Disclaimer: Yeah...not mine...not remotely...
If James Potter were mine (and not a ficticious character), I'd never leave the house.
A/N: This is dedicated to my Sirius's Whim "Sod All" Editor
Chapter One
There it stood before her, that barrier she'd first faced six years before. It stood unmoving, but now she knew what lay beyond.
She turned around to face her parents. "Mum…Dad…" She gave them each a quick hug. "I'll be back for Christmas before you know it." She kissed her mother on the cheek then leaned casually against the brick barrier, letting the magic of Platform 9 ¾ pull her through.
She turned around and grinned at the sight of the train that gleamed brightly in the morning light. The platform bustled with adults and children. She glanced out over the crowed, looking for the familiar sight of her friends. She grimaced when she spotted two of the Marauders, rolling her eyes at the two boys. She'd never understood Peter's friendship with the other three Marauders. He was almost a foot shorter than the tall boys he befriended. His mousy hair was messy and greasy, and he was always kept sheltered by the other three. Sirius was grinning proudly, a knee-weakening smile that had melted many a heart, but Lily instantly understood the grin: his mother was nowhere to be seen—or heard, for that matter. The woman was somewhat infamous in her year for shrieking curses at her son every year.
Lily strode purposefully toward the train, planning to take her seat as the Head Girl, when she was seized from behind.
Lily spun around, her wand out, and then she burst into laughter. Alice stood behind her, doubled over with laugher. "God, Lily, if you could've seen your face! I thought you were going to hex me into oblivion!" She giggled and peered closely at Lily. "So…what's the verdict?"
She tossed her fiery red locks over her shoulder, smiling proudly. "Alice Nichols, you gaze upon the Head Girl of the class of 1978."
Lily's last words were drowned out by Alice's shriek of glee. "Oh my God, Lily! I knew it!" She pulled Lily into a rib-crushing hug before asking, "Who's the Head Boy?"
When Lily managed to catch her breath, she said in a rush, "I don't know who he is yet." Then she rolled her eyes. "It's probably Remus…or Snape," she added with a shudder of distaste. "Hope it's Remus. Snape's been absolutely intolerable over the last six years; I'd go mad in a day."
Alice grinned knowingly. "Yeah, but the Marauders would be more than happy to deal with the lousy git for you. Especially James," she added with a conspiratory wink.
"Sod off. I don't need any of the Marauders doing my fighting for me, and I don't need their protection, least of all James's."
The brunette rolled her eyes and sighed. "Speaking of the handsome devil, I've been speaking with the other girls: we'll bet you five hundred galleons that he asks you to marry him at least once before the year ends. I mean, we're all of age, and how many times has he asked you out now?"
Lily looked completely taken aback. "He's not going to ask me to marry him! I barely even spoke to him last year save to turn him down." She groaned slightly at the memory of James's ridiculous behaviour. "Although, over the last six years, he's asked me out three hundred-some-odd times, so I suppose anything's possible with him." She considered for a moment longer then took her friend's outstretched hand. "I hope you're ready to put your money where your mouth is."
They shook and Lily grinned. "This'll be a most excellent year. I'll come and sit with you and the girls after I meet with the Head Boy."
Alice just shook her head. "Please. I know you—if it's Remus, I won't see you 'til Hogwarts; if it's Snape, I'll see you before we leave the station."
"Prat."
"Bint."
James stared in at the Heads' Compartment, trying to figure out how it was he who had earned that coveted position. He'd never imagined in his years at Hogwarts that he would be one of the two people to sit there. Naturally, he was deeply honoured that Dumbledore trusted him enough to give him this level of responsibility, yet still he himself doubted. The plush velvet seats shone brightly at him, and James murmured quietly, "I don't deserve this." He shook his head, still trying to understand.
Sirius cuffed him over the back of the head. "'Course you do, you bastard. Looks like you've gotten boring."
He turned, mildly offended. "I'm not boring…just older. You were there this summer." James's voice was quiet as he remembered all that his family had suffered.
Sirius nodded. "I know, mate. Look, don't let it bother you this much—this is our last year here! Besides," the boy added with a grin, "no matter what's going on in the rest of the world, Hogwarts is untouchable."
James's hazel eyes remained sombre for a moment longer, then he looked up at Sirius and nodded, grinning. "One more year of the madness, I promise. We'll make sure the Marauders are never forgotten."
Sirius grinned wickedly. "Glad to see you back, Prongs. Have fun meeting with the Head Girl, though…s'probably Midgen. You'll be sharing a dormitory with an ugly swot." He laughed again and trotted off, mowing careless through a pack of second years.
James took a deep breath and walked into the exclusive compartment. He half-smiled then sat down, his eyes drifting shut. Unbidden, the memories of that summer rose to the forefront of his thoughts. His breathing quickened as the uncomfortable fear settled over him. Hogwarts may be untouchable, he thought, but God knows the rest of the world is not. I never want to see Mum cry like that again…and Dad…I don't know what I would have done if…He couldn't even bring himself to think it. No. That won't happen, no matter what kind of madman is out there.
He ran a hand along the edge of the window, lost in his thoughts. Maybe there is still a chance, despite the growing shadow. Maybe that darkness will not cover all I love.
"Potter?"
The incredulous voice was all too familiar to James. He looked up to see the radiant Lily Evans standing dumbfounded in the doorway. He'd always thought that she was the most beautiful witch in the school, but in that moment, James was hard-pressed to think of a more beautiful woman anywhere. Her fiery locks cascaded down past her shoulders, and her emerald eyes and ruby lips were bright against her ivory fair skin. She could be a goddess, James thought to himself as he allowed his eyes to stray over her beautiful form. She was made for silks and velvets, for operas and premieres, not for the mundane muggle world she's forced back to every summer.
Lily raised an eyebrow at him as he seemed to stare blankly at her. "Potter. Why are you in here?" she asked firmly as she tried not to notice the way his warm hazel eyes caressed her.
At her words his eyes refocused on her. "Sorry, Evans," he said with a trace of his old cockiness. "It's me you're stuck with." His still serious expression belied his arrogant words. "Congratulations." He shook her hand, smiling as she blushed prettily. "Oh, come off it; modesty is pointless here. You and I both know you're the brightest witch Hogwarts has seen in years."
"And I suppose you think you're the brightest wizard?" she shot back acidly.
"Yes, of course, and our children will be geniuses." Before Lily could protest, he said, "No, it should be Remus in here instead of me. He's wiser than I am and a better wizard by far."
Lily was taken aback yet again. The boy—man really—that stood before her was not the same James Potter who had hexed away all his possible rivals for Lily and anyone else who crossed his path. Even in these brief moments, he had yet to act the braggart he always had. Lily was wary—this new, more mature James was a strange person to behold. He'd even grown more attractive over the summer. His raven hair was tousled, falling charmingly over his hazel eyes. Lily wasn't sure what to make of him, though he certainly unsettled her. She shrugged and faced the window, trying to block him out.
James swore under his breath. He'd hoped for and yet been horribly afraid that the Head Girl would be Lily Evans. She was the only girl he'd ever wanted, yet he'd hardly had a civil conversation with her since third year. He looked over at her again; she had her arms folded resolutely over her chest, and she was half-glaring out the window at the rolling hills. I can't deal with this, James thought to himself. I can't have her ignore me this way all year. I've got to do something about this. "Lily?"
She groaned loudly and turned to face him again. "If you're planning on asking me out again, you may as well get it over with."
A surprised laugh burst from James's lips. "No, actually. I think hearing 'Go fuck yourself, James' three hundred twelve times is enough."
Lily laughed too. "I don't think I started swearing like that until you broke two hundred times. The first hundred I was polite."
James snorted then threw his hand over his heart melodramatically. "Oh yes, polite! As if you could be polite whilst grinding my heart beneath your shoes."
A retching noise made him look at Lily. She was doubled over, pretending to vomit. "You want the truth, James? You were a complete asshat."
He nodded. "I won't deny it. But you, Lily Evans, were a swotty prude." His eyes gleamed as they bantered. "But now that we've rehashed our dizzyingly romance-filled past, I want this year to be different."
"How so? Me not turning you down when you ask me out another fifty—"
She was cut off when James put his finger over her full lips. "By starting over and simply being friends. We were before. I saw things this summer that made me realise I that I can't be the asshat, as you say, that I was."
Lily once again looked at him warily. "You want a complete start over? No more hexing the boys I like, no more terrorising the first years, no more asking me out a full three hundred times?"
James nodded. "Friendship's all I want. I won't even be surprised if I don't get that, considering how much of a wanker I've been over the last six years. Besides, I really don't want to make our dormitory an uncomfortable place to be."
At that Lily couldn't help but agree with him on that point. "I understand completely." She took a deep breath. "And I would be willing to give a fresh chance to friendship. After all, we were quite good friends until you turned into an arrogant prat."
James shrugged. "Or until you turned into a complete priss, whichever."
Lily narrowed her brilliantly green eyes and James felt his breath quicken. Even when angry she was lovely. Stop that, he told himself sternly, shifting in his seat. You're just friends. She'll kill you if you do anything that even smacks of the way you really feel. Don't screw this up, Jamie-boy. "Sorry, Evans," he said with a half-smile. "I guess I'm too used to the way things were. This'll take some time."
Lily chuckled in agreement. "You're telling me!" She held out her hand to him and smiled warmly, the first genuine smile James had seen from her since their third year. "Friends?"
He shook her hand, smiling back at her. "Friends. Never thought I'd get to say that again."
She shrugged. "People change. Speaking of people," she said, glancing out at the corridor, "we need to meet with the prefects and set up some sort of patrol schedule."
James grimaced. "I forgot about that bullocks. We'd better get on that."
The rest of the journey to Hogwarts was spent talking with the prefects or patrolling the hallway. Lily wisely steered James away from the compartment where the Marauders waited impatiently. "You'll just make an ass of yourself," she said casually.
James shot her a mock-glare. "Which compartment are Alice and Tara in again? We're not going anywhere near there either."
Lily glared for a moment then shrugged. "Fine."
He grinned triumphantly. "Fine, indeed. Besides, Pads said he'd be stopping by later anyway. Looks like I'll have an opportunity to make an ass of myself," he said gleefully.
Lily scoffed at him. "Just because I've agreed to be friends doesn't mean I can't change my mind." Her voice was sublimely haughty, but James spoiled it by laughing.
"God, Lily," he laughed. "I'm just having you on. Come on, let's go back to our compartment." He turned around and walked purposefully back down the corridor.
Lily sighed. What had she gotten herself into?