A/N: So. This is my first HP fic in some time, and it is by no means an original idea. I don't claim that I'm the first person to do this. I don't claim to be the best. But it's fun to write and fun to explore and whatever, I do what I want. ;)
Basically, I'm going to divide each year into three parts-summer, autumn, and spring, which should make for a total of 21 chapters from first to seventh year. I am taking liberties with canon-that is, I want this to be plausible as being canon, but I'm going to change certain things for the sake of narrative.
As always, constructive criticism is always appreciated. Title is from Rod Stewart's "When We Were The New Boys". A bit hokey, but nothing ever fit better. Onward!
"It's going to be the best year ever," Sirius Black said excitedly, zooming around James Potter's back garden on his Shooting Star 200. It wasn't as fast or fancy as James's Lightyear 450 racing broom, but it beat the Nebula 100 training broom he'd been forced to use until this year, when he got this one and was allowed to give his old broom to his younger brother Regulus.
"I know," James agreed, diving down and then shooting back up on his own broom, unable to resist doing a little spin as he did. "Too bad we're not allowed to bring our brooms," he added wistfully. "How are we supposed to become famous Quidditch stars if we can't even practice for a whole term?"
"Dunno." Sirius skidded to a stop, kicking the broom to the side and making a dash for the sandwiches and pumpkin juice that the house elf had set out for them. James landed his own broom (although he set his lovingly against the big oak tree) and flopped down next to Sirius in the lawn chairs. "I can't believe we have to wait a whole month," he complained thickly around his roast beef sandwich. "We've been waiting forever already, why do we have to wait another month?"
"At least we're finally going to Diagon Alley tomorrow." Sirius reached for another sandwich. "I thought your mum was going to make us wait until the day before we were supposed to leave!"
"We could have gone with your family last week," James reminded him, snapping for the house elf to bring them some sweets.
Sirius pulled a face. "No," he said firmly around a mouthful of sandwich. His parents were not exceptionally fond of James or his family, which was okay, because Sirius was not exceptionally fond of his parents. He spent most of his time at James's house and had ever since they had met on their first day of nursery school, eight years previously. James was an only child, which Sirius counted as his best and worst feature. On one hand, he always had the absolute best of everything and never had to share it with anybody else, thus risking it getting broken or damaged in some way (Sirius's brother was ten and exceptionally dim, and was perpetually ruining any cool things Sirius had), but on the other hand, he was sometimes a bit of a prat. Nevertheless, he and Sirius were inseparable and Sirius wouldn't have had it any other way.
"What house do you think we're going to get into?" James wondered, nodding at the house elf. "I hope Gryffindor, but I suppose Slytherin would be all right. I'd quit if I got Hufflepuff."
Sirius sniggered. "My parents would kill me," he agreed. "I'd rather be in Gryffindor, though. Too many of my family members in Slytherin." he shuddered at the idea of having to see Narcissa every day, even though it would have been fun to torment her at every possible opportunity.
Their snack finished, James glanced up at the sky. They had a good hour before it rained, it looked like, and at least two before dinner. Pushing his chair away, he picked up his broom. "C'mon," he urged Sirius. "Let's get one more round in before mum calls us in."
"You got your letter." Severus Snape stood in the doorway of his best friend Lily's house, watching her put her shoes on, the letter poking out of the back pocket of her shorts.
Lily straightened, nodding excitedly and pulling it out of her pocket to show him. "It came today! Mum was startled by the owl at first but they were both so proud that I thought Dad was going to burst out of his shirt if he puffed any bigger!" she giggled.
Severus examined the letter, smiling. "I knew it would come," he said. "You had nothing to worry about."
Lily brushed her hair away from her eyes. "I know. I couldn't help it! I kept thinking maybe you'd made a mistake or maybe they'd forgotten me."
Severus looked down at his shoes, smiling a little, and shook his head. "They wouldn't forget you. Nobody should be at Hogwarts more than you."
Lily turned a little pink, and quickly shook her head, putting the letter on the table in the front room. "Petunia," she called. "Sev and I are going outside, are you coming?"
Petunia appeared in the doorway, arms folded across her chest, giving Severus and Lily a haughty look. "No," she said coldly. "I don't want to play outside with you, you freak." Severus and Lily exchanged glances, and Lily shrugged. "Fine," she said patiently. "But if you want to come out, we'll be down at the pond."
"What's with her?" Severus wanted to know as soon as they were out of Petunia's earshot.
Lily shrugged, bending down to pick a clover and absently toying with the petals. "Jealous," she answered. "She's been begging dad all morning to write to the headmaster but dad said if she was going to get a letter she would've already, so now she's acting like it's my fault."
Severus found a place to sit, tucking his legs under him and waiting for Lily to sit down next to him. "It's not your fault," he told her as she sat, getting really interested in the grass all of a sudden.
"I know," Lily reassured him, patting him on the hand and smiling. "She'll get over it. And there's so much to look forward to! We'll be at Hogwarts before we know it, and mum says that on Saturday we can go to get all of my books and things and you can come along. Do you want to? You don't have to, I just thought it would be nice if we did it together."
Severus reached for Lily's hand, giving it a little squeeze, and nodded. "I want to," he said earnestly, as if she might change her mind if he didn't speak fast enough. "And Lily?" he asked, the rest of his words coming out in a rush. "It doesn't matter what house you end up in or what happens at Hogwarts, I'll always be your best friend. I promise." Once all the words came tumbling out, he seemed embarrassed by his own display of affection, and he quieted, withdrawing his hand and once again getting very interested in his shoes. But Lily was not to be deterred. She nodded solemnly, reaching for Severus's hand. "No matter what," she agreed. "Always and forever."
Diagon Alley was already swarmed with people by the time James, Sirius, and James' parents arrived bright and early on Saturday morning. "All right," James' mum said as sternly as she could (which was not very sternly at all). "Sirius, I've got the money from your parents here. Once we've got all your school things, you may have what's left to do whatever you choose with. Don't spend it all in once place." Sirius nodded politely (although inside, he was already dreaming of dungbombs and puking pastilles and chocolate frogs and all sorts of other wonders), and James' mum turned to address James. "Now Jamie, once we've got your things we'll give you a little spending money as well. Tell mummy if anything catches your eye, all right?" James, too, nodded and said, "Thanks, mum" and then the two boys were off like a shot, racing through the shops at record speed, knowing that the sooner they got done, the sooner they could go off and have some fun.
James was standing on the stool in Madame Malkin's being fitted for his uniform when he spotted her-first her hair, long and red and hanging down her back in one thick plait, and then she turned around and he got a good look at her face, upturned nose and bright green eyes, and for a moment he was certain that his heart had stopped.
He'd had no use for girls before-they seemed boring and like a waste of time, especially when there were so many more exciting things to do like flying and playing pranks and eating-but in that moment, James thought that maybe they weren't so bad after all.
He didn't see the girl again, at least, not on that shopping trip, but the image of her was burned into his brain, and as he and Sirius left Fortescue's ice cream parlour at the end of their adventure, arms laden with packages mostly consisting of sweets and jokes, he turned to his best friend and said, "I reckon I've met the woman I'm going to marry one day."
Sirius licked his butterscotch ice cream contemplatively. "Really?"
James nodded. "Yeah. I don't know her name yet, but you wait. One day, I'm going to marry her."
Sirius laughed, elbowing James in the chest. "We'll see about that, mate."
Diagon Alley was...loud. Lily looked around, wide eyed, trying to take it all in, Petunia covered her ears, their parents nervously checked Lily and Severus's supply lists for the twentieth time since they arrived, and Severus, positively giddy, reached for Lily's hand. The streets were alive with kids and their families and strange-looking people of all shapes, sizes, and colors, more people than Lily could have ever imagined. Once she had taken it all in, she turned to Severus, the look of glee on her face matching his own. "So," she asked. "Where to first?"
Everything seemed to go by in a blur-getting their robes and wands and schoolbooks, Lily's new owl and Severus's toad-until the family, exhausted, finally decided to stop to get something to eat, and soon they were piled into a booth at Fortescue's, eating from a giant ice cream sundae with five spoons. Lily looked around the table at her parents beaming, Petunia sulking, and Severus, looking about as happy as she had ever seen him, and her heart filled up with a sort of love and joy that couldn't be compared to anything else that she had ever felt before. Yes, she thought, it was going to be a very good year.