The End of the Beginning

Chapter One: The Fresh start

"Lily," she heard a familiar voice form the opposite end of the platform. "Lily! Over here!"

She turned to see her best friend, Olivia Lennon hollering in the distance. She ran up to her much to the disgruntlement of Broccoli, her tabby cat.

"How was your summer?" asked Lily.

"You try spending two months in Russia with five brothers and see how you like it," was the only reply she got from Olivia. "But your holiday must have been much worse."

"I was awful. Eight weeks of Petunia going "White Lilies, no, red roses, no white lilies…" It was enough to drive anyone insane."

"What did she choose on the end?" queried Olivia.

"Red roses. I think the Lilies reminded her of me a bit too much."

Olivia laughed her loveable, but slightly annoying laugh. Lily had missed it. She had been away from her friends for far too long. So long that she was willing to put up with their annoying habits.

Suddenly they both heard a noise. They turned to see a small red-headed girl, crumpled up with her suitcase on top of her. They both recognised her immediately as Annie, their best frined.

"Should we go and help her?" asked Olivia, giggling.

""It would probably be mean not to," answered Lily as they walked over to Annie.

"I can't believe it! Term hasn't even started and I have already managed to make a fool of myself!"

Annie was an incredibly well meaning if occasionally (alright, often) clumsy girl. All her friends would say that she was confident, except for around one person.

"Duck, Annie. Remus is coming," said Olivia.

"Where?" replied Annie, diving behind her suitcase.

"I was joking," reassured Olivia.

Yes, Andromeda Black was confident except for around Remus Lupin.

"Annie, this year's your last chance to ask Remus out, you know," said Lily.

"I know, I know," said Annie absent mindedly. This conversation had been repeated so many times that nobody really paid any attention to what was being said anymore.

Annie had liked Remus since fourth year and now that they were beginning seventh year, this really washer last chance to ask him out,

"Promise you'll ask him out this year?" asked Lily.

""Promise," nodded Annie.

"Before Christmas?"

Annie hesitated. "Before Christmas."

"Ow," said Lily as she felt a book drop on her head. "Where did that come from?"

Suddenly Sirius Black apparated in the middle of the three girls. "Did I scare ya?" he asked playfully.

"No, not in particular," said Olivia.

"And how is my favourite, little cousin?" Sirius addressed Annie in a mocking voice.

"Sirius, you cannot use the fact that I was born two months after you as an insult forever," she retorted.

"I think you'll find I can, Andromeda,"

"Oh no you don't. I have told you a thousand times. Never call me Andromeda!"

Sirius and Annie, who, despite the fact that they were both members of one of the most well renowned muggle hating families in England, got on pretty well, especially as they were both black sheep. Sirius hadn't been home for over a year and was semi-permanently living with James while Annie was hanging on by a thread; were deep in a heated argument when Lily sighed, "Oh no, here comes trouble," as she saw James Potter walking down the platform to join Sirius.

"Hey, Evans. Good summer?" he asked Lily.

"What's it to you, Potter,"

""Nothing, nothing, just asking," he replied, looking slightly hurt. His frown broke into a grin as Remus apparated next to him.

"Hi Moony, how was your summer?" asked James.

"Well, the couple of weeks I spent at your house, James, were great. But then my mother got sick and I had to go home and tend to her," he replied.

"Oh yeah, you said," said Sirius.

"And how's your furry little problem?" asked James.

"Same as always," Remus answered.

Just at that moment Peter Pettigrew came through the barrier and the three marauders went to join him.

"OK Annie, you can breathe now," said Olivia playfully.

"Very funny," said Annie sarcastically.

"So, Lil, does James still drive you crazy or have you decided to actually see his good side yet?" asked Olivia.

"Most definitely," confirmed Lily.

"You know James," began Olivia, "What does he mean by Remus' "furry, little problem"?"

"I think he owns a badly behaved bunny rabbit," stated Annie.

"Maybe, but I think it's something much more sinister and I am going to find out what," said Olivia.

"Well, if it's a secret, he probably doesn't want anyone to find out," said Lily, worried; she hated Olivia's weird schemes and plans. The end result was almost always a broken leg.

"Well, anyway, on to more pressing matters. Who do you think is head boy?" asked Annie excitedly.

"I don't know," said Lily truthfully although she did kind of hope that it was that really handsome Hufflepuff, Gilderoy Lockhart.

"Could be Remus," suggested Annie.

"God, you really do have a one track mind, don't you?" said Olivia.

"It could be Remus," said Lily, thinking how funny it would be if it was Remus; Annie would be so jealous.

"Well, it won't be Sirius, Peter or James. It could be Roy though," added Olivia as an afterthought.

"Yeah, Gilderoy Lockhart is a definite possibility," agreed Lily. "But we'd better get going. The train's about to leave."

Lily ran to the prefects' carriage and took a seat, pinning her head girl badge to her jumper.

0000

Olivia and Annie sat down in the marauders' carriage, but they noticed that one was missing.

"Where's James?" asked Annie.

"You'll see," replied Sirius, tapping his nose knowingly.

0000

James walked into the prefects' carriage.

"What are you doing in here? You're not a prefect," snapped Lily.

"I know," grinned James, "But I am head boy

"You have got to be kidding," retorted Lily. "Dumbledore would never make you head boy."

"Come on, Evans. You know that deep down you're glad that we're heads together," replied James smugly.

"Shut up Potter," snapped Lily.

Just then McGonagall entered the carriage.

"Settle down, settle down everybody. Let's start the prefects meeting."

0000

Twenty minutes later and Olivia and Annie were still debating the whereabouts of James.

"Well he can't be with Remus because he's at the prefects meeting. He's probably in the dining cart," suggested Olivia.

"Unless…" began Annie.

"Unless what?"

"Unless he's been made head boy,"

Olivia tried, and failed to keep a straight face. She burst out laughing.

"You might be on to something there," said peter meekly.

"You mean James has been made head boy? Are you serious?" asked Olivia, disbelievingly.

"No, I'm Sirius," interrupted Sirius.

"Like we haven't heard that one before," said Annie. "But really, James head boy. I don't believe it. And by the looks of it, Lily isn't too happy about it either."

The arguing couple came barging into the carriage.

"I can't believe Dumbledore made you of all people head boy. Why would he do that?"

"I don't know, maybe because, I get good grades; I'm good at Quidditch and unlike you I don't think I'm better that everyone else." James retorted.

"Ooh, that's rich, coming from you. For one thing, I don't think I'm better that everyone else. I just think I'm better that you. Secondly, I don't walk around like I own the place, hexing everyone who gets in my way just because I'm some sort of… of… Quidditch god," she raged.

"So you admit I'm a god?" smirked James.

Lily let out a sound of fury and exasperation before settling down to take a seat. She took out her tabby cat, still glaring at James and began to play with it. It suddenly hissed, scratched her and ran off to the other end of the carriage.

"I swear that cat hates me. It never does what I ask it to," Lily sighed.

"That's because you named it Broccoli. It resents you," said Annie simply.

"I mean, Broccoli, what kind of a name is that?" joked Olivia.

Lily laughed. She needed some cheering up after the shock and annoyance of discovering that James was sharing the position of head with her. She could just tell that he was going to do everything in his power to ruin it for her and she was not planning on letting him.