Disclaimer: I own nothing, of course, except for the things you don't recognize as J.K. Rowling's.
A/N: Welcome all! This is the start of a story I hope will make you laugh, maybe cry, and definitely enjoy. The story will not follow the books exactly nor will they focus on the whole Voldemort thing. Yes, it will be brought up, but I have no intention of covering the whole start of the order thing because that is all established by the brilliant J.K. Rowling and my organization in writing is not as amazing as hers and I get confused with too many subplots. This is a simple story of a bunch of teenagers that are being forced to grow up.
Enjoy. First chapter is rough because I'm breaking the biggest rule and not proofreading. It is 5:30 am here in the states and I am too tired to function. It snowed today (first snowfall of the year and I love it!) so I came home from work and instead of studying for finals, I had to write. So here it is, my four hours of devoted work! Be easy on the critiques!
Next update I will edit this chapter and rid it of the errors and hopefully discuss an update schedule.
You can call me Ashley.
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The Emerald Green Twilights
Chapter One: Steeplechasers and Boxing Trainers
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Lily Evans walked on to the platform with a simple smile on her face and her Head Badge pinned proudly to her fitted tee shirt. She was excited to start her last year at Hogwarts but nervous at the same time. School had always been easy for her. She was smart, well-liked, and always enjoyed the people she surrounded herself with. After school, everything would be different. They were at the start of a war and Lily knew that if she wanted to join the fight she had to be more than just smart and that's what this year was going to be about.
Lily had already done the first few weeks of her assignments while she was in France with her mother. She went there every August and although it was beautiful, she grew bored at night. When she was at home, she would usually go out with either her muggle neighbors (superficial yet entertaining teenagers) or her two girlfriends from Hogwarts, Melanie and Tara. Melanie was usually more of the head-in-the-clouds boy crazy kind of girl where as Tara was the sarcastic and quick-witted kind of girl. The three of them together easily turned heads.
After making her way on to the train, Lily pulled her trunk in to the compartment that the girls always occupied. She ran in to Tara and Remus who were already in the midst of talking about their summers.
"Oh yes because nothing beats the smell of steamed milk on your clothes." Tara said in her sarcastic more animated tone. Remus chuckled and waved at Lily. Tara just smiled.
"Talking about how much you love your job again Tara?" Lily asked, giving her friends each a hug.
"Ah the amount of minutes I spend saying, 'Oh my goodness I'm so sorry! I didn't realize that you wanted 10 pumps of pure sugar in your Iced Tea, ma'am! Do you want me to alert a doctor at St. Mungos about your soon-to-be-developed diabetes?'" Tara said dryly. Lily laughed and shook her head. "So how was Paris, Lily? Getting tired of seeing the same view from the same hotel at the same time of year?"
"I managed to get a lot of stuff done so I can not be so stressed out this year." Lily said. "I have so much to do this year. I am nowhere close to being able to make it as an auror."
"You should really talk to James about talking to his dad. He is one of the toughest ones out there right now." Remus said hopefully. Lily scrunched her nose.
"Come on Remus. If James Potter were to walk in to this compartment and for once not make fun of me or make a move on me, then maybe I will ask him. But some people will never change." Lily replied. Remus shrugged in defeat as Melanie, Sirius, and Peter walked in laughing. Melanie stopped mid-sentence and let out a squeal at the sight of her friends. Lily and Tara smiled at the predictable excitement practically oozing from their friend.
"Merlin you two look so different!" Melanie shrieked, jumping into a hug with the two of them. Lily gave Tara a questioning look.
"I think we both look exactly the same sweets." Lily said simply.
"No way! What size bra do you wear now Lily? A 'C?'" Melanie asked.
"Yes, Lily'kins! What size are those incredible fin-" Sirius Black started.
"We will not be discussing the size of breasts, thank you." Lily said. "The only thing different is that I have decided I need to be in the best physical shape I can be in if I want to be out on the field within a year. I run three miles a day for five days a week. Sometimes five but I think with classes and everything I'm only going to have time for three."
"Well aren't you a regular Gaston Roelants?" Tara said.
"I thought he was a steeplechaser?" Lily question. Tara shrugged.
"He did cross-country also." she replied. The two were oblivious to the odd stares their friends were giving them.
"How the hell do you know such useless information?" Remus asked. The both just looked at him knowingly. "Right, the coffee and the newspapers from like five different countries."
"Six, you forgot the American one I subscribed to starting last month." Lily smiled. They all just shook their heads. Lily excused herself in hopes of finding some coffee somewhere in the back where she probably wasn't suppose to be.
The one thing Lily couldn't stand was the lack of coffee in the wizarding world. For some reason, everyone was all about tea but Lily was raised a coffee drinker. Lily's mom had grown up in a stiff upper-class home where tea times were enforced, family dinners were every night, and fancy functions involved frilly and poofy. Marie, Lily's mom, hated everything about that. She liked being more loose and lenient, treating Lily as more of a good friend than a daughter. Lily always smiled just at the thought of her mother.
Like a hound, Lily could sniff out the coffee. She knew that there had to be some close. She pushed open a door and felt like she had walked in to heaven. There it was a simple coffee carafe with some Styrofoam cups. No cream or sugar bu the fewer calories, the better. Lily helped herself quickly and slipped out of the room with an innocent smile. She made herself back to the compartment, stopping for some small talk with a few acquaintances. Someone was exiting the compartment right as someone called her name and distracted for. Within a second Lily had slammed right in to someone and she could feel the heat of the coffee soaking through her tee-shirt.
"I am so sorry!" a deep voice immediately said. The dark-haired boy quickly pulled out his wand and as quickly as the mess happened, it was gone. James Potter picked her empty cup off the ground with a frown. "Not the best way to start a new school year."
"That was some pretty good magic for it being so spur of the moment." Lily said, examining her shirt.
"I got bored this summer. Memorized a couple useless charms just in case I ever decided to make a complete ass out of myself." James said with a small laugh.
Lily and James were always in competition with each other. They were both smart, gorgeous, and popular. Lily, although a bit more down-to-earth, had always tried her hardest to keep up with James even when it came to sneaking out and being more like a marauder. In return, James had started to take classes a little more seriously and finally located the library last year. The two had started to come to a mutual understanding that they were never to get along, and Lily was never going to accept his invitation for a date.
"Learn any spells on how to transfigure coffee?" Lily said, eyeing the empty cup he held.
"I can't promise it would taste good but I could always go steal you another cup since you most definitely did not purchase this." James said. Lily watched him head towards the same door she had been in previously. He emerged with two cups in his hand. Lily took one happily. They both walked in to the compartment in silence as James handed Tara the other cup. She inhaled the scent.
Tara was a muggle-born, like Lily, and spent her summers and breaks working at a local coffee shop down the street from her dads house. She lived with her dad and older brother, whom Lily had always had a crush on. Tara's mother died when she was 5 and her dad had re-married three times since then. She took it with a grain of salt, never getting too close to any of his girlfriends. Tara was tall, lean and firm. Her hair was a chocolate brown and widly curly. Nobody could quite pull off the hair Tara had without stealing her bone structure as well. She was so damn quick that she didn't even have to be physically threatening. Anyone who tried to get into an argument with Tara was just asking to be made fun of. That was one of the many things Lily admired about her.
Melanie was completely different. She was pureblood, best friends with the Potters, and completely in to the gossip at school. Lily had always trusted Melanie but she knew that if they hadn't hit it off in class talking about the cute third-year sitting diagonal from them, Lily and Melanie could possibly have been enemies. Her hair was a dirty blonde, always styled either straight or back in a messy ponytail. Melanie, although smart, applied herself as the stylist and secretary of the group, recording and reporting all the on-goings at school while helping each girl get ready for the upcoming weekend at Hogsmeade.
Then there was what could be related to as their brother group. The three girls and the Marauders started getting to know each other in second year, when James started professing his love for Lily. Remus would try to calm Lily down and the two started a friendship. Melanie played mediator most of the time since James was practically her brother and Sirius was always a funny guy to have around. Peter was usually just there to fill space. Invisible, but obtained mass. Through the years they had many ups and downs, fallouts and make ups, but today was the first day to the start of their last year together and nothing would mess this year up.
"So, Hogsmeade tonight, after the feast?" Sirius suggested. Melanie was the first to agree, followed by Remus, Peter, and Tara. Lily and James didn't make eye contact with their friends. The silence only continued.
"Okay we know you guys are Heads and everything, but we've never been caught before." Sirius said in a know-it-all fashion. Lily looked up and nodded.
"True, true. Count me in for a couple rounds." Lily said with a smile. Sirius cheered.
"Well I certainly can't let the Head Girl be more of a bad influence than me." James said but not in his usual aggressive tone. Lily gave an innocent smile.
"So how many cheap broads did you guys manage to sleep with this summer?" Tara asked, bringing up the traditional train ride question.
"Four." Sirius said proudly.
"Wow, busy summer!" Melanie said.
"One." Remus said quietly.
"What?!" Tara and Melanie both exclaimed.
"Who the hell did you shag?" the boys questioned.
"You know I don't tell." Remus said.
"Zero." James said, shifting the conversation from his friend.
"I don't know what I find more shocking right now." Tara said, bewildered.
"I know. Remus actually got laid and James didn't sleep with a single tramp." Melanie said.
"Perhaps he is losing his touch." Lily chimed in.
"I wonder how Remus is in bed."
"I wonder how big he is."
"I bet James is better."
"Well he probably has more experience but I bet Remus makes it more lasting. Not so much of a 'wam-bam-thank-you-maam' kind of thing."
"Yeah, Potter definitely would make it quick."
"I wonder if he just kicks his girls out when he's done with them."
"Imagine all the dumb sluts lining up right outside his door discussing where they are going to let him-"
"You guys are disgusting." James said, finally breaking up the gossip session the three girls were having. Melanie giggled, Tara held her classic smirk, and Lily smiled at him with absolutely no understanding as to why.
The conversation was interrupted by the need of the Head Girl and Head Boy to meet with the prefects. The two of them walked out of the compartment, looking neat, professional, and organized at first glance which is exactly the picture they wanted people to see. Nobody would think these two were planning on sneaking out of the castle tonight to get drunk at a local pub.
James ran the meeting for the most part, Lily only adding details and facts that James had skipped over. They were working well together. They didn't bicker or insult each other and when Lily spoke, James didn't mock her. This was all unusual but Lily didn't even care enough to bring it up. Arguing with James was always exhausting and Lily was glad to not have to be a total bitch.
The meeting wrapped up and Lily stayed a little behind to organize the papers she had taken out with the notes she had written down from the meeting. She was humming a song quietly to herself as she straightened herself and adjusted her jeans. She hated how jeans could fit her perfectly in the morning but after a few hours they didn't seem so perfect. She was about to leave when someone tapped her shoulder. She turned and smiled as she came face to face with Tim Stalls, a seventh year Ravenclaw.
"Hey Lily. How was your summer?" he said, his bright blue eyes looking straight into her piercing emerald ovals.
"Typical but relaxing none the less. How was yours?" she asked politely.
"I went to Australia for the first time. That was pretty insane." he said. "Look I feel weird asking you this, being the Head Girl and everything, but a couple of us were going out to Hogsmeade tonight. Get a good start on the year. You should come. Or at least not pentalize me for telling you this information." he chuckled.
"Actually I was already planning on going so I guess we will run in to each other." she said, giving him a smile. He smiled back.
"Save a drink for me then." he said with a wink as he left. Lily shook her head as he left. Good thing she had Melanie.
"Wow, date already Evans?" James said jokingly as they left.
"Drink, not a date. I could do a shot with you and it wouldn't count as a date."
"But shots aren't your style of course." he said.
Lily laughed. This was true. She did enjoy having a good time and she had definitely loosened up over the years, but getting trashed was not her style. She would go out, have a couple of drinks, get a buzz, dance, and go to sleep. Some nights, she substituted holding back Tara's hair for sleeping but it was usually the same schedule.
"What is my style then Mr. Potter?" Lily questioned, raising her eyebrows. He laughed.
"I'm Mister now? I guess it's better than jackass like usual." he said, looking down at her. "I say you'll have three vodka martini's, double, with a twist. Go out for a dance with either Remus, Sirius, myself, or Tim. Have another martini, same way, and then a round of dancing with the girls, and then you'll head back. You're a safe bet."
"And what if tonight is the night I have decided to get head-in-the-toilet drunk?" she continued. She straightened her posture and pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. She was starting to feel as if she was flirting with James Potter, and she wasn't sure if that was a good idea.
"Then as your new roommate, I'd be more than happy to hold your hair back." he said smoothly before disappearing into the compartment. Lily continued to walk, getting excited for the new year at school.
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Lily, Melanie, and Tara were all in Lily's new bedroom in the Head dormitories after the feast, getting ready for their big night on the town. Tara was wearing low-rise jeans, a deep green halter top and her hair was curly, bouncy, an lively. Melanie was wearing a short jean skirt with a red tank-top and Lily was still stuck on something to wear. Jeans, of course, as they were here comfort clothes. She was leaning towards her black, strappy sandals but couldn't find the right shirt.
"I like the black corset style top. It makes your boobs look big." Melanie said.
"It makes me look way too slutty." Lily said.
"Nonsense. You never look trashy Lily, just sexy." Melanie argued, throwing the shirt at her.
"A little help?" Lily asked Tara. She shook her head. Lily recognized defeat and put on the top.
"Lets go before I change my mind." Lily said, practically pushing the girls out of the room. They all began laughing, excited for their rebellious night.
Seven of them could not fit under the invisibility cloak so Remus, Sirius, and Melanie squeezed under it while James, Tara, and Lily took the map and quietly snuck through the castle to the secret passageway. They moved in silence, knowing how important it was to be swift and sneaky. They all met up at their destination, the Three Broomsticks. They grabbed a table, ordered drinks, and looked around the room. The music was load, the dance floor was packed, and the bar was busy. It was a good night to let loose and forget about the troubles around them.
"Best shag you've ever had?" Melanie blurted out, doing their typical round robin question game.
"Tara's brother!" Lily shouted, earning laughs and an annoyed look from Tara.
"That's just wrong." she said, taking a sip of her whiskey sour.
"Emily Tress." Sirius said.
"Here, here!" James said.
"You two shagged the same girl?" Lily shouted over the music.
"Not intentionally. Bet you didn't know Tara and Melanie shagged the same guy." James said. Lily made a face while sipping her martini.
"Best shag you wish you could have?" Tara asked.
"Tim Stalls!" Melanie shouted. Lily giggled.
"I'll tell Tim you said so!" she replied.
"Tell me what?" a man's voice came from behind Lily. She turned around, flashing him a smile. "Care to dance?"
"Of course." Lily said, excusing herself from the table.
The dance floor was nowhere near elegant but it was large, spacious, and always a good time. Lily loved dancing. Her mother taught her to dance when she was young and it was something she stuck with. She could do the classics as well as just follow a lead and move to the music. Tim began twirling Lily and pulled her back in to him, his hand resting low on her waist. The music was of a medium tempo. A few twirls, some swaying, and the perfect time to ask the ball dropping question.
"Do you have a boyfriend?" Tim asked Lily as they danced.
She shook her head, "Boyfriends are overrated, don't you think?"
"I'll take it that your referring to my stance with girls and yes I do agree." he chuckled, slipping his hand around her back, pulling her closer to him. She was taken off guard but only for a second. They danced in silence until the song was over and then they took a seat at the bar. Remus and Tara were the only ones at the table and Lily didn't know if Tim was ready to be at a table with a drunken Tara.
"Can I have two shot glasses filled with your best gin, please." Tim ordered.
"Oh no, I can't do a shot. Vodka martini with a twist please." Lily ordered for herself.
"A girl that knows what she wants. I like it." Tim said, swallowing his small glass of alcohol. "What do you say we get out of here? You have your own private bedroom now, don't you?"
"That I do but I can't leave and it takes a little more effort to get an invite into my pants, Tim." Lily said coolly, about to get up from the bar. He grabbed her arm.
"Come on." Tim said, pulling her near him and whispering into her ear. "I see the way your dressed and your drinking. You can't honestly say you didn't want to have a good time with me tonight."
"Let me fill you in on something." Lily said, now pretending to be seductive back. "I'm Head Girl which implies that I'm a smart, responsible girl. I also know how to have a good time and I know how to dress for a bar. I also know when to walk away from a guy who actually thinks he can handle me. Trust me, sweetheart, you can't handle me."
Lily walked away with a smirk, downing her drink, and sat down next to Tara, clearly interrupting a heated discussion between the two.
"Of course it is a way to boost business. Everything a corporation does is to promote business but that doesn't mean that they aren't truly giving anything back to the public and charity organizations." Tara said, leaning towards Remus. He threw his head back in a laugh.
"Surely a million dollar corporation can handle donating more than five cents a cup to a charity. They are making more profits than benefits!" Remus said.
"No shit. Businesses have to make a profit in order to be productive business." Tara said, turning away from the conversation. Remus sighed in defeat.
"How'd it go with that hunk over there?" Remus joked to Lily. She rolled her eyes.
"I want to dance." Lily said. She was getting buzzed, big time. James made his way back to the table, followed by Melanie. "Melanie! Dance with me!"
"Fuck no. I'm exhausted and not nearly drunk enough." she complained, going to the bar to order a drink.
"Dammit. Who is drunk enough to dance with me? I'm a good partner." Lily whined. Somebody then grabbed her hand and pulled her on to the ance floor. She squealed in surprised and smiled at her new dance partner.
"Fancy meeting you here." James Potter said, twirling her with grace and pulling her slowly in to him. "I'm surprised your not dancing with your blue-eyed boy."
"He's a dud. Too much sex not enough substance. Typical problem." she laughed.
"It is hard to find a true gentleman these days." James agreed as they danced in rhythm with each other perfectly. He was a good dance.
"Too true, my friend."
"So tell me something about yourself, Miss Evans. Too many times have we been at this exact bar with you and we never spoke a word."
"That's because I was afraid of what obscene comments I would make when mixing alcohol with James Potter." she laughed.
"What exactly changed? It's like we both woke up today and decided not to be totally rude to each other." James looked down at her, enjoying seeing her green eyes sparkling with happiness.
"I'm not sure but I'm glad it did. Arguing with you takes way too much energy." she said.
"We are good matches for each other. Some of your insults have been quite good. How do you get so quick at them?"
"The magic of coffee, my dear." Lily replied with a wink. The song changed to a slow one and the two made their way back to the table, now full with all of their occupants.
"I have an idea!" Sirius shouted.
"What!" Tara shouted back in a mocking tone. He glared at her for a brief second and she smirked.
"Never have I ever, ladies and gents." Sirius said. Everyone looked around at the table, making sure everyone nodded in agreement. "Well then we will need some shots."
Lily leaned in to James who was sitting next to her and whispered "You might be holding my hair back tonight. No pictures and I'll castrate you if you ever tell anyone other than the people at this table." James smiled and nodded.
"Me first." Remus said. "Never have I ever had a sex dream about Tara's brother."
Melanie and Lily each took a shot. Tara rolled her eyes.
"In mine, I was in the study at your house reading something for Potions and your brother walked in, looking gorgeous with no shirt on and it happened right there on that nice big desk." Lily said to Tara. Everybody laughed.
"I'm writing him tomorrow." Tara said.
"Please do!" Lily squealed.
"Never have I ever been hit by a girl." Sirius said.
Lily, Tara, and James took a shot.
"Who did you two girls fight?" James asked. They looked at each other and smirked.
"Each other." Lily said.
"And that is a story for another time. Next!" Tara called. "I'm not nearly drunk enough."
"Never have I ever thought about Lily naked!" Melanie called out.
Remus, James, and Sirius took a shot.
"Ew!" Lily shrieked.
"Like you've never pictured us naked." Remus said.
"Thank god that wasn't a 'never have I ever.'" Melanie whispered to Tara.
The game continued and many shots were downed. Lily and Tara stumbled out of the bar, telling drunken tales of their summers. Remus was holing up Melanie, carrying a bottle of whiskey with him. Sirius and James walked perfectly fine.
"And then there was the time you gave me the black eye at the muggle bar in London!" Lily cried out to Tara who laughed very loud.
"You wouldn't let me go home with that very cute guy that bought us the drinks!" she defended.
"We were sixteen! I didn't want to be at a bar alone!" Lily cried.
The conversation continued until they reached their secret passageway. Their voices became hushed and they walked slower to avoid from falling and then laughing due to falling. Once in the school, the four took the map and made their way back to Gryffindor Tower. James threw the cloak over Lily and himself as they headed towards their own rooms. James put Lily's arm around his upper body in order to keep her steady. Even after spending a night drinking, he could still smell the sweetness of her hair. Her slim body felt warm pressed next to his body and he tried hard to surpress all the feelings he had for this girl.
James had always wanted his chance with Lily. She was driven and independent and still drop dead gorgeous. She got everything she worked for and got nothing handed to her. She had always been fun to argue you with, always a good match. Most of all, she wasn't an easy catch. She made it fun to get to know her and she was full of surprises. Lily was not a stuck up bookworm but knew the best way to balance work and play. She was perfect in his eyes.
He knew he messed it up way in the beginning. He was cocky and arrogant and would get frustrated when she would shoot him down. He never quite understood why she wouldn't give him a chance but over the past few months he had taken a good luck at himself and who he was. James wanted to be like her. He wanted to keep the fun in his life but he was ready to be more serious in class and with life. Things were changing, his dad was fighting a war that James would soon have to face. He wanted to have what his dad had. A job which he loved, fighting for a cause he believed in, and a family to remind him of the joy you can still find in the world. The sound of a mumbling voice broke James out of his thoughts.
"What did ya' say?" James questioned quietly. They were almost at their rooms.
"I said, thanks for taking me back. I don't think I could walk straight right now if it weren't for you." she said gratefully.
"Your doing good with forming sentences which is better than Tara was doing. Plus, I don't think your looking sick at all so that's good. How do you feel?" he asked.
"Warm but not tired at all. I'm so happy we have a fireplace. Did you see the size of our fireplace? It reminds me of when I was staying in the Bergen hotel in Norway. We had a suite with the nicest fireplace and the most perfect view. The snow was beautiful there." Lily said.
"Sounds amazing. How is it that you have been to so many different places?" James asked.
"Mum travels for work. She works for a hotel company. We get to go to all the places they are looking at opening a hotel in and she tells them what she thinks. It's an amazing job. I get to go with her too, when it doesn't conflict with school."
"Wow that would be fun. Ever been to Amsterdam?" James asked jokingly as they reached their portrait for their rooms. He gave the password and escorted Lily to the couch by the fire.
"Of course. And no, I'm not telling you what I did there." Lily said. "Tell me something about yourself."
"I spent my summer taking Auror lessons with my dad." James said. All of the sudden Lily was sitting on the couch, on her knees, facing James completely.
"I'm envious of you. You've got to be the Harry Wiley to my Sugar Ray Robinson." Lily said in a pleading tone. James looked at her questioningly.
"Boxing?" he questioned.
"Duh." was her reply.
"Didn't Harry Wiley get his by a taxi and break his leg?" James asked.
"Besides the point." Lily dismissed. "Please, teach me what you know. I need to learn how to be quicker with my spells and I definitely need to learn more defensive spells. And attack spells. Oh and those useless spells because they aren't so useless. Oh! And I want to learn wandless magic. I need to work on my patronous. I heard you can do it perfectly. Oh yeah! And-"
"Calm down." James laughed. "Get some sleep tonight, maybe we can do something this weekend. Do lessons in here or something. I'll do what I can but you may help me more than I can help you."
Lily yawned and stretched, laying her head on the pillow next to his leg. "Sounds good."
A hour late, James carried Lily up to her room, tucked her under the covers, and retreated back to his room. He left his door open so he could hear across the hall if she needed anything. As he stripped to his boxers, James replayed the past 24 hours in his head. Never did he think that fixing things with Lily was this easy. If he had known he just needed stop being a prat, he would have done this before the summer.
With a small smile on his face, James stretched across his bed. He could only hope this year was as good as he wanted it to be.
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Transitions are a work in progress, spelling is probably off. Please leave gramatics and specifics out of critiques until I edit. It makes me less irritated about my writing. Ha.
:)