"Dear God I'm sick of my family." Mary Macdonald sighed. "It's been a bloody long holiday."
Lily looked at her curiously from her seat in the Head's Compartment. "Really? Mine went by quickly."
"Aye but you didn't have nine sisters around." Mary rolled her eyes. "It's terrible. There's always someone around. Even here! Of course Carling and Fay need nannies. For heaven's sake, they're in Hogwarts. I'm not here to watch them!"
The third girl in the compartment, a pretty blonde, nodded sagely. "Trust me, I know. My mam was the same way when I started Hogwarts. She was always going on to Donnelly about how he was meant to watch out for me. Poor Donnelly nearly went mad." Marlene McKinnon finished.
Lily didn't say anything. She would've loved to have siblings who cared about her. It was hard to listen without commenting but to comment would have meant to draw attention to herself and that she didn't want.
"So Lily, how was your fast-paced holiday?" Marlene asked, pushing back a strand of her long black hair.
"Oh, it was good. Lovely, really. I spent it in London." She glanced at Mary. "I saw Mary a few times. Her and Sirius actually." Lily winked at her.
"Oh la la? A new couple, have we?" Marlene wiggled her eyebrows at Lily. "How lovely."
"Quite." Lily grinned as Mary grew red.
"I'm NOT dating Sirius Black!" She very nearly shouted.
"And what a pity that is," a voice drawled.
Lily looked at the open compartment door and saw the people she had wanted most to avoid.
"We can remedy that, love." Sirius Black winked at Mary, who became even redder.
Mary rolled her eyes but allowed him to sit beside her and place an arm on the seat behind her.
"How're you all?" James Potter walked in and leaned against the door. Instantly the compartment felt smaller. James had that presence, the one that filled up a room. Sirius had filled it considerably but with James there, it overflowed. Personality abounded, practically leaping out the windows. It only left a little room for his other best friends, who stood on either side of him. Remus stood with a dignified grin while Peter looked a bit silly, really. He had his shirt splattered with chocolate and his hair, obviously attempting to have the same kind of messy-sexy look James's did, was not cooperating.
"Even better now that you're here," Marlene said almost flirtatiously, even though she didn't mean it. She had no feelings towards James besides the obvious physical attraction. But just because she thought he was good-looking didn't mean she fancied him. In fact, it was quite the opposite. He was practically her brother.
"My presence does tend to light things up," James smiled as he slipped neatly into the seat between Lily and Marlene. "How's your mum?"
"Oh Mam's as crazy as ever. She was so mad at you this summer, though, for not coming to visit. She said the house felt so empty without you and the Marauders pranking us." Marlene turned to smile at Remus, who had sat down on her other side. "How've you been, Remus?"
Remus grinned at her. "Good, how about you?"
"Just darling. I do wish you guys would've come over though. Donnelly's so busy with his new girlfriend that he hasn't the time to prank back anymore. I got sooo tired of pranking alone."
"You should've written, genius." Remus replied teasingly.
Lily watched the conversations unfold before her as she waited for James to speak.
"Have a nice summer with old Barty then?" James asked after a moment's pause.
Lily glared at him again. "Delightful."
"I'm sure. Were you down in the south of France by chance? Because I saw him there… with some blonde girl. I didn't think you'd dye your hair for him but I mean, it had to have been you." James smiled.
Lily bit her lip. "Of course it was me. Told you we're dating, didn't I?"
"He must've confused the names then. He told me he was there with a girl called Veronica. But I'm sure it was just confusion, the sun talking. He was tan, that one."
She didn't reply.
"Bit mad, he was. He kept going on and on about Veronica. He said the only Evans he knew was a girl who lived in the flat next door. What was it he called her? 'A lovely little girl'."
"What the bloody hell are you doing, following him to the south of France? Trying to stalk me?" Lily demanded.
"Don't flatter yourself, Evans. I wouldn't bother to stalk you. I was in the south of France with my mum and dad, not that it's any of your business, on holiday."
"Oh."
"Besides, why were you lying about dating Bartholomew Gasquick?"
Lily turned away from him, blushing bright red. Why the hell had she shot her mouth off when she met him on the street? Then, she decided to take a different approach. "I figured it'd get you to finally leave me the hell alone," she said a bit angrily.
"Well lying doesn't solve anything, now does it?" James smiled at her, attempting to lighten the mood. He looked at her robes and spoke again. "Nice badge there, Evans."
Lily looked over at Remus. "Where's his?" She asked.
James grinned. "He hasn't got one."
"Then how are you in here?" She looked confused. James thought she never looked cuter in her life.
"Because I've got the badge." He pulled it out of his pocket.
"What?!?" Lily shouted, interrupting the conversation around her. When she noticed all the strange looks she was getting, she explained. "Potter's Head Boy."
There was no shouting, no yells of astonishment. No one fainted. Lily was quite disappointed with their reactions. All they did was roll their eyes and continue their conversations. Useless group of people.
"Is Dumbledore lacking a few brain cells? Smoked a few too many 'herbal' cigarettes?" Lily asked incredulously.
James shook his head. "Not that I know of. He doesn't smoke."
Lily gasped. "So you really are Head Boy?"
"That's what the badge says." James changed his mind. She looked even more amazing now, with a small smile crossing her face quickly before flickering away.
"You're… you're… you're…"
"Head Boy," James supplied helpfully. "I know."
"But… but…" Lily stuttered.
James sighed. "I'm Head Boy, Evans. That's all there is to it."
Lily shook her head as if clearing it. "It can't be…" she trailed off when she realized she was being repetitive and looked foolish. If there was one thing she couldn't stand it was appearing foolish before people.
James took her pause as something good. He felt it on the tip of his tongue, the desire to ask her out. Maybe 1080 rejections were her limit?
Lily noticed the pause. "Oh don't you dare go and ruin the first conversation we've ever had, Potter. Don't you dare ask me out." Lily said. "Any brownie points you may have earned would be completely killed, thrown out."
James bit his tongue. "No, no. I wasn't going to ask you out…" he trailed off. So close to 1081. Thank goodness she had stopped him from yet another rejection.
Rejection had been something new for him. Well mostly any experience with Lily Evans turned out to be a new one for him. He was used to being sought after, wanted. Girls tended to flock towards him and his mates. It wasn't that the Marauders, as they called themselves, tried to get attention of the opposite gender. Well apart from Peter. Peter Pettigrew was the only one who had trouble attracting the girls. And James, now. But that was only when he was dealing with Lily Evans. Any other girl would be falling at his feet. But maybe that was part of her charm?
He let the conversation between them lag as he began to think, engrossing himself in his thoughts about her. What was it exactly about her he liked?
He studied her as she pulled out her books, reading some book that faintly resembled Gone with the Wind. He didn't bother to ask her about it, instead welcoming the silence.
She had pulled her hair back in anticipation of reading. It was now in a messy ponytail, tied with a white ribbon. Her robes were perfectly pressed. Her face was dotted with freckles, tiny ones that added character in the opinion of anyone but the owner. Her green eyes, frog-green, were engrossed in the book. Looking at her took his breath away.
Lily felt James Potter staring at her but didn't feel like battling with him. She shrugged her shoulders a little as she read but didn't give much thought to it, allowing the book to lure her in.
It was a magic novel, one very closely resembling Gone with the Wind. It was about a woman named Arden the Fiery who had survived a myriad of troubles after the Dexterous Rebellions of 1721. It was a very interesting book, one that drew Lily in from the moment she had spotted it in Obscurus Books.
Peter Pettigrew watched his best friends, conversing with the girls. It was harder for him, the quieter one. He didn't have that trademark Marauder charm, the charm the others operated upon. Even quiet Remus had some, flirting like he was with Marlene McKinnon. Sirius was on his way to yet another girlfriend, this time in the form of Miss Mary Macdonald. It would be a miracle if either of those girls looked at him with anything but pity in their eyes. Of course the pity wasn't obvious. It was disguised a bit, tarnished at the edges, but still pity nonetheless. What he wouldn't give to have those girls look at him with the same admiration the others got.
"So I've been thinking…" Sirius began.
"Uh oh, hope you haven't hurt the few cells you've left!" Mary teased.
"Thinking is bad for you, Sirius. Remember what the doctor said?" James added.
Sirius gave them both a pointed look. "May I continue?" He growled.
Mary smiled and nodded. James spoke. "Go right ahead, Paddy."
Sirius cleared his throat. "Ahem, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted. I've been thinking lately about what a wonderful thing pancakes are. Is there a better breakfast food out there? Really. I think not."
"Oh but there is." Remus said conspiratorially.
Sirius leaned forward. "This I must hear."
"It's called French toast!"
Sirius guffawed. "French toast?"
James shook his head. "Now that's where you're both wrong. The best breakfast food is definitely scrambled eggs. Now that's what I call good."
Mary rolled her eyes. "You clearly haven't had a chance to eat eggs properly. The best way is over-easy."
"Nope," Marlene argued, "it's hardboiled."
Lily shook her head at the conversation. She could hardly believe it as they continued to debate the merits of each food. She zoned out but occasionally, she couldn't help but hear snippets of the conversation.
"THEY'RE SOGGY!" Sirius screamed.
"Not if you do them properly." Mary replied calmly.
"You're WRONG!"
"No Paddy, you are." This was by James.
"Shut it, Prongs."
"Eggs are best!" James began to yell.
Sirius covered his ears with his hands. "I refuse to listen to this blasphemy." He began to chant. "PANCAKES! PANCAKES! PANCAKES!"
