The scarlet engine started to pull away from the platform, steam and smoke filling the air. Just as the doors were starting to close a loud voice rang out over the noisy platform. Lily Evans stood glancing out the window, praying he would miss the train.
"Oi, wait! Wait for me!" a scruffy raven haired boy yelled as he ran across the platform towards the door, weaving in between all the parents standing waving goodbye. At the door he was running for stood the definition of heart throb, although Lily would never admit it, Sirius Black. He laughed heartily as he leaned against the open door frame and reached for his friend.
"Hurry Prongs," he managed to gasp between laughs as he gripped his best friends hand and pulled him onto the train. James stood and straightened himself up, before breaking into his trademark marauder grin as he spotted Lily. Lily rolled her eyes and wondered how grin had been given such a reputation for making heart beats quicken and butterflies to attack. She personally couldn't see the appeal and several others have called her crazy for voicing this opinion.
"Ah, Lily-flower, how was your summer?" Potter asked joining her in leaning against the window. Lily raised her eyebrows at him.
"Fine, yours?" she responded. James smiled again and ran his hand through his raven hair, rumpling it at the back.
"Yeah, okay. Better now though," he told her as she glanced at her watch.
"Oh, why's that?" Lily queried, her emerald eyes bored. James sighed and shifted so her was leaning over Lily one arm either side of her, his hands pressed against the windows as he leaned down close enough to kiss. Lily's pulse quickened and she inwardly cursed at herself.
"Because my flower, you're here," he whispered to her and Lily sighed slipping out from his arms.
"Your insufferable," she told him flicking her auburn hair over her shoulder as she turned to leave. She heard James sigh behind her before saying "Only for you, baby." Lily saw red, and turned.
"Listen here Potter! I'm not your baby, I was never your baby, I will never be your baby! Haven't the past six years been enough for you!" she screamed at him and he just smirked.
"No Evans, you're going to say yes this year," he told her with no trace of disbelieving in his voice or on his face. A loud smack echoed around the room and Lily Claire Evans once more flicked her hair over her shoulder and walked out of the room. James stood leant up against the window with his hand to his cheek, and his best friend started laughing.
"Yeah Prongs, she's totally into you,"
...
"Lily!" Lily's best friend's voice called out as soon as she got their regular compartment. Before Lily even had time to reply the thin arms of Katalina Marie Donaldson wound their arms around Lily's neck.
"I've missed you so much, I have so much news!" she spoke in to Lily's hair. Lily laughed and wrapped her arms around her friend.
"Aw, me too Kat, but you need to let go of me so I can sit down," she laughed and Katy hesitantly let go and stepped back. Lily took a moment to survey her friend. She was the same height, about 5'5, still relatively thin, although she would still call herself fat. Her sapphire eyes shone with excitement and her megawatt smile was spread out across her face although it was hidden behind her biting her lip. She had a new haircut, her once hip length beach blonde waves had been cut to about breast length and dyed the most remarkable shade of brown. Kind of like melted chocolate and caramel together, it looked great.
"You look amazing Kat, honest," Lily beamed at her friend who blushed.
"You too! Now I have some news!" Katy explained sitting down and motioning for Lily to do the same across from her. She seemed hesitant and Lily started to get annoyed.
"What is it Kat?" she asked and Katy just blurted out "I'm dating Sirius Black," before bursting into hysterical giggles. Lily just looked at her, jaw a-gape.
"What? You're not serious?" the look of disbelief evident on her face. Katy's smile fell.
"Yep, it only became official this morning though, he spent all summer with the Potters, and you know how my mother and James' mother are best friends..." she trailed off before looking Lily in the eye.
"He's amazing, he's not like you think. He is honestly the most nicest and sweetest and genuine. I don't know how I never saw it Lil," Lily just shook her head at her friend.
"This is Sirius Black, Kat, he's cheeky, he's a smartarse, he doesn't study, he pranks everyone and everything, he's friends with Potter, Kat!" Lily moaned.
"So am I Lil! I have been friends with James since I was 2, that doesn't make me a bad person," Katy whispered the hurt obvious on her face and Lily sighed.
"Sirius Black, really?" she asked her friend who looked up from under her long eye lashes and nodded.
"He makes me happy Lil," Lily sighed again.
"I guess that's all that matters then."
...
The next couple of hours of the trip went fairly routinely. Lily however this year didn't have to go to a prefects meeting because the 5th and 6th year prefects were doing the prefect-y stuff while the 7th years got to sit and stew over who got head boy and girl duties. Katy read her book, a trashy muggle romance novel, and occasionally would take out her quill and some parchment and jot down a cheesy quote of some kind. Lily smiled watching her do this, knowing that Katy would read them over and over later and fall even more in love with the characters in her books. The compartment door suddenly slid open and four 17 year old boys walked in.
"Hey babe," Sirius addressed Katy sliding in next to her on the compartment chair.
"Lily," he nodded to me as Peter dropped into the seat beside him. Peter was a short plump boy who followed James and Sirius and Remus around like a lost puppy. He wasn't un-attractive, just not very appealing, with his dirty mousy hair and obvious lack of hygiene, and his shy demeanour added nothing to his brick wall personality. Lily and Katy had often had discussions about what the boys saw in him, and they never could figure it out.
"Black," Lily nodded back before picking up Hogwarts, A History, and commencing reading. Remus and James sat down next to Lily and Lily smiled at Remus. Remus and Lily had both been made prefects in their fifth year and had become instant friends. Remus' sandy blonde hair had grown a couple of inches over the summer Lily couldn't help but notice, and his ice-blue eyes seemed more tired than usual.
"You okay Rem?" she whispered to him and he nodded stiffly.
"Okay.." she trailed off back to her book. There was a cough and Lily removed her eyes from the book to look at the owner of the cough.
"So Lily, I don't believe you have met my friend James," Sirius smirked and Lily clenched her fist together and moaned.
"Really Black?" James' hazel eyes lit up as he held a hand out to Lily, which she hesitantly took.
"Oh my gosh, your Lily Evans," he mocked kissing her hand which she immediately pulled away.
"Oh my gosh, your James Potter," she played along, for Katy's sake. James smiled.
"Lovely name Potter, isn't it?" he asked and Lily raised an eyebrow.
"Sure, I guess," she replied, dumbfounded as to where this was going.
"Harry James Potter," he told her looking her straight in the eyes and she blinked once. Twice.
"What?" she asked shooting a glance at Sirius and Remus, who both looked as confused as she felt.
"Well you like the name Potter, and I like the names Harry and James, it's a win, win. Lira Lily Potter," he told her.
"What are you talking about Potter?" she asked him not catching his drift.
"Our children's names silly, since you're going to be having them," he told her and Lily laughed a genuine laugh.
"In your dreams Potter," James smiled.
"Every night Evans, every night." He smirked and a loud smack echoed around the compartment.
...
At the feast that night Dumbledore took his place at the front of the room and coughed to get the halls attention.
"Ladies and Gentlemen," he began in his old wise voice, the hall fell silent.
"I welcome you all to a new year, especially all you first years. First order of business is to remind you all the forbidden forest and the whomping willow are strictly out of bounds, and anyone caught in these areas will be punished severely." He paused and took a small sip of his drink.
"Secondly, I would like to announce this year's head girl and boy, usually we send out owls to them before the year starts but this year there was much discussion and shall we say controversy over our choices, so this is a complete surprise to them too." A murmur ran through the crowd and Lily felt Katy's hand slip into hers and squeezed it tight.
"Would Miss Lily Evans and Mr James Potter make their way to the front of the room please," he spoke with a large smile on his face. The room fell silent, and Lily felt herself turn red as she sought James out with her eyes and once she found him, found him looking back at her with complete obliviousness. All of a sudden someone, which Lily would later find out was Sirius, let out a loud whoop and the whole hall burst into thunderous applause, foot stamping and loud cheers.
"Go Lily!" Katy cried pushing her out of her seat and towards the head master. James met her up there.
"Ladies and Gents, I present this year's head boy and girl." Dumbledore led the room in applause.
"I er, uhm, er, hi," James spoke to the crowd who laughed; Lily sighed and stepped forward and spoke loudly.
"It's gonna be the best year ever!"
...
Dumbledore called the two of them back to the front of the room as the hall emptied.
"As you know, heads get their own room and own common, because your both Gryffindor, we've located the door behind the portrait of Godric in the Gryffindor common, passwords "Flutterbyes" also I hope you two will work together this year," Lily frowned and James smiled and Dumbledore walked away. The two made there way towards the fat lady in silence.
"How did you do it?" Lily asked him about half way there. He looked at her in confusion.
"How did you get head boy, you're a prankster, you weren't even a prefect! You never pay attention in class, your arrogant and self absorbed! HOW?!" Lily looked infuriated. James frowned and grabbed her arm, pulling her to face him.
"I've changed Evans," he told her and she snorted.
"Sure!"
"No, seriously Evans, I have, I study, I try not to do pranks that will hurt people, I stopped picking on Snape! I've changed." Lily thought about his words for a minute.
"Why?" she asked him and he for the first time lowered his eyes to the floor.
"I changed for you,"
"What?!" Lily whispered and he looked at her again.
"You hated that I didn't study, you hated that I pranked, you hated that I picked on Snape, and you hated me, so I changed," Lily dropped her eyes from his, unable to look him in the eye. They both stood there for a minute. Suddenly she held out her hand and said.
"I'm Lily, pleased to meet you," James just looked at her like she had lost her mind.
"If we're starting a new, I have no idea who you are," she smiled. He seemed to get the idea and shook her hand.
"Hi Lily, I'm James,"