Life Before Death

Chapter Four

They were at King's Cross Station now. Lily and James were standing in front of the barrier between platforms 9 and 10.

"Do you want to go first?" James asked Lily.

"Sure." Lily said, clutching the handlebar of the luggage cart. She took a deep breath and started out at a run. She closed her eyes, only out of habit, not out of fear. When she opened her eyes, she was happy to find the gleaming, scarlet Hogwarts Express sitting in front of her.

Lily heard James coming through the platform. She turned her head and looked around. He stumbled as he got out of the barrier.

"I do that every single time that I come through there." James said, sporting a smile.

Lily looked around the platform some more. It was oldly desereted. But then again, she and James were only there because of their duties of Head Boy and Girl. On September the 1st, it would be a lot more crowded.

All of a sudden the image of James's mum materialized in front of the both of them.

"Well guys, its almost eleven. You better get going." Rachel said.

"Thank you for bringing me here, Mrs. Potter." Lily said, stiding over to Rachel to give her a hug.

"Oh, you are welcome dear. Remember, I will be back here at about 6:00 pm, in two days time." Rachel said as she returned Lily's hug.

"Thanks mum." James said as he allowed his mother to give him a kiss on his cheek. James turned toward Lily and heaved his bags. Lily did the same and they turned towards the train and got on it. They turned into the compartment and set their luggage on the rack and waved their arms in farewell to Rachel.

"Be good kids! Especially you, James!" Rachel said hurriedly as the train started to move.

Lily and James continued to wave until they could no longer see Rachel. They sat down, facing each other. It was dreadfully quiet. It was very awkward, sitting across from the guy that you liked, and you couldn't think of anything to say.

"I like your shirt." Lily said. Wait, did I just say that?

James smiled as he noticed Lily's face rising in color.

"Thanks, Lils. So how was your summer?"

"Oh, well, good. Kind of boring. There is just Peatunia and her boyfriend Vernon. How was yours?" Lily said, a picture of the all the Marauders forming in her mind.

"It was good, Sirius had to stay with us for awhile. He ran out on his family. He says that he was sick of the lot of them."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Lily said. She and Sirius didn't talk all that much, but he was always there when she needed another friend.

"I don't think that he minded really. He says that he had been planning this for awhile."

Lily nodded her head. "How's Remus?" She asked. Remus was a good friend of hers. He was also the quiet Marauder. He rarely broke any of the school rules.

"Oh, he's good as well. He stayed with Sirius and I too. We thought it would be fun to have the three of us there, together."

"What about Peter?"

"Well, I would have invited him, but he was touring in Albania this summer and we couldn't get a hold of him."

There was a knock on the compartment door and it slid open. A nice, kind faced lady stood in front of them.

"Anything off the trolly, dears?" She asked, waving her arm in front the assorted sweets, cakes and drinks.

"I will have a couple of Chocolate Frogs." James said, pulling knuts out of his money bag. "And, some pumpkin juice."

"I would like some Bertie Botts Every Flavoured Beans, and a pumpkin pastie. And I will have some pumpkin juice as well."

The witch gave them their food and drinks in exchange for the money. She said a 'good bye' and said to hollar if they needed anything.

For the rest of the afternoon, James and Lily, laughed and joked about everything they could think of. They talked about Quidditch, teachers, and classmates.

"And there's Snape." James said, laughing.

Lily shifted slightly in her seat. James noticed.

"Lils, what do you see in him? He's a greasy haired, hooked nose, git."

"We-We were friends, for awhile. But, then he started hanging out with those group of students who call themselves the Death Eaters. And then there was that time that he called me a-a mudblood." Lily took a deep breath. She had never told anyone about her friendship with Snape before. She never told anyone the reasons behind it. Not even her best friend at school, Alice.

So, Lily relayed the story of how Snape told Lily that she was a witch, those many years ago. She told him how he turned her sister against her and how they never talked anymore. She told him everything. James just listened intently, until she finished.

"Lily, did," He took a deep breath, "Did you ever like him? You know, romantically?" James said.

Liily shook her head.

"We were friends for awhile, but that was all, nothing more. I don't think that I could think of Severus that way. But it doesn't matter anymore. We haven't spoken in over a year, you see."

James was happy to hear that she never liked Snivellus, that way. That gave himself a better chance. He was surprised that Lily had told him this. By the sounds of it, she had never told anyone before. As though Lily was reading his mind, she said:

"You won't tell anyone what I told you? Will you?" Lily asked in a small voice.

"Don't worry, Lils. I won't."

James knew that once they started school, Lily probably wouldn't even talk to him. So he was happy to be talking to her now. Happy to just be with her. During the last couple of years, Lily only talked to him to tell him off. But, he was going to make sure that would change.

A/N: I start school tomorrow, so this might be the last update for awhile, but I will still try to update at least once a week. R&R!

-Joanna