A/N: Personally, I'm disappointed with myself on this chapter, but I rushed and got it up for everyone who has reviewed the story so far because they were so kind. Thank you all once again! I love ya! Oh yea, and someone, (I can't remember who at the moment, sorry!) asked me if Lily was ever going to soften up. Well, she softens up considerably in this chapter, but don't worry, she's still tough. I hope. Oi. Love all of you-Senna

Chapter 4: Fire and Ice and Everything Nice

Oh God. Oh dear God. Oh sweet Tigger, merciful great one, representing everything right in the world, what's WRONG with me? Jeez, I haven't even been at Hogwash or whatever this is for four hours and I've already gotten into a fight! Smooth move, Evans, you sure know how to make a first impression, don't you? Look, I REALLY don't need that right now. Man, West is gonna be so ashamed of me! He gave me his trust and I spat on it like how a cow spits or chewsor whatever cows do! God, I can't BELIEVE myself! I'm gonna be expelled and classes haven't even started yet! On and on went Lily's thoughts. She was still in shock, a half-hour later. McGonagall had stormed up to the dormitory, angry as a bull with her nostrils flaring, ten minutes after Trewyn and Ebony had left. She had ordered Lily to wait in her office while she made sure that Trewyn was all right. She was clutching her stuffed Tigger, which had been a toy that had been donated to for a Christmas gift for any orphan. Lily had chosen it right away, before anyone else had a chance for it. Not that she had been greedy. Her father and mother had often referred to her as 'their little Tigger: bouncy, trouncy, flouncy, wouncy, fun, fun, fun, fun, fun.' They had meant that she was energetic, creative, and fun when they said that and that just like Tigger, there was no one like her. That's exactly right. No one else would get expelled after being at school for four hours! Lily was about to respond to that annoying little voice in her head when Professor McGonagall entered the room. She stared at her for quite a while, and Lily held her gaze. Finally, McGonagall spoke.

"I am sure that you will be pleased to know that Miss Li is fine and does not have any broken bones-"

"I knew she wouldn't."

"-But she is still very shocked, as are all of us. Explain yourself, Miss Evans." Lily sighed. She didn't know what to say. If it had been West she was talking to, she wouldn't be at a loss for words. She would have told him exactly what had happened, and wouldn't have had to worry about saying something wrong. Now, she was sitting in front of a woman who looked as if her bun was so tight that it was giving her a hernia or something. For the love of God, Evans, don't screw up. I'll just try to imagine what Tigger would say, and say that. Ok, first of all, Tigger would never beat up a girl when he had been at school for only four hours, but of course, that's besides the point, isn't it? Yea, it is!

"Um. Right. See, I got to the dorm, and then Aria and Ashley were there, and we picked which beds we wanted, and then Trewyn and Ebony showed up. Well, Trewyn waltzed, I-I mean walked, over to my bed and sat down on it, and I told her to get-I mean, I told her that I had already chosen it as my bed." She stopped and looked at her professor, who seemed very impatient, and probably wondering what the beds had to do with anything. Better get to the point, Evans.

"So then she started giving me a lesson on how to be popular, and she said I never would be if I hung out with Aria and Ashley. Its not that I hang out with them, just if I did. And she called them 'those two', like they were a pair of animals or something like that! If she's been going to school with them for five years now, shouldn't she know their names?" She looked expectantly at McGonagall, who looked dazed and nodded.

"And so I told her that they had names and she should use them, and that everyone in the world had names and that she should use them because that's what they were for. Then, she got all hoity-toity and offended and said I was too homely to be popular, and Aria told her to shut up. Then I called her a ditz, and then she said at least she didn't hang out with nerdy bookworms and goody two shoes, and, um, so I kind of, yea." Lily finished in a rush, looking down at her shoes.

"I believe I have the just of it Miss Evans, Lord knows you did a fine job of confusing me throughout your story. I am assuming that you were angry that Miss Li insulted your friends?" asked McGonagall, massaging her temples.

"They're, I mean, we're not really-"

"Very well, you were angry that Miss Li insulted your roommates?" asked McGonagall, not wanting Lily to go in depth about anything else.

"Sure."

"Though it was kind of you to defend your roommates, fighting is simply unacceptable at Hogwarts, and I will be speaking to Professor Dumbledore about this, and I am sure her will report this to Professor West. Thirty points will be taken from Gryffindor, and you will have a detention this week." Lily stared at her with her mouth hanging open. Umwasn't this supposed to be the part where I get expelled? What just happened here? "Do you have a problem with this, Miss Evans?" She shook her head.

"I-I just thought-that-thought that you were going to expel me," she said, still shocked. The professor gave her a small smile.

"Miss Evans, we don't expel people for fighting. Expulsion is for more serious matters, though I must warn you that if this happens again, expulsion may be your punishment. Is that understood?" She nodded. "Good. Now please go back to your dormitory." Lily practically skipped back to Gryffindor Tower. Thank you God, thank you Tigger! I'm not expelled! West is gonna be happy about this! He's not going to be happy that you beat her up. But at least he doesn't have to be ashamed of me! Lily breathed a sigh of relief as she left the office. She was given another chance. She wouldn't blow it this time. She would stop fighting. She would put effort into her classes. She would give James, Ashley, Sirius, Aria, Remus, and Peter a chance. She'd give Hogwarts a chance. I'll make this work if it kills me. I'll try for West.

The next morning, Lily was awoken at the unreasonably early hour of seven o' clock. Someone or something was whacking her. She opened her eyes and stared blearily around the room. For a moment, she had no idea where she was and thought she had been kidnapped. Then, she realized that she was at Hogwarts, and that classes started today. Something whacked her again. She turned and saw Aria holding a pillow and smiling very cheerfully.

"Get up Lily, it's seven o' clock! If you want a warm shower, you better get it now. Hurry up, it's almost time for breakfast! They always serve these excellent chocolate chip pancakes on the first day-oh gee, my mouth's watering already!" Lily stared at the girl as if she was insane, and Aria laughed.

"What-why-" she groaned, and buried her face in her pillows. Suddenly, they were snatched from underneath her, along with her covers. She sat up, shivering in a sports bra and boxer-pants and saw Ashley dumping her covers and pillows in a pile on the floor. Insane. These people are insane. God, who wakes up at seven in the morning? Oh well. They're insane in a good way. But still, why'd they have to steal my pillows? She clutched her Tigger and looked bewildered around the room for an available bed.

"You're not going back to bed," declared Ashley. "Up, up, up! Believe me, I wouldn't be up right now unless Miss Prissy Prefect here hadn't woken me up. She's not going to stop until you're out of bed, you know." Lily moaned.

"Five more minutes?" she pleaded.

"Nope!" said Aria, now preceding to open the huge window. "Get up now!" Lily stumbled into the bathroom, defeated. As she showered, she fell into her old habit of singing in the shower at the top of her lungs. She was good, but loud. Ashley had been looking for her lucky socks under her bed when she heard Lily. She lifted her head and promptly bumped it on the top of the bed.

"Ow-Aria is that a moose?"

"That's Lily, you plonker," Aria replied. A moose? Wow, that's a new one. I was kind of going for Aerosmith, but I'll take a moose. Why don't you beat HER up? That's getting really old for one, and two, I kind of like being a moose. Not as good as being a Tigger, but mooses-or meeces-oh whatever, moose plural are pretty cool too.

The first class of the day was Potions, taught by Professor Algerus Glenn. Aria and Ashley had filled Lily in about how he was head of Slytherin House, and favored the Slytherins. He also, apparently hated the Gryffindors and took points from them whenever he found a chance to.

Professor Glenn started out class by taking roll call. He saved Lily for last.

"Miss Evans? My, I am astonished that you are still present at Hogwarts after your little conflict with Miss Li last night." Well good morning to you too, Mr. Announce-Other-People's-Business-To-The-Entire-Class! Ever heard of privacy? "Let's see how far behind you are. Tell me how many lacewings are added to a Dizzying Drought, and if they are added before the potion effervesces or after the hue changes? Effervesces means foams, by the way. " He smiled smugly, apparently sure he had fooled her. Ok, screw being open minded I HATE him! He's trying to make me look stupid in front of the whole class! 'Effervesces means foams by the way'. I'll effervesce HIM. God, I can't believe it! I bet none of them know about Dizzying Droughts! She was right. The class was glaring at Glenn because Dizzying Droughts weren't taught until seventh year. She tried to calm the rage bubbling up inside of her. Suddenly, she surprised everyone by smiling sweetly.

"Lacewings are used to enhance people, so they would not be found in a Dizzying Drought, which is used to make people soporific. That means sleepy, by the way, in case you didn't know." The class howled with laughter. Lily was still smiling, and Glenn was purple with rage.

"Ten points from Gryffindor, Miss Evans, and be extremely thankful I did not take more. Never question my intellect again, is that understood?"

"Sure." That's as long as you don't try to make a fool of me again. Actually, you know what Mr. Rod Upmyass? Go ahead. Try to make me look stupid again. I'll show you. They taught me a thing or two at Salem, you know. Glenn was in a less than jolly mood for the rest of the class, and made sure that by the end, everyone else was too.

The day dragged on. Lily flopped onto her bed in the dormitory after dinner. She was still seething over the fact that Professor Glenn had tried to embarrass her in front of her class. She didn't mind Professor Binns because he didn't pay attention to anything but his lecture, so she was free to do what she wanted in his class. In today's class, she, James, Sirius, and Aria had played Exploding Snap while Remus and Ashley drew. They were both exceptionally gifted artists, as she soon found out. All of their work was so detailed and intricate that it took her breath away. She had liked professor Flitwik right away because he was the Charms teacher, but she didn't know what to make of Professor McGonagall. She actually made Lily work in her class. She seemed to think she was more capable than she thought she was, even though she was hopeless at Transfiguration.

"First day is always horrible," said Ashley as she and Aria entered the room. Lily immediately sat up. She almost smiled, happy that Aria and Ashley has come to talk to her, but she caught herself in time.

"Yea," said Lily, not sure of what to say. There was an awkward silence.

"Which elective classes will you be taking?" asked Aria, offering her a chocolate frog as she ate one.

"Umelective?" asked Lily, confused.

"An elective class is like Divination, Study of Ancient Runes, Muggle Studies, Care of Magical Creatures, and Arithmancy," explained Ashley.

"Oh," said Lily. She looked at her schedule. "Apparently I'm taking Divination, Care of Magical Creatures, and Arithmancy. Won't that be fun. At least Study of Ancient Runes isn't required here. It was at Salem."

"Do you know anyone in any of those classes?" asked Ashley.

"Nope," replied Lily.

"James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter are in Divination," started Aria. "They're in Care of Magical Creatures, and so are Ash and I. We're also in Arithmancy, though the guys aren't."

"Are you going to try out for a Quidditch position?" asked Ashley.

"I don't know. Never thought about it," said Lily. She almost considered trying out for Quidditch, but she decided that would have no point because she probably wouldn't be good at it. Just like Petunia had said, she wasn't worth anything. "Why?"

"We need a Beater," explained Ashley. "Our last one graduated."

"You play Quidditch?" asked Lily, surprised. She hadn't pictured her as the Quidditch playing type.

"Yup!" replied Ashley. "I'm Seeker, Aria is Keeper, Sirius is Beater, James is Chaser, Trewyn is Chaser, and Ebony is Chaser." At this, Lily burst out laughing.

"Trewyn and Ebony play QUIDDITCH?" she gasped. "Oh, I've gotta see that."

"That's what I said when I saw the list," said Aria. "The funniest thing is that they're actually good." Lily stopped laughing, and looked so comically surprised that the other two girls burst out laughing.

Lily lay tossing and turning in bed that night. She had never been so confused in her life. The people at Hogwarts actually liked her. They seemed to care about her. Don't let them in Evans. They might be trying to trick you. They might leave you as soon as you let them in. Better safe than sorry. The voice in her head kept telling her these things. Lily didn't know what to think. She had taught herself what the Voice was telling her. It had kept her alive for four years. But now, things were different. She didn't have to scrape for food, she didn't have to defend her right to a doorstep to sleep on, and she didn't have to fight to get the last of the warm water in the shower. She didn't need to be as careful as before. Maybe, she thought. Just maybe these people are ok and I can stop keeping them out. Melt away the ice around me and let them in. I'll try. Whoo this is gonna be tough. But if Tigger could do it, I can, right? Lily sighed, and turned over. Sleepily, she told herself to shut up and go to sleep, and she promptly obeyed herself.

Are you disgusted with me, or enthralled by the next chapter in this saga? Tell me what you think by writing me a review! :D