Dysfunctional
Summary: 'Because you're James Potter! You're… dysfunctional!' Lily refuses to have anything to do with James Potter; fair enough considering he doesn't even know her name after five years. But James has other plans that don't exactly coincide… Not completely cannon (but NOT AU)
Beta: A big thank you goes to my beta: Raven Calling
Disclaimer: I don't own much of this.. apart from a few extra characters and the plotline
Chapter 1
Lily sat in 'The Tree'; book in one hand, a packet of gummy bears in the other. Her curly red hair was tied back in a bun away from her face which was infested with freckles, brought out more than usual due to the summer sunshine.
"Pass us a gummy bear."
That was Will, Lily's best friend since they had first met when they had both been eleven.
It had been a cold autumn day with the trees all around standing naked and bare.
Will had seen the small girl huddled underneath the tree, knees pulled tight to her chest, her red hair spilling over her face. He had sat down next to her.
"You're crying." He had stated. Lily had looked up sharply, noticing him sitting there, she had quickly wiped a sleeve across her eyes.
"I'm not."
"Well, you were." They had sat there for a few minutes in silence, broken occasionally by a stifled sob from Lily. "Why?"
"I don't like it here." She had stated simply.
"I wouldn't if I was you either. You must be freezing without a coat on." with that he had taken off his own coat and wrapped it around Lily's shoulders. That's better. Now are you gonna explain or am I gonna have to force you to?"
That had caused Lily to give a small smile before explaining to the boy that she'd just moved there and she'd had to leave all her old friends behind and she was scared that she wouldn't make any new friends in her new school however excited she was to be going there.
The boy had just smiled and said, "Well, you have one friend here at least."
Lily had smiled then for the first time since she'd moved into her new house.
"Race you to the top."
Before Lily could ask to the top of where, the boy had started to climb the tree. Lily knew from that moment that her mother would disapprove of her new friend. For a start he was a boy; her mother thought she should be making friends with girls. Then there was the fact that he was climbing the tree; he obviously didn't care about keeping his clothes clean. And if her mother saw what he was wearing! She'd flip her lid!
But for once Lily didn't care what her mother thought. She hitched up her primrose yellow dress and started to climb.
By the time she'd got to the top he'd had been sat on a branch for several minutes and her hands and knees were covered in cuts.
"What's your name?" she'd asked.
"Will." he'd answered, "And you're Lily right?"
"How do you know that?" she'd asked amazed.
"Because I'm betting that woman over there calling your name is your mother." Lily gasped in surprise and started to climb back down the tree in a hurry. "Wait!" Will had called out as she'd run towards her mother, "I'll see you again right? What are you doing tomorrow? We could hang out if you like?"
"Sure." Lily had grinned, letting the smile take over her face.
Suddenly she found that life here in London didn't seem too bad.
Lily had met up with Will almost every day until she'd first gone to Hogwarts that summer. Of course, she hadn't told him that was where she was going; she'd never told him anything about her secret life as a witch.
And that was the way it had been ever since. Whenever Lily was at home during the holidays she met up with Will as often as possible. It seemed that neither of them could stand being shut in with their families for long and as well as that they had lots more in common.
"Catch." Lily chucked a sweet down to Will who promptly shoved it into his mouth.
"You know, this summer has flown by." Will commented.
"You're telling me. Everything's been a blur what with Petunia's wedding and all, everything at home's been mad. But now, with that over it all seems just a tad too quiet."
"I suppose that's one good thing about school, something's always happening."
"I can't believe it's only two days until term starts again." Lily thought of all the equipment she still had to buy from Diagon Alley.
"You'll write to me won't you? It gets so lonely here sometimes without you."
"Awww, ickle William gets lonely without me." Lily cooed.
"Shut up." Will retorted getting offended at the use of his full name; he reached up and snatched the packet of Gummy Bears from Lily.
"Hey!" Lily protested.
Will's army issue boots thudded as he jumped to the ground, waving the packet teasingly in the air. Lily hopped down after him, jumping up and down trying to snatch the packet out of his hands.
"Give it back!"
"Make me." Will danced away from Lily.
She jumped on his back causing him to off balance and almost fall over, he tried to shake her off but she merely ran her hand through his carefully waxed hair, messing it up.
"Okay! Okay! I'll give them back! Just lay off the hair will you." He handed the packet of gummy bears over and Lily dropped from his back.
"Thank you." Lily smiled and popped a gummy bear into her mouth.
Suddenly Will lunged at her, tackling her to the ground. Pinning her free arm to her side he reached over for the one holding the packet of sweets, reaching over her, squashing her on the ground. Lily squealed and squirmed underneath him. Stretching across her Will plucked the sweets out of Lily's hand and placed one in his own mouth in a gesture of victory.
"You," Lily shouted, prodding him in the chest. "are mean. Now get off of me!" She struggled underneath him to get free as he just laughed, showing superior strength and keeping her trapped underneath him.
Lily stopped her struggling when she realised that it was rather pointless and wasn't helping her. She looked up at Will who was sat straddling her, arms folded and smirk plastered across his face.
She scowled at him. "You know this is a rather compromising position we're in, I'd hate to think what any passers-by would think…"
"Now you're giving me ideas." He smiled and gently stroked her cheek with his warm hand. Lily pulled her head away. "Aw, you spoil all my fun Lils!" He complained but stood off her all the same and helped her up.
Lily rolled her eyes. "Boys. They're only ever after one thing."
"And don't you know it." Will grinned cheekily. Lily hit him.
"If you are going to be like that then I'm leaving." She turned to walk away.
"Aw, don't Lils, you know I didn't mean it." He pulled his puppy dog face, the one that Lily couldn't resist even when its effect was ruined by the spike protruding from his one pierced ear.
"I have to go anyway; I promised mum that I'd help Petunia write wedding thank-yous, I'm already late." Lily made a face at the thought of having to spend more time than necessary with her sister.
"I'll see you tomorrow though, right?"
Lily shook her head sadly, "I have to go shopping for school supplies."
"What! But that means this is the last time I'll see you until Christmas!" He looked so sad that Lily reached up and threw her arms around him in a big hug, he was getting so tall that her head hardly reached his shoulder anymore.
"I'll write remember, I promised."
Will just smiled sadly and planted a quick kiss on the top of her head before letting her go and waving goodbye for the last time until Christmas.
***
Diagon Alley.
The home of robes, books, quills, pets, cafés, and last but definitely not least my friend, the start of Sixth year and all the girls swooning over us once more.
At least, that's what Sirius Black told James Potter as the two of them, now both 16, entered Diagon Alley through the Leaky Cauldron.
"Ah, this is how life should be." Sirius sighed as he pushed James through the opening in the brick wall in front of them.
James laughed at Sirius as they stared down Diagon Alley. With less than two days until the start of the term the place was thriving with students and their parents shopping desperately for school supplies.
The shop windows were crammed with products and advertisements and colourful umbrellas outside the cafes filled the small street with life.
"Right so we need to go to Flourish and Blotts for the books." James listed.
"And Madame Malkin's for your school uniform, I can't believe how much you've grown over the summer! You're almost as tall as me!" Sirius pouted.
James ignored him and continued, "Then Quality Quidditch, because we both need more Broom wax and I wanted to see if I could get some Quidditch armour."
"Don't forget a few chocolate supplies as well; we need something to survive on before our first Hogsmede weekend."
"And we've already got all the prank material we bought from Gambol and Japes packed away haven't we?"
"Sure do. I think that's about it." Sirius turned to grin at James, his tangle of shoulder length black hair flopping over his face. "Now let's go get 'em."
Sirius eagerly bounded on into the third shop on the right, Quality Quidditch Supplies. The latest models of Broom were displayed at the Shop front with crowds of people peering at them and children begging their parents to let them have one. The shop was also, unfortunately for them, crammed full of boys and men alike in their love for the sport. The two boys managed to squeeze pass a large Ravenclaw Seventh year and tried to make their way to the 'Broom Care' section.
"Black! Potter!" a girl from the year below at Hogwarts them greeted them excitedly, appearing from behind her two older brothers.
"Scott!" they beamed back, delighted to see the Gryffindor chaser again.
"How's the Quidditch practice been?" James asked, interested to know if his team mate had progressed in her playing.
"Great actually, the Tutshill Tornadoes have even showed interest in signing me when I leave in two years and my father even took me to the Quidditch stadium in Exmoor to watch the Falmouth Falcons vs. Chudley Cannons match!"
"Really! That's amazing."
"Yeah! Well I'll see you guys at school then, I've got to go get some more quills for the year. Have fun!"
She bounded off; surprisingly nimbly for such a lanky girl, and Sirius and James continued on to buy some Broom wax, Quidditch Armour and Flying Goggles.
Across the road was Madame Malkin's, bound to be full of excited First Years being measured up for their school uniforms. Sirius pushed through the door first causing a little twinkling sound to chime even though there was no bell in sight. The inside smelled of lavender and a guitar was softly playing its own music in the corner.
"Looking good, Marcia!" Sirius called to a girl modelling a short blue dress before a mirror causing her to blush and look away quickly.
"Emily these trousers are too small!" complained another girl to her friend as she emerged from the changing rooms trying to do up the buttons on a pair of flares. She caught sight of Sirius and squealed, "Why didn't you tell me Sirius Black was here," she hissed, probably distressing over the fact that Sirius would think she was fat.
James chuckled, "You haven't lost you effect on women that's for sure."
"Mister Black, Mister Potter," Madame Malkin, a young woman with a curvy figure and a tight red dress, came up to them, "What can I do for you Gentlemen?"
"Hey Eva." James greeted her by her first name which, although usually would cause her to frown, seemed to please her. "I need some new school robes. It's these damn growth hormones, my trousers all seem to be flapping around my ankles." He grinned.
"Certainly, follow me; we'll just get you measured up." She led him over to a quieter corner of the shop and produced a tape measure whilst Sirius wandered off to flirt with the female population of the store.
Once James had paid for a new shirt, jumper and trousers he rejoined Sirius who was doing his best to make one poor girl faint.
"No really," he was saying, blatantly staring at the girl's chest, "That shirt looks perfect on you. I like it."
James smirked as the girl held onto a clothes rack to stop herself from swooning there and then.
"Come on Sirius, we still have to get all those books."
"Okay, I'll be seeing you at Hogwarts then sweetie, until then…" he reached for her hand and pressed it to his lips in a very suave manner. The girl's knees buckled and she just managed to catch herself before she fell.
Sirius had to be the biggest flirt in all Hogwarts. To avoid the girl completely keeling over dead James grabbed Sirius by his collar and dragged him out of the shop.
"She was nice, what was her name?"
"I dunno, Holly or Haley I think." James replied, "She's a Hufflepuff fourth year."
"Oh, that's not too young for me is it?"
"Already writing the list of girls your going to date this year?"
"Efficient and forward thinking that's me."
"A hopeless Ladies man, more like."
"Watch it or I'll keep all the Chocolate Frogs to myself."
"Go on, I'll just take Remus'."
"Fine, do that."
"I will."
"Go on then, just don't complain to me when Moony goes into one of his moods."
It was bickering that they entered Flourish and Blotts where there was a much quieter atmosphere as frustrated students searched fruitlessly through endless shelves for the many books they would need for the following year.
"What do we need then?" Sirius asked.
"Umm…" James searched his pockets for the book list. "Damn it! I can't find it! I think I've lost it!"
Sirius shook his own head and playfully smacked James', "You're hopeless. We'll just have to ask someone." Sirius glanced around for anyone in their year that might have the book list with them.
He saw a group of three girls trying to tackle a book that was determined to float to the ceiling into a bag. "Them." He pointed at them for James, "They're in our year right? Gryffindor too, if I remember right?"
James looked over at the group of girls. One was small and pale with long dark hair plaited neatly in two long braids. The other, who holding the bag open, was much better looking with Italian features and shoulder length wavy brown hair.
The third girl however caught his eyes more then the others. She had flame red, curly to the extent of frizzy hair that was clearly hampering her efforts to get the book in the bag and stone white skin covered in a sprinkling of cute freckles.
The book suddenly shot upwards out of the girls grip towards the ceiling. James took this as his cue and easily reached up and grabbed a firm hold of the book, placing it inside the bag before it could escape again.
"Thanks." The Italian girl said without even looking at him and turned back to her friends.
"Wait, it's Rachelle right?" the girl looked back towards him and nodded slowly.
"Yeah. What do you want Potter, Black?" she looked slightly surprised that they were talking to her and glanced uncertainly at her friends behind her.
"We were wondering if you had a book list we could borrow?" Sirius asked.
"Oh, sure. We've just finished, thank Merlin. I can't stand shopping a moment longer. Who has it?" She turned to the red haired girl for the list.
"Oh." The girl rummaged in her many coat pockets for the slip of parchment. She found it and held it out; it was neatly folded in half. James took it and his fingers brushed against hers for a second before she dropped her hand. The touch sent a jolt of electricity down his arm and he jerked his head up to meet her green eyes. She was pretty, why could he only vaguely remember seeing her before? He would have to remember to put her on his list of people to date this year. If only he could remember her name.
"Thanks. Erm, Lottie?"
The girl, who until that moment had seemed tolerant of his presence if not completely happy with it, suddenly scowled and snatched the piece of paper back, neatly tearing it in four and throwing the pieces on the ground. She spun on her heel and marched out of the shop.
"Lily!" Rachelle shouted shocked with her friend's behaviour.
James' hand stayed in the same place as if still holding the list. Lily, he thought as he watched her disappear into the crowds, so that was her name
***
AN: So there it was, I hope you liked it. Please review and tell me if it was good/bad and if I should continue. Your reviews will be much appreciated!
Luthie x