Strange Feelings

Lily Evans heaved her book-filled trunk along Platform 9 ¾, searching among the sea of Hogwarts students for her two best friends, Sarah and Carman. She finally spotted them, standing next to Carmen's twin brother, waving goodbye to their parents and lugging their trunks onto the train.

"I'd better get on the train, I don't want it to go without me, and it looks as though it's about to rain!" she said to her parents while looking up at the sky, which was filled with dark grey clouds. They smiled said their goodbyes and watched Lily, as she hurried past the little first years to get to the carriage Sarah and Carmen were on.

When she eventually managed to push her way through, Lily found herself being the target of two rather forceful hugs from her best friends, due to the fact that there was much shoving going on around them.

"Ouch! – you little people need to watch where you're going!" Carmen yelled at the top of her voice, causing a sudden silence to spread among the crowd, and about a hundred pairs of eyes to stare up at her.

She sighed irritably and stomped into an empty carriage, Lily and Sarah followed, both biting back hysterical laughter.

"Wow, you really shut them up," Sarah grinned.

Carmen smirked and rolled her eyes. She opened her mouth to say something when she noticed something. She squealed.

"Lily – you've got a head girl badge! You're head girl?!" she asked, poking at Lily's shiny badge.

Lily smiled widely and nodded. Sarah and Carmen squealed in excitement.

"Do you know who's head boy?" asked Sarah. Lily shook her head.

"No, but I'll find out soon, because I've got to go and hold the prefect meeting now, so the head boy will have to be there too." She smiled and left the carriage.

Lily leaned against the wall of the prefect carriage, waiting impatiently for the rest of the new prefects to come in, and for the head boy.

It's probably Frank Longbottom; he was a good prefect last year. She thought to herself.

Her thoughts were soon disturbed, when a tall, handsome, dark haired boy with glasses came strolling into the room. He was wearing a head boy badge.

Lily's jaw dropped. Her bright green eyes grew wide.

Potter is head boy. How is that possible?

He has become really cute. Whoa, did I just think that?

James Potter smiled at her, not the usual over confident smirk Lily had gotten used to, but a smile that definitely made her heart begin to beat faster.

She was so busy staring at him that she didn't even realise that he was talking to her.

"Evans? Um hello?" James waved in her face. Lily jumped, closing her mouth abruptly and blushed madly.

"Sorry I was miles away. How...Why did… umm…How?" Lily stuttered, turning her cheeks an even darker red. James laughed.

"Yeah, I was really surprised too! I was so sure Longbottom would get it."

There was an awkward silence, where only the splashing of rain from outside could be heard, causing James' cheeks to flush a deep crimson colour, making him look determinedly at his shoes, and Lily to try desperately to find something to say. However, thankfully, the prefects came trailing in for the meeting. Both James and Lily sighed in relief.

"Can you believe James is head boy? James Potter?" Carmen whispered inquisitively.

It was Charms class, and Lily, Sarah and Carmen had been discussing James being head boy.

"No, I can't," Lily said for what felt like the millionth time.

"He wasn't even prefect," Sarah commented.

They all shrugged, and got back to copying work from the blackboard.

Lily was unable to concentrate. Images of James were swimming around her mind, she just couldn't get over how good looking he had become, not to mention the fact that he didn't seem to be a complete prat anymore.

With all these thoughts mingling in her head, the hour of Charms went surprisingly quickly.

As the three of them walked out of Flitwick's classroom, James and Sirius sloped past, James saw Lily and smiled at her, causing Lily to go weak at the knees and smile stupidly back.

Why do I feel like this whenever Potter smiles at me?

Because you have a huge crush on him.

I do not.

Do too.

Shut up.

Sarah noticed this and smiled knowingly to herself.

"What are you all smiley about?" Carmen questioned, totally oblivious to what had just happened.

Sarah gave her a look that said 'I'll tell you later', and Carmen nodded.

Later that same day, during a free period, Lily had gone to the library, so Carmen had used this as an opportunity to ask Sarah about before.

"So, what's up?"

Sarah smiled excitedly. Carmen looked confused.

"I have the feeling that Lily fancies someone!" Sarah said quietly but quickly.

Carmen grinned mischievously.

"Who, WHO?"

"James"

"James Potter?"

"The very same"

Carmen's chocolate brown eyes widened and she had an amazed look etched on her face.

"Does James still have a crush on Lils?" she wondered.

Sarah shrugged. Her eyes fell onto the door of the common room, and she quickly hid behind a book.

Carmen whipped around to see Lily coming towards them with a pile of books in her arms.

"- hey Lils!" she smiled widely.

Lily smiled, but looked suspicious when she looked at Sarah.

"Hi. Sarah, why are you reading a book upside down?"

Sarah appeared from behind the book, and grinned sheepishly.

Lily laughed, placed her library books carefully on the table, and flopped down on an armchair.

Suddenly, Lily yelped, and shot out of her chair.

"I'm late for Head duties!"

Carman and Sarah chuckled helplessly.

Carmen's older twin brother, Dominic, strode past out of nowhere.

"What are you girlies laughing at?" he asked, his eyebrows raised.

Carmen rolled her eyes, while Sarah suddenly became rather fidgety, and stared firmly at her feet.

"It's none of yours Dom, now can you leave please?" Carmen said her arms folded.

"Fine."

Dominic sat in a chair directly in front of the girls.

"Do you mind?" Carmen snapped.

"What, I'm not doing anything," he replied smirking.

"You're in my line of sight."

Dominic sighed exaggeratedly, and went to sit with his classmates.

Sarah glared at Carmen.

"You know, there was no need to be so mean to him, he was only asking a question," she said crossly.

Carmen looked at her strangely.

"Why do you care?"

"I don't."

Carmen dropped it, but continued to look at her strangely.

Lily arrived out of breath, to find James waiting patiently for her. She gulped inwardly and walked towards him.

"Sorry I'm late."

Evans is saying sorry? That's a first.

"No problem."

Ohmigod I bet I'm all red from running all the way here. But who cares what Potter thinks?

You do.

They started walking along the corridor together, Lily getting increasingly more nervous.

James took fleeting glances at her now and again.

She is really pretty. Oh great. Just as you start to get over her, you fall for her all over again. Good going Potter.

Lily saw through the corner of her eye, that James was gazing at her, with a slight smile grazing his lips. Lily felt herself heat up and her heartbeat quicken.

Calm down. It's only Potter. Why are you getting yourself all worked up over him?

Because he is so gorgeous.

He is not.

Is too.

Lily shook herself out of this sudden mad argument going on in her brain.

James watched her with interest. Lily gave him a swift glance, turned a brilliant red, and quickly began concentrating on the floor.

She cursed silently to herself for being so obvious.

James smiled. He noticed Lily's nervousness, and it gave James butterflies in his stomach.

They carried on patrolling the corridor, both thinking of the strange new feelings that were taking over them, and trying to deny them. Nonetheless, however much they denied it, both hoped deep inside, that the other felt the same way. If only they knew.