A.N - Hey everyone! So this is my second fanfic, and my first actual attempt at a story longer than a one-shot! I only have a basic outline for this story so far, but I've been thinking about it for quite a bit now, so I'm hoping it will really take off. I only have the first two chapters completed, but I'm working as hard and fast as I can, so hopefully I'll be making updates as fast as possible! Reviews would be LOVELY so leave one whether you like it or hate it because I need feedback. Either way, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize from Harry Potter. All I own is any characters you don't recognize. But if you thought I owned it all before, really, you can keep thinking it. I won't mind ;).

Audrey Bennett tapped her foot impatiently on the platform ground, gritting her teeth.

Glancing at her watch she saw it was ten fifty-six exactly. The Hogwarts Express would be leaving platform nine and three-quarters in four minutes, and if James Potter was not there in time, Audrey would be furious.

"Dear, James seems to be running behind. Don't you think you should hop on the train and meet him there?" Mrs Bennett asked quietly, straining to peer around and see if she could spot her messy-haired neighbour.

Audrey whipped around to face her mum, and had the familiar yet still odd feeling that she was looking at herself, only 20 years older. Audrey and her mum were both tall with chestnut brown hair, big, deep blue eyes and full pink lips. Audrey was constantly told she looked exactly like her mother had when she was her age. They looked more like sister's than mother and daughter. The only difference was that while Mrs Bennett kept her hair cropped short, Audrey let hers flow down her back, almost to her waist.

"Mum, this is our tradition! Since first year we have boarded the train together, and so help me, if James misses our final time boarding the Hogwarts Express I will kill him!" Audrey growled, searching among the people for any sign of James.

Her mother sighed but Audrey ignored it; glancing at her watch again she saw there was only two minutes left until the train would leave for Hogwarts. Audrey glared at the entranceway to the platform, willing James to appear through it.

As though she had actually caused it to happen, James and another boy raced through the gateway, both looking flustered. Audrey clicked her tongue impatiently as she watched the two hurry to the train and heave their trunks onto it.

"Ah, there he is, dear", Mrs Bennett said, looking thoroughly relieved that her daughter's best friend had made it. "Well, I'll be seeing you at Christmas then dear. Have a wonderful semester!"

Hugging her mum tightly, Audrey said, "Bye mum, see you soon!" and stalked over to the train, which was now whistling loudly.

Hopping lightly onto the train and closing the door behind her, Audrey folded her arms and glared at James Potter, her neighbour and best friend, by what she considered to be unfortunate circumstances. James and she had grown up next to one another all their lives, and their parents had always been quite close. Since birth, she and James had been pushed together, and over time they had become best friends. Their parents had always hoped they would become more than friends, but it had never been like that. They were best friends, and best friends only, and it had taken the better part of sixteen years for their parents to realize that. As much as Audrey whined about James, she loved him very much and was glad to have him as one of her best friends.

James was lean yet muscular, from playing Quidditch for five years, and had extremely messy black hair. He wore round glasses and had big hazel eyes. He was very attractive and had loads of girls swooning over him, but since third year he had been in love with Audrey's other best friend, Lily Evans. Audrey didn't understand why the two just couldn't get along, but after six years of it, she'd come to realize that there was nothing she could do about it, and was just thankful she had them both.

Realizing she was losing her anger, Audrey quickly took a deep breath and, glaring at James, started her rant.

"James Potter! You missed our tradition of getting on the train together! How could you?! This is our final year and if this is how it's starting off I don't even want to know how the rest of it's going to be! You had me worried sick, what could possibly have made you so late that you barely caught the train?!"

"Sirius", James replied, glowering at the boy beside him, who was grinning sheepishly.

"I really need those extra few minutes in the bathroom!" Sirius Black defended, pushing his hair back from his face and grinning at James and Audrey.

Audrey turned her attention to Sirius. Sirius was a tall, muscular boy, with long black hair to his shoulders, stormy grey eyes and an aristocratic look about him. He was extremely attractive and even Audrey couldn't help but notice just how good-looking he was, even though they'd been good friends for six years. She didn't like to admit it, and never had except to Lily, but Audrey had had a huge crush on Sirius from second year to sixth. It had only ended when she'd had her first serious boyfriend, just last year.

Audrey, Lily, James and Sirius were all seventh-year Gryffindor's, and for the most part, all friends. The boys' other two roommates, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew were also part of their group, as was Alice Taylor, the girls' roommate.

Shaking her head, Audrey rolled her eyes. "I've got a compartment in the middle, if you two want to come there", she said, motioning for them to get their trunks and start moving.

"Well, I would love to Aud", James started nervously, running a hand through his hair. "Thing is…I kinda have to go to the prefect's compartment because I've been made Head Boy", he finished in a rush, recoiling from her slightly.

Audrey stared. "You were made Head Boy?" She asked, completely shell-shocked.

"That's what I said!" Sirius said, laughing.

Audrey started laughing too. "What was Dumbledore thinking letting you be Head Boy? Oh, this should be a good year, that's for sure".

Sirius and Audrey were now practically holding each other up as they laughed at James, who looked thoroughly annoyed.

"Cut it out you guys", he whined, as they wiped tears from their eyes, still chuckling. "I'm going to be the best Head Boy Hogwarts has ever seen, and you two will be eating your words soon enough!" He glared at them, and the two forced their smiles back, pretending to agree.

"That's right James, the best Head Boy ever", Audrey repeated, trying to hide a grin. "You run along then, make us proud".

James glared at her again.

"You'll both see", he said, whipping around and stalking towards the Prefect's compartment. "And while you're both doing nothing, why don't you make yourselves useful and take my trunk to your compartment?" He called over his shoulder, and Audrey could see a tell-tale smirk forming on his face.

Sirius and Audrey looked at each other, and both broke into peals of laughter again.

"I can't wait to see how this all turns out", Audrey grinned, picking up an end of James' trunk. "James as Head Boy? What is Hogwarts coming to?"

Sirius shook his head and grabbed an end of his trunk. The two walked together, pulling the trunks along until they reached Audrey's compartment.

Hoisting the trunks onto the luggage rack above, Sirius broke the silence.

"I pity the Head Girl this year, she'll definitely have her hands full with James", he said, laughing.

Audrey laughed too, and then stopped abruptly, frozen.

"Aud? What's up?" Sirius asked worriedly, glancing over at her.

"I've just remembered", she murmured, looking horrified.

"Just remembered what?" Sirius asked, bewildered.

Audrey stared up at him, unsure whether to laugh or cry.

"Lily owled me last week. She's Head Girl."

Sirius and Audrey sat in complete silence, staring in opposite directions. Audrey picked at a loose strand on the sleeve of her shirt, and Sirius was twisting his hands together anxiously.

The compartment door slid open, and Sirius and Audrey both cringed, expecting a furious Lily or a crushed James.

"You guys don't look so good", Peter Pettigrew, a short chubby boy observed, peering at the pair.

Audrey and Sirius shrugged, but neither said anything.

"What's with you two?" Peter asked, bemused.

Sirius and Audrey glanced at each other. "Well, James has been made Head Boy", Sirius said, trailing off.

"And Lily's been made Head Girl", Audrey finished, wincing at the thought.

Peter cringed.

"Good Lord, what are we going to do?" Peter asked, looking rather scared.

"That's what we were just thinking. What if Lily kills James?" Sirius said quietly, looking genuinely terrified at the thought.

Audrey laughed and the two boys glanced at her.

"Sorry", she said, holding back another laugh. "Come on you guys, she won't kill him! She'll just be…angry. I mean, this isn't the worst thing he's done, it's not even his fault this time".

Peter shook his head. "I don't think Lily will see it that way. Remember when McGonagall paired them as partners that one class two years ago?"

Everyone in the compartment shuddered.

"It's lucky McGonagall was watching and able to rush over to them before Evans attacked James", Sirius said, in a rather hushed tone. "I still wonder just what curse she was talking about when she said he'd never be able to have children once she was done with him".

"You know, I asked her about that after. She told me not to worry about it, that she wouldn't use it unless absolutely necessary", Audrey said thoughtfully, remembering that day two years ago.

"Point is, if she wanted to, she could kill him", Sirius said shakily. "If they're not back in ten minutes, I say we go check out the prefect's compartment".

"Sirius, calm down. Remus is with them too, he's a prefect, and you know he wouldn't let anything happen. They'll be back soon, just you two wait and see", Audrey said, glancing at the compartment and hoping Lily didn't use that curse she was talking about two years previously.

For the next five minutes the three remained completely silent, staring anxiously at the door. Just as Audrey was going to say maybe they should go and see what was going on, the trio jumped at a shout heard outside the compartment.

"I don't know how you did it Potter but I will be speaking with Dumbledore about this! You must have done some serious Dark magic to force him to make you Head Boy, and I wouldn't be surprised if you were expelled before term even started!"

Sirius and Audrey looked at each other and quickly tried to stifle their laughter as they heard the voices coming closer.

"Aw, Evans, it's not my fault Dumbledore chose me! Maybe he actually thought I'd be a good Head Boy! Are you going against what Dumbledore thinks, Evans? Because – ",

James was cut off by Lily, laughing shrilly.

"Dumbledore, think you would be a good Head Boy?! That's a laugh right there! Anyone who would think you would make a good Head Boy has clearly gone round the bend!"

Before James could respond, the door to Sirius, Peter and Audrey's compartment was pushed open, and Lily Evans stood before the three, breathing heavily. James was behind her, looking annoyed and pleadingly at her. Remus stood a little ways back from the two, looking like he'd been in the midst of a battle.

"Oh, look, it's my ex-best friend. You know, the one who I put up with even though she insists on being best friends with Potter. The one who insists we hang out with the Marauders even though they drive me absolutely crazy! The one who didn't even tell me that James-effing-Potter was made Head Boy when she knew I had been made Head Girl!" Lily shouted, her eyes shining with rage.

"Lily, if I'd known James had been made Head Boy I would have told you", Audrey sighed, really not wanting to fight with her friend. "I only just found out when we got on the train. He never told me, I didn't see him this past week at all because I was in Wales with my mum, remember?"

Lily calmed down slightly and looked at Audrey rather guiltily.

"You're right, I'm sorry Aud, I totally forgot you hadn't even been home all week", she said apologetically.

"Don't worry about it", Audrey said, glad Lily wasn't mad at her anymore. "I know James drives you nuts, I would have told you if I'd known".

"Well, if you're going to stay here, I'm going to go find Alice", Lily said, speaking about their other roommate, Alice Taylor.

Audrey nodded. "Sure, I'll come in with you girls in a bit".

Lily waved to Audrey, nodded curtly to the boys in the compartment and glowered at James who smiled weakly. She then stalked off, searching for a compartment that did not hold James Potter, or any other Marauder for that matter.

Once Lily had left the compartment, Remus and James scuttled in, James sitting beside Audrey and Remus sitting across from them between Sirius and Peter.

"That was the most bloody brutal prefect's meeting I have ever been to", Remus muttered, putting his head in his hands. "It's going to be a long year with you two always going at it".

"I don't 'go at it' with her, she does with me! I tried to be nice, did you see that Moony? Did you see when I offered to pass out the timetables? She smacked me on the head with them, and then passed them out herself!" James said indignantly, lying across the seat and putting his head in Audrey's lap.

Sirius snorted and everyone turned to look at him.

"I'm just picturing it", he said, grinning. "It'll be a rough year for you two, having to deal with Evan's and all".

"Hey!" Audrey interrupted. "Lily is a wonderful person; they don't have to 'deal with her'. Just because this one," she slapped James lightly on the head, "can't stop asking her out and pining over her doesn't mean she's a temperamental cow. It would drive any girl nuts!"

James looked up at her from her lap, his eyes wide behind his glasses. "But Aud, I didn't even ask her out", he whined, looking distraught. "I was very friendly and I didn't act conceited at all!"

Audrey opened her mouth to say something very sceptical about that but Remus cut across her.

"It's true, Audrey. He was trying, he didn't ask her out once, and didn't make any conceited comments, as far as I could tell".

"Well, she was probably just expecting one to come out sooner or later", Audrey said, shrugging and absently playing with James' hair. "If you just give her space she'll see the James Potter we all know and love. Well, the James Potter we all know", she teased.

James looked up at her sadly.

"Aud, why don't you love me?" He asked, looking thoroughly depressed.

Audrey laughed and bent down, kissing him on the nose.

"I do love you James, don't be silly", she said, smiling at him and continuing to play with his hair.

James turned his head and looked at the boys across from him smugly. "Did ya hear that guys? She loves me".

Remus and Peter laughed but Sirius shrugged; he looked very tense and annoyed.

"Sirius, are you alright?" Remus asked curiously. "You've been awfully quiet".

"Fine", Sirius shrugged again. "Just hungry. I'll go see if the trolley's come by yet, shall I?" And before anyone could say another word, he had gotten out of his seat and left the compartment.

Audrey frowned after him. "That was weird. He was being perfectly normal before".

James looked worriedly at Remus and Peter.

"What did I say?" He asked, bewildered.

Remus and Peter shook their heads, and the four looked concernedly at the door Sirius had just exited through, wondering what was going on with him.

After about half an hour, Sirius had still not returned to the compartment, and Audrey announced she was going to sit in with the girl's for a while and catch up with them. Kissing James on the cheek, and waving cheerfully to the other two, Audrey swept from the compartment and rushed to meet her friends.

"So Sirius fancies Audrey, hmm?" Remus said, not raising his glance from the book he was reading.

James, who had been lying across the seats, fell off and toppled to the ground, his mouth open in shock. Peter had gasped and was abruptly choking on a particularly large piece of Drooble's Best Blowing Gum.

Remus raised his eyes and looked surprised at the state of his friends.

"Oh", he said uncomfortably. "Never mind that, I just thought it was rather obvious, but, er, well I'll be getting back to my book, then". Raising the book in front of his reddening face Remus pretended to become completely absorbed with it.

"Moony! Does he really? How do you know? Why didn't he tell me?" James asked indignantly, not moving from his spot on the floor.

Remus closed his book with a sigh and glanced wearily at James.

"Yes I think he really does, I know because he only got mad after Audrey had said she loved you and kissed you on the nose, and he didn't tell you because he doesn't want to believe he actually has feelings for someone, I suppose, and also he would think it would upset you, him fancying your best mate and all".

James surveyed Remus seriously for a moment, then said suspiciously, "You can read minds, can't you? I always wondered, and I think it's true!"

Peter looked at Remus in amazement and, having finally swallowed the piece of gum, he asked, "Moony, what am I thinking right now?"

Remus rolled his eyes. "No, I can't read minds you idiots. It's just rather obvious, is all. It's not my fault you're both self-absorbed and oblivious". Picking up his book, Remus returned to the page he had been reading.

"Only…let's not tell him we know, hmm? He could get in one of those dark moods, you know how Padfoot can be", he said over the top of his book, turning the page easily.

James and Peter stared at each other, completely dumbfounded and nodded mutely. Picking himself up off the floor at last, James sat in his seat and stared out the window. He had come to three conclusions throughout the train ride. One, Lily Evans was always going to hate him, no matter what. Two, Sirius fancied Audrey, however odd that might seem, because if Moony said so, then it was likely to be true. And three, Remus wasn't an ordinary werewolf. He was a mind-reading werewolf, and James figured he'd have to admit it sooner or later.