With a heavy sigh, he came to slow halt several feet away from the Hogwarts Express which was due to depart in a mere five minutes. Taking his hand, he casually ran it through his disheveled hair and turned around to see his best friend, Sirius Black.

" Oi! Prongs!" he called, now coming up behind him, " Guess who I was just talking to? Greta Helmings of Hufflepuff. Merlin, did she ever grow during the summer."

He gave James his usual mischievous smile and took another fleeting glance in the opposite direction to the blonde haired Hufflepuff as she made her way onto the train with several giggling friends.

James remained silent, nodding his head in reply to Sirius's remarks. However, it was clear to Sirius that he wasn't interested. He had had alot on his mind these past few months and Sirius's attractions to the opposite sex didn't exactly rank at the top of his thoughts. Instead, they drifted to his parents. He felt a dull ache inside his chest as he thought of his father.

It was quite obvious to everyone that the Potters loved their son more than anything. Armus and Evalyn Potter were not the youngest witch and wizard by any means. The pair had always been dedicated to their work at the Ministry and had been getting up in age, even by wizarding standards. So to have been given a beautiful child late in life was truly a blessing for them. They put James ahead of everything else and yes, were even guilty of spoiling him.

However, these last few months had been rough. James had returned home for the summer holidays only to be welcomed with troubling news. His father was ill. The news had shocked him. He was exceptionally close with his father and his illness had hit him hard. But despite it all, he had remained positive that his father would pull through. He was strong and James believed he could do it. Towards the end it seemed as if this was becoming true. Armus had started to feel much better and even looked healthier than he had in weeks. But that all changed a week ago when he took a sudden turn for the worst. In the wee hours of a gloomy monday, Armus Potter had passed away in his bed...leaving behind a devastated son.

Lost in his own depressed thoughts, James quickly gave a shake of his head. He couldn't keep thinking about this...he didn't want to keep thinking about this. He also knew he couldn't keep up this gloomy, vacant world he found himself in but he just couldn't seem to dig himself out. Everyone had told him that in time he would be ok...but as he stood there about to board the train that would whisk him away to Hogwarts, he just didn't see that happening.

" You see Mooney or Wormtail?" James asked, taking his gaze off of Sirius and to the bustling crowd before them. Following suit, Sirius quickly scanned the crowd and shook his head.

" Maybe they're on the train. We'd better get our butts on, otherwise we'll find ourselves sitting with Snivellus" he joked., " Although I am pretty sure you wouldn't mind that, seeing as though that means that Evans may be there."

It was then that he noticed her. Her thick red hair hung loosely down her back and he watched as she threw her head back in laughter at something her dark haired friend, Mary Macdonald, had said.

If this was last year he would have gone up and tried with all his might to impress the girl he had crushed on since first year but that was last year and things had changed. However, that didn't stop his stomach from doing its usual flip flops that it did whenever he got within a two mile radius of her.

The two laughing girls had stopped giggling as they saw the two boys approach and James could feel his heart begin to quicken in his chest. In that moment, he had locked his hazel eyes wth her sparkling green ones and he could feel the smallest trace of a smile begin to form at the corner of his mouth. But it quickly dissappeared as soon as it had come. With a small nod in her direction, he continued passed her and onto the train towards his sixth year at Hogwarts.

Lily Evens tried to repress her laughter as she listened to her good friend and fellow Gryffindor, Mary Macdonald, go on about her horrendous summer camping trip with her mother and her mother's new Muggle boyfriend.

" I mean, why can't she just date another wizard? At least we wouldn't have to keep up this Muggle facade. Lily, it was terrible. We had to sleep on the ground!"

Her brown eyes widened in despair as if waiting for Lily's to do the same. Instead however, Lily let out a roar of laughter. She could not help it. Her friends helpless, pouting face was just too much to take.

" Well, good for your mother. You can't help who you fall in love with " Lily said.

Mary grunted in reply, letting her eyes fall upon two familiar looking boys making their way in the girls direction.

" Speaking of love, Lily, here comes your admirer" Mary cooed, a smile suddenly developing on her fair face.

Lily followed her friend's gaze and her smile instantly left, being replaced by a tight lipped frown.

" Great, just what I need" she mumbled.

Crossing her arms she watched them approach. Her stomach began to turn as she waited for him to bounce up to her and begin his usual arrogant chit chatter. But instead of stopping to talk, he kept on walking; sending her a brief small smile and a curt nod before making his way onto the train.

Lily was left speechless.

" Wow, that was definetly a first." Mary murmered.

It was at that moment that their friend and Gryffindor, Franciene Green, came up behind them. Her long, dirty blonde hair was tied up in a loose pony tail behind her head and her face was flushed as if she had just ran a mile.

" Frannie!" Lily grinned, rushing over and giving her good friend a tight hug. " How was your summer?"

Letting go of the hug, Fran scrunched up her small button nose and shrugged. " Boring. Spent the whole time up North with my great grandmother. Love her to death but not alot to do." she replied, dully.

" Well, you'll never guess what just happened" Mary cut in, " Lily just saw Potter!"

Fran's face remained indifferent as she heard this.

" So..."

" So, he didn't even approach her!" Mary began, " He just walked right on by without so much as a hand through the hair or wink!"

Fran nodded, her face becoming sullen, which didn't go unnoticed to Lily.

" Well, he has been going through alot these past week. His father just passed. According to mum and dad, Armus Potter was extremely ill."

Lily knew that Fran and her family were close to the Potters. Fran had mentioned it on several occasions and was even quite friendly with James, despite Lily's grumblings. With their parents being friends, the two had been aquainted with one another since they were small. Infact, Fran was always the one at Lily on the whole James subject. She couldn't even keep track of how many times her friend had bugged her about giving him a chance, that once you got to know him he was a decent bloke.

" That's awful" said Lily, sympathy filling her face.

" Wow, is Lily Evans feeling sorry for James Potter?" Mary questioned. This statement caused Lily to frown.

" Mary, I may dislike Potter but that doesn't mean I don't feel any remorse for what he must be going through. Loosing a parent like that cannot be easy...no wonder he wasn't himself."

As the trio began making their way onto the crowded train, Lily's thoughts surprisingly stayed locked on James Potter and his empty hazel eyes that had made contact with her own.

" It was so cool," Peter gushed as he shoved another pumpkin pasty into his already overflowing mouth. " He did this spectacular spin dive to catch the snitch. I thought he was going to hit the ground!"

Peter's mother had suprised him with tickets to a Chudley Canons game over the summer holiday and he now felt the need to spend the last hour since they boarded the train talking about it.

" Ugh! Mind swallowing that wad of food in your mouth before you talk. It's highly disgusting" Sirius grumbled from beside the now pink faced Peter. He smiled, satisifed, when Peter instantly shut his mouth and bit his bottom lip in embarrassment.

" Hey Mooney, guess who Prongs ran into before boarding the train?" he said, changing the subject.

Remus set his 6th year Defense against the Dark arts book down onto his lap and gave Sirius a small shrug.

" I dunno..who?"

" Evans" Replied Sirius. He wiggled his eyebrows up and down and sent James broad grin.

Remus's eyes seemed to have lightgened up at this as he too glanced beside him to James, who had remained fairly quiet throughout the ride thus far.

" And how did she hex you this time Prongs?" Remus joked, hoping to get a laugh out of his friend. He wasn't surprised when his attempt failed.

" Wouldn't know...I didn't stop to talk."

This piece of information seemed to have troubled Remus as he looked down at he floor with a bothered frown.

" Prongs, what you need is Betty Davids. That fifth year from Ravenclaw...now she is a looker" Sirius grinned.

" What Padfoot is trying to say," sighed Remus, " is that you can't stay in this hole forever. You need to get back to the things you loved to do and get yourself back on track."

Closing his eyes, James could feel the beginnings of a headache coming on. He really didn't want this right now. Why couldn't they just leave him be? Wasn't he allowed to handle this in his own way?

With a heavy sigh, he stood up with a start and made his way for the compartment door. He had to escape, if only for a little while.

" Where are you going?" asked Remus.

" I need to stretch my legs" was his reply as he left the compartment and his worried friends behind.

Stepping out of the compartment, he casually made his way down the thin corridor and came to a halt at the food trolly where a gathering of students stood making their requests. Squeezing in behind a tiny second year, he managed to get his way to the front.

" What would like dear?" asked the elderly women, giving him a warm smile.

He scanned the cart eyeing all the goodies that lay before him.

" I'll have one of those Tingling Tongue Twisters."

He quickly handed the women his money and grabbed his food. He was just about to turn around and wiggle his way back through when a voice made him stop.

" Erm...do you have any of those Tingling Tongue Twisters?" Lily Evans asked.

She gave the women at the trolly a polite smile as she brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

" Sorry dear. This boy here grabbed the last of them" she said, gesturing towards James.

It was then that Lily looked over and made eye contact with him.

" Would you like anything else?"

Turning her attention back to the elder women, she smiled and shook her head.

" No thanks. I am not that hungry actually"

He watched her retreating back as she slowly turned away and made her way back towards her own compartment. It was at the precise moment that something deep inside his gut demanded that he say something. Looking down at his Tingling Tongue Twister, he made an instant decision and followed her.

" Hey, Evans!" he called out, side-sweeping a burly seventh year and making his way towards her.

She turned around and faced him, a confused look crossing her face. Leaning on one hip, she crossed her arms tightly around her chest and gave him an impatient look.

" Yes?"

" Erm...I just thought you would like my Tongue Twister..." said James lamely, holding out the sweet.

She raised her eyebrows as she glanced at it.

" You chased me down to give me your sweet?" she asked, giving him an amused smile.

" Well, I did take the last one...and I am actually not that hungry... but if you don't want-"

She shook her head, cutting him off from his rant.

" No," she began, " That's actually very decent of you...didn't know you had it in you, Potter."

He smiled at this as he casually ran a hand through his hair.

" I can be decent you know..."

" Hmm...somehow your name and the word decent don't seem like a good fit."

He could tell that she was joking with him as she had laughed and sent him a friendly smile. It was the first smile that she had ever sent his way and it made his stomach flip and flop at its very sight.

A few seconds of awkward silence before Lily decided to break it.

" Um...I..uh...I'm sorry to hear about your father..." she said quietly, her eyes suddenly becoming fixated on the sweet that she held in her hand.

He nodded as he too took his gaze downwards. Even though he knew that this girl before him detested his very guts for five whole years, her statement seemed genuine; that, their personal feelings for eachother aside, she really was sorry for his loss.

" Thanks..."

" Well, I'd better be getting back. Thanks again, Potter" she replied.

Turning around she left him standing dumbfounded and surpringingly lighter than he had felt in weeks.