~*~ Home, Sweet Home ~*~

~This place seems to me

~Like it means something special

~A really special treat

~It makes me feel complete

~Like a second home

~Home away from home

~This place seems to me

~Like it means something important

~Something really rare

~I can't help but care

~That it's my special home

~Home, sweet home

Going back to Hogwarts was great, in a way. I felt kind of guilty leaving my mum and Joey and all, but Hogwarts had become my second home very quickly. But there's always something lurking around the corner.

I was on the train, sitting with Bella, Hilary, Toni and Jessica. Yes, Jessica Mornington. We were currently regretting having asked her about her family. Because, after her initial look of delight, she had brought out a photo album and insisted on telling us every single detail about every single person in every single photo.

'You see them two there? That's Candy and Liz. Their names are actually Candace and Elizabeth, but they don't really use them names. It's kind of like you guys, you know. How you don't use your full names? And that - that's my cousin Nellie and her owl Snowflake. Snowflake is actually black, as you can see - don't ask me why she called her owl that. And her, oh, you'd probably love her, Lily. That's Elisa, and you remind me so much of her. Oh, and these guys are my cousins, too. That's Liat, that's Paisley, and then there's Willow and her owl Wish - she's really cute, you know - and Rianna and Angel. I think that's a nice name, don't you? I'd love to be called Angel. And Jody, that's a cool name too. Ooh, and there's Sam. And Katelyn! She's a strange one. She's the monkey-see-monkey-do kind of girl. And there's my two best friends, Danimpa and Samah. Mum reckons that my name is an attraction for other people with weird names -'

'What?' I mouthed to Hilary.

Jessica had to be the most common name in the world.

'- Crystal and Siri are twins - wouldn't that be wicked? I reckon it would be awesome. Crystal has this weird bug thing called Squorpion, 'cept it's not a scorpion. No one has a clue what it is. Oh yeah, and that's my godsister Celine. She's a cat person. Has about eight. You know, um, like Elfin, Clearbrook, Tinkerbell, Diamond. Don't ask me how she keeps coming up with names. I'd run out of ideas. Then there's Vanessa. She's like, my favourite cousin! She has an adopted sister called Yin, and she's like from Japan or something...'

I rolled my eyes. 'Has she taken a breath since she started?' I mouthed at Bella. She tried not to giggle and shrugged before shaking her head.

'I think she's had some no-slow speech pills or something,' Hilary muttered to me. I snorted.

'I know someone from Japan,' Bella cut in. 'David's got an Aunt that's Japanese. I think the Japanese are really interesting,' she said, looking pointedly at me.

'Oh... yeah, they are,' I agreed quickly, catching on. Jessica looked rather put-out at being interrupted, but listened patiently.

Just when we were running out of things to say, a knock came to the door.

'Come in,' I called. It was a mistake. When the door slid open, my gaze was immediately locked by two cold, silver eyes. Everything inside me froze. Bella drew a sharp breath and held it. Hilary's fists clenched, Toni narrowed her eyes, and Jessica didn't have a clue.

'Oh, hello. Who are you? I don't think I've seen you before. What house are you in?'

Malfoy ignored her completely, staring fiercely back at me. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I was prickling with fear, like a cat. And I didn't like that feeling at all.

I hadn't told anyone about Malfoy back home. To tell the truth, I'd forgotten him up until then. But everything soon came back to me.

'What do you want, Malfoy?'

'To see if you'd taken any heed of what I'd told you, Evans. You obviously chose not to.'

My eyes flickered to Malfoy's feet, where I noticed Storm Shadow slipping out the door. I raised my gaze again.

'I have no reason to listen to anything you tell me, Lucius,' I said slowly and firmly.

'Oh, but I think you do,' he said cruelly. 'I think you have every reason to listen to me. I've already told you, Evans. Our kind don't take kindly to dirty blood like yours contaminating our school.'

'Then it's lucky it's not your school,' James said loudly, walking up behind Malfoy. Storm Shadow slipped back in and rubbed up against my legs. I bent down to scratch behind his ears.

'Good boy, Shadow,' I whispered.

Malfoy straightened up and turned.

'Oh look, here comes Potty to save the day. Again. Believe me, Potter - lay a finger on me and you'll be out of this school quicker than you can blink.'

'Lay a finger on Lily and your sorry arse will be kicked out of this planet before you can blink,' James said sweetly, giving a smile. Malfoy's nostrils flared, and he looked back at me.

'He's not always going to be around to protect you, Evans. So watch out when that time comes.' And with that, he left. James moved up against the door and let him pass. Once he was sufficiently far away, he spat on the ground where he had stood.

'If he ever...'

'James, don't worry. He's all talk,' I lied, looking pointedly at him. James and Sirius were the only two that knew the real reason I had been in the hospital wing.

'Yeah, well,' he replied, for lack of retort.

'He's scared of you, James. Every time you show up he can't disappear quicker.'

'I have that effect on people,' James grinned. 'Are you girls right, or do you want me to stick around?'

'Oh, James! What if that nasty Slytherin comes back?' Jessica asked, horrified.

'I know,' Hilary said slyly. 'James, I think it's time you tell Jessica about your feelings for her,' she said solemnly. James narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

'But I...'

'No use hiding it any more, James,' I continued. 'Jessica, this may come as a slight shock to you, but James has had this really big crush on you ever since you arrived at the start of the year.'

'You do?' she squealed. 'Ooh, James, so did I! What a funny coincidence!'

'You know, you two would be wanting some privacy. Why don't you go find an empty compartment?' Bella suggested.

'Yeah. You need to sort things out, I reckon,' Toni added. Jessica immediately obliged and grabbed James's hand, pulling him out of the compartment.

'Ha, ha - very funny,' James muttered. 'You'll pay for this.'

We all giggled as James was dragged off down the train. Toni stood and shut the door, and we all hi-fived each other.

'That was hilarious,' I giggled. 'I know. Pay back on James and we lose Madam Talk-a-lot at the same time,' Hilary agreed.

'Not talking about me, I hope,' came a voice as the door slid open again.

'Paige!' Hilary said in an overly cheery voice.

'Hi, Hils. Haven't seen you for awhile.'

'I know, it's a shame. I'm sorry about you and James,' Hilary said, her tone clearly the opposite of genuine.

'Oh, but no hard feelings,' the girl said with a phony smile.

'Of course not!' Hilary said evenly.

Paige, I presumed, was a second year. The super model type - fake, bright smiles; annoyingly white teeth and a superior air. I took an instant disliking to her. She had auburn hair and brown eyes. Snobbish nose. Don't ask me what a snobbish nose is exactly, but if there's such thing as a snobbish nose, she had one. Pointy and stick-up-ish and flared nostrils that gave the impression something smelly was right underneath them. She wasn't exactly slim, but she was the kind of person that could get away with it if she wore the right clothes. In short, I could describe her to you as a spoiled brat.

'You must be Lily,' she cooed in a sickly sweet voice, extending her hand. I shook it with reluctance. As she withdrew it, she leaned closer.

'Touch my boyfriend and you pay,' she muttered for only me to hear, the big smile still plastered on her face.

My eyes narrowed.

'James is my friend, not my boyfriend,' I hissed back.

'Keep it that way,' she said in a low, icy tone, turning to smile at Bella.

'And you are?'

'Arabella,' Bella said shortly. Paige extended her hand, but Bella bluntly refused to shake it, giving her a coolly raised eyebrow instead. Paige's nostrils flared slightly and she drew her hand back slowly, turning to Toni.

'Toni,' she said before Paige could ask. 'And you wouldn't want to shake my hand - I have leprosy and you might catch it.'

'Well,' Paige said, her nose wrinkling slightly. Bella, Toni and I raised our eyebrows expectantly. Hilary appeared to be trying not laugh at our hostility.

'Um, James was looking for an empty compartment further down the train, if you wanted him,' Hilary managed, putting a hand over her mouth, barely able to contain herself.

'I think I'll go find him,' Paige replied. 'Thanks for your, er, help.'

The minute the door shut we all burst out laughing again.

'It would be just James's luck if she walked in while Jessica Mornington was trying to make out with him,' Hilary snorted.

'She's the Minister's daughter?' I asked after we had all gotten over the initial hysteria if it all.

'Yeah. And doesn't she know it,' Toni said, rolling her eyes. 'She's a joke.'

'She's twelve years old, for god's sake. She acts like she's sixteen.'

'I can see why James dumped her.'

'How long did they go out for?' I queried.

'Since the end of last year. Oh, she'll be out to get you, Lily. You went to the Potters' Yule Ball with her boyfriend,' Bella giggled.

'I didn't know,' I said indignantly. 'Why wasn't Paige invited?'

'Well, she was. Supposedly. James was meant to invite her, but he told us that she couldn't come. He never actually asked her to,' Hilary laughed. 'That's one of the main reasons they broke up. She found out from April.'

'April? I can't see her mixing with Paige's type,' I said, frowning.

'Oh, she didn't mean to tell her. She's in that high society group that Paige belongs to, but they don't really get along. I guess there was no one else to talk to, though, because they spoke at some stage, and April just happened to say something about the ball. Paige knew nothing about it and asked a few questions, and found out a few answers. She wasn't happy.'

'Does April come to our school?'

'Yeah. She's in Gryffindor, James's year. Don't see her around much, though. She's always hanging with the 'in' crowd,' Hilary said.

'I've never seen her at all.'

'You wouldn't have noticed because you didn't know her. You'll probably notice her a few times now you've met her.'

'I guess,' I agreed. 'She seemed nice for a high society snob.'

'Oh, she is. She can be just as snobby as the rest of them when she wants to be, though. Ice Queen. She's a good one to have on side. So's Brigette.'

'Brigette?' Bella and I echoed, and the same time Toni asked, 'Who's Brigette?'

'She's a friend of mine that I met through James and April. I'll have to introduce you to each other.' We all nodded.

Then the door began to slide open again.

'Geez. Who is it this time?' Bella sighed. It was James again. He looked quite flushed and his hair was even messier than usual. He sighed and leaned against the open door frame.

'You guys are going to wish you were dead,' he said stonily.

'Why?' I asked innocently. James's eyes, which had been staring fiercely into Hilary's, moved to lock my gaze.

'Not only is that Hufflepuff bimbo already trying to plan our wedding, but guess who found me sitting in an empty compartment with another girl?'

'Let me guess... wouldn't be, Paige, would it?' I exclaimed with mock surprise. His response was to slightly raise an eyebrow.

'Well it's not like you're going out with her any more,' I said.

'Doesn't stop her. She's still waiting for me to come crawling back to her.'

'I seriously don't get all these relationships. We're not even teenagers. I mean, fine - if you're fifteen or whatever, maybe. But aren't we a bit young for that kind of level?' I asked. 'I mean it's all good and well to comment to a friend how cute a guy is, and yeah - maybe 'go out'. But everyone just seems to be taking it so seriously.'

'No one can wait until they're sixteen, Lily,' Toni laughed dryly. 'Until they get there. Then they either want to slow down or go back and do it all again.'

'I'd be happy to stay single. If it weren't for my dad setting me up,' James added. Hilary didn't bother to hide her laughter.

'You? Single? You've been dating since you were eight, James! You're such a womanizer, I'll bet you'll have a new girlfriend before the week is out! Just look how you were with Joey at Lily's party!'

James rolled his eyes.

'You exaggerate,' he defended. 'I'm not that bad. Besides; that's not true. I first went out with a girl when I was seven.'

'Which proves my point!' Hilary laughed, shaking her head. James straightened up with as much dignity as he could muster.

'You should change into your robes. We'll be there soon,' he said, and left.

'Puh. James. Single. As if,' Hilary muttered.

After a few minutes we noticed the train beginning to slow, and there was a mad dash for school robes.

'I didn't realise he meant this soon!' Bella shrieked, untangling her earring from her jumper so she could pull it off. 'Where are my robes?'

Toni tossed her the names robes and frantically began removing her platforms so she could yank on some loafers instead. I myself just slipped right into my robes. I was already wearing a simple outfit composed of a tank, cardigan, jeans and sneakers. Casual, but quite stylish. Joey had organised it.

We all dressed and dashed off the train in record timing.

'This - should be put - in the - Guinness - book of - world records,' Hilary panted, leaning against a lamp post to catch her breath.

'Well, lets get going, shall we?' Toni grinned, her eyes already wandering to the looming view of the castle over the lake. A broad smile of awe swept over my face as I followed her gaze.

'Well girls,' I sighed happily. My breath freezing before my eyes in the cold air.

'Welcome home.'
~*~ AUTHOR'S NOTE ~*~

Sorry guys, I can't be bothered writing thank yous. It's eleven thirty pm and I had a really late night last night so I'm stuffed. So I'll thank you in the next chappie. But aren't you proud I got this out so quickly? Not really but quicker than the last one. We'll fight this writer's block together! Hahaha. Ahem. Excuse me. I'm going to go now. Sorry if this chapter was boring, I made it as interesting as I could. Oh yeah and I featured everyone that had reviewed recently when I last checked in Jessica's little ramble at the start. Humungous apologies to fanficfan: I couldn't find anywhere to fit your name in, it was kinda hard. But thank you for reviewing!

OK, I'm going to go to bed now before I fall asleep at the keyboard. If that chapter was gay or weird it's because I'm sleepy, OK? SO don't be too harsh.

Well cyas.

~Ç~ SezZie ~Á~ xoxoxo

* * ( ' ""() Bye

* ("( 'o', ) Bye

* (")(")(,,) * *I Love U Guys SO MUCH! *mwah*

(That's a koala by the way but it might look weird coz of the stupid paragraphing and spacing on this site)