An Empty Compartment...Chapter One

Walking purposefully, I faltered as I heard a shrill squeal, and then—

"Lily!"

I turned with a grin towards my best friend of three years, Lola Taylor. Releasing the handle of the trolley sporting my trunk, I met her with a monster hug.

"It's so good to see you!" After going the whole summer without seeing her face-to-face, it was good to be reacquainted with my friend. "Let's find a compartment, shall we?" I said, eyeing the huge clock on the wall of the train station. "And then you can tell me all about your summer!"

Nodding in agreement, Lola hurriedly dragged her luggage over towards me. After heaving the hefty baggage onto the train, we set off to find an empty compartment. Lola and I waded through the crowded aisle, searching apparently in vain for a vacant area. After passing a dozen or so compartments, and still not finding an empty one, we did catch a glimpse ahead of us of our two fellow Gryffindor fourth years, Katrina Reyes and Amanda Davis.

"Mandy!" I called. "Katrina!"

They spun around and waved a greeting, then waited for me and Lola to reach them. I took in the differences in their appearances, noting that Katrina's dark brown, thick, wavy hair now had side bangs added to it, and that her already dark skin looked especially tan. Mandy looked almost the same, her lighter russet hair falling to her shoulders like it always did; only the heavier smattering of freckles across her cheeks revealed that we truly had just come back from a sun-drenched Britain summer.

"Any luck with a compartment?" Lola asked our two other friends, squinting around as if there should have been a sign saying where the empty compartments were.

"Well, obviously not," Katrina scowled. "Everyone's very spread out; some of these compartments have only had two or three people in them."

Just then, our quiet voice of reason spoke up: "Well, we've been through less than half the train. Why don't we continue on before we start carping?" Mandy raised her eyebrows pointedly at Katrina after finishing this proclamation.

"I wasn't carping I was just pointing out—" Katrina started, shooting a glare at Mandy.

I exchanged a smile with Lola. Although Katrina and Mandy were best friends, they argued like an old couple. Be warned though! Point it out to them, and they would instantly turn on you.

All four of us were friends, but Lola and I were best friends, while Mandy and Katrina shared a bond they didn't have with us. Rest assured, we were all very close (who wouldn't be, after living together every school year for three years?), but there was something Lola and I had, that we didn't share with Katrina and Mandy. The same could be said for them in turn.

Eventually, as we moved further down the train, the torrential flow of students thinned as they found empty compartments or spotted their friends, already seated within the small boxes of the train. My friends and I, however, unfortunately seemed to be out of luck. Whenever we thought we had glimpsed a suitable compartment, it turned out to have a couple of intimidating seventh years or some snotty Slytherin kids already occupying it.

Katrina's eyes widened with exasperation as she peered through the glass in the very last compartment of the train to see that there were a couple of timid looking first years nervously saying nothing, as they eyed their new, unfamiliar acquaintances. Uncertainty overwhelmed their young faces.

"You guys," Katrina whined. "This was the last compartment! They're all full." A look of thoughtfulness consumed her face. "We should go in there and scare them out!" she said excitedly.

"No!" Lola said. "How would you feel if someone did that to us, when we were in first year?"

Katrina shrugged, looking skeptical. "No one did, and I haven't got a timeturner, so..." Her hand moved threateningly close to the handle of the compartment door.

I sighed impatiently. "Come on you Katrina, if we're going to kick someone out, at least make it someone who deserves it. And, preferably, we should find a compartment that's not almost full."

Katrina's hand seemed to stretch a couple more inches towards the compartment handle, before she dropped it to her side, a look of deepest regret etched into her face. I laughed at her pout and twirled back towards the front of the train. Mandy and Lola were already ahead of me.

"If we must," muttered Katrina ill temperedly, grudgingly turning to follow me. Her footsteps were sullen as she trailed us. An only child with doting parents, Katrina was used to getting her way. Lola, Mandy, and I, knowing this, were used to her bouts of crankiness at not having something go her way.

After walking for a few minutes, Lola gasped and said, "Here! There's only one person in here." Lola paused. "What is she doing?"

"No matter!" Katrina said brightly, overcoming her surliness. "Come on, let's kick her out, my legs hurt, from all this standing and walking."

Quietly pushing open the door, and stepping inside the compartment, Lola opened her mouth to announce our presence, but instead gasped. She glanced at me, her eyes wide, and attempted to shut the door, but was unsuccessful due to the fact that I had thrust out my hand, suspicious of her fleeting look thrown my way. I forced my way into the compartment, curious at what Lola had been so keen to keep me from seeing.

I soon found out: What we had taken to be one girl, was actually a girl and a boy, so tightly wrapped around one another, it was hard to tell that they were two people and not one. The girl's back was towards the compartment door, her long hair obscuring most of her face. The boy's lips were locked together firmly with hers, and both their eyes were shut tight.

I let out a particularly loud gasp of revulsion, and the boy's eyes opened with surprise. My nausea increased as two hazel orbs met mine, and I caught a glimpse of unruly black hair. Not only had I walked in on someone's snog session, I had walked in on James Potter's.

Untangling his hands quickly from the girl, he shoved her away and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. His eyes were still wide as saucers.

"James," the girl with whom he had been sharing the makeout session protested, disappointedly.

"Evans—" He croaked, ignoring the girl.

"Potter." I said coolly. "Don't let us interrupt you! By all means, carry on with your former... activities." I turned to go, a look of disgust on my face. To my astonishment, I saw Katrina blocking my way.

"No," she said, decisively.

"What?" I said, incredulously confused.

"Lily, I am tired, my legs hurt, and I want to sit down," Katrina continued. She passed me, going into the compartment, and then plopped down on the seat closest to the window, opposite Potter. Mandy followed her, raising her eyebrows pleadingly. I turned to Lola, preparing to walk with her out of there to find another compartment—any other compartment—only to see her smiling coyly at me.

"C'mon Lils. James won't continue that—at least not while you're around." She followed suit of the rest of my friends, and plunked down on the seat next to Mandy. I blushed angrily, cursing my good-for-nothing friends.

"Traitors." I grumbled, but sat down nonetheless. I didn't want to spend the train ride by myself! Glaring daggers at Potter I said loudly, "You can go now, Potter!"

"I—what?" He said, plainly bemused. "Me go?"

"You go," I confirmed.

"What?" His brows furrowed, irritably. "In case you didn't realize, Evans, I was here first." My friend's and his snog partner's heads swiveled back and forth between us. James Potter and Lily Evans were infamous for their heated arguments.

"Well, in case you didn't notice, Potter, my friends and I outnumber you, four to two." I threw half a glance towards the girl. "Or maybe I should say four to one and a half. Knowing the kinds of people you usually date, she probably wouldn't count as one." I smirked, satisfied at a good insult.

To my surprise, Potter blushed a dull red. "We're not dating," he mumbled.

I grinned at his lack of a reply, and pressed my lead. "What, Potter? No witty comeback? No clever retort? Losing your touch, are you?" His eyes narrowed, and I could tell I had struck a nerve. James Potter, arrogant as he was, couldn't bear it if people told him he wasn't good in any aspect.

"Think what you like, Evans," he said coolly slinging an arm around his 'friend.' Our eyes met, and held, his unperturbedly defiant, mine glaring daggers. There was a tight silence, and then I couldn't hold back.

"So,Potter?"

"So, what?" He asked, raising a calculating eyebrow.

"When're you leaving?" I said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

With a grimace and an air of annoyance, he replied, "We've been through this Evans! I was here first!"

I opened my mouth, rapidly coming up with a counter, and in the back of my mind I distantly heard Mandy murmur, "This is gonna be one long train ride..."

THE END

A/N: Well, originally I was going to have this be a one-shot, but I think it might have potential for an actual story. What do you guys think? If no one likes it much, I won't make the effort, but if you want me continue, I will. It would also allow me time to go more in depth with the characters we don't know—it's hard to write three whole characters in one short story.

Well, please review and tell me what you think!