Hey guys!
i know it's been a while, but like i mentioned on my other story my laptop was confiscated. i hope that you can remember the first chapter, because here is the second one.
not much to say really, except a huuuuuuuuuuuuuge thanks to you the readers and to my awesome beta crushed lily-flower (thanks so much for all the time you've invested in this story and for keeping me going, and of course for your help!).
without further ado....
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE
please don't forget to review (the last story/chapter for this year. wow, kinda scary, huh?)
luv
xox
pixy
"They stuff people's heads down the toilet first day at Stonewall," he [Dudley] told Harry. "Want to come upstairs and practise?"
"No thanks," said Harry. "The poor toilet's never had anything as horrible as your head down it - it might be sick."
HP and the Philosopher's Stone pg. 28 chapter 3
Chapter 2
Lily's jaw dropped. The photo had done him little credit. Though it may have captured the strength of his jaw and the overgrown hair, it certainly had not indicated the meter or so he seemed to have shot up over the summer. Nor had it shown how lean he'd become: broad shoulders, narrow hips and long legs. She lowered her gaze to the ground quickly as she saw him turn around; the last thing she needed was for him to catch her staring. She stepped back slowly and hid in the shadow of a pillar, watching him as he helped a first year load his trunk onto the train. She blinked. No, her eyes weren't betraying her…James Potter was helping someone. Shaking her head bemusedly, Lily stepped out again into the sunlight. There was no point trying to hide from him; she was going to have to face him sooner or later.
"Hey, Potter!" she called before she could stop herself. He spun around, and she saw his expression register surprise. After moment's pause, they both walked towards one another. Lily noticed that even wearing her heels she was still several inches shorter than him. "Care to give me a hand with my luggage, too?" The words were out of her mouth before she'd had time think. She frowned, her mind reeling. Where had that come from? Hadn't she just planned on saying 'hello'?
"Depends," James smirked, ruffling his hair. "What am I going to get in return?"
Damn, he caught on fast. After quickly weighing up the odds, she decided to play along.
"Well…what do you want?" Lily asked, twirling a lock of hair and smiling coyly. His gaze followed her fingers, mesmerised, his eyes widening slightly.
"A date?" he suggested innocently, looking back into her eyes. Lily laughed.
"I think you might be pushing your luck there, Potter," she replied, raising an eyebrow.
"A kiss?" he bargained, his grin lopsided.
She swallowed. "I don't think so."
"C'mon, Evans. Just on the cheek," James grinned.
"Potter!"
"Okay, fine," he chuckled slightly, holding his hands up in surrender. "I'll do it for free. But just because it's you."
"You're so considerate," she said dryly.
"Did you know," James said over his shoulder as he heaved her trunk onto the train, "that sarcasm is the lowest form of wit?"
"At least it's a form of wit…" Lily countered. Then she added, "You okay there?"
"Fine," he breathed, "thanks for your concern. Blimey Evans, what have you got in here?"
"Bricks," she replied calmly, studying her nails.
"Oh of course," James mumbled. "No one other than Lily Evans would make me carry blocks of compressed stone."
"I thought you were supposed to be strong…"
He ignored her.
"So where do you want this?" he asked, looking around.
"Good question," Lily said thoughtfully, tilting her head to the side. "No idea, really."
"Brilliant. So why am I lifting this?"
"Because I asked you to?" she suggested. James had just opened his mouth to reply, when--
"Lily! Lils, over here!" She tore her gaze away from James' eyes and down the platform to see her four best friends, all grinning and waving her over. She felt a pleasant lurch of excitement from the pit of her stomach. The tallest girl, and owner of the voice, was Emmeline Vance. She had dark hair pulled back into a long ponytail, and her denim skirt and t-shirt showed off her lean, athletic build. The petite Mary McDonald was beaming the widest; her blond hair fell past her shoulders, and her startling blue eyes were flickering between Lily and James knowingly. Alice Prewett was smiling warmly, her eyes twinkling and her mousy ringlets falling around her rounded, kind face. And beside Alice was Marlene McKinnon, who was looking bored with life. She had seemingly chopped her hair over summer with what Lily would guess to be a pair of garden scissors. Her beautiful brown eyes were staring vacantly into thin air.
"Hey!" Lily called happily, rushing towards them and hugging each of them in turn. "How are you?!--"
"—haven't seen you in ages!"
"You've cut your hair--"
"D'you like it? I wasn't sure…"
"You look gorgeous, Lils!"
"Congrats on making Head--"
"--How was your summer?"
"Where's your compartment?" James interrupted, sounding vaguely amused.
"Second from the back," Alice replied quickly.
"Why do you ask?" Marlene asked suspiciously, her eyes narrowing. "You're not going to put lilies everywhere again, are you? I had a serious allergic reaction when you tried that last year."
"No, it's nothing like that," Lily laughed. "He's just helping me with my luggage. We didn't know where you guys were so…"
"He's helping you?" Marlene looked baffled. Then she added, "…and you're letting him?"
"You can help me with my trunk too, if you like," Mary grinned at James. Mary was renowned for being the school flirt; she very nearly had a reputation to match Sirius'. James gave her an appreciative smile. Lily felt something beastly claw at her stomach. And then;
"Can I be of any help, Miss McDonald?"
Mary spun around at her name, and her eyes met with Sirius Black's. "Oh!" she gushed, "Hello, Black," Lily snorted. "Well, now you mention it, I was just wondering whether there were any strong, handsome young men around to help me with my trunk."
"Mary!" Lily exclaimed, embarrassed for her friend.
"What? At least someone finally sees me for what I really am!"
"I feel sorry for her," James murmured to Lily, who snorted. James looked genuinely astounded that she had laughed at his joke.
"What was that Prongs? I hope you're not insulting me…" he smirked.
"Of course not, I just said I felt sorry for the girl--"
"—hey!"
"Okay," Lily interrupted. "Are you going to help us or not?"
"Certainly," James grinned. "C'mon Pad." He jerked his head in the direction of the carriage. Lily followed them with her eyes as they went. As soon as they were safely out of earshot, the girls rounded on her, eyes bulging and jaws hanging;
"What are you doing?!"
"What the hell was that?!"
"Are you insane?"
"Huh--?" she started, stepping back in alarm. "What was what? Why am I insane?"
"You were flirting with him," Emmeline grinned.
"Flirting?" Lily gulped, her stomach sinking. "W--with who?"
"Hmm, I wonder," Marlene rolled her eyes. "I thought you hated him?"
"Who?" she repeated.
"Potter!" Marlene cried in exasperation.
"Potter?!" Lily yelped. She tried to appeal to Mary; "Come on, you can't seriously think I'd be flirting with James Potter…?"
"Sorry, honey," Mary tilted her head apologetically. "You were."
"I wasn't!" she insisted.
"You're in denial," Mary stated sadly. Then she brightened; "I'm glad that I finally rubbed off on you! I'm very proud. The whole hair twirling trick…must remember that."
"Oh, here they come," Alice said. "Be nice, and say 'thank you', Lils."
"Thank you, Lils," she chimed as Alice rolled her eyes.
"Thy strong handsome men have completed thy ladies' wishes," Sirius joked, taking a playful bow. Mary giggled.
"Thank you," Lily said stiffly, looking at James.
"You still owe me," he pointed out. "I want payment sooner or later."
"I think we'll go with later," she replied, the corners of her mouth twitching.
"Bad luck Prongs," Sirius said briskly, clapping James on the back. He turned to Lily and leaned forward to whisper dramatically, "He was still hoping for a date."
"Okay, let's go," James said quickly. "Before you can embarrass yourself any further. I think I can see Moony. Good to see you again, Evans," he added.
"I'm sure it was," Lily grinned. Once again she followed him with her eyes as he walked away. He looked back over his shoulder as he stepped onto the train, and as their eyes met momentarily she felt a sort of pang from deep within her.
"You were SO flirting with him," Emmeline's teasing voice drifted through her thoughts, recalling her to her surroundings.
"No I wasn't," she snapped back, flicking her hair.
"Face it, you were," Marlene said matter-of-factly. "You, Lily Evans, have lost your pride. After all these torturous years…you've finally given in."
"I wasn't… I haven't given in--I'm not going to give in. I'm just…just neutral," she said weakly.
"Neutral my ass," Emmeline snorted.
"And a very nice one you have, too…" Emmeline jerked around to find herself face to face with Sturgis Podmore: her very long term boyfriend.
"Sturgis!" she exclaimed, her cheeks colouring considerably.
"What? Can't I compliment my girlfriend?" he appealed to the others innocently before giving her a kiss on the cheek.
"Get a room," Marlene grumbled.
"No, we need to get a compartment," Lily pointed out, and the group began to make their way towards the back of the train.
"So," Alice began, falling into stride with Lily. "What reasoned the change of heart?"
"There is no change of heart," she responded brightly. But when she caught sight of Alice's sceptical look, she sighed, "Oh, alright then…" Alice grinned gleefully. "I just thought that we might as well get along. I mean we are both Heads after all…it just makes more sense…"
"There is a difference between getting along and flirting outrageously, you know," Mary put in conversationally, catching up with them, "and you were definitely going for the latter approach."
"No, I wasn't!" Lily burst out angrily. She stormed off abruptly, unable to take any more of it; and she could almost feel her friends exchange wary glances at her behaviour as she went.
"Just let it rest. She'll see sooner or later," Emmeline said soothingly.
"And we all know it will be later," said Marlene glumly.
"I can hear you, you know!" Lily yelled. Marlene caught Mary's eye, and both burst into fits of giggles. Lily stepped onto the train and caught sight of her trunk where James had left it on the luggage rack. She felt a stab of annoyance and slid open the glass doors of the compartment with unnecessary force, dropping sulkily into a window seat.
"I'd better go meet some other friends," Sturgis took Emmeline's hand as they reached the doors of the compartment. "Catch up with you later?"
"Sure," she smiled sweetly as he planted a kiss on her forehead. Marlene made puking noises from behind them in attempts to lighten Lily's mood. It did not work. Lily rolled her eyes and looked fixedly out of the window, determinedly in a strop.
"Come on, Lily," Alice put an arm around her shoulders. "We're just surprised that you're talking to him, that's all."
"It's good though," Emmeline added hurriedly, spurred on by Lily's slightly softened expression. "It does make sense for the Head Students to get along."
"Thanks," Lily said, feeling relieved. The train juddered into movement, and slowly it began rolling away from platform 9 ¾; Lily watched as it disappeared around the bend. She felt another jolt of excitement; she was going home, toher real home…back to Hogwarts. And then suddenly it hit her, this would be the last time she would ever be taking the Hogwarts Express to school. This would be last time she would--
"Speaking of Heads," Mary's lofty voice interrupted Lily's chain of thought. "Don't you have a meeting?"
"Hm?" Lily asked dazedly.
"You know," Mary said. "Head's Meeting. Telling the prefects what to do? Meeting Potter?"
"Merlin!" Lily yelped, leaping from her seat. "I forgot! See you guys later!"
She rushed from the compartment, checking her reflection quickly in the glass on the way out. She had to look reasonable, after all.
What did you think?? please let me know.
ah and don't forget to have a lovely new year.
luv
xoxo
pixy
P.S. c u in 2009