So this is my first official HP fic. It's been long in development and I thought it might be time to finally put it up. Give it a chance, please, at least until the second chapter, yeah? Reviews welcome.

Disclaimer: Harry Potter characters and settings belong to J.K. Rowling and the lyrics belong to Tom Petty, not me.

Well she was an American girl
Raised on promises

Sirius Black felt a new buzz as he stepped onto the Hogwarts Express and he knew it was not because it would be his final year. He had to know what was causing everyone and everything to seem as if it were breathing with a whole new energy. Seeing nothing new around him, he decided to search for it later.

Entering his normal compartment, he found Peter already there. He remembered it would only be the two of them for some time since the prefects, the Head Boy, and Head Girl always had a meeting at the beginning of the train ride to Hogwarts, meaning James and Remus would be detained for a short while.

"Hey Wormtail. What's up, is something different around here or is just me?"
Peter did not look up from his magazine, "There's a new student."
"Of course there's new stu-"
"No," he put the magazine down, "A transfer, from America."
"Girl?"

Peter nodded.

"What's her name?"
"Not sure."
"What year?"
"Ours."
"Bitchin'. Is she smokin' hot?"
Peter sighed, "I don't know."
"She single?"
"Wouldn't know, haven't met her."
"What house do you think she's in?"
Peter glared over his magazine, "Padfoot, I have no idea."
Sirius rolled his eyes, frustrated, "Do you know anything?"

Silence took over the compartment, leaving Sirius anxious. He could not sit still for much longer without going mad and he sure could not wait any longer to meet this new girl. He hoped she would be at least tolerable to look at and since she was American, she had to be automatically fun and boisterous, he figured.

Thankfully, he could hear a commotion in the hallway, meaning the prefects' meeting was out and his best friends were finally going to come and entertain him.

The door opened, "Mate, I told you Evans would be Head Girl! So pay up! Five whole galleons!"
"Bugger off, Prongs," Sirius grumbled.
James laughed and patted his friend on the shoulder, "Cheer up, the new girl's a dish."
"You've seen her?! Tell me everything you know!"
"Uh, she's friends with Lily, it seems. She's from New...," he paused, "Oh, one of those 'New' states-"
"It was New Hampshire, Prongs," Remus interjected knowingly.
"Yeah, thanks Moony. So she's short (But what do you expect? She's a Yank), brown hair, got sorted into Gryffindor. And she's bloody friendly too! Did I miss anything Moony?"
Remus glanced at James, feeling the need to roll his eyes but ignored it, "Her name?"
James looked like he just remembered the most important thing, which he had, "Right! Her name's Calli."

Sirius could feel himself grin from ear to ear. She sounded perfect. It was just a matter of time.

"Hey Padfoot, you're in luck," Remus smirked, looking out into the corridor, "That's her."

Sirius' eyes shot up to the door and saw Lily escorting another girl. The attractive brunette waved to both Remus and James, who returned the gesture.

Within seconds, the door was open and she was introducing herself to the remaining two boys.

"Hi, I'm Callisto Larroca, fresh off the boat from America and quite easily influenced by British accents so please be gentle," she shook hands with the plump Peter Pettigrew and the seemingly suave Sirius Black as she innocently smiled at them.
"Well in that case," Sirius replied smoothly, "Why don't you join us?"

Calli did not bother to suppress her grin. There were all such charming boys in their own way though it was obvious that James Potter was head over heels for Lily which made him all the more adorable. Peter seemed friendly enough and she could already tell Remus was the clever one – the small twinkle in his blue eyes told her so. But this Sirius Black character had a different sort of twinkle and it was undeniable he knew it and used it to his advantage. They were very intriguing indeed.

She couldn't help thinkin'
That there was a little more to life somewhere else

"No, there is no way I am willingly going to sit with Potter."
James moved to protest but Calli shrugged, "I'm sorry to say it boys but what my dear friend Lily says is final – she's my only friend here in good ol' Britannia so I really simply can't have her upset with me. Cheerio chaps!"

Sirius made it his task for the year to befriend this foreign beauty so she would have more than just Lily Evans to pass the time with.

Meanwhile, the aforementioned redhead was pulling Calli further down the train corridor.

"I cannot believe you were considering sitting with Black! And making me endure Potter! Oh Calli, you have much to learn!"

Calli chuckled at Lily's tone. She knew just how James and Sirius were. They may have thought they were something else but boys that good looking and that overly confident were a knut a dozen. They were like open books – you knew their methods, their ways, and just how to respond within only moments of meeting them.

But then again, maybe all that was different across the pond, so she figured she would let Lily fill her in on everyone and everything that made up Hogwarts.

When they finally sat down Calli continued the conversation, "Well, I really don't think I have to worry about James, but what's so bad with Sirius?"
Lily scoffed, "Black is a major ladies' man; he's been with practically half the girl population and probably because the other half consists of girls who are too young, too old, or are Slytherins (by the way, try to avoid them, they're the ones who wear silver and green). And you're new, gorgeous, the right age, and a Gryffindor. Plus, from what I understand, you're not a pureblood which helps anger his parents so, in conclusion, you are perfect for Sirius Black. And I refuse to let that happen to you! Especially with all that you've been through!"
Calli placed her hands on Lily's shoulders, trying to calm her, "Lily, don't worry. If I ever feel the need to date, which I doubt I ever will, Sirius Black will be on the bottom of my list – no, scratch that, he won't even be on the list!"

Lily smiled proudly, glad she could save her new friend from another unneeded heartbreak. But Lily somehow forgot that when Sirius Black set his sights on a girl, which he had in the case of Calli, he did not give up.

But the train ride continued and afterwards, Lily directed Calli to a carriage that was both far from the Marauders and full of the other Gryffindor seventh year girls. They welcomed Calli heartily as if she was a long lost friend and filled her in about everything else she would need to know about the inner workings of Hogwarts at the feast.

Lily showed her the way to the common room and where she would be staying. Calli was to have her old bed since Lily was being moved to the Head Girl room, which happened to share a common room with James Potter. The other seventh year girls, though, did not waste any time in asking the question the remaining four were dying to know.

"So, Calli... what made you transfer to Hogwarts?"

Calli sighed, looking over the five girls around her. Lily already knew the basics of the story but Calli wondered if she should go and spread her pathetic story around. One reason Hogwarts was good was because no one saw her at that girl... at least not yet.

But it was a part of her and she could not deny that.

"Okay, well, back home I went to Grant School of Sorcery and in the middle of my fourth year, I started going out with a boy, his name was Drew Leandre and he was a sixth year at the time. At first I tried not to let myself dream too much but once we'd been going strong for a year, I knew that it was for real. Everything was going perfectly until around the next Christmas when I found out he was screwing around on me with this girl named Stephanie. I never saw it coming – I mean he'd told me he loved me! He even gave me a promise ring," she pulled on the chain around her neck, revealing the small ring, "But I had to break it off and I obviously did but somehow we've remained friends. He still owls me and calls me when I'm home. We'll even hang out every now and then when she's not there. 'Course then, right before I left, it was announced that he and Stephanie were engaged. But I feel like I'm still just waiting for the day when he wakes up and realizes what he's missing."

She stopped, looking over the girls. They did not pity her, which she was thankful for. They almost looked like they understood.

After all it was a great big world
With lots of places to run to

So she continued, "Anyways my grades had slipped a bit too much so I guess my parents had started discussing me going somewhere else. My dad suggested Salem Witches' Academy since it was closer to home and I wouldn't have to worry about anymore guy problems. But my mother wouldn't hear of it – I think she was waiting for any excuse for me to go to Hogwarts (she went here, you know, but she was a Ravenclaw). I think she's always dreamed of me going here and marrying some British boy, which, of course, didn't please my father at all. But, as you can see, she won the argument, like usual, and here I am! And I am happy to announce already, I'm glad she won."
With that all the girls smiled and Calli was then tackled to her bed as all the girls embraced her, screaming of how they understood and how they would help her forget 'that dreadful Yankee bloke!'

After a few fits of laughter, they began to unpack. Meanwhile, the Marauders lounged around on the couches and chairs in front of the fireplace in the Gryffindor common room. For them, there was no need to unpack really for there was not much to unpack. James also wanted to see Lily the minute she came down from the dorm, whenever that would be, so he could escort her to their new quarters.

But down from the spiraling staircase that led to all the girls' dorms floated a lot of noise, in fact more than normal amount – girls laughing and singing rather loudly.

Lily finally came prancing down the stairs, grinning wide some time later.

James was at her side within seconds, his arm sticking out for her to take if she so pleased... which she did not.

He ignored it, grinning, "What's all that racket?"
"Oh, that was just us girls getting to know one another," she actually smiled, but at the memory, not at James like he told himself.

James could hear Sirius chuckling behind him, mumbling something about 'the new girl.' He grinned and said goodbye to his three friends before sprinting after Lily to catch up as they headed to their new rooms.

And if she had to die tryin'
She had one little promise she was gonna keep