AN: This is a bit short and just an off shoot of a larger post Hogwarts
Lily/James thing I'm writing. -Hazel
Disclaimer: I don't own anything. No copyright infringement intended.
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The Last Compartment
*
"Are you all right?"
Lily Evans blinked and turned to stare at who was talking at her. She was in a daze, unable to believe all the amazing things she had seen just in the span of a few short minutes. Sure, it had been pretty bloody amazing to see Minerva. oh wait, she was supposed to call her Professor. Professor McGonagall turn into a cat and then turn back to a woman.
But then she'd stepped through the barrier of Platform 9 ¾ and she wasn't quite able to believe it. Big tall wizards with pointy hats were appearing in large groups, kissing their sons and daughters, helping them on trains and then whipping out their wands and 'pop!' they were gone.
"Erm." Lily was looking up at a girl who was probably a bit older then she was. She had a large happy smile on her gracious round face. Her hair was yellow, and tied with blue ribbon that matched her large eyes. Everything about this girl made Lily think of happy thoughts and buttercups and sunshine. "I think so" she said in a quiet voice, twisting her red hair around her index finger, a nervous habit she'd always had.
"I'm Alice Chapman" the girl said "You must be a first year, I'm in Fourth Year myself." She laughed "Don't look so frightened, you'll get used to it, mostly"
Lily gave a little giggle "It's all very strange" she admitted, and then startled "Ooh, I'm Lily Evans, it's nice to meet you"
"That's such a pretty name" Alice beamed "Would you like some help with your trunk maybe?"
"Oh that'd be great" Lily nodded "I don't know how to even lift it."
Alice waved at someone and soon a tall boy with sandy hair that he had to keep brushin out of his eyes joined them. He kissed Alice on the cheek briefly and looked at Lily. "Oh hello, are you a first year?"
"This is Lily" said Alice, still beaming. "This is Frank Longbottom;" she giggled "He's not good for much but heavy lifting"
Lily giggled at this too and Frank rolled his eyes "And you call yourself a girlfriend"
Frank and Alice helped her up on the train and found an empty compartment to sit in. Lily was still a bit in awe of it all. She saw a very tall boy with a shiny prefect badge on come walking down the hall a bit menacingly with his wand out. He had pointed it at someone Lily couldn't see and said "Right, you want bats for ears Finnegan?"
"So" said Frank jovially "You're muggle born, I expect this is all overwhelming then?"
"Yes" Lily exclaimed "My parents were dead pleased about it though, they think magic's just great"
"That's good" said Alice "I reckon it wouldn't be too good if your parents didn't want you here" she paused "So what house do you think you'll get in?"
Lily cocked her head to the side and twisted a strand of scarlet hair around her finger "There are houses?"
Alice and Frank looked at each other and laughed, and just then the train started moving. Lily looked out the window, surprised to see that as they pulled out of the station they were in an open field. She closed her mouth, still a bit shocked and turned back to her new friends.
"Well, yes" Frank was saying "We're in Gryffindor, which supposedly means we're very brave or something" he shrugged "My whole families been in Gryffindor, I don't think most of them have done anything that fantastic though"
"I think it just means being brave of heart" Said Alice rolling her eyes "Not literally"
"Then there's Ravenclaw for the brainy people."
"Clever People" Alice corrected with a grin "Rowena Ravenclaw wanted to teach the best and the brightest"
"Right, Brainy people" Frank laughed "Then there's Hufflepuff, which is basically where they stick you if you're useless and they don't know where else to stick you--" '
Alice cut him off "Just ignore him, he thinks Gryffindor's the best so he'd biased about the others... Hufflepuff is for loyal people"
"I don't care, I'd rather be in Hufflepuff then Slytherin" Frank pulled a face
Alice rolled her eyes "Slytherin is for er." she shot a look at Frank "Well."
"Slimy dark magic gits?" he said, putting his arm around her
Lily laughed.
"No" said Alice pointedly "It's for cunning people. I guess. Really intelligent. oh bugger, they only take purebloods anyway, so I may as well tell you it's for slimy dark magic gits" she and Frank shared a smile and for a moment Lily thought they were going to kiss again when the door to their compartment opened rather slowly.
"May we sit in here Alice?" said a high pitched dreamy voice. A small skinny girl with huge glasses magnifying her small eyes slid into the compartment.
Alice smiled her happy smile again. "Sure you can Sibyl, come on in, who've you got with you?" she looked at Lily "Sibyl Trelawney, she's a fourth year like us but in Hufflepuff"
"And this is my sister" said Sibyl, gesturing to the dark haired girl behind her. "Olivia"
Olivia rolled her eyes and plodded into the compartment "Call me Libby, Sib" she said in an impatient voice "Libby"
Alice giggled and Frank looked amused. They all introduced themselves and Libby sat next to Lily. "So you're muggle born, eh?" she looked rather impressed
"Er. yeah" Lily nodded "What house do you wan?"
"Ravenclaw" said Libby immediately, and with a quick glance at Alice and Frank she added "But Gryffindor would be good too"
"Oh bloody hell" Frank said suddenly. He stood up and put a hand through all of his pockets "You're kidding, not again" he groaned
"What is it?" Lily wanted to know
"My Toad, Trenton, he's run off again"
Alice made an annoyed sound "Why don't you just get an owl or something that doesn't hop away all the time?"
"Because" Frank said defensively "Toads are cool"
"Or Gross" Lily added thoughtfully
Frank grinned wickedly at her and wiggled his fingers menacingly "All the better, my pretty" he cackled in a fake hag's voice and Lily pretended to shriek and cower behind Libby.
"Shall we help you find Trenton?" asked Sibyl as she adjusted her glasses. "I may have a good idea where he is, being that I do have the sight and all"
Frank gave her a look and then said "Erm. sure Sibyl, you want to help too Lily? Libby?"
They nodded eagerly and Sibyl led them out of the compartment. She cleared her throat loudly and looked down one direction and then down the other and said in her floaty voice "I am being told that Trenton is down that way"
Lily looked impressed and Libby snorted at her expression. "Don't even" she whispered "Sib thinks just because our Great Great Grandmother was this big great seer, means she is too." Libby looked at her sister and then turned back to Lily. "But actually. I am"
Lily's mouth opened "Really?" she asked excitement flooding her "How do you know?"
"Dumbledore tested me" Libby said proudly. "He said I am for sure, and Dumbledore knows everything, Lily. Besides. I've had dreams and stuff since I can remember that have always come true. "
"This way" said Sibyl, leading
"So where's the frog?" Lily asked, she started curling her hair around her finger again.
Libby laughed "Don't be silly I can't just say 'Give me a vision' and I get one" she suddenly seemed much older then eleven to Lily "It's more like I'll get one and sometimes they're useful. Mostly I just go off the opposite of what Sib says, so let's go this way"
Lily and Libby started down the other direction, checking every compartment they went in. A few older kids were rather nasty and shot purple jets of light out of their wand at them for interrupting. But mostly people were nice and didn't take any notice. One boy who was defiantly too old for Lily said "I haven't seen no frog gorgeous, why don't you come sit next to me". She's hurried out of the compartment blushing and tripping over herself with Libby laughing.
"Do you always act like that when people complement you?" Libby giggled as they came to the final two compartments on the train.
"I don't get complimented very often" Lily mumbled
Libby snorted "With that hair." she started to say and then she trailed off, her hazel eyes glazed over and became unfocused for a moment. The small child's hand that was curled around Lily's arm twitched and fell and then she was staring at Lily and staring at the door next to Lily and staring at the door on the other side.
"Oh.. Okay" she said.
Lily looked alarmed "Did you just."
Libby shrugged "Erm" she said "Don't eat the kidney pies at the feast tonight"
Lily continued to stare wide eyed at her and Libby gave her a bit of a pat. "S'all right, you'll get used to it." Lily didn't think she would "Now, I'll go in here" Libby grinned "You go in there"
"But." Libby opened the compartment door and shut it again, and Lily could hear her asking if anyone had seen a toad.
Taking a deep breath and flipping her hair over her shoulder Lily slid the last compartment door open and stepped in. "Has anyone seen a toad?" she asked, trying not to sound as scared as she felt.
Her heart was pounding in her ears as the five people in compartment turned to look at her slowly. They were the same age as her and unlike the other children on the train who wore muggle clothes, these five were wearing robes made of expensive lux materials like silk and velvet and lace.
They were seated boy girl boy girl and it looked to Lily like they were the winners some Britain's most gorgeous children contest. The Boy nearest to her had very fair blonde hair and cold blue eyes. His face was a bit pointy but it was pretty none the less. He was glaring at her like he wanted her dead though.
Next to the blonde boy sat perhaps the prettiest eleven year old girl Lily had ever seen. Her hair was blonde too, and fell down her back in heavy waves of gold. Her eyes were the same cold blue as the boy next to her and her features were so delicately carved they looked almost like they were made from ice.
Then another boy, but he wasn't glaring at her like the first two children, he just looked amused, his thick black hair fell into his dark eyes, he had a strong jaw line for an eleven year old, and for a boy, he was quite pretty as well.
The next girl could have been the first's double had she been carved out of black night instead of ice. She had dark, long lashed heavy lidded eyes and pink full lips. Her black hair fell to her waist and had meticulously small plaits with bits of something glittering throughout her coif.
The last boy wasn't glaring at her either, but he didn't look amused. He had a soft blank look in his hazel eyes. Lily tried looking him in the eye, to see if maybe he was just hiding that he was as mean as the others. Instead she found that he had really amazing, dizzy eyes, a quagmire of browns and greens flecked with gold. His eyelashes were girlishly long and jet black, the same color as his hair, which was rather a bit too long just under his chin. He wore glasses that were slipping down his strait nose and looked very small compared to the others.
"Who are you?" asked the black haired girl in a low voice.
Lily looked away and could hear her blood pumping loudly in her ears. She wondered if they could hear it too. "I. what? Oh. Lily Evans. Who are you?"
The girl's eyes went a bit big at this "Who am I? Bellatrix Black" she smirked a bit and gestured to the boy on her left, who had pushed his black hair out of his face and was still regarding Lily with amusement "And this is my cousin Sirius Black, and my sister Narcissa Black"
"Charmed" said Narcissa, the perfect icy blonde. She looked down at her hands and didn't seem to have anymore to add to the conversation.
"A Toad, you say?" asked the blonde boy, he was regarding Lily in a way that made her feel decidedly uncomfortable "This wouldn't be Longbottom's Toad, would it?"
"Er. yes actually it would" said Lily.
"I don't know the name Evans" Bellatrix was saying. "Do you know it James?"
Lily looked at James too, he hadn't looked away from her yet. He cocked his head to the side and ran a hand through his hair. "No, I don't know it" he said softly.
Bellatrix raised her eyebrows and turned to the blonde boy "Lucius?"
"No" said Lucius, still staring at Lily too.
Lily flushed "Erm. look. All I really wanted to know.."
"Is that your hair's real color?" Bellatrix continued in a snide voice as if Lily hadn't spoken
"What--- Yes! Is that yours?" Lily said in an incredulous voice "Look, this is silly have you seen a Toad, is all I want. it's a bit small, green."
"Yes" Said Bellatrix coldly "This is my natural hair color"
"And it's lovely" Said Lily, smiling at her in what Bellatrix obviously took as a patronizing manner because she looked furious "Really, but if you haven't."
"James!" Bellatrix cried "Hex her or something"
James snorted "Oh bleeding Merlin, Bella. No, Lily, we haven't seen a toad"
"Thank you" Lily said in an exhausted voice. And then she added, just to make Bellatrix angry. "James"
"How old are you?" asked Sirius.
"I want her to go" said Bellatrix sulkily, but Sirius and James paid no attention. Narcissa stared at her hands and Lucius started questioning her as well.
"Ten" Lily said defiantly "They let me in early"
"What house do you think you'll get?" asked Lucius in a low frightening voice.
"Erm. why" Lily's voice shook and she raised her chin "What house do you think you'll get?"
Lucius raised his eyebrows in an amused sort of way "Well besides being a Malfoy, which I'm amazed you didn't know, and being a second year, I happen to know for sure I'm in Slytherin"
"Oh" Lily blushed "Sorry. are you all second years?"
"No, only Lucius" said Sirius, sitting back in his chair and shoving his hair out of his face again. "So, what house *do* you think you'll get"
"Erm. I dunno.." Lily mumbled. "Probably... Ravenclaw"
"That's not so bad" Sirius nodded
"Don't you want Slytherin? It's the best house there is." Bellatrix said a bit snidely.
"D'you want Slytherin then?" asked Lily, remembering what Frank had said about them being slimy gits. He wasn't far off, it seemed.
"Don't you know anything?" Bellatrix asked, her mouth twisting into a cruel smile "Blacks and Malfoys always go to Slytherin"
Lily noticed Sirius looking a bit uncomfortable, he ran a hand through his hair and caught James's eye.
"And Potters always get Gryffindor" said James in what might have been mock pride. Or perhaps he really was proud of Gryffindor and just didn't say so in present company. He and Sirius shared a look over Bellatrix's head.
"Oh I've met some Gryffindors" Lily said "Frank and Alice."
"Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-dum, you mean?" Lucius smirked, Bellatrix and Narcissa giggled under their breath as if it wouldn't be becoming to laugh much louder.
Lily frowned "They seemed perfectly nice to me"
"Their perfectly daft, that's for sure" Bellatrix giggled "And anyway, most Gryffindor's are. No offence to your Father and Mother, James, of course"
"None taken" James said softly, looking at Lily again. She looked back at him and they held each others gaze for a moment before he looked away.
"I should think" Bellatrix continued, seeing the looks James and Lily had passed "That if you've never heard of Potters, Blacks, or Malfoys, then Evans, are you a mudblood? "
"A what?" Lily's head jerked up "What's that?"
"Come on Bella" said Sirius in a whining voice, he looked at Lily and smiled "So what is you're muggle born, you're probably a great witch and you're very pretty" he added with a wink. Lily blinked and then looked at James who seemed to be finding it hard to keep from laughing.
"Oh!" Bellatrix sounded delighted and ignoring Sirius "You must be then, if you've never heard of it. Well, you see, it's an insult that pureblood wizards, the only real kind of wizard there is, call dirty filthy blooded wizards like you." She shrugged
Lily felt her blood boil. Had she just. had that girl just insulted her family? She was fairly sure that telling Lily she had mud in her blood constituted that. Lily looked around at their faces, Lucius grinned lazily, Narcissa smiling smugly at her hands, Bellatrix with her cruel smile. Sirius was looking out the window, frowning and looking rather ashamed, she was pleased to see, and James was still staring at her blankly again.
"I." said Lily, well, she could be insulted by something that didn't mean anything to her, or she could just leave and be the bigger person.
"Well Bellatrix" she sighed "I am born of non wizarding parents, and actually, I'm glad I don't know what a mudblood is you see, because obviously non-wizards have advanced socially to the point where they don't need to feel good about themselves by making fun of someone's. blood? Okay Bellatrix," she added airily as she began to back out of the compartment. "So maybe I have dirty blood, but at least I don't have horrible fake hair. See you around."
Lily could have sworn that as she shut the carriage door behind her that Bellatrix had screamed some spell at her. She didn't want to know. Libby was standing there waiting for her, clutching Trenton the Toad.
"Well that took a long time" she said grimly "Was it worth it?"
Lily considered James, with his pretty eyes and smiled as she patted Trenton's head "I think so, yes"
*
Remember to Review, Si Vous-Plait :D
Disclaimer: I don't own anything. No copyright infringement intended.
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The Last Compartment
*
"Are you all right?"
Lily Evans blinked and turned to stare at who was talking at her. She was in a daze, unable to believe all the amazing things she had seen just in the span of a few short minutes. Sure, it had been pretty bloody amazing to see Minerva. oh wait, she was supposed to call her Professor. Professor McGonagall turn into a cat and then turn back to a woman.
But then she'd stepped through the barrier of Platform 9 ¾ and she wasn't quite able to believe it. Big tall wizards with pointy hats were appearing in large groups, kissing their sons and daughters, helping them on trains and then whipping out their wands and 'pop!' they were gone.
"Erm." Lily was looking up at a girl who was probably a bit older then she was. She had a large happy smile on her gracious round face. Her hair was yellow, and tied with blue ribbon that matched her large eyes. Everything about this girl made Lily think of happy thoughts and buttercups and sunshine. "I think so" she said in a quiet voice, twisting her red hair around her index finger, a nervous habit she'd always had.
"I'm Alice Chapman" the girl said "You must be a first year, I'm in Fourth Year myself." She laughed "Don't look so frightened, you'll get used to it, mostly"
Lily gave a little giggle "It's all very strange" she admitted, and then startled "Ooh, I'm Lily Evans, it's nice to meet you"
"That's such a pretty name" Alice beamed "Would you like some help with your trunk maybe?"
"Oh that'd be great" Lily nodded "I don't know how to even lift it."
Alice waved at someone and soon a tall boy with sandy hair that he had to keep brushin out of his eyes joined them. He kissed Alice on the cheek briefly and looked at Lily. "Oh hello, are you a first year?"
"This is Lily" said Alice, still beaming. "This is Frank Longbottom;" she giggled "He's not good for much but heavy lifting"
Lily giggled at this too and Frank rolled his eyes "And you call yourself a girlfriend"
Frank and Alice helped her up on the train and found an empty compartment to sit in. Lily was still a bit in awe of it all. She saw a very tall boy with a shiny prefect badge on come walking down the hall a bit menacingly with his wand out. He had pointed it at someone Lily couldn't see and said "Right, you want bats for ears Finnegan?"
"So" said Frank jovially "You're muggle born, I expect this is all overwhelming then?"
"Yes" Lily exclaimed "My parents were dead pleased about it though, they think magic's just great"
"That's good" said Alice "I reckon it wouldn't be too good if your parents didn't want you here" she paused "So what house do you think you'll get in?"
Lily cocked her head to the side and twisted a strand of scarlet hair around her finger "There are houses?"
Alice and Frank looked at each other and laughed, and just then the train started moving. Lily looked out the window, surprised to see that as they pulled out of the station they were in an open field. She closed her mouth, still a bit shocked and turned back to her new friends.
"Well, yes" Frank was saying "We're in Gryffindor, which supposedly means we're very brave or something" he shrugged "My whole families been in Gryffindor, I don't think most of them have done anything that fantastic though"
"I think it just means being brave of heart" Said Alice rolling her eyes "Not literally"
"Then there's Ravenclaw for the brainy people."
"Clever People" Alice corrected with a grin "Rowena Ravenclaw wanted to teach the best and the brightest"
"Right, Brainy people" Frank laughed "Then there's Hufflepuff, which is basically where they stick you if you're useless and they don't know where else to stick you--" '
Alice cut him off "Just ignore him, he thinks Gryffindor's the best so he'd biased about the others... Hufflepuff is for loyal people"
"I don't care, I'd rather be in Hufflepuff then Slytherin" Frank pulled a face
Alice rolled her eyes "Slytherin is for er." she shot a look at Frank "Well."
"Slimy dark magic gits?" he said, putting his arm around her
Lily laughed.
"No" said Alice pointedly "It's for cunning people. I guess. Really intelligent. oh bugger, they only take purebloods anyway, so I may as well tell you it's for slimy dark magic gits" she and Frank shared a smile and for a moment Lily thought they were going to kiss again when the door to their compartment opened rather slowly.
"May we sit in here Alice?" said a high pitched dreamy voice. A small skinny girl with huge glasses magnifying her small eyes slid into the compartment.
Alice smiled her happy smile again. "Sure you can Sibyl, come on in, who've you got with you?" she looked at Lily "Sibyl Trelawney, she's a fourth year like us but in Hufflepuff"
"And this is my sister" said Sibyl, gesturing to the dark haired girl behind her. "Olivia"
Olivia rolled her eyes and plodded into the compartment "Call me Libby, Sib" she said in an impatient voice "Libby"
Alice giggled and Frank looked amused. They all introduced themselves and Libby sat next to Lily. "So you're muggle born, eh?" she looked rather impressed
"Er. yeah" Lily nodded "What house do you wan?"
"Ravenclaw" said Libby immediately, and with a quick glance at Alice and Frank she added "But Gryffindor would be good too"
"Oh bloody hell" Frank said suddenly. He stood up and put a hand through all of his pockets "You're kidding, not again" he groaned
"What is it?" Lily wanted to know
"My Toad, Trenton, he's run off again"
Alice made an annoyed sound "Why don't you just get an owl or something that doesn't hop away all the time?"
"Because" Frank said defensively "Toads are cool"
"Or Gross" Lily added thoughtfully
Frank grinned wickedly at her and wiggled his fingers menacingly "All the better, my pretty" he cackled in a fake hag's voice and Lily pretended to shriek and cower behind Libby.
"Shall we help you find Trenton?" asked Sibyl as she adjusted her glasses. "I may have a good idea where he is, being that I do have the sight and all"
Frank gave her a look and then said "Erm. sure Sibyl, you want to help too Lily? Libby?"
They nodded eagerly and Sibyl led them out of the compartment. She cleared her throat loudly and looked down one direction and then down the other and said in her floaty voice "I am being told that Trenton is down that way"
Lily looked impressed and Libby snorted at her expression. "Don't even" she whispered "Sib thinks just because our Great Great Grandmother was this big great seer, means she is too." Libby looked at her sister and then turned back to Lily. "But actually. I am"
Lily's mouth opened "Really?" she asked excitement flooding her "How do you know?"
"Dumbledore tested me" Libby said proudly. "He said I am for sure, and Dumbledore knows everything, Lily. Besides. I've had dreams and stuff since I can remember that have always come true. "
"This way" said Sibyl, leading
"So where's the frog?" Lily asked, she started curling her hair around her finger again.
Libby laughed "Don't be silly I can't just say 'Give me a vision' and I get one" she suddenly seemed much older then eleven to Lily "It's more like I'll get one and sometimes they're useful. Mostly I just go off the opposite of what Sib says, so let's go this way"
Lily and Libby started down the other direction, checking every compartment they went in. A few older kids were rather nasty and shot purple jets of light out of their wand at them for interrupting. But mostly people were nice and didn't take any notice. One boy who was defiantly too old for Lily said "I haven't seen no frog gorgeous, why don't you come sit next to me". She's hurried out of the compartment blushing and tripping over herself with Libby laughing.
"Do you always act like that when people complement you?" Libby giggled as they came to the final two compartments on the train.
"I don't get complimented very often" Lily mumbled
Libby snorted "With that hair." she started to say and then she trailed off, her hazel eyes glazed over and became unfocused for a moment. The small child's hand that was curled around Lily's arm twitched and fell and then she was staring at Lily and staring at the door next to Lily and staring at the door on the other side.
"Oh.. Okay" she said.
Lily looked alarmed "Did you just."
Libby shrugged "Erm" she said "Don't eat the kidney pies at the feast tonight"
Lily continued to stare wide eyed at her and Libby gave her a bit of a pat. "S'all right, you'll get used to it." Lily didn't think she would "Now, I'll go in here" Libby grinned "You go in there"
"But." Libby opened the compartment door and shut it again, and Lily could hear her asking if anyone had seen a toad.
Taking a deep breath and flipping her hair over her shoulder Lily slid the last compartment door open and stepped in. "Has anyone seen a toad?" she asked, trying not to sound as scared as she felt.
Her heart was pounding in her ears as the five people in compartment turned to look at her slowly. They were the same age as her and unlike the other children on the train who wore muggle clothes, these five were wearing robes made of expensive lux materials like silk and velvet and lace.
They were seated boy girl boy girl and it looked to Lily like they were the winners some Britain's most gorgeous children contest. The Boy nearest to her had very fair blonde hair and cold blue eyes. His face was a bit pointy but it was pretty none the less. He was glaring at her like he wanted her dead though.
Next to the blonde boy sat perhaps the prettiest eleven year old girl Lily had ever seen. Her hair was blonde too, and fell down her back in heavy waves of gold. Her eyes were the same cold blue as the boy next to her and her features were so delicately carved they looked almost like they were made from ice.
Then another boy, but he wasn't glaring at her like the first two children, he just looked amused, his thick black hair fell into his dark eyes, he had a strong jaw line for an eleven year old, and for a boy, he was quite pretty as well.
The next girl could have been the first's double had she been carved out of black night instead of ice. She had dark, long lashed heavy lidded eyes and pink full lips. Her black hair fell to her waist and had meticulously small plaits with bits of something glittering throughout her coif.
The last boy wasn't glaring at her either, but he didn't look amused. He had a soft blank look in his hazel eyes. Lily tried looking him in the eye, to see if maybe he was just hiding that he was as mean as the others. Instead she found that he had really amazing, dizzy eyes, a quagmire of browns and greens flecked with gold. His eyelashes were girlishly long and jet black, the same color as his hair, which was rather a bit too long just under his chin. He wore glasses that were slipping down his strait nose and looked very small compared to the others.
"Who are you?" asked the black haired girl in a low voice.
Lily looked away and could hear her blood pumping loudly in her ears. She wondered if they could hear it too. "I. what? Oh. Lily Evans. Who are you?"
The girl's eyes went a bit big at this "Who am I? Bellatrix Black" she smirked a bit and gestured to the boy on her left, who had pushed his black hair out of his face and was still regarding Lily with amusement "And this is my cousin Sirius Black, and my sister Narcissa Black"
"Charmed" said Narcissa, the perfect icy blonde. She looked down at her hands and didn't seem to have anymore to add to the conversation.
"A Toad, you say?" asked the blonde boy, he was regarding Lily in a way that made her feel decidedly uncomfortable "This wouldn't be Longbottom's Toad, would it?"
"Er. yes actually it would" said Lily.
"I don't know the name Evans" Bellatrix was saying. "Do you know it James?"
Lily looked at James too, he hadn't looked away from her yet. He cocked his head to the side and ran a hand through his hair. "No, I don't know it" he said softly.
Bellatrix raised her eyebrows and turned to the blonde boy "Lucius?"
"No" said Lucius, still staring at Lily too.
Lily flushed "Erm. look. All I really wanted to know.."
"Is that your hair's real color?" Bellatrix continued in a snide voice as if Lily hadn't spoken
"What--- Yes! Is that yours?" Lily said in an incredulous voice "Look, this is silly have you seen a Toad, is all I want. it's a bit small, green."
"Yes" Said Bellatrix coldly "This is my natural hair color"
"And it's lovely" Said Lily, smiling at her in what Bellatrix obviously took as a patronizing manner because she looked furious "Really, but if you haven't."
"James!" Bellatrix cried "Hex her or something"
James snorted "Oh bleeding Merlin, Bella. No, Lily, we haven't seen a toad"
"Thank you" Lily said in an exhausted voice. And then she added, just to make Bellatrix angry. "James"
"How old are you?" asked Sirius.
"I want her to go" said Bellatrix sulkily, but Sirius and James paid no attention. Narcissa stared at her hands and Lucius started questioning her as well.
"Ten" Lily said defiantly "They let me in early"
"What house do you think you'll get?" asked Lucius in a low frightening voice.
"Erm. why" Lily's voice shook and she raised her chin "What house do you think you'll get?"
Lucius raised his eyebrows in an amused sort of way "Well besides being a Malfoy, which I'm amazed you didn't know, and being a second year, I happen to know for sure I'm in Slytherin"
"Oh" Lily blushed "Sorry. are you all second years?"
"No, only Lucius" said Sirius, sitting back in his chair and shoving his hair out of his face again. "So, what house *do* you think you'll get"
"Erm. I dunno.." Lily mumbled. "Probably... Ravenclaw"
"That's not so bad" Sirius nodded
"Don't you want Slytherin? It's the best house there is." Bellatrix said a bit snidely.
"D'you want Slytherin then?" asked Lily, remembering what Frank had said about them being slimy gits. He wasn't far off, it seemed.
"Don't you know anything?" Bellatrix asked, her mouth twisting into a cruel smile "Blacks and Malfoys always go to Slytherin"
Lily noticed Sirius looking a bit uncomfortable, he ran a hand through his hair and caught James's eye.
"And Potters always get Gryffindor" said James in what might have been mock pride. Or perhaps he really was proud of Gryffindor and just didn't say so in present company. He and Sirius shared a look over Bellatrix's head.
"Oh I've met some Gryffindors" Lily said "Frank and Alice."
"Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-dum, you mean?" Lucius smirked, Bellatrix and Narcissa giggled under their breath as if it wouldn't be becoming to laugh much louder.
Lily frowned "They seemed perfectly nice to me"
"Their perfectly daft, that's for sure" Bellatrix giggled "And anyway, most Gryffindor's are. No offence to your Father and Mother, James, of course"
"None taken" James said softly, looking at Lily again. She looked back at him and they held each others gaze for a moment before he looked away.
"I should think" Bellatrix continued, seeing the looks James and Lily had passed "That if you've never heard of Potters, Blacks, or Malfoys, then Evans, are you a mudblood? "
"A what?" Lily's head jerked up "What's that?"
"Come on Bella" said Sirius in a whining voice, he looked at Lily and smiled "So what is you're muggle born, you're probably a great witch and you're very pretty" he added with a wink. Lily blinked and then looked at James who seemed to be finding it hard to keep from laughing.
"Oh!" Bellatrix sounded delighted and ignoring Sirius "You must be then, if you've never heard of it. Well, you see, it's an insult that pureblood wizards, the only real kind of wizard there is, call dirty filthy blooded wizards like you." She shrugged
Lily felt her blood boil. Had she just. had that girl just insulted her family? She was fairly sure that telling Lily she had mud in her blood constituted that. Lily looked around at their faces, Lucius grinned lazily, Narcissa smiling smugly at her hands, Bellatrix with her cruel smile. Sirius was looking out the window, frowning and looking rather ashamed, she was pleased to see, and James was still staring at her blankly again.
"I." said Lily, well, she could be insulted by something that didn't mean anything to her, or she could just leave and be the bigger person.
"Well Bellatrix" she sighed "I am born of non wizarding parents, and actually, I'm glad I don't know what a mudblood is you see, because obviously non-wizards have advanced socially to the point where they don't need to feel good about themselves by making fun of someone's. blood? Okay Bellatrix," she added airily as she began to back out of the compartment. "So maybe I have dirty blood, but at least I don't have horrible fake hair. See you around."
Lily could have sworn that as she shut the carriage door behind her that Bellatrix had screamed some spell at her. She didn't want to know. Libby was standing there waiting for her, clutching Trenton the Toad.
"Well that took a long time" she said grimly "Was it worth it?"
Lily considered James, with his pretty eyes and smiled as she patted Trenton's head "I think so, yes"
*
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