Just Recurring

Year the First

Lily was nervous, and upset.

For one, she'd never been on a train before; for another, she was headed toward a school that she'd never seen, and only heard about from Severus.

She pressed her cheek against the window – frosty, chilled from the mist that had lurked about lately.

Then someone sat across from her, and she remembered why she'd been upset.

"I don't want to talk to you."

Severus flinched. "Why not?"

"Tuney hates me. Because we saw that letter from Dumbledore."

"So what?"

She glared at him. "So she's my sister!" Immersing herself in the task at hand – pulling herself together – she didn't notice a thing for a moment. Until –

"…got a problem with that?"

"No. If you'd rather be brawny than brainy –"

"Where're you hoping to go, seeing as you're neither?"

Lily sat up, looking at the boys whom they shared the compartment with. "Come on, Severus, let's find another compartment."

The boy with the glasses laughed and cried, "See ya, Snivellus!" as they left. Severus's face darkened into anger.

Lily led her friend to another compartment, thankfully unoccupied. As they settled themselves, she complained, "Those boys! Who do they think they are, anyhow?"


"It's not fair," Lily mouthed, more interested in a silent conversation with Severus than her dinner. The Sorting Hat could be wrong, couldn't it?

Severus merely shrugged from across the Great Hall, then looked away as Lucius Malfoy leaned down to say something in his ear.

Lily made a frustrated noise, and found herself promptly mocked by none other than the two boys from the train, whom she had identified as James Potter and Sirius Black.

"Oh, do shut up," she snapped. "What have you two got over him?"

James made a pretense of thought, tapping his chin. "Well, we're smart –"

"Good-looking," added Sirius.

"We're tall –"

"We can play Quidditch –"

"And we're purebloods, which I'm sure is more than he can say."

Sirius looked surprised. "I thought you didn't care about that, mate."

"I don't, not much. But it's one up on him." James looked smug.

Lily blinked. "Purebloods…?"

James laughed, his hand flying up to rub the bridge of his nose. "She doesn't know –"

"– what purebloods are," finished Sirius, looking slightly amused.

Lily looked between them, confused. "What?"

"Look here, carrot-top –" Lily bristled "– there's certain, ah, terms applied to certain witches and wizards, most like yourself –"

Sirius snickered.

"– the main ones being 'Muggle-born' or 'Mudblood'."

Lily frowned. "How dare you!"

James just continued idly, as if enjoying the opportunity to break the news. "Now, for those of us whose families have remained thus far unaffected by Muggles –"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Honestly, mate – can't you narrow it down to a sentence?"

"We're called purebloods, because we're one-hundred percent wizard," he said crisply, shooting a look of irritation at Sirius.

Lily only frowned more. "What's it matter?"

James shrugged, turning his attention to pudding. "Ask your boyfriend," he said through a mouthful of cake.


Lily spent many a night in the Gryffindor common room: she had many friends in Gryffindor. However, when she was there, she couldn't help but wonder about Severus and how many friends he had; after all, they only managed to talk to each other in classes, of which they only shared a few.

The school year seemed to pass by too quickly for her; consumed by classes and homework and the rare stroll through the grounds.

Midway through the year, she was working on Muggle Studies homework – not difficult – when she was disturbed by a roar of laughter.

"And he's actually in Remedial Divination!"

Lily shuddered as she recognized the voice. James Potter.

"I thought Divination didn't start until second year," said a quiet voice. This was Remus Lupin, the newest addition to the group. Lily thought she rather would've liked him, if not for his poor choice of friends.

"Still doing homework, carrot-top?" James asked snidely. He lounged on the sofa, Sirius sprawled next to him over a particularly fat armchair. Remus was sitting on the floor, staring at a piece of new parchment.

"Don't call me carrot-top," she snapped. "Just because you might not understand it –"

"Why should I, when you can tell me all the answers?" James allowed a small smirk to rest on his lips, deciding it appropriate for the situation. "Like how to toilets work?"

"Aggh!" Lily gathered up her books in frustration and headed for her dormitory.

"Think you made her mad." Sirius grinned appreciatively at James, who returned the expression.


"It's almost the end of the year," lamented Severus in Potions class. He stirred his potion, watching as the purple lumps dissolved instantly. He looked in Professor Slughorn's direction, but the heavy-set man was leaning over another cauldron.

"I know," said Lily. "At least we'll – how do you do that?"

Severus shrugged. "Just good at it, I guess. At least what?"

"At least we'll get to talk more," she said, smiling slightly. "I hate having separate schedules."

"So do I."

Suddenly, there was a crackle as something fell into Severus's cauldron. The pale boy looked horrified as his well-progressing potion turned a sickly yellow and began bubbling.

"Oh, dear," blathered Slughorn. "Why don't you let me just put that out –"

However, before he could calm the potion, there was a loud pop and potion flew in every direction, coating Lily and Severus in messy gunk.

Laughter erupted from all sides, the most open coming from none other than the trio Lily hated most.


"We won't be on this train for another summer," mourned Lily. "Hogwarts was so much more than I expected it to be." She pressed herself down in the cushioned seat, feeling both relieved and disappointed to be going home. She would enjoy her summer holiday, of course, but she would miss the beautiful old castle with its mysteries.

Severus shrugged. "I'd rather be at home, myself."

She titled her head to one side. "Why?"

"My dad left."

Lily frowned. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be – it'll be great, just Mum and me –"

He stopped in mid-sentence as the compartment door slid open and a familiar face popped into sight. "Is this really the only free compartment? Figures –"

"Aw," said Sirius, pushing past James, "I don't mind much." He plopped down next to Lily and casually threw an arm around her shoulder, causing her to recoil. He only grinned at her as his friends filed in, Remus settling next to Severus with an expression like he has just found something particularly nasty on his shoe.

"Why're you still wearing your school robes, Snivellus?" James asked snidely. "Don't you know school's over?"

"Yeah, Snivellus!" cried Sirius suddenly. "What are you doing, trying to impress?"

"Get off." Lily shrugged him away as she stared at James with dislike. "Why don't you get another compartment?"

"No, no," protested James. "I want to know who Sniv's trying to impress. What about it, Sniv?"

Severus turned red. "No one," he mumbled.

"Oh? Not your girlfriend here?"

"He's not my boyfriend," Lily said, scowling.

"That right, Sniv?" Sirius laughed wryly.

Severus blushed even brighter. "She's…not…"

"Stop it!" cried Lily.

The boys only responded to this with twin "Hn" noises, noncommittal at most; Remus, it seemed, had missed the whole ordeal, immersed in parchment as usual.

James leaned against the back of the seat, glancing at Sirius as he said, "What are you doing over the summer?"

"Same you're doing. Playing Quidditch."

"I'm not playing Quidditch, mate. I'm going to Ireland this summer."

"But how d'you plan to make the team if you don't practice?"

James scoffed. "I don't need practice, Black."

Lily snorted, causing him to look over at her with amusement. "What? Think I won't make it, carrot-top?"

Lily didn't reply – instead, she opened a book and immersed herself in it, intent on ignoring him.

"You'll see," James professed, looking around the compartment. Severus had his nose pressed against the window, looking miserable; Remus continued staring at parchment; Sirius was really the only one listening, and not too aptly, but James Potter pretended that the whole world was at his feet. "Next year, I'll be the youngest, best Seeker Hogwarts has ever seen!"