When Lily stepped in, she was bombarded with congratulations from the fifth years. Apparently, McGonagall had informed them of her achievement.

"Wow, Lily! What an honor!" Jasmine Andrews said enthusiastically. She was a pretty girl, with shoulder-length chestnut curls and big, brown eyes.

Cassandra Flores, a raven-haired beauty with beetle-black eyes, stepped up next. "Will you move in with us? D'you want to? It'll be so much fun!"

Then, the fifth year female prefect from Gryffindor, Alexia Cruin, went to Lily. "Hey, Lily! I'm sad to be moving to France but I'm happy for you!"

The two other fifth years, Mantra and Paige O'Donnell gave their congratulations. They were identical twins, with a dimple on each side of their mouths, blond, wavy hair that curled at the bottom and baby blue eyes.

But over all the fifth year's noise came two squeals that Lily would recognize anywhere. "Lily, Lily! What's this they're talking about?" Dana's voice came as she pushed her way through to her friend. By now, several people had heard the fifth year girls acknowledging Lily and wanted to know what happened.

Clara stumbled after and looked at the beaming Lily. "I got accelerated to fifth year!"

"Wow, Lils! That's great!" Clara said happily.

Then, Dana's face fell. "What did Cassandra mention about moving in?"

"McGonagall said I could stay with you or move in with them," Lily had a feeling in the pit of her stomach that she was dreading this conversation.

"How's that going to happen? There won't be any space since they're full," Clara pointed out.

"Alexia's moving to Beauxbatons," the redhead gestured to Alexia, who was eagerly chatting with her friends near the fire.

"What do you want, Lils?" Dana asked.

Lily sighed, dragged the two cousins off to a dark, secluded corner and said, "Look, guys, I've been given a wonderful opportunity to make new friends. And I won't have to suffer anymore because of Alice and Hazel. The only bother me, not you, since you're both purebloods. And these fifth years, they like me and I like them. But you'll always be my best friends."

Clara looked touched but Dana protested, "But Lils! I don't want you to move! WE won't spend as much time together as we used to."

Lily sighed once more. "I promise I'm not going to change! I'm just going to graduate earlier. Okay?"

The brunette still looked doubtful but nodded. They all hugged each other warmly and went back to the lively Common Room.

Before they could get to Sirius, James and Peter to tell them Lily's news, the fifth year girls blocked their way.

"Lily, if you're going to be moving in with us, we'll have to introduce ourselves!"

Cassandra stood up and pointed a thumb to herself. "Hey Lils! Can I call you that? I'm Marianna Deirdre Cassandra Margot Flores, in short, Cassie. I'm the resident cheer bubble!" She giggled and Lily couldn't help joining in as well. The girl's bright and bubbly mood was infectious. Lily thought, 'I think I'll be Cassie's company very much!'

The twins were next.

Paige was about to step up next but her twin oushed her back. After ignoring the dirty scowl sent her way, Mantra said, "Hi Lily! I'm Mantra Crystal O'Donnell, you can call me Mantra. I guess you could call me a tomboy, but I still like boys in a girlie way, you could say!" Lily recognized her as one of the Chasers on their Quidditch team.

Her sister stepped forward and said, "What's up? I'm Audrey Penelope Paige O'Donnell. Never, ever call me Penny, I hate that name. You could say that I'm the fashion freak in our dorm! I help everyone with their make-up and things for balls and other stuff!"

Last up was Jasmine Andrews. She smiled happily and said, "Hey Lil! I'm Jasmine Cezanne Martina Andrews. Call me Jamian. I'm the one you can talk to whenever you need help, cheering up or whenever you're bored out of your wits!" "Wow, what a nice girl,' Lily thought.

She suddenly felt bashful and stuttered, "I'm Lillian Rose Evans, but you already know my nickname. Don't call me Lily Flower," Lily's voice dropped much lower and she cast a cautious glance at James, who was animatedly laughing with his friends, head thrown back with mirth, while they started playing an intense Exploding Snap game, "Only James calls me that."

All at the same time, Jamian, Penny, Cassie and Mantra's jaws dropped. After a long silence, in which the quiet was filled with the Marauder's screams and sniggers, Penny managed out, "You actually speak to James Potter? The James Potter? As in, James Potter the son of Harry Potter, Minister of Magic?"

She frowned and nodded. 'Was that all people could see about James? Only that he's rich?' Lily sighed and said, "Yeah, he's really nice. Awful, though,, when his radar picks up Snape's scent."

Cassie asked Lily, "Severus Snape? He's that Slytherin, right? Greasy, slimy, oily-haired boy, in our year?"

Lily's frown was lifted from her face as she thought of Snape. "Yeah, the one who tags along with Lucius Malfoy and his friends."

In a voice that Jamian thought Lily couldn't hear, she whispered in Penny's ear, "Yeah, the one who fancies Lily."

Lily After Clara and Dana introduced their selves, the three younger girls went to the Marauders, who were still involved in their ferocious game of Exploding Snap (Peter now had several scorch marks on his pudgy face). They sat down beside the boys, however, this did not get their attention. Clara cleared her throat importantly, all to no avail. Lily tapped Remus on the shoulder, but this, too, was in vain. Finally, Dana, fed up with the boys' ignorance and in a bad mood, sighed very loudly.

"What's up, Dan?"

"Oh, not much. My best friend just got accelerated to fifth year, she's going to be moving out of our dorm in three days and don't call me Dan," she snapped heavily.

Sirius didn't look he least bit affected. In fact, he was looking at Lily and Dana, back and forth, amusedly. "I don't get it, Dan. I thought you were her best friends, aren't you supposed to be happy or glad for her?"

Dana sighed exasperatedly and shot her cousin a knowing look. "Well, how'd you feel if James, Remus or Peter went a year ahead of you. And don't call me Dan!"

Again, her snappishness didn't get to Sirius. He appeared deep int thought and after a moment's silence said, "Well, I think I could do without Peter, and I'd survive if Remus went away and James'd be better off without me, so I'd be bloody well happy for my best friends."

They all gaped at him in shock, he usually didn't make sense. "Are you serious?"

He broke into a stupid, wide grin. "Last I heard I was."

Remus shook his head. "Not the lame Serious-Sirius joke again! That's so old!"

James looked proudly at his Lily Flower, thinking, 'I'm so happy for her.'

Lily felt someone staring and when she turned around, her soft green eyes came in contact with his dark brown ones. She flushed crimson and turned to talk to Clara.

James was confused. He'd been noticing her blush every time she caught him looking at her or something. Did she like him.that way? He shuddered at the thought. She was quite pretty. She looked nothing at all like his previous and current girlfriends (Melissa Watson in Hufflepuff). They'd all looked alike: brown her with brown eyes, blondes with sky blue orbs. All into the same things, like make-up, gossip, famous models, fashion, the new in hair- do's.

Lily was nothing like them. She was natural, didn't give a damn about make- up, hated talking about people behind their backs and always pulled her wavy auburn hair into a loose ponytail, and let some loose locks down to frame her angelic face.

'Wait a minute. Did I just say angelic face?' James frowned.

He shrugged this off and turned to his friends' conversation. They were raving on and on about the upcoming Quidditch match, Hufflepuff against Ravenclaw.

"Malcolm Boot's the new Captain, I heard their old one graduated last year. Their Seeker's got some spectacular moves, but nothing Sandra Perez from Ravenclaw can't beat," Remus observed.

Sirius was about to say something when he was cut short by Hazel, who seated herself perfectly on Sirius' lap and started kissing him on the mouth. Sirius was surprised by this but made no effort whatsoever to stop her. On the side, Alice Montague giggled madly. James caught sight of her and she blushed.

After Hazel had to pull away to catch her breath, she grinned triumphantly and sauntered back to the now hysterical Alice. They could all hear her say in an exaggeratedly loud voice, "There, Al. I did it! I kissed Sirius Black on the lips senseless."

Alice nodded to show her approval. "D'you want me to do my dare now?" Hazel urged her on and she, in turn, climber onto James' lap and started kissing the caught off guard boy. Unlike Sirius, however, he pulled away and shook his head. He spun his head to where Lily (who'd only seen the kiss and ran away before she could catch James parting his and Alice's mouths quickly) was sitting, or sat, and saw her just in time to see that she had left the room, her hands to her eyes.