Chapter 1. v.2
September couldn't have come any sooner. I made myself at home at Lily's, getting a warm welcome. I told Lily about what had happened with Mum at the beginning of the week. She rolled her eyes and shook her head when I told her. I didn't, however, tell her about my marks, feeling a little ashamed. The week went by quickly and it became the night before term at last.
Lily and I sat in her bedroom, going over the last bits of homework we had. In front of us on the floor were some of our books.
"Alright, so," Lily said, picking up her Ancient Runes' book. "I do know this is all done" — she exchanged it for her Charms' book — "and this is too…. What, Sal? Why're you turning your nose like that?" She smiled, her green eyes glittering. "How'd you do on your O.W.L. for Charms? I remember you looked devastated after it."
I glared at her and the book in her hand.
"I think they gave me an Acceptable just to make me feel good."
Lily giggled, putting the book down, and picking up her Transfiguration book.
"That's not true!"
I made a face at her again when there was a knock at the door.
"Yes?" Lily asked.
The door opened slightly and Lily's blonde haired, horse-faced sister peered around the frame.
"Dinner's ready," she snarled, her blue eyes narrowing. "And no funny stuff. Vernon's here." And with that she closed the door.
"'Vernon's here,'" Lily mocked, copying her sister's tone. "You'd think that she thought I was out to get her or something."
I laughed as I stood up and straightened my skirt.
"I guess we attend dinner," I said as Lily stood up and pulled her long red hair back.
She only shrugged.
When we got downstairs, I finally got a sight of Vernon Dursley, Lily's sister Petunia's boyfriend. He was beefy and had a crop of dark hair on his head. He gave was a look as Petunia huffed under her breath. We sat opposite of them. I tried not to make eye contact with him for fear he would eat my soul or something.
The mood lightened some when Mrs. Evans put the roast beef on the table with all of it's helpings. I picked out the celery and put them on Lily's plate. She rolled her eyes but mixed them in anyway. It was becoming a custom.
"So," Mr. Evans said as he put salt on his food, "how was the Smelting's graduation? I'm terribly sorry that Mary and I couldn't attend." He looked at Vernon, who puffed up proudly. "Are you going to be attending University? Or do you have other plans?"
Vernon, still puffed, began talking about the graduation and his father's drill making company which he will be working for. Lily gagged under her breath. I snorted. Petunia glared at us both. I started to wonder then if Lily was fighting the urge to Levitate something and make it drop on Vernon's head.
Once Lily and I finished eating, however, we both excused ourselves from the table and left while Mrs. Evans explained to Vernon that "they're packing for school tomorrow."
"Can we believe that?" Lily asked when we reached her room and closed the door.
"Believe what?" I sat on the floor in front of our pile of books.
"Petunia is going to marry that oaf."
I dropped my jaw.
"You're not serious, are you?"
She smiled wickedly as she sat down across from me.
"I'm Lily, nimrod."
"Lily Nimrod, nice to meet you."
She hit me in the arm.
"Shut up," she laughed.
We began going through our books again and did a once over of all of our things and finished packing. I think there was an essay for History of Magic that we were supposed to do, but I could have been mistaken. Once all of our things were packed away in our trunks, I crawled into my sleeping bag, said good night to Lily as she turned off the light.
The next morning we were up and ready to go before seven o'clock. Mrs. Evans put Lily in a bad mood as she had asked on our way to the station why Severus hadn't been over at all during the summer. Lily huffed and said she didn't want to talk about it. I only sighed and looked out of the car window. We eventually reached King's Cross with thirty minutes to spare.
Lily and I rushed to the platform after saying goodbye to her mother. We got our trunks to the luggage car and then boarded the train. Lily began a hunt for a compartment as I walked to the front of the train to the Prefects' compartments.
I looked to see if I really wanted to sit up here, and decided that I would just find Lily and sit with her. It was going to be strange this year, I thought as I left the car and went searching for Lily. We usually sat with Severus.
I finally found Lily as the conductor came on the loud-speaker and told us all to find a place to sit as we were going to be heading out. The train whistled and slowly began to move. In the compartments, students were hanging out the windows, blowing kisses and yelling good-byes to their parents. I approached Lily, who was standing in front of a door, her arms folded across her chest. It looked as if she had just stopped.
James was leaning against the door, his black hair untidy as usual and his eyes beaming behind his glasses. Lily looked unimpressed.
He saw me before Lily did and smiled.
"Hey, there, Sal," he said, taking a hand out of his pocket to give me a one-armed hug. "I was just talking to Evans here."
Lily rolled her eyes.
"More like being obnoxious." She turned to look at me. "Are you not sitting up with the Prefects? I have a compartment down here."
I smiled as I nudged James.
"Okay. I'll be sitting with you."
"All right," she said giving me a smile and a glare to James. She turned on her heel and left the two of us standing in the corridor.
"Why won't she go out with me?" James asked as he watched her walk away and enter a compartment a few doors down.
"Because you're a twit," I answered, keeping my face straight. I heard a bark of laughter behind me.
"More like he doesn't understand women," Sirius Black joked.
I looked into the compartment, giving Sirius a look.
"You don't understand women."
He laughed again.
"Hell right I don't! Your lot are so confusing."
I shook my head.
Remus Lupin chuckled under his breath, not looking up from his book, whereas Peter Pettigrew just laughed.
"Oh ha ha ha," I said, un-amused.
Sirius just grinned at me as James readjusted his glasses on his nose.
"How was your summer?" he asked.
"It's was all right. I stayed with Lily the last week. Couldn't stand being around Mother any longer. She was beginning to ask me when I was going to find a suitable pure-blood to marry. How about you?"
Sirius barked again as James smiled.
"Sirius ran out and took up shelter at my place this summer," he explained, giving Sirius a daring look.
"Aunt Dorea allowed him in the house?"
James nodded.
"Of course Mrs. Potter allowed me in!" Sirius puffed up. "Everyone loves me."
I rolled my eyes.
"I could name a few people who are not included in 'everyone'," I said, folding my arms and giving him my "Prefect" look as my friend Dimitri Walburn likes to call it. It's the look of "You-better-not-do-that-again-or-I'm-going-to-slip-poison-in-your-drink". I love the reaction it generally gets from younger students. Sirius, however, was unaffected by it.
"I think it's just you, Carty."
"Now, now, Padfoot, let's not start arguing about who loves you the most…," James said with a smirk.
Sirius matched his expression.
"But it's exciting."
James shook his head and turned back to me.
And yes, Mum let him in. They're all right with the idea of him staying. I mean, it's not like Mum and Dad are just going to let him live on the street or something."
Remus looked up from his book for the first time.
"He would do pretty well on the street, I reckon," he observed, giving Sirius a sly grin.
Sirius narrowed his eyes.
"Speak for yourself, Moony."
Remus shrugged, putting his book down in his lap. He turned his attention to me.
"Don't forget we have to take the first years to the common room after the feast tonight."
"Okay," I nodded, knowing full well that I would have forgotten to do this small task.
He smiled at me.
"You'd forgotten, didn't you?" His grey eyes smiled up at me. My heart, for some reason, melted.
I nodded slowly, my mouth going dry. I just couldn't help but look at him.
"Well, yes, I did…. I guess it's because last year we didn't do it…."
He chuckled as James poked me on the shoulder.
I quickly turned to look at him.
"What?" I asked.
"Nothing," he said, a grin sweeping onto his face. "You just look a little pink, that's all."
"It's rather warm in here."
"Sorry," Sirius apologized.
I heaved a heavy sigh.
"Bye James. I'll talk to you later. I'm going to sit with Lily. Di's probably there, too."
He hugged me again before I left. I opened the door to Lily's compartment, happy to see Di and giving her a warm hug before sitting down and getting out my potions' book. I had a feeling that this was going to be an interesting term.
