Lily Evans walked into King's Cross Station. Her parents nearly attached themselves to her side, while her sister, Petunia, fell in step behind them with an annoyed look on her face.
"Hunny, I - I know it said King's Cross," Mrs. Evans murmured so that only her family could hear her, "but there is no Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. Maybe. . . ."
"Susan," Mr. Evans was quick to interject, "remember what that shop-keeper told us. She just needs to lean on the barrier, and she will appear on the platform."
"But how do we know where she actually ends up?" Mrs. Evans asked hastily.
Lily looked up at her. "Mum, if you don't stop fretting, I'm going to - to - well, I don't know what I would do, but it would be horrible. Maybe I'll practice my spells on you." A smile crossed her face at the prospect of performing magic. "I'm going to be a witch!" she squealed as best she could under the circumstances.
Both parents grinned with her, but Petunia maintained her prudish glare. "You don't need to rub it in," she muttered. Lily shot her a look of apology. Ever since the letter had arrived, Petunia acted as if Lily were going to be a princess while she would have to remain a peasant.
"We're here!" Mrs. Evans voice echoed in Lily's head.
"Oh, God, Mum," she said while hugging and kissing her family good-bye. When she reached her sister, Petunia feigned interest in a passing cart and turned her back. "I think I'll just go at a jog. Mr. Ollivander said that was the best way for first timers to go." With that, she began towards the solid wall.
"Lily, write once a month. Your mum and I want to know everything!" her father said calmly.
"Lily, you don't have to do this!" her mother called out shrilly.
"Lily, run faster towards the metal wall! Do it!" her sister mimicked.
That was the last thing Lily heard before closing her eyes and slipping through the solid barrier and onto the wooden platform. She stopped running as soon as she felt the floor change from stone to wood but left her eyes closed.
"If you don't open up your eyes," a girl's voice came from beside her, "you're going to miss the train."
Lily's eyes popped open. A girl with sleek, brown hair stood next to her. "Sorry," she muttered although she hadn't the slightest clue for what she was apologizing.
"It's okay," the girl went on, grabbing one end of Lily's trunk. "Help me will you?" Lily's eyes darted up to her, clearly revealing the fear of this girl not liking her. "No, no, don't say you're sorry. It's okay." Lily sighed as she grabbed the vacant handle. There was a small silence while they lugged the trunk onto the scarlet locomotive before the girl continued. "Muggle born, eh?" Lilly nodded. "Do you know anyone yet?"
"Er - no. How did you know?"
"The look on your face," this strange girl laughed. "Nothing to be ashamed of. My mum was muggle born. Name's Samantha."
"Lily."
"I like it. Wanna sit with us?"
"Sure," Lily said, and then added, "Who's us?"
Samantha dropped her end of the heavy trunk in front of a compartment door and slid it open. Inside there were two boys and another girl. Both boys had black hair about the same length, but one had hazel eyes and the other grey. The girl jumped up and left the compartment before Lily could get a good look at her front. But from her retreating back, she could tell the girl had long, blonde hair and was quite skinny.
Lily turned back to the compartment. The boys had already shoved her trunk overhead and were now grinning like mad at her. She gave them both a good look over, but no matter how hard she tried, her eyes would not leave the hazel ones.
"Oh, yeah!" Samantha exclaimed. "This is Sirius Black (she flicked her wrist lamely at the boy with grey eyes), and this here is James Potter (she motioned towards the other boy). Boys, this is Lily. . . ." She paused when she realized she didn't know her last name.
"Evans," Lily quickly supplied, finally removing her gaze from James.
Three hours later, the quartet sat in a bored silence, waiting for something to happen. Lily lifted her head up from the pages of her book to look around the compartment. Samantha was sprawled out across the opposite seat, staring at the swirling, blue carpet. Sirius, who had been attempting to find a nice napping spot but failed, was slumped in the corner by Samantha's head, petting her straight hair. James was sitting on the same seat as Lily by the door, chewing on Drooble's Best Blowing Gum and staring out the window.
Lily let her eyes linger on him for a moment. He seemed too wrapped up in his own thoughts to notice her stare, anyways. She surveyed his hair. It was spiked and dark, not at all the way Lily usually liked boys' hair, and his eyes were a bit perturbing as they stared at her. Wait, stared at her? What? No, James was looking out the window.
Lily felt a blush warm her cheeks, though she tried to fight it off. Quickly, she turned her gaze back to Samantha and Sirius. They were now whispering furiously behind their hands, while throwing occasional glances at Lily.
"Did you see how she was looking at him?" Sirius said a bit too loudly, earning a "Shh!" from Samantha.
"I know," Samantha replied, thinking that she had lowered her voice enough that Lily couldn't hear, "but did you see how she freaked when she thought he was staring at her?"
"Yeah, I know. James is still staring at the window. Do you think she fancies him, already?"
"Obviously, you dolt. If he wasn't my best friend since we were little, I would be smitten, too."
"Yeah, right!" Sirius laughed loudly but then tried to calm himself so he could continue. His voice, however, was still a bit louder than before, and his laugh wasn't all the way gone before he spoke. "But she doesn't stand a chance, S'mantha. I mean, look at her."
Lily choked on her own breath when she heard him say the last bit. This caught Samantha's attention, and she quickly looked up at her new friend. Sirius was stilling chuckling a little to himself.
"Lily," Samantha said in a growing whisper, "I didn't say that. I don't believe it. You totally could get James any time you wanted!" Sirius stopped his laughter.
"Di-did you just say that Lily could have me any time she wanted?" James sputtered, eyes darting between the three of them.
Lily shot Samantha a disbelieving glare. "Screw you guys," she said through gritted teeth. "I'm leaving." In a second, she was on her feet and in the corridor, leaving the sliding door to slam back into place.