her summer, instead of those dreaded walks around the lake. "I'm jealous! I think my family would lose it if I started doing any potions inside the house, especially Tuney."

His nose wrinkled at the thought of her older sister (which made her happier than she would admit, she always felt like the second choice compared to the taller, blonder girl). "I think she'd call an exorcist on you." He joked softly, which Lily had almost taken the wrong way before she realised it was a joke, and giggled at it.

He paused and said to her, "you know she's just jealous, right?" Lily smiled down at her boots, knowing he was wrong about this.

"No, she's not. She thinks it's-" she thought about rephrasing it, but didn't bother, "unnatural." Before she could start to explain, three boys came crashing into the the compartment. She saw Severus's nose twist again, but before he could say anything to the intruders, they began to speak to Lily, completely ignoring him.

It was James, Sirius and Peter. They were three boys in her year who, with another boy (Remus), called themselves the Maurauders. Honestly, she thought it was a little bit embarrassing- who has a name for their friendship group, except for 7 year olds? She didn't exactly call herself and Severus the 'Dynamic Duo' or anything ridiculous like that.

"Is that your parents and sister out there?" Sirius asked foregoing pleasantries, pointing towards her family, and Lily's brows drew together in confusion.

"Yeah," she uttered, and shared a glance with Severus, which seemed to say 'what the heck are they doing here?'

"I can tell, your mum has the same hair as you!" Peter added on, with a childlike sense of righteousness about him, like he had just solved a great mystery. Lily spared him a smile- he was kind of sweet if you got past the constant chewing, usually with his mouth open.

"She's kind of fit, for an older woman," Sirius added on, and Lily began to splutter. Whatever nice, kind feelings she had begun to feel fell away instantly. He was talking about her mum!

"I see where you get it from," James added on, speaking for the first time. Lily spluttered into silence, and stared at him. He hasn't changed much over summer, still the annoying chimp-like creature he had always been, unlike his friends Peter and Sirius.

Peter had gotten braces! She hadn't realised he even knew they existed, but his teeth looked a bit less ragged than before (but only a bit, it had only been summer after all). And Sirius had lost all of his baby fat! Ok, he hadn't had much in the first place, but whatever he did have was completely gone, his face now looked slim and chiselled when before it had looked more soft.

Lily was still looking at the three in pure disbelief, did they actually just barge in there and talk about her mother like that?

The loud blast which meant the train was starting soon brought her back to reality, and she quickly said, "don't talk about my mum like that, just go away!"

"Come on Lils, we weren't saying anything mean," her parent's nickname sounded wrong coming from Sirius' mouth and she felt herself get angry, feeling a furious flush crawl up her cheeks as their words sunk in properly. James indirectly called her fit, but he had also directly called her mum fit.

"Didn't you hear her? Get out." Serverus's voice gained a hard edge that she only heard when these boys were around, because she was usually used to the little boy who would share his books with her, and teach her patiently. However, right then she didn't mind the change in personality, as long as it would get the awful boys out of her carriage. They quickly scampered off, but not before James got the last word in:

"Nice to see you too, Snivellus." They all cackled childishly after they heard the nickname out loud, and the doors shut with a loud clang, leaving Lily and Severus in near equal states of anger. Her flush went down slightly and she felt herself relax in the silence which arrived when the boys left. What was nice with Severus, she thought, was that they could sit in silence and it wouldn't be awkward, and they could just think.

"I hate them." She had thought too soon, Severus had started speaking with his bitter, cruel tone which was reserved for the Marauders, "what sort of prick barges into someone else's space, then proceeds to talk about their parents like that? If they had done that to me, I would have hexed them, or told a teacher, like Slughorn."

Lily shook her head, "they don't need to get into trouble over something small like this, they'll get into trouble anyways." She tried to smile at him, but that only made him angrier, maybe out of protectiveness for the girl.

"They'd deserve it, Lily." Lily decided not to reply to that, instead staring out of the window at the countryside rushing by, signifying that the conversation was over. She watched the hills rise and fall beside them, rolling like the sea, and felt a sense of serenity, the sort of serenity which could only be achieved by someone who was going back to the school she loved, with her best friend who she (mostly) loved.

Lily wasn't unpopular, per se, she just didn't have many friends.

The girls she shared her dorm with were nice, they just didn't have anything in common, and they had never really bonded before. Mary McDonald, Dorcas Meadowes, Alice Longbottom, Hestia Jones and Marlene McKinnon had all slept in the same dorm as her for three years, but they had never talked to Lily past the barriers of pleasant small talk. Lily didn't mind it exactly, because she was more interested in her books and learning, but it just made her feel a little bit left out.

She sat at the edge of the little group on the night of the Welcome Feast, next to Dorcas Meadowes, who had always been particularly kind to Lily, always sensitive to never leave her out. "I'm so excited for care of magical creatures!" She enthused to the other four, and they all replied with varying levels of agreement: going from "Me too! My cousin told me we learn about unicorns, and I didn't know they actually exist!" to "I'm so glad I dropped that."

"Lily, what electives are you taking?" Dorcas asked her without hesitation, and Lily smiled ruefully, almost scared of their reaction.

"Uh, all of them except muggle studies?" It sounded like a question but it definitely wasn't. She had found it so difficult to just stop learning about a certain bit of magic, just because it was an elective, so after lots of debating with her parents, then the teachers, it was decided that she would be taking all which were useful to her: Arithmacy, Care of Magical Creatures, Divination, Ancient Runes, and not Muggle Studies (she didn't really need the last one). The teachers she had talked to about it had told her not to worry if she wished to drop an elective, so she wasn't too stressed about it yet.

"All of them!" Hestia repeated in half-awe half-jealousy, leaning forwards unconsciously.

"You're mad," Mary had added, with a snort, "that will be the worst workload of your life."

"How would you even have the time?" Marlene asked.

"At least we can always ask you if we can copy your homework," Dorcas added with an easy laugh. Lily frowned for a moment, they couldn't just copy her homework! Especially if they weren't even friends!

She quickly realised that Dorcas hadn't meant it in a bad way, and she didn't even realise that her comment could be seen as taking advantage of Lily, and Lily felt guilty for thinking badly of the kind hearted girl.

She laughed in response, and then Mary asked her another question, "you're muggle born aren't you- why would you need Muggle Studies? I would have taken it, it would be an easy O!" She sounded excited about it for a second, before adding the next thought in a damper tone, "but my parents told me not to."

"My parents said the same! But I was taking the other four, so it just felt right to do muggle studies too. I have to do all my studying from the textbook, and don't actually need to go to lessons, which works out fine for me." Lily tried to explain, but it just sounded more complicated.

"Do we even care?" Alice Longbottom cut in, and Lily frowned. She cared. "First day back at school, and we're talking about school! Let's talk about something more interesting."

It was kind of rude of her to cut in, Lily thought, but the other girls just seemed used to it. "Well, we've already talked about our hols," Marlene retorted.

"You all know about my summer of hell at my cousins, but we haven't heard about Lily's!" Alice countered, and Lily felt herself freeze. She had just stayed at home all summer, and had a good time doing nothing, but she felt like that wouldn't be good enough compared to her dorm mates Gryffindor adventures. Why were they asking her anyways?

Dorcas turned to Lily, "Here's the rundown: Mary went sailing with some fit Irish bloke; Marlene went to France, watched some muggle bike race; Hestia went and did a summer placement at some odd magic library-"

"Hey! That's one of the biggest magician libraries in Britain, and they usually only take fifth year upwards!" Hestia butted in with a grin, only slightly showing off.

"Yeah, sure, whatever. I went to help the war efforts in York, with my dad." Lily gave Dorcas an amazed look- she was a 14 year old saint! Which teenager went to go help people who were affected by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named instead of spending a summer off relaxing by the pool?

"We, uh, lost mum to the cause last year. How was your summer?" Dorcas quickly explained, and completely glossed over the fact that her mum was dead, and for a second it flew over Lily's head. She thought for a second, and her mouth formed an 'o', everything made sense about her behaviour last Halloween, and how she hadn't returned with everyone else after the half term.

How did she just act like it didn't affect her like that? Either way, Lily realised she didn't want to talk about it, and quickly went, "I went to France too!"

She had lied. She didn't even know why! It wasn't that big of a deal that she stayed at home, and went on walks with Severus, and helped around the house with her mum. But she had felt pressured to say something just as exciting as the rest of them.

"Really! Where?" Marlene asked her curiously.

"Uh, Paris." Lily felt the hole she dug herself into get deeper.

"I was there too! You should have told me before summer, we could have met up!" Neither of them mentioned how awkward that would have been.

Instead Lily tittered awkwardly, and went, "Yeah, I should have." She didn't say a word more about her summer in Paris, in fear they would figure her out.

There was an awkward silence, before Alice turned to Lily, face dropping a little bit, "I'm going to be honest here," she shook her head at the other girls' panicked expressions, "we want to be your friend! We always see you going off with that sulky Slytherin, and he always gives us the dirtiest look, like we've abandoned you. We decided at the end of term last year that we'd make more of an effort with you, because we always just assumed you were happier with your books."

Lily almost snorted, despite the slightly serious situation she was in. She was happier with her books. But she was also kind of happy that they'd want to talk to her.

"But you do seem nice! Just quiet. We'd like to talk to you more, and eventually become friends!" Dorcas added, softer and kinder than Alice's blunt approach to the situation. Lily, despite knowing that she was being babied a little, smiled at them.

"I think, I'd like that." Lily took the gesture of friendship with a smile, and couldn't help hoping that it would stick, and they would all become proper friends.

"Good, because we're determined this year! We're going to become best friends!" It was beginning to sound a little ominous, Mary said it forcefully as if wishing it to come true from brute force.

"Don't scare her off," Hestia warned with a smirk, and Lily couldn't help but make relieved eye contact with her.

"I quite like my books, though," Lily admitted cautiously. She didn't want them to think she was a nerd, but they didn't take it that way at all, instead all of them bursting into laughter at the same time.

"I think we've noticed, love!" Hestia laughed the loudest, and Lily felt a flush creep up her neck for the second time in the day.

"Seriously. You read a book while brushing your teeth." Alice confirmed, and they all laughed louder if it was possible. Lily would have face planted the table, if there wasn't a bowl of soup in the way.

"I like reading! Don't hate!" Lily protested weakly, a grin fighting it's way onto her face no matter how much she didn't want to encourage them.

"We're not hating, dear Hestia spent an entire summer stuck with thousands of books, she's just not as much of a nerd as you are!" Alice retorted, not unkindly.

"To be fair, Hestia sid have a little friend who visited the library quite often, so she wouldn't get bored!" Mary gossiped, and all eyes turned to her. She giggled in the spotlight, and pointed towards Hestia.

"Mary! You said you wouldn't tell!" Hestia hissed, but Mary just put her hands up in a surrender and grinned innocently.

"They forced it out of me!"

"They literally didn't. You said that all on your own." Hestia deadpanned, trying to fight a laugh at her blatant lie.

"Anyways, now Hestia has to tell us all the full story of her new love interest. There's only so much a letter can tell a girl, after all!" Mary grinned, and despite herself, Lily was already interested.

The day before, Lily had been ready to subject herself to a year of awkwardly standing on the sidelines of their group, telling herself that she didn't need friends to have fun at school. But now, sitting with them all and having a laugh, even at their own expenses, really didn't seem so bad.

Before long, they were all immersed in a conversation, Dorcas constantly asking Lily what she thought, or if she agreed. Lily didn't even mind it, or find it annoying- it made her feel kind of important. She hadn't even glanced over at Severus in longing once, like she had done every year since they had been seperated into different houses.

"Hey Lily," she heard, and swivelled around in her seat to see the 'Maurauders' standing in front of her, Remus standing in front of them all, the main speaker. "We just want to apologise for their behaviour on the train, I would have told them their comments were out of line if I had been there."

Lily nodded at him, kind of relived that he had come to apologise for them. It's not like James or Sirius would, but it meant a lot that they would stand there and at least show some repentance, even if it was out of awkwardness rather than sincerity, judging by their faces.

Peter was oblivious, chewing on some bread. Lily decided it didn't matter too much and gave Remus a smile, showing that all was already forgiven, "thank you, that means a lot." She nodded at him, and he nodded back and their smiles became more toothy.

"We should go," James broke through the silence before it could become too awkward, and Lily just nodded at him. It seemed he didn't really care about apologising, and neither did Sirius, but did it to appease Remus.

"Bye Lily," Peter exclaimed with bread in his teeth, and Lily winced and gave him a wave as they all trotted off back to the other end of the table.

"Uh, what just happened there?" Marlene asked, as soon as they had cleared off.

"I don't really understand," Lily started off pensively, "on the train, Sirius called my mum fit, and then James agreed, and I told them to get out. That's pretty normal James and Sirius behaviour."

Alice barked out a laugh, but quickly tried to stop herself before it became rude, "sorry, but that's so like Sirius!"

"Agreed." Giggled Mary.

"I don't know why Remus felt the need to apologise, they've probably done worse," Lily shrugged, "but it's not as if it's a bad thing that they apologised. I'm actually happier now."

"I think Remus was probably being kind," Dorcas supplied, and Lily smiled in agreement.

"I think they needed to apologise! You can't talk about someone's family like that," Hestia argued, and Lily found herself liking the girl more than she had for the last three years.

"It did make me angry," Lily admitted, "but I think now I can see the funny side of it now."

They all let out a train of giggles at the same time, and looked around at each other. Lily knew this was the beginning of a friendship for her.

I didn't know whether to put Hestia in a younger year or not! But, in the end I decided to put her in their year because it made the dorm a nice even number. I'm still not sure though! Agh, indecision. Almost put Molly in their year but quickly did the maths and realised she would have been much, much older LOL. Also with the whole doing all the subjects thing, let's just work with the idea that all subjects would be at a different time, and Lily wouldn't need a time turner.

I'm not exactly sure why I've started something new, but whatever! This is going to be a bit different to the Jily stories you've read before, if I have anything to say about it, as I have a slightly different view on the couple (I hope I can get that across!) Fourth year is going to be done quickly, and establish the personality I see for Lily.

I've always seen her as much more kind and mellow, more willing to help a fellow student than look down on them, but she'd also have strong resolutions and stick to them (due to being Gryffindor and all). Honestly, I'm worried I'll portray her differently to this, because it's so much easier to write an argumentative, easily riled up Lily to bounce off James' annoying personality, but I'll try my best not to due to my plans for the plot. I don't know if she sounds too young or childish in this chapter either, I just want it to seem very realistic, and the characters to seem much more human than just plot devices, or just 'the troublemaker' and 'the good girl'.

This was supposed to be two chapters, but I thought I would turn it into a longer introduction chapter! Tell me what you think! I don't know whether to finish this, but I have so many ideas!

-sunkissedbubbletea