The summer breeze danced across my skin as I laid in the grass with my best friend watching the clouds.

"I can't wait to go back to Hogwarts," Lily sighed.

"Me either," I agreed with a delighted hum in my voice, "it's unbelievable how close we are to our last year at Hogwarts."

"Juliet my dear, you've been so melodramatic about finishing up at Hogwarts. We're only going into our fifth year and we have two years after this. Please save your sobbing until then," She huffed propping herself up on her elbows.

I turned my head toward her with a hurtful glare, "Why must you be so cruel to me?"

She sighed, "I'm not being hurtful. You have had this same routine since going into our third year, and every year I tell you to shut up about it."

My head rolled against the grass as I laughed, "I don't see how you put up with me."

"You have some pretty good moments so that's probably why," She shrugged.

Rolling my eyes I sat up, "Well if you're finished making fun of me I think I'll head home to finish packing."

"That sounds like a good idea," She got up reaching for my hand to help pull me up, "I'll see you in the morning on the train."

"See you then," I grinned, "Just think, this time tomorrow all this peacefulness will be gone and replaced with our two oh-so lovely stalkers."

"Please do not bring those prats up I was having a good day," Lily groaned.

"Sorry sorry," I snorted, "Drama queen."

"Goodbye Juliet," She grumbled.

"Farewell my beautiful Lilypad!" I shouted as she walked away from me.

"I hate you!" She shouted back, but before she could get too far away I heard the ring of her laughter.

I took my usual path home from the park. Lily and I are both muggle born witches that attend Hogwarts. We became great friends our first year there and soon learned that we didn't live too far away from each other. This made our holiday plans better than just sending letters back and forth, like we do with our other friends. Lily and I get along well because of all we have in common and all we don't. Were both pretty adventurous but also really care about our grades at school. Lily is a bit more social than I am, not that I don't have friends outside of Lily, I just like to focus more on the little stuff rather than having a large group of friends and acquaintances.

An unfortunate thing we both have in common is something called a Marauder, a namesake they've given themselves, stalker. James Potter has given almost all of his attention to my dear Lily and has made a lot of effort into trying to get her to go out on a date with him. My situation is exactly the same, except his name is Sirius Black. Now not all of the Marauders are as terrible as these two. I'm actually good friends with their more laid-back friend Remus Lupin. He's been my saving grace with end of year exams by helping me study when he can.

I finally made it back home where I live with my great aunt Tracy Holden. Who is a very small lady, just barely over 50, who insisted on taking me in after my parents got into a deadly car crash with a drunk driver leaving my mother dead and father comatose. As upsetting as it is I was only six when it happened and I kept myself going by listening to what my mother used to tell me; "It goes on." I can't keep going on if I dwell in how sad losing my parents at such a young age so I'll keep going. Hopefully.

I walked up the path into the house, "I'm home!"

"Oh thank goodness, I didn't think you'd make it back to finish your packing," my aunt Tracy sighs in relief from the kitchen, "I know how you are in the morning if you're rushing to pack."

"Yeah I know, it happened once and I'm never letting it happen again. Trust me," I said walking in the kitchen to check that she wasn't doing anything crazy-like going on a cooking-spree again, "I'll be upstairs th- what are you doing?"

The kitchen, of course, was a mess.

"I decided I wanted to bake you some treats for the train ride tomorrow so you wouldn't have to buy anything but then I couldn't decide what to make," She innocently said looking over her mess.

"You're unbelievable," I stated, "Crazy even."

She huffed, "Well it's a good thing I didn't ask for your feedback. Go finish your packing we're having muffins and cake for dinner."

"Whatever you say," I said holding my hands up in defense backing away from her slowly. After receiving one final smouldering look from her I made my way upstairs to my room.

Of course the gift I received upon entering my room was from my cat, Cooley, who made it his mission to organize my trunk, I had left open and half packed on my bed, just so he could sleep in it.

"Why must you behave his way Cooley?" I asked him picking him up out of my trunk causing him to wake up, "I'm trying to pack for Hogwarts, you love being at Hogwarts so why do you make it so hard for me to pack?"

I placed my now grumpy cat on my pillows and began to repack and finish packing my trunk. By the time I finished and finally got my trunk to successfully close, on the second try, my aunt had already brought me up some muffins to munch on and now I was just about ready for bed.

"I'm heading to bed now so goodnight!" I called out my room for my aunt to hear. With her faint goodnight back I closed the door and collapsed onto my bed to sleep for the night.

Like clockwork I was woken up by my cat jumping on my shoulders and licking my hair.

"See you knew we were going to Hogwarts you were just being an ass yesterday," I grumbled into my pillow.

"Rise and shine it time to get going!" My aunt called in after pounding on my door.

"I'm up! Give me a few and I'll be down!" I called back and pushed up from my mattress knocking my cat to the floor.

Rubbing the sleep from my eyes I walk over the the mirror to give myself a look-over. My hair is barely past my collar bones and is rather choppy so after running my fingers through it a couple of times it's good to go. I throw on a plain black t-shirt and some jeans making my wardrobe for half of today pretty simple. Cooley is already sitting in his cage waiting as I slip his a few treats and close it. I threw on shoes and jacket before grabbing my trunk and Cooley's cage to lug downstairs. I got my stuff in my aunt's rather tiny car and she handed me a small parcel of treats.

"For the train ride as I said," She smiled and got in the drivers side waiting for me to get in before starting the car and driving away.

"Now, I know you know my whole spiel about doing your best and studying hard despite me having no knowledge of what it's like to be in your shoes. So this year I thought I would spare you the same old speech," My aunt Tracy said with her eyes on the road but her heart in the right place.

"Yeah I know it's been five years now," I said, "It's about time you got some new material."

She gave me a sarcastic glance as she turned the street corner, "I hate to agree, but you are a bit older now so I think you understand the importance of doing well in school."

"Thanks to you I always will," I grinned.

"But what you can't forget is to enjoy yourself. Yes of course your grades are important but sometimes you just need to take some risks and go a little crazy. Not like off the deep end crazy, just normal having fun crazy. Take a risk sometimes," She said.

I sat there in a little bit of a shock with what she said. I blinked a few times before saying, "Wow, that was pretty deep."

"Oh stop being a sarcastic ass," She huffed.

"Hey, I learn that from you," I defended.

"I know," She grumbled, "but I am being serious. Last night I was going through some of my old things from when I was in school. It made me remember that although I cared a lot about my education, I sometimes forgot to have a little fun here and there. Our schooling situation may be a bit different but it's all the advice I've got."

"It is some good advice. So thank you, I'll keep it in mind," I smiled.

She returned the smile, "You know I met Mr. Holden during school."

"You did?" I asked she never really talked about their younger years.

"Yeah we used to hate each other," She snorted, "We fought all the time, usually over something petty."

I blinked, shocked. The first thought that popped in my head was of one of the most annoying creatures on earth, but I quickly got rid of those thoughts.

"I can't see you hating Mr. Holden, you two were practically made for each other," I said ruffling my fingers through my hair recalling the little time I had knowing both of them together.

"It seems so, but that's just how we were," She shrugged, "Then something just made us come to our senses."

"What made you?" I asked curiously.

"One day we were in a little argument and I just had this sudden urge to kiss him, so I did," she said simply.

I smiled at her and laughed in disbelief.

"You didn't," I said.

She nodded, "He just had this look on his face and the only thing in my head that I could think of was 'girl you better kiss him or slap him senseless.' As it turned out we both really liked each other."

"You have got to be the craziest woman I've ever met," I laughed.

"Well there's always a method to my madness," she smiled as she pulled into a parking spot.

"Thank you for the ride," I smiled and hugged her goodbye and got out of the car getting my trunk and cat.

"Owl me if you need anything dear," she said and then drove off as I went into the station putting my thing on a cart.

I ran through the wall and arrived to the platform. Getting on the train I immediately started looking for Lily through the crowds of people. Luckily I saw her fiery red hair go into a compartment.

"Lily!" I called out and her head whipped out looking for me in the crowd.

When she saw me she smile and waved me towards her. I pushed my way through the crowd until I made it to the compartment.

"Lily! I haven't seen you since yesterday!" I laughed.

"I know it's been so long!" She exclaimed.

I put my stuff up and fed Cooley some more treats in his cage that he didn't even bother touching because he was sleeping. Lily and I hugged then sat down and started talking until some of our friends came and joined us to catch up.

"I'll be right back," I said getting up leaving the compartment to go to the restroom.

On my way back I had just slid open the door to the compartment when someone grabbed my hand.

"I didn't think it was possible for you to look any more beautiful than when I last saw you, but here you are proving me wrong," they said.

I looked up to see Black holding my hand in his, I held back the vomit the best I could.

"What do you want?" I said disgusted pulling my hand out of his.

He gave me a what I could only think was his best charming look, "how's about a date?"

"In your dreams Black," I rolled my eyes.

"How did you know?" He asked, "So that must be a yes, first Hogsmeade trip then."

"Have fun by yourself," I said uninterested and slid into my compartment shutting the door quickly behind me, "Lily, never let me leave your sight again."

"Don't worry were nearly at Hogwarts so get that good mood back and I'll never leave your side," She grinned knowing the look I had on my face only meant one thing; a Marauder.

"Okay I think I can do that," I said sitting back in my seat as we started up another conversation on what we've done over the summer holiday's and how excited we are for yet another year of Hogwarts.