Hello! So this is one of Marauders Era fanfictions I'm currently working on. I publish on Quotev, but I thought I'd give Fanfiction a try, so I'm posting this up here. This is a work in progress - and I'm an absolutely horrible author - so do excuse me if my knowledge of the Marauders Era sucks :) Please review/comment, and enjoy!


Lily was running. It was 10:58, and she would surely miss the Hogwarts Express if she didn't hurry.

She didn't even know this world existed until two months prior, when the owl came. She was still getting used to birds tapping at their window. Petunia, however, absolutely hated it, and everything about the wizarding world. She, Lily's best friend and sister, refused to acknowledge her anymore, and that hurt Lily more than ever.

But today she didn't have time to be sad. She wouldn't have to face that problem for another six months.

"Bye, Mum! Bye, Dad!" Lily hollered, before disappearing onto the train. Her parents waved, smiling fondly. Lily searched the train for a compartment until she found one at the end, completely empty.

Good, she thought. I can avoid other people, at least until we get to Hogwarts. Her plans to avoid other people, however, were crushed when the door slid open and a young, gentle-looking boy peeked in.

"Hello," he said meekly. "Do you mind if we sit here? The others are full." The door opened completely to reveal four boys, all looking very tired. Lily's eyes widened. Four boys and her, in one carriage…

She squeaked a little, grabbing her trunk and ducking under the tallest of the boys to dart out of the compartment, and instead resolved to stay in another one where three other girls were animatedly conversing.

"The only thing that can worsen my days is James Potter," one girl was saying. She had immaculately straight blonde hair, and turned towards Lily as she spoke. "Oh, you have such pretty hair!"

"That's not how you greet people, Mar," another girl scolded, then smiled kindly at Lily. "I'm Alice. This little loudmouth here is Marlene, and that's Mary." Lily waved at them, still a bit dazed. "You can sit here. Come on." Alice patted the seat next to her, and Lily took it.

"You're in such a good mood," the girl called Mary observed. "I see you haven't met the Marauders yet?"

"Who?"

"I think she's a Muggle-born," Marlene said, gazing intently at Lily. "Are you?"

"Well… yes," Lily replied, uncertain if that was good or bad. All suspicions dissolved as Marlene squealed.

"You're a Muggle-born! Merlin, I've read all about Muggle things! The fellytone, the tellywagon-"

"The telephone, Mar," Alice said patiently. "And the television."

"Yeah, yeah," Marlene said indifferently, waving Alice off with a hand. "See, Lily, Alice is the logical one here. You want peace and quiet, you go talk to her. Like Alice said earlier, I can't shut up."

"And I will personally hex you if you don't." An annoyed - looking boy narrowed his eyes at Marlene. Lily realized that he was one of the four boys that barged into her compartment… sort of. "Shut up, McKinnon."

"Make me, Black."

"I'm going to hex you."

"Well, you know what?" Lily stepped forward, drawing her wand with lightning speed and pointing it at the boy's throat. "You haven't even started school. You can't hex anyone better than her. Your wand is practically useless."

"Well," the boy said, laughing, "not useless. I have been taught a few things - I'm a pureblood, you know. We live in a wizarding community, so I do know a few things. But not hexing. Either way, what do you think you can do? Your wand is as useless as mine."

"Look," Lily said, temper flaring, "I may not be able to use this, but I can stab your throat and kill you. But I won't do that if you leave my friend alone."

"Friend?" The boy looked Lily up and down. "McKinnon, since when have you been hanging out with pretty little girls like her?" Pretty little girls like you. The phrase haunted Lily, so much that she wanted to scream.

"Leave," she growled. The boy smirked at her.

"You can just ask anytime you need something," he said, sauntering out the door. "See you around, flower."

"Flower?"

"You look like a Rose to me - and I know that's probably not your name, but I don't really care." The boy winked. "Later."

"That - so - how can one be so full of himself? That blasted egghead!" Lily sputtered. The other girls just shook their head.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," Mary said. "I've only known them since a few hours ago, but they've already built their reputation as idiots."

Well… maybe school wasn't going to be as easy as Lily had been hoping.


"Black, Sirius!" Lily watched the tall, rather handsome boy look nervous as he sat on the stool. Alpha Canis Majoris, she thought. The brightest star in the sky. Or maybe not. It didn't really matter. She watched Sirius make his way to the Gryffindor table, grinning - hiding under a facade of confidence. Lily saw through people easily, especially overconfident ones like Sirius. They were easier to read.

"Evans, Lily!" All eyes were on her, and there were whispers of Muggle-born. Lily met eyes with Alice and shakily took her seat on the stool.

Muggle - born, said the Hat. Was it talking? Well, it was magical. Lily decided to go with it. Smart one, I see, very intelligent. Ravenclaw? Maybe. Let me see.

Silence.

No, little girl. The one who will change your life for the better lies in Gryffindor - and so do you. You belong there more than any other house. You've got it easy, Muggle-born.

"GRYFFINDOR!" The table Sirius sat at cheered as she took her seat - right next to Alpha Canis Majoris himself.

"Well, congrats," he said to her cordially. "I must say, you did put up quite a fight on the train."

"Well, I guess I get a bit overprotective of my friends sometimes," Lily explained. "And you were yelling at her, and it was a bit obnoxious."

"Really." Sirius made a sound that closely resembled a snort. "Well, nice to have you, flower. Gryffindor's always the best house."

"My name is Lily. Evans to you, though, since I'm not your friend."

"Well, I thought you were a Rose, Evans. I was wrong, I guess. But I'm not often wrong. Look, here comes Fortescue." Alice, cheeks flushed, sat down next to Lily.

"Lily, I was so scared! I think I would have died if it had put me in Slytherin!"

"Well, you aren't, Alice. And you belong here - and I'm glad you do, because you've got to stick with me while I deal with Black this year."

Sirius snorted again.

"Lupin, Remus!" A boy stood, walking up to the stool. His sandy hair fell in his sunken gray eyes. Lily thought he looked quite kind, unlike Sirius.

"GRYFFINDOR!" Remus smiled shyly and, like the others, took a seat at their table. A few minutes later, they were joined by Mary and Marlene, all four girls glad that they were in the same house.

"Potter, James!" Lily craned her neck to watch. The boy under the hat reminded her strongly of her childhood Muggle friend Daniel: messy curls, framing a square - jawed face. Where Daniel's eyes were deep blue, James's were a hypnotizing hazel, and he wore glasses that kept sliding down to the end of his nose. Where Daniel's hair was light brown, James's was black and stuck out in every direction - but somehow managed not to look stupid. In a way, he was almost attractive.

"GRYFFINDOR!" Marlene groaned.

"What's wrong with him?" Lily asked. Marlene made a face.

"We're childhood friends," she said. "And he's the most wanted of the guys here at school. Just like Black. I hate Potter, and I think I'm going to hate Black already. I hate life." She banged her head against the table again.

They were soon joined by another young man by the name of Peter Pettigrew, and a few other kids Lily didn't really pay attention to. She was waiting for another young boy, this one with greasy black hair and a hooked nose.

"Snape, Severus!" The hall fell quiet as the hat considered every house.

"SLYTHERIN!" Lily frowned, meeting Severus's eyes. She had been told quite a few things about Slytherin House, and she didn't want her best friend to fall under the stereotype.

Halfway into the feast, a voice roused her from her thoughts.

"Hello." Remus looked at her kindly. "I'm Remus, but you probably know that. I don't know anyone else here, and you don't seem scary, so… hi." Lily giggled.

"You don't seem scary yourself," she said. Something in Remus's gaze shifted as she spoke.

"Was that you?" James looked intently at Lily. She frowned.

"Was what me?"

"That giggle."

"Yeah. Is that a problem?" James lifted his arms.

"Merlin, no. No need to get on the defensive." He looked wary as he returned to an animated conversation with Sirius. Lily sighed.

If life could get any more complicated, she didn't think she could handle it.