Disclaimer: See first 2 chapters.So farI only own Travis and the blond girl in this chapter.

Chapter 3

Meeting Lily Evans

James woke with a start. He tiredly rubbed his eyes, yawned and stretched. He pulled back a crimson curtain and felt blindly around his beside table. There was a smashing sound. James hurriedly shoved his glasses on his face and look miserably at the shattered remains of the frame that had contained a picture of his parents.

"Oh, dammit!" James groaned, watching the figure of his father cower behind his wife. "I got that off my granny for my birthday. Mum will do 'er nut in if she finds out!"

"Come 'ere," Remus said groggily, picking up a long, ash wand. "Reparo"

The pieces of frame flew back together and looked as good as new. James' father stepped out from behind James' mother, grinning in satisfaction at the frame.

"Thanks" muttered James.

"No problem" Remus replied, struggling to fight down a laugh. "Word of advice, mate, next time try putting your glasses on the right way round, not upside down."

James, who had been wondering why his glasses had been digging painfully into the bridge of his nose, hastily turned them the right way. He beamed at Peter who had been watching the situation though a gap in his curtains.

"Mornin' "Travis grumbled, walking from the bathroom, hair dripping. "Where's Sirius?"

Peter pointed at the only bed with its curtains still drawn, which was snoring lightly.

"I'm gonna 'ave a shower" Remus said, rolling off his bed. He got unsteadily to his feet, grabbed some clean clothes and staggered into the bathroom door.

"You're meant to open the door first, dingus!" Peter laughed as Remus rubbed his head and disappeared into the bathroom.

There was a grunt and Sirius emerged from his bed.

"Would you shut the hell up!" He moaned, lobbing a teddy at Peter.

James dived out of bed and grabbed the teddy. "Is this yours?"

"Shut up!" Sirius repeated, mumbling into his pillow.

80)

Half an hour later, all five of the boys were showered, changed and in the Great Hall. Sirius was still complaining about how early they had to get up.

"… And at home we could get up as late as we wanted, call the house-elf and get whatever we wanted. Course, the stupid loada rat droppings would always make the porridge too runny or-"

"SHUT UP, SIRIUS" Remus, James and Peter shouted in unison.

"Look at it this way" James smiled, piling his pate with bacon and toast. "The earlier you wake up, the more of this delicious food you get!"

Sirius nodded and imitated James, who was now shovelling food continually into his mouth like he'd never eaten before.

"That's discussing!" cried the red haired girl who had complained about James last night. "You pig!"

"Thanks" James said thickly though the toast. He put a hand though his hair, making it messier. A habit he had for as long as he could remember.

The girl rolled her eyes and stalked off, as far away from James as possible.

James watched her for awhile before turning back to his friends. "Do you think she fancies me?" He asked hopefully.

The others burst out laughing. James looked desperately around, wondering what was so funny.

"Yeah…right…mate" Sirius finally gasped "You…you've got as…much chance with her as I have liking werewolves"

Remus stopped laughing immediately "WHATS YOUR OBSESSION WITH WEREWOLVES!" He slammed down his fork.

"Calm down, it's the only thing I could think of!" Sirius whisper, looking scared.

"Sorry" Remus muttered

"Hey look" Peter said, quickly changing the subject "We got Transfiguration first, double History of Magic, Charms, and double Defence against the Dark Arts."

"Should be fun" James said dully.

80)

The four boys arrived in the Transfiguration classroom and took their places at the back. After about two minutes of Professor McGonagall rambling on about the skill and concentration you need in Transfiguration, James and Sirius found they had something in common; they got bored very easily.

Sirius reached into his trouser pocket and took something out. He shuffled the deck of cards then whispered to James, "You fancy a game?"

James looked from the cards in Sirius' hand to McGonagall, before nodding, "Sure, why not?"

Unnoticed by the rest of the class, Sirius and James silently played snap. James grinned when he noticed his next card matched the one on the top of the pile. He placed the card down gently and realised, a split second before it happened, what he had done. The explosion filled the classroom, leaving a huge smoke cloud and a great burn where the cards were a minute ago. The entire class spun around and came face to face with James and Sirius, who were choking in the smoke.

Professor McGonagall stormed down from the front, looking furious. She approached the quivering forms of James and Sirius.

"Detention, five o'clock, tomorrow night, my classroom." She spat.
James and Sirius nodded before McGonagall returned to her desk.

"Now as I was saying," She said, determined to keep her voice calm." I will split you into pairs and you will each try to turn this match into a needle. Thanks to Mr Potter and Mr Black's little accident" she gave them a nasty glare. "I have decided to choose the pairs myself"

The class groaned and shot James and Sirius evil glances. Professor McGonagall picked up the register and her wand. She unrolled the parchment, closed her eyes and jabbed it with her wand.

"Mr Lupin and…" another jab "Mr Towers"

Travis moved to the empty seat beside Remus.

There were more jabs, McGonagall calling out names and shuffling as people moved to sit next to their partners.

"That leaves" McGonagall said after putting Sirius with a spotty, blond haired girl. "Mr James Potter and Miss Lily Evans"

The girl from breakfast reluctantly moved to sit next to James.

"Don't touch me, talk to me or even look at me" she muttered

All James could do was nod, he was too stunned by his luck.

Soon the room was full of shouts and furious wand waving. Lily mumbled the incantation while prodding the match.

"No, no you're doing it wrong" James said, taking Lily's wand hand in his "It's sort of a wave"

"Let go of me, Potter, Didn't you hear what I said earlier?"

James let go and picked up his wand. He said the spell and gave his wand a wave. The match instantly turned silver, but remained blunt.

"Ah well, one outta two ain't bad" He shrugged.

80)

The rest of the day pasted quickly. James, Sirius, Remus and Peter were walking back from tea, chatting about their day.

"I can't believe McGonagall gave us detention on our first day!" Sirius moaned for the twentieth time.

"You should have been paying attention, instead of playing exploding snap" Remus said.

"I forgot they exploded" Retorted Sirius. "Anyway, I thought you were on our side"

"I didn't say I was on anyone's side"

"But you agree with McGonagall?" James asked sulkily.

Remus was saved an answer by a scream and a yell - "I told you to get out of my way, mudblood!" - from around the corner. The boy raced around it to find Lily Evans lying immobilised on the floor with Severus Snape towering above her, gripping his wand.

"LEAVE HER ALONE" James shouted, drawing his wand.

"What are you going to do?" Snape snorted "Burp at me?"

"EXPELLIARMUS!"

The force of James' spell sent Snape crashing into the wall; his wand landed at his feet. Snape, looking dazed, grabbed the wand. He aimed it at James' face and gasped "Fernunclus"

James' face broke out in big, puss filled boils.

"Petrificus Totalus!" said James coolly, causing Snape's arms to be pinned by his sides and his legs to snap together. "Are you alright Evans?"

"Finite Incantatem" Remus said.

Lily unfroze and got to her feet.

"Stupid git" she spat "I don't need your help!" she slapped James around the face, bursting some of the boils, and stalked off.

"Did you see that?" James asked, sounding thoroughly delighted as puss ran down his face. "She touched me, she actually touched me!"

"Calm down, James" Sirius laughed, as Remus repeated the spell he used on Lily to get rid of James' boils. "She'll never go out with you"

"Will too"

"Will not"

Their argument continued all the way to the common room.