Reunited

Lily raced down the steps, paused in the hallway, then raced up the steps once more. Where was that darn quill? Catching sight of the clock in the hallway, Lily swore quietly under her breath, and then proceeded into the parlour where she immediately began tossing couch cushions and pillows all over the place.

"Lily, it's time to get going," her father called, his head just poking into the house from behind the heavy, oak door. "Tuney! Get down here and say goodbye to your sister."

Lily laughed sardonically to herself. Petunia. Wishing her, Lily the freak, goodbye. It wasn't so long ago that Petunia and her were the best of friends. Who knows what they would have been like had Petunia gotten accepted into Hogwarts as well.

With a sigh, Lily checked her worn knapsack once again for the scarlet and gold badge with the gleaming HG. Yes, it was sure to be a long year once again, and her Head Girl duties would surely take up most of her precious free time, but at least she was now on friendly terms with Potter. After all, he would be living in the adjoining suite at the very top of Gryffindor tower, and most of her waking hours would be spent with him. Only three weeks before, he had sent her an owl proudly informing her that he would be Head Boy. Lily was shocked – she was sure the honour would have gone to Remus Lupin, who had been Prefect with Lily for two years, but alas, Potter would be better suited, as he would be available every day of the month. Not that she held Lupin's problem against him, of course. After all, she too had a quite unwelcome monthly visitor as well.

Lily was already buckled in the car by the time her mother had finally managed to force Petunia down the stairs. Lily knew better than to use magic in Tuney's presence, so she cranked down the window and said good-bye in the sweetest, sisterly tone she could procure. Petunia snarled her own aggravated reply back and headed back to the front door before the obligatory "See you at Christmas" escaped from her mouth.

"Now to King's Cross!" Mr. Evans proclaimed as he slid into the drivers seat, thrilled to catch yet another glimpse into his daughter's magical world.

The drive from their home just north of London was not long, and before she knew it, she was hugging her parents near the barrier of platform 9 ¾.

"Please write, Lily. And send some letters to Petunia as well. She may not show it, but she still loves you," Mrs. Evans said. Though they had said these same goodbyes six times previously, Mrs. Evans eyes still filled with tears before parting with her youngest daughter.

"Study hard, Lily. Don't get too caught up in all the glory that comes with being the eldest. And no boys!" Lily laughed at her father's admonitions and gave him a hug and kiss before stepping back.

"Have a good year!" her mother called as Lily set off briskly towards the brick barrier and then vanished out of sight.

The view of the Hogwarts Express steaming at the station was one that Lily always loved to see. Yes, the scarlet train meant ten long months of studying, hard work, and exams, but it also meant that she'd once again be reunited with her best friends. The thought made her heart warm, but before she attempted to meet up with any of them, she lugged her trunk and knapsack onto the train.

Finding the designated Head compartment, Lily entered, slightly pleased that no one else had yet arrived. She quickly changed into her school robes and finally pinned the treasured badge to the front of her black robes. She pulled out a small mirror from her knapsack and admired the badge as well as the way that it discreetly complimented her scarlet hair. She was smiling at her reflection when the compartment door was thrust open.

"And you call me big-headed," the familiar, deep voice said with a hint of a chuckle.

"You know very well that you are, indeed, quite arrogant, Mr. Potter," Lily said, her austere tone a farce as to the way she truly felt once he was again reunited with her. "And I wasn't admiring myself, I was just-"

"Checking out the badge of honour," Potter finished for her. "Yeah, I've done that quite a few times myself."

As Lily turned around, she noticed that Potter was already clothed in his school robes, his matching scarlet pin gleaming in the sunlight that poured in through the train window. Had he worn the robes through Kings Cross, arousing suspicious looks from muggle bystanders?

"I put these on with Padfoot in his compartment," Potter answered, his mind barging in on hers once again. Out of all of Potter's quirks, Lily found this particular one to be the most annoying. She was quite certain that he was not using legilimency, but his uncanny ability to read her mind was becoming slightly . . . problematic as of late.

Lily was too lost in her own thoughts on Potter to notice him drawing ever closer to her, and she almost jumped when Potter's silky black robes brushed against her revealed forearm, which was now sprouting goosebumps like crazy.

"I missed you this summer," he almost whispered, his deep voice echoing through her body.

"I uh, you know, didn't miss your balloon of a head, Potter, but I have to admit, after last year, I don't dread seeing you anymore."

"Oh?" Potter laughed. Lily silently swore, knowing her response had been completely out of context. A simple, "that's nice" would have done. "She likes me!" he shouted to an absent audience.

Lily slapped Potter over the head with the back of her mirror, chuckling while secretly wondering if his proclamation could be true.