Lily pushed the hair behind her ears and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. There was still an hour before breakfast began and another two after that before her first class of the day, Potions with Professor Slughorn, would have normally began. Pushing back her covers, Lily propped herself up on her elbows and looked at the picture of her parents and sister stuck to the wall behind her four-poster bed. Her mum and dad were smiling broadly with each a hand on Lily's shoulder. Petunia was standing to the side and glaring at her sister. Petunia had been jealous of her sister since Lily was about nine and had befriended someone else like herself, a boy named Severus Snape who lived nearby.
It was her third year here at Hogwarts and Lily loved it here. It was so much better than her house; there wasn't even a comparison. At school, Lily got to see Severus every day and only sometimes had to fend off unwanted attention from that slime James Potter. Even though Sev was in a different house-the Slytherin to her Gryffindor-they still got to see each other. Lily's favourite part of the day was when she and him had overlapping free periods to spend together.
The sun was coming up and casting Lily's room in a warm red glow, tinted by the crimson stained glass in the windows. She pushed back the curtains on her bed and swung her feet over the edge and into her soft slippers. Lily was the only of her roommates that had stayed for the winter holidays. She normally didn't socialize much with her other roommates; it had only been within the last year that Lily had become friends with Alice, the shortest of them. Alice was a tad plump but had the sweetest personality. She aspired to become an auror someday. Lily didn't know what she wanted to be yet.
As she pulled on her favourite school skirt and a worn Gryffindor sweater, Lily glanced out the window at the snow laying in thick sheets on the ground outside. Today was Christmas which meant a trip to Hogsmeade for her to stock up on some sweets from Honeydukes, as well as get some more quills from Scrivenshaft's and some butterbeer from the Three Broomsticks if she still had time. Usually Lily went home for Christmas but this year her parents had promised to take Petunia on a trip for her fifteenth birthday and Petunia had illicitly stated she didn't want her sister to join them. It was all the same for Lily. She loved every second she got to spend at Hogwarts.
Lily got down to the Great Hall just as Headmaster Dumbledore was sitting down at the head of the table. The four long tables-one for each house-that usually sat in the Great Hall had been removed and replaced with one small one, seating only ten people. There was no need for more tables; everyone else in the school had gone home.
"And how are you doing on this fine morning, Miss Evans?" Inquired Dumbledore, while seating himself in an overtly grandiose manner. The headmaster's half-moon spectacles were balanced precariously on the tip of his nose and he had to tilt up his chin just to look through them. He was now perched on the edge of his chair and gazing at Lily with his piercing blue eyes.
Lilly made a few non-committal grunts before heaping a glob of porridge into her bowl and taking her first spoonful. The warmth filled her stomach. She loved the food at Hogwarts most of all. The people who made it never made it too hot, too cold, too spicy… never. It was always perfect. Lily was forever wishing she could meet those brilliant chefs and give them her thanks.
Soon after, the other eight students had wandered into the Great Hall and were sharing in the lovely Christmas morning meal. Lily thanked her lucky stars that James Potter had decided to go home over the holiday, and was even more thankful that he had taken his friend Sirius Black with him. Lily could stand Remus Lupin okay, but she didn't like to spend prodigious amounts of time with him. Something about that boy unsettled her, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Lily was also glad that Professor Slughorn hadn't stayed. She knew he was brilliant and she really liked Potions, but sometimes his neverending stream of love and gifts for her was a tad annoying.
Lily was sad that Sev had gone home; she didn't quite understand it either. She didn't understand what there was for him Spinner's end and wished that Sev had just stayed here so the two of them could spend time together without that rat James. But, nevertheless, Severus had left her, and she was here at Hogwarts with her friends all gone (not that there were many of them to get rid of) and the week to think about her studies. Lily liked to think about her studies. Thinking about her studies was a hell of a lot better than thinking about Voldemort and the terrors happening in the wizarding world outside of Hogwarts.
Lily shook the thought of Voldemort from her mind once more. When she got up to Gryffindor Tower after breakfast, Lily went straight to the common room. Only one other Gryffindor had stayed at school-a boy in her year named Frank Longbottom. Lily only knew who he was because he had been spending a lot of time with her roommate Alice. But Frank seemed like a nice boy so Lily didn't desert the common room just because he was there. She could save the library for another day.
Lily pulled out Hogwarts: A History from her shoulder bag which was resting at the feet of the overly plushy chair she was sitting in. Lily had read the book through several times already, but she could never stop learning about this fantastic school.
As Lily opened to the chapter about apparation, she heard Frank clear his throat across the room. Looking up briefly, Lily saw his eyes fixed on her. "Do you need anything, Frank?" she asked in her sweetest voice.
Waiting for a reply, Lily began to read the book. A few minutes after she had asked the question, Frank spoke up feebly.
"You're friends with Alice Prewett, right?" Frank said in a quiet, shy voice. Lily had to strain to hear him, even in the silent common room.
"Yes, she's my roommate," replied Lily while shifting her posture so she was sitting up incredibly straight. "Aren't you friends with her? Why are you asking me?"
Frank's eyes dropped to his lap where he was fondling a small Remembrall. One thing Lily knew for sure about Frank was that he was exceptionally forgetful. Forgetful, but spectacular in Defense Against the Dark Arts class. "Erm… I was… er…. I was wondering if maybe… er… you could possibly ask her… erm, you know, when she gets back… could you ask her maybe if she wanted to go out with me?" By the end of his question, Franks entire face was practically crimson. Lily couldn't help but let out a small giggle. That made Frank blush even harder.
"I don't have to ask her," Lily giggled some more. "She talks about you practically all the time in our room," Lily was practically losing it, she was giggling so hard now. Franks blush was spreading down his neck.
He looked up hesitantly at Lily. Frnak looked like a tomato with his blushing face combined with the stained glass windows. "R-really?" He stammered.
"Absolutely," Lily smiled broadly in reassurance. Frank's red was fading and he was stretching more towards the pink of a cherry blossom now.
Frank picked up the book he appeared to be studying out of and moved to the chair next to Lily's. "I don't think we've ever been properly introduced, by the way. Frank. Frank Longbottom." He said, holding out a pudgy but long-fingered hand.
"I know," Lily smiled and held out a thin and graceful hand of her own. "Lily Evans,"
He took her hand and returned a firm shake. "I know" he said coyly. "You're friends with that Slytherin boy, aren't you? Snape, I think it is?"
Lily felt her neck grow hot. She didn't like when people judged her friendship with Sev. "Yeah. He lives close to me. We met a couple of years before I came here. He's the one who told me I'm a witch. My sister hates him."
Frank could tell that he'd hit a nerve with Lily. She had become guarded and her tone was noticeably more fierce than it had been a few seconds prior.
"Sorry," he said, "no, I didn't mean to sound rude, or anything. I just wondered… I don't know. I'm kind of rubbish at making friends. I actually kind of admire Severus. He's wonderful at potions." Frank's eyes dropped to his lap again. "I feel bad for him. My roommates always make fun of him, you know?" Franks roommates were James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew. The poor boy.
Lily untensed her shoulders a bit and looked back up at Frank. He had a very kind face. Everything about him was a bit rounded. Something about the way he held himself reminded Lily of a toddler just learning to walk. Lily imagined that no one in their right mind could possibly hold a grudge against Frank. Alice Prewett was a lucky girl.
The two of them made small talk for a few more minutes before Frank excused himself to his bedroom. When he returned, his arms were full of hastily wrapped presents in green and red. It was Christmas! Lily had almost forgotten. She hadn't even thought about presents! She didn't send anything to her family! Oh, she was a rubbish daughter. She would just have to pick something up later today in Hogsmeade. Lily ran up to her room quickly to grab her supply of gifts.
Frank and Lily opened their boxes together. Lily hadn't had that much fun in a long time. Frank was a great friend. He asked her if she was going to Hogsmeade later that day. She said of course she was, she would have to get presents for her family. Frank proposed that they walked together and maybe spent their time there together. He too had neglected to get presents for his near and dear.
Lily couldn't stop smiling. She wasn't good at making friends and was very happy that Frank had practically just fallen into her arms. He was very friendly in a platonic way. Lily spent the rest of the day hoping that when she got back, Alice and Frank would spend lots of time together. She hoped they would never stop spending time together. Seeing Alice happy made Lily happy, and Lily liked being happy.
By the time Christmas break ended and everyone returned to school, Frank and Alice were already a couple. Everytime Lily saw them in the hallways, she smiled to herself, knowing that she played a hand in their happiness. Lily was happy. She had friends.