-ACCEPTING-

-CHAPTER ONE-

"Excuse me-," Lily Evans hurried past an old muggle, pushing her trolly across Kings Cross station reaching a solid barrier that separated platforms nine and ten. It was a quarter to eleven and her train leaves exactly at eleven o'clock and she couldn't miss it. She hadn't particularly meant to be late but her sister Petunia had announced that she wanted to get married to her two-year boyfriend, Vernon Dursley. Her parents were preoccupied with her sister's ridiculous statement and momentarily forgot about Lily's train.

Lily Evans was not normal. She was a witch and attended Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry along with about five hundred other witches and wizards.

Her train, the Hogwarts Express left from platform nine and three quarters at eleven o'clock. In the past six years of her attending Hogwarts, never had Lily been late. 'Something is definitely going to happen this year', she thought as she ran through the barrier and pushed her trolly upto the train. She clambered on and dragged her trolly inside just as the scarlet steam engine left the station.

She took a deep breath and began searching the compartments for her friends.

Marlene Mckinnon and Alice Prewett were seated at the far end of the train in one of the last compartments along with their dorm mate, Mary Mcdonald.

"Lily!", Marlene got up to give her friend a big hug.

"How was your summer?" Lily smiled at Marlene and shrugged, "oh it was alright, I guess."

Alice gasped and pointed at Lily's sweater " oh dear Merlin! You're head girl, Lil!"

Lily glanced at the shiny head girl badge that she pinned this morning and smiled shyly, " yeah-it was a bit of a surprise, really."

"Why was it a surprise? We all knew that you'd be the one that got the badge, Lily!",said Mary.

Lily smiled at her and looked back at Marlene, "Well there's actually something else that was shocking-the head boy"

Marlene frowned and shook her head, "Remus being head boy isn't shocking, Lils, we knew-"

"Its not Remus", Lily stated calmly.

This time it was Alice's turn to frown, "then who-"

Marlene raised her eyebrows, " oh don't tell me its Potter"

Lily nodded slowly at Marlene and Mary gasped, " James got head boy!? I wonder what Dumbledore's been thinking-"

"Oh, it's not really that shocking", began Alice, "I mean you have to agree that Potter's been growing up. Last year was abnormally quite compared to the previous years. The marauders all have grown up a bit. I think that must be the reason behind Dumbledore's choice."

"Well, I don't know the reason but I sure hope everything will be smooth this year, with the NEWTs approaching, I don't think I can handle pranks. I'm sure to loose my temper," Lily sighed.

"Oh don't worry Lily, I'm sure James will help out", Mary said.

"Yeah," Marlene nodded, "Give the boy a chance, Lil."

Lily sighed again and looked out the window, "Yeah, I'm sure Dumbledore wouldn't have made Potter just for the fun of it. But I just wish that he won't go and make things awkward between us by asking me out on a date."

Marlene laughed, "Oh come off of it Lil, you've rejected him plenty of times. After all a boy could only take so much of rejection- I'm sure you've put him off."

"How many times did James actually ask you, Lily?", Mary asked.

"Only about a million times!", Alice laughed.

Lily rolled her eyes at Alice, " He's asked me six times in the past two years."

Lily only rejected James Potter because he would bully people whenever he was bored and the main object of his bullying would be Severus Snape, Lily's ex-best friend.

James Potter and his friends, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew had named themselves the "MARAUDERS" and were the biggest pranksters Hogwarts had ever seen. That being said, the marauders have indeed brought down the intensity of their pranks the previous year. Lily didn't know what to expect but she was praying that they would start acting responsible and keep the pranks to a minimum because Merlin knows they can't possibly stop their pranking completely.