Lily Evans lined up behind another boy, as a stern looking woman that had introduced herself as Professor McGonagall pushed the students through the magical barrier. She took one last look at her parents, and at her pouting sister, and followed Professor McGonagall's advice to just run for the wall. She closed her eyes, and suddenly, her nose filled with smoke and the unusual smell that she linked back to Diagon-Alley only a few days earlier. It was all so crazy, though, much too crazy for her brain to process it all. She was a witch, she was about to go to England's only magical school, and would not see her family until Christmas. Call her a mummy's girl; she'd never been away from her parents for more than a week or two. And even then, her grandparents, or sister had been there with her. Now her sister did not even look at her without snarling.

Lily opened her eyes to the red engine of the Hogwarts Express: it looked exactly like what Severus had said it would. She eyed the platform carefully, but the dark-haired boy was nowhere to be seen. She shrugged, and decided to head for a compartment for the two of them, like they had planned the day before: the one who got there first would try to get them a compartment with window seats. Lily heaved her trunk onto the train, her heavy backpack also digging into her shoulder blades. However, she gritted her teeth together: she had chosen to bring more books than she should have, she was not about to complain. She dropped her bags in the first compartment she found, and sat by the window, looking out onto the platform as more witches and wizards began to crowd onto the platform. They were all wearing normal clothing, Muggle clothing, like Severus had told her, and not robes. She looked at her own combi-short, and readjusted her hairpin using her reflection in the window, so that her bangs did not fall into her eyes. Her mother had insisted she got a haircut before going to school, but Lily was tired of her usual auburn bob, she was grown-up now, she wanted long hair like Petunia's. She went back to staring out at the people on the platform. A boy that looked as lost as she was, with light brown hair and rather pale skin. He looked tired, so Lily assumed he probably came from some remote place far away in the middle of Scotland, or Wales. Only his father was with him, carrying his trunk, and taking in the platform like he had not seen the train for a really long while. Then, he bent over, hugged the boy, and then gave him his trunk and pushed him towards the train. The boy took a deep breath and looked straight at the train for the first time since Lily had been studying him. Their eyes met, his were green, though not emerald like the girl's, more of a blue-green shade of grey, really. He smiled shyly, and Lily returned the gesture. Not even a minute later, he was standing at the door of her compartment, pushing his trunk with difficulty.

"Hi, may I sit with you please?" He asked rather fearfully, his eyes not leaving the girl's fiery red hair.

"Of course." Lily stood up to help him hoist his trunk up onto the racks. "I'm Lily, by the way."

"Name's Remus. It's nice to meet you Lily."

"Nice to meet you too. You're a first year as well, I imagine."

"Do I look that lost?"

"Please, I'm the first witch in my family. At least your dad can cross the barrier."

"Oh, wow, that's very brave of you." Lily replied with an inquisitive look. They were now sitting by the window, facing each other, and Remus waved at his dad. "Muggleborns are facing quite a lot of discrimination these days."

"Well… So are colored people in the Muggle world…" Lily answered, emphasizing the word Muggle. "That doesn't mean they don't go out, or change their skin color."

"You're right. My mum's a Muggle though."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"That's really cool. I mean, you must've been raised learning about magical myths and watching the Looney Tunes."

"That sums it up pretty well." Remus laughed, immediately at ease with Lily. Her smile was warm and welcoming for the poor werewolf, her eyes curious to discover more about him, yet it no way there to judge. He laugh was contagious, and her ability to make conversation out of nothing was a blessing. "Hey, look at those two idiots down there." Lily looked at two dark haired boys in the platform, making faces at each other.

"What a pair of loonies." She joked.

"I think I know one of them. Sirius Black. He's from a fancy pureblood family, I hear. My dad doesn't like them much."

"God, why does everyone seem to hate each other?"

"Everyone knows everyone… Wizards aren't that many around England, you know, and everyone went to Hogwarts or works at the Ministry anyways." Remus shrugged sadly. He knew how she felt.

"Oh, they're gone!" Lily noticed all of a sudden. The families were still on the platform, but the two boys had disappeared, and so had their trunks.

"Excuse us, you seem to be staring… Even my mum's taught me that's rude." The boy Remus had identified as Sirius Black spoke from the door. The other dark haired boy was standing right behind him, sniggering.

"Oh, I was simply trying to figure out whether you were really human, or truly half baboon." Lily replied matter-of-factly, Remus's eyes widened in surprise, and the other boy began laughing, but at Sirius instead.

"Not bad. I'm Sirius."

"And I'm joking."

"No, my name is Sirius."

"Oh." Lily tried not to laugh. "I'm Lily Evans." She shook his hand, then turned to the other boy. "Who're you?"

"James Potter, nice to meet you." Lily nodded in reply.

"How about you, shy-guy?" Sirius asked, sitting next to poor, terrified Remus.

"Remus Lupin." He whispered.

"Can't hear you, mate."

"I'm Remus."

"Nice to meet you, Remus." James said, sitting down as well, squeezing Lily in between him and the window. "So what were you talking about?"

"You wizards are a bunch of stuck up douche bags." Lily said. Something about James Potter made her reckless side surface up.

"Erm, ok, hater." Sirius said, rising his hands above his head. "What ever did I do to you?"

"Sorry, I'm new around pointy hats." She said, her eyes glinting in a mischievous way that instantly captivated James.

"You're a Muggle born?" Sirius asked. "That's awesome… How's it like out there?"

"Don't say it like I come from the wild rainforest, it's perfectly normal thank you very much." Remus laughed a little.

"What you saying, shy-boy?"

"I'm ashamed of being a man right now." Remus said, trying to hide his laughter. "You're being owned." The four of them began laughing loudly, until another dark-haired, dark eyed and brooding boy opened the door of their compartment.

"Severus!" Lily stood up brightly and hugged her best friend. "Guys, this is my best friend, Severus. Sev, this is Remus, James and Sirius."

"Hi."

"Hello! Would you like help with that?" James extended a hand towards Severus's trunk.

"No thanks, I can manage." Severus hoisted his trunk onto the rack with difficulty, under the four other's careful eyes. Then, he sat in between Lily and James, giving the latter a long and dark look.

"So, Sev, it's not like you to be late."

"Sorry, my parents got in an argument just before we left."

"Oh, I'm so sorry Sev. Anyways, Sirius and James here don't know anything about Muggles, can you believe it?" Severus turned towards the two boys in question, then to Remus.

"Are you a Muggle born as well?"

"No, but my mum's Muggle."

"My dad's the Muggle. It's not always fun, at my place, causes a lot of messes." Remus bit his lip nervously.

"Yeah, I guess it can be pretty mad." The lie in his voice was more than obvious. For some strange reason, the rest of the ride was tense, despite Lily and Sirius's best attempts at relaxing the atmosphere. But Severus's brooding, James awkward obsession at catching attention and Remus's shy nature did not make things easy, and despite the two extrovert's best efforts, nothing much came out of their conversations. It ended with Remus and Lily talking about the schoolbooks they had already finished, Severus staring venomously at James and Sirius, and the latter two goofing around like the baboons Lily had identified earlier.

James took a deep breath. Professor McGonagall had just given them a lame introductory speech he had only half-listened too, being to busy watching the auburn bob that meant Lily was close by, and making fun of people with Sirius. Especially that guy Severus from earlier, whatever his deal was… Freak. However, the deep breath he had taken was for a whole other reason: the Sorting would begin soon and he was certainly not landing anywhere else than in Gryffindor. He followed almost too soon when McGonagall reappeared to motion them inside the Great Hall. He almost did not notice the magical ceiling, and only when Lily lifted her eyes up did he do the same. He heard her gasp, and mimicked her. He really did want to be her friend.

"Alright, first years, please line up properly." McGonagall asked, putting a little emphasis on the last word. "Thank you. As for the upper classmen, please be silent." The Great Hall quieted down almost instantly. James, again, only paid little heed to the Hat's song; since anyways he knew what House he wanted to get in. He was pretty grateful when McGonagall began calling names, since Sirius was called up almost immediately. His friend walked confidently to the stool, sat down, and before the Hat had even touched his head, it yelled 'Gryffindor'. The silence that overtook the room was nothing compared with the excited cheers the first girl received. A Black in Gryffindor? Even James knew that was not good at all, so he clapped, and soon Remus and Lily joined, as did the rest of the Gryffindor table and eventually the Hall and teachers. James was actually glad Sirius was in the good House, he had instantly become friends with him and he knew that if he had followed family legacy, no way the two of them would be friends. James only paid attention again when Lily was called. She looked pale, paler than before anyways, and her huge green eyes voice every first year's fears. She sat under the Hat, eyeing the Great Hall curiously, then her brow furrowed a little.

"Ms. Evans." Is what the Hat was saying. "Welcome to Hogwarts. Aha, I see you've already made some friends. Interesting people, they are, please remember. Now, what House should I put you in? Ravenclaw? You sure have the capacities, but something about your hair tells me it's red for a reason… Slytherin? No, you're no cunning person, are you? You're straightforward, bold, and perhaps too much. You're passionate, and yes, fiery. Gryffindor!" It yelled out for the entire room to hear. Lily smiled broadly and headed for the red and golden table, unaware of the large smile James harbored, or the worry that completely erased Severus's black façade. A few names later, it was Remus's turn to sit under the Hat.

"Remus Lupin. I do remember your father, yes, a true Hufflepuff at heart. And yet, you are no Hufflepuff, are you now? Perhaps Ravenclaw would suit you, don't you think? No… Ah, Rowena's distaste for half-breeds scares you? It scares me too, much like Salazar's distaste for Muggle borns, but what can I say? I am just a Hat, and you are all just people. The warmth from those people is what you need, Remus, never forget that. Trust your friends, my dear, don't block people away. Promise me." Remus nodded mentally, as if entranced. "Very well then. Gryffindor!" Before he could realize, the boy headed for the red and golden table, and sat next to an ecstatic Lily, who hugged him fiercely. Sirius shook his hand with a wink, seemingly recovered from his own ordeal as the rest of the table quieted down for the next person to be sorted. Soon, James was called. He walked as confidently as Sirius, or so he hoped, to the stool, and sat grinning. McGonagall rolled her eyes not so discreetly, and placed the Hat on his head.

"James Potter. Welcome."

"Thanks." James thought happily.

"Now, now, little Gryffindor how was your ride?"

"Gryffindor? Yes!"

"Be quiet, will you? I do the talking. Met some important people today, did we?"

"I guess…" James thought back to the train ride. "I like Sirius and Remus. Lily too. But Severus wasn't exactly my kind of friend."

"Now, now, James, give him a shot, what do you think?"

"Sure, he's Lily's friend, I can make an effort." The Hat made a sound that James thought was a chuckle, but could not tell for sure.

"Great. Gryffindor!" James skipped down to his table, and sat next to Sirius, shaking Lily and Remus's hands along the way, and hugging his officially best friend, before coughing awkwardly and going back to appearing manly, or once again, so he thought. The next boy to be called was Peter Pettigrew, and the Hat took an incredibly long while to figure him out. He looked like a mouse, on the fat side, with grey skin, something Sirius seemed to notice along with James. However, when the poor boy was finally assigned to Gryffindor, the lions cheered loudly. Peter sat next to Remus, and timidly shook hands and exchanged names with everyone. Only Lily paid attention to Severus's Sorting, and her happy, bubbly face fell when she saw him head down the other end of the Hall and sit with the other Slytherin students. Oh well, life sometimes sucked that way.