Authors Notes: …as I sit here in Private study. I actually kinda like this new timetable! I get two hours a week to sit in a room and do nothing! Private Study rocks! Apparently you need it if you're fool enough to take five highers- but I have no homework to do and there's no way I'm going to study! Private study is actually made to sit and write stories as the teacher supervising us is a bit of a witch herself and wont let us talk. Hug to everyone who reviewed!

Disclaimer: you know I own nothing. If you sue you get the following: £9.47, a few random rosettes from riding, a lot of scribbled notes from various stories and a pair of boots. Is it really worth it?

 Dedicated to Miss2pouty: who loves Sirius! You rock girl!

*~*Love/hate*~*

Lily found no reason for her mood to improve as she started the journey from Hogsmede. As she got off the train she noticed someone had changed her hair green and (as a Slytherin pointed out in a none too polite way) her eyes red. In turning around to make some form of witty comeback to the Slytherin, she tripped and landed in a muddy puddle, only once a gain to be laughed at by the Slytherin girls and James Potter and his little group.

In the horseless carriage on the way to school, she sat arms folded in a mood only talking to mutter a quick spell to reverse her hair and eye colour. When Lily was in a good mood- which was most of the time- she was sweet and witty, excellent company, but when she was in a bad mood (which luckily didn't happen very often) she was a hell-cat.

When the students reached the school they climbed out of the carriages and made their way inside to be welcomed by Peeves the poltergeist in a mood vindictive enough to beat to the floor any attempt Snape could make.

Students ducked and ran shrieking for cover as Peeves executed his usual welcome-back attack. It was nothing out of the ordinary really- the air was thick with flying water balloons, soaking sponges, Filch's cat….

"PEEVES!" Filch bellowed, face red with pulsating veins of anger as he ran out into the midst of the newly arrived students. The sight of filch bobbing up and down shaking his fist and threatening all sorts to the cackling ghost was enough to send most students into hysterics, but not even this comic interlude could improve Lily's mood- the cat had landed on her head. She fingered to claw marks on her scalp wondering it the day could get much worse as Filch stormed about after Peeves breathing deeply like a rabid rhino about to charge.

As she made her way into the great hall Lily felt a familiar surge of serenity. Looking up at the enchanted ceiling filled her with a sense of awe and sudden clarity. Against her will, she felt her sullenness ebb away and her spirits lift, as if she had left her troubles at the door. She brushed her dark red hair from her face and followed Alyson's retreating back to the long Gryffindor table and took a seat next to her friends.

Aylson, Tessa and Cara improved her rapidly lightening mood by keeping a witty running commentary of the students and how they had changed over the summer;

Look at Samantha Jordan- I swear she's grown a foot over the summer!" Cara hissed, motioning towards the stuck up Slytherin seventh year as the girl teetered towards the Slytherin table.

"No- look at her feet!" Aylson laughed, eyes sparkling as they looked at her shoes as she took a seat.

"Her heels must be at least six inches!"

"How can she walk?"

"I don't think she can!" Laughed Lily, joining in with her friends as Samantha wobbled over onto Sevurus Snape's Lap. The Lily and her friends burst into laughter as Samantha scrambled up looking disgusted.

"Suddenly- I feel so much better!" Laughed Lily as they settled down to watch the sorting.

Lily found herself cheering with all of the other Gryffindors as the sorting passed. As she tucked into the much welcome feast, she looked around at her fellow students. Everyone looked happy, either glad to be back or glad to be there at all. Her eyes came to rest on James Potter as he and Sirius talked animatedly to a gaggle of new first years. Probably telling them tales and scaring them lifeless she thought to herself, but the first years looked quite content. A pang of guilt rushed through her. I was too hard on him earlier. He was nothing but pleasant till I snapped at him. He was only rude because I was first She made up her mind to apologise the first chance she got.

Soon enough, the sorting was over and the prefects from each house were gathering the first year students.

"Hey! Gryffindor first years over here!" Lily heard James shout and followed the group of little witches and wizards towards his voice.

"I'll take up the back" She said to him with a small smile, hoping he would return it, but no such luck.

"Whatever" He retorted coolly, and strode forward shouting "Gryffindor first years follow me!"

Lily trailed behind the group, talking to the final few new first years, tipping them on which stairs to avoid and which doors would not be any use to them. As they reached the common room she heard James ahead of her yell out the password to them ("chicken soup") and the group scrambled through the portrait hole.

Lily and James directed the boys and girls to their dormitories up the sweeping spiral staircase and settled them in.

"Remember to be up in time for breakfast and keep get some sleep!" Lily called to the girls as she shut the door. I must find James and apologise right now she thought was she trudged down to the almost empty common room. I can't stand this feeling of guilt! 

She looked around the seemingly empty common room and called "James? You here?" No reply. Sighing, she made her way up to her dorm to be greeted by a very bouncy Aylson, and a very sleepy Cara and Tessa.

"Hey Lily! Have fun on prefect duty?" asked Aylson, bouncing on her bed in her pyjamas.

"Shut up Aylson!" Moaned Cara "I ate too much! I need sleep!" She punctuated her point by collapsing back on her bed.

"I second that" yawned Tessa, pulling her blonde tresses into a ponytail before her head gratefully hit the pillow. "G'night!" She mumbled

"Lazy.." Aylson muttered before turning her shining eyes on Lily "You're not tired are you?" she asked.

"Not really.." Lily was feeling oddly awake for that time of night. Hogwarts feasts tended to go on quite late. She was fairly sure her insomnia had something to do with her conscience..

"So you and James Potter are prefects together!" Aylson interrupted her train of thought, winking

"Yeah" Lily replied heavily "It would have been good, but he kind of hates me now. I snapped at him earlier."

"As in one of your bad mood snaps?"

"Yeah, one of my bad mood snaps" Lily's red head temper was quite bad sometimes. She knew this and accepted the fact- It sometimes felt good to let the inner bitch out.

"Did you apologise?"

"Never got the chance!" Lily sighed again

"Talk to him tomorrow. Everyone knows the prefects have to work together closely. It would be horrible to fight. Plus he's really hot and.."

"Aylson! That's so typical of y-" Lily shrieked

"KEEP IT DOWN!" came Cara's muffled voice from the depths of her pillow

"Sorry!" Aylson called back, stifling a yawn.

"So are you after James Potter this year then? I warn you now, he can give as good as he gets" Lily asked, thinking of the insults exchanged on the Hogwarts Express.

"No, I'm not after him.. I have my eye on someone else."

"Who!" Lily asked, wondering who had stolen the eye of on of the prettiest girls in Hogwarts

"You'll see, Lily dearest, you'll see."

"But-"

"Goodnight Lily" Lily sighed and pulled her pyjamas out of her trunk.

"Good night." She said softly, but Lily stayed awake for quite a while longer, thinking.

*~*Classic*~*

Lily bounded down the steps off the Hogwarts express with a smile on her face.

"Watch it, Evans!" she heard a Slytherin girl just behind her say. Lily whipped around to make some form of witty comeback, but lost her balance and started to fall, only to be caught by James Potter.

"Woah there, Lily! I know you love me, but please try and contain yourself!" he said with a wink, letting her go from his arms where he had caught her. She laughed, mainly at the look on the Slytherin girl's face and replied

"Thanks James! See you in the hall!" before rushing after the retreating backs of Aylson, Cara and Tessa.

They talked animatedly all the way in about allsorts; boys, food, schoolwork, food..

"I can't wait to get to the feast! I'm starving!" Moaned Cara for the fifth time.

"Don't have to wait much longer, Caz, we're here!"

When the students reached the school they climbed out of the carriages and made their way inside to be welcomed by Peeves the poltergeist in a mood vindictive enough to beat to the floor any attempt Snape could make.

Students ducked and ran shrieking for cover as Peeves executed his usual welcome-back attack. It was nothing out of the ordinary really- the air was thick with flying water balloons, soaking sponges, Filch's cat….

"Aaargh!" Lily shrieked as she saw the cat with claws unsheathed come sailing at her head. She closed her eyes and braced herself for claws.. but instead found herself whisked away from the cat's landing path…

"PEEVES!" Filch bellowed, face red with pulsating veins of anger as he ran out into the midst of the newly arrived students. The sight of filch bobbing up and down shaking his fist and threatening all sorts to the cackling ghost was enough to send most students into hysterics, but  Lily was too busy staring up in shock at the face of James Potter, once again.

"We seem to be doing this a lot today!" she joked as Filch stormed about after Peeves breathing deeply like a rabid rhino about to charge.

"Just drawn together I guess" he quipped back, not missing a beat

"Thanks James, you saved me from being dissected by a flying cat!"

"Any excuse to get you in my arms!" He once again up righted her and gave a salute before winking. She rolled her eyes, laughing and carried on inside.

As she made her way into the great hall Lily felt a familiar surge of serenity. Looking up at the enchanted ceiling filled her with a sense of awe and sudden clarity. The sight of the Enchanted ceiling and hall humming with gentle voices always made her feel like that. She brushed her dark red hair from her face and followed Alyson's retreating back to the long Gryffindor table and took a seat next to her friends.

Aylson, Tessa, Cara and Lily passed the time waiting for the sorting to begin keeping a witty running commentary of the students and how they had changed over the summer;

Look at Samantha Jordan- I swear she's grown a foot over the summer!" Cara hissed, motioning towards the stuck up Slytherin seventh year as the girl teetered towards the Slytherin table.

"No- look at her feet!" Aylson laughed, eyes sparkling as they looked at her shoes as she took a seat.

"Her heels must be at least six inches!"

"How can she walk?"

"I don't think she can!" Laughed Lily, as Samantha wobbled over onto Sevurus Snape's Lap. The Lily and her friends burst into laughter as Samantha scrambled up looking disgusted.

"Ah- the joys of a Slytherin embarrassing themselves!" laughed Lily as they settled down to watch the sorting.

Lily cheered with all of the other Gryffindors as the sorting passed. As she tucked into the much welcome feast, she looked around at her fellow students. Everyone looked happy, either glad to be back or glad to be there at all. Her eyes came to rest on James Potter as he and Sirius talked animatedly to a gaggle of new first years. Probably telling them tales and scaring them lifeless she thought to herself, smiling.

"Oi! James! Stop scaring them senseless on their first night!" She called across, laughing.

"Would I?" he feigned innocence as Sirius' eyes travelled past Lily onto a certain girl called Aylson.

Soon enough, the sorting was over and the prefects from each house were gathering the first year students.

"Hey! Gryffindor first years over here!" Lily heard James shout and followed the group of little witches and wizards towards his voice.

"I'll take up the back" She said to him with a smile

"Whatever" he nodded before calling "Gryffindor first years follow me as Lily is scared she'll get lost too!"

Lily punched him in the arm and smiled sweetly at the first years.

Lily hurried along the rear of the group, talking to some of the first years, tipping them on which stairs to avoid and which doors would not be any use to them. As they reached the common room she heard James ahead of her yell out the password to them ("chicken soup") and the group scrambled through the portrait hole.

Lily and James directed the boys and girls to their dormitories up the sweeping spiral staircase and settled them in.

"Remember to be up in time for breakfast and keep get some sleep!" Lily called to the girls as she shut the door. Smiling to herself, she made her way up to her dorm to be greeted by a very bouncy Aylson, and a very sleepy Cara and Tessa.

"Hey Lily! Have fun on prefect duty?" asked Aylson, bouncing on her bed in her pyjamas.

"Shut up Aylson!" Cara moaned, "I ate too much! I need sleep!" She punctuated her point by collapsing back on her bed.

"I second that" yawned Tessa, pulling her blonde tresses into a ponytail before her head gratefully hit the pillow. "G'night!" She mumbled

"Lazy.." Aylson muttered before turning her shining eyes on Lily "You're not tired are you?" she asked.

"Not really.." Lily was feeling oddly awake for that time of night. Hogwarts feasts tended to go on quite late. She was fairly sure her insomnia had something to do with excitement.

"So you and James Potter are prefects together!" Aylson interrupted her train of thought, winking

"Yeah" Lily replied lightly "He's good fun"

"As in you like him?"

"No, as in I think he's good fun!" she replied, not quite looking Aylson in the eye

"Come on Lily! Do you like him?"

"I've barely spoken to him apart from today!" Lily laughed lightly, green eyes staring into space.

"Talk to him tomorrow. Everyone knows the prefects have to work together closely.. He's really hot and.."

"Aylson! That's so typical of y-" Lily laughed in mock-outrage

"KEEP IT DOWN!" came Cara's muffled voice from the depths of her pillow

"Sorry!" Aylson called back, stifling a yawn.

"So are you after James Potter this year then? I warn you now, he can give as good as he gets" Lily said, thinking of James' reputation with the ladies, not to mention Aylson's own reputation.

"No, I'm not after him.. I have my eye on someone else."

"Who!" Lily asked, wondering who had stolen the eye of on of the prettiest girls in Hogwarts

"You'll see, Lily dearest, you'll see."

"But-"

"Goodnight Lily" Lily sighed and pulled her pyjamas out of her trunk.

"Good night." She said softly, but Lily stayed awake for quite a while longer, thinking.