AN: This fic is VERY LOOSELY based on the Jane Austen book Emma. Not a direct parody, but how I'd imagine the Marauders in the story. Please r/r.. reviews help me write faster!

Lily Evans was rolling her luggage across platform 9 ¾, scanning the crowd around the Hogwarts Express. Her shiny new Head Girl badge was pinned firmly to her sweater, even though she wasn't in her robes yet. OK, she was excited. And why shouldn't she be? She'd only been hankering after the position since she'd watched Molly Prewett march around the hall in her first year. Lily fingered the badge again – it was so shiny.

Lily boarded the plane, grinning at Mary and Emmeline who had already commandeered all the seats in the compartment by strategically placing bags all over. This year, she decided, was going to be her best year yet. Not just because she was Head (squeal) but because it was her last year at Hogwarts. The girls had been making plans all summer, communicating via owl and in the case of Lily and Mary – Muggle post.

"All right, Evans?" Lily looked up as three loud pops revealed the presence of Remus Lupin, Sirius Black and… James Potter.

'James!' she squealed, jumping up to envelope him in a hug. Yes, he was now James. Not Potter. Not James bloody Potter (except when he was arguing with her). Just James. They had worked together on a year long potions project last year, and had found themselves becoming…. friends. Lily had been all set to do all the work (she had wanted to research and brew Amortentia), but James had surprised her by insisting on looking into the research on a new potion designed to help werewolves during the full moon. He'd even done most of the work, and had learned to brew it to perfection.

Flashback:

'Potter, are you sure you don't want to do Amortentia? No one's ever heard of this Wolfsbane draught before… and why would you want to help werewolves, anyway?'

"They're victims, Lily. Most of them were just like us, they were attacked by a monster and can't help who they are. They become something they hate once a month, and don't dare get close to anybody because of it. Can you imagine how lonely it would be, every month going through a terrible transformation, not being able to be with people you cared about – not daring to tell anyone the truth about yourself because you're afraid you would be judged?"

And just like that, he went from James bloody Potter to James. Not that she fancied him or anything. And Merlin knew he was over her – he'd stopped asking her out since the 25th of November in fifth year. Somehow though, he'd become a friend. That potion, being so new and difficult to brew, had forced them to work together every day for the school year. And over the summer, Lily had found herself owling him often. She'd even been jealous when Emmeline and her family had spent three weeks with the Potters. Not because she fancied James. More like because she'd wished she could have spent some time with him. She'd missed him.

'Prongs, mate, I think she's finally started to fall for the old Potter charm' Sirius Black's voice snapped her out of her reverie, causing her to fix her infamous Lily glare on him. James may have become one of her best friends, but that didn't mean she had to be nice to Black.

"You'd better cool it, Padfoot. The last time she glared at someone like that, they ended up in the hospital wing."

'Wasn't that you?'

Remus, Emmeline and Dorcas were roaring with laughter as James quirked a lopsided grin and Lily just blushed. Did they all HAVE to remember how she had hexed his ears off (literally) in fourth year when he pestered her for a date? Honestly, none of them could remember when their Transifiguration homework was due (well, Remus probably could but still) but they all could recite Lily's cough indiscretions at the drop of a hat. James' smile reassured her, though. He always did have a nice smile, even when he was being a prat, which was secretly why she'd hexed him in the first place.

Lily intensified her glare at Sirius. He had been with James all bloody summer. How dare he monopolize his attention like that. Judging by the slow smirks spreading on the boys' faces, and the way they were beckoning Remus to join them, Lily was sure they were up to No Good anyway.

'I hardly think a prank would be proper Head Boy behavior, James…'

"You laughed when we made the Malfoy and Rosier propose to Filch last year, Evans"

Lily smiled slightly at the memory. It had been funny, especially when the boys had started to serenade him. It had taken James, Sirius and Remus a whole day to stop laughing for long enough to remove the spell.

'You're Head Boy now, James'

"I'm also a Marauder, Evans"

'James bloody Potter DON'T expect me to bail you out if you get into trouble and lose your badge' Lily was getting angry now. Didn't the prat EVER listen to ANYTHING she had to say? Toerag.

"Don't worry, Lily… I'd never expect you to bail me out of anything" with a mischievous grin and a wink, James, followed by Sirius and Remus, got up and apparated out of the compartment, leaving the three girls staring at the empty spots where the marauders had stood.

'They couldn't have WALKED out like normal people, could they?' Lily groused. James may be her new crush-friend. Not crush. Friend. That didn't give him the right to show off like that. Just because he could apparate before anyone else in school could. Toerag.

"You know Potter and Black… always have to do everything with a bang" Dorcas commented, earning twin glares from Emmeline and Lily.

'Remus was with them too, you know' Emmeline's voice was hard, as Lily just glared.

"I know… but Remus is… different" Dorcas blushed as Lily's eyes lit up.

'Different?'

Lily and Emmeline exchanged grins as Dorcas blushed harder. Who knew Dorcas Meadows, the school's resident punk girl would actually be interested in the bookish Remus?

"He's a Marauder… but he's also sweet. He's not like the others…" Dorcas mumbled shyly.

'James is sweet!' Lily objected, earning an odd look from Emmeline.

"While we're on the topic of confessing crushes…"

'He's a friend Em… I'm not interested in him like that. And Merlin knows he doesn't feel that way about me anymore. I'm just saying, objectively speaking… that he is sweet. Not like Black anyway.'

Emmeline seemed to blanch as Lily spoke, but didn't say anything. Before Dorcas could respond, the door to the compartment swung open and Lily found herself looking into a pair of familiar, beautiful hazel eyes. I mean familiar hazel eyes. Not beautiful hazel eyes. Familiar!

"Oh, mighty Head girl, we are needed for our Prefect's meeting posthaste…"

Giggling and blushing slightly, Lily put her hand into the crook of his arm, barely noticing the giggles of her friends as they walked out of the compartment.