Chapter One

It was her last time taking the train to Hogwarts, and Lily was sad and heartbroken just thinking about it. This school was all she had ever known in the last 6 years, and this would be the final year. She was scared but also excited. This meant that greater adventures and opportunities were to come.

She stepped on board the Hogwarts Express, took a deep breath, and walked down the corridor to find an empty compartment. They were all abnormally full, and it wasn't until the very end that she came across an almost empty compartment, except for one student.

Lily had already stepped inside before she realized who it was sitting there. James Potter smiled up at her and she immediately felt hatred. Out of all these compartments, of course he would be the one in the only one not too full for her to sit in.

"Uhm, the other ones are full, so... do you mind if I sit in here?" She managed to stammer, refusing to make eye contact with him. She still hated him after what happened two years previous. An incident that changed her life, that drove her into a depression. She wasn't about it forgive him for it yet.

"Of course you can sit here Evans, you should know better than to ask!" James exclaimed. He was still smiling at her, not breaking his stare from her eyes. It made her nervous. She had refused to talk to him for over a year now, and yet he still seemed to be so amazed by her and she didn't know why.

"Thanks." She whispered, as she sat down across from him, still looking down.

"How was your summer?" James asked, before she had a chance to even take a breath. She looked up at him, not sure if she should tell him she didn't want to talk to him, or if she should just answer him. After the realization that if she chose not to let him talk to her, it would be an incredibly awkward trip.

"All I will say is I'm happy to be on my way back to school." She wasn't about to lie, and she definitely did not have a good summer. James studied her face for a couple seconds as if trying to figure out if she just didn't want to talk, or if something had happened over the summer that she didn't want to talk about. But before he could respond, Remus, Peter and Sirius had found their compartment.

"Christ James, why did you choose the furthest compartment there is?" Sirius said, but then he noticed Lily sitting there, smiled, and winked at James.

"I can let you guys have this compartment if you'd like. I'm sure you all have things you want to catch up on." Lily said as she started to stand. She did not like the sound of being stuck in there with not only James Potter, but his annoying group of friends. Even if Remus was her friend, it would still make her feel uncomfortable. But before she could make it to the door, Sirius stopped her.

"Actually, we have our own compartment, you know, not realizing James was way down here, so we will just be leaving you two now to go back to our seats!"

It was as obvious as day that he was making it up just so he could give his best friend alone time with her. Lily only agreed because she had no idea where else she would go to sit.

Almost an hour went by before either of them spoke again. Lily was trying to look busy reading a book, and James didn't know what to say that could be important enough to disturb her. She could barely concentrate on the book, so she finally put it down and glanced up at James. He was messing up his hair, while picking away at a box of Burty Bots every flavour beans. She looked out of the window, staring into the green water of a lake they were passing, watching the geese fly around excitedly and nervously from the loud train.

"Done your book?" She heard a voice say to her, making her zone back in. She looked over at James who was once again looking her straight in the eyes.

"I got tired of reading." She said as she shrugged and looked away.

"So, why is it you'd rather be back at school then on summer break still? Did something happen?" She had forgotten their earlier conversation and was reminded of how much she didn't want to even think about her summer.

"I don't really want to talk about it." Lily said without even looking up.

"You're going to need someone to talk to this year Evans, your best friend graduated last year. Give me a chance for once." He was still staring at her, but this time with a look of longing to be accepted by her. He looked at her with his pleading eyes and Lily couldn't look back at him. He was being more kind then she had ever seen him. He was acting like he sincerely just wanted to be there for her, instead of saying mean, hurtful things he thought was funny just to try to make her laugh. Could she believe him and his sincerety?

"Evans, please trust me. You can talk to me... About anything." He smiled slightly not breaking his eye contact. Maybe she should give him a chance, she thought. He seemed different, less like a jerk, and more like an actual friend for once.

"It was my sister..." She started but trailed off, scared of talking about what was bothering her.

"Is she still being resentful?" He remembered. In first year, Lily had brought up to him about how her sister was jealous and hateful towards Lily because she received a letter, and her sister did not. He remembered something she told him 6 years ago without even pausing to think about it.

"Yes, I didn't think you would have remembered."

"I remember every word you've ever said to me." He smiled again, and nodded for her to go on with her story.

"She had never been as mean and evil as she was this summer. She spread rumours to all my old friends saying that I ran off with a circus, that I was a freak of nature and completely mental. She told me she was ashamed of having me for a sister, and wishes I was dead so she could just forget about me. She..." Lily couldn't go any further or she would start crying. And she did not want to start crying to front of James.

James leaned forward and put a hand on Lily's knee.

"Are you okay? That's awful! You deserve better than to have someone like that in your life." He looked almost as hurt as she felt. He looked like someone just threatened his own family, the look of utter disgust and hatred that filled his face.

"I'm fine though, after this year, I am moving far, far away and I am going to start a new life for myself that doesn't include her." She mumbled trying not to look as upset as she really felt.

"But she is my sister, my family. We were inseparable our whole lives until I got that letter." She said shaking her head and looking down.

"All you can do is surround yourself with people who do care about you and all your quirks. If she really cares about you, she'll come around but don't wait for her to. You'll drive yourself into an unforgettable sadness. Surround yourself with what makes you happy and forget everything else."

"I didn't know you knew how to give advise, Potter." Lily said, trying to smile. They both laughed at this remark, and things started feeling a bit more comfortable.

After a couple hours of small talk, about favourite classes, what they were going to do after school, all awkwardness had left and Lily was actually starting to enjoy James' company.

"So... Since you and... uhm.. and sniv... I mean severus live near eachother, did you ever accidently come across him this summer?" Why did he have to bring up one of the most touchiest topic they could possibly talk about.

"No, I did not. Why?" Lily asked with a stern, confused look.

"I just wanted to make sure that he didn't contribute to you having a bad summer. You know, after everything that went on between you two." He actually had the nerve to bring this up.

"After what went on between us? Nothing would have happened if you had just left him alone all those years, instead of pushing him over the edge!" Lily wasn't very good at hiding her anger. But he had no right to bring that up.

"Lily! I apologized for what I did numerous amounts of times! I wasn't the one who called you a...a... well you know what he called you..." He took a deep inhale and continued, "You knew as well as I did what kind of person Slytherin was making him become. He was going to call you that and turn on you sooner than later anyway. That is not a true friend, if you ask me."

"Well I'm not asking you, am I? I am not saying that what he did wasn't wrong but what you have been doing to him, in fact what you have been doing to several other students, since year one is just as unforgivable. All you want is attention! You will do anything, no matter how rude and awful, just to get it!" She was furious now. She knew the good wouldn't last long with him, it never did.

"Well if that's how you feel!" He looked just as angry and hurt as Lily did but she couldn't take any more of the fighting, and got up and left.