"Bye Lily, we'll see you next summer!" Mrs. Evans smiled to her daughter, Lily Evans, as she got ready to run into the barrier that separated Platform 9 ¾ from the muggle world. Mr. Evans nodded and said," You wont be seeing us this Christmas, both of us will be away on a business trip." "Yes dad," Lily said. (Petunia Evans wasn't with them; she had said that she needed to study, when the whole family knew that she hardly ever did)
Lily ran through the barrier, when she opened eyes, she saw a scarlet steam engine on the tracks, with "Hogwarts" painted on the front. Lily smiled fondly at the train. This was her last year at Hogwarts, and also the year she will be taking her important exams. Just when she was thinking about how tough this year will be, someone called her name. "LILY! Over here!"
"Jasmyn! Stephanie!" Lily greeted her friends as she pushed her trolley towards them.
Jasmyn was the girl waving furiously at her. Her long brown hair was tied up in a ponytail. She was the most athletic girl in the year, and played chaser on the house team.
Stephanie, on the other hand, was a quiet girl. She was the prettiest of the three of them, with long blonde hair and pale skin. It was well known among them that she fancied Remus.
The trio made their way through the crowds, looking for an empty compartment in the train. They found one at the front of the train. As they struggled to lift their heavy trunks onto the racks, a voice behind them said, "Hey, you three beauties need help?"
Lily swung around, and as a result, crashed into Sirius Black, heartthrob of Hogwarts and one of the biggest pranksters in the school.
"Ouch! What the-"Lily swore as she saw Black.
"What are you dong here?" she demanded angrily.
Black looked taken aback.
"Nothing," he said loftily," Figured you need help, because you three forgot that you can use magic on the train."
"Thanks," Lily said curtly as she levitated their trunks onto the rack," Now shove off, Black."
"So much for gratitude," Black grumbled as he strode off.
Jasmyn waited until Black was out of sight before whispering," You know, you were quite rude there."
"Well it was Sirius Black for crying out loud!" Lily said shrilly," He was the one who had turned Dumbledore's hair into ringlets at the end of last year! I don't understand Dumbledore though, he was still chuckling when he realized what was going on, unlike Mcgonagall, who went ballistic and promised him that he will begin the term with detention."
"Because, Lily, Dumbledore has a sense of humour, unlike YOU," Stephanie giggled, and was immediately struck by Lily's holiday homework, on a piece of parchment. Jasmyn joined in the fray, and hurled her hat at Lily.
They tussled for a while, before Jasmyn said," Hey, Head Girl, you were supposed to go to the Prefects' Compartment," as Stephanie chucked her cloak at Jasmyn, causing her to squeal and promise Stephanie that she will kill her by tonight. Lily waved goodbye to her friends and set off for the Prefects' Compartment.
It was empty, so she sat down in the corner and opened the window, thinking to herself about who the head boy was.
The door creaked open, and Lily withdrew her head from the window.
Standing at the doorway, was her fellow prefect, Remus Lupin. But the person beside him was….
"JAMES POTTER!" Lily exploded," What are you dong here, of all places?"
"Well, I'm the Head Boy," he said coolly, fingering his head boy badge," And you shouldn't scream, Evans, it might hurt your pretty throat."
Lily glared at him. That arrogant, messy-haired, asking-me-for-a-date-everyday Quidditch fan was Head Boy? Dumbledore must have made a mistake….
"Lily, you might want to sit down," Lupin gestured to her empty seat, "The rest of the prefects are coming in."
Lily waited until everyone had settled down before she introduced herself (James did not need an introduction, he was famous in the school by the time he was 5th year) and started to tell the prefects about the patrols and passwords, uncomfortably aware that James was watching his every move. After dismissing the prefects an hour later, Lily strode towards the door, when James said, "Evans, wait!"
"What now, Potter!?" Lily seethed at she whirled around to face James," If you ask me out one more time I will-"
"I'm not asking you out! I'm just wondering… can we be friends?" he said hopefully.
Lily's eyes bulged slightly. "Friends?"
"Yeah," James said hurriedly," Just friends, seeing as we will be working together the whole year, that's to say, no snogging, no touching or anything. And you told me that I should change myself, so I'm trying. Please?"
Lily was on the point of refusing when she remembered that they will be working together for the whole year, and it was better to work with a friend than an enemy. And besides, she thought, he is so handsome….
Shame on you, Lily! She scolded herself. You don't like Potter! He is a prat, remember? A prat!
"Um, Lily? Are you there?" James asked worriedly.
"Huh? Oh yeah… Fine, we will be friends ONLY. And that means no copying of my homework, understand?" James nodded meekly.
"Yahoo!" he cheered when he was back in his own compartment. "She said that she will be my friend!"
"Well, I guess you were lucky this time…she had only said okay but you act like you won the election for Minister for Magic. What are you going to do next…sing a confession to her in the Great Hall? " Sirius sniggered.
James threw whatever was in his hand at Sirius, but unfortunately it turned out to be his wand. It struck Sirius on the forehead, and created a purple wart where it struck.
"Hey!" he cried, "Make it disappear!"
"With pleasure," James grinned as he made the wart disappear, but he murmured another spell.
Crack! All three marauders burst into laughter as they looked at Sirius's seat.
For where Sirius had been a minute ago, there was now a white, fluffy, rabbit, with long black hair on its head and wearing a scowling expression on its whiskered face.
