For the past three years, it seemed as if James Potter's goal in life was to torture Lily. To Lily Evans, it seemed as if this year would be no different than the previous. Lily was the top of her year and James always came in a close second. Teachers were astounded that he could publicly humiliate Lily and still find time for his studies.

Lily Evans stepped aboard the Hogwarts Express with a sigh, and a melancholy wave to her parents. Petunia was sulking in the car, as usual. Her parents, Will and Sarah, thought it was because she was homesick. How wrong they were.

Lily was a stickler for punctuality, and this year, Petunia had refused to come along, making the muggle family late. Finally she had been bribed into the car by her mother, as a hysterical Lily screamed at the sidelines. Knowing well that compartments on the train went fast, she could only hope that her friends had beat her there. Some clumsy idiot bumped into her sending Lily, her trunk and owl flying. She rolled over on her back to scold them, and saw the criminals were Ella and Molly. Joanna and Molly, (along with Hannah and Ella) were Lily's best friends. "Sorry Lily Billy. We didn't mean it." Molly said in a cooing baby voice. Joanna offered her a hand. Lily stood up, brushing herself off.

"How was your summer?" she inquired.

"Terrific." Joanna flashed a million dollar grin.

"Draconian." Molly said with a sigh. "My sister is getting married." It was a well known fact that Molly's older sister, Ann, always out shined her. Ann had left Hogwarts two years before, boyfriend and all.

"So the famous Ann Geller is to become simply housewife Ann. How tragic." Hannah's arrival had been unnoticed by all.

"Hey Hannah!" Molly screeched like an animal in captivity.

"Pretty cool, I guess." Her mother was a pureblood, but her father was a muggle. Hannah and her mother attended the parties of some of the greatest pureblood families, keeping Hannah's lineage a secret. "I had to go to loads of parties for the Blacks." Lily placed a sympathetic hand on Hannah's shoulder. As if on cue, Sirius Black exited his compartment and joined the girls in the hallway.

"Would you lovely ladies care to join the Marauders in their compartment?" He said slickly.

"Yes." The other three girls were fawning over him.

"No." Lily stated stubbornly, and also a minute to late. The girls and Sirius were already walking toward their compartment. Lily begrudgingly followed.

"Hi," murmured a guilty looking Ella, "Sorry, everywhere else was full."

"Evans! Looking forward to another year?" James asked jokingly.

"No." Lily replied stonily.

"Lily flower! Don't be like that! James can't wait." James shouted cheerfully.

The rest of the journey to Hogwarts was fairly uneventful. James asked Lily out three times, and Lily rejected him each time. She hated his sick idea of a joke. As they arrived in the Great Hall for the feast, James slithered his way into the seat between Ella and Lily. "Hey Evans –"

"No."

"But Lily Flower I didn't even-"

"No."

"Evans just give me a-"

"No."

"Come on –"

"No." James stood up and stalked off to sit with Sirius, Peter, and Remus.

"Why won't you just –" Ella began.

"No. I am just a joke to him." Lily began to pile her gleaming plate with food as soon as the speech was over. The food began disappearing quickly and the students were full. Soon the students were excused to go to their dormitories.

Hannah had her usual scowl on her face as she trudged to the Ravenclaw dormitory. Her auburn locks fell gracefully upon her shoulders as the Ravenclaw girl made her way to her house. The other girls gleefully went to Gryffindor chatting merrily about their summers. James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter huddled into a little group behind the girls. "I just don't get it," James sighed wistfully. "Why won't she go out with me?"

"I don't know Prongs." Peter said quietly, even though the answer was clear.

"Maybe it's because you torment her, because she thinks it's a joke, because you are so arrogant –"

"No. That can't be it." James said cutting Sirius off mid-rant.

"I think it is mate." Remus had always been the sensible one of the group, and once again he was right. James sulked the rest of the way to Gryffindor Tower.