I walked into Kings Cross Station, my headphones in, and still not yet completely oblivious to Petunia's nagging voice. The past two weeks she had tried to trip me up, make me confess that my boyfriend was completely made up and that I had simply used my freak magic and conjured up all the letters. As such when dad couldn't take me to the train this year (he had to work - the financial crisis had been tough on everyone) she had leaped at the opportunity to take me. I crossed into the station, growling under my breathe about annoying sisters and waited for her to cross through. "So Lily. Now that I'm in your freak world gonna show me this boyfriend of yours?" She put her hands on her hips, which were enclosed by a tight skirt. I was almost embarrassed for her - she had put on tight revealing clothing and layers of makeup. The one time I had suggested to her that she would look prettier without dying her hair platinum blond and tanning her skin she had turned it into another chance to insult me. "He's around. He'll be coming soon. He's always late." I said truthfully as possible. Potter was always later than most for the train. "Oh such a great guy Lily. I'm really amazed you managed to pick such a classy one." Petunia rolled her eyes. Along with obsessing over cleanliness, she like punctuality. "Yeah." I rolled my eyes and switched to a Lady Gaga. "So … where is he?" Petunia said after a few minutes of foot tapping. All week I had been thinking anxiously about what I was going to do. I decided I would simply point him out, say bye and head in the direction of Potter and pray to every divine being I had ever heard of that Petunia would take defeat gracefully. Unfortunately I was a Gryffindor and therefore too proud to simply admit I was lying. "There he is!" I pointed at an all too familiar mop of messy black hair. "Well, I'll talk to you next holidays. Bye." I picked my bags up, before starting to walk towards Potter. "Aren't you going to introduce me?" She hooked her hand around my arm, there fore effectively following me. Trying to ignore the humiliation I was bound to face I called over the hustle of the train station "James!" He swiveled on the spot, a casual grin on his face at the sound of his name. "Yeah?" He asked, searching for who had called his name over the mass of heads. "James!" I squealed, imitating one of the girls I saw I Hollywood chick flicks who was reunited with their boyfriends. Ignoring the whispers in my head about how this was Potter and he had asked me out all these years past as a joke to humiliate me (because really, why else would such a manwhore want to date simple, plain me?) I flung my arms around him and tried to ignore his shocked face. I let go of him a few moments later, sliding an arm around his waist and turning to face Petunia smugly. "James this is Petunia, my sister. Petunia this is James, my boyfriend." I saw Potter clench up slightly beside me and Petunia looked shocked. I mean even I had to admit he was attractive. The long black hair that hung over his perfect cheek and jaw bones, cut at his ears. And the muggle jeans and tight shirt encased his muscles, which he could have only gained under the harsh Quidditch practices which had the whole team running around the pitch. "Boyfriend?" Potter breathed into my ear. "Just go with it." I got out through my gritted teeth. "You're actually dating another freak. God Lily I thought that even these freaks would have enough sense to stay away from you but I was obviously wrong. I hope you have a horrible year and stay far away from Vernon and I." She hissed (probably upset that she had lost) and stormed away on her heels. "Evans what the hell was that?" Potter wrenched himself away from me, looking down so he could see my eyes (he had grown a bit over the summer - Goodness Lily now was not the time to be noticing things of sub trivialities!). "What was what?" I batted my eyelashes, feigning innocence. "You know what the hell I'm talking about! Did we start dating this summer? Are you under some kind of potion?" He snarled. I jumped back a little. No matter how mad I had gotten at him throughout the years he had never gotten mad at me. "I - uhhh." I stammered frantically to think of a way to break it to him. "Lily!" Squealed a platinum blonde before barreling into me. "My goodness! I've missed you so much! I thought that perhaps Petunia had taken you into her evil grasp forever! Oh James!" The part Veela turned from talking to me to hug her Captain. "Oh my gosh! You are dating! I mean Emily from Ravenclaw told me and I was like no way but here you are and like I knew this would happen one day!" She pulled back and gave an excited giggly squeal. Looking at her hopeful eyes I couldn't bear to tell her what a horrible person I was. "Yeah." I said barely recognizing what I was doing. "We're madly in love." "OMG! This is exactly what I said would happen in third year to Delly Fairweather and she was all like no way. But then I was like -" Delia started chattering. "Umm, Del, look it's great to see you and I really want to catch up but I haven't seen James," I inwardly flinched at having to use his first name yet again. "He'll help me with my bags won't you Hun?" I gave a smile which really told him he had no choice. "Uhh, yeah sure." Potter picked up one of my trunks and followed me. I boarded the train and found an empty compartment (strangely lots were empty this year). I dumped my stuff in the compartment and sighed, massaging my head as I furiously tried to battle against the war raging inside my head. "Evans do I need to take you to the Hospital Wing?" Potter asked quite seriously. "No! I … got into an argument with my sister." I sighed, slumping against the wall. "She has this absolutely awful boyfriend and I kind of … insulted him and she told me I couldn't get one any better. So of course, being the Gryffindor I am I said I already had one. And then she wanted me to prove it and … I showed her your letters." I felt myself blush. "So you used me to prove a point? I must say that that is rathe selfish of you. Especially for the pure, honest Lily Evans. " Potter gave a smirk and I felt my stomach drop as I realized how selfish I had been. "I must ask though Evans - if this was just to prove a point to your sister, why did you lie to Delia?" I turned away from him. "I … couldn't face her disappointment. She would think I was a horrible person. And I care too much about her to let that happen." I shook my head, pleading him to be a decent enough to not go barging into Delia's compartment and tell her what a horrible person I was. "What is it that you want from me exactly?" Potter gave another smirk, taking in me biting my lip and my bright red flush. "Just … can you pretend for another few weeks?" I twisted my hands together, my eyes pleading him to take pity upon me. "Evans … fine." He sighed and rolled his eyes. I found my eyes fly open in shock. I had not thought he would comply with my stupid idea. "What? Really?" "Yes Evans. Despited how stupid this whole thing last year you had multiple chances to rat me out to McGonagall and you never did. So I in some ways owe you." Potter came off the wall, turning to walk away. "Thanks Potter. That's a genuinely nice thing to do." I smiled at him, turning around as he walked off.
