James Potter had always been a loud boy, always the centre of attention and if not, very close to it. His two best friends Sirius Black and Remus Lupin were just the same as him, though each boy possessed a certain quality that they brought to their group called the marauders, a group that every student, teacher and ghost was far too familiar with. Peter Pettigrew, the fourth member of the marauders, moved away at the start of their fourth year at Hogwarts and attended Durmstrang for two years until he was killed for refusing to join Voldemort and his other followers, the Death Eaters.

During the holidays between sixth and seventh year, James and Sirius had quite the reason to give up their childish behaviour. Remus, who was already ten times more mature than the two boys, would now be seen as the most childish of the three.

James had received his Hogwarts letter a week after the incident and was most surprised when he found out that he had been made head boy, but he really didn't care anymore. In James's eyes, it was all a load of rubbish, it didn't matter.

Stepping onto the Hogwarts Express, James's appearance certainly reflected his mood. His normally untidy hair now hung flat on his head, his fringe coming down into his hazel eyes, the eyes that used to be full of life and laughter, that were now cold and empty. Sirius looked as if his whole personality had been re-modelled. He was no longer jumpy and excited, but saddened, a look of longing in his eyes. Remus came up behind the two boys, he looked like he did almost every year, but this time there was something missing. Remus was not wearing the smile that he normally wore when he stepped onto the train and that was enough, to make everyone wonder what could possibly be wrong.

'I have to go to the heads compartment… I'll see you guys soon.' James said, turning around to face Sirius and Remus. He gave both boys a quick hug and walked down the corridor past all the compartments with kids' heads sticking out, down to the head boy's and girl's compartment where he would finally meet the head girl.

He slid the door back and stepped inside to find a girl with auburn hair reading the Daily Prophet. Her head was down so James could not see her face. 'I'm James Potter,' said James dully, 'and you are?'.

'Potter, I hope that you are fully aware that this is the heads compartment and if you're about to tell me that you're head boy I just might scream.' The girl said rather quickly.

'Ah, Lily Evans.' James said, dropping his gaze to the floor a second before Lily looked up at him. 'Didn't mean to bother you… and I'm sorry to upset you… but, yeah I am head boy.'

'Ok, let's get something straight right now, Potter. We have to work together on assignments set by Dumbledore and we have to do extra rounds, help teachers… and we still have to go to class and do homework. So I am warning you now Potter, stay out of my way.'

'Ok Lily… Whatever you say.' James sighed, flopping down into the seat across from her.

'I'm serious! You know you have been given a huge responsibility from Dumbledore, so that means no more pranks, no more asking me out and no more hexing people for the fun of it!' Lily said, standing up in front of James. Just then the train gave a sudden lurch and Lily fell into James's lap. Lily's cheeks turned a soft pink colour and she quickly shot up again. 'And don't even think about doing that again Potter.'

'Sorry Lily, but I don't see how I could have done that while I wasn't even touching my wand, nor was I driving the train.'

'Oh alright! Point taken then Potter. And may I ask you why you are calling me Lily?'

'Because that's your name, don't you think we should call each other by our first names if we are to be working with each other a lot more now?'

'HA! Nice try Potter… but if you are trying to soften me up so I will go out with you, that is not going to happen. Now, this I found this list when I entered the compartment…' Lily said, changing the subject very quickly indeed. '…and it has all the names of the prefects and the new passwords for each common room. I think we should hold a meeting in here in half an hour and tell the prefects their respective duties and passwords. Potter are you even listening to me?' she asked, sitting down on James's left.

'Yeah I was, meeting, half an hour, prefects, duties, passwords… got it. I'm sorry Lily I have to go… Got to find Moony and Padfoot… I'll see you soon.' And James got up and left Lily to her thoughts.

Not even five seconds after James had left the compartment, Lily's two best friends Simone and Rachel came bounding into the compartment.

'Who was that Lils?' Rachel asked, referring to the boy that had just left the compartment. 'I don't think I've seen him before… is he new?'

'That, ladies… was James Potter.'

'James? Are you serious? He looked a little worse for wear didn't he?' Simone commented.

'Oh he's probably just upset because our Lily rejected him for the three hundredth time.' Rachel laughed, patting Lily on the shoulder as she did so.

'No, that's definitely not it.' Said Simone.

'Ok, Simone love. What do you know that we don't?'

'Care to share?'

'Yeah come on Simone share with us!'

'Just open your mouth and…'

'If you two would shut up, then I'd tell you. But we can always wait, I already know why he's so gloomy.' Simone said simply.

Lily was just about to say something when Rachel flung her hand over Lily's open mouth and received a bite on the hand for doing so.

'OUCH! Bloody hell Lily!' Rachel complained.

'Well you deserved it'

'If you've drawn blood…'

'Ok, guys… time to shut up now and listen to Simone's story!' Simone called above the racket the two were making.

The two bickering girls stopped suddenly and sat down on the bench next to each other while Simone shut the compartment door and then took a seat across from them.

'Hey Prongs.' Remus greeted James as he closed the compartment door. 'Who's the head girl?'

'Evans' James muttered under his breath.

'I'm sorry… who?'

'I, I said Evans.' James said a little louder this time.

'Ah, Lily! I thought she'd make head girl. She's a rather talented witch isn't she?'

'Yeah… talented.' James went back to muttering.

'Don't worry Prongs' Sirius began 'maybe she'll finally stop being so big-headed and realise that you've given up on chasing her?'

James nodded silently in agreement. That summer had changed everything. Nothing mattered to James anymore, not even finally getting the girl of his dreams, Lily.

Twenty minutes passed by exceptionally slow. All three boys rarely spoke and spent their time reading some of their text for that year.

James looked at his watch for the umpteenth time that train ride and decided that it was time for him to go and start gathering the prefects.

'You know Prongs… you could just do this…' Remus held his want to his throat and muttered 'Sonorus' He then stood up and walked out of the compartment and stood in the corridor. 'Could all prefects please go to the heads compartment in five minutes. All prefects go to the heads compartment in five minutes, thankyou.' Removing his wand from his throat, Remus came back inside the compartment and sat down.

'Thanks Moony' said James 'That saved me a lot of trouble'

'Don't mention it Prongs.'

'Hey Prongs… don't you think you should be going?'

'Yeah…' James sighed 'Once again… I'll see you guys later.'

James made his way back out into the corridor and made his way back up the train to the heads compartment. He got there in time to see Simone and Rachel leaving. 'Hi, James…' They both said quietly, opening the compartment door for him. James stepped inside to find a silently crying Lily. He slowly walked over to her and kneeled in front of her.

'Umm… Lily…' James began 'I don't know if I'm exactly the person you want to see right now, but are you alright?'

'James!' Lily said, quickly drying her eyes 'No, I'm fine, really! Is it time for the meeting?'

James started at her. 'You, you just called me James, not Potter. Are you sure you're ok?'

'Yes James I'm fine!' Lily laughed 'I thought about what you said before and I think it's best if we call each other by our first names.'

'And that's why you were crying?'

'Oh shove off Potter' Lily joked, playfully hitting him in the arm.

'Seriously Lily,' James said, grabbing one of her hands and holding it in both of his. 'I don't know if you can ever forgive me for all the childish things that I have done in the past, but if you ever feel like u need to just talk to someone, about anything… I'm here.'

Lily felt like her heart had melted. Out of all her male friends and boyfriends, not one of them had said anything like that. To be there for her when she just wanted to rant about nothing in particular. When she felt like discussing lessons her friends felt were boring. When she just needed to laugh, James was offering to be there for her. And that was the best feeling in the world. Sure, she had Simone and Rachel, but they were like her sisters, what wasn't she going to tell them? Lily always felt that the best protection you can get, is the feeling of a man's strong arms around you, a man that loved you for you. And James was offering his protection, not asking her out.

'Thanks James,' Lily whispered 'I'm here for you too.'

There was a sudden knock at the door and James quickly let go of Lily's hand and sat down next to her. 'Come in' James said and the door slid back to reveal 16 students (four from each house) who came piling into the compartment.

The meeting ran smoothly enough, the prefects were told to patrol the corridors now and then for the rest of the train ride to the castle, and they were given passwords to the common rooms and told their duties.

'A roster will appear in each of your common rooms by Wednesday and it will tell you when you are expected to patrol the corridors of the castle and where you will be. Each patrolling session need not last longer than an hour, except for special circumstances. Thankyou, we'll see you all again at the next meeting in two weeks time.' James said.

As the students filled out of the compartment, Lily stared at the boy in front of her. No, he was no longer a boy, he was a man. That incident in the summer holidays was definitely more than enough to make him a man, yet it was not the man she thought he would grow to be.

'Wait, Lily…' Her sub-conscious began 'You shouldn't even be thinking about him! What's gotten into you girl? Unless… Wait! You like thinking about him don't you?'

'Now that's just silly!' Lily argued back. She did not like to think about James Potter in any way shape or form. And currently being busy arguing with herself, she didn't notice when James started talking to her. It was only when he waved his hand in front of her face, that she finally snapped out of it.

'Oh! Sorry James,' Lily said 'I just spaced out for a moment.

'Well I'm going to go back to Padfoot and Moony, I'll see you round Lily.'

'Yes, see you… James' Lily said, rather breathlessly.

'God Lily, pull yourself together girl!'

'You loved that didn't you?'

'Loved what?'

'Having him right in front of you!'

'As if!'

'And you could see his muscles through his shirt'

'So what if I could?'

'Well you were staring at his six-pack'

'I was not!'

'Deny it all you want!'

'Fine I will!'

'I still know you better than anyone.'

Lily groaned and slumped back in her seat. This was going to be a very long year.

AN: Well review if you liked it! And review if you didn't… actually… just review! This is my second Harry Potter Fan Fiction! SO! If anyone would like to make any guesses as to what it is that has the boys so down… then be my guest! I hope you'll all be so kind as to boost my writing skills and imagination and give me some reassuring and constructive comments.

Until next chapter.

-X-Nefertiri-X-