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Lily and James made their way to the back of the train; they stopped many times to greet to fellow classmates. If James stopped for a couple of minutes to talk, Lily would wait and vise versa.
Hunter Fawcett and Piotrek Yurt, Beaters on the Ravenclaw team, warned him that they were going to be training extra hard this year with their new team Captain, Janna Rosado. James reminded them, of course, that he was Captain again this year and what they said didn't faze him in the least. With laughs and jests, the Ravenclaw Beaters left the Gryffindor Prefects to continue to the Prefects area.
The final encounter before getting to the Prefect carriage was Donna Kensington, Lily's last dorm mate. She had ash-blonde, stick straight hair that went past her shoulder blades. Her most odd quality was her eyes. She had rare icy-blue, very husky-like eyes. It was of general consensus that you almost felt trapped within their crystalline gaze.
In the last two years, Donna had changed drastically and not for the better. For someone who was bubbly and in every class discussion, Donna became withdrawn and depressed. Few knew why. She was constantly ill, pale and had scratches that wouldn't fully heal all over her.
Lily had recognized the signs, especially when she got sick the same time as Remus. A werewolf had bitten Donna over Christmas of fourth year. Donna was now how Remus was before he met the Marauders. She wouldn't give anyone a chance, not even her best friends. She preferred to hide away in her shell and wouldn't come out for anyone. The only person who could talk to her on any sort of personal level was Remus. He had tried before every full moon while in the Hospital Wing with her, but it was to no avail.
Lily and James were making small talk, caught up in each other, when they ran into Donna. Literally. Donna just sat on the ground, not looking to either of them. It seemed she almost expected these things now. James helped her up, noticing just how much more fragile she had become. He could almost see the veins through her skin. Scrapes and bruises laid scattered along her arm.
"Oh, Donna we're so sorry! I wasn't even watching where I was going. You're the third person I've run into," Lily apologized. Trying to humour the girl she added, "James' fourth."
"It's ok Lily," Donna replied softly, her eyes kept on Lily's collarbone. Her Hogwarts robes hung on her lean body unattractively. It was always a shock to Lily to see her so unlike she girl she went through Hogwarts with. After puberty hit, Donna was a bit more focused on beauty than the other girls and always looked her best, even during the influenza season. "I don't expect anyone to notice me, let alone apologize for it." She attempted a smile, but only looked sadder. "Have a good year." Donna turned her husky eyes on Lily's badge. "And congratulations on keeping Prefect, I knew you had it in you." With that Donna started to walk away, back to her compartment to be by herself. She left James confused and Lily full of pity and guilt.
"Donna, wait!" Lily called after her, glancing to James apologetically. "What do you mean 'have a good year'?" She followed Donna quickly. "You'll be in my dormitory the whole year… you aren't going to attempt anything are you?" Lily spoke quietly, trying to figure out why Donna wouldn't let anyone in. "We talked about this last year. Things will get better. You needn't hurt yourself to keep us from what you're hiding…"
"Yes, things will get better for you Lily," Donna said, turning around to enter her compartment. "I've got to go now-"
"Donna, it's not very Gryffindor-esque to try and, well, do what it sounds like you want to do," James said. He had come up behind Lily and could only guess what they were talking about. It somehow seemed they weren't talking about anything good.
"Gryffindor-esque? I'll tell you something James Potter!" Donna started, turning back around and facing them both, anger on her face. She had now taken on some of her old spark. She was mad and wasn't going to take it this time. "That damned hat sorted me before I was like this!" Donna forcefully pushed up her sleeve and shoved her arm to them. Purple and blue veins were noticeable along with the scars from past transformations. Her skin was pale and seemed thin. "I'm not her anymore; I'm now this." She tugged her sleeve back down. "She is never coming back – get over it." The last words were said so coldly that James had a shiver run down his spine. Donna opened her compartment door, walked in and slammed it in their faces.
"She won't come back unless you let her, Donna Kensington!" Lily exclaimed through the door, hitting with the palm of her hand. "Look at Remus – hell, talk to Remus! He pretty much enjoys life now, just give life a chance!" Lily was near tears. She didn't like arguing with a friend; even with a friend who had tried so hard to push her out. "Why can't you let us help you? We can help lessen some of the pain and loneliness, Donna. Please, let the girls and me help…"
"Please just go away," they heard Donna say sadly through the door, her voice thick. "I don't want anyone's help…"
Lily knew deep down that Donna wanted all the help she could get but was too stubborn and prideful to ask for it. Lily stomped her foot angrily and turned away. James followed wordlessly.
"I'm sorry about that," she said quietly when they passed a compartment full of laughter. "She's…" Lily couldn't find the right words.
"You don't have anything to be sorry for," James said understandingly. Even he had some arguments with Remus in the past when he was trying to figure out what was wrong.
"She just won't accept help," Lily said quickly. "We want to help her, but she can't accept charity." Lily stopped walking and leaned back on a wide window. The Hogwarts Express was currently rushing by lush green hills and farms. The sun was still high and the snack trolley would be making one of its rounds soon. "But it's not charity we want to give, you know?" James nodded and stood opposite her, his arms folded. "Something more must have happened to her other than the bite," Lily said quietly. She glanced back and forth. "She came back way too different to be just that."
"Maybe she'll tell you four one day," James suggested. "Maybe she needs time."
"She's had a year and a half," Lily said despairingly. "She used to tell us everything James." Lily smiled to herself and added, "Even if we would have rather not known." James didn't say anything and so Lily decided to leave the discussion as it was.
Ava-Marie Young, a short Ravenclaw Prefect, walked by them and smiled. She greeted them. "Heading to the Prefect compartment?" she asked sweetly.
"In a minute," James said.
"I'll see you two there," she said and left with a bounce in her step.
Lily and James shared a humoured look. "Snogging," James mouthed. Lily covered her smile with a hand.
Whistling caught their attention not one minute later and Robert Goodheart of Hufflepuff passed them as well. "Don't want to be late you two," he said brightly. The overly-tall Prefect walked away and continued his whistling.
Lily was fighting a laugh. She pushed herself off the window and continued down the narrow hall. She heard James follow. "I don't know if those two could be any more obvious," Lily finally said, unable to keep it to herself.
They passed just a handful of compartments holding rabid discussions, quiet shyness of first years and one with Snape tied up and strapped to a seat.
Hiding a smile from the last compartment, James cleared his throat. "I was wondering when you found out about Remus?" he asked.
"Jen told us," Lily said quietly. They were standing outside the door to the Prefect compartment. "A few years ago; third year. She beat it out of Sirius, she said."
"Sirius told us he got that black eye from the dog," James said. "Anubis is quite strong, so we believed him."
Lily had to laugh. "Jennifer is quite strong when she wants to be and they roughed around quite a lot back then." Lily could only offer a shrug in condolence.
James opened the door for Lily and they took their seats in the red and gold plush recliners. The meeting began a few minutes later when Diego Martinez and Juniper Buschelle of Slytherin came in.
"Welcome back to authority," Marcus Dickens said. The burly brunet smiled to his pupils.
After going over once again their duties and any projects that needed to get started on and anything else James couldn't help find boring. The end of the talks consisted mostly of how Rockshoot would get Severus Snape to the Great Hall for the feast and Sorting. By that time, there would still be at least half an hour left on the curse.
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