Lily Luna Potter smiled as she watched the first years climb nervously to the front of the great hall. It was her fourth year at Hogwarts, and she could finally see what people were talking about when they said how tiny the little first years were. The sorting hat was placed on a particularly miniscule boys head, and then without further adeu it bellowed "GRYFFINDOR!". Lily shouted along with the rest of her peers. The tiny blonde haired female came to sit with the rest of them.
Her mind wandered back to her own first day of school and how nervous she herself had been. It had seemed to her, at the time, that she would forever live in shadows. Her father and mother were hugely famous for various reasons, and her two older brothers who had taken the school by storm were quite a lot to live up to.
Harry, who had vanquished Lord Voldemort in this very room, would always be talked about. Lily had learned to ignore the whispers about him, which existed in this school even still. Her mother, Ginny, was a national Quidditch player and now the Quidditch reporter for the Daily Prophet. She was immensly popular, having also fought against Lord Voldemort back in her youth. There was nothing to fight now, though.
Her brothers each had their own traits to live up to; James with his devastating good looks, charm and ever present sense of humor and sweet Albus with his shy countenance and intelligence. Lily, being the youngest of all the kids and the only girl, was scared at first that she would not be able to outshine her brothers. It was silly to have worried.
Since Lily had first entered the school, she became a favorite amongst students and teachers alike. She was an excellent Quidditch player, making the house team in her second year playing Seeker, like her father. She excelled in her studies, always doing well in her exams and her grades were always good. Never as good as her brother Albus, but significantly better than James, who was just constantly out for trouble.
Lily continued to smile and cheer with her fellow Gryffindors as the table began to fill with more and more kids. Finally, the sorting over, it was time to eat.
Professor McGonnagall stood and the students fell silent nearly at once. She was a very strict but fair head mistress, but no one in the hall wanted to be the one caught talking during her beginning of term feast. Several Slytherin first years didn't seem to get the message and continued chattering away. The rest of the hall turned to stare at them, Lily glanced between the students and Mcgonnagall grinning.
As she started over at the Slytherin table she noticed that not all the students were watching the impending doom, one in particular was looking in the complete opposite direction. One was staring directly at *her*. Lily met cold gray eyes for the briefest of moments and looked away quickly. When her eyes returned to the table, the first years had finally gotten the clue, and Scorpius was no longer looking at her.
Perhaps she had been mistaken, she thought hopefully. But she couldn't deny that this was not the first time she had caught him looking her way.
She didn't realize Professor McGonnagall had been speaking, and caught only the last few words of her speach, warning new students and old from the forbidden forest. The moment the Headmistress sat food appeared on the plates, great plates of ham and chicken and roasted pork distracted her. She turned to her friend Cecelia Longbottom and both girls grinned happily and dug in. Nearly an hour later, with stomachs full of everything good they could grab, and a piece of Treacle Tart wrapped in a napkin for later, Lily and Cici headed from the great hall.
Peeves was causing a distraction on the largest corridor that led up to Gryffindor common rooms, the first years were getting pelted with ink pellets. Turning to Cici and laughing, Lily looped an arm through hers and headed the other direction.
"Poor little things," Cici said, glancing back. "Should we go help the prefects?"
Lily scoffed "no one helped us! They'll be fine, it's like initiation 'round here, getting picked on by Peeves."
Cici still looked concerned, but Lily just laughed again. "C'mon Cici, it's no worries. The prefects will handle it. You're a shoe in for prefect next year, fluttering around the firsties all worried."
Cici grinned back, blushing, but allowed Lily to lead her away from them around the longer way to Gryffindor tower. They had just turned a corridor towards a secret passage when Lily smacked into someone. "Sorry! Oh sorry, I didn't see anyone there." Her eyes widened when she saw who she had smacked into. The very cold grey eyes that had watched her from the hall stared down at her now.
"No problem at all, Potter. Just watch it next time, eh?" He smiled. The effect was immediate. It wasn't a sneer, it seemed to genuinely lighten his features. For a moment the two of them stared at each other.
Cici, seeming to realize it pertinent for someone to say something, stammered out, "well we were just going to bed! Good night!" She tugged on Lily's arm, pulling her away. Lily came without protest, she was so surprised by the genuine warmth in his smile. Perhaps the rumors were true, perhaps the Malfoy's had changed their ways.
Deciding not to put too much stock into a one time encounter, Lily climbed into bed that night feeling relaxed and happy.
