Fleetly

She was nervous. Horribly nervous. She was so nervous, it was getting quite unnerving.

Her sister Petunia had gone off to one of her best friends, but wished her good luck. Her parents had escorted her to the station, halting near the two platforms that ought to have had another one in the middle for her, but really didn't.

'Now, dear, do try to see if you can come home at Christmas. Aunt Ella and Uncle Richard will come over with the children from Scotland, and you know it's such a horrible trip with the train.'

'Yes, Mum,' said Lily Evans, in a small voice.

Still nervous. Very nervous.

'You've studied enough, Lily, you should be quite fine,' said her father briskly, leaning down and pulling her up in a very tight hug.

'Yes, Dad,' gasped Lily.

When her father had released her, and she could breathe normally again, her mother leaned forward and kissed her cheeks.

'Don't forget to write.'

'I won't, Mum. Send my regards to Petunia.'

Her mother smiled at her. 'We will, Lily. Have fun.'

Nervousnervousnervousnervous –

'All those Muggles, I still can't believe they couldn't have found a more decent place,' said a cold female voice, and Lily turned to see the most frightening woman she'd seen in her life.

She was dressed in black, her dark hair done up in a very complicated manner. She was wearing a hat with a green rose that seemed to be sparkling. Her stern, unnervingly blue eyes - they were even more unnerving than her nervousness was - were looking straight ahead.

A little boy with equally dark hair that was also done up very neatly was holding her hand, an air of superiority about him. 'You are quite right, Mother.'

Lily watched them with interest, until the woman looked back without warning and threw her a dark look, before seemingly vanishing into thin air. Lily swallowed.

Oh, bugger.

'How are you supposed to get onto the platform again?' asked her mother, oblivious to what had just happened.

'I don't –' started Lily, dejectedly.

A head suddenly poked out of the – the – solid wall between the two platforms and grabbed a small toad that had been jumping in front of said wall impatiently. The head quickly looked around before disappearing.

'I think I do now.'

Hopefully.

She said a final goodbye to her parents ('No, Mum, I don't need that scarlet pair of knickers, don't you dare send them over'), who were both giving her strange looks, and walked towards the barrier.

'I'll see you at Christmas!' she shouted over her shoulder – before breaking into a run – hoping she had spotted things right – it would be really awkward if she crashed her trolley into the man in the ticket box – she wouldn't know how to explain – and faster and faster and faster –

She felt a little strange for a second ... it didn't feel like she had hit anything solid ... and she dared to open her eyes for the first time.

There it was. A magnificent red steam engine, waiting and ready to whisk her away to Hogwarts. Surrounding it, there was a platform full of people. Her eyes widened, and she looked around.

A large white sign overhead had a small clock in it, its hands moving so fast it made her head spin. It read Hogwarts Express, 11 o'clock.

Lily looked back, wanting to catch a last glimpse of her father and mother, but a wrought-iron archway had replaced the ticket box she had been sure she'd crash into, the words Platform Nine and Three-Quarters emblazoned on a sign on it.

Right. How am I going to get through this again?

The first carriages were already completely full; some older looking students were hanging out of windows and pulling at each other, while others were having conversations with their families.

She passed an old woman who was asking her friend, 'She's doesn't really mean the Potters, does she?'

'Getting a son, at their age? I don't think she does,' the other woman said, shaking her head.

Clear white smoke from the engine was drifting up, hovering near the gigantic ceiling, which went on and on into darkness and didn't seem to plan on ending anytime soon.

I wish Petunia was here.

Lily walked on, and suddenly passed the stern looking woman again. The small boy was at her side, looking up in adoration at a taller boy Lily hadn't noticed before, who was standing in front of their mother.

'I trust you will uphold the Black family name, and to not mingle too much with those Muggles,' the woman said, fleetly gesturing her head towards Lily.

The taller boy turned around. His eyes were a perfect shade of glimmering grey, and his black hair was actually quite messy, which made a welcome change, in Lily's opinion.

And then the boy did something she hadn't expected.

He winked at her.

'Sirius!' scolded his mother, and he whipped his head around again.

Strangely enough, Lily Evans really didn't actually feel that nervous anymore.

Author's Note: This is actually a very belated birthday present to toeseh, who had her birthday in – well – some time ago. I'm terribly sorry that it took so long to write you something, dear.