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A Rainy Voyage
The Hogwarts Express let out a long, shrill blast of steam, whistling through the air as it sped northward, heading for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Lily Evans sat alone in a compartment near the end of the train, immersed in A Standard Book of Spells Grade Seven. Lily reluctantly stood and stretched, gazing out the window into the dark, rainy sky. A furry, black cat with great blue eyes stared up at Lily as it wound itself around her legs.
A loud meow resounded from a basket near Lily's feet. She hastily bent over and unlatched the hook, letting a glossy black cat with bright blue eyes out into the compartment. Godric purred softly, holding his up his midnight head, bravely, regally even. He had certainly lived up to his name, wandering throughout the castle, including the Forbidden Forest, chasing a werewolf, no less. Strange indeed for a cat, but Godric was no ordinary feline. Just like his quiet master there was some spark igniting a roaring fire within.
Lily stopped reading for several minutes while she lazily stroked Godric's onyx head with her one unbruised wrist, keeping the other tucked safely away in the folds of her black school robes. Being Head Girl certainly had its perks. A compartment to one's self was an undeniably a rare occurrence. Thank the stars she was able to be alone. A solitary place was often Lily's only solace. A place for her own time had been necessary ever since she had enrolled in Hogwarts. She enjoyed being by herself, being able to think about the life she'd always deserved of, but could never have.
Lily tucked a bright strand of auburn fire behind her ear as she stared out the window, watching the rain droplets erode tiny tracks down the glass. Her shockingly green eyes widened as a sharp wrap on the door broke her lovely silence.
She slightly jumped as the four most unlikely people to be entering her compartment did just that. "Well, I guess I can think about my perfect life another time." Lily bit her lip as she mumbled under her breath.
"Hi Lily! Can we sit with you?" A surly boy with light-brown hair, sprinkled with blonde entered the room. Odd, it was Remus Lupin. Lily gazed blankly at the three, tall-structured boys standing behind him. How did they know her name? Lily was baffled.
"I guess—I guess it's fine." Lily shifted uneasily curling herself into the side of the train. They were no strangers. James Potter, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew moved into the room, following Remus. Lily wondered why they just now showed up. She decided it was best not to ask. She really didn't want to know what they had been up to.
Lily watched Remus sit down. His sandy hair shone surprisingly brightly in the dim light of the train. His eyes were a light sea green, and he had a kindly face. One at first glance would say an intelligent face, until you realized the group he was so blessed to hang around with. Lily snorted inwardly at her sardonic humor. His lips curved upward into a delighted smile.
Sirius sat down beside him, overshadowing Lupin's mere 6'1 frame. He stood at about 6'2. He had a head of neat dark brown hair, and mysterious cat eyes that made all the girls swoon, even Lily, when she was younger, was attracted to Sirius Black's cat eyes. Next to him stood James. Undoubtedly the tallest of the bunch, James stood at about 6'3 close to 6'4. He had irresistible baby blue eyes, which were wrongly hidden behind thin silver wire rimmed glasses, and a head of pitch-black, unruly hair. Finally there was Peter standing just behind James. He stood at about 5'9, and he had short blonde hair, that made his light brown eyes stand out on his pale pointed face.
"So! Lily," Sirius looked interestedly at her. "What did you do this summer?"
Lily felt her skin begin to burn as he plopped himself down on the sear next to her, and looked at her eagerly, waiting for an answer. What was she supposed to tell them? The truth? Oh sure! 'I spent the entire summer locked in my room, listening to my sister verbally bash me, and her boyfriend sexually abuse me.' Yeah. That would work wonderfully! Right. Lily took a deep breath and a silky lie spilled from her mouth.
"I hung out with my sister and some of her muggle friends, did the assigned work, caught up on reading, and…that's pretty much it." There, that was plenty convincing, right?
James looked curiously at Lily. He didn't know why he had never noticed her before. Sure he knew her. She was Head Girl and a genius in charms, but why hadn't he seen her in corridors, or even at meals? Surely he couldn't have missed her fiery, copper-russet hair, certainly not those striking emerald eyes, or that unforgettable angelic face, ye—what? James shook his head, dismissing his thoughts as a passing fluke.
Remus looked at James, shaking his head. Poor Prongsy…he didn't know what he was getting into. "Soooo…" before Remus could finish his sentence Lily had again buried herself back into the spell book. Making conversation was no good. Why did he even try?
"Well, Marauders! What ever shall our first grand prank of year number seven be?" James turned excitedly to his friends, seeing Peter look up enthusiastically.
Lily sighed quietly, glancing up from the book, looking wistfully at the boys around her. She couldn't help but eavesdrop on them, and hearing their joyful voices broke her heart. Having friends must have been a wonderful experience, she couldn't remember. Lily didn't actually recall what it was like to have an actual person to confide in. Godric was usually a great listener, but he couldn't talk back. He couldn't hold her until the pain was gone. He couldn't advise her, or make her laugh when she was sad, except for the few times his clumsiness made itself apparent.
Lily scooted closer to the edge of the seat, wedging herself closer to the wall. She brought up her. She soon lost her battle however. One traitor tear feel from her eye she cried calmly and silently. Almost as if it was regularity to her. She was no stranger to grief, tears, or sadness. Lily had endured countless nights of silent torture, only to wake the next day, acting as if nothing had ever happened. But there was always a battle, raging within her. Lily didn't sigh, or sniffle. She inconspicuously lifted her gentle hand up to wipe away the torrents or tears streaking her cheeks. Lily stared out the window, blocking out the voices around her, toning them down to a lull.
James coincidently happened to look up just at that moment. He gazed out the window when something caught his eye. There. There he saw her. The reflection of Lily, staring blankly out the window, crying her eyes out. James frowned in concern, but kept quiet, deciding it might embarrass Lily if he said anything to her. Something within James felt like it was being torn. He had never felt that terrible aching pain before. His brow furrowed deeper, and he looked away from the reflection, closing his eyes for a moment. Concern welled up inside James. What could possibly be making this girl cry so hard? Could it be their presence in the room? He lay back in his seat, trying to shake the image out of his head.
It wouldn't be long until they arrived at Hogwarts now. Lily recognized the familiar landscape flitting past her window's view. At least she'd gotten most of the train ride to herself.
****
Soon the train screeched to a halt outside Hogsmead Station. Lily put Godric unwillingly into his basket and slipped out of the compartment unnoticed.
James finally finished preparing his things and turned to follow his friends out the door when he found Lily wasn't there.
"Did you lot see where Lily went?" James puckered his brow, puzzled.
Questioning looks and shaking heads were the only answers he received. He turned and followed the other three boys out of the train, still confused.
James, Remus, Sirius, and Peter arrived to a brimming Great Hall, packed with chattering students. They sat down at their usual spot, along the middle of the Gryffindor table, and awaited the sorting.
James looked curiously around for Lily, not spotting her. Certainly she must be here somewhere. She was Head Girl; she couldn't just skip the feast. At last James spotted her, sitting quiet as a mouse at the end of the table closest to the professors' table. James gazed, fascinated with her face, subconsciously marveling at her beauty.
Remus punched James in the shoulder, awakening him from his trance. "Are you ready for operation Slimy Slytherin to begin?"
"You know it!" James grinned maliciously and looked expectedly to Peter and Sirius. There were ready. James slowly counted to three and the four boys pointed their wands toward the Slytherin table, whispering an incantation.
Dumbledore stood up to begin his speech. Sirius mouthed backward from five and just as Dumbledore took a breath to begin talking a slimy, green ooze began to seep mysteriously out of every Slytherin's skin. The Marauders laughed as they heard the groans and moans of udder disgust echoing throughout the entire Great Hall. James looked, still hopefully, at the Slytherin table. The ooze had vanished and a furry loin's mane had grown in its place. The entire hall burst into laughter. James' eyes again came to rest on Lily, a trace of a smile passed over her face before she began to stare at her plate once again. James felt light-headed and extremely strange. What was going on?
The Marauders were now holding their stomach with laughter. Dumbledore cleared his throat for attention and the Great Hall soon quieted down
.
"Professor McGonagall, if you will." Dumbledore looked expectantly to a tall, stern-looking witch with dark brown hair pulled pack into a tight bun, as she laid a three-legged stool in the middle of the room, and then placed a hat on it.
James watched eagerly as the hat's rip opened wide and it belted out its new tune. The hall clapped loudly when it finished. Then the sorting began with Eloise Abbington being sorted into Ravenclaw. James yawned rather bored, counting down until it was mealtime.
At the end of the Sorting Ceremony Dumbledore stood. "Ping-pong, dingbat, crochet, spork. Tuck in!" James shook his head and raised his golden goblet of pumpkin juice in cheers to Dumbledore.
James stuffed himself with every kind of potato imaginable, also consuming several additional helpings of mutton, and steak and kidney pie. He ruthlessly plowed his way through dessert.
Lily sat alone further on to the end of the table, with her eyes concentrating on her plate. She forced herself to eat, just as she had done during the summer. She brought her fork to her mouth, hesitating even now as the memories came flooding back. At least during the summer she was able to come out of her bathroom for food when Petunia and Vernon weren't around. But she told herself not to worry about him anymore. At least for the moment. She needed to eat, to at least make herself appear healthy, even if she wasn't.
As the plates were being cleared away Sirius let out a rather large, disgusting, to the rest of the Great Hall at least, belch. Many of the other students surrounding the Marauders let out moans of utter repulsion, but James, Remus, and Peter were to busy peeling with laughter to notice.
Dumbledore again stood, and the Marauders straightened up long enough to listen to him make his "Forbidden List" speech with a cameo mention of them and their earlier antics.
James immediately rose as Dumbledore shooed them off to bed. He instinctively gathered the first years and followed Lily to Gryffindor Tower.
"Tromedlov eid." Lily looked around to all the other Gryffindors, making sure they heard the password.
The Fat Lady looked around with mirth at all of the new faces as she smoothed out a few wrinkles in her ancient, pink dress.
"It's good to see all of you again. Hope you have a wonderful year!" With her kind words of assurance the Fat Lady swung forward to admit the food-stuffed Gryffindors into their dormitories.
James crinkled his nose. Peter would have a hard time remembering this one.
In no time at all James was back in his familiar bed and quickly drifted off into a deep sleep. Lily was not so lucky.
Lily lay in bed, pondering about her miserable, lonely life. Why did her sister have to be so cruel? Why did Petunia have to go out with that awful slime ball of a boyfriend? She felt tears yet again make the familiar sting behind her now dimmed sparkling eyes, and she didn't bother to hold them back. Lily cried herself to sleep, wishing some day to have friends as good as James or one of the other Marauder's did.
