I sat on the train, on my way home. Home. Can I really call it that? It was really just a place to crash, a place to put my stuff. There was no one to come home to. I was almost undoubtedly sure that my mother was in the hospital. She didn't like much to speak with me because she felt so guilty for beating Petunia and I. She couldn't take what she had done in her drunken stupor. It really did kill her to see that scar on my back from the broken beer bottle, or anything else of the sort. So she didn't talk much, she was afraid I hated her. Home was a lonely place. As I had just gotten into deep thought about the subject, the compartment door slid open.
"Hey, why aren't you sitting with Arabella or Remus?" He knew they were my best friends. That's actually how he and I were first introduced, because he became a friend of Remus'. I was sitting with a few people who caught the train late. They didn't know each other so they didn't talk. This was fine by me since I was content thinking.
"I dunno, I just didn't feel like it. I felt like being quiet, and when they sit with Sirius and Amos, all hell breaks loose." He smiled and shut the door. He wasn't going to leave. We both looked around. There were no empty seats. Suddenly, as if a light had switched on in his head, he turned to the boy next to me. "You know Sirius Black right? Here's a galleon, go tell him that I said he was a lousy git. See what he says." The boy got up, took the galleon and was out the door. He turned around.
"Hey, but when he asks who says he's a lous-" James shut the compartment door and took a seat. I had to hand it to him; he was creative. He readjusted for quite some time until he found that he was comfortable.
"Now," he said, putting his arm around me. I rolled my eyes and smiled. What a goof. "Tell me what you're thinking about." He continued to look at me even though I tried to keep my glance outside.
"Nothing in particular." I think that was the first time I had directly lied to James.
"Right, and I didn't just get that kid an automatic wedgie." We both chuckled at the thought of that poor boy telling Sirius he was a git without a definite source to give. "Really Lily, what's on your mind." I decided not to burden him with my depressing thoughts. I had to think fast. What's a topic we could both get lost in?
"Well, I was actually thinking about who was gonna win the house cup this year. It's really close so far. I know it's still the beginning of the year..." and so began a conversation that lasted the rest of the ride to King's Cross. I was thankful that he didn't pry. I didn't want to have to delve into my deeply personal problems in front of a bunch of strangers. When the train stopped I grabbed my trunk and headed off the train as fast amongst the commotion. I was just about to go through the barrier.
"Lily, I swear if you do that to me one more time, I'm gonna have to get one of those anklets that they put on x-cons who can't leave the country. Now come here." As good as I was at slipping away, James was just as good at finding me. I walked over to him. "I just wanted to say, that even though your working this holiday, I hope you have a good Christmas, regardless. Write me if you have any free time, and maybe we could go do something with Remus and Arabella and the rest of the gang. OK? Take care of yourself." He gave me a big hug that I scolded myself for finding so much comfort in and headed off to find Sirius.
I couldn't understand why he would care so much. I didn't see anything extraordinary about me that would make him want to spend time with me. Of course, I enjoyed his company, but I was just like everyone else, he shouldn't waste his time with me. I sighed and made my way through the barrier before Arabella could catch up with me. The truth was that lately I hadn't been spending much time with anyone. The most conversation anyone got out of me was usually something along the lines of a morning greeting. Now that I thought about it, James had spoken to me most out of the past week, even thought I had avoided him for most of it. It's not that she and I had been fighting, or that I didn't want to spend time with anyone. I just had a lot to manage and didn't have time to stop for aimless conversations. I had to plan my work schedule and hospital visits. I had to find time to clean the house and make Christmas dinner. I had to find time to study and to sleep.
"Hey, why aren't you sitting with Arabella or Remus?" He knew they were my best friends. That's actually how he and I were first introduced, because he became a friend of Remus'. I was sitting with a few people who caught the train late. They didn't know each other so they didn't talk. This was fine by me since I was content thinking.
"I dunno, I just didn't feel like it. I felt like being quiet, and when they sit with Sirius and Amos, all hell breaks loose." He smiled and shut the door. He wasn't going to leave. We both looked around. There were no empty seats. Suddenly, as if a light had switched on in his head, he turned to the boy next to me. "You know Sirius Black right? Here's a galleon, go tell him that I said he was a lousy git. See what he says." The boy got up, took the galleon and was out the door. He turned around.
"Hey, but when he asks who says he's a lous-" James shut the compartment door and took a seat. I had to hand it to him; he was creative. He readjusted for quite some time until he found that he was comfortable.
"Now," he said, putting his arm around me. I rolled my eyes and smiled. What a goof. "Tell me what you're thinking about." He continued to look at me even though I tried to keep my glance outside.
"Nothing in particular." I think that was the first time I had directly lied to James.
"Right, and I didn't just get that kid an automatic wedgie." We both chuckled at the thought of that poor boy telling Sirius he was a git without a definite source to give. "Really Lily, what's on your mind." I decided not to burden him with my depressing thoughts. I had to think fast. What's a topic we could both get lost in?
"Well, I was actually thinking about who was gonna win the house cup this year. It's really close so far. I know it's still the beginning of the year..." and so began a conversation that lasted the rest of the ride to King's Cross. I was thankful that he didn't pry. I didn't want to have to delve into my deeply personal problems in front of a bunch of strangers. When the train stopped I grabbed my trunk and headed off the train as fast amongst the commotion. I was just about to go through the barrier.
"Lily, I swear if you do that to me one more time, I'm gonna have to get one of those anklets that they put on x-cons who can't leave the country. Now come here." As good as I was at slipping away, James was just as good at finding me. I walked over to him. "I just wanted to say, that even though your working this holiday, I hope you have a good Christmas, regardless. Write me if you have any free time, and maybe we could go do something with Remus and Arabella and the rest of the gang. OK? Take care of yourself." He gave me a big hug that I scolded myself for finding so much comfort in and headed off to find Sirius.
I couldn't understand why he would care so much. I didn't see anything extraordinary about me that would make him want to spend time with me. Of course, I enjoyed his company, but I was just like everyone else, he shouldn't waste his time with me. I sighed and made my way through the barrier before Arabella could catch up with me. The truth was that lately I hadn't been spending much time with anyone. The most conversation anyone got out of me was usually something along the lines of a morning greeting. Now that I thought about it, James had spoken to me most out of the past week, even thought I had avoided him for most of it. It's not that she and I had been fighting, or that I didn't want to spend time with anyone. I just had a lot to manage and didn't have time to stop for aimless conversations. I had to plan my work schedule and hospital visits. I had to find time to clean the house and make Christmas dinner. I had to find time to study and to sleep.