DISCLAIMER: ALL CREDITS GO TO J.K ROWLING FOR THE INVENTION OF THIS WONDERFUL WORLD AND CHARACTERS THAT I SPENT MY CHILDHOOD IN LOVE WITH. ALL CHARACTERS ARE THE WORK OF FICTION AND HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH REAL PEOPLE, REAL EVENTS OR REAL PLACES.

"Any questions?" James asked and the group in front of us shook their head collectively and he turned his gaze to me, "Lily?"
"Nothing," I managed and I was impressed by how steady my voice was despite the fact that my head was still reeling, trying to comprehend the situation.

James Potter.

Head Boy.

Oh my God.

But that was for later.

I narrowed my eyes at the Prefects, "Just remember not to dock points off the students for stupid things, alright? Like for tripping or breathing too loudly…Or… Or-,"
"Being prats," James finished for me and the students laughed at that, save Severus who was glaring at James murderously, his fingers clenching and unclenching.

He had been staring at James like that for the past half hour and I wondered to myself if his eyes hurt from all that straining. To my surprise, James continued to ignore him and didn't snap or hex him like I had feared he would. In fact, he remained quite calm throughout the whole meeting, cracking jokes here and there, but didn't run wild and rampant as I thought he would.

Interesting.

"Lily?"

I snapped back into attention and realised that the compartment was now empty, save the two of us. And immediately, heat began to pour onto my cheeks again, staining them red as I remembered how we had ended our conversation before the arrival of the Prefects.

After he had informed me that he was Head Boy, I had just stared at him, my jaw unhinged, in what I was sure was a very attractive manner, before squeaking.

"You? Head Boy?"
He smiled a little at that, his voice a touch dry as he replied, "Yes, me,"
And then I squeaked again, "Head Boy?"
It continued like that for ten minutes, much to my utter mortification and James' growing amusement and exasperation, until the rest of the Prefects poured in, saving me from embarrassing myself further.

I was still in shock, despite witnessing it firsthand that James was indeed Head Boy, and he was, if his complete control of our first meeting was any indication, a darn good one. I didn't know why I didn't think of him before, why I hadn't even considered him as a candidate for Head Boy. Oh.

Wait, never mind, silly me, what was I thinking. I knew exactly why.

Because the hundreds of pranks he had pulled in the last seven years, the thousands of rules he had broken and the countless amount of detentions he had been in. But then again, Remus was Prefect despite actively taking an active part in the Marauders debauchery. And it made sense, really, if you cast aside those aspects and really thought about it.

James was popular and well liked by both the student body and the staff at Hogwarts, especially with the nitwits that made up our female population (I was a traitor to my own gender, but honestly, their giggling about the Marauders was getting out of control), and he did well at school, and he was a Potter, which was the closest thing the wizarding world had to royalty. Even the Slytherins showed grudging respect towards James, solely for his 'blood purity' (their words, not mine).

So of course he would be a perfect candidate for Head Boy.

But still, I was shocked. Beyond shocked really, stunned. Speechless.

Because he was James Potter.

"All right, Lily?" he waved a hand in front of my face, brows furrowing in obvious concern. I didn't blame him for looking so apprehensive, that poor bloke, considering I spent most of our conversation staring into empty space, my mouth slightly agape.
"Why do you keep calling me that?" I asked, finally managing to look at him.

His eyes had green and gold flecks in them, something I never noticed before.

"Because that's your name," he replied easily.

That smile again.

"But you always called me Evans," I frowned, unwrapping a Chocolate Frog. I kept to my rule, despite the fact that I had not eaten since seven and I was starving. It didn't matter if I got chocolate all over my mouth in front of Potter. He wasn't someone I needed to impress.

"I think it's time we graduated from that," James said lightly, opening a box of jelly beans and offered me one. I shook my head. I had a very bad experience from eating those cursed beans, having eaten a rotten eggs one a few years ago. I swore off them ever since.

"I mean, we have to show a united front and all, right?" he nibbled on the edge of a white one tentatively before popping it into his mouth, "Milk,"
"Right," I agreed uncertainly, because really, it did make sense.

There was no point in fighting with James anymore, especially if we were going to be working together from now on, and, well… I didn't feel the need to argue with James anymore. This left me tense, waiting for an obnoxious comment or an arrogant remark.

"So," he looked up at me from the box he was fiddling in his hands, "You seemed surprised,"
"Yeah, I was, honestly, I still am," I said, looking down at the card to see Dumbledore, smiling peacefully up at me.

"Because I'm not cut to be Head Boy, yeah, I know," James said, a touch of bitterness in his voice and he let out a long breath, "What was Dumbledore thinking?"
I stared at him.

Who was this boy? Since when was James Potter unconfident about anything? I could distinctively remember back in second grade when he insisted he had fought the Giant Squid and knocked it unconscious, which was the reason why we couldn't see it these days. Though it turned out, the lake had frozen over, and then James Potter had claimed that he froze the lake over. I had laughed at his face and called him an idiot.

"Well, I could say the same about me," I said brightly, holding up my Chocolate Frog card, "We should go ask Dumbledore,"
"What are you talking about, Lily?" James tilted his head to the side, "Everyone knew you would get Head Girl,"
"What?" I laughed, a slightly hysterical sound, "No, everyone knew it would be Lucinda Malfoy,"
"Well, people did consider her," James looked thoughtful, "But really, save the Slytherins, everybody knew it would be you. And no one cares what the Slytherins think anyway,"
"I… I," I stammered, lost for words.

Did people really think that I would be Head Girl?

I knew I did well in my classes, but that was the only thing I did well in.

"Trust me, Lily," he quirked a smile at me, "You're perfect for this job,"

"Well then, I can say the same about you," I said, trying to force the blush down, "You're popular and you're smart. So why not?"
"I think we know why not," James said wryly, "Perhaps you've forgotten about the million and four detentions I've been in?"
Wow. He didn't even latch onto the fact that I complimented him. Who was he?

"No, it doesn't matter because… Because you'll do great," I finished lamely and started to open another chocolate, trying to distract myself, "I mean, you led the meeting really well today,"
"That was all Remus," he said dismissively.
"No, that was you Potter," I informed him and sighed when his expression continued to be disbelieving, "Fine, let's say that Dumbledore did make a mistake. With the two of us,"
I held up a hand when he opened his mouth to protest.

"But, two negatives make a positive, right?" I continued and watched as the brooding expression left his face, a slight smile curving his lips, "So let's hope that you and I won't completely ruin this to shambles, and I don't know, set the school on fire or something,"
"The school has anti flammatory spells all over it," James informed me, "We tried back in third year,"
"You tried to set the school on fire?" I asked, my eyes widening and he quickly shook his head.

"No, it was a spell gone wrong," James grimaced and then laughed, the tension leaving his shoulders as he settled back onto the seat.

He gave me a lazy smile, "You make a fair point, Evans. Two wrongs make a right. I always liked that saying,"
"Two wrongs don't make a right, I think you're getting confused, Potter," I said flatly.

James scratched his head, "Ah, was that the saying? So Sirius and I have been getting it all wrong all this time, no wonder we got in so much trouble,"

I couldn't help but laugh at that and his smile widened.

"James," he said, leaning over the table so that his face was closer to mine, and I locked into place.

"What?" I replied awkwardly, flustered by his proximity.

From this distance, I could see how long and dark his lashes were, unlike my stupid, blonde ones, and the small, silver scar that was at his temple.

"You keep calling me Potter,"
"Oh," I blinked, pulling away slightly, "Sorry, habit… James,"
His eyes crinkled at that and he hummed under his breath as he fished out another bean and tossed it into his mouth. Immediately he spat it out, coughing.

I laughed, pushing him a glass of pumpkin juice which he downed quickly.

"Vomit," he explained through his gasps, "Vomit,"
I laughed harder.

Maybe this year was going to be okay after all.

"Oi, Evans," Sirius bellowed from down the table, "I'm surprised you two made it out in one piece!"
I tossed a roll at his face but in true Lily fashion, it missed, landing on his plate instead. He guffawed before picking it up and promptly shoved it into his mouth.

"Thanks for that,"

"Shut it, Black," I scowled, piling more potatoes onto my plate.

Merlin, I was starved and I had forgotten just how delicious Hogwarts food was.
"Your aim is pathetic really," Kate tutted, grabbing another roll and lobbing it down the table.

It hit the side of Sirius' face with a solid thump and she laughed gleefully, "That's how you do it,"
"Don't you dare," I pointed my fork at Sirius, who had picked up a plate of sausages and was glaring at Kate mutinously, "Just eat,"
"A bit hypocritical of you, isn't it Lily?" Peter tittered and withered immediately when I glared at him, "I mean... Yeah, Padfoot, just eat,"
Mary,who was sitting at the end of the table with her boyfriend, Jonathan Wood, raised her eyebrows at us and mouthed "Behave".

I rolled my eyes at that, shaking my head.

Did I ever not behave?

Please, I was Head Girl, that meant I was mature and always on my best behaviour. An exemplar role model to all the junior years, really.

Or so I tried to be anyway.

Baby steps.

I took a sip of the pumpkin juice and let out a sigh of satisfaction. As much as I loved spending time with my mother ( not Petunia though, but the feeling was mutual so she barely counted) it was not home anymore.

Hogwarts was my home.

"What are you thinking about?" Kate asked, helping herself to ice cream, "Your head is more in the clouds than usual, Lily,"

"It's just good to be back," I told her, taking a portion of treacle tart happily, "The food, the halls, just everything. It's so good to be back,"

Summer holidays had been excruciatingly long. I had spent the entire two months at Vernon and Petunia's. My sister's walrus of a husband had flinched violently every time I had entered the room and Petunia had spent the entire time ignoring me. And my mum... I shivered slightly, shaking the thought away. I wondered if anyone else missed the castle as much as I did. It saddened me, the realisation that I was drifting further and further away from my family, from my old self, as I slowly immersed myself more deeply into the world of magic.

"Yeah, I can't believe it's our last Welcoming Feast," Kate said thoughtfully, "And that was the last Sorting we will watch. Ever,"

I grew silent at that.

I knew graduation was closer than ever now, and some parts of me couldn't wait to leave and experience the world, but at the same time, I was terrified. A war was raging outside the safe walls of Hogwarts where I could sleep in peace under the protection of Dumbledore, but one glance at that paper pulled me back into the harsh reality of the life outside our stone haven. Resistance was weakening whilst the discrimination and hate was gaining momentum, people were being murdered, slaughtered, and because of that, many were fleeing into hiding.

I didn't know what I was going to do exactly after I graduated, but I knew for certain that I was not going to hide. This war was personal; it was against Muggleborns like me, and half bloods like Mary. If others were brave enough to fight for me, for us, then I was more than willing to join the battle against Voldemort. Someday, one day, I knew for sure that it would end because evil could not prevail and I was going to do my bloody best to be a part of what stopped him. I mean, look at Hitler, he was stopped eventually. History, if nothing, always repeated itself.

And maybe, just maybe, I'd make a difference.

I hoped so.