Disclaimer- I don't own Harry Potter or the characters or the settings

Chapter 11 Lily POV

"Good morning." I said sitting next to Alice and Sophie at breakfast the morning of first classes.

"Mornin'" Sophie answered, in a surprisingly cheerful voice. Her hair was pulled up in a messy bun and her eyes were sparkling.

Alice and I looked at her.

"Umm Soph? You okay?" Alice asked.

"Of course!" She grinned.

"Why are you so cheerful?" I questioned.

"Because! It's good to be back and safe and I just feel good this morning. That good enough explanation?" she asked, snapping at the last part. Alice and I smiled at each other; there was the Sophie we knew and loved.

"What's our first class?" I asked, loading my plate with scrambled eggs and bacon.

"We have double DADA with Slytherin." Alice answered, consulting the class schedule while Sophie groaned in the background.

XXX

"Good morning class. I am your new defence against the dark arts teacher Professor Rowite." A middle aged man with greying brown hair and dark blue eyes said as he strolled at the front of the class.

"Now let's get started right away. In this cabinet, I have a boggart. Can anyone tell me what a boggart is?"

My hand flew into the air.

"Yes, you, miss-?" he said, pointing to me.

"Lily Evans." I said clearly. "A boggart is a shape-shifting creature that takes on the form of the viewer's worst fear. When facing a boggart, it is best to have someone else along, to try to confuse it. Because of their shape-shifting ability, no one knows what a boggart looks like when it is alone, as it instantly changes into your worst fears when you first see it. The charm to defeat a boggart is Riddikulus. To perform it, you must bite back your fear and concentrate on making your fear into something funny. Laughter is what truly defeats a boggart."

"Very good Miss Evans, 10 points to Gryffindor." He said. "Now then, let's all practice the incantation without our wands first."

The room was soon filled with choruses of "Riddikulus".

"Very good, now form a line here. Think of your fear, and concentrate on making it funny." He counted to three and opened the cupboard door. Alice was first.

From out of the closet stepped a banshee. A pale, almost green-tinged woman with long black hair opened her mouth.

"Riddikulus!" Alice shouted.

The Banshee tried for a wail but all that came out was a croak. She opened her mouth to try again but all that was heard was a ribbit.

"Looks like she's got a frog in her throat." Alice laughed, and we all joined in.

Someone else stepped up. The boggart transformed to giant spider that tap-danced, a troll wearing a pink dress, a tiger turned to a purring kitten... soon it was my turn.

The boggart transformed, and left a dead Petunia in its place. I felt my throat close and tears spring to my eyes. I cleared my throat and managed to squeak out the incantation. Petunia sat up and started doing the chicken dance.

A couple people later and it was Potter's turn. I was, despite how I wished it weren't, curious to see what he feared most. I looked and almost threw up. There was Peter and Remus and Sirius and his family and... me. Our eyes wide open, dead.

XXX James POV

I figured this would happen. I glanced over at Lily. She didn't look to good. I looked to my friends. They weren't looking to good either. I suppose it wasn't too fun seeing your own dead body. I couldn't bring myself to look at their bodies. No, stop thinking that. They are alive. At least I hope mom, dad and Katie are ok. Stop thinking that. How could this possibly be made funny?

"Riddikulus." I said loudly. Soon my little 8 year old sister was putting make up on Sirius, my parents were doing their really bad dancing, Remus and Peter were telling jokes, and the Lily boggart came up to me and kissed me on the cheek; much to everyone else's amusement.

XXX Snape POV

I don't care about Potter's family and friends; I only had eyes for the Lily-boggart. I thought I was going to cry, or pass out or something. Then the Lily-boggart kissed Potter on the cheek. I felt anger erupt through me. Lily was mine. I er- mean she was my friend. Ehem.

XXX Lily POV

It was truly annoying to see people looking at me or whispering about me. As if it wasn't strange enough to see myself kiss Potter... Why was I one of the dead ones anyway?

I mean I could understand Sirius, Remus and Peter. They were so close they were like brothers. And of course his parents and who I would guess, his little sister, I mean obviously they're his family. But why me?

Surely he couldn't love me the way he always said. He must have fooled the boggart some way to make my life even more miserable. That must be it.

But what if there was more to Potter than I first thought? Was there something more than mischief behind those brown eyes?

Shaking my head free of these ridiculous thoughts, I took my seat in potions.

XXX

The rest of the week passed quickly, at first Potter avoided me and looked confused often, like that was anything out of the ordinary. Then he was back to his arrogant self.

"Evans go out with me. C'mon say yes!" He'd say, and then he'd do something random like blast some little kid with a hex.

"Never ever going to happen." I said after one of such asking, walking away crossly.

Up ahead, I saw Sophie and Alice looking at me, amusement in their eyes.

"Why don't you just say yes?" Alice asked.

"Yeah, then you can see if he's really as bad as you think he is and agree that it was awful and he'll leave you alone forever or you can say yes, get to really know him and live happily ever after." Sophie added.

"No. He has as much depth as a puddle. It would be pure torture for me yet he'd enjoy himself and annoy me even more. Then the whole thing would be repeated." I seethed.

Thankfully, they dropped the subject and the following weeks passed happily.

XXX

"Come on Lily, we're going to be late!" Alice cried frantically.

It was the last Quidditch match before Christmas holidays. I had gone to the first game and the first Gryffindor game. I didn't really get hyped up on it like the other students and even some of the teachers, did.

"What if I don't want to go?" I asked as Sophie dug through my trunk for something 'nice' for me to wear.

"You've got to come!" Alice whined. "Frank's doing the commentating today and I told him I'd be there and Sophie and I aren't going alone."

"What happened to Remus?" I asked, concerned. Remus was the only marauder I could put up with, well maybe besides Peter.

"I dunno. He's sick I think. Went to the hospital wing late last night or early this morning or something." Alice shrugged, quickly slathering some lip gloss on.

I knew Alice really wanted to see Frank so I sighed and pulled on the clothes (a long sleeve white top and jeans) Sophie had picked out for me, pulled on my black jacket and wound my red and gold scarf around my neck. I was half way to the door when-

"Umm Lily. You must be mad if you think I am letting you step one foot out of this room looking like that." Sophie said raising her eyebrows at me.

"What are you talking about?" I asked looking myself up and down. I thought I looked fine.

"Your hair?" Alice giggled. I looked in the mirror and grinned sheepishly. "Oops."

"Come here." Sophie beckoned.

I sat on the floor at the foot of her bed and she took her brush and started combing my hair. I loved it when people played with my hair or brushed it.

When I was deemed acceptable-and by acceptable, I mean hair brushed and pulled back into a high pony tail and light eye shadow, mascara and lip gloss- we set out.

XXX

"Ladies and Gentleman, Students and Slytherins, Welcome to the final Quidditch game of 1974. Taking to the skies today, Gryffindor-" Frank paused for the loud cheering, "Versus Ravenclaw-" another pause for the cheering.

"Madame Hooch has just released the bludgers and the golden snitch. Remember, whichever team's seeker catches the snitch ends scores 150 points and ends the game. She releases the quaffle and the game begins."

We watched as the teams to action. As the game progressed, I doubted that Alice even followed along. She had a dreamy look on her face as she stared at Frank.

"-And Quinty shoots at the center Gryffindor goal post, and Kallington makes a spectacular save. I saw Jason grin, even from here.

"Black passes to Growsky. Hmm I wonder how he'll feel when Gryffindor plays Slytherin? His younger brother in third-year, Regulus Black, has recently replaced Stuart Craggey as said seeker was expelled for use of the imperious curse on a student." Frank announced, to the booing of the other houses and the cheering of the Slytherin house.

"Black shoots, and 10 points to Gryffindor. Bringing the score to 90-30 for Gryffindor. It appears Gryffindor seeker James Potter has seen something." It was true, Potter was speeding across the pitch in pursuit of the tiny winged ball.

"Ravenclaw seeker Alessia Verow is hot on his tail. Who will get the snitch first? And it looks like Gryffindor will capture this game with 240-30, a 210 point lead."

The crowd was cheering as Potter held up the snitch, and the other members of the team flew over to celebrate and congratulate each other.

"okay, we came." I said getting up and stretching. "now let's get out of here before-"

"Lily?"

"-that happens." I finished crossly as I turned to face Potter, who was still holding that snitch and had wandered over to us.

"Couldn't resist coming to see me play?" he chuckled.

"In your dreams." I retorted.

"You can bet on that." Black said winking at me as he took his spot next to Potter.

I rolled my eyes and pushed past them to leave, Alice and Sophie following close behind.

XXX

The next day was the start of Christmas holidays. The only Gryffindor students staying were a couple younger kids and older kids, as well as me, Sophie, Alice, Frank, and (unfortunately) the marauders.

This Christmas certainly wouldn't be boring.