I bet you wonder where it all started, how the story began. It began at Hogwarts 8 years before the birth of Harry Potter. It began with the tale of his parents and their school years followed by their fight in the real world to preserve hope and love in times of darkness. This is the story of Lilly Evans and James Potter and those closest to them in their final years.
Lily Evans stood just outside King's Cross at 9.30am on the 1st September waving goodbye to her parents. She waited until the car had disappeared around the corner before pulling open her shoulder bag and rummaging in it until she found her pack of Marlborough Reds. She pulled open the pack and placed one to her lips and lit it with her purple and green zippo which had been a present from her best friend for her last birthday. She inhaled deeply and her shoulders relaxed, the holidays were always stressful but with Petunia's new boyfriend who resembled a large whale constantly at their house it had been worse than normal. Thankfully her parents and her sister had been gone for one week half way through the hols so she had managed to invite some friends over and trashed the house. She thanked god for her wand at that point at the fact she had just turned 17.
She was halfway down her cigarette when she heard her name being called. Glancing up she saw her best friend Venus heading towards her. Lily grinned and waved at the girl who laughed and continued her leisurely pace towards the waiting red head. On arriving next to her best friend Venus grinned and threw her arms around Lily making her choke on her cigarette.
'Did you miss me,' the strawberry blonde asked.
'Nope, not at all,' responded the red head.
'Wounded, right through the heart,' Venus said tapping her ample bosom with a face of mock indignation.
Lily laughed, 'course I did nut case,' she as the two girls made their way in to the station with their trolleys and wound their way through the people till they reached the barrier between platform 9 and 10 and pushed through.
The scarlet train stood gleaming on the platform and was surrounded by students and parents alike as they waved their children off for the new school year.
Lily shouldered her bag, picked up her owl and levitated her bag to the baggage car. She climbed on to the train and sat in the empty compartment and waited for Venus to join her with the other member of their group. Moments later two girls entered and flopped down on to the seats. Venus and their mutual best friend George (short for Georgina) were a sight to behold to the average male. They were like chalk and cheese, while Venus had slightly longer than shoulder length strawberry blonde hair, George had long raven locks that fell mid back Most people kept away from George, her pale skin and electric blue eyes were enough to keep most people intimidated but combine that with her sharp wit and cutting comments and you had a stunning girl who kept most of the perverts at bay.
'Well well welll, what have we here, three stunning girls without an male in sight,' a male voice cut in.
Lily sighed, well almost all of the perverts. Sirius Black grinned from his position of nonchalance against the carriage door.
Venus growled under her breath and turned to George, 'why is it you mange to keep all perverts away apart from the one that truly matters,' she asked.
George ginned at her and then turned to Sirius, 'you going to stand there or sit down dear,' she asked.
Sirius grinned and sat down opposite her and cocked his head on one side, 'how was summer G,' he asked.
'Not bad thanks,' George answered putting her feet up on his knees and smiling at him.
Lily scowled, she had never understood the friendship between G and Sirius Black, one of the four marauders who plagued the school on a daily basis. She supposed it had something to do with the amount of shared detentions between the two for their on going prank war that had started back on their first ever day at school. Thinking back, Lily was quite sure she was the pranked subject and G, having known her all of half an hour had leapt to her defence. In retrospect, had Lily known it would start a life long friendship with two the boys she most disliked and tried to stay away from she would have probably stepped up to the mark herself. Of course she had the perfect come back….three years later but still, better late than never she always said.
'Black,' Lily growled, 'nice to see you as always. Where is your cell partner?'
'Missing Prongs already Lily,' Sirius smirked, 'you needn't worry, he was just behind me. Ran in to Susan I think. Although,' he added glancing at her frame, 'I think you'd be enough to tempt him away from her. Look at you getting all hot!'
Lily perked up at that, 'well in that case I reckon I have time to hide in the Ladies before he arrives,' she said and turned to Venus, 'come find me when he's gone?'
Venus nodded and pulled a book out of her carry bag and settled down.
'Never figured you like to read,' Sirius said in a mocking voice.
Venus glanced up and shrugged, 'it seems to be the lesser of two evils,' she said, 'converse with you and feel my IQ drop dramatically or enhance my brain power by continuing to digest the full works of Shakespeare. Naturally while I do love good banter,' here Venus paused and then chuckled musically, 'who am I kidding? Your idea of good banter is to shove your tongue down some poor unsuspecting girls throat so I think I'll decline.'
Sirius snorted, 'like I would want to put my tongue anywhere near your mouth in general,' he said.
'Oh,' Venus said in surprise, 'so it wasn't you who I kissed three weeks ago?'
Sirius stared at her, 'I thought we weren't going to mention that,' he said.
'I thought I aught to clear the air, I cleared my stomach shortly after our little fling. Apparently champagne on an empty stomach is not the brightest idea. Who knew?'
Lily stared at her friend, 'you kissed him,' she asked, her mouth dropping open.
'Were you not about to leave,' Venus asked not looking up from her book.
'Crap, yes I was,' Lily said and hurried to the door. As she reached for the door handle it opened and there stood James Potter, messy black hair, chocolate eyes and a breath taking smile on his face.
'Lily,' he murmured and smiled slightly, 'you've grown up a bit haven't you. Almost didn't recognise you in that hot body.'
'Save it Potter,' she snapped and made to move round him.
As she made her way out of the door she brushed against him and froze, something wasn't right. Butterflies? She never had butterflies, especially not passing James Potter. She looked up and found his brown eyes focused on her emerald ones. She flushed and took a breath. His eyes darted down to the swell of her breasts and he smiled a crooked smile.
'Just say the words Evans,' he said in a husky voice for her ears only, 'say the word and we'll have fun. I'd even been willing to give up all other girls for you.'
Lily blushed and then scowled, 'how magnanimous of you,' she hissed, 'females everywhere must be sobbing in agony at the thought of your presence being kept from them. I could never do that to them.'
'As you wish,' James said, 'but before too long you're chance will end and I wont offer again.'
Lily blinked and turned away from him, 'imagine my disappointment,' she said in a tone void of all emotions.'
James watched Lily disappear down the corridor and allowed a frown to mare his perfect features. How he wished he could get that in to bed with him. Naturally for a boy his age it was all about the short term and Lily Evans would have to be short term in the eyes of James. Getting involved with that would completely turn him upside down and frankly that was something he could do with out.
Lily was the one girl that he had never had, well, her and his cousin who was reading Shakespeare at the moment it looked like. She was also the one girl he really wanted, he had fantasised about Lily's perfect body and long hair for the past year and by the end of next year he would have her in his bed if it was the last thing he did during his time at Hogwarts.
He entered the room completely and shut the door. Turning he smiled at G and Sirius who were watching him with amusement.
'Turned you down again,' Sirius chuckled, 'maybe I should give it ago.'
'If you even think about it I swear we'll have issues,' James growled at his friend.
Sirius inclined his head and asked were Remus and Peter where. James shrugged and sat down opposite his cousin.
Venus looked up and smiled at him.
'Reckon she'll ever give me a chance,' James asked.
Venus shook her head, 'I don't know,' she answered, 'it wouldn't matter if it was you or Sirius as far as I am concerned neither of you should ever get anywhere her. You'll break her heart and she knows it as well as I do. I wouldn't wish that on anyone.'
G nodded, 'yeah J, she's not like the other whores you sleep with. You hurt her and I will so break something in your body.'
James flinched and nodded, he had seen what G could accomplish when someone her one of her friends.
The rest of the journey passed in the countryside flashing by and night arriving. The train arrived at the platform and the group, including Lily, made they way to the thestral pulled carriages. They entered the Great Hall and took their seats at the Gryffindor table.
'Can we eat yet, can we eat yet,' Sirius asked bouncing in his seat like an overactive child.
Lily rolled her eyes and turned to Venus, 'you wanna do something about that or shall I?'
Sirius grinned, 'well if Venus wants to shut me up all she has to do is shove her to….' and that was as far as he got before Venus took action and shoved his tie in his mouth.
Sirius scowled at her as the other seated around laughed.
'You know you want to do it again,' Sirius smirked.
Venus blinked a few times and then grinned, 'awww,' she said, 'you actually sound like you want me to!'
Sirius turned to James, 'is it ok to admit that I really want to do your cousin right now?'
James scowled, 'sure if I can admit that Bella is really a sweetie who just wants someone to realise she is a human underneath that joy of using the unforgivable curses.'
Sirius winced, 'I apologies for my drastically in-appropriate comment.'
James grinned and turned towards the first years now being sorted. Sirius looked over as well and they both broke in to evils grins.
'What have you two done,' Lily hissed at James as she kicked him under the table. James scowled at her and refused to answer.
Moments later members of the Slytherin table jumped to their feet as though they had been needled by tiny pins. A few more jumped up and began waltzing around the Great Hall, males partnered together as Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker resounded around the room.
Professor Dumbledore looked up from what seemed to be a deep conversation with Professor Slughorn, the potions teacher. He smiled gently and with a wave of his wand reissued order. The moment the Slytherins were seated however they were all jumping for the Marauders blood.
Dumbledore chuckled, 'there will be no blood shed this evening but I would ask the perpetrators to report to Professor McGonagall tomorrow for their detention.'
James grinned at Sirius, 'detention before the term has officially started,' he said with a grin, 'our best yet.'
Lily snorted and glanced away from them towards the Ravenclaw table where her friend Alice was sitting. Instead of catching Alice's eye however, she seemed to generate a lot of interest in the male population. One of them winked and gave her a lascivious grin. Lily winced and looked down at her plate which by that point was fill. She smiled happily and dug in, it's great to be back, she thought to herself.
The following day found Lily and her friends at the Gryffindor table at breakfast as they received their timetables for the year. Lily glanced down at hers and then over at Venus's.
'Why aren't you taking Care of Magical Creatures,' she asked her friend.
'Divination instead,' Venus said round a mouthful of bacon.
Lily looked at her with disgust written across her face, 'sometimes,' she said, 'you are so like you cousin.'
James choose that moment to sit down opposite her and grin, 'that is the nicest thing you've ever said to her,' he commented as he stole a piece of bacon from Venus's plate causing her to wave her fork at him in a threatening manner.
'No,' Georgina cut in from Lily's other side, 'she said V had nice hair this morning. Beats being likened to you anyday.'
Venus nodded and stuffed another piece in her moth before turning to Lily.
'Yea, sfo nad truuueeee,' she said.
Lily blinked at that and looked at G for help.
'So not true,' G translated with a straight face.
'I agree,' James said stuffing a muffin into his mouth at the same time.
Georgina laughed, 'yeah,' she said, 'you two are totally different.'
'Was that sarcasm I detect there,' Remus Lupin asked sitting down and grinning at the girls, 'try not to use it round James and Sirius, you know they don't really understand it.'
Lily laughed at that and smiled at Remus, 'hey,' she said, 'where were you last night?'
Remus shrugged, 'sitting the other end of the table from these two. I like to keep my IQ in tact.'
'You share a dorm with them,' Venus commented with an empty mouth, 'how's that going for you?'
'Not very well,' Remus said smiling as they left for their first class, potions.
