"You!"
Lily swayed slightly on her feet, her head rushing, a dull roar in her ears. How did they, why did they-? She straightened herself, holding her chin up high. Not one of the boys or the two girls in the compartment had moved, and the two from the station still stared at her in disbelief. One of their friends, sandy-haired and tawny eyed, with a faint mysteriousness about him stood up, his hand gesturing towards his seat.
"Hi, we have room if you're looking." He was a werewolf, she could see it in his eyes, hear it in his voice. She couldn't trust him, but then again she couldn't trust anyone. "Are you new? I don't think I've ever seen you before." He smiled, showing slightly pointed teeth. He was uncomfortable, the situation made awkward by his friends surprised silence. She hesitated, trying to decide what course of action to take.
Lily took a step backward, her face letting them in on her fear. Her headache increased, the dull roar joined by a fierce pounding. She was too weak.
They stood up, their mouths moving, saying something she couldn't quite catch, their faces fading slightly. She hastened, she had to leave, get off the train or find another compartment. Her foot caught on the hallway's rug, tripping her, finishing her descent, both literally and metaphorically, into the darkness. She was out cold.
*******************************************************
James looked down on the girl who had just fainted in the doorway to their compartment with shock. It was the girl from the station, the one that had run away. Upon closer look he noticed her fair complexion and ruby red lips, her dazzling green eyes, surrounded by that mane of hair. She was gorgeous. He turned to Sirius, who looked at her with awe and worry, while Peter and Arabella, his girlfriend, hurried to tell someone about the girl.
Within minutes, the compartment seemed to bustle with activity. Two women came in, shortly followed by a stout man, all chattering away about something, picking the girl up and checking her pulse, running around asking frantic questions, and trying to identify her. The four just stood in shock at the attention given to the matter. She had only fainted, what was all the extra fuss about? Eventually she was carried out, leaving the six adolescents to themselves.
"What do you think that was about?" Sirius whispered, still staring at the compartment door. James shrugged and looked towards Remus. He had good instincts, and a werewolf's sixth sense. Remus was silent for a moment.
"She wasn't a witch. Or a muggle. I've never felt anything like her before. Her aura was was really powerful," his eyes were filled with amazement, "I wonder who she is..."
Sirius and James looked at each other, silently agreeing. James cleared his throat.
"We kinda.er.forgot to tell you, we saw her in the station earlier, but she ran from us. She, she looked really-"
"Hot?" Sirius jumped in, smiling wolfishly. The compartment filled with laughter, and he pulled the other girl into his lap, who blushed and pretended to slap him as if she didn't want to be there. James rolled his eyes. Sirius, sirius, sirius...Sirius never could make up his mind, today it was Cindy, tomorrow it would probably be Peter's girlfriend, Arabella.
"Look, I'm gonna go find the candy cart lady, anyone up to join me? Everyone but Sirius and his 'friend' accepted, and the quartet jostled noisily down the train, looking for a source of food, the mysterious girl driven from their minds.
****************************
The only thing she could perceive was a faint singing echoing in her ear. It actually sounded quite bad, people having chosen different tunes and pitches, not at all in harmony. Lily groaned. Who the hell was making the racket?
She opened her eyes slowly, adjusting to the dim light that filled the room. Peppermint, her sheets smelled of peppermint. She smiled into them, taking in their scent. Peppermint always calmed her. She took little notice of the walls and the beds, not caring that she was in a hospital, not caring about anything at all except falling back to sleep in the comfort of this nice, peppermint smelling, be-
"Oh, I see that you have awoken!" Lily snapped upright. An old man stood next to her bed, his eyes twinkling. "I must say you gave us quite a fright when you fainted on the train, Miss -" He hesitated, Lily looked at him, unsure of herself, sensing how strong and powerful the old man was despite his lack of youth.
"Evans" she replied curtly.
"-Miss Evans. It is quite an honor to meet you." Silence ensued, "I am Albus Dumbledore." Lily chose not to comment, but to glare viciously at the old man. "While I am aware that you are not a witch, it is rather amazing how you managed to get onto the platform 9 and 3 quarters without magical assistance. If I may ask, how did you do it?" Lily looked at him slightly confused, this man had obviously lost it a while ago.
"I ran into the wall." She confessed rather shortly. Why did this man care? He wasn't of any importance to her....
Sensing her animosity towards him, Dumbledore got to his point. "Anyway, Ms. Evans, it appears that you have magical talent, and this is, after all a school. If it may please you to know, you have been successfully enrolled in Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. You start classes tomorrow, and you should find that all is in order when you get to your room." He sat there smiling and twinkling at her. This was all a big present. A wonderful opportunity. A new start. Lily blinked in disbelief at the old man before her. She stood up, sliding slightly off the bed, determined that it was now or never to make a run for it, or else do it the hard way.
"Ah, I see you are quite excited to go to bed, I'll have a prefect come and show you to your room. Good-night Miss Evans." And with that parting word, he swept out of the room, closing the door shut behind him. The lock clicked with a dull thud. He had apparently realized her intentions, and had locked the door. Damnit, there went that idea. What had she gotten herself into?
Lily swayed slightly on her feet, her head rushing, a dull roar in her ears. How did they, why did they-? She straightened herself, holding her chin up high. Not one of the boys or the two girls in the compartment had moved, and the two from the station still stared at her in disbelief. One of their friends, sandy-haired and tawny eyed, with a faint mysteriousness about him stood up, his hand gesturing towards his seat.
"Hi, we have room if you're looking." He was a werewolf, she could see it in his eyes, hear it in his voice. She couldn't trust him, but then again she couldn't trust anyone. "Are you new? I don't think I've ever seen you before." He smiled, showing slightly pointed teeth. He was uncomfortable, the situation made awkward by his friends surprised silence. She hesitated, trying to decide what course of action to take.
Lily took a step backward, her face letting them in on her fear. Her headache increased, the dull roar joined by a fierce pounding. She was too weak.
They stood up, their mouths moving, saying something she couldn't quite catch, their faces fading slightly. She hastened, she had to leave, get off the train or find another compartment. Her foot caught on the hallway's rug, tripping her, finishing her descent, both literally and metaphorically, into the darkness. She was out cold.
*******************************************************
James looked down on the girl who had just fainted in the doorway to their compartment with shock. It was the girl from the station, the one that had run away. Upon closer look he noticed her fair complexion and ruby red lips, her dazzling green eyes, surrounded by that mane of hair. She was gorgeous. He turned to Sirius, who looked at her with awe and worry, while Peter and Arabella, his girlfriend, hurried to tell someone about the girl.
Within minutes, the compartment seemed to bustle with activity. Two women came in, shortly followed by a stout man, all chattering away about something, picking the girl up and checking her pulse, running around asking frantic questions, and trying to identify her. The four just stood in shock at the attention given to the matter. She had only fainted, what was all the extra fuss about? Eventually she was carried out, leaving the six adolescents to themselves.
"What do you think that was about?" Sirius whispered, still staring at the compartment door. James shrugged and looked towards Remus. He had good instincts, and a werewolf's sixth sense. Remus was silent for a moment.
"She wasn't a witch. Or a muggle. I've never felt anything like her before. Her aura was was really powerful," his eyes were filled with amazement, "I wonder who she is..."
Sirius and James looked at each other, silently agreeing. James cleared his throat.
"We kinda.er.forgot to tell you, we saw her in the station earlier, but she ran from us. She, she looked really-"
"Hot?" Sirius jumped in, smiling wolfishly. The compartment filled with laughter, and he pulled the other girl into his lap, who blushed and pretended to slap him as if she didn't want to be there. James rolled his eyes. Sirius, sirius, sirius...Sirius never could make up his mind, today it was Cindy, tomorrow it would probably be Peter's girlfriend, Arabella.
"Look, I'm gonna go find the candy cart lady, anyone up to join me? Everyone but Sirius and his 'friend' accepted, and the quartet jostled noisily down the train, looking for a source of food, the mysterious girl driven from their minds.
****************************
The only thing she could perceive was a faint singing echoing in her ear. It actually sounded quite bad, people having chosen different tunes and pitches, not at all in harmony. Lily groaned. Who the hell was making the racket?
She opened her eyes slowly, adjusting to the dim light that filled the room. Peppermint, her sheets smelled of peppermint. She smiled into them, taking in their scent. Peppermint always calmed her. She took little notice of the walls and the beds, not caring that she was in a hospital, not caring about anything at all except falling back to sleep in the comfort of this nice, peppermint smelling, be-
"Oh, I see that you have awoken!" Lily snapped upright. An old man stood next to her bed, his eyes twinkling. "I must say you gave us quite a fright when you fainted on the train, Miss -" He hesitated, Lily looked at him, unsure of herself, sensing how strong and powerful the old man was despite his lack of youth.
"Evans" she replied curtly.
"-Miss Evans. It is quite an honor to meet you." Silence ensued, "I am Albus Dumbledore." Lily chose not to comment, but to glare viciously at the old man. "While I am aware that you are not a witch, it is rather amazing how you managed to get onto the platform 9 and 3 quarters without magical assistance. If I may ask, how did you do it?" Lily looked at him slightly confused, this man had obviously lost it a while ago.
"I ran into the wall." She confessed rather shortly. Why did this man care? He wasn't of any importance to her....
Sensing her animosity towards him, Dumbledore got to his point. "Anyway, Ms. Evans, it appears that you have magical talent, and this is, after all a school. If it may please you to know, you have been successfully enrolled in Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. You start classes tomorrow, and you should find that all is in order when you get to your room." He sat there smiling and twinkling at her. This was all a big present. A wonderful opportunity. A new start. Lily blinked in disbelief at the old man before her. She stood up, sliding slightly off the bed, determined that it was now or never to make a run for it, or else do it the hard way.
"Ah, I see you are quite excited to go to bed, I'll have a prefect come and show you to your room. Good-night Miss Evans." And with that parting word, he swept out of the room, closing the door shut behind him. The lock clicked with a dull thud. He had apparently realized her intentions, and had locked the door. Damnit, there went that idea. What had she gotten herself into?