"Can I take one of those bags?" James offered coyly, drawing out his hand. Exhausted by the weight of them all, Lily gratefully passed one of her satchels over to the boy. "I see your family isn't very good at magically...lightening...these...bags..." he muttered, pushing out the words as he shouldered an especially large satchel, filled to the brim with textbooks. "Actually, I'd say you were quite a stranger to the wizarding world, judging by the bit of help you needed from my mum," he laughed, as Lily flushed a deep shade of red.
"I - I didn't mean to..." she squeaked, looking nervous. "I didn't think you'd hear, and, anyway, my parents aren't...er..."
"Muggle-born, then," James murmured understandingly. "That would explain it. Your parents probably didn't think you'd ever get here at all. If it weren't for my mother, giving me another of her endless lectures, you might never have passed through the barrier." He paused, then gave Lily a sly grin. "I guess those lectures aren't always bad things."
"I really should go now," Lily insisted, hesitantly grabbing back her bag. "You know, get good seats on the train and everything." She began to head toward the mob of students, but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder. "Yes James?" Lily replied evenly, then turned to face him.
"Do you need anyone to show you around? I'm always there to help a damsel in distress," he announced, grinning impishly.
Astounded, Lily gave him a look of scorn. "Potter, those…Muggle… boys are truly no worse than you!" she sputtered.
"I'll take that as a compliment," he replied, grinning. "You know, I think you've really found a permanent tormentor." She shook her head sadly, in the way one does when observing such 'childish behaviour'. "Yes, Miss Lily Evans," he called after her rapidly disappearing figure, which was edging towards the train. "I believe you'll be seeing quite a lot of me."
With that, James himself moved into the crowd, bumping into a mischievous-looking boy with dark hair and a sinister smile. Facing James, the boy grinned widely, extended his hand, and uttered a single word. "Black."
"Black?" James repeated, quite confused.
"Black. The hardly serious Sirius Black, at your service, mister -?"
"Potter," he replied abstractly. "Yes, I'm James Potter, and what in the world are you?"
"Quite a first impression," Sirius scoffed. "Don't want to try and make friends?"
"My first impressions make me friends," James reasoned, taking the boy's hand and immediately suffering a harsh electric shock. "Looks like you've got me beaten on first impressions, however," he laughed. "Silly Muggle thing, anyway. Well, I'm on a roll! Second enemy I've made today."
"Oh, so I wasn't the first?" Sirius murmured, trying to sound hurt.
"No, that honour belongs to Lily Evans. Poor Muggle-born girl. Too bad she crossed paths with James Potter," James chuckled.
Sirius paused, putting his hand back to his side. "I think we'll have a grand friendship, don't you?" he said after a while.
James snickered and pondered as well. "Yeah, and I think I'll marry that Evans girl someday." At this, both boys chuckled uncontrollably, and the bell for final loading of the Hogwarts Express sounded.
"I - I didn't mean to..." she squeaked, looking nervous. "I didn't think you'd hear, and, anyway, my parents aren't...er..."
"Muggle-born, then," James murmured understandingly. "That would explain it. Your parents probably didn't think you'd ever get here at all. If it weren't for my mother, giving me another of her endless lectures, you might never have passed through the barrier." He paused, then gave Lily a sly grin. "I guess those lectures aren't always bad things."
"I really should go now," Lily insisted, hesitantly grabbing back her bag. "You know, get good seats on the train and everything." She began to head toward the mob of students, but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder. "Yes James?" Lily replied evenly, then turned to face him.
"Do you need anyone to show you around? I'm always there to help a damsel in distress," he announced, grinning impishly.
Astounded, Lily gave him a look of scorn. "Potter, those…Muggle… boys are truly no worse than you!" she sputtered.
"I'll take that as a compliment," he replied, grinning. "You know, I think you've really found a permanent tormentor." She shook her head sadly, in the way one does when observing such 'childish behaviour'. "Yes, Miss Lily Evans," he called after her rapidly disappearing figure, which was edging towards the train. "I believe you'll be seeing quite a lot of me."
With that, James himself moved into the crowd, bumping into a mischievous-looking boy with dark hair and a sinister smile. Facing James, the boy grinned widely, extended his hand, and uttered a single word. "Black."
"Black?" James repeated, quite confused.
"Black. The hardly serious Sirius Black, at your service, mister -?"
"Potter," he replied abstractly. "Yes, I'm James Potter, and what in the world are you?"
"Quite a first impression," Sirius scoffed. "Don't want to try and make friends?"
"My first impressions make me friends," James reasoned, taking the boy's hand and immediately suffering a harsh electric shock. "Looks like you've got me beaten on first impressions, however," he laughed. "Silly Muggle thing, anyway. Well, I'm on a roll! Second enemy I've made today."
"Oh, so I wasn't the first?" Sirius murmured, trying to sound hurt.
"No, that honour belongs to Lily Evans. Poor Muggle-born girl. Too bad she crossed paths with James Potter," James chuckled.
Sirius paused, putting his hand back to his side. "I think we'll have a grand friendship, don't you?" he said after a while.
James snickered and pondered as well. "Yeah, and I think I'll marry that Evans girl someday." At this, both boys chuckled uncontrollably, and the bell for final loading of the Hogwarts Express sounded.