Part One: Chapter One
"As usual, there is a great woman behind every idiot." - John Lennon
Running through the wall always freaked Lily Evans out. After six years of crossing in Platform 9 ¾, she knew she should be used to it- but she wasn't. Maybe it was her muggle upbringing, but when running into the gate, she always had a brief moment of fear that she would crash and everyone would look at her like she was crazy. And maybe this whole magic thing was just a crazy, bizarre, extremely long dream.
But no. She always went into the wall and came out on Platform 9 ¾ to the Hogwarts Express. Because being a witch wasn't a dream, it was actually her life. As Lily prepared to run into the wall, however, the sinking fear that she would crash seeped into her stomach and she swallowed nervously, trying to focus on other things.
See, for Lily Evans, September first always began as a bad day. Petunia, her sister, was downright horrible to be around. This morning, when her parents tried to get Petunia to come to the station with them, Petunia simply screamed that she would not accompany a freak she couldn't stand to some freak station because she simply had better things to do. After a long struggle, her parents realized they were late, and there would be no time to drive Lily to the station, so Lily had to floo to a nearby wizarding restaurant and walk to Kings Cross, saying her goodbyes at home.
Now, normally the struggle with Petunia to come to the station was shorter, and usually she eventually gave in, and the fight wasn't as long. So despite the hostility, Lily got to say goodbye to her parents and sister at King's Cross. However, she was not so lucky today, and therefore she was in a very bad mood.
September first never, ever started out as a good day.
Remembering the debacle of the morning just made Lily feel worse, which distracted her from the fear in her stomach, so she ran into the wall with thoughts of her family weighing heavily in her mind. Entering through the other side, Lily felt a bit of relief flood her, because this was real. And even though September first never, ever started out as a good day, it always ended as a good day.
Because September first was the day Lily headed back to Hogwarts Schools of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where she did not feel like a freak; she felt accepted because she actually fit in (for the most part). Before she'd gone to school, before Severus had shown her that there were more people like her, Lily had always been the odd one out. And now she wasn't.
Struggling with her trunk, Lily set off toward the Hogwarts Express, her bad mood fading slightly at the idea of the school and seeing her friends once more. The air in Platform 9 ¾ was thick with the exhaust of the train, and the entire platform was filled with noise. She watched a little redheaded boy chase a giggling brunette, the mother of the two struggling to get them to control themselves while also saying goodbye to what looked like a very embarrassed first year.
Lilly saw a couple in fifth year holding hands as they boarded the train, and smiling slightly to herself, she followed suit. Dragging her loaded trunk up the steps with a thunk, she walked down the thin aisles, looking for an empty compartment. Upon finding one, Lily settled in, throwing her trunk in the rack above and settling down, pulling out a book.
Curled up against the window, Lily began to read, pleased to almost be leaving. Just as she got into her novel, however, the compartment door slid open, and a short brunette with curly hair, pale skin, and dark brown eyes stepped in. The girl's uncontrollably curly hair had been attempted to be pulled back, and there was a large smile on her face.
"Wotcher," Mary said said, tugging her trunk (which was about half her size) behind her.
Lily marked her page and setting it beside her, she smiled. "Hey, Mare! How've you been seen I've last seen you?" The brunette, Mary, frowned, flopping across the seat.
"Well, Lils, since I last saw your beautiful face," Mary began dramatically, shooting her friend a grin, "I have hung with Marley once, and other then that, been worked like a dog at mum and dad's grocery store. Meanwhile, Emma gets to sit on her bum and do nothing, watching telly all day while I slave away like an animal in our poorly-air-conditioned store. Simply dreadful, my dear, let me tell you that. I have been pining for my only three friends in the world, but you had all left me to the hell that is my family's store. So tell me, Lovely Lily, what exactly have you been doing the past three weeks that have made you too busy for me?"
Lily laughed at her friend's antics, especially at her reference to her little sister, Emma- who was nine, so the idea of her working in a grocery store was laughable. But the part about the end of her summer… Lily pursed her lips a bit, unsure as of what to say to her friend at the moment.
"Oh, you know," the redhead answered, smiling at her friend. "Family- Mum wanted to spend time with me, going all weepy about her girl growing up; so basically we were forced on awkward family adventures, much to Tuney's displeasure. Trust me, it was not fun- I much rather would've been hanging out with my favorite MacDonald." Mary giggled at this, pushing a stray curl behind her ear.
"I am your best friend in the entire world," Mary announced, propping her feet up on the seat cushion and grinning at Lily. "I am also the best at being a best friend, so I expect you to repay me in lots of chocolate and doing my homework for this entire year."
"Whatever you say, MareBear," she said teasingly, settling back into her seat.
"Hey!" Mary reprimanded at the childish nickname, but before she could complain further, the door opened yet again and another girl walked in.
This girl was practically Mary's opposite- where Mary was short, she was tall. Where Mary had shoulder-length insanely curly hair, this girl's hair tumbled practically to her waist in perfect waves. Where Mary's eyes were a bit on the small side and a dark chocolate brown, this girl's eyes were huge, and a beautiful light blue. Where Mary was red-faced and pale, this girl had a perfectly even tan.
"Dorky!" Mary greeted, opening her arms to the model-like blonde in front of them.
"Budge over, you great lard," was Dorcas' brash reply as she pushed Mary's legs off the seat and flopped down next to her. "Can I just say, I have sure as hell fuckin' missed you lot. This entire summer in Greece I was stuck with Jon throwing himself at all the Greek woman, and Constance running all over Greece like a little hussy while I trailed behind, bored out of my bleeding mind. Mum and Dad were even worse, all over each other, wanting to enjoy the romantic experience; so I was stuck with the two whores of the family. No, Dorcas, we don't want to go Mountain climbing, or sight-seeing, or sailing; we want to chase after the insipid Greek folks." The beautiful girl scowled, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "Entirely unbearable. They weren't even that attractive. I cannot believe I'm finally around some sane people." After this statement, though, Dorcas glanced at Mary and grimaced. "Well, maybe not all sane."
Mary laughed, shoving Dorcas. "Oh, Dorky, you know you love me. And, by the way, can I say you're the only person who goes to Greece, has men throwing themselves all over you, and doesn't take advantage of it? If anyone's not sane, it's you, honey."
Dorcas rolled her eyes. "They were revolting! God, it's pathetic. It's a good thing Greece is pretty, because the people were definitely not."
"Well now that you're back you get to look at my pretty face all day," Mary said, batting her lashes at Dorcas, who snorted in reply.
Lily rolled her eyes at her two friends, a slight smile on her face. "You two are positively atrocious when you're together," she said, laughing. Dorcas flipped her hair back, stretching out.
"I don't know what you're talking about, I'm fabulous all the time," Dorcas announced, hands above her head, grazing the cages above them that held their trunks. Mary pouted.
"Lils, you don't really think we're atrocious, do you?" she said, feigning hurt.
"Yes, I do," Lily said teasingly. "Absolutely the worst."
"Now, you know that's a lie. I think James and I deserve that title," another voice announced, and Lily turned to see a fourth person entering the compartment. Sirius Black.
Lily raised her eyebrows at the tall boy, with dark hair that was almost shoulder length and stormy grey eyes. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that Sirius Black was incredibly, startlingly, beautiful.
Lily stared imploringly at the boy, who flopped down next to her, nonchalantly throwing an arm over her shoulder. Sirius Black was infamous around Hogwarts, playing massive pranks with his friends, "the marauders", and, more importantly, he was best friends with Lily's least favorite person (who also happened to be obsessed with her), James Potter. And, having been followed by James Potter for years and therefore knowing Sirius by default, Lily knew that Sirius always, without fail, sat with his gang of friends, dubbed the Marauders, on the way to Hogwarts. So why the hell was he here?
Dorcas seemed to note Black's unusual appearance, too, and her blue eyes narrowed. "Black," she said coolly, crossing her arms. "Don't you have your fellow pests to be rambling at?" Black shot the girl, whose mood had turned sour, a brilliant smile.
"'Course not, darling; the only pests I want to follow around are my lovely Gryffindor ladies. Though I am wondering where the fourth one of you lot is," he said easily, squeezing Lily's shoulder slightly. Pushing Sirius' arm off her shoulder, Lily tried not to scowl.
"Sirius, what the -" Lily was cut off though, by yet another opening of the compartment door. Would this be a ride filled with interruptions? Lily wondered, irritated.
A sandy mop of hair with light brown eyes peeking through popped in- yet another to the group of the marauders, Remus Lupin. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he did, he took notice of Sirius, and Sirius seemed very interested in his shoes. The moment of Remus' hesitation was swift, however, and he quickly was back on track, ignoring his friend.
"Hey, Lily, just thought I'd let you know the prefect meeting was starting, since I was passing by," he said stiffly, before promptly disappearing. Lily sat, blinking for a second before she shook her head, standing up.
"Well, um, I guess I'd better go then," Lily said, straightening her skirt. "Bye, Dorcas, Mary. Sirius, I'll talk to you soon." Lily's green eyes pierced said boy, and he straightened, staring right back.
"Maybe," was his easygoing reply, but his eyes were guarded- he was going to avoid Lily at all costs after this encounter.
Lily left the compartment, mind whirling. Remus and Sirius were fighting. And if the other marauders weren't with Sirius, then they were mad, too. But what the hell had happened to separate the inseparable?
"True friends stab you in the front" - Oscar Wilde
James Potter lay in his bed, on September first, glasses slightly askew. He stared at his ceiling mindlessly, waiting for his mum to call him down so that they could leave. James was dressed in some of his nicest dress-robes, and his hair had so much gel in it that it looked like a helmet, but succeeded from making it stick up everywhere. Frankly, he looked like an idiot, and he was aware of it, but he couldn't really bring himself to care about his appearance at the moment.
James was scared. He hadn't known taking the fall would wind up this far: just that he would fair better than Sirius would have if Sirius took the blame for his own crime. He had figured, worse that would happen, was a slap on the wrist. A sharp reprimanding, and then life would go on. How naive of you a voice whispered in the back of his mind You and Remus are angry about this happening, what did you really expect other's reactions to be? But he'd still naively thought it wouldn't get this far were due to his parents pure-blood heritage, paired with money and influence. He didn't even consider the idea it would get this far.
But it had. And it was too late to back down, to take it all back, the damage had been done.
James Potter sighed heavily, closing his eyes. His parents were furious. (By parents, this really meant his father. Do you know how this makes me look, James? His mother just had that sad disappointment, which, somehow, was worse.) They'd never trust him again. Fucking hell, all he wanted to do was sit and yell he did not do it. But it was too late to point fingers at others: and, no matter how furious he was with his (ex?)-friend, he was too loyal to turn the tables on him. (And even if he did, would it make a difference?)
"James!" a voice called from down the stairs- his mum's. Her voice was higher than normal, with a quaver in it. She's scared, too. James rose slowly, sitting on the edge of the bed for a second and staring at his shoes, swallowing thickly.
Because the fact of that matter was that James was up for expulsion, and he was scared he wouldn't be going back to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry; and even if he did go back… he knew things would never be the same.
A/N: Let me know what you think, and I hope you guys enjoyed!
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the original Harry Potter characters or places from J.K Rowling's novels, they are all her invention; and in no way, shape, or form am I attempting to call them my own.