A/N: Hiya's all! I'm so excited, it's finished! Yea! Anyway, since it's highly probable that you haven't read this yet, I'll just mention a few things.
'Jasmine it's before breakfast.' Sirius commented in confused awe. 'Is it my imagination, or are you studying at a time when you would normally be fast asleep?'
Jasmine looked up at him and smiled briefly. 'I forgot to do my Goblin essay for Binns.' She told him returning to the lined parchment in front of her.
Sirius blinked his eyes to get the remaining sleep out. 'Isn't that due next week?' He asked uncertainly. 'Unless I slept longer than I thought I did...'
'Yeah, well I thought I'd get a head start.' She said in an off voice.
'But Binns couldn't give a damn if we hand in an essay late, he hardly notices.'
Jasmine shrugged. 'All the same.'
Sirius shook his head and opened his mouth to reply when James came down into the common room.
'Morning all.' He said cheerfully when he saw them. 'How are you this gloriously delightful morning?'
Jasmine and Sirius exchanged worried glances.
'James, have you taken any form of medication since dinner last night?' Sirius asked slowly.
'Nope.' James replied, lifting his arms and spinning on the spot. 'I guess I'm just on a "natural high".'
Jasmine raised an eyebrow in disbelief.
'ARRRRRGH!' A very angry cry echoed through out Gryffindor Tower. 'JAMES POTTER!- I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!'
James jumped and started to run to the portrait door. 'I'd love to stay and chat, but I'm a little bit busy this morning.' He called over his shoulder as he made his way out of the common room.
Two seconds later Lily emerged from the girls staircase and rushed after him.
Even in her rush, Sirius and Jasmine could clearly see a large, green wart on her temple.
'Come on, I don't want to miss this!' Sirius said excitedly as he ushered Jasmine away from her work.
Lily ran around the bundles of students slowly making their way down to the great hall for breakfast, totally oblivious of the fact she was still in her dressing gown.
She saw James' chaotic-haired head glance over his shoulder at her, then rush down the staircase down into the entrance hall.
Without looking where she was going, she started to run down after him, but someone stepped in front of her and she ran straight into them, causing them both to fall the rest of the way down.
Lily groaned and rubbed her ankle.
She looked at the boy who she appeared to be sitting on.
Snape.
'Morning.' He said in an in-dignified voice.
'Oh, hi Severus.' Lily said hurriedly, looking around the entrance hall where a small crowd had gathered.
Lily moved off Snape sheepishly, blushing slightly.
He got up and offered her his hand, which she took gratefully.
'Ew Lily, what's that on your face?' He asked her frowning.
'Potter.' Lily muttered angrily, pulling herself up and cringing as she put a bit of weight onto her sore ankle.
'Shit.' She muttered under her breath, clutching onto Snapes shoulder for support.
'Lily!' She heard Sirius call out to her from the top of the stairs.
He rushed down with Jasmine following closely behind. 'What happened?' HE asked, eyeing Snape suspiciously.
'I fell down the stairs and hurt my ankle.' She told them annoyed, looking over her shoulder in hope of seeing where James got to.
As it happened, he was standing on the other side of the hall waggling his tongue from side to side at her.
'Lily, forget James for a minute.' Jasmine told her sternly. 'Is your ankle alright?'
Lily nodded and let go of Snape to prove it.
'See, I can walk on it...' She told them, moving her foot slightly and cringing when the pain hit her.
She staggered and was about to collapse when she flung her arms around Sirius. 'Or maybe not.' She said in a disappointed voice.
Jasmine sighed. 'I'll take her to Madame Helga.' She said, ignoring Snape.
Sirius gently helped Lily grab onto Jasmine and with a quick goodbye
to Snape hobbled away slowly.
'So,' Sirius started, turning to Snape. 'Your I-will-not-push-people-down-stairs support group kicked you out for being an arsehole?' Sirius asked sarcastically, before walking off to find James, leaving Snape staring angrily after him.
* * * * * * * *
Lily's ankle had heeled in an instant under the influence of Madame Helga's wand, but Lily was still planning revenge against James.
However, with the increasing pressure for the exams put on them by the teachers, there was little time for acting out her carefully planned plans.
One dreary afternoon, Lily sat alone in her dormitory staring out the window.
Someone knocked on the door outside, and Lily looked up.
'Come in.' She called.
The door opened and Remus edged his way into the room.
He looked around at the unmade beds and piles of clothes lying around on the floor and blushed.
'What?' Asked Lily, puzzled.
'I just didn't think that, well never mind.' He said quickly.
'No, tell me.' Lily prompted.
'Well, I just expected that girls dormitories would be neat.' He stammered.
Lily glared at him and raised an eyebrow. 'You do realise that that was so utterly sexist and stupid, that I ought to throw you out right now?'
'I didn't mean it in that way or anything, it's just well, not what I expected. That's all.' Remus said hurriedly.
Lily rolled her eyes. 'Yeah, whatever.' She said to him. 'So did you come up here for a reason or...'
'Oh yeah,' Remus said enthusiastically. 'Sirius sent me up here to tell you too come down to the common room.'
Lily scowled. 'Potter down there still?'
'Nah, he left with Peter a little while ago.'
'So why didn't Sirius come up himself?'
'He's trying to get Jasmine to stop studying for a while.'
'Good luck to him.' Lily muttered under her breath.
'So, you coming?' Remus asked again.
Lily let out a big breath of air. 'Yeah, I 'spose so.' She said hopping up from her window ledge and following Remus out the dorm and down the stairs to the not-so-crowded common room.
'Lily!' Called Sirius. 'You came down.'
'Yeah, I noticed that too, Sirius.' Lily said sarcastically nodding her head and walking over to where Sirius and Jasmine were standing.
'Excellent.' Sirius grinned, rubbing his hands together.
He stepped to the side to reveal a very bored looking James.
'You said he wasn't down here.' Lily said to Remus annoyed.
Remus shrugged lightly and looked at Sirius imploringly.
'Ok, now you and Jamsie-boy here are probably wondering what your both doing here, in the same common room, together.' Sirius said in a professional voice.
James looked at Remus. 'Why did you bring her down here?' He asked motioning to Lily.
Remus opened his mouth butt Sirius cut in.
'I think I can answer that Remus old-boy.' He turned to face James.
'You see Jamsie-boy, we, Jasmine Remus and myself, have been watching your little escapade with Lily over the past year, and well, as entertaining as it has been, it's getting boring.' He said flatly.
Lily rolled her eyes. 'This is boring.' She told the group. 'I don't have to stand here and listen to your bad attempts of Opra. I could be upstairs finishing my charms homework.' She said huffily.
'Lily!' Jasmine cried exasperatedly. 'We all know you hate James, you've been going on about it for the last three terms, but do you even know why you hate him?'
'I have very good judgement of character?' Lily offered unhelpfully.
'I remember.' James started. 'It's because I read her stupid love letter from Snape.'
'It was not!' Lily shouted at him. 'It's because your an arse and a poof and jerk and a stuck up bastard! And it was not a love letter!'
'I'm stuck up? Well let me tell you something Miss Queen of the stuck-up air-heads, I don't give a ruddy rats-arse wether they were love-letters or not, all I know is that your a traitor to your house and all that your house stands for! I don't know anyone else who has ever been stupid enough to think that having a friendship with a Slytherin is cool. Let alone, the particular Slytherin that you chose, but then again, maybe you and Snape are right for each other. Your both cowards, your both low-lives and your both traitors!'
And having said that James marched away and out the common room door, leaving Lily to shout 'Well, fuck you, Potter!' into the closed portrait before glaring at the others, who were standing in a little bunch with shocked expressions on their faces, and stalking back up to her dormitory and slamming the door behind her.
Remus sat in the crowded common room the night before the exams started. His head was
bent low over a table full of complicated notes and very thick books.
Jasmine was sitting next to him, quietly muttering over and over the twelve uses of dragon blood in order to memorise them.
Lily and James were on separate tables, on opposite sides of the room. Both heavily concentrating on their books and occasionally jotting down notes.
All of their class had been given the Lecture of the Exams (as the older students often referred to it) by McGonagall on Friday afternoon when they had had their transfiguration lesson. It consisted more or less of her telling them different versions of how hard their exams would be, but how each and every one of them would be able to achieve the best score they could if they studied, over and over again.
The rest of the Gryffindor had undoubtedly been given the same advice, as the usual noises of constant chatter were replaced by the sounds of students trying very hard to study.
One by one, the students drifted off to bed. By 12:30, the only four students left in the common room were Lily, Jasmine, Remus, and Peter.
Lily and Peter had moved to Jasmine and Remus' table near the fire, and Lily was currently quizzing Jasmine.
'What is the key element in successful charm work?' She asked looking at her notes.
Jasmine sighed. 'A wand?' She asked sleepily.
Lily peered over the top of her page at Jasmine and raised her eyebrows. 'No...but close. Concentration. Professor Flitwick repeats it every single lesson.'
'Twice every single lesson.' Remus muttered quietly not looking up from his book.
Lily nodded at him, then turned back to Jasmine.
'Ok, in Potions, what do you need to do to get a-'
'Add a handful of Dragon blood powder and a cup of pixie wings and hope for the best?' Jasmine prompted sarcastically.
'What, and blow the room away while your at it?' Lily said annoyed. 'You've got to know these things for your test, you know!'
* * * * * * * *
The next day was hell.
The little tiff with Jasmine had been forgotten.
Everyone gradually drifted down to the great hall for breakfast. Lily was among the last, and she had dark circles under her eyes.
She slumped down in a chair next to Peter, who was hurriedly turning pages in his transfiguration book, sweat beading on his chubby brow.
'You know Peter, you have to do more than just turn the pages and look at the pretty pictures.'
A tired voice from behind them said.
The body belonging to the voice sat down in the spare seat next to Lily.
'Morning Remus.' Lily yawned, pouring milk onto her bowl of cocoa-pops.
'Morning.' Remus replied.
'Lily, how do you change a pencil into a stick again?' Peter asked urgently.
'I don't know Peter, try looking on the first page of chapter one.' Lily said sarcastically.
The bell for their first class rang out through the hall and Lily hurriedly got up and started to make her way out of the great hall with Remus and Peter just behind her.
'Hey Lily!' A voice cried out once they reached the entrance hall.
She turned around and saw Snape jogging up to her.
'Hi Snape.' She said when he reached her. 'What have you got first?' She asked while Remus and Peter stood scowling at him next to her.
'Herbology.' He replied. 'You?'
'Transfiguration.' She told him grimly. 'Not my best subject.' She added.
Remus cleared his throat pointedly at her and she rolled her eyes.
'Well, good luck then.' Snape said resignedly.
'With any luck, you'll fail and have to leave Hogwarts.' Said James coming up to stand next to Peter with Sirius by his side.
'Yeah, but then again, that wont take much luck, it's bound to happen anyway.' Sirius added.
'Oh grow up.' Lily told them exasperatedly. 'Come on, we'll be late.' She urged.
'See ya
Severus.'
'Yeah, see-ya.' He replied, before giving James and Sirius a last glare and walking off towards the castles doors following a crowd of Slytherins.
'You are so immature.' Lily said scathingly. 'You can't control yourself can you? Every opportunity you get your mouthing off about Snape. When will you grow up and get a life?' She asked James exasperatedly.
James gave Lily a look. 'When will you learn that Slytherin are scum? There is a reason all the dumbest, rudest, most arrogant up-themselves pigs in Hogwarts are Slytherin you know.' He told her plainly.
'Well if that's so true then how come you're in Gryffindor?' She asked him coolly, her eyes narrowed. Then, without waiting for a reply, she turned and stalked up the many staircases leading to the transfiguration classroom on the fourth floor.
She entered the room puffing slightly.
'Your late, Miss Evans.' Professor McGonagall said in her stern voice looking at Lily reproachfully.
'It wasn't my fault Professor, Potter-'
'Managed to be on time.' McGonagall told her motioning to the little gang sitting at the back of the classroom acting good and sitting up straight.
Lily stared at them as she walked over to her seat and sat down next to Jasmine.
'Why weren't you at breakfast?' Lily muttered to her friend.
'Studying.' Jasmine replied obviously.
Lily nodded and turned her attention back to the professor.
'Now, as I was
saying before I was interrupted, the main part of the test you will receive
from me will be a practical test in which you will have an hour to turn a mouse
into a snuff box. It is a standard test that I give to all the first years that
I teach.
**********
That evening Lily and the other first years collapsed into various chairs around the common, all exhausted from their first day of testing.
'Man that was hard.' Came Sirius' tired voice.
There was a mumbled agreement from the others around him.
'I wish Professor Flitwick could have given us some warning about testing us on sneezing charms.' Peter moaned.
'He did, Peter, last week remember.' James told him. 'I even managed to get some revision done for them.' James said, his eyes glinting evilly at Lily.
'Funny Potter.' She muttered sarcastically. 'Shame though, even with all your revision, your still going to get kicked out because Hogwarts have this policy, see, they don't let people who don't pass into the second year.'
'That may be so, but it don't bother me because we all know I kicked your arse in Transfiguration.' He shot back. 'Not even being able to stop your box from moving, how pathetic is that?' James sneered.
Lily smirked and directed a very large pile of cushions to fling themselves at him.
'I'm going to bed.' She announced, getting up from her chair and making her way up the stairs to the girl's dorm.
'I'm going to bed.' James said, getting up and imitating Lily's walk up the stairs.
'Night.' Remus called after them.
'He looked around, Peter and Jasmine were busy studying at a table on the wall, and Sirius was lying on the couch, his eyes half closed.
There were a few students from the upper years talking softly by the fire.
'Well Sirius, I guess it's just you and me.' Remus said cheerfully.
Sirius didn't reply.
'Sir-i-us…' Remus cooed softly, leaning over and prodding Sirius with his index finger.
Sirius rolled onto his side and gave out a low snore.
'Oh dear.' Remus muttered quietly, shaking his head slowly.
**********
The next couple of days were pretty much the same.
Students staying up late to cram in as much extra revision as possible, and moans and complaints in the common rooms after dinner.
Finally, relief came.
The exams finished, the skies turned blue and students were gratefully packing their belongings into their trunks to take home for the summer.
'Has anyone seen my toothbrush?' A helpless Peter wailed. 'It's bright green.'
'Oh, that's right.' Sirius said in mock remembrance. 'I borrowed it when Strapp told me to clean out the bedpans in the hospital wing –without magic.'
Peters face turned a light shade of green and a revolted sound escaped his lips. 'B-but I used it last night…' He stuttered.
'Yeah, sorry Petey, I forgot to tell you.' Sirius continued.
'Don't listen to him Peter. He's only kidding.' James said in an effort to stop Peter rushing to the lavatory. 'He used Snapes brush for the detention, not yours. Yours probably just fell down the side.'
Peter nodded slightly and continued his search.
Remus, who had been remaining quiet up to now, suddenly looked up from his suitcase and sighed. 'You know, I'm going to miss this place over the summer.' He admitted.
'Yeah, me too.' James agreed looking out the window at the bright, sunny grounds. 'All the pranks, all the good food-'
'All the Lily…' Sirius finished for him while the others sniggered.
James looked away from the window and rested his gaze on Sirius. 'Excuse me?' He asked in a dignified voice.
'Come off it James, we all know the reason you keep annoying her is because you want her. It's obvious.' Sirius persisted.
'That is not true!' James protested. 'Ok, that may have been it at the very beginning of the year, but now I've seen her true colours, and they are not very pretty.'
Remus raised his eyebrows at him questioningly.
'Well what do you want me to say?' James asked getting annoyed. 'I want her, I need her, I can't live without her?'
'Who can't you live without?' Came a little voice from just inside the door.
'Lily!' Said Sirius in his lively voice.
James glared at him, as if daring him to reopen the conversation, and then he turned back to Lily.
'What do you want?' He asked rudely.
'Tsk tsk, bit touchy are we?' Lily commented mildly. 'Someone didn't get enough sleep last night.'
James scowled at her and she continued.
'I came to ask Remus if he had finished with my book yet, if that's okay with you.' She added sarcastically.
'One moment Lily.' Remus told her as he rummaged through a large pile of junk lying on his bed.
He found the book and handed it to her with the title facing up. "Why werewolves are our friends." By Alfred Vince.
Lily smiled at him. 'Thanks.'
She nodded at Sirius and Peter and walked out of the room, putting her middle finger up at James on the way out.
'Charming.' He muttered to the others.
***
Lily entered her dorm and was shocked to see the change that had taken place in the short time she had been away.
The room had been hit by something that could only be described as a bombshell, or worse, Sarah, Felicity and Rachel.
'I can't find my turquoise nail polish!' Sarah wailed hopelessly.
'Here it is.' Lily offered picking up a bottle of bluish nail polish.
'No! That's sapphire!'
'Oh, silly me.' Lily muttered to herself, rolling her eyes.
She carefully made her way to the other side of the dorm where Jasmine was sitting cross-legged on her bed watching the display with quite some amusement.
'I got my book back.' Lily said, plumping herself down next to her.
'Yeah, that's the reason you went up there.' Jasmine said sarcastically.
'Why else would I freely go up to James dorm?' Lily asked.
'You right, what was I thinking?'
Lily looked at her puzzled, but said nothing.
Lily spotted Isis sniffing a pile of Sarah's clothes and rushed over to pick her up.
Pretty soon, with everyone packed and Sarah still moaning about her nail polish, the carriages pulled up outside the school doors.
As soon as each carriage was filled, it would start trotting away to the station where the now familiar red train was awaiting them.
The train ride seemed to take no time at all. No one spoke much, apart from James and Lily who were throwing the occasional insult at each other.
When the train pulled into the station, it was beginning to get dark.
Everyone hurried out of the train and with a lot of hugs and promises to write over the summer holidays people disappeared through the platform barrier into the muggle world.
Lily briskly walked through the wall with her eyes closed and when she opened them her dad was standing in front of her smiling.
'Lily!' He roared, rushing over and giving her a big bear hug. Earning himself a lot of stares from the people around at the same time.
'Hi Dad.' Lily said happily.
She looked around and her eyes fell on James who was looking at her and her dad with a sad, jealous expression on his face. When he saw her looking at him he turned away quickly and started walking away to the station entrance.
'Hi Mum.' He said to a tall thin lady leaning on a black car. James looked around. 'Where's Dad?' He asked her.
'He's at the office working.' She told him.
'Typical.' James muttered in an unsurprised voice.
**********