June 1976

"Thank god that's over," Audrie groaned. "I swear, if I had to spend one more second in that boiling room with Slughorn hovering over my shoulder, I was going to lose my shit on someone." She tossed her bag carelessly to the ground and leaned against a nearby tree. The bright summer sun sat high in the sky, casting its rays across the surface of the lake, and causing the group of girls to shield their eyes. A few other students were already stripping free of their socks and shoes to dive into the cool water. The area outside was calm and relaxed, as if the entire school had let out a deep breath.

"I really hope I did well. I need to pass these exams." Alice cautiously sat on top of her bag with her chin in her hands, so as not to dirty her neat uniform skirt. Her pout made the dimple on her chin stand out. "If I don't, I won't make it into the Auror program. Frank would be crushed."

"Of course you did well, Alice. You always do well." Audrie pulled her hair out of the bun and let it fall loosely over her shoulders.

"Not true. I failed my Potions exam in fourth year. It was dreadful."

Audrie rolled her eyes. "Oh c'mon, an A is not failing." Alice's pout deepened.

"How about you? Did you study?" Lily asked, drawing attention away from Alice. Audrie just laughed and kicked one shoe off. "Well, did you fail?"

"Most likely." The other.

"Oh please, Aud, you never fail. Me, on the other hand, I definitely failed," Marlene grumbled sadly. Audrie again rolled her eyes, and skipped a stone across the lake.

"Nah you didn't."

"I did! I failed terribly. I failed so bad I might as well just not come back next year. That's it, I'm dropping out of school. I am dropping out," she whined. Her voice jumped about 3 octaves. Lily called it her "stress voice". Audrie called it "Shut up, Mar. You're making my ears bleed."

Marlene desperately grabbed a stone from Audrie and hurled it into the lake. She plopped down beside Alice, who gave her a pitiful look.

"Don't be extreme, Marlene."

"I'm not, I swear! I genuinely think I got every question wrong. I won't move on to 6th year. I'll be held back. Or maybe they'll just make it easy on me and expel me first."

Alice rubbed her arm in an effort to comfort her but Marlene was having none of it. She shrugged her off and laid down in the grass, rubbing her temples.

"Look, Mar, the way I see it, is that even if you did utterly bomb it, what's the worst that can happen? We've still got 2 more years to make it up, so why stress? Personally, I'm just glad they're over with so that we can go to Theo Darby's party tonight. Apparently he's getting his brother to pop into Hogsmeade and bring us the real stuff." Audrie threw a few more stones in before wiping her hands and turning back to her friends. They stared at her completely bewildered. Marlene had actual tears in her eyes. "What? Do you not know what the real stuff is? Okay, you remember last year when Charlie Podge was found wandering around the castle with a toothbrush up his –"

"Okay, enough of that. Alice, are you going with Frank to his summer home this year? I wanted to have you guys over for a bit during break. Alice?" Lily asked, but her friend was focused on something unfolding on the hill behind them.

Lily followed her friend's glare up to a group of boys. The smile melted off her face. She could feel it growing hot as she observed the scene.

A lanky, dark-haired boy was dangling upside down in the air, and two others were standing with their wands pointed at him, laughing. They actually had the nerve to stand there and laugh at his torment. The floating boy desperately flailed his arms and legs, trying to grab hold of something to pull himself down. Even from her position, Lily could see the fear on his face.

Before she even knew it, she was halfway up the hill toward them. She could vaguely sense the girls following, trying to pull her back.

"What the hell is going on?!"

James Potter spun about and spotted her charging towards him. That sly smile that made her want to punch him in the throat appeared across his face. It only aggravated her more.

"Well, hello, Lils? Lovely day, isn't it?"

"You arrogant ass. What has he ever done to you?"

"Well, since you asked, it all started one cloudy Sunday morning. I was on my way back from the Ravenclaw Dormitories because, well, that's a story for another time…." Sirius snickered behind him. Lily's blood boiled. In a flash, she yanked out her wand and pointed it at James' chest. His brilliant grin dimmed a little.

"Oh, bad luck, Prongs. See you on the other side," Sirius said. He dropped his wand to his side and backed away slowly.

By this time, a small crowd had gathered around them. She could feel the tension as everyone waited for the inevitable explosion.

"C'mon now, Evans. We wouldn't want you to do anything you'll regret later," James said nervously.

"Let. Him. Down. Now."

"Lily dear, you're making a scene." She only stepped closer, so that the tip of her wand was now pressed against his rumpled white uniform shirt. James was smart enough not to step back. His loss of focus on the spell he was currently performing caused Severus to spin violently, smacking into a nearby tree. Someone giggled in the crowd, but it quickly turned into a hacking cough.

"Get him down. Now, Potter!"

"Alright, alright. But back up, you're stabbing me." Lily hesitantly stepped back, removing her wand from his chest, but not lowering it. James flicked his own, and Severus fell to the ground with a thud that made everyone watching collectively wince. James gave her a disgusted look and turned to retreat.

Later, when questioned, students would say that it had happened so fast, it was almost impossible. One moment, Potter and Black were trudging confidently away, and the next…

There was a flash of light. Before anyone could even gasp, James had a long deep gash on the side of his head. Sirius had his wand on Snape, backing him up towards the tree behind them. The air around everyone changed, became sharp and uncomfortable. A few students seemed to realize something bigger was going on here then just some harmless prank. They stepped back a little, but it didn't matter, because the crowd had swelled to such a size that it could be seen from the Astronomy Tower.

"Leave him alone!" Lily yelled, again pointing her wand at her two house-mates. The collective anger of the spot was almost palpable. James was breathing hard, as the blood from Snape's hex stained his shirt. Sirius flicked his eyes between the two of them, searching for an answer. Snape gritted his teeth and waited. Everyone waited. Nobody moved. Nobody spoke. Everyone just waited. By now it was a contest of who would be faster. Lily killing Sirius, Sirius hexing Snape, Snape cursing James, or James growing up.

Something inside him relaxed, and James took a step back from the cornered boy. Sirius warily retreated too, but he didn't lower his wand.

"You're lucky Evans was here, Snivellus."

Years later, Lily would reflect on this 5th year fight. She would realize that maybe, just maybe she should have seen this coming. With the way things had been between her and Severus the previous months, she should have expected it. But she didn't. Nobody did. Everyone looked just as shocked as her when he spoke.

"I don't need help from filthy little Mudbloods like her!"

Lily's heart snapped. She swore everyone could hear it. It just exploded, as easily as squashing a grape. She suddenly became terribly aware of their situation at that moment, but Lily found it hard to turn away. She didn't move, or blink or breathe. She just stood there, watching him, everyone watching her. She was numb. Lily wiggled her toes a bit just to make sure she was still alive.

Mudbloods like her.

James was the first to react. He grabbed Snape by the front of his shirt. "Apologize to Evans!"

She turned at the sound, and her anger took over, remembering just who had gotten her into this in the first place. "Just shut up, won't you! You're just as bad as he is!"

James looked shocked. "What? I would never call you a… you know… that. Never!"

Mudbloods like her.

"You've got to be joking! You're so arrogant that you don't even realize it! You walk around this place thinking that everybody loves you and you can do whatever you want! You make me sick! You… you just…." That was it. Something inside her had been switched off. It was like all her energy had been sucked out. She couldn't even be angry with him anymore.

Lily just turned, and took off. She didn't care if anyone followed her. She didn't care if she died right then. She probably wouldn't have even cared if the entire world just up and exploded right that second.

Mudblood. Mudblood.

Before she knew it, she was in her dorm. She was breathing hard and her legs felt like rubber. She dropped to the floor and pulled her knees to her chest and tried to collect her thoughts. It was like swimming in the dark.

Mudblood.

Audrie was the first to get there. She launched herself at Lily pulling her into a back-breaking hug. The other girls swarmed around her, saying things like "Are you okay?" and "I'm so sorry," and "I never thought he would". Eventually they fell silent and just sat there, on the floor of their dorm room, enjoying each other's warm comfort.

Mudblood.

They didn't go to Theo Darby's party that night.

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September 1st, 1976

It was the silence that woke her. When she did, she discovered the reason for the silence, which was mostly to do with the loneliness. She couldn't remember falling asleep, and she definitely didn't remember them leaving, so you can understand her confusion. Lily stood carefully, steadying herself for the instability that was to come from taking a nap on a moving train. She rubbed her temples in an attempt to banish the pounding in her head before sliding open the door and sticking it out into the surprisingly cold hallway. Where the hell is everyone?

This side of the train was fairly dark. Lily could just barely make out some hills through the rain-streaked windows. She was vaguely aware of a faint light far up the hall. Warily, she began to move towards it. She passed a couple of compartments filled with nervous first years, 2 with couples doing things that definitely shouldn't be done that close to 11 year olds, and one with an older woman all alone. Not that she payed much attention to them. As she neared the front of the train, Lily became very aware of the bridge the train was currently traveling over, and just how high up they were, and just how unstable this bridge actually was. She felt herself leaning towards the window involuntarily. With wide eyes, she watched the ground move past unnaturally fast. Then, a dark shape, just as unnaturally fast, passed and was gone. Just a tree. The hall was deadly silent and empty. Or a dog. Lily felt her knees soften and she stumbled with the jolt of the train.

"Evans?" Speaking of dogs. She turned towards the figure behind her, and her headache only increased. He stood there, nonchalantly leaning against the frame of the door. His height prevented him from standing up straight, but his hair was so messy it touched the top anyway. The glasses around his eyes were thick and boxy. His thin build allowed Lily to see past him into the comfortably lit compartment. The warmth returned to her cheeks when she saw how full it was. Determined not to let him see the relief in her eyes, she lifted her chin, let out a huffy "James," and pushed her way around him.

"Oh, good you're awake," Marlene sighed. She was laying across the seats, with her mile-long legs in the lap of another tall, dark-haired boy. Her round sunglasses were pushed up onto her head, a sure sign she was deep in thought. "I was trying to teach these guys how to play poker, but I seem to have forgotten all the rules."

"How long was I asleep?" Lily took her seat next to little Pete, although she hardly had the right to call him that anymore, as he was almost her height. He smiled at her, and offered some of his beloved caramel corn, which she graciously accepted.

Marlene shrugged. "Not that long, but long enough that Alice and Aud got bored waiting for you to wake up. Now is a flush worth more than a pair?"

"Marlene, you need cards to play poker."

"Yeah, you're probably right."

Lily was grateful that James had sat next to Sirius instead of trying her patience with the empty seat beside her, but she was a little less grateful for the awkward silence that followed. She tried forming the right words, but even his presence made her uncomfortable. Not that she hadn't forgiven him, because of course she had. It was practically impossible to stay angry at him for long, what with his incessant apology letters. But she couldn't forget. Every time she saw his face, the memory resurfaced, and the pain that came with it. Mudblood.

Sirius tried to make polite conversation by asking about her summer, to which she grumpily reminded him that they'd seen each other only 2 weeks prior. Peter became even more jittery in the empty moments. Marlene hummed something that sounded awfully like 'Amazing Grace' to fill the space. Lily could feel James' eyes on her, guilty and hurt. The only thing that saved them was Remus' stomach. He yanked open the door, making them all jump.

"Trolley lady, 4 over." His doey eyes were wide with excitement, and he was practically drooling, but Lily couldn't seem to get over how much bigger his dad's tweed jacket looked on him now.

James and Sirius couldn't get out of there fast enough. In their rush, they misplaced Peter, leaving him inside with the girls. He let out a whiny "Guys!" and went trotting after them. Lily released the breath she'd been holding. She could feel all her muscles relaxing. Marlene looked concerned, a rather foreign look for her. She opened her mouth, no doubt to question her friend's strange behavior, but she was cut off by Sirius sticking his shaggy head back through the door.

"Sorry, did you guys want anything?"

"Yeah, actually. Could you get me a chocolate -" Lily started, but his bark-like laughter stopped her.

"Lils," he said, shaking his head. "I was just being polite. If you want anything, you can get it yourself."

"Oh well aren't you a treat this morning," she replied, sticking her tongue out. Sirius fake bowed and was gone. "Ugh, can you believe him?'

"Yeah, uh huh, so what's your problem?" Marlene leaned forward, putting her chin in her hands, her perfectly shaped brows furrowed.

Lily leaned back, folding her arms. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh c'mon. I thought you and James were friends now," Marlene said, rolling her eyes. Lily scoffed and turned her intense gaze out the window. "Oh, don't give me that. I really thought you'd be over it by now."

"Over it? You've got to me kidding me."

"You can't blame him. It's not like he was the one who called you a…. a you-know-what." Marlene tried to take Lily's hand, but she yanked it away.

"He might as well have! It was his fault that Sev was in the situation in the first place! If James had been able to stop acting like a child for 7 seconds and actually paused to think about what he was doing, it never would've happened. So yeah, I blame him." When she finished, Lily was slightly out of breath and very flushed. It took her a moment to realize how tightly she was gripping the seat.

"Of course, Lils, but honestly if it hadn't happened then, it was bound to -"

"Marlene! Just…. please just drop it. You're not my bloody therapist," she fumed, grumbling the last bit under her breath.

Marlene looked a little shocked but not hurt. She had a thicker skin than that. She sat back against the seat. Both girls stayed silent, but Lily could practically see Marlene counting down the seconds until it would be appropriate to ask her next invasive question.

"Have you seen him?"

Lily sighed. Of course she had. It was only her instinct to look for him on the first day, just as she always had. She tried to fight it, but she found herself scanning the crowds for a skinny, sad boy, and it happened to be rather rare for Lily to fail.

She spotted him about 30 feet down the track, sitting all alone on a bench. It was obvious that he was searching for her too, because his eyes were up and alert, rather than glued to the ground like they usually were. Their gazes met and Lily's breath caught in her throat. He looked like a disaster. His eyes were sunken and hidden behind deep bags. He looked nervous, pulling at his green and silver tie as though it were strangling him. His complexion was disturbingly white, a fact which concerned Lily. If she was being honest with herself, everything about him concerned her and she couldn't help but feel guilty for doing this to him. But honesty was not in the cards that day.

Lily peeled her eyes away and quickly dismissed her pity. He deserves it. For what he did to you, he deserves all of it. She would repeat these words rather often in the coming weeks, until they became just that; words. Meaningless. Monotonous. She felt herself fitting into the lie as easily as a new pair of shoes, and lying to Marlene was only breaking them in.

"No."

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"James, wait!" Despite his lengthy legs, Sirius couldn't even attempt to match the speed of his distressed best friend. He'd passed Peter a while ago who had stopped to comment on Dorcas Meadows' latest hair color, which put him in third place. Remus was nipping at James' heels, no pun intended, but he was more concerned about the aching in his stomach than the aching in his friend's heart. Sirius struggled to catch up but he only succeeded when the others had finally reached their destination.

"Hello, boys," the friendly trolley lady beamed. Her cart was fully stocked with an abundance of different sweets and pastries. Remus practically drooled over the Canary Cream he'd immediately snatched from it. "Had a nice summer I hope?"

"It was, Nancy, thank you. And yours?" James made a show of plucking a flower from Thomas Vane's bouquet as he walked by, and handing it to the elderly woman. She giggled.

"Very lovely. My daughter came to visit with her fiance." It was clear Nancy was so delighted just to have someone talk to her. Sirius felt a rush of affection for her, and James, for the hand he had in making her so happy.

Remus was bouncing on his toes, waiting for an opportunity to pay for the candies. Peter finally made it to the cart, smiling and slightly out of breath. He took to chatting with the old woman, giving Sirius the chance to pull his other two friends into an empty car.

As soon as they were alone, James' perfectly false smile faded, and he slumped onto the green bench, deciding on playing with a tear in the stitching. Remus seemed completely unaware of the situation, but then again he was completely enamored with the Licorice Wand he'd just bought.

"What the hell is going on?" Sirius asked, pulling the door shut.

"I don't know. I've honestly tried everything."

"Well, did she at least respond to your letters?"

"Once. To tell me to stop sending them." James looked up with heartbroken hazel eyes. He was so distraught over this one girl, he so desperately wanted her back in his life, he longed for the progress they'd made before everything went to shit. It felt like a knife in Sirius' chest.

He let out an exasperated breath and sat down next to James, who leaned back and became fixated on a stain on the ceiling. He swallowed painfully and his Adam's Apple bobbed sharply. Sirius mimicked a fish, opening and closing his mouth as he tried to form the right comforting words. Instead, he went with a firm shoulder pat.

"Yeah, I'm not great at the advice. Lupin?"

Remus looked up from his feast like a deer caught in headlights, before clearing his throat and putting down the candy. He adjusted his tie, falling into a cool and composed state. "Lily is….." He waved his hands, struggling to find the right words.

"Unreasonable?" Sirius offered.

"Right?" James moaned.

"Stubborn," Remus settled. "She's hurting, because of everything that happened. She lost a close friend. But that was his fault, not yours."

"Ah, that's where you're wrong, Moony my friend. It was my fault," James joked weakly. He put up a good defense, but it was his eyes that gave him away, showing just how truly that statement rung. Remus took a deep breath before launching into his next point.

"Although that may be, this is Lily we're talking about, okay? Lily. She's our friend, one of the best. There's no way she can hate you forever."

"She seems pretty dead set on it."

"She won't. It's not in her nature."

"Right," Sirius threw in. "I mean, how many times has Marlene said something super insensitive and Lily got angry. She just needs to cool off, and then everything will be back to normal."

"She's had all summer to cool off," James whispered. Silence fell over the three as realization set in. She might never forgive him. That was a terrifying thought enough without even touching her feelings toward the rest of them, and although nobody spoke, they all arrived at the same conclusion; for better or worse, things would never be the same.

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Gabriel Baker was an asshole. He was impulsive and stubborn and at the moment, halfway through getting Audrie's shirt over her head. The car they had ended up in was cramped, but neither minded. How they had ended up there was a bit of a mystery. Somewhere between arguing about Quidditch and more arguing about Quidditch, Gabriel had feverishly pressed his mouth to hers and somehow they ended up here. In the back of her mind, Audrie knew there were a million other things she should be doing, better things, things that wouldn't end as badly as this would. But he was so warm. And sweet. And this was so harmless…..right?

The feeble amount of light allowed by the tiny window did not do wonders for Gabriel's appearance but he was still positively gorgeous. Audrie just couldn't help but be drawn to him. He was the epitome of any girl's dream boyfriend. He was smart and charming and a heavenly kisser, everything except her boyfriend. Gabriel didn't like labels. He liked it to be easy going and free flowing, a lot like himself.

They had been in that compartment for probably a while, the amount of time, Audrie had no idea. And it was perfect. Perfect, right up until the piercing sound of a train whistle filled the room. Gabriel jumped back as though he had been burned and hit his head on the wall with a sharp crack.

"Shit," he groaned, massaging the back of his head.

"Shit," she said, quickly pulling her shirt over hers. She could feel the train slowly coming to a halt. They had arrived. The hallway outside began to fill up with students, all trying to escape toward the doors. Some peered in on them with wide eyes and open mouths. In one fluid motion, Audrie flipped them off and yanked down the blinds.

"Shit, shit, shit," she repeated and sloppily threw her robes on over top of her clothes. Gabriel gathered himself to his feet, and with a frustrating lack of speed, began to get dressed as well.

"Jeez, Aud, what's the big hurry? They won't leave with us still on." Gabriel fumbled with his tie.

"Oh lord, will you just let me do that!" She grabbed his tie and pulled him down to her level, leaving him completely hunched over. He grinned. "Oh shut up. If you must know, I promised my sister I would meet her before she got on the boat. She's really freaking out about the sorting."

"Why? All the houses are great."

"Don't ask me. I guess she's just worried about not having any friends in her house or something."

"Don't worry. I promise to take care of her if she ends up in Ravenclaw."

"How smart do you think she is? She's my sister, remember. Now hurry up or you'll be all alone in a carriage." With that, she yanked open the door and disappeared into the mass of students.

When Audrie had finally pushed her way out of the train, the platform was filled to the brim, younger kids looking like they were about to hurl, older ones casually chatting up their friends on the way to their rides. But all heads popped up when a low, thundering voice echoed through the platform.

"First years! First years this way!"

A large mob of 11 year olds hurried towards the man. Audrie frantically scanned the area. She pretended not to notice when Gabriel appeared beside her, still adjusting his robes.

"Do you see her?"

She stayed silent, too focused on her search.

"Aud?" he repeated, coming around from behind her to meet her worried eyes.

"Go get a carriage before they all leave. I'll meet you up there," she replied flippantly.

"I'll save one for you."

"Just go." She waved him off. Gabriel hesitantly started off toward the carriages. The large man boomed again and the kids around his feet winced at the noise.

The platform began to clear up, students heading for carriages or boats. And out of the corner of her eye, she spied a small, nervous – looking girl standing at a wall and gratefully breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hey kid, I told you I'd find you." The girl jumped a little. She grabbed her older sister's hand and yanked her closer.

"What took you so long? I've been standing here for like 20 minutes!"

"Oh, stop it. You were not. Okay, so listen, when you get in there, Grant and I are gonna be at the table all the way to the right, okay?"

"Yeah, that's Gryffindor, I know."

"And then the twins are two tables away from us," Audrie said, gesturing with her hands.

"Mmhmm…"

"Kenny? You okay?"

"What if I don't get Gryffindor?" Kendall reeked of tension. Her tiny hands were tucked into fists. The neat braids Audrie had done this morning were messy, a sure sign she'd been pulling at them.

Audrie sighed. "We've been over this. Don't worry, you will."

"But what if I don't?"

The older witch leaned down and took her sister by the shoulders. Kendall stared up at her with worried brown eyes. "It doesn't matter to me. And it doesn't matter to mom and dad, okay? It's not like we're gonna love you any less. The hat is going to put you wherever you are going to do your best, where you belong. Whether or not that's with Gryffindor, you're going to be okay."

"But if I'm not in Gryffindor, I won't ever see you and-"

"You'll still see me all the time. You can't get rid of me that easily." Audrie ruffled her sister's hair and said, "You'd better get going. They're waiting for you. I'll see you in there."

The younger girl took a shaky breath. Her sister gave her a comforting smile and a small nudge toward the boats. Audrie waited until she was safely pushed off into the water, before turning back toward the single horseless carriage waiting for her.

"Awwww that was sweet," Gabriel mocked, holding the door open.

"Shut your mouth, Baker." She made a face at him.

"What? I'm just saying." She rolled her eyes and climbed into the waiting carriage. Gabriel grinned and followed.

"Round two?"

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"Are you absolutely certain I will go to Azkaban for murdering Daisy Ashwood?"

"Yes, Lily."

"At this point, I'm willing to risk it."

Remus had to hide his snicker behind his hand in order to avoid a death glare from Ashwood herself. The two were miserable at the moment, stuck in a seemingly year-long prefect meeting, with only each other to keep them from suicide. Frank Longbottom had just finished discussing the importance of being a role model while Ashwood fiddled with her shirt in an effort to make him notice her breasts. He didn't.

He was too interested in the charming blonde that had just popped into the room. She smiled and gave a little wave before taking the open seat on the other side of Lily.

"Hello, Alice," Remus chuckled. "Come to stake your claim?"

"Afternoon, Remus. And no, I haven't," Alice smiled, before turning her piercing gaze to her target. "He's already mine." Frank's grin visibly broadened and Daisy's frown visibly deepened as she winked at her boyfriend. "I'm simply here to defend him."

"I think that'll be all for now, guys. Have a great first day." The other prefects rose to leave and Frank came over to greet her. "Hi Al," he said, kissing her on the cheek. By this time, it was only the four of them left in the car, plus a very irritable Daisy Ashwood, who was unsure of what to do at this point. She decided on aggressively putting on her robes and leaving.

"Oh Daisy, dear," Alice called out sweetly. "Could you close the door on your way out?" Daisy narrowed her eyes, obviously determined to say something nasty, but a dangerous look from Alice made her think better of it, and she obeyed. "Thank god she's gone. Honestly, I don't know how she got Head Girl in the first place. Everyone knows she's a total stoner."

"Alice…." Frank warned.

"What? It's true."

"That doesn't mean it's nice!"

"Oh right, I forgot. You have to be all goody-goody now that you're Head Boy," she said, rolling her eyes, but she couldn't conceal her pride as she fingered his shiny badge. "You were a lot more fun before, not going to lie."

"I love you too."

Remus gagged. Lily giggled. Frank slipped his hand into his girlfriend's, and led the group out of the train. He and Alice walked ahead, speaking softly, and every once and awhile, she would laugh her little bell-like laugh. Remus and Lily followed along behind them.

"Hey, Lils?"

"If you're going to ask me to forgive James, I'm begging you not to."

"I wasn't. I know you have your reasons, and I respect them."

Lily turned to face him a little surprised. Well that's a first. She smiled at him and they continued on toward the carriages in a comfortable silence.

"So, how is your mum feeling?" Lily inquired. He gave her a confused look. "Well, you came late to Audrie's because she was sick, and I was just wondering if she was feeling any better."

His ears turned a bit pink before he answered quietly, "Yeah, she is, thanks." She smiled, meaning to ask him more, but something out of the corner of her eye made Lily stop in her tracks.

It was large, but thin as rails and black as death. It had a long, gaunt face and hollow eyes. The only things giving it any size at all were the enormous wings folded onto its back. Vaguely resembling a horse, it barely moved, just waiting patiently in front of the carriage Frank and Alice were now stepping into.

"Wait, no!" Lily yelled, grabbing the back of her friend's shirt and pulling Alice to the ground. "Frank get away from there! Get away from it!" He jumped back in surprise, immediately coming to Alice's aid and helping her to her feet.

"Lily, what is it? What's wrong?" Remus had a firm hold of her shoulders, but that didn't stop them from shaking. His concerned brown eyes bore into her confused ones.

"What are you talking about? That thing, right there! It was going to attack them!"

"Lily, what are you talking about? What thing?" He was looking all around, poised to defend her from invisible monsters. By this point, other students had stopped leaving for the castle and started coming over to see if she was alright.

"Okay, move along everyone! This is none of your business," Alice yelled, shooing away the nosy children. She placed a careful hand on Lily's arm, shielding her from their preying eyes. "Lily, there's nothing there. Pull yourself together."

"Is this a panic attack? Whats happening?" Frank had gathered around them all, with the bag Lily had dropped in hand.

"No, this isn't a - How can you not see it? Its right there! And its huge."

"Oh, Frank, I told you Fletcher spiked the juice. She was chugging it like crazy during the meeting."

"Maybe she's sick. It would explain her nap earlier on the train."
"An illness that makes her hallucinate? I'd think that we'd have seen signs this morning."

"Will you all please stop talking about me as though I'm not standing right here!" Lily took a frantic look towards the still immobile carriage. The beast, the thing, whatever it was, was still waiting for them. It hadn't moved a muscle. She took a careful step towards it. It turned to look at her, but she couldn't see anything inside the empty holes in its face. The others boarded the coach, gesturing for her to join them. She did, warily. The thing didn't seem dangerous, or even particularly unfriendly, but that didn't stop Lily from keeping careful watch over it the entire trip up to the castle.

AN: That was the first chapter of my fanfiction Fully Grown! Hope you liked it. Please follow, review all of that. I also am currently looking for Beta Readers for my upcoming chapters, so if anyone is interested please send me a message. Thanks so much! - Miya