"…so basically, don't be daft and we won't have any problems."

Lily gazed at James in shock. Was it possible that James Potter had just led a respectable Prefect's meeting without as much as one James-ish discretion?

Shocking.

All of the Prefects nodded with wide eyes. Lily assumed they were still in shock over James' new position.

She knew she was.

She may have accepted his offer of friendship but her wariness had yet to subside. Surely someone couldn't change so much, so quickly…could they?

Was it possible he was just playing her?

Either way, she had to try. They would be sharing responsibility as Heads and that called for some kind of truce, joke or not.

Lily started as James subtly cleared his throat.

"Anything else Ev…Lily?" he asked politely. Lily stared at him for a moment before jolting up.

"Well, basically what Pot..James said, don't be daft. We may be in school, but we're also in a war. Keep your wand on you, always patrol in your designated pairs. Make sure students are in bed- we don't need any…incidents."

The prefects nodded dutifully, all accept for the Slytherins, Lily noticed.

"Now by the blank look on your faces and the fact that all of your eyes are drifting toward the door, I imagine you want to leave" James said glancing at Lily for confirmation.

"Out you go" she said gesturing to the door. Within one minute, every prefect was gone.

James looked at Lily hesitantly.

"Was that alright?" he asked quietly. Lily nodded and began gathering her things.

"That was very…good James. I'm surprised you had it in you" she said absently. James eyebrows scrunched together.

"Er…thanks I think" he said. "I think I'll go find the boys then" Lily nodded distractedly and waved goodbye without looking up from her papers.

"Well, see you at Hogwarts Lily"

Lily opened her mouth to reply, but the sliding door closed before she could.

Securing her papers to her chest, Lily followed him out the door.

LINE

Lily turned her head from side to side, searching for her friends.

"Lily-flower!" a smooth voice called out, quickly followed by someone else's voice

"Shut it Padfoot"

Rolling her eyes Lily continued walking.

"Lily!" another voice called. Lily swirled.

"Look Black-" she started before noticing who it was.

"Oh I'm sorry Annie I thought you were some else" Annie nodded timidly before pointing towards a compartment on Lily's right.

"You're friends are in there, I was just coming back from the loo." She said quietly. Lily flashed her a smile.

"Thanks Annie" she said.

"Lily!" Hestia cried hugging her best friend. Lily rolled her eyes before hugging her back.

"Hestia darling, we saw each other like an hour ago" she chuckled. Hestia gasped.

"And that is precisely an hour too long!" she cried dramatically clinging to Lily tighter.

"That's it ladies, right there, wait, no a little more to the left"

Lily swiveled to the door, prepared to yell but Hestia beat her to it.

"Wow, Black I didn't realize you were so pathetic you had started stalking girls. You should really talk to Professor McGonagall about that" she said snidely before promptly slamming to door in his face and locking it.

"Well" she said cheerily turning to the rest of the girls. "I believe that was taken care of"

Lily grinned at her friend.

"Only you, Hestia" Alice giggled.

"So Lily, since I seem to be the only one who actually hasn't seen you yet, how was your summer?" A girl in the far right corner asked.

Lily grinned and sat down in the open seat next to Annie.

"Why Marlene, it was just lovely how was yours?" She said smiling widely.

Lily prided herself on being able to fake happiness so well.

Marlene flipped her blonde hair over her shoulder and pretended to check her nails.

"Well, I met this guy and…"

"I'm shocked" Alice said drily.

"Ali! Just listen, he-"

"Oh you have got to be kidding me" Hestia interrupted her. Lily looked away from Marlene's smiling face to see Sirius Black's smirking face above a flashing sign which read:

HELLO LADIES, DID YOU MISS ME?

Lily rolled her eyes and stood, making her way to the door.

"Lily Flower!" Sirius yelled as she opened the door.

Without saying a word, Lily drew her wand and pointed it at Sirius' face.

"May I suggest you remove yourself from my sight, Black?" she growled.

Sirius' face paled and he held his hands up in surrender.

"Now flower, no need to be hast-"

"Shove it and leave."

Lily slammed the door and sat back down.

"That was amazing Lily!" Annie squeaked. Lily smiled at the girl before turning back to Marlene.

"Miss McKinnon, please continue!" She said formally.

"Why thank you Miss Evans, I would be much obliged!" Alice rolled her eyes.

"As I was saying, I met a rather fit fellow when I was in France" Hestia and Lily shared an amused glance.

Marlene had a tendency to meet "rather fit" boys.

"Anyways, I don't speak French, and he barely spoke English so there was quite a barrier but we made it work. Two whole weeks full of sneaking into the Eiffel Tower and eating croissants. It was so romantic!" she squealed.

"Are you…with him still?" Annie asked shyly.

Marlene laughed.

"Oh Annie dear, of course not. I never knew what he was saying!" she giggled.

"Don't fret over it, Marlene likes to…play with boys" Lily explained.

Annie nodded seriously. Alice shook her head.

"So what do you know about Hogwarts Annie?"

Lily glanced at her watch and jumped up.

Merlin, had that much time actually passed?

"We're going to be at Hogwarts in a few minutes" she announced, effectively ending Hestia and Marlene's loud argument over jean styles.

Looking down, all five girls realized that they were still dressed in muggle clothes.

"Damn." Hestia cursed.

"No worries!" Marlene chirped pointed her wand at each of them.

Within seconds, each of the girls were perfectly dressed down to their socks and shoes.

"What?" Marlene asked when she noticed the looks she was receiving. I learned a long time you must learn to properly get dressed in a short amount of time!" she said defensively.

Hestia, Alice, and Lily shared another look.

"Marlene, I don't even want to know why you would say that" Hestia said, causing the girls to break out into peals of laughter.

Suddenly the train stopped moving and Lily grinned.

"Are you ready to see Hogwarts Annie?"

HELLO LADIES. DID YOU MISS ME?