The Head Boy
Full Summary: It's Lily Evans' last year at Hogwarts and she's finally realized that James Potter isn't half the terrible person she made him out to be. Despite her change of heart, she still wants to remain on platonic terms with him, which is rather difficult when his feelings for her haven't changed. Now Lily has to make him forget all about her, and she has to do it without 1) ruining their newfound friendship; 2) breaking his heart; and 3) falling in love. But this is real life, folks, and no one ever said it was easy.
Disclaimer: Need I say it? Nothing's mine, everything belongs to J K Rowling. You know the drill.
Chapter One: Ranting and Raging
Lily
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It all started seven years ago, in that fateful moment when James Potter and Sirius Black decided to play that prank on me and Alice on our first train ride to Hogwarts. Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating just a little bit. Or a lot.
What really happened was that he and Sirius were sitting in an otherwise empty compartment, and I had nowhere else to go, so I sat down and tried to pretend that I didn't exist. A few grueling moments later (in which Potter and Black had both stated their names and were waiting impatiently for me to say mine), Alice walks by, a tiny blonde thing standing less than four feet tall, looking for her older brother. Naturally, James and Sirius saw her wondering around with an upset expression, and they invited her to join us, or rather them, as I still hadn't uttered a single word, apart from, "Do you mind if I sit here?"
Alice and I hit it off right there. Maybe it was because I was a Muggle and she was a Pureblood and we were curious about each other—I don't know. All I can say is that when we reached the end of our journey that night, we were thick as thieves; best friends for life. Both of us wanted to know about the other's "way of living," as you might call it. I confessed that I didn't even know about Quiddich, or Dumbledore, or centaurs or unicorns or giant squids. Soon we were off discussing all the wonders that Hogwarts no doubt had in store for us in the next seven years.
Throughout all of our animated conversation, Black and Potter were practically ignoring us, except for the few times when they asked if we could close the window or pass them some more cushions. Halfway through the trip, though, before the lady with the sweets had come by, they excused themselves (like we really cared) to go out in the halls. When they finally returned fifteen minutes later, there were two other boys with them, and Potter sported a bloody nose.
Both Alice and I jumped up instantly. But while her main emotion was concern, I shouted, "What were you doing? We're all going to get into such big trouble, and it's only our first year!"
Potter and Black glanced coolly over at me. "Nice to see you're concerned about our well being," Black said. "We were walking back to the bathroom, and these two here—"he gestured at the new boys—"were about to get in a fight with a couple of Slytherins. We couldn't just leave them—everyone knows that if you stay around a Slytherin too long they might infect you!" At this point, he looked to Potter for support.
"It's just something you pick up later, kid," Potter advised in an annoyingly superior voice. Black opened his mouth to say something, but by this time, I had had enough. The shy disposition that I had developed when I first got on the train vanished completely as I stood and glowered at Potter.
"What makes you talk about them that way?" I demanded, my eyes sharp. Now, don't get me wrong. I was only eleven years old and barely four feet tall, but I'm sure some people will tell you that I can totally make up for my size through words and dirty looks. And I was definitely using those attributes right now.
Silence greeted my outburst. Everyone looked flabbergasted, including, to my discomfort, Alice. Trying to ignore the deep feeling of worry that was threatening to escape from my stomach, I plunged on unwittingly. "I mean, if you're anything like I am, you hardly know anyone that goes here well enough to have an opinion like that of them! I don't know what Slytherins are, but I'll bet they aren't nearly as bad as you make them out to be!"
"Um…"
The person who had spoken was Potter, but instead of the remorse and guilt I had expected to shine through his eyes, there was a totally different expression.
Amusement.
James Potter, whom I had only met a few hours ago, was amused at my concern for whoever these Slytherins were!
Anger boiled up in my veins as I looked at him. More than anything in the world I wanted to wipe that silly, superior smirk off with a sharp slap across his face. In the end it was only my firm policy of "No rule breaking" that kept me from doing so.
It was right about then that the sweet trolley arrived. In my opinion, Potter looked slightly relieved as he quickly pulled Black and the other boys out with him. Of course, being the arrogant prick that he is, I'm sure he considered his quick exit a matter of skill and quick wit that only had to do with sweets. If I were him, I wouldn't want to be in his shoes. At least, that's what my parents and every other person who has ever been at the receiving end of one of my scowls tells me that.
Anyways, right after the boys left, Alice grabbed me and muttered, "Come on. We don't want to be here when they get back, or at least, you don't." I let myself be pulled out the door, and we began the long journey down the train of finding another compartment.
"What was with them, talking that way about those people!" I said, as soon as we were out of earshot.
Alice turned and gave me a one-sided grin. "I forgot that you weren't born knowing you were a witch," she said. "The thing is, once we get to Hogwarts, we get sorted into houses. And Slytherin is the worst. Everyone says that there hasn't ever been a bad wizard that wasn't in Slytherin. My brother said…" She visibly gulped and looked around apprehensively before continuing. "My brother told me there was a test or something. He didn't exactly say, but he kept mentioning that we had to make a speech in front of the whole school saying why we should be allowed to go to Hogwarts…"
Anyways, that's about it. About mine and Potter first meeting, that is. Of course, me and Alice went through the sorting and we both landed in Gryffindor House (to my huge disappointment, so did Potter, Black, and the other two boys). I think that Alice was secretly a bit embarrassed, because her brother was in Hufflepuff, but after a while she was okay with it. I have a feeling that the fact of Hufflepuffs having the reputation of being "nice" (a.k.a. "wimps") and Gryffindors of being "brave" and "noble" may have had something to do with it.
Ever since then Potter has managed to stay on my bad side. Up until third year, he basically ignored me unless I happened to be a perfect candidate for a prank, but then…he discovered girls. Me, in other words. That was when the asking out started.
The first time he did, I was pretty surprised, and I even felt a bit sorry for him when I said I wouldn't. After he had done it for the tenth time that week, though, it started getting really annoying. I even went to the lengths to hex him, but that didn't work either. It got all the way to the point when he threatened guys that asked me out and told them to stay away from me. Honestly, I haven't had a real boyfriend for more than a week in ages. You'd think he'd at least have the decency to give other guys a chance. I actually liked some of them, only he always chased them away. Then he went back to asking me, over and over, if I'll go out with him.
You would think he would get the picture.
I mean, he's the most eligible guy at school; he's hot, he's rich, he's popular, he's smart, and I've even heard that he's a really good kisser. And girls absolutely fall over themselves when he does that annoying thing with his hair. Who wouldn't want James Potter?
At least, that's his line of thinking. Maybe I would go out with him if he really were all those things. But the fact is that he's an arrogant prick. I think I've already said that, but really, it's the best way to describe him.
All in all, I'm not exactly looking forward to my last year at Hogwarts. I would enjoy it if he just stopped asking me out, but I don't think that will even cross his mind. The thing is, I got Head Girl position. And while I'm totally excited about that, there is one seemingly tiny thing that will ruin it completely.
Potter is Head Boy.
And we have to share a dormitory together.
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Dun dun dun dun…
So how was it? First of all, I know it was short, but the next chapter makes up for it. Trust me. It's like seven pages. Second of all, please review! Like I said, it's my first chapter fic on this site, and I need all the help I can get.