Sixth year began like any other. I found James and Sirius on the platform. We boarded the train together, scared some second years out of their compartment, and settled ourselves in it. We talked, we laughed, we shared summer adventures. Peter found us, and joined in the fun. And when the train started moving, I excused myself and went to join the prefects.

I entered the compartment, slightly late because of the jammed corridors, and the only seats left were next to Lily or Snape. It was easy to choose. With a small smile at her- which she did not return- I slid into the chair. At the front stood Dorcas Meadows; I didn't know much about her, but that she was a seventh year Gryffindor, and apparently this year's Head Girl.

"So… First of all, welcome all you fifth year prefects. I'm sure I'll be able to count on all of you to do your job well throughout the year, and hopefully the next ones as well," She smiled awkwardly. It was easy to see she had reached the part in her speech she hadn't planned out. "So, um, your duties include…"

I zoned out, uninterested in the fifth year's duties.

I had a bad habit of daydreaming. I would lose myself in other realities, fantasizing about what could have been. Sometimes I would write a story in my head, making up plots and characters as I went along. But more often, I would dream about myself. What my life would be like, if I wasn't a werewolf. For at age sixteen, I already knew what life after Hogwarts would be like for me.

I was the Minister of Magic. I saw myself in my office, seated on a comfortable chair. The room itself was much in the style of Professor Dumbledore's office at Hogwarts, for I knew next to nothing of how an office should look. Sunlight filtered through the windows, because I didn't know then that the Ministry was underground.

I was waiting for an important guest. I didn't know just yet who exactly it was that should be stepping into my office any minute, but it was probably another Minister, from a different country, come to offer support in the war against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

Though, of course, my Aurors were doing very well as it was. Naturally, with me at its head, the Ministry of Magic was just days away from capturing You-Know-Who himself. In fact, that was probably the Head of the Auror Office knocking on my door, come with the news that they had just discovered his hideout, and wanting to inquire whether I would like to join them in their operation tonight. The Minister would be quite an addition to their ranks, of course.

It was not another Minister, though, or a high ranking Auror. It was a woman, whose face I couldn't picture, nor could I think of a name for her. But I knew her, for of course this was my wife. I smiled, and embraced her. She had had an idea to come over before she started her shift at St. Mungo's- my wife would be an accomplished Healer, I had long ago decided- and maybe we would go out for lunch together, if I was not too busy? Of course I wasn't.

An elbow in my rib brought me back to reality. "Pay attention, Lupin," Lily hissed at me, "She's moving onto sixth years."

I nodded dumbly, and refocused my attention on Dorcas, who was just finishing instructing the fifth years.

"So, you can go now, if you'd like. Remember to do a patrol every round hour in your corridor, preferably with a partner. And I'll let you know when the first prefect's meeting is when I know."

There was a bit of a commotion as they gathered their stuff, found their friends, and made their way out. But within a few minutes, she went on.

"So, sixth years now. Not much new, really. Well, only two things. First of all, you know how fifth years are partnered with seventh year for patrols? That leaves sixth years to patrol with sixth years. Gryffindors with Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs with Hufflepuffs, you get it. You'll take your patrol schedules on your way out."

I glanced at Lily. So I'd be spending six hours a week with her, wandering about Hogwarts, in the dark, empty corridors… James would have a holiday.

"And, last thing, and you might want to listen good… You may, or may not, remember your days as a first year… The first few weeks are very hard for those new to Hogwarts, obviously. So, Professor Dumbledore has decided that you sixth year prefects will each take a first year student under your wing. These first years will be picking by the Heads of House, who will search for those who have a harder time adapting, or are in need of some kind of, erm, supervisor. That's all, I think. Any questions?"

Lily's hand shot up, and Dorcas nodded at her. "Evans?"

"We're supposed to be babysitting some first year brats, who the teachers can't be bothered keeping in detention until they learn to behave themselves?"

Dorcas faltered, taken off guard by Lily's bluntness. "Well, I… I wouldn't exactly put it that way. Think of it as adopting a younger sibling."

"I'm not interested in a sibling, thank you very much. I'm not going to do this."

I stared at Lily. I'd never noticed this side to her- not that I'd ever talked to her much, but she just didn't seem the type of person who'd say such things. She was, after all, the one who would always yell at James for picking on the younger students…

"I'm afraid you don't have a choice, Evans. This is one of your duties as a prefect."

"We'll see about that," that was muttered under her breath, only loud enough for me to hear.

"No more questions?" she looked about the room, but there was nothing but blank eyes staring back at her. "So, um, dismissed. Patrol the corridors every hour, grab your patrol schedules on your way out… You know the drill."

The compartment was once again full of noise and commotion as the sixth years hurried out. Lily was the first to dash out, with me close behind her.

"Lily, wait!"

The voice came from behind me. I noticed she didn't stop, or turn, and thinking she had simply not heard, called her as well.

"Evans, wait a second!"

She stopped as I called out her name. "What do you want, Lupin?"

I'd caught up to her now. "Me? Uh, nothing… Somebody else did, and I thought you hadn't heard, so-"

"I did hear." She turned to go.

"Lily, there you are."

Severus Snape stood behind me, and I now recognized his voice as the one who had called Lily. She simply glared at him. He stared back, opening and closing his mouth like some sort of idiot. And she kept on glaring.

"Um, I'll go… I'll see you tomorrow evening, Evans." It was starting to be uncomfortable, standing between them like that. I started walking down the corridor, in the direction of our compartment.

"No, wait Lupin. I'll come with you."

Her voice was cold, and even I, as little as I knew her, understood that it wasn't my company she interested in. I faltered, but stopped and let her catch up to me. Somehow, you couldn't resist her.

We walked in silence, for all the world like two strangers walked side by side by complete coincidence. I could feel Snape's eyes boring into my back, and I could only wish not to run into him by myself over the next few days.

"This is my compartment… Bye."

I slipped into the compartment, shutting the door behind me. It was unusually quiet in the compartment- Peter was snoozing, James was idly shuffling a pack of Exploding Snap cards, and Sirius was nowhere to be seen.

"Moony, there you are buddy. Wanna play?"

"No thanks. Where's Sirius?"

"Dunno… Said something about an Annabelle and disappeared," James shrugged, stuffing the cards back into his trunk.

I nodded. "Fifth year Ravenclaw, blonde… They were pretty much glued by the lips for a week last year, you must remember."

"Oh, her" We were both silent for a while, as James flipped through this morning's Daily Prophet, and I occupied myself with the scene rushing through the window as the train sped towards Hogwarts, my mind empty.

"So you guys are here!" Sirius threw open the door with a bang, striding in as if he owned the place. "See, I thought we were here, yeah? But it was so quiet inside, I was sure I'd gotten the wrong place. So I've been up and down the whole train like some kind of idiot. What's happened to proper Marauder noise?"

"Well, y'know, Padfoot, it's hardly Marauders without you…"

That got a laugh out of him. We were soon acting like proper Marauders, eating and laughing, as old friends came in and out. To judge by that train ride, this year was gonna be pretty damn awesome. That's why I've never believe in first impressions.

A/N;; Foreshadowing, foreshadowing, foreshadowing! Yay for forehshadowing!

Just as a warning, this isn't way up high on my updating priority list… It's a little something I do on the side when I can find the time. Just so I don't get loads of angry emails about why I haven't updated in forever.

Buuuut, there's a pretty good chance I'll update more often if I get some nice reviews. So, um, yeah. Review!