I hate, never mind, I shouldn't say hate, I despise, loathe, dislike strongly, disparage, mourn the rain. It soaks my bones and seeps into every crevice my body has to offer. This time of year, early September to be precise, it was only too apparent that the rain would stop for nothing, save a sunny day. That's why I despise the rain, because it's something I can't control.
I was walking to platform 9 & ¾ like I always did this time of year, pulling my rolling suitcase behind me. My cat Nolan was tucked under my jacket beneath my breast, clawing lightly at my stomach whenever it felt the slightest dampness. I must have been quite a sight to all the muggles around me, looking like I did.
When I arrived, flushed and shivering from the cold, I was greeted by the last minute warning from the Hogwarts express telling everyone precisely how on-time it intended to be. Of course it was never late, leaving the platform at 11 o'clock without delay on September first.
"Gods Kilgore, can't even afford a cage for your cat. Or do you just enjoy having a body close to you?" cackled Lucius Malfoy from behind his group of pureblood cronies. They didn't like me from my first day in first year. It had only been a year since they laid eyes on me but they still continued to make low remarks about my fortune, or lack thereof, and blood status. Luckily it was his last year at Hogwarts and couldn't torture me afterwards.
I ignored them, stepping on to the train and finding a compartment that was nearly empty save a red-head girl that I recognized to be from my house and a greasy haired boy who I didn't think I had ever seen before.
"I'm sorry, but may I sit here?" I stuck my head in just enough so that if someone were to slam it I would hopefully escape unscathed.
"Of course!" cried the red-head, pushing her book closed for a moment to usher me in before opening it once again.
"I really do apologize." I muttered, pulling my suitcase in behind me. "I just didn't want to share a compartment with a Slytherin."
"You spoke to soon." snapped the black haired boy, finally looking up at me.
"I-I didn't know. You really aren't that bad it's just a few of you are… quite terrible." I stumbled for a moment before backing up slowly, heading for the door.
"And you call yourself a Gryffindor." The boy mumbled. "Stay, I wouldn't want the Slytherin's getting to you now would we." His tone was predatory now, but went unnoticed by the girl next to him.
I stood on the bench and hoisted my suitcase onto the overhead compartment, letting Nolan scramble down my side. I stepped off the bench on to the floor and turned myself around, straightening out my skirt and looking at them expectantly.
"I should have introduced myself, I'm Polly Kilgore." I smiled and sat down.
"Lily Evans, you have a very… interesting name Polly." said the girl, looking up from her book and smiling back with a curious tilt of the head.
"Severus Snape." The boy replied curtly.
"I know, but it has a lot of character don't you think." I told her enthusiastically. "My mother was quite adamant when it came to cheering up our dreary family name. My father wanted to name me something like Evangeline or Juniper but my mother insisted on naming me something that sounded happy like Polly! Of course afterwards she discovered that my name meant bitter in Latin. It also means wished-for child, which I was not, and rebellion which I have never experienced." I ranted on for a few moments more until I realized how completely uninterested both of them were.
Instead of continuing the one-sided conversation I sat back and cradled Nolan in my arms as he nibbled at my cardigans buttons. I wasn't inclined to read away my ride to school but rather to think about the morbid circumstances I'd have to overcome this year. The most prominent of which had to be Lucius Malfoy and his cronies.
Surely they'd become bored with me at some point? I wasn't as responsive as some of their other victims and I was a half-blood which made me seem like less of a threat to their perfect world than some. I wasn't very pretty, I had dull brown hair and my pre-pubescent body was all but seductive. Why was I the one to elicit his demons?
My train of thought was interrupted by the compartment door being opened by a pleasantly plump woman with a cart full of treats.
"Anything from the trolley dears?" She asked sweetly, but before we could reply she was nearly knocked over by a boy with shaggy brown hair and glasses.
"Evans! I've been looking for you everywhere. You look… excellent. Wow Evans you really do look fantastic!" He only rested for a moment before turning to Severus and muttering "Snivellus." And nodding his head.
"Go away Potter. Can't you see we're busy?" She looked up from her book distractedly before resting her hand on Severus's arm.
I sat there observing, wondering what relationship was between these classmates that I was not familiar with. After a few moments of hearing quips from both ends I let out a loud sigh and said "My name is Polly Kilgore, and yours is?" I directed it at the new boy with classes.
He looked at me perplexed for a moment before looking at Lily who was far to busy examining her book to think about him and looked back at me. "James Potter. Are you new this year? Are you a first year perhaps."
I let out a sharp laugh before saying "No, just quiet. If it makes you feel better I've never noticed you either." He looked disappointed for a moment before stepping into the compartment and sitting down next to me.
"Evans, do you want sit with Sirius and the gang?"I scoffed for a moment.
'Sirius,' I thought 'what an interesting name.' It means sparkling or scorching. A very passionate name for someone I didn't know. Its roots were Greek, like many names, and were weaved into the stars. I was jealous of that name and its deep meaning.
"James is quite a powerful name you know." I interrupted once again, aware of the tense atmosphere around me. "It means someone who takes power by force. Is that you James?" He looked at me, once again confused as to my intentions.
"Did I ask you?" He turned to face me fully, hands on his hips in a daring manner.
"I suppose you didn't, but it doesn't change the fact that your name is fascinating."
Severus was now looking at me in a strange admiration. I suppose it is admirable to be a walking dictionary for name meanings but it was rather odd.
"What exactly does Lily mean?" Severus asked, his gaze dully piercing mine.
"It means blossoming flower, innocence and purity, etc." I told him pointedly. "It's very romantic I think." I added.
"And Severus?" Lily inquired, looking pleased at her names meaning, ignoring James' fawning glance.
"Quite the contrary, Severus means severe." I laughed a little. "Doesn't it fit him so well." Severus said nothing. He just returned to his book.
"You never answered my question Evans." James persisted.
"I'm sorry but no." Lily quipped.
"Do you mind if we join you then?"
"The compartment is much too small!"
"I will sit on the floor for you." I let out a short bark before turning back to the window with a wide smile.
"Fine, do what you will James." Lily waved off the boy and he strode out of the compartment with his hands buried in his pockets looking rather pleased.
He came back a moment later with three others in tow. One was tall with dark eyes, he looked tired and begrudged. One was short and plumb with thin hair and beady eyes. The last one who stood beside James was middle height with short black hair and light eyes. He showed signs of becoming handsome in the future but was only just beginning his journey into adulthood.
"Hello Remus." Lily acknowledged the tired looking boy before once again burying her head in her book.
"Not even going to say hi to me?" Said the handsome boy, sitting next to me before leaning forward to speak to Lily.
I thought he had to be Sirius. He definitely had the spark and passion that name entailed not to mention the looks to go with it.
"Sirius." Lily nodded, not even looking up from the text.
"I'm Polly." I said turning to him with a smile, but he obviously wasn't interested in me.
"So Snivellus, I see you didn't wash your hair all summer." Sirius snapped.
"I wouldn't be surprised if it was infested with lice." Said the pudgy boy.
"Actually hair that is matted and greasy is less likely to get lice than thin clean hair." I motioned to his sad mop.
"Do you insist on interrupting." snapped Sirius, loosing his calm manner.
"Yes." I stated simply before turning back to the window.
"She's an odd one." muttered the tired boy.
"Can't you see she's just trying to stop you boys from fighting." I looked at Lily for a moment, shocked at her insight into my actions. She was only partially correct since I rather enjoyed interrupting. "Maybe you should just leave," she set her book beside her "it would make things so much easier."
"Fine, we'll leave." said an indignant James.
The group of boys left, leaving Severus Lily and I alone once again.
"What were those boys names?" I asked, picking up Nolan and setting him on the seat beside me since no one occupied it anymore.
"The tall boy's name is Remus, he's a decent fellow. The short boy was Peter, he always gives me the creeps a little, and then the black haired boy-" She was cut off.
"-Is Sirius." finished Severus. "Now pray tell, what do their name's mean?"
"Well Remus was the founder of Rome along with his brother Romulus. They were cared for by wolves if I remember correctly. The meaning itself is unknown. Peter means rock, isn't that funny since he is obviously just an insecure teenager." I laughed.
"And Sirius?" Severus asked, interested in my answer.
"It means scorching or sparkling, a very interesting name." I smiled down at my lap, enraptured in the memory of the handsome boys face.
"It doesn't suit him at all." Lily said, facing me with imminent disdain written on her face.
"I don't mean to barge in on your life, but what's your relationship with these boys?" I inquired.
"Relationship, ha!" Lily scoffed. "Those boys make more trouble than they're worth." I turned to Severus this time and looked at him expectantly.
"I have no opinions about them." He looked away from me.
"Surely you do, the way you looked at them told me so." I smiled sweetly.
"If you know so much why are you asking." He snapped.
I didn't know how to reply, I was taken aback by his sharp tongue and aggressive tone. "I should probably be quiet now."
"That would be preferable."
"Severus!" cried lily, taken aback by his aggressive rude manner. "No, Polly I find you quite interesting."
"Really, because most everyone finds me irritating. I know why, I talk too much but I don't mind." I was shocked by her nearly affectionate words.
"I find you really entertaining actually. Where did you learn all the name meanings?" she leaned forward in an interested pose.
"I'm not sure actually, my mother always liked name meanings and I guess I just got interested to. I used to ask people when I first met them what their names mean and now I just tell them." I laughed, bemused by my own odd intellect.
"Surely you're in Ravenclaw with a memory like that?" Lily inquired.
"No, I'm in Gryffindor, though the hat wanted me in Ravenclaw." I told her, also leaning forward.
"Why didn't you go, I assume you would do well."
"I'm not sure, I just said that I wanted to be amongst people who would understand me." The thought made me wild in delight. "So he put me in Gryffindor, funny how things turn out though. No friends in any house, let alone my own." I smiled sweetly at her.
She was confused by my cheerful tone and asked "Surely you have some friends?"
"They think I'm odd. I can't blame them, seeing as I tend to tell people their name meanings when I first meet them."
Lily let out a high pitched laugh and smiled at me.
"Well you have a friend now so don't complain to much ok?"
That statement shocked me. I had never had an official friend before. I had people I got on with reasonably well and people who thought I was funny but only listened and never spoke back.
"I honestly don't know what to say to that." I replied, cocking my head to the side and smiling.
"So eat dinner with me at Hogwarts, and I'll introduce you to the girls." I cringed at the thought.
I never liked the girls in our year, they were ditsy and rude and spoke of boys and hair and little else. Philosophy and human nature had never entered their pre-pubescent mind.
"They aren't too bad I assure you." Lily laughed at my disgusted expression. "Some of them even have half a brain!"
"I thought that was impossible." I laughed along with her.
"Just look at you and me then, we both are intelligent young women." Severus scoffed. "We have more intellect than a teacup." He scoffed again.
"Why Severus are you implying something?" I inquired, looking at him sardonically.
"Only that I don't understand why women must constantly praise their intellect then bash their own appearance." Severus muttered.
"It's true though, I'm not pretty at all." Lily looked down at her petite hands.
"Don't be silly you're gorgeous, I'm the ugly one." I looked at her passionately.
"That's not true at all, I'm so jealous of your beautiful blue eyes. Mine are just a drab green."
"Your hair is the most magnificent thing I've ever seen. It's such a pretty color!"
"You have the daintiest wrists, very ladylike unlike mine which are manly."
"At least you don't have a dreadful manly figure. A pole has more curves than me."
"This is ridiculous, you're both… attractive young woman and I swear whichever one of you says one meaner thing about yourself is going to get… something." Severus finally broke in.
"You have to realize we're women and therefore have little to no self esteem." I told him calmly.
"Yes, and also we seek compliments by insulting ourselves." Lily added.
"You two are ridiculous, that's what you are." Severus huffed before leaving us to our girlish conversation.