A/N: Well, we're off to a great start. I've already redone Chapter 1! I've moved the previous Chapter 1 to Chapter 2. This is a non-canon story that shows a different relationship between Lily and James. I'm not big on OC characters, so you will see very little (if any) of them.

Chapter one:

Leisurely strolling through the barrier, a certain messy-haired boy stopped to tie his shoe in front of the exquisite Hogwarts Express. It'd been a long summer, and James felt more exhausted than usual. He quickly steadied himself and made way for the train, knowing he had less than a minute to make himself comfortable before it left the station.

"Oi, Prongs!" James looked up to see a scraggy black-haired boy leaning dangerously outside a compartment window. "Where've you been all morning?" his mate Sirius yelled, "the bloody train is leaving!"

James scoffed and hopped on the steps just as the Hogwarts Express started to roll out of the station. He really did have some ridiculously lucky timing. Keeping his head down to avoid having to greet people in the corridors, James set off to find his mates' compartment. Running a hand through his messy hair, James Potter started to get frustrated with his compartment hunt. Suddenly, he heard an explosion from the next compartment. Sure enough, when he slid open the door, James found his fellow Mauraders playing a casual game of exploding snap.

"'Ey, Prongs, have a nice summer?" Remus asked with a glance, before turning back to the board and taking his turn.

Shoulders stiffening slightly, James ignored the question and sat down next to Remus, asking "Mm, how was yours?"

"Please tell me you finally snogged a girl over break, Moony?" Sirius cut in, smirking at his friend.

"No," Remus glared at him."However, I did get a head start on classes for this year, and I shouldn't be too behind during my 'furry little problem' each month."

"Typical Prefect,"Sirius groaned and reclined in his seat, brushing soot off his shirt from the latest explosion. "I pray to Merlin you don't get made Head Boy next year. Then we're really fucked."

"You act like being Prefect is a curse, Padfoot. Trust me, it's quite a cup of tea compared to my actual curse," Remus calmly stated from his seat by the window. He didn't look upset, but there was a sense of grim acceptance in his expression.

Sirius rolled his eyes and considered his good friend, "Seriousness aside, at least your 'furry little problem' gives us something to do. Prefect, on the other hand, is becoming a pain in my arse." Sirius nudged Remus with his foot to show he was just playing, though.

"Glad I can provide entertainment," Remus stated dryly and rolled his own eyes.

"Shit, I forgot my lighter," Sirius realized as he pulled a smoke out of his pant's pocket. "You think a spark from Exploding Snap could light it?"

"I've got mine," James said as he tossed the lighter to Sirius.

"Thanks, mate," Sirius said before taking a long drag.

-2 hours later-

James had been quietly brooding by the windowsill with his smokes for the past half hour, while his mates ate sweets and played Exploding Snap. Suddenly, the other three boys turned their attention to him. Peter put a hand on James's shoulder and asked, "Mate, did something happen over the summer? You seem off."

"Just tired," James grumbled before turning away from the window and facing the rest of them, "now let's plan something for the welcoming feast..."

"Well, I have something that may interest you, Prongs," Sirius drawled with a glint in his eyes. "I've been thinking of a few things we could do to...liven up the Welcoming Feast. We've got a bunch of fresh meat to play with."

James sighed and leaned the back of his head against his seat. "You guys go ahead and plan something. I'm thinking of heading down to the kitchens for dinner."

"The kitchens?" Sirius yelped. "And miss the Sorting? No way can you miss messing with the new kids. Plus, we always assess which girls have transitioned from Ugly-Duckling to Swan-Goddess during the Feast. That's tradition, Prongs! Do you really wanna mess with tradition?"

"Yeah, okay," James muttered. "I'll come to the Feast, but you're on your own with the Firsties."

"More meat for me," Sirius agreed with a wolfish grin. "Can't complain about that."