Chapter Two: Diagon Alley

Lily's POV

She walked through the magical barrier with her parents. Everyone in the group was dumbfounded at the sight before them. Wizards and witches were meandering through the small alleyway. There were magicians standing outside the shops, advertising the low prices of such things as Dragon Dung and Quality Quidditch Supplies and other things that Lily would have spent hours looking at.

If it wasn't for the gentle prodding of her mother's hand on her back, she would have stayed in the entryway just watching everyone going about their business. She darted from shop to shop, looking with fascination at all of the items for sale. Her favorite shop by far was the second one she went into: Flourish and Blotts.

She was definitely an avid reader. She wandered around the store looking at the different volumes and tomes, completely lost when she bumped into a girl with long wavy black hair and stunning blue eyes.

"Sorry! I didn't see you!" Lily exclaimed startled by the girl who looked like she was about her age.

"Not a problem. I'm Serenity by the way, but you can call me Reni. Are you getting your supplies for Hogwarts?" she asked Lily. She looked curiously at Lily.

"Actually, yes," Lily replied. "I'm getting the course books for this year. Have you gotten your books already?"

Reni looked rather sheepish. "Yes, but I was just looking at other books and lost track of what I was doing. I still need to go get all of my other supplies."

Lily looked fondly at the girl who seemed so similar to her. "You can join me and my parents if you wish. Your parents can come too of course."

At this, the girl looked away and flushed. "Actually, I came here alone." This surprised Lily.

"Well then you have to come with us! I haven't finished my shopping either. Then we can get some ice cream at that delicious looking shop… Florean Fortescue's I think it's called."

She looked at Lily with a surprised yet happy expression and they walked through the bookstore getting their course books. They got on quite well quickly as they walked through the stores getting their supplies. Both were laughing hysterically over something Reni had said while eating ice cream when Lily stopped to see a boy with messy black hair and glasses looking at her from across the way.

Before she could get a good look at him, he disappeared in the crowd.

"What are you looking at Lils?" Lily smiled at the nickname her father sometimes used and gestured over to the other end of the street.

"I thought I saw someone staring at me, but he's gone now so I think I may have imagined it."

"Well was he cute?"

Lily looked at her new best friend in astonishment. She didn't seem like she would be so forward about this sort of situation.

"I don't know I didn't get a proper look at the bloke!" Lily said incredulously.

"Oh well too bad." Reni said looking rather disappointed. "Let's get the rest of our shopping done, yeah?"

"Yeah, sure." Lily and Reni went off to go do the rest of their shopping, but somehow, Lily could not get the picture of the boy out of her head.