Chapter One
Lily Evans surveyed herself critically in her wardrobe mirror. A beautiful young girl of almost seventeen stared back at her. Lily's eyes travelled slowly over her long, lustrous dark red hair and delicate, creamy complexion. Moving slightly closer, she stared into her stunning emerald eyes, rimmed with thick dark lashes and a faint streak of black eyeliner. She giggled slightly as she surveyed a cluster of tiny freckles on the bridge of her nose.
Stepping back from the mirror, she straightened out her clothes. Always the tomboy, she was dressed in a flattering white vest top, layered over a longer black one and a pair of dark green combats. She smiled to herself at the thought of returning to school and turned away from the mirror to continue her packing.
James Potter rumpled his hair up. Don't do that, he thought, she doesn't like it..
He was thinking, of course, of his one and only, Lily Evans. Maybe this, his final year at Hogwarts, would finally be his year. It had always baffled him that Lily, who had always hated and rejected him, was the only girl in the entire school who could resist his charms. Along with Sirius Black, he was probably the most attractive boy in the school, and he knew it. Maybe this was why. Lily had always said he was arrogant. Perhaps it was time to deflate his head a little; have a go at modesty for once.
Lily pushed her way through the bustling crowd at platform 9 ¾. Fingering the shiny Head Girl badge in her pocket, she searched for the Prefect carriage in the middle of the train. She was looking forward to meeting the Head Boy. After all, she would be working with him all year.
Walking with her head in the clouds, as usual, she didn't notice when a fat ginger cat streaked right under her trolley. It went rocketing forward when she tripped over the cat, while she fell backwards. Gasping, she flailed and tried to block her fall, but she felt a pair of strong arms catch her before she hit the floor and set her back on her feet. Pushing her hair out of her eyes, she turned and was surprised when she found herself staring into the deep, hazel eyes of James Potter.
'Hi Ev- Lily,' he said, smiling brightly.
'Hello Potter.' Lily raised an eyebrow. 'Um, thanks for that.'
'No problem. You'll want to watch out. There are people running round this platform like mad things.'
'Yeah. I noticed,' Lily said, but with less sarcasm than she was used to using when talking to James Potter. She liked the way he smiled with his eyes.
'So,' James said, moving forward to lift Lily's things back onto her fallen trolley, 'how was your summer?'
'It was- fine, thank you…' Lily was confused. Was James Potter actually being courteous or was it just her? Uncomfortable, she reached a hand up to her neck. She gasped quietly when she felt no necklace dangling there.
'Ah,' said James, bending down, 'You might want this.' He picked a silver Tiffany bean on a fine chain up from the floor of the platform.
"Oh god. Thank you.'
James stood behind Lily and moved her hair to one side. A faint waft of perfume met his nostrils. He counted the beauty spots on her neck. Eight. They looked like a little constellation. Snapping out of his reverie, he fastened the chain around her neck, breathed in her scent once more and then stood back.
'There you go,' he said brightly.
"Thanks' Lily turned to him. For once, James detected a hint of warmth in her emerald eyes.
'No problem. Anyway, it was nice talking to you again, but I have to find my carriage. Bye Lily.' James took her hand and gave it a small kiss. Attempting to look enraged, Lily pulled her hand back. But she did it gently. She felt shivers running up her spine.
'Bye, James. Thanks… for your help.'
' Any time. You just give a holler.'
He gave a small hop, then began to walk quickly towards the middle of the train. Lily watched him go, not sure what to think. Cautiously, she followed him in search of the Prefect carriage.
Happiness surging through him, James skipped along, looking for Sirius. He found him, sitting on a bench with Remus, lazily fiddling with a strand of his long, dark hair and unknowingly attracting the adoring stares of many of the girls on the platform. James crept up 'til he was right behind Sirius, and then pounced.
'Argh! James, you ass!'
'Serves you right. I can see you, you shameless flirt.'
'Oh shut up! Not my fault babes love me, is it girls?' James looked over at the girls. A few giggled, flicking their hair and fluttering long eyelashes. He distinctly heard one of them say: 'See, the good ones always come in threes.' Thank God Lily's not like this thought James silently, or I wouldn't have a chance.
'Anyway Padfoot, where'd you put my stuff? Mum said you were looking after it.'
'Oh look, the Head Boy's already ordering people around.'
'Shut up. C'mon, where is it?'
'It's in your carriage already. What's up, anyway, you look really flustered about something.'
'Oh it's nothing.'
'It's Evans again isn't it?'
'Well, I think I may have just had a breakthrough.'
'Hmmm. Ok then. Good luck mate. Maybe this is your year.'
Maybe it is, thought James as he walked towards his carriage. Just maybe.
Lily hauled her trunk into the carriage and looked around. Wow, she thought, impressed. The carriage was much more luxurious than the others. She had thought so in fifth year when she had first become a prefect. It was impressive, done up in deep shades of wood and dark red velvet and white curtains.
She sat down next to the window and noticed a small pile of belongings on the top luggage rack. Curious, she thought, and turned to look through the window.
As James strode confidently through the corridors of the Hogwarts Express, he wondered in his head who the Head Girl was likely to be. He knew who he wanted it to be. Ever since he had found out that Lily was a Gryffindor prefect and Remus had been made one rather than him, he had been disappointed and jealous of the time his best friend was able to spend with Lily, the girl of his dreams. However, when Dumbledore had informed him that Head meetings would coincide with Remus' monthly transformations into a werewolf, James had all too happily accepted his invitation to take Remus' place.
Arriving at the door of the Head compartment, he peered through the window. As he had hoped, Lily sat with her legs crossed in casual elegance, gazing through the window at the bustling crowd on the platform. He glanced at his reflection in a small mirror by the door and, out of habit, ran a hand through his already unruly hair. Smiling, he pushed the door open.
'So, we meet again.' Lily nearly fell off her seat in shock. She stared, frozen to her chair, as James gave her a friendly wink and a small smile.
'Wh- what are you doing here?' She said, a little too aggressively than she meant to, 'you're not allowed in here.'
'Of course I am. This compartment's reserved for me.' He dug his Head Boy badge out of his pocket and showed it to her. 'See? Sorry, I obviously startled you a little.'
'A little? Anyway, never mind, wasn't your friend Remus the Gryffindor prefect?'
'Yeah, well. He couldn't make the monthly meetings. He's… busy.' James finished lamely. Lily raised an eyebrow.
'Right,' she said sceptically. 'So you took his place?'
'Dumbledore gave it to me instead. Wanted to teach me responsibility, I guess. As you probably know, I am a bit of a rascal.' He winked again. Lily grinned in spite of herself. Her coldness towards James was melting away.
'Yeah. I'd definitely noticed,' she said, laughing.
Raising his eyebrows mischievously, he indicated the seat opposite Lily and said- 'Mind if I sit here?'
'No, go ahead.'
'Thanks.'
James sat and glanced out the window as the train began to move slowly out of the platform. He turned back to Lily and smiled gently. 'So,' he said, 'Good summer?'
An hour later, with about two more hour left till their arrival, the food trolley came, and the smiling witch pushing it handed over their change and their food and trundled away. James and Lily ate ravenously and kept up their conversation all the while. They talked about Quidditch, Lily explained her long-time terror of flying and James promised that maybe one day he would cure her of her fear. The conversation wandered to Hogsmeade, school, family; anything and everything.
'Brrrr. I'm freezing,' exclaimed Lily, rubbing her arms in the cold.
'Here,' said James, holding his sweater out to her. 'Put this on. It's really warm. Remus' grandmother knitted it for me.'
'Thanks. Thanks a lot.' Lily was dumbstruck. It was so hard to believe how nice James was being. Not stuck up, not arrogant or rude or anything.
A couple of hours later, they fell silent. It was not an uncomfortable silence, or a sullen one- more companionable and friendly. They looked out of the window, not talking, but occasionally looking at each other and smiling shyly.
After around half an hour of silence, James opened his mouth and turned to look at Lily.
'So-' He stopped and smiled gently. Lily was asleep, her head against the window and her arms thrust deep into James' sweater.
I cannot believe this is happening, James thought to himself, his head almost exploding with happiness as he looked into her face. She looks so peaceful, almost smiling. Wow. I can't believe this is happening- Lily Evans- my one and only crush, the girl I've practically been in love with since I was eleven years old, is asleep wearing my sweater! She doesn't hate me- we just had a conversation for the last one and a half hours!
Quietly, James slipped out of the compartment and sprinted to the compartment three doors along. He burst in, laughing madly and hugging a flabbergasted Sirius as he skipped to his seat.
'Er, Prongs? What's up with you?' Remus asked, dumbstruck at James' mood.
'Evans.' Sirius said straightaway. 'I know it's Evans- isn't it James?'
'Yup! You will not believe it! She's being nice to me! I mean, we've been chatting animatedly for the last, like, two hours! And you know what- right now, as we speak, Lily Evans, possibly the most gorgeous girl in the year, is fast asleep under my sweater!'
'Wow,' said Peter, awe spreading over his pudgy face.
'Oh, shut up Wormtail. It's not that big a deal,' said Sirius bluntly.
'It is for me! This is the first time she hasn't looked at me like a piece of dirt!' Cried James indignantly.
'You two haven't snogged yet?'
'No!'
'Well then I don't know what you're so excited about.'
'Sirius, do you know what? I liked you so much better before this summer! Since you moved in you've been nothing but a bloody pain in the arse!'
James stormed out of the compartment, enraged at his best friends unsupportiveness. Approaching the Head compartment, James slowed and peered through the tiny window at his angel, asleep against the window. Opening the door silently, he slid in and sat down opposite her again. He drank in the features of her sleeping face and sighed contentedly. Turning away, he gazed back through the window at the darkening countryside.
Waking up at a particularly large jolt of the train, Lily opened her eyes sharply and stretched. James' sweater slithered to the floor and lay at her feet. She picked it up and looked at James, opposite her. He had fallen asleep only about ten minutes ago, with his feet on the seats and his head up against the wall.
She looked at him, amazed at the change that had come over him. His face was calm, but she could see the corners of his mouth pulled slightly into a smile, barely noticeable, but there. It was almost cheeky, as if he was dreaming of something funny. She smiled and got up quietly to go to the bathroom.
Returning after washing her face and re-applying her eyeliner, she gazed out of the window as the countryside, now completely dark, slipped past the train, occasionally darting looks at James as he slept. These feelings she got when she looked at him couldn't possibly be what she thought they were…
