A/N: To those who have followed/reviewed this story... you don't know how much I love you. Here's the first chapter! I hope you enjoy it! And if there's any grammar errors please tell me; I checked this at 1:00 a.m. while listening to the Les Mis soundtrack so something probably slipped my attention... Reviews in general are pretty awesome :)
Disclaimer: Everything is the property of J.K. Rowling (even me)
1 September 1975
Lily Evans had always loved the beginning of the school year. Buying new uniforms and quills and parchment and books, finally seeing her friends again after 2 and ½ months in the Muggle world. All of this, added to the promise of returning to her favourite place in the world, was usually enough to cancel out the usual teenage anxiety over homework and exams and waking up early. But this year, Lily was noticeably less excited than usual. It had not escaped her mother's notice that every time a particular greasy haired, long nosed boy would walk by, Lily would immediately make an excuse and run the other way. Nevertheless, by the end of August, Lily was feeling quite sure that she could handle running into her ex-best mate around school. So it was with the air of a soldier prepared for a particularly important battle that Lily jogged onto Platform 9 ¾ for her first day of her sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Of course, there was the subject of a certain Mr. James Potter, who Lily had spent the whole summer very adamantly not thinking about. Lily spent so much time on not thinking about James Potter that she did not at all notice that he had not sent his usual "happy summer!" letter, and she had not missed it, with its immature jokes and innuendos, one bit. Lily was quite happy that James Potter seemed to be over his foolish infatuation, if it even could be called such. It was most likely just a prolonged attempt to deeply annoy her.
No matter how much Lily had thought (or had not thought) about the two very different boys over the summer, once she was standing on Platform 9 ¾, taking in all the excitement and greetings and chatter which comes with the first day of school., she couldn't help but feel just a little bit eager to start the new year. But Lily had to move quickly because for the first time in her six years at Hogwarts, Lily had not arrived early to King's Cross (it was, of course, the fault of her sister's big-headed boyfriend who insisted on them having a family breakfast before she left to her "reformatory school" and who had then proceeded to spend an hour and a half consuming every edible thing in sight.) She hurried onto the train, anxious to drop off her things in her friends' compartment before rushing off to the prefect meeting.
So preoccupied was she with checking every compartment for the faces of her fellow sixth year Gryffindors, Lily did not see James Potter approaching until he was right in front of her.
With a short nod of her head, Lily managed out a courteous, "Potter," internally sighing at the irritating conversation that he was going to instate, and that she didn't have time for. But he just… Lily stared in shock at the retreating figure of James Potter, who had walked by her without even a simple hello. But… Lily couldn't even try to understand what had just happened. James always talked (excessively) to everyone, especially to her.
Lily stood in the middle of the corridor, too confused to care how many people were having trouble moving around at her expense. James had finally done exactly what she had always wanted. He had just left her alone. Not even acknowledging her presence. And honestly, it was a wonderful relief, after last year, but… Lily couldn't understand it. James Potter had never been the type of boy to give up, and now he was just going to ignore her? Not that it bothered her… but it was just odd… and Lily was not the type of girl to leave a puzzle unsolved.
Lily would probably have spent the rest of the trip to Hogwarts standing in the middle of isle, contemplating the complexities of male action, if a female voice had not called out her name (at a very high volume) a minute later. Lily looked up, smiling at her friend and roommate, the ever-entertaining Marlene McKinnon, all thoughts of James (momentarily) forgotten. Marlene, an attractive witch with hair the colour of molten chocolate, shining hazel eyes, and a curvy figure, quickly pushed past the surrounding lowerclassmen, enveloping her friend in a tight hug.
"Lily!"
"Marlene!" Lily jokingly imitated her friend's excited tone. "Your hair!"
"Oh, Lily you noticed! I was going for a brunette Farrah Fawcitt vibe." Marlene tossed some wispy hair over her shoulder.
"You know what? I see it." Lily nodded sagely as she pretended to deeply study her friend's new layers. "And everyone will think it's you being original and fabulous because they'll have no idea who Farrah Fawcitt is."
"Exactly!" Marlene sighed dramatically. "Oh my darling Lily, my summer was so boring without you there to fill the empty void of my heart!"
"I wrote you every week Marlene."
"Is a friend not allowed to be excited by the sight of another friend who she has not seen all summer? Come on, everyone's waiting for you." With that Marlene threw her arm over Lily's shoulder and started leading her toward the compartment where their other roommates where already situated. "Anyway, you do not understand how much telly I watched this summer. It was honestly pathetic. Except for the one week when I was visiting Rome," (said with a blissful sigh), "I did not do anything. At all! But we're back and this year, I'm ready to get me one disreputable reputation."
"You say that every year Marlene darling, and so far the most disreputable thing you've done is drink half a glass of firewhiskey and snog Andrew Ginney."
Marlene stuck her tongue out at her friend and pretended to act offended, but got over it rather quickly, seeing how much she had to tell her friend. "Talking about Andrew Ginney, I ran into him in Flourish and Blotts and he is much fitter than he was last year." Before Lily could properly respond, Marlene abruptly stopped and pulled open the door of a compartment where two of their three remaining roommates had already made themselves comfortable. Dorcas Meadowes, a Chaser for the Gryffindor quidditch team with dark brown eyes and flaxen hair up in its usual ponytail, had her feet propped up on one of the seats, filling in their other roommate, Mary MacDonald, on all the gossip which she had accumulated over the past few weeks while simultaneously flicking through the latest copy of Witch Weekly. Mary Simmons, with her big blue eyes, curly light brown hair, and soft laugh was often viewed as the quietest of the group, but her friends knew better. Lounging back on her bookbag, she responded to every tidbit of information with a humorous one-liner. The only girl missing was Alice Fortescue, who was most probably off with her boyfriend of two years, seventh year Frank Longbottom.
Dorcas stopped in the middle of her story as soon as she saw Lily, waving at her lazily from her spot in the corner of the compartment. "Hullo Lily, I would get up to greet you properly but then someone," with a look directed toward Marlene, standing in the doorway, "will undoubtedly take the spot which I worked so hard to get for myself if I did."
Mary laughed brightly as she jumped up and enveloped Lily in a hug. "Ahh! How was your summer!" Mary let go and searched Lily's expression. "How are you doing about you know… things?" Lily rolled her eyes at her friend's concern. Of course Mary would want to bring up Severus so soon, and of course she would do it in the sweetest way possible.
"I'm fine, Mary. Honestly." Noticing the doubtful looks on all of her friends' faces, Lily repeated herself, "I really am honestly fine. Honestly." Lily's friends were still watching her doubtfully, but instead of repeating herself yet again she sighed and told them she had a prefects meeting to get to (which, checking her watch, she realized was very true.) Cursing to herself, Lily ran to the Heads' compartment on the back of the train and barged in, standing awkwardly in the doorway as the eyes of every Hogwarts prefect stared at the tardy 6th year. Smiling uncomfortably at the Head Girl, who had stopped in the middle of her speech at Lily's abrupt entrance, Lily began apologizing, "I'm so sorry to interrupt! I've just been running late all morning and—"
"It's fine Lily. Just take a seat. Remus can fill you in later." Jessica Canley, the newly installed Head Girl (bearing her usual resemblance to a frightened mouse), smiled weakly at Lily and continued with her notes.
Sliding into an empty spot next to her fellow Gryffindor prefect, the tall, lanky, sandy-haired Remus Lupin, Lily observed the vast differences between this year's Head Boy and Girl. The Head Girl was Jessica Canley, a Ravenclaw who deserved an attendance award for her time spent in the library, and who constantly imposed a no-nonsense attitude amongst her fellow students (especially in situations, such as this one, where she held control). Looking down at the pieces of parchment containing schedules and guidelines for the year, Lily quickly realized that, if simply up to the Head Girl, this year would not be filled with the casual jokes and flexible rounds of her prefect experience of the year before. Jessica was also famous for looking down upon all the social pursuits of her fellow students, excluding the potentially beneficial Slug Club, of which she was a proud member. Lily, with her sweet smile and serious academic focus, was one of the few prefects (and students) who Jessica could actually stand.
Jack Lenking, the pompous Head Boy, already had the deep, hearty laugh of a middle-aged man. Looking closely, Lily could see exactly how he would look like in 50 years, like a slightly skinnier Horace Slughorn who would call everyone "old boy." He was the type of teenage boy who slicked back his hair and wore sweater vests on Hogsmeade weekends. But despite his slightly pretentious tone, Lily couldn't help liking the hard-working Hufflepuff who always greeted her with a smile and a firm handshake (the latter of which was slightly unnecessary).
As Jessica was droning on about the responsibilities of representing the school, Lily's mind slipped and, led by her awareness of his presence in the compartment, wandered to thoughts about Severus. Out of the corner of her eye, Lily caught a glimpse of him chuckling half-heartedly at some mean quip made by one of his fellow Slytherins. It was odd. As much as Lily thought about him, she couldn't help but realize that she missed their memories together more than she actually missed Severus himself. Lily suddenly had a vivid image of this time last year, when Snape was not yet fully ashamed of their friendship, and was willing to degrade himself so much as to appear in public with a Mudblood for a friend. She remembered heading to the library after a prefects meeting, when he once spent a good 30 minutes making spiteful jokes about Jack. At the time, Lily had told herself he was being funny and amusing, but looking back, Lily realized that he could be as much of a bullying arse as James Potter.
Lily broke away from her revelry as Jack clapped his hands together loudly and called the meeting to a close. As everyone got up and herded out the door, Lily turned to the Gryffindor sitting at her side, who was currently organizing the many loose parchments he had received from the Heads.
"Remus! How are you? How was your summer?"
With a sweet smile on his pale face, Remus said, "Well, you know, it was basically the same old, same old. Mainly just Peter and me—" here he paused a second, "well mainly me attempting to keep James and Sirius from blowing up James's house. And I was mostly successful actually." With a shrug of his shoulders and a self-satisfied expression, Remus, holding on tightly to the papers, got up and started moving toward the now empty doorway.
Lily's ears perked up at the sound of James's name and she immediately started trying to think of ways to introduce the topic of James's earlier strangeness into the conversation.
"So, you stayed at Potter's house, then?" Lily asked as she matched her pace to Remus's, pretty sure that they were supposed to do rounds of the corridors together.
"No… not exactly. Sirius did, of course. But Peter and I stayed at home; we just visited quite a lot."
"And what exactly do you mean by 'mostly successful?'" Lily asked, still trying to find a way to word her other question.
"Lily, you can't honestly think that James and Sirius can spend an entire 2 ½ months without blowing up at least one toilet."
"Blimey." Lily was still mentally imagining this occurrence when Remus responded with a question of his own.
"Ya, basically. How was your summer?"
"Ugh, boring, magicless, muggilly."
"Lily, I'm pretty sure 'muggilly' is not a word."
"If you met my sister's fiancée, you would understand how great a slip that is on the part of Oxford."
"Pardon?"
"Oxford English dictionaries."
Remus stared blankly at Lily.
"Ever heard of them? No?"
"No, sorry." Lily often forgot that Remus was a half-blood, and not a muggleborn like herself. Part of it was his superb knowledge of muggle music, but it was more than that. She sometimes got a feeling from him that he felt like an outsider in the wizarding world, a feeling which she occasionally got herself.
There was a lull in the conversation, which Lily saw as the perfect opening. "You know, speaking of Potter—"
"We weren't speaking about Potter; we were speaking about Oxperd. " Remus looked into a compartment full of noisy third years with a bemused expression on his face.
"Oxford." Lily corrected him subconsciously. "And yes we were; you were telling me all about your visits to the Potter residence." Before Remus could respond, Lily continued. "Anyway, I saw him when I got onto the train and he seemed… I guess 'out of it' would be the best way to describe it. Has he been acting odd lately?"
"Well, nothing beyond his usual oddness." Remus smiled to himself at his own joke.
"Oh. Okay then."
"Why? What was he doing? Helping first years with their things? Because that would definitely be out of it for James."
"No he…" Lily suddenly realized how foolish and arrogant it sounded. "He walked by without saying hello," she said quietly.
Remus gave her a questioning look.
"It's just that, last year, he seemed to…"
"Be a tad Lily-obsessed?" Remus asked with a smirk.
"NO. No. No. It's not that. He just had a…
"Way of always knowing your whereabouts?" Remus said softly, as if speaking to himself. It was Lily's turn to curiously look at her companion..
"Um… kind of. Ya… Honestly, Marlene used to joke that he had a 'Lily Radar,'" Lily chuckled weakly. "But I'm digressing. So he hasn't been acting unusually weird lately? Lost in thought, maybe? Brooding? Sullen?"
"James is only brooding when he thinks a bird is watching. And that's actually more Sirius's game. But it actual—" Remus was interrupted by a fight that had broken up in a compartment in front of them, and it was 30 minutes before he and Lily could continue on the subject.
"You were saying?" Lily asked with an apprehensive look on her face, diving right into the conversation despite the half hour intermission.
"What?" Remus obviously didn't share Lily's impatience on continuing the conversation. "Oh right," he remembered their previous conversation. "I was just saying that it might be due to the fact that Prongs has a girlfriend."
"Because this is a… first? Because Potter has never hit on me when he was dating Jennie Marks, or Lizzie Luthers, or Cathleen Gunthers, or that Ravenclaw Priscilla or—"
"I think it's different this time. He seems quite serious about this one." The pair reached the end of a corridor and wordlessly turned around towards the front of the train (most of which they had yet to reach on their rounds).
"Mmmm."
"No, honestly! It's already been…" Remus did some calculations. "3 weeks."
"3 weeks. If that is considered an impressive track record for you men, I pity the female population of Hogwarts."
"For James, it actually is quite impressive."
"Mhm. And who exactly is the lucky lady?"
"Camille Cardice." Lily stopped walking abruptly, quickly trying to connect a face to the name. An attractive(ish) Hufflepuff with medium-length brown hair and a pack of friends all identical to her came to mind.
"Our year? Hufflepuff?" Lily almost wished that Remus would tell her she was thinking of someone else.
"That's the one," Remus answered disinterestedly.
"And he honestly likes her? But she's so… I mean…" Lily was quiet for a second, trying to find a way to best express herself.
"She's nice." Remus said, but in the kind of voice that told Lily that he was not the president of Camille Cardice's fan club. The pair was again interrupted by a crying first year, already homesick, and Lily had to temporarily abandon her discomfort to help the 11 year old.
When she finished, and Remus and she had continued their walk down the corridor, she said, "well, anyway, she will love to constantly remind Potter how wonderful he is. She's the type. He must enjoy the confidence boost."
"That's impressive," Remus stated with an eyebrow raise.
"Pardon?"
"You managed to insult both members of the relationship with a simple statement."
"Oh, I'm sorry Remus… I know you're friends with Potter and all that, it's just that, well, you know... And Camille isn't the most incredible girl either."
"She's nice." Remus said loyally, but his quick grimace betrayed other thoughts.
"Mmmm." They walked in an awkward silence for a few minutes; that conversation obviously over. Lily tried to change the subject, deciding to ask for the story about the blown up toilets, figuring that it would be lively enough to keep her entertained (and to keep her mind away from the topic that caused her unusual discomfort). Remus gave Lily a startled look, fully knowing her deep disdain towards the Marauders' pranks.
"It was over the summer, Remus. So technically no school rules were broken in the process."
Remus thought for a moment, "well… if we're getting technical…" He looked sheepishly at Lily, shrugging.
"Fine. You all have immunity for the next…," Lily checked her watch to see how much time remained in their rounds, "20 minutes. I shant even get upset." Remus simply responded with an eyebrow raise.
"I'm in the mood for a humorous antidote! Really."
"Fine. But if you want a funny story, I should probably tell you about what we did for Mrs. Potter's birthday gala." Remus broke into a rarely seen mischievous grin, proceeding to tell every detail and conversation involved, repeatedly shaking his head and smiling at the idiocy of his best friends. But Lily was only half listening. Despite her best effort, she was still milling over the fact that James Potter, James Potter, had a serious girlfriend. It had taken a bit of time to sink in. But Lily started thinking… and it really made sense. It explained their earlier interaction… James obviously was thinking rationally for the first time in his life. Why bother with a girl who has consistently rejected you when you're in a committed relationship? Why bother coming up with ways to get Lily's attention when it's no longer necessary? Lily told herself that her previous discomfort was simply the effect of her shock. Once it sunk in, Lily felt quite happy about the current situation. She broke into a smile (at, coincidentally, the climax of Remus's story), feeling a new kind of freedom at the prospect of a Potter-free year. A simple year. A year without the constant mental strain of coming up with new ways to relay to someone a very obvious message of dislike. At that moment, she didn't even bother chiding a rowdy group of fourth years, so content was she with her own romantic fortune (or misfortune, if other teenage witches were to be asked).
The 20 minutes passed quickly for the two smiling teenagers, and it was a short time before the Ravenclaw prefects walked toward them, indicating the end of their shift. Lily bid her fellow Gryffindor goodbye, strolling to the compartment containing her roommates and closest friends.
The scene greeting Lily inside her friends' compartment was one she had seen many times in the past. Inside the compartment, Dorcas had not shifted from her stretched out position, excepting that her long, toned legs were now stretched out on Marlene's lap. Mary, was currently sitting with her logs crossed on the floor, leaning on the seat opposite her friends and searching in a box of Bertie Bott's for a particularly interesting jellybean to feed Marlene. Dorcas was vocally taking a quiz on relationships from a new magazine and eating a chocolate frog, while Marlene and Mary were keeping up a constant side commentary on every stupid question.
"Come Lily! We are trying to decide whether I am most fitted to date a class clown, jock, or brainiac." Dorcas paused a second, cocking her head. "Dear lord, this magazine really is obviously American."
"Lily!" Mary greeted while simultaneously handing Marlene a speckled orange bean. Marlene immediately ingested the candy and appeared thoughtful for a moment as she slowly chewed it. "Pumpkin, I'm guessing. Not my favourite but not bad. Not bad at all." Mary let out a sigh of frustration and looked back into the box.
Lily situated herself on the seat opposite Dorcas, copying her friend's position.
"Sorry Lils, we had bought you some stuff from the trolley, but I got hungry and ate it all," Marlene said with a nonchalant shrug. Lily immediately leaned over towards Mary, who had poured a splashed of colours onto her hand and was chewing a cherry flavoured jelly bean while searching for the most interesting one to give to Marlene. Lily studied her friend's hand for a second before loudly asserting, "I hope you find a booger one to give her, Mary."
"Well. That's one way to treat people." Marlene leaned over and grabbed a neon green bean from Mary's palm. "Oh and—" Marlene reached behind her and pulled out a blue and gold box. "I'm keeping your chocolate frog."
"Aw Marlene! You bought me a chocolate frog. That's too sweet!" Lily looked imploringly at her friend because, honestly, she was hungry, and she really needed some more cards for her collection (at the moment, she was on a mad search for a Morgana).
"What? No… I guess, but you… I'm eating it now." Marlene had been momentarily confused by Lily's unexpected outburst of charm, but as soon as she realized the thought process, she resolutely started to open the box.
"Jock? Honestly, I could have told you that!" Dorcas suddenly exclaimed from her position by the window. "This magazine is rubbish. And there are no pictures of The Nargles, even though the lead singer got a new haircut and looks so fit." Dorcas sighed and reached behind Marlene, where there was apparently a very large stash of candy. Lily sat up in excitement.
"Thanks a mill, Dorcas. Now we have to give Lily something, or else we'll appear selfish." Marlene sighed dramatically. Lily simply smiled in response and grabbed the largest chocolate cauldron she could find. "Thank you," Lily sung right before she shoved the chocolate pastry into her rosebud mouth.
Mary wordlessly held out a bean (the color of the outcast sky) to Marlene, and the latter shrugged and popped it in her mouth. Marlene's expression quickly turned into one of deep disgust and she grabbed a napkin from behind herself (what didn't they have back there?) and spit out the jelly bean, by then the colour of soggy charcoal. "I need frog." She finished ripping open the previously abandoned box and ferociously sunk her teeth into a long leg of the jumping chocolate.
"Ds es sa dericious." Marlene smiled to herself, leaning back (against the now visible pile of sugary treats).
"Eh no, ri'?" Lily responded as she took yet another giant sized bite out of her chocolate cauldron.
"What?" Dorcas asked as she looked around in confusion.
"Don't worry about it," Mary responded with a small laugh as she offered her friend a pale blue bean.
"Think not." Dorcas continued eating her Fizzing Whizbees in relative peace, staring absentmindedly at the magazine on her lap. "You know, Lily…" Dorcas reached into her bag for another Whizbee.
"Mmm," Lily responded, only half-paying attention.
"The problem with this quiz is that the best men are all three. I would never date someone smart if they weren't funny as well, and I hardly look at anyone who doesn't have the prerequisite of being a Quidditch player."
"Hmmm." Lily swallowed and thought for a second. She suddenly guffawed, loudly enough to make Marlene drop her chocolate frog in surprise.
"Absolutely not." Lily resolutely took another bite out of her chocolate cauldron. She chewed intensely for a few seconds before swallowing and continuing her thought. "Of course, there are people who are funny, athletic and intelligent, and they are fine individuals. But when you have an overdose of those three, you end up with… with… James Potter, for example. And he is just an excessive human being, if you ask me." Dorcas rolled her eyes and Marlene muttered under her breath, "oh bloody hell, here we go."
Lily didn't pay attention to her friends, instead continuing on her ramblings. "Were you aware that James Potter has a girlfriend? I just found that one out. I'm sure it's not going to last, because it is James Potter we are talking about. But you would not believe who it is! Camille Cardice. That Hufflepuff. The one with the friends who all seem to be using Polyjuice Potion to look exactly the same. My question is how Potter will be able to tell which one is Camille. And you know, Remus told me what an amazing feat their relationship has been for Potter. Because for him, a fortnight is the longest he's gone in one relationship! How can women in this school be so in love with him if he obviously cannot be in a committed relationship? How could a woman trust him? He's… he's… he's such a slag! And worse than that, he's going to be so cocky about his new relationship, acting as if Camille is actually someone that men strive to be with. Ugh, he really is probably is the worst boyfriend though, and I kind of pity the poor girl. But honestly, how would she not see how unreliable and untrustworthy he is? He's a pig! He's so…" Lily ran her pale hands through her wavy hair, too frustrated to finish her thought. The compartment was quiet for a few moments, until Marlene turned to Dorcas with a smug smile. "You owe me five knuts."
"I think not. You bet 10 minutes; it was about 6 or 7." Dorcas shrugged and finished off the bag of Fizzing Whizbees. Lily stared at her friends with utmost confusion etched in every fibre of her face.
"It was closer than yours though!" Marlene argued, her chocolate frog abandoned next to her.
"That was not specified in the rules. It had to be 10. I would have allowed 9 or 11, but that's it."
"Rubbish. You're making this up. Just give me the knuts and we'll call it even."
"I think not."
"I won the bet!"
"Not exactly."
"I would disagree."
Mary lazily watched her friends argue but Lily's head was turning between the two speakers so quickly that she felt like she was watching a game of muggle tennis. She was quite entertained, until she suddenly realized what the bet was on.
Marlene was attempting to compromise, "just buy me a butterbeer next time we're in Hogsmeade and I'll forget your current disregard for ru—"
"You bet on how soon I would talk about Potter, didn't you?" The heads of the other Gryffindor sixth years turned toward the indignant ginger. "Didn't you? You did!"
"Well we were right, weren't we? So at least you can say that your friends know you well." Marlene shrugged, wincing at the expression on her friend's face.
"Honestly. I don't talk about Potter as much as you all make it seem." Lily's stern expression faltered. "Do I?"
"No! Not any more than a normal teenage girl would talk about the man whom she loathes." Mary nodded helpfully.
"Debatable." Dorcas muttered and Marlene discreetly nodded in agreement.
"See, this is why Mary is my favourite."
"I am! Brilliant!" Mary smiled to herself.
There was a lull in the conversation, and right before Lily felt a social responsibility to bring up a conversation topic, Dorcas suddenly realized the full implications of Lily's news. "Camille Cardice, though? Honestly?"Lily sighed, a nod not necessary.
"You'd think the bloke would have better taste." Dorcas, on the Quidditch team with James, was the only girl in the compartment who considered herself friends with the bespeckled Marauder, and was probably the one (besides Lily) who was taking the most offense in this new relationship.
"She's… well you know…" Mary grimaced.
"Oh, you know it's an issue when Mary doesn't like someone," Dorcas said. The four girls grew quiet again.
Marlene suddenly brightened up. "Oh, I forgot to tell you! I learned who our new Defence teacher is!" And that was all it took to change the subject for the rest of train ride, which they spent joking and laughing and teasing and very much not thinking about James Potter.
"Oi! Dorcas!" A male voice was heard calling out on the Hogsmeade platform.
"Oh bloody hell, no." Dorcas resolutely ignored the voice, but its owner was apparently closer than expected.
"There you are! I was looking for you on the train." Alfie Clynch, a seventh year Hufflepuff (who was making a pitiful attempt to grow a mustache) bounded over to Dorcas and her friends.
"Mmm." Dorcas made a noncommittal noise which was enough to tell her friends that she was very much not interested in this particular young man.
"I was wondering if you would want to sit with me on the ride over to Hogwarts." Alfie raised his eyebrows suggestively.
"Oh, that's very sweet Alfie, but…" But Dorcas's excuse was not to be heard, since at that moment Alfie's much more attractive friend, Alexander Alkinson, walked up, and she fell silent.
"Oi, where are we sitting, mate? I just had to dodge some goggle-eyed fifth years." Alexander was probably one of the most attractive blokes in seventh year, and he was well aware of the fact. Some girls found his confidence charming, but others (Lily included) found him to be a douche-bag who was only enjoyable to look at from afar.
On noticing the presence of the four Gryffindors, Alexander winked at them, before turning back to his friend, awaiting his response.
"Oh, well, I was, um, I was asking Dorcas to join us on the carriage," Alfie puffed out his chest and spoke with a confidence and pride obviously implemented to impress his friend.
"And I was very happily agreeing to a ride." Dorcas smiled at Alexander and absentmindedly waved goodbye to her friends as she stepped into the carriage.
"We have space for another, actually…" Alfie awkwardly stared at the remaining three girls, not sure with which one to place his metaphorical cards (probably having figured out that Dorcas was not his best bet for a snog).
"I'll go." Marlene shrugged nonchalantly, as if she wasn't internally screaming at the prospect of a carriage ride with Alexander Alkinson. She looked back at her friends with a gleeful smile and an eyebrow raise as she accepted Alexander's gallantly offered right hand.
"And then there were two," Mary muttered as Lily and she watched their friends' carriage ride away.
Lily rolled her eyes, "come on, let's find us a carriage before you too up and leave me behind for a fit boy."
"Well, then make sure to stay away from Jack Lenking." Mary joked.
The girls had to walk far back in the line of carriages before they found one with space for the two of them, and it was, better yet, empty. Lily and Mary had just sat down when a tall mop-haired boy stuck appeared at the side of the carriage.
"Oh, Mary. Thank Merlin." The boy ran a hand through his hair, which would have been in desperate need of a cut, if it was not complimented by a strong jawline and great cheekbones. The boy seemed oddly familiar to Lily, and the very fact that he was speaking so informally to Mary told her that she should know who this attractive teenage boy was.
"Benjy! Oh my… what…" Mary was obviously searching for the right thing to say, "do you want to get in?" Mary finished weakly.
Lily barely registered the boy's affirmative response as she was trying to reconcile the image of the Benjamin Fenwick she had always known with this tall, chiselled person now sitting directly in front of her. Benjamin was supposed to be short, slightly chubby, dorky Ravenclaw who Mary had formed a friendship with in third year when they were partnered in a Care of Magical Creatures class. Mary seemed to be similarly shocked, but she at least had recognized the bloke.
"Oh, hullo Lily, sorry that I'm being so rude, and acting so weird it's just…" Benjy awkwardly looked down at the floor. "I was desperately in need of a friend right now." He smiled quickly at Mary before returning to his staring competition with the bottom of the carriage.
"What's wrong?" Mary's discomfort seemed to be immediately be replaced by worry, as she anxiously stared at her friend.
"Nothing, it's just, well, I… I went through a growth spurt this past summer, as you might have noticed," Benjy awkwardly grimaced. "It was a couple of years late, but apparently that means nothing to a large majority of the Hogwarts female population, who suddenly all remember about the times they sat next to me in Charms and are now insisting that I sit with them the rest of the way to school…" Benjy sighed, still not looking up.
"But, what about Edmund? And Jasper?"
"Yes, I sat with them on the train, but I lost them on the way out. I tried to find them, but I think they already left. Anyway, I'm sitting with you now, which is grand considering I know get to hear all about your summer." Benjy finally looked up, smiling at Mary. "And yours too, Lily." He quickly added politely, nodding at the Gryffindor.
Lily nodded back and would have quite enjoyed to lean back and listen to her friend discuss her summer with an attractive boy, but she realized that their carriage was not, in fact, moving. All the carriages in front of them were already on their way to the school, but since theirs did not carry the compulsory four passengers, it was staying still. Lily turned around to look at the carriages behind her, and the five or six waiting seemed to be doing just that, already filled and ready to go. Lily waited a moment, waiting to feel a familiar lurch that meant movement. But it didn't come, and Lily was resigned to the knowledge that she would have to take action, and worse comes to worse, pull someone out of the last carriage to join hers.
"One second, let me get this carriage situation sorted." Lily jumped off the carriage, not noticing that Benjy and Mary had missed her inner monologue and were therefore staring after her in confusion.
As soon as Lily walked past the carriage directly behind hers, she noticed someone standing on the ground next to the second to last carriage. Lily stopped, not wanting to interrupt the conversation that was occurring between the five bodies. In the dimming light of evening, it took Lily a moment to realize that the five people were the Marauders plus Hufflepuff Camille, the last of whom was standing awkwardly next to the carriage.
"Oh, yes, Prongs. That's a brilliant plan. Now would you prefer me to sit on your lap, or on Wormtail's?" Lily caught the sarcastic voice of Sirius Black, and she held back a laugh at his comment taken out of context.
"What do you want me to do, make my girlfriend walk to school?" James Potter paused for a moment, "actually, don't answer that."
Sirius replied, never changing from his sarcastic, mocking tone, but Lily was more interested in watching Camille, who just stood next to the carriage, wringing her hands and alternating between staring at the floor and at her boyfriend.
"You know what, mate. I'll meet you at the school. I, a self competent 16 year old, carry the ability to transport myself to my nearby place of schooling when the school-provided transport system does not work for me, and I shall take advantage of the intelligence that 16 years of life has given me, and will see you during the Welcome Feast." Sirius Black suddenly jumped out of the carriage, making an exaggerated gesture for Camille to enter the carriage.
"Let me know when your time of the month is over, Padfoot." James responded loudly.
Lily heard a muttered response from Remus Lupin, who had spent the length of this argument speaking to his friends in an even tone of voice, obviously trying (and failing) to reconcile his friends.
"Moony. Wormtail." Lily watched as Sirius bowed dramatically to his friends. He turned to the Hufflepuff (whom had wasted no time in taking his spot and snuggling into her boyfriend), "Number 27," he said curtly, before wheeling around to walk straight towards Lily.
"Evans." Sirius loped past Lily without a second glance, putting his hands in his pockets and gracefully nodding his head.
"Black." Lily debated for a moment whether to bring on the wrath and annoyance of twentysome of her classmates or to have to deal with Sirius Black. She might have chosen the former, if not for a scathing look sent to her by an impatient Ravenclaw.
"Um, Black. If you're looking for a way to the school… we have an extra spot in our carriage." Lily smiled weakly.
Sirius lazily turned around and raised an eyebrow at Lily. "You're inviting me to sit with you."
"Mhm." Lily nodded.
"Well this isn't good."
"Uh, oh. Okay."
"No I mean… Someone has to tell Dumbledore that he has students under the Imperius Curse."
"Oh, really, Black."
"Oh no, I'm serious." Lily snorted at the unoriginal cheesy pun. Sirius remained stoic. "First, James is all besotted with his girlfriend and is thinking of her before his mates and now… Lily Evans is being cordial to me." Sirius shook his head and shrugged, "it's deeply disturbing."
"Black, just get in the carriage before Montaria Jingley hexes us both." Lily discreetly motioned in the direction of the offending Ravenclaw, who did, in fact, seem ready to rain curses on the two Gryffindors.
"Lily Evans, what was the situation of our first meeting?" Sirius theatrically raised his wand at the exasperated prefect.
"Honestly, Black, that works for Polyjuice Potion. Not Imperius. If someone's under the Imperius Curse, they would be acting out of character, not unable to answer basic questions about their personal life." Lily rolled her eyes.
"Evans! It is you!" Sirius put his wand in his pocket and moved forward, looking ready to hug Lily.
"Get in the carriage." Lily pointed at the one holding Mary and Benjy (who had abandoned their conversation to stare at the one between Lily and Sirius).
"I like it when you're bossy."
"Get. In." Sirius shrugged and obliged.
Mary and Benjy were staring dumbfounded at the new arrival, who immediately made himself comfortable in the seat across from Mary. As soon as Lily joined the other three on the now quiet carriage, she felt the blessed jolt that signified movement (accompanied by the sound of Montaria Jingley letting out a melodramatic sigh paired with an aggravated "finally.")
Sirius motioned toward his new companions, "Benwick. Perm. Good evening."
"Perm?" Benjy Fenwick looked at Sirius with confusion written all over his newly attractive face. He, for one, did not understand what Sirius was referencing.
Mary self-consciously touched her thick locks. "This is natural, actually," she said softly.
"Honestly, Perm, do you not know by now that us Marauders give everyone a nickname?" Sirius leaned back in his seat and languidly closed his eyes, signalling that, for him, the conversation was over as quickly as it started.
"But, really, of all my defining features… Perm?"
"Wait, I don't have one! Why don't I have a witty nickname?" Lily joined Mary in her indignation.
Sirius opened an eye and studied the other 16 year olds. "'Perm' because we have never spoken to you sufficiently for us to have something sufficiently character defining. And, Evans, you do have a nickname; I've just sworn on threat of decapitation to not repeat it."
"And that's not in the least cryptic and frightening," Lily muttered to herself.
Benjy had been silently listening to this whole exchange, but he suddenly seemed unable to keep himself from talking, "is it 'Benwick' only because it's catchy? Or is there some secret meaning?"
"Just because it sounds cool, honestly."
"Oh." Benjy, who had previously sat up in his chair out of excitement, slumped back.
"We can only come up with so many truly clever nicknames with great reasoning."
"Because you have the mental capacities of five year old children with only so much imagination." Lily responded without missing a beat.
"Nice manners, Evans."
"Mmm." Lily couldn't think of anything properly witty to respond with, and was about to fall silent, when she suddenly remembered something Sirius had said just a few minutes before.
"Number 26."
"27." Sirius replied subconsciously.
"Why, may I ask?" Lily asked. Again, Mary and Benjy were staring at the others in confusion.
"Oh, I'm sure you can guess." Sirius raised his eyebrows at Lily and smirked.
"27, as in she's the… the 27th…" Lily wracked her brain, throwing her head back and closing her eyes tightly, drumming her fingers on her pale forehead. After a few moments of this, her eyes popped open and she snapped her head toward Sirius. "Honestly? Is it really the… is she really the…" Lily struggled with how to tactfully say what she had just hypothesized, opting to just raise her eyebrows suggestively instead.
"Well, she's not the 27th girl that he's shagged if that's what you're worried about."
"Um, question, are we talking about Camille here?" Mary interjected suddenly.
"Yes." Lily and Sirius replied in unison.
"So, she's the 27th girl he's snogged?" Sirius's silent smirk was all the answer she needed. "Blimey." Lily leaned back and looked out the window, more shocked than anything else.
"Well, actually, I don't really, technically think so." Sirius shrugged laconically. "She's actually number 13, I think. Or is it 14?" Sirius muttered some inaudible names to himself. "Well, anyway, I digress. The number employed in the nickname is a tad larger than it is in actuality, but 27 just brings her that much more paranoia and discomfort. Well, it will whenever her challenged brain gets the damned name." Sirius rolled his eyes.
"How did you choose 27? Or do I not want to know?" Benjy interjected.
"Ah, dear Benwick, the mysteryis half the fun."
"Mmm." Benjy nodded, pretending to understand what Sirius meant, though his quick eyebrow raise and head shake to Mary betrayed otherwise. He opened his mouth to ask something else, but the carriage came to an abrupt halt before he could say anything.
Lily was the first to jump out of the carriage, subconsciously breaking into a smile as she hurried toward the brightly lit Entrance Hall. She was so absorbed in looking around at the bustling, talking teenagers, the magically hanging candles, the moving portraits and occasional floating ghost that she didn't notice Sirius's presence until he was already next to her, matching her step with his. But she was so content that she refused to allow his presence to bother her, instead choosing to continue to walk through her school in silent revelry. But silence did not seem to be in the cards for the walk to the Great Hall, since right then a stern Remus Lupin and an out-of-breath Peter Pettigrew ran up to Lily and Sirius.
"Honestly, Padfoot." Remus began in an exasperated tone.
"Hi Lily!" Peter interjected in a small voice.
"Hullo, Peter." Lily responded quietly, looking over at the other two.
"Whatever is the matter, Moony?" Sirius asked with mock concern, looking over at the unsmiling Marauder.
"The matter is that you refuse to spend more than ten seconds in the presence of Prong's girlfriend."
"And this is an odd reaction toward her presence because…?"
"Because she's dating your best mate! Who just happens to take it personally when you stalk off with nothing but a rude comment towards her."
"It's true. Prongs was really upset on the rest of the way over." Peter added weakly, and though he seemed to want to say something else, he was silenced by the look on Sirius's face. He instead chose to bow his head and walk quietly with the other three six years.
"I'm sorry that I say what's on my mind. Would you prefer if I lie?" Sirius stopped walking and turned to face Remus.
"There's a difference between telling the truth and being an arse." Remus stopped as well, matching Sirius's stance.
"Is there?"
"Yes!" Remus looked up at the ceiling. "What's your problem with her, anyway?"
Sirius looked over Remus's shoulder, shrugging.
"She doesn't really have a personality. At all." Lily interrupted unthinkingly. Sirius nodded appreciatively.
Remus moved his scathing gaze between Sirius and Lily, finishing, with a sigh, on Sirius. "Honestly, Padfoot. Please just try and be nice to Camille, for Prongs's sake. Whatever you feel about her, he seems to really like her." Sirius appeared doubtful.
"Just, at least be civil to her. You don't want to lose a friend just because you're a dick to his girlfriend."
"Prongs would not choose her over us." Sirius responded defensively.
"No, he probably wouldn't. But you might."
"I might choose Camille? Honestly, Moony, you're off your rocker."
"No!" Remus rolled his eyes and sighed. "I mean that you might close yourself off if you continue like this." Remus stared unflinchingly at Sirius, who remained quiet for a few moments.
"I'll be civil. But that's it." Sirius answered stoically.
"That is all I'm asking." Remus smiled slightly.
"Oh, look, it's my new acquaintance. Is waving sufficient, or should I go over and give her a hug?" Sirius nodded toward Camille, standing a few meters away and talking to James.
Remus sighed deeply and rolled his eyes, trying not to smile as he chided Sirius. "You're pushing it, Padfoot."
"I'm just trying to be cordial! Honestly!"
Lily was distracted by Remus and Sirius's conversation by the one involving James and Camille. Lily watched as James nodded furtively as he told his girlfriend something and then proceeding to kiss her quickly before walking away toward his friends… and Lily. Lily tried to quickly think of an escape route, but in a manner of seconds, James was upon them, staring at his fellow Gryffindors.
"Replacing me, Evans?" James asked, with a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. Lily was startled by this greeting, the first words he had spoken to her all day, and they had contained all of the teasing of years past, but without any of the flirtation.
"I'd rather not, thanks." In her peripheral vision, Lily caught Remus sending Sirius a pointed look that went ignored.
"So you're providing transportation and company to my friend—"
"MERLIN'S FUCKING… OW." Lily turned away from James to see Sirius wincing and hopping, while trying to maintain balance as he gingerly held his right foot. "Honestly, Moony, I was going to do it! Without you hexing my foot!"
James Potter bemusedly stared at two of his best friends, who had started bickering again. He turned toward three straggling and frightened second years, some of the only students, besides the five Gryffindors, still not in Great Hall. "And with that, welcome back to Hogwarts," he said, with a laugh in his voice and a deep, theatrical bow added for dramatic effect.
Lily, looking around at the emptying Entrance Hall, decided that she trusted Remus to not let the situation escalate too intensely. She ushered the second years toward the noisy Great Hall, James's remark echoing in her head. Welcome back, indeed.
A/N: Well, that's that... more James in chapters to come! If you read this all, thank you!