A Blueberry Muffin and a Lily
Ch1 - Beginnings.
Lily's house (day before term starts)
September the 1st has always been my favourite day of the year. Three fabulous things always happen on this day. 1- its my birthday and this year I'm turning 17. 2- it's the first day back at school and I get to see all my friends again. And 3- I get away from Petunia. We were such great friends when we were little, I don't understand why she wont accept me as a witch. It doesn't change who I am. Now that she just refuses to talk to me and any attempt on my behalf to reconcile gets yelled and large, hard objects thrown at, coming back to school is a relief. Well at least until I encounter James Potter. That, I am dreading. What is the bet that the first thing out of his mouth will be a request for me to go on a date with him. Humph. His arrogance is phenomenal. He is such a big-headed, pretentious, egotistical, womanizing prat. I seriously do not understand what other girls see in him. Or Sirius Black either. Remus is nice, he is almost the complete opposite of those two. I don't know why he hangs around with them…. And Peter, peter just creeps me out. I don't know why they hang out with him. Well maybe this time Potter grew up over the summer. Ah, wishful thinking, I say that every year.
James' house (same day)
"Padfoot mate, this is the year." Said James as he closed his trunk, finally finished packing.
"Prongs, you have said that for the past 6 years…" replied Sirius with his mouth half full of a slice of cake.
"No, this year will be different. I'll show her that I can be mature. I am going to make her realise that im not just the jerk she thinks I am but a kind, caring and mature person that she can build a relationship with."
"That was deep." Said Sirius sarcastically, polishing off his cake.
James pushed Sirius into a bookcase "Shut-up."
"James honey? Sirius dear? Are you boys ready to be dropped to Kings cross? If we leave now you will be right on time." James' mum's jovial voice floated up the stairs.
"Yeah, we'll be right down mum!" called James.
"Coming Mrs Potter!!" called Sirius.
Kings Cross 10.55am
As Lily was getting out of her parents' car, she remembered he very first time crossing to platform 9 ¾ . There had been so much to look forward to then, so much yet to happen and as she stepped through the barrier for the very last time, she felt a pang of loss. Her seventh year was finally here.
"Hi Lily!" James' eager voice filled her head. Great. Way to spoil my last time coming onto platform 9 ¾ …
"Hello Potter." Lily replied frostily as she walked off to find her friends. James looked dejected. 'What did I do wrong?' He thought. 'All I did was say hi…' Nevertheless, James jumped onto the train dragging Sirius, Remus and Peter with him looking forward to the new year.
Lily found Jess and Shahn quite easily once she was on the train. All she had to do was listen for the loudest carriage by far and they would be in it. And, just as she suspected, they were. What she didn't suspect, was to find the marauders in the same carriage. 'what did I do to deserve this…..' she muttered under her breath as she began to push open door only to find that it had already been opened for her by Potter.
"Thanks…" she said sullenly. Potter just nodded and sat down again on the other side of the room.
"LILYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!" squealed Jess and Shahn together.
"Hey guys! I missed you both so much over the holidays!!!" said Lily, now grinning widely.
"We have so much to talk about…" said Jess, and they chatted unceasingly for the rest of the train trip. The Marauders were astonished by the girls' ability to talk for so long, they just sat there and listened.
Hogwarts
The sorting feast was uneventful and quite sad for the seventh years. It was their last sorting feast and they were all lost in their memories of the past six years. Dumbledore's booming voice filling the hall brought them back to reality.
"I hope you are all looking forward to your new school year, especially our first years. Now that we have all eaten our fill," He glanced over to Sirius and James who were still eating and smiled, "I have some announcements to make. As almost all of you know, the forbidden forest is still forbidden to all students. Also, the Charms classroom on the 4th floor is undergoing some refurbishments, but should be ready for classes by next week. Professor Flitwick will post a notice in the great hall with your new classroom allocations until then. And finally, our new Head Girl is Lily Evans and our Head Boy James Potter." Applause filled the room as Lily and James stood up. Lily had been in shock ever since when, during the train ride, she had arrived at the head's compartment to find James sitting there.
As she sat down, she whispered to Jess, "I still cant believe Dumbledore gave him head boy. Has he gone insane?"
"Well Dumbledore usually knows what he's doing…." Replied Jess hesitantly, "Although I'm sure many students question his decision, me among them!"
As Lily, Jess, Shahn and the Marauders were leaving the great hall, Lily was pulled aside by a pair of stunning blue eyes. These eyes were attached to a killer smile and chiselled features.
"Hi, I'm Matt." He said in a smooth, alluring voice.
"Hi… I'm…" Lily stuttered, staring into his dreamy eyes.
"Lily" He finished for her.
"I was just wondering if you would accompany me on a date tomorrow night?" He said sliding his arm around Lily's waist as they were walking.
"Sure, I'd like that." She said smiling, having recovered her voice. He let her go and as she reached the stairs, she turned around to see him still standing there watching her, she winked and continued up the stairs.
As she reached the Gryffindor common room, she saw Jess up ahead with James and Sirius. They looked like they were planning something.
Lily walked up and said "And why aren't I being included in the plotting?"
They all looked shocked because they hadn't heard her come up behind them. James recovered first and said "Well you can if you want. We are trying to create a plan to get Shahn and Remus together." Sirius smiled evilly.
"Sirius wanted to shut them both in a broom cupboard for a few hours and see what happens… but James and I thought that it was stupid." Said jess in explanation. Sirius deflated.
"Well how about sending them notes from "each other"? We could write the notes saying how they feel and then give it to the other one." Suggested Lily.
"Well great! But I have something to add." Said James, "How about, so that its more real, Sirius and I will talk to Remus about how he feels about Shahn and then like, ask him what he would say to her if he wasn't so shy and then copy it down in the note and you do the same to Shahn?"
"Yeah! That's fab! How about we start tomorrow night?" Said jess.
"Yeah, we can meet in our Head's dorm afterwards so that we can discuss it." Put in James.
"I cant do tomorrow night…" Murmured Lily.
"And why not little miss? I know for a fact that you have no homework or conflicting head girl's duties tomorrow night." Stated jess.
"Well as a matter of a fact, I have a date." Said Lily defensively
Jess looked shocked. "The first day back and you already have a date. This just isn't fair. Well…" Said jess expectantly.
"What?"
"Whos the lucky guy???" Said Jess as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Matt Johnson, that Ravenclaw 7th year with those gorgeous blue eyes…." Said Lily dreamily, thinking back to the episode in the great hall.
"Oh, he's HOT. Nice pick Lils!" Said Jess appreciatively. James was looking decidedly uncomfortable and motioned to Sirius to leave.
"We are gonna head off. Maybe take a walk to the kitchens, I didn't eat much at dinner…" Said Sirius as he and James walked off. James' head was down and he looked dejected.
"Whats up with him?" Muttered Lily naively.
"You know full well why he's acting like that. He does it every time you go on a date with a guy." Said Jess
"No he doesn't…" Lily said uselessly.
"Yes he does and its because he loves you Lily. He's actually a really nice guy as is Sirius. You only see in him what you want to. Didn't you notice that there was no start of year prank at the feast? Or that he hasn't asked you out once? Just because he was a jerk in the past doesn't mean that he is still one." Jess was getting angrier the more she said and so was Lily.
"Stop defending Potter. He wont change, he hasn't. He has had six years to change and he has stayed the same the entire time." Lily said then stormed off towards the Head's dorm. Jess sighed and went through the portrait hole. It was going to be a long year.
The whole walk to the kitchens James was silent. Sirius had neve seen him so down.
"Prongs mate, you've had this happen to you heaps of times but you've never been so upset about it. Whats up mate?" Sirius said quietly.
"I'm starting to think that I may never get her. She is the most popular, beautiful and most wanted girl in the school. There are plenty of guys out there that she doesn't hate that she could be with, so why would she choose me when, after all, she hates me." James sighed, "I have run out of ideas. She didn't notice anything had changed about me. Didn't even notice that we refrained from pulling a start of the year prank."
"What have you done with James you alien creature!? Mate! You have always been the one who never gave up, who never quit and never took no for an answer. Its only the first day! You have a whole year to convince her how fabulous you really are. As you say yourself, no one can stand up to the Potter charm for long."
"Thanks Padfoot, I really appreciate it. You're right, I will get her to realise that I have changed even if it takes five years." James said resolutely, proceeding to tickle the pear and order some pumpkin soup and bread for himself and a blueberry muffin and a lily to take up to the head's dorm to give to Lily. Blueberry muffins had been her favourite food since she was 5 years old when she had her first one.
"I shall see you tomorrow Padfoot. Wish me luck!" James said as he walked out of the kitchens carrying a tray of food.
"mmph, good luck mate!" Sirius said with his mouth full of vegetable pastie.
Lily was sitting on the couch in the Head's common room when James pushed through the portrait hole carrying a blueberry muffin and a lily on a tray. He had stopped on the way to eat his soup and bread. He placed it carefully onto the table and Lily didn't look up. James sighed inwardly and walked off to his room to get his books ready for school and get ready for bed.
After James had left, Lily looked up and was pleasantly surprised to find the muffin, lily and a note. It read:
Dear Lily,
I hope you enjoy your muffin, I know blueberry is your favourite. I hope you have a fab last year at Hogwarts and have a great time being Head Girl.
Love James.
Lily was shocked at the random act of kindness and thought back to Jess' words earlier that night. You only see in him what you want to. 'No, James doesn't change, he's just jealous that I have a hot date tomorrow night that isn't him… Did I just admit that he was hot?! What did he put in this muffin… I should go to bed now. This is a great muffin…' She thought as she walked into her room.
