thirty-seven - letter

When James arrives at King's Cross with Sirius, he stands taller than most of the people milling about outside the station. His Head Boy badge is pinned to the lapel of his jacket at his mother's insistence, even though they still have hours before he'll be required to perform any of the related duties laid out in the heavier-than-usual letter he'd received in the dwindling days of August. A few rays of September sunshine glint off the HB superimposed onto the Gryffindor red shield.

Peter waves at them from outside the entrance and pushes off from the wall, hurrying over after saying goodbye to his mother.

"Moony's already inside with the trunks," he says as greeting, "but he was talking to Janet - she's a Prefect now - and - well, you know how things are between us since we broke up."

"Awkward and wholly uncomfortable for anyone near the pair of you," Sirius grins, clapping a hand on Peter's shoulder. "It's good to see you."

Peter smiles. "Nice badge, Prongs," he comments, amused but with a hint of admiration lacing his voice.

Sirius lets out a bark of laughter. "No it's not, mate. It's shit and he's Head Boy and the world's going to end."

A dark blue car pulls up close to them and the boys jump, none of them particularly used to the Muggle vehicles.

"Should have got her to beep at you," a voice says, "and then you would have really jumped."

James realises it's Lily climbing out of the Cortina, noticing how her hair seems to glow gold in the sun and the slenderness of her neck, her arms, dotted with freckles and -

"Bloody hell, Evans, did you pour yourself into those jeans?"

Lily laughs as she lifts her trunk out the boot and places it on the ground.

"Like what you see, Potter?" she asks, giving him a hug.

He doesn't answer, but Sirius winks at him over the top of Lily's head and James grins at his best friend.

Lily's mother opens her door. "Come on, love," she hurries, getting out the car. "You don't want to miss the train."

Lily rolls her eyes playfully and wraps her arms around Sally.

"I'll see you in December, Mum," she says, and she refuses to think about the first time they did this and how her Dad was standing with his arm around her Mum and Tuney was there - angry and hurt, but there - and now it's just the two of them. "Don't have too much fun without me, yeah?"

Sally gives a watery laugh. "Stay safe, pet. Bye, lads," she calls, getting back into the car. The three boys give her a wave. "And keep your hands off my daughter!"

"No problem, Mrs E," laughs Sirius, "but I can't say James can make the same promise!"

James shoves him into their luggage trolley that now holds his trunk as well as Sirius', and picks Lily's trunk up onto its wheels, busying himself with the task to hide his red cheeks.

"Bye, Mum," says Lily forcefully, trying to fight her own blush without much success. Turning to the boys, she asks, "Where's Remus?"

"Inside," says Peter, and then, "with Janet."

"Ah," says Lily, "I see."

She touches James' arm, letting him know they're going in, and smiles at him. Sirius rolls his eyes and turns to walk through the doors to King's Cross, and Peter shakes his head.

"Come on," he says, and the four of them make their way to the Hogwarts Express for the last time.