Marauders, Year Four James and Lily

The Hogwarts Express rumbled on the railroad tracks under a particularly dark tunnel as it began its journey. Each of the four boy's faces were cast into a shadow, but this did not hinder their animated conversation.

"Dude, Sirius, where have you been, man?"

"Yeah, I must've sent about a hundred owls over to your place!"

"Me too!"

"I was grounded."

"Oh.did your mom find out about the dungbomb thing?"

"No, I."

"Did Kettleburn rat on you for setting the salamanders loose?"

"No, it was-"

"Oh, so it was the toilet thing, then?"

"If you'll just let me finish my sentence, James-"

At this moment the train emerged from the tunnel and lit up the compartment so suddenly that all four instinctively squinted and shielded their eyes. Now that it's lighter, we can describe the scene with much more accuracy.

A tallish boy with rumpled black hair, electric blue eyes, and a slightly- too-skinny figure sat in the far right. He had his wand in his hand, which he was tapping on the side of his robes unconsciously. James Potter.

Next to him sat another black-haired boy, but his hair was much neater and his physique much more powerful. He had the kind of smile that lights up not only his face but the area around it as well. He was the brave daredevil of the crew. Sirius Black.

Across from them was a tall, good-looking boy with a sheaf of brown hair. He was cheerful and very kindhearted. Only his closest friends noticed the odd streaks of gray in his hair and the dark, haunted look that lingered in his hazel eyes. His leg was bound in a cast and he was stretched across the seats. Remus Lupin.

On the floor of the compartment was a chubby boy with tiny features and a whiny voice. He looked slightly out of place with the three handsome boys. His head was bent over as he concentrated on unwrapping his chocolate frog. Peter Pettigrew.

"Sorry, Sirius. Why were you grounded, then?" James asked.

"Apparently mother was really upset I wasn't made prefect." Sirius said sadly. "And then, yeah, she found out about the salamander thing.I wasn't even allowed to write to Phoebe and tell her I couldn't make it to any of the things we planned."

Remus relaxed his head on the seats and said sleepily, "Bet Phoebe's mad."

"Yeah, that's what I'm afraid of."

"Hey guys! Guys, look! I got Aristotle, guys!" Peter yelled, waving around a chocolate frog card in ecstacy.

"Peter." James shook his head, "Peter, we're fifth years now."

"Seriously, Peter." Remus said, with his eyes closed.

"Anyways, " said Sirius, "I already have about four Aris-"

Suddenly, the door to the compartment banged open and in stomped a furious- looking witch. She had flyaway dark brown hair, a slim figure, and absolutely fuming grey eyes.

"SIRIUS!!!" she yelled.

Remus shot straight up, Peter dropped his precious card, and James whipped his head around as Sirius cowered slightly in the seat next to him.

"Phoebe!" he said weakly. "Long time, no see, eh?"

"Sirius Black!! Where HAVE you been?" she asked, her voice loud and angry as she whipped out her wand.

Sirius looked at her wand apprehensively. "You're not.You wouldn't." He touched the tip pushed it slightly away from him.

"Tell me where the hell you were all summer."

"I was gr-"

"Oh my god, it wasn't that Carol hoe in Hufflepuff, was it? Someone told me she liked you, but I never thought that.oh my god, Sirius."

"No! I was grounded! I don't like Carol!"

"You were grounded?"

"Grounded! Believe it or not!"

She looked at him for a few seconds.

"Well, you could've sent me an owl to tell me." she said, her anger subsiding almost as quickly as it had flared up.

"My parents locked Vinc up. I'm sorry.I missed you." He smiled and got up to give her a proper hug.

She hugged him back. "I missed you too."

He grinned mischievously and said softly, "Want to go back to an empty compartment? Only you and I have a lot of catching up to do."

Phoebe laughed. "Ok, come on. Bye James, Remus, Petey.sorry for yelling."

* * * * *

James said, "Well, that's the last we'll see of Sirius for a while."

Remus snored softly in the seat across from him.

Peter had gone to get more food.

It was very quiet.

James sighed. "Wish I had a girlfriend."

* * * * *

Many famed couples throughout history have their fate dictated to them by the stars. It is, perhaps, quite a coincidence they ever met. Maybe one could call it a miracle, even. If Romeo chose not to go to the Capulet's ball.Had Rhett Butler decided not to visit Ashley's manor.If Cleopatra and her brother hadn't fought.The list goes on and on. Whatever it was that brought those couples together, we can only assume it is an extreme coincidence that Lily Evans came into James Potter's compartment the moment he uttered those words.

Lily Evans was very beautiful. She used to be skinny and pale, but over the summer she had suddenly blossomed into the category of 'beautiful'. She knew it herself, perhaps, but did not preen it or overemphasize it to the point that others became jealous. Thus she maintained good looks and a friendly personality.

Lily Evans was very popular.

She had wavy reddish-brown hair, slight freckles, a daintily turned up nose, pouting red lips, and deep green eyes bordered by the thickest of black lashes. She was surrounded by four girls with equally pretty features, and they were all talking and laughing and discussing exciting events that had occurred over the summer.

She was sitting in the farthest corner, with her legs drawn up and arms wrapped around them, deep in thought. Although she loved gossip as much as the next chick, two hours of it- and she had checked her watch- seemed too much. Anyways, she had things on her mind.

She got up amidst cries of "Lily! What's wrong?" "Where are you going, Tiger?"

She smiled and explained that she had a headache and was going to sit in a quiet compartment.

She opened a compartment door and slipped inside.

James looked up. "Hello." he said.

She whirled around. "Oh, no.James Potter." she whispered, under her breath. James had been in several of her classes the previous years, and he had struck her as an egoistic, annoying, dumb jock. She thought he recognized her as well and waited for him to throw a funny insult her way, as usual. When he stared up at her quietly, she replied stiffly, "Hello, James."

He didn't recognize her. However, was not surprised she knew his name; his skills at Quidditch, his good looks, and his mischievous ways kept him in the limelight at school. But he felt he had seen her face somewhere before.

"Do I know you?" He asked curiously. "Are you in Gryffindor as well?"

She was taken aback. "Don't you remember me, then?" she asked, a slightly hurt edge to her voice. She had talked to him quite a lot and she didn't fancy herself the kind of person who is easily forgotten.

"No." seeing her face fall, he added, "Sorry, I must have an awful memory. Why don't you sit down?"

She remained standing. She disliked James and did not intend to chat with him, however charming he acted.

"Its me, Lily! Lily Evans. " she said.

"Lily! No way!" he remembered Lily, of course he did, that little brainy shrimp who sat in front of him, but how could this be Lily? "I mean, seriously?"

"Yes." she said testily.

He surveyed her with a new, respectful look. Damn, she looked.she looked really good. Her eyes were so.beautiful. She was beautiful. His eyes lingered over her curves and lips, causing a very pregnant pause in the conversation.

"Wow, you've.um.grown? Why don't you sit down?" He moved slightly to one side and indicated the empty space. "Sirius is gone and I doubt he'll ever come back.ever."

She looked at him coldly. He would have never, ever been so.so nice to her last year. She suspected he was warming up to make fun of her. Or else he had changed impossibly. Either way, she was leaving.

"That's okay." she said. "I have to go, um, back, anyways. See you."

Not having the least idea that he had just been turned down, James called back, "Okay, Lily! I'll see you later, then!"

He settled down for a quiet nap like Remus, with a smile on his face. He had found his soon-to-be-new girlfriend.