Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Harry Potter unfortunately, it is all the doing of one brilliant and wonderful J.K. Rowling. I do own a select few characters that have yet to appear but if you really want to, you can steal them from me.
Hi Everyone! This is my first story in a very LONG time, going one like three years now so please don't be too harsh. It is rated m for later chapters. I wanted to make this chapter longer, but it is five in the morning and I really want to upload this beofr ei fall asleep. So Here it is and, well, yeah.
A Year of Changed
Chapter 1: Late Arrivals and Betting Rivals
"Ah, it is good to be back!" a young, beautiful red head said as she gleefully collapsed onto the Gryffindor common room sofa.
"I know what you mean. If I have to be around my mother for one more minute I swear I will scream," an equally young and beautiful brunette replied.
"I thought you liked your mom? She always seemed very nice to me," speculated the red head.
"Oh she is nice and cool and agghh I can't stand her! Don't get me wrong I love her and everything, but for god's sake, she is always trying to be my friend!"
The red head just laughed and lay back onto the sofa.
"When do you want to go down for the feast? I have to admit I like this new idea of skipping out on the sorting and just relaxing for a bit," said the brunette.
"I don't know, in a few minutes I suppose. Let's go and check out the seventh year dorms first!" said the red head and she jumped up and ran to the seventh year girl's dormitories.
'Hey, wait for me! I dibbs the window bed!" shouted the brunette.
She ran up to the highest floor to see her friend standing in the door way with a very confused look on her face.
"Where is my stuff? I don't understand. I put it on the train and everything. I mean, I am in the seventh year right? Where else would it b-" she stopped suddenly. "Oh shit!"
The red head bolted down the stairs, three at a time and out of the portrait hole. She bounded down the corridors, taking as many secret passage ways as she could. Finally she arrived at the Great Hall, the doors open and inviting. She bolted in, somehow already knowing that everyone was waiting for her.
"Ah, here she is, our new Head Girl, Lily Evans!" beamed Headmaster Dumbledore. He was truly delighted to see her, even if there was a gleam of impatience hidden behind his twinkling eyes.
"Ah, yeah. So sorry I'm late, I was, er, got lost?" Lily stuttered, attempting to find an excuse and coming up with a sad excuse for one.
She walked up to the head table and shook hands with Dumbledore and McGonagall. She received huge grins from the rest of the table and applause from the remainder of the students. Lily shot everyone a quick smile and sauntered to the Gryffindor table where she took a seat next to the now present brunette, and the other seventh years at the head of the table.
"Lost? In the castle you have spent the majority of the last six years Evans? I'm surprised that's all you could come up with," a deep voice whispered into her ear.
She shot around to see her least favorite person in the wizarding world, a one James Potter.
"Oh shut up Potter! I've known you to spit out some rather disappointing excuses yourself," she shot at him.
"Nicely done Evans. You slightly redeemed yourself with that one. Anyway, have you heard the news?"
"What news?" Lily asked suspiciously.
"Well I have it on very good authority that there will be a murder within our house in the next month," James said rather seriously.
"Oh, and since when have you developed knack for telling the future?" Lily questioned.
"Since I discovered that you and I will be sharing quarters, love."
"I'm not your 'love', and come again?"
"Oh yes, it's all true!" Piped in a rather stunning black haired male. "As you and your charming companion," and on that note he sent the brunette a huge grin, "were slightly detained during the sorting, you missed out on the fact that our dear Jamsey here was recognized as Head Boy."
Lily's eyes widened, yet she let out no sound of surprise or fear. "Well, what if I simply decide to remain in the Gryffindor quarters?" Lily said saucily.
"Oh but you wouldn't do that. As much as you wish to deny it, I know you Lily. You would never give up the chance to have private studying quarters, your own bathroom and a place where you can even lock McGonagall out," said James.
"Well, then you will just have to remain in the boy's dormitories.
"I'm sorry, but no."
At that moment a loud "ahem" was heard from the head table and Dumbledore stood again.
"I am sorry to interrupt the delightful conversation occurring between out two heads, but there is still the situation of prefects to solve," said Dumbledore. "In Slytherin we have Severus Snape and Admira Wallace. In Ravenclaw we have Kevin Boot and Lindsey Davies. In Hufflepuff we have Amos Diggory and Ursula Rose. And in Gryffindor we have Imogen Debbington and Remus Lupin."
There was a large round of applause for all the prefects and then the food appeared before all.
"Prefect and you didn't tell me!?" said Lily to the brunette.
"Well, I was going to and then you told me that you were made Head Girl, so it seemed rather inadequate to say so," said Imogen shyly.
"Inadequate?! Don't be crazy. This is a really big achievement, congratulations!" said Lily and she pulled Imogen into a hug. "You too Remus!" she said throwing him a genuine smile.
"Thanks Lily and same to you on Head Girl!"
"Hey Sirius, congratulations on having black hair!" said James mockingly.
"Oh thanks mate, it means a lot," said Sirius, pretending to wipe a tear. "And congratulations for having hazel eyes!"
"Oh shut up you too! Is there anything wrong with friends being happy with one another?" said Imogen.
But no one answered; they had all just realized that there were mounds of food in front of them, untouched and becoming cooler by the second.
Lily had already filled her plate with everything in rage and was now piling it into her mouth.
"Hey Lily, look what I found!" said Imogen.
"Sushi! At Hogwarts? I never thought I'd see the day!" said Lily eyeing a huge sushi platter. She quickly downed her mashed potatoes to make room for the sushi. She grabbed some maki and tempura and started on that next. "Mmm, I love sushi! I haven't had it in months!"
"How you can eat all of these carbs and not gain an ounce is beyond me," muttered Imogen.
"I blame it on good breeding," laughed Lily.
"No kidding," mumbled Sirius to James.
James raised and eyebrow and look at Lily, she really had grown up this summer.
Her red hair had grown out, a lot, and darkened. It was looking more auburn now that anything. She was taller, maybe 5'7" and curvier. Her bust was still on the smaller side, but somehow fuller. Her hips were not huge, but there. She was wearing her robe open so James got a glimpse of her shirt, slightly rolled up exposing her milky white skin. It was skin that on anyone else would look pale and clammy but on her appeared porcelain and alabaster. She wore less makeup this year, opting for the natural look yet still looking amazing. She seemed more confident, more assured of herself this year, which magnified her appearance ten fold. All in all she was hot. Not that she wasn't in the previous years, but this year she was hot hot.
"So Potter," said Lily swallowing a mouthful of vegetables and taking a drink of her pumpkin juice. "When are you moving your stuff out?"
"I don't think so love."
"Stop calling me that! And oh yes you are," she said with a little more anger this time. "We obviously cannot stay in the same room together and I am clearly not leaving as you so kindly pointed out, so all that is left is for you to leave."
"Actually all that is left is for us to find some reasonable way to make this work," said James.
"That was very mature of you Potter, but there is no 'us'" said Lily. "I can very easily put up with you as I am mature and sensible, yet you are the problem. You cannot go for ten minutes without teasing or playing with me. I doubt that you couldn't help but patronize or tease me, even if you tried."
"That was bordering on narcissism, Evans," said James a little bit hurt.
"I feel a bit of a bet coming on!" said Sirius.
"A bet?" said James and Lily simultaneously worried.
"Yes, a bet! I dare Lily to go for one week without yelling at or getting angry at James. And I dare James to go a whole week being serious. Not teasing Lily or patronizing her in any way."
"Why on earth would I want to agree to that?" said Lily.
"Because if you do and you win, James will leave the Head room and return to us Marauders," said Sirius.
"I will?" said James.
"Yes, you will. And if you are to win, James, then, well I don't know what you want. Perhaps Lily will-"
"A date."
All four pairs of eyes turned to him.
"Oh come on Potter, I thought you got all of that out of your system in sixth year," said Lily.
"Not all of it. If I win, then you Evans will go on a date with me. Agreed?"
Lily took a few moments to think it over and then nodded, "Agreed. And don't get your hopes up, you'll lose."
So? As terrible as I think? I promise it's going to get better and I really want to make it different form the hundreds of L and J fics out there. Well, c ya later and thanks for reading. PLEASE REVIEW!
