There and Back Again
Chapter 1: Got to get you into my life
I was alone,
I took a ride,
I didn't know what I would find there.
Another road where maybe I
Could see another kind of mind there.
Ooh then I suddenly see you,
Ooh did I tell you I need you
Ev'ry single day of life?
You didn't run, you didn't lie,
You knew I wanted just to hold you,
And had you gone, you knew in time
We'd meet again for I had to hold you.
Ooh you were meant to be near me,
Ooh and I want to hear me,
Say we'll be together ev'ry day.
Got to get you into my life.
What can I do, what can I be?
When I'm with you I want to stay there.
If I'm true I'll never leave,
And if I do I know the way there.
Ooh then I suddenly see you,
Ooh did I tell you I need you
Ev'ry single day of my life?
Got to get you into my life.
Got to get you into my life.
I was alone, I took a ride,
I didn't know what I would find there.
Another road where maybe I
Could see another kind of mind there.
Ooh then I suddenly see you,
Ooh did I tell you I need you
Ev'ry single day of life?
What are you doing to my life?
Lily Evans stepped onto platform 9 and looked around. She was having the worst possible day she could imagine for the beginning of a new life. It had been raining all morning and she was soaked to the bone. She awakened late then got into a huge fight with her parents; it was a bad omen. Her first day at Hogwarts, a school she had never heard of until her eleventh birthday. Still, several months later, she had to pinch herself to make sure she was awake and not dreaming that she was a witch. Pushing a wet strand of dark auburn hair off her face, she looked down at her ticket while biting her lower lip in frustration. Her ticket read "Platform 9 ¾", 'platform 9 ¾? These people are nutters! Chewing on her bottom lip, almost to the bleeding point, she sighed and looked around for someone who looked the least bit magical, she was beginning to become extremely nervous and afraid, though she refused to admit that last bit to herself. Her parents had just dropped her off at the front of the station; they said that since she was acting like such a ninny she could find the platform herself. The eleven-year-old girl felt very alone as she watched all the very normal looking people pass by her. Fighting back tears, she leaned against the barrier between platforms 9 and 10, trying to think. Abruptly she fell through the barriers, landing on her bum; she let out a strangled yelp not knowing what on earth had happened.
Groaning she untangled herself from her overturned cart and all her scattered belongings and mumbled something about 'bad karma'. She stood up, still grumbling and attempted to brush off her still soaking wet clothes. Sighing dejectedly at her messy appearance, she stood her cart upright, piled her belongings back onto it and finally looked around to get accustomed to her surroundings. She stared in shock at the sight that lay before her. Somehow she had found her way onto Platform 9 ¾ and was left goggling at a huge, gorgeous train right in front of her. Startled out of her reverie, she heard someone at the far end of the platform yelling, "Last call for boarding! The Hogwarts Express departs in 10 minutes!" She scrambled towards the train, giving all of her belongings, except her new owl, a small gray flecked brown owl that was said to be the fastest in the shop. She wasn't quite sure about that since all Pepper (the owl's fur DID reminder her of the unsavory spice) did was sleep and hoot. Of course she hadn't had any opportunity to use the owl.
Hoping onto the train carrying Pepper in her cage, she sighed with relief, releasing at least some of the tension that was in her shoulders. Smiling to herself, she started looking for compartments. Without paying attention to where she was going, she accidentally bumped into somebody.
"Oh! I'm terribly sorry! I didn't see you there!" An embarrassed Lily exclaimed blushing slightly.
"Of course you didn't you stupid mudblood" the person she had run into sneered at her turning around. He was only a little taller than she was, about 5'3, with slicked back blond hair and ice cold blue eyes. He was accompanied by a slightly taller boy, the same age with a large hook nose and greasy black hair that hung in shaggy locks around his face and getting in the way of his brown eyes, so dark they almost seemed black. As the blond boy turned his eyes widened and a smile that seemed more like a sneer crossed his wormlike pink lips
Glaring, Lily crossed her arms in front of her chest she didn't know what the word he used meant but he sounded rather cross; "I said I was sorry, no need to get so angry, it was a simple mistake, now if you will excuse me you are blocking the rest of the passageway and I still need to find a compartment".
The air around the blond boy changed slightly and he curved his wormy lips into a sneer that she assumed was supposed to be a smile. "So sorry to insult you there, why don't you stay in our compartment? I'm Lucious Malfoy and this is Severus Snape" he said gesturing to the greasy-haired boy next to him who simply nodded.
Lily felt suddenly afraid of this boy, despite his apology and almost warm words, his eyes remained cold and careless. "Thank you, but no, I am meeting some friends in another compartment" she lied. "And I don't think they appreciate me being late." Biting her lip again she backed away slowly and instinctively reached inside her pocket for her wand even though she had yet to try the few spells she had learned from her books. "Besides, by standing here I'm just dripping water and I wouldn't want to get your compartment all wet now would I?"
"You're a very pretty girl you know" the blond boy said with menace in his voice. "You haven't even told us your name? And Sev here doesn't mind a little water" Lily looked down at herself and frowned, she was wearing jeans, darkened by the rainwater, and a red tee shirt that had the British flag on it. Over her clothes, she had an oversized light blue rain jacket. She pushed her red, wet hair out of her face once more and looked over at Snape, he just looked bored. She looked back at Malfoy and he spoke again "You will join us in our compartment" it was not a question as he advanced on Lily.
Looking around and finding no place for her to run, Lily glared up at Malfoy and said "I think not Malfoy, I have no desire to sit within 100 feet of you or your greasy friend" With that said she kneed him hard in the groin, pushed him into the open compartment from which he came and ran past him and a surprised Snape towards the back of the train ignoring his cries of "I'll get you! You'll pay you dirty mudblood!" She again wondered what the word meant, though she had figured by now that it was a rather nasty insult.
Eventually she found an empty compartment and sat down with a sigh. It felt good to sit down. Not realizing that she had closed her eyes, they flew open in surprise as her compartment door opened loudly. She was glad to see that Malfoy and Snape had not intruded into her solitude but was slightly apprehensive to see a laughing group of 4 unknown boys enter her compartment. She tried to make out their conversation but she could only understand a few words between laughs…….Malfoy…….on floor!………clutching………crying!………red……girl… Blushing Lily realized that the boys were talking about her kneeing Malfoy; she quickly cleared her throat making them jump. Through their mirth they had not yet realized she was there. She looked at the boys one by one. They were pretty cute, she thought, though now wasn't the time to be thinking of boys, she needed to worry about her classes first.
The first boy had sandy blond hair, blue eyes with a slight twinkle despite their tired appearance. The second boy was taller than the first at about 5'5 with dark brown, almost black hair and a very mischievous look in his eyes and a sideways grin on his face which she assumed hardly ever left. Next was a smaller boy, shorter than she, only about 5' but she assumed he would grow eventually with dirty blond, almost a light brown hair and pale hazel eyes, he was slightly plump but it was mostly just left over baby fat. He stared at her quizzically as if wondering what she was doing in their compartment. Finally her gaze fell upon the last boy, he was about the same height as the sandy blond haired boy, but not quite as scrawny; he had messy black hair that seemed to go in every direction and fell into his eyes in a cute kind of way. He wore thin rimmed glasses and had chocolate brown eyes with a grin matching the other dark haired boy.
She felt her anxiousness towards the boys disappear with their openly friendly smiles, so unlike the two she had met in the corridor. Smiling at the boys she said "Hi! My name is Lily Evans, care to join me?" Just then the train lurched into movement making the boys knock into each other and land in a dog pile on the floor making Lily laugh.
"OOOOF, get off me Peter!"
"I can't!"
"Why not?"
"Because both Sirius and Remus are on top of me!"
"REMUS! SIRIUS! GET OFF!" The boy with messy hair yelled, making Lily giggle even more.
Finally the pile of eleven-year-old boys was sorted out and they all got up and brushed themselves off and began to introduce themselves.
"I'm Remus Lupin" The boy with tired eyes said holding out his hand with a friendly smile. "Please to meet you!"
Lily shook his hand and smiled back at him, "I'm Peter Pettigrew" the other blond haired boy said simply and Lily nodded to him.
Next the boy with the messy black hair grinned taking Lily's hand, "I am James Potter, it's just smashing to meet you Lily!"
Lily rolled her eyes at him and looked up at the last boy as he pushed James out of the way, "I am Sirius Black my fair lady, please to be at your service" he took Lily's hand and kissed it, she blushed furiously and gave him a look that clearly said 'you're nutters!'
Lily took her hand away sharply and smiled at them all "It's nice to meet you guys too! Like I said before, I'm Lily Evans at your service" she said with a wink, "what were you guys talking about when you came in here?"
"Oh that!" James said excitedly "We were coming to find a compartment when we saw that stupid git Malfoy on the floor of his compartment clutching his um….." Lily smiled as she saw James blush, "his um, well you know! And mumbling about some getting some red haired girl back". James finished with a grin as he looked at Lily's red hair; "You wouldn't know what he was talking about now would you?" a mischievous glint appeared in his warm eyes as he spoke.
Lily blushed a shade dark enough to match her slowly drying hair, "well he wouldn't leave me alone! Said I was pretty and that I had to sit with him and glared at me like I was a piece of meat all the while calling me a 'stupid mudblood' whatever the heck that is. So I just did what any girl would have done in my position." Lily had to smile at the faces of the boys, Peter was staring at her in awe and Remus looked like he just met a new best friend while Sirius looked as if Christmas had come early. Lily looked over to James with a grin, her smile faltered as she noticed his frown and anger-clouded eyes.
"He shouldn't have called you a mudblood" James said quietly "It's a dirty, vile name that stupid blokes like him call witches or wizards who come from non-magical families. It's a dirty, foul name that should be banned." As James finished a strong strain of anger had entered his voice. "Don't worry Lily, we're your friends now and we won't let anything bad happen to you, he won't hurt you."
Lily just stared at him, she hadn't been worried about Malfoy or anyone else, looking at the others she saw them all nod in agreement, and she smiled warmly and simply said "Thank you" glad that she had already made a group of such wonderful friends. For the rest of the train ride they talked all about the Wizarding World, including an extensive explanation about Quidditch. Lily was amazed at this new world she had entered into and was looking forward to every part of it, completely forgetting about the start of her day and how horrible it had been as she slowly dried and listened to the boys, her new friends speak.
Lily couldn't keep her mouth from speaking of the glorious boat ride and her first view of Hogwarts. The boys were content to let her prattle on, amazed at the passion and fire she showed. As they were waiting in the entry hall of the school grinning and giggling, though the boys were loath to admit to giggling, two unwanted visitors paid them homage.
"I would have expected better from you two" snarled a Malfoy, "associating with a mudblood, honestly Potter and you call yourself a wizard. You too Black, I would have thought a pureblood like yourself would never dirty your hands with this riffraff"
"I suggest you take those words back unless you want your nose hexed off" James and Sirius moved closer to Lily, standing protectively on either side of her. Anger burned deep within their faces, "You are unwanted here, so go back to the rock you crawled out of" Malfoy opened his mouth quickly in anger but no words came out as a tall witch with her hair pulled back in a tight bun stepped in front of them.
"There will be no hexing today" she said, her mouth in a tight line, "Get read for the sorting ladies and gentlemen." She then opened the doors to the Grand Hall and with it came the deafening noises the other students at Hogwarts made.
"That was close" Remus whispered to James
"Yeah, close for that git, a few more seconds and I would have turned him into a ferret" replied Sirius.
Lily, who had stayed quite throughout the entire ordeal, suddenly and surprisingly threw her arms around both James and Sirius in an awkward hug. "Thank you guys so much! I…I've never had friends who would stand up for me before. I was always teased in school because I could do things the others couldn't." She smiled broadly at the boys, "I'm forever in your debt kind sirs!"
"No problem Lily! That's why we're here!" Sirius grinned cheekily.
"Yeah Lil, we'll protect you" James turned Lily so that he could look into her eyes. "We're you're friends". He smiled and pulled her into a hug. Lily had never felt so safe with a person outside of her family before. She vowed to always keep these friends close in her heart because she knew that they were precious.
A/N: Well? I know!! It's been ages and ages! But hopefully you'll like the changes I've made. Honestly I meant to restart this story a long time ago, but I got so swamped with courses that I nearly lost my mind. But I'm back and I PROMISE to keep updating! In FACT I'll probably have the second chapter up tomorrow!! I want to thank my loyal fans, wherever you may be and any new and future reviewers upfront. I really hope that you'll find all this worth it. I didn't have too much to change in this first chapter, but I know I'm going to add a ton in the next couple because they were well really short. J
Disclaimers: All characters and whatnot belong to JK Rowling and anything else you recognize.
The song is called "Got to get you into my life" by the Beatles
Before every chapter I'm going to put up song lyrics from the Beatles that I feel capture the overall mood of the chapter. I especially think this one is good for a beginning. Hehehe. I really hoped you enjoyed this, I'll update tomorrow or the next day I promise!!
