Chapter Two: The Long Road Home
Lily awoke the next day to the feel of the warm summer sunshine streaming through the window onto her face. For a moment, she smiled at the wonderful feeling of being woken by the dawn. Then the realization came to her - today she had to go back to her muggle family for the summer. She repressed a groan and thought over all the hundreds of reasons that she wanted to stay at Hogwarts, her real home, for the summer. Knowing this wasn't possible, Lily sat up in bed and surveyed the room, thinking fondly of her roommates, who were all still sleeping soundly. Her eyes rested on Melissa, her other close friend at Hogwarts.
Melissa, Aurelia and Lily had become fast friends on their first train ride to Hogwarts. Both Melissa and Lily were muggle-born, so they had peppered Aurelia with questions about the wizarding world. Melissa was the most positive person Lily had ever known. She always had a smile on her pretty face and had a very good sense of humor. She was accepting, caring, and spoke with obvious sincerity. She was also quite pretty, with wavy brown hair, deep brown eyes and a few freckles scattered over her small nose. However, she was hopelessly shy around anyone but her close friends, and as a result, was rarely noticed by the male population of Hogwarts.
As if she could feel Lily's gaze, Melissa Ellis squirmed slightly, opened one brown eye slightly and let out a huge groan. Lily smiled at her friend.
"Good morning sleepyhead."
"I don't see what's so good about it this early. Go back to sleep," she mumbled, knowing that once Lily was up, there was absolutely no chance of talking her into going back to sleep. "Why are you such a morning person?"
"I just can't help feeling happy with the sun beating down on my face and a whole new day ahead of me," Lily responded cheerily. "Although, today doesn't have much promise of being great."
"Don't worry, we won't leave you there all summer, Lil," Melissa said sympathetically. Being close friends with Lily, Melissa understood her reluctance to spend the summer at home with her sister, Petunia.
"Hey, let's not worry about that yet, okay?" said Lily, pulling her petite body out of bed. Melissa nodded and began to stretch. "They don't seem to want to get up," she said, looking around at Aurelia and their two other roommates, Samantha and Emily, who were all still cozily curled up under their comforters.
"Wake up! It's a beautiful day!" Lily called to her other three roommates as she skipped to the bathroom, carrying her fluffy pink towel.
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When the five girls finally made their way down to the Great Hall, most of the school was already there enjoying their last Hogwarts meal before the long train ride back to London. The girls chatted happily about their summer plans, and Lily was surprised to realize that her mood was quite pleasant, despite the fact that she would have to see Petunia later.
"Evans! Hey, Evans!" a deep voice called over the happy din in the great hall. Lily groaned, all good feelings rushing away.
"Be nice, Lily." Aurelia chided quietly. "At least give him a chance." Sometimes Lily felt like Aurelia could actually read her mind, but of course, her reactions to James Potter were not that hard to predict. Lily looked as though she was going to give a nasty reply, but thought better of it and looked toward the voice.
"What is it, Potter?" she said coolly, as they approached the Gryffindor table.
"Well Evans, I know how much you struggle in Transfiguration, so I just thought I would offer to tutor you over the summer. You know...so you can keep up with the rest of the class next year," James said, with a wide grin and a twinkle in his eye.
"What?!" Lily exclaimed, her head snapping up angrily. It was only after this reaction that she realized he was just trying to upset her. Everyone knew James was better than Lily at Transfiguration, in fact, it was the only subject in which he received higher grades than she did. But Lily was hardly in need of tutoring, she came in a close second, with a grade still well over 100%.
Angry that she had responded, Lily held her head high, smiled condescendingly, and replied, "And why would I ruin the perfectly good, Potter-less summer that I have been so looking forward to? Besides, you're the one that needs to find a tutor." This wasn't true either, as James came in second, just behind Lily, in all other subjects. He wasn't exactly stupid.
"Are you volunteering? When can we start?" James asked quickly, looking eager.
"NO!" Lily snapped, as she moved towards her friends at the end of the table.
"Oh, don't leave yet, Evans." James said, grabbing Lily's hand. Lily began to struggle to get free, noticing that several girls around the hall were giving her dirty looks. James thought it would be quite enjoyable to keep holding her hand, except for the fact that Lily didn't seem to appreciate it very much.
"Potter, leave me alone," she grumbled, looking at Remus and Sirius for help.
"Aw, let her go, mate," Lupin said, smiling at the situation. When James finally did, Lily scurried to the end of the table without a backwards glance.
From their place at the teachers' table, Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall had been observing this exchange. McGonagall looked disapproving, but Dumbledore had a smirk on his face and there was laughter in his eyes.
"Well, it seems some things never change, " McGonagall said severely.
"Oh, I wouldn't be too sure Professor," Dumbledore responded with a laugh. "I think we may see some changes in the year to come."
"Speaking of next year, Dumbledore, we really should be choosing next year's Head Boy and Head Girl," McGonagall reminded him gently.
"Yes, I suppose we must decide. Who have you been considering?" Dumbledore asked.
McGonagall scanned the crowded room, and her eyes finally fell on the Gryffindor table. "I can think of no one who would fulfill the responsibilities of the job as effectively as Ms. Evans," she replied finally.
Dumbledore nodded his agreement, "Yes. Ms. Evans is the most skilled and responsible. What about Head Boy?"
"Patrick Johnson?" she replied doubtfully, looking over at the Ravenclaw table. "Or perhaps Remus Lupin?"
"No, both are good students and fine people, but neither is an effective leader. Next year, of all years, we must choose an effective leader. The two chosen for these positions will be leaders within the Order. We must choose someone who will inspire others to follow him to war against Voldemort."
McGonagall flinched slightly at the mention of Voldemort, but nodded and began to scan the room again. She suspected that Dumbledore already had someone in mind, but she felt she should come to her own decision before she asked. As she considered each sixth year student carefully, a horrible suspicion crept into her mind. It grew stronger, until she knew she was correct.
"Oh, Albus, must it be him?" she said, clearly exasperated. She held one hand on her face, and clutched the arm of Dumbledore's blue velvet robes with the other. "He will make life so difficult! All those pranks, what kind of example will that set for the younger students?"
"Yes, there are the pranks, Minerva. But I suspect he will have very little time for pranks. The coming year is going to be difficult for all of us. Besides, I think you may be surprised at the way he will change when the occasion calls for it. And Minerva, the years to come will certainly call for it," Dumbledore sighed.
"Of course, you're right, Dumbledore. James Potter will be the next Head Boy." It wasn't that Minerva McGonagall did not like James Potter. She even admitted to herself that the boy was downright charming. In fact, all of the Marauders were all charming, that was part of the problem. They were constantly using their highly developed skills of persuasion to worm their way out of trouble with the other teachers. Professor McGonagall was the only teacher at the school that had not yet become susceptible to their wiles. Yet. In spite of her strict regard for rules and regulations, she could not help but feel proud of the boys. Despite their utter lack of regard for the rules, they had shown some impressive magical talent over the years, mastering hexes, spells, potions and charms that even the most skilled graduate of Hogwarts would have difficulty with. With James Potter as Head Boy, she was definitely going to need to keep a close eye on the Marauders next year.
She couldn't help but wonder how Lily Evans would respond to this decision. The thought made her start to laugh, an act very uncharacteristic of the strict Deputy Head Mistress.
As if reading her mind, Dumbledore smiled and said, "Well, there's no need to worry that next year will be uneventful."
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Later, on the Hogwarts Express, Lily tried desperately to focus on a game of wizard's chess she was playing with Melissa. Unfortunately, her eyes kept glazing over as her thoughts drifted towards home and...Petunia.
"Oh, forget it," she finally cried, wiping the pieces off the board. Muffled objections could be heard from the pieces where they lay on the floor of the train. "I'm going for a walk."
Lily moved toward the compartment door, pushing a few strands of hair out of her face. Melissa looked startled and a little hurt.
Aurelia and Melissa looked at each other for a moment, and finally Aurelia said, "Let her go, Mel. You know how she gets when we have to go home. She'll cool off." She went back to reading her book, iI Know What You're Thinking/i by Melinda Howard.
"What's your book about, Lia?" Melissa asked, moving back up onto one of the seats in the compartment.
"Oh, nothing much," Aurelia responding, snapping the book closed and quickly putting it away.
'Odd,' Melissa thought to herself.
In the hallway, Lily was aimlessly wandering. She knew she had been harsh to her friends, but it was always so difficult to go home and be in the same house as her sister, who hated her so much. Petunia had refused to acknowledge Lily as her sister ever since Lily received her Hogwarts letter. However, this did not stop her from spending the better part of each summer flinging insults at Lily.
Lily had already changed into her favorite muggle clothes, jeans and an emerald green fitted shirt that matched her eyes. She couldn't decide where to go, but she wasn't ready to see the looks of sympathy on her friends' faces, so she decided to go buy a snack from the elderly witch with the candy cart.
As she wandered into the dining car, Lily noticed several Slytherins standing off to the side. She frowned to herself, wishing she hadn't been caught alone. Lily was used to being harassed by the Slytherins, but it was much less painful with friends around to support her. Most of the students in Slytherin found any excuse to harass students who came from muggle families, which they called "mudbloods." She felt his stare, but tried to ignore Snape as she leaned over to help a student who appeared to be on the receiving end of a purpurus feletis hex.
Severus Snape watched Lily Evans walk into the room from where he stood with his fellow Slytherins Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, who had all just graduated from Hogwarts. They were quietly discussing their plans to join the Death Eaters, a group of dark wizards who supported the rise of Lord Voldemort. Snape was hesitant to join, as he felt a great deal of loyalty to Dumbledore, who had become something of a father to him during his time at Hogwarts. However, he didn't want his fellow Slytherins to know about his hesitation. He had always tried to fit in with his house members, even if he didn't exactly think of them as friends. Besides, within the ranks of the Dark Lord, Snape would finally have the opportunity to be recognized for his brilliance in potions and find a use for his extensive knowledge of the dark arts.
"There really is no way he can lose," Lucius Malfoy was saying happily, in his annoyingly nasally voice. "We can have a part in ridding the wizarding world of filthy mudbloods." Crabbe and Goyle agreed with grunts of stupidity. They always agreed with whatever Malfoy had to say.
"Are you in, Snape?" Malfoy asked, turning his cold grey gaze on the smaller, darker boy.
Snape didn't respond. He was looking thoughtfully at Lily Evans, who had stopped to help a first year remove the four large purple feathers that had sprouted from his head. 'Are all mudbloods bad?' he wondered. Lily was at the top of the class, clearly a skilled witch, and beautiful, charming, and kind as well. Snape continued to eye Lily, deciding whether or not he felt capable of killing her. She looked so beautiful and at ease. There was always a smile on her face. He felt as if he had been punched in the stomach just thinking about the possibility of a world without Lily Evans. 'No,' he decided. 'I could kill anyone else, but not Lily Evans.'
"Would you look at that? What in the world is he staring at? I don't think I've ever seen Snape smile," Peter Pettigrew said, nudging his hero, James Potter. The Marauders had decided to talk a little walk, as the compartments just weren't big enough for the four overenthusiastic boys. James looked up at Snape, who had an evil looking smirk on his face. Following Snape's gaze, James saw the flaming red hair he knew so well. Sirius smacked Peter on the back of the head.
"What's wrong with you? Think before you speak, man!" Sirius said, cringing. "Now he's gonna have to go defend her, and we're gonna have to help him, and we'll all have detention before school even starts next year!"
Sirius knew his best friend well. James had already started across the room toward Snape.
"I don't see any reason for you to be staring at Lily Evans, Snivillus," James said loudly, removing his wand from his pocket.
"I don't see how that is any of your business, Potter," replied Snape icely, angry that he had been caught staring at Lily, especially by James Potter. He began to remove his wand from his robes as well.
"I suggest you find someone else to fulfill your sick fantasies, Snivillus, Evans isn't available," James growled quietly, stepping closer. Snape could see his eyes flashing with hatred.
The rest of the Marauders had spread out behind Potter's back with their wands out, clearly preparing to defend their friend against the group of Slytherins, who were arranging themselves in a similar fashion behind Snape. The other students in the crowded room sensed the tension and began to move toward the walls. This was a common enough occurrence for most students at Hogwarts to know the usual procedure. Nobody wanted to be in the way when the hexes started flying.
Just as Snape was opening his mouth to hit Potter with the jelly-legs hex, a red head appeared between them and a loud, frustrated voice shouted, "STOP!"
Both boys looked down at Lily, who was turning back and forth to make eye contact with both of them. Her face was red and her emerald eyes were flashing dangerously.
"STOP! This is so stupid. Potter, I can take care of myself, I don't need you butting in. And Snape, I'd prefer if you kept your evil eye focused on someone else. Both of you leave now! I don't want to see anymore of this ridiculous behavior. Everyone go - NOW!" she shouted, as the boys looked from each other back to Lily.
"Of course, Evans. Whatever you want," James said, lowering his wand. "But I do think you should be worried about the way this pervert was looking at you."
"Potter, shut your trap, mind your own business, and head back to you own compartment," Lily responded, although she looked slightly less angry.
"Just as soon as my good friends from Slytherin here do the same," he said with a false smile at Snape. "I wouldn't want them to have all the pleasure of your company."
"You heard the mudblood Potter, run along," Snape heard himself saying. He tried not to watch the look of pain that flashed across Lily's face.
James immediately lunged at him, but was held back by Sirius and Remus, who tried to calm their friend. After a few seconds of struggle, James nodded, relaxed and smiled smugly, "After you, Snivillus."
Snape took one last glance at Lily's angry face and decided that nothing could be gained by continuing the confrontation. Besides, Crabbe and Goyle were no match for the Marauders. "Let's go," he said to his companions, and swept away sulkily.
"Evans, I'm sorry," James said to Lily, with a concerned look as they both turned to go back to their compartments.
"Look, Potter," she said with an edge in her voice, "I don't know why you have nominated yourself my official protector, but I expect you to mind your own business from now on. I am not interested in you or your assistance. Find another bimbo and leave me alone!"
Lily stormed down the hallway and quickly returned to her compartment, leaving a stunned James Potter standing motionless in the hallway. She was shaking with rage, embarrassment and fear. She analyzed her actions, berating herself for being stupid enough to step between the two long-time enemies. She could have been hurt. After her fear ebbed away, Lily's embarrassment began to increase. That had been quite a scene, all over some guy looking at her. What was Potter playing at? Despite her dislike of his habit of intruding into her life, she couldn't help but feel grateful to Potter for his protectiveness. She still didn't like him, but at least he had stopped Snape's uncomfortable stare.
Her friends were absolutely no help. "I think it's sweet," Melissa said when Lily told her and Aurelia about the events near the food cart.
"Yeah, and at least he did what you asked this time. No requests for dates or anything," Aurelia smiled.
"Oh, let's just forget it," Lily said, annoyed. Her thoughts turned back to her problems at home.
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When the Hogwarts Express finally arrived at the platform, Lily slowly dragged her trunk off the train and hugged both her friends goodbye.
"Don't worry, Lil, I'll be sure to ask you out to my house this summer. We wouldn't leave you there forever!" Aurelia said, hugging Lily swiftly. She noticed that Lily was almost shaking.
"Bye, Lil. I'll miss you!" Melissa said as she also gave Lily a hug.
"Bye Lia, bye Mel. Thanks! I'll miss you a ton! Write a lot!" Lily said as she slowly moved away, looking through the crowd for her father. When she spotted him, she was happy to see that he was alone. She rushed to him and gave him a long hug.
"I missed you, Dad."
"I missed you, too - my Lily Flower. Sorry your sister couldn't make it. She is busy with her new boyfriend. I can't wait to hear all about the wonderful things you learned to do this year."
Lily's dread disappeared instantly upon hearing that her sister would not be driving home with them. She smiled thinking happily of the drive home, where she was free to enjoy her beloved father without the interference of her malicious sister. 'At least this summer is starting off on the right foot,' she thought to herself as her father led her toward the car.
James Potter stood in the doorway of the train, watching Lily leave her friends and greet her father. He could hear his own parents calling his name from somewhere in the crowd, but he could not bear to tear his eyes away from the fascinating redhead. He noticed, not for the first time, that Lily moved with grace and poise. When Lily was finally out of sight, he turned with a sigh to go find his own family. 'Another long Lily-less summer,' he thought to himself.
Lily awoke the next day to the feel of the warm summer sunshine streaming through the window onto her face. For a moment, she smiled at the wonderful feeling of being woken by the dawn. Then the realization came to her - today she had to go back to her muggle family for the summer. She repressed a groan and thought over all the hundreds of reasons that she wanted to stay at Hogwarts, her real home, for the summer. Knowing this wasn't possible, Lily sat up in bed and surveyed the room, thinking fondly of her roommates, who were all still sleeping soundly. Her eyes rested on Melissa, her other close friend at Hogwarts.
Melissa, Aurelia and Lily had become fast friends on their first train ride to Hogwarts. Both Melissa and Lily were muggle-born, so they had peppered Aurelia with questions about the wizarding world. Melissa was the most positive person Lily had ever known. She always had a smile on her pretty face and had a very good sense of humor. She was accepting, caring, and spoke with obvious sincerity. She was also quite pretty, with wavy brown hair, deep brown eyes and a few freckles scattered over her small nose. However, she was hopelessly shy around anyone but her close friends, and as a result, was rarely noticed by the male population of Hogwarts.
As if she could feel Lily's gaze, Melissa Ellis squirmed slightly, opened one brown eye slightly and let out a huge groan. Lily smiled at her friend.
"Good morning sleepyhead."
"I don't see what's so good about it this early. Go back to sleep," she mumbled, knowing that once Lily was up, there was absolutely no chance of talking her into going back to sleep. "Why are you such a morning person?"
"I just can't help feeling happy with the sun beating down on my face and a whole new day ahead of me," Lily responded cheerily. "Although, today doesn't have much promise of being great."
"Don't worry, we won't leave you there all summer, Lil," Melissa said sympathetically. Being close friends with Lily, Melissa understood her reluctance to spend the summer at home with her sister, Petunia.
"Hey, let's not worry about that yet, okay?" said Lily, pulling her petite body out of bed. Melissa nodded and began to stretch. "They don't seem to want to get up," she said, looking around at Aurelia and their two other roommates, Samantha and Emily, who were all still cozily curled up under their comforters.
"Wake up! It's a beautiful day!" Lily called to her other three roommates as she skipped to the bathroom, carrying her fluffy pink towel.
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When the five girls finally made their way down to the Great Hall, most of the school was already there enjoying their last Hogwarts meal before the long train ride back to London. The girls chatted happily about their summer plans, and Lily was surprised to realize that her mood was quite pleasant, despite the fact that she would have to see Petunia later.
"Evans! Hey, Evans!" a deep voice called over the happy din in the great hall. Lily groaned, all good feelings rushing away.
"Be nice, Lily." Aurelia chided quietly. "At least give him a chance." Sometimes Lily felt like Aurelia could actually read her mind, but of course, her reactions to James Potter were not that hard to predict. Lily looked as though she was going to give a nasty reply, but thought better of it and looked toward the voice.
"What is it, Potter?" she said coolly, as they approached the Gryffindor table.
"Well Evans, I know how much you struggle in Transfiguration, so I just thought I would offer to tutor you over the summer. You know...so you can keep up with the rest of the class next year," James said, with a wide grin and a twinkle in his eye.
"What?!" Lily exclaimed, her head snapping up angrily. It was only after this reaction that she realized he was just trying to upset her. Everyone knew James was better than Lily at Transfiguration, in fact, it was the only subject in which he received higher grades than she did. But Lily was hardly in need of tutoring, she came in a close second, with a grade still well over 100%.
Angry that she had responded, Lily held her head high, smiled condescendingly, and replied, "And why would I ruin the perfectly good, Potter-less summer that I have been so looking forward to? Besides, you're the one that needs to find a tutor." This wasn't true either, as James came in second, just behind Lily, in all other subjects. He wasn't exactly stupid.
"Are you volunteering? When can we start?" James asked quickly, looking eager.
"NO!" Lily snapped, as she moved towards her friends at the end of the table.
"Oh, don't leave yet, Evans." James said, grabbing Lily's hand. Lily began to struggle to get free, noticing that several girls around the hall were giving her dirty looks. James thought it would be quite enjoyable to keep holding her hand, except for the fact that Lily didn't seem to appreciate it very much.
"Potter, leave me alone," she grumbled, looking at Remus and Sirius for help.
"Aw, let her go, mate," Lupin said, smiling at the situation. When James finally did, Lily scurried to the end of the table without a backwards glance.
From their place at the teachers' table, Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall had been observing this exchange. McGonagall looked disapproving, but Dumbledore had a smirk on his face and there was laughter in his eyes.
"Well, it seems some things never change, " McGonagall said severely.
"Oh, I wouldn't be too sure Professor," Dumbledore responded with a laugh. "I think we may see some changes in the year to come."
"Speaking of next year, Dumbledore, we really should be choosing next year's Head Boy and Head Girl," McGonagall reminded him gently.
"Yes, I suppose we must decide. Who have you been considering?" Dumbledore asked.
McGonagall scanned the crowded room, and her eyes finally fell on the Gryffindor table. "I can think of no one who would fulfill the responsibilities of the job as effectively as Ms. Evans," she replied finally.
Dumbledore nodded his agreement, "Yes. Ms. Evans is the most skilled and responsible. What about Head Boy?"
"Patrick Johnson?" she replied doubtfully, looking over at the Ravenclaw table. "Or perhaps Remus Lupin?"
"No, both are good students and fine people, but neither is an effective leader. Next year, of all years, we must choose an effective leader. The two chosen for these positions will be leaders within the Order. We must choose someone who will inspire others to follow him to war against Voldemort."
McGonagall flinched slightly at the mention of Voldemort, but nodded and began to scan the room again. She suspected that Dumbledore already had someone in mind, but she felt she should come to her own decision before she asked. As she considered each sixth year student carefully, a horrible suspicion crept into her mind. It grew stronger, until she knew she was correct.
"Oh, Albus, must it be him?" she said, clearly exasperated. She held one hand on her face, and clutched the arm of Dumbledore's blue velvet robes with the other. "He will make life so difficult! All those pranks, what kind of example will that set for the younger students?"
"Yes, there are the pranks, Minerva. But I suspect he will have very little time for pranks. The coming year is going to be difficult for all of us. Besides, I think you may be surprised at the way he will change when the occasion calls for it. And Minerva, the years to come will certainly call for it," Dumbledore sighed.
"Of course, you're right, Dumbledore. James Potter will be the next Head Boy." It wasn't that Minerva McGonagall did not like James Potter. She even admitted to herself that the boy was downright charming. In fact, all of the Marauders were all charming, that was part of the problem. They were constantly using their highly developed skills of persuasion to worm their way out of trouble with the other teachers. Professor McGonagall was the only teacher at the school that had not yet become susceptible to their wiles. Yet. In spite of her strict regard for rules and regulations, she could not help but feel proud of the boys. Despite their utter lack of regard for the rules, they had shown some impressive magical talent over the years, mastering hexes, spells, potions and charms that even the most skilled graduate of Hogwarts would have difficulty with. With James Potter as Head Boy, she was definitely going to need to keep a close eye on the Marauders next year.
She couldn't help but wonder how Lily Evans would respond to this decision. The thought made her start to laugh, an act very uncharacteristic of the strict Deputy Head Mistress.
As if reading her mind, Dumbledore smiled and said, "Well, there's no need to worry that next year will be uneventful."
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Later, on the Hogwarts Express, Lily tried desperately to focus on a game of wizard's chess she was playing with Melissa. Unfortunately, her eyes kept glazing over as her thoughts drifted towards home and...Petunia.
"Oh, forget it," she finally cried, wiping the pieces off the board. Muffled objections could be heard from the pieces where they lay on the floor of the train. "I'm going for a walk."
Lily moved toward the compartment door, pushing a few strands of hair out of her face. Melissa looked startled and a little hurt.
Aurelia and Melissa looked at each other for a moment, and finally Aurelia said, "Let her go, Mel. You know how she gets when we have to go home. She'll cool off." She went back to reading her book, iI Know What You're Thinking/i by Melinda Howard.
"What's your book about, Lia?" Melissa asked, moving back up onto one of the seats in the compartment.
"Oh, nothing much," Aurelia responding, snapping the book closed and quickly putting it away.
'Odd,' Melissa thought to herself.
In the hallway, Lily was aimlessly wandering. She knew she had been harsh to her friends, but it was always so difficult to go home and be in the same house as her sister, who hated her so much. Petunia had refused to acknowledge Lily as her sister ever since Lily received her Hogwarts letter. However, this did not stop her from spending the better part of each summer flinging insults at Lily.
Lily had already changed into her favorite muggle clothes, jeans and an emerald green fitted shirt that matched her eyes. She couldn't decide where to go, but she wasn't ready to see the looks of sympathy on her friends' faces, so she decided to go buy a snack from the elderly witch with the candy cart.
As she wandered into the dining car, Lily noticed several Slytherins standing off to the side. She frowned to herself, wishing she hadn't been caught alone. Lily was used to being harassed by the Slytherins, but it was much less painful with friends around to support her. Most of the students in Slytherin found any excuse to harass students who came from muggle families, which they called "mudbloods." She felt his stare, but tried to ignore Snape as she leaned over to help a student who appeared to be on the receiving end of a purpurus feletis hex.
Severus Snape watched Lily Evans walk into the room from where he stood with his fellow Slytherins Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, who had all just graduated from Hogwarts. They were quietly discussing their plans to join the Death Eaters, a group of dark wizards who supported the rise of Lord Voldemort. Snape was hesitant to join, as he felt a great deal of loyalty to Dumbledore, who had become something of a father to him during his time at Hogwarts. However, he didn't want his fellow Slytherins to know about his hesitation. He had always tried to fit in with his house members, even if he didn't exactly think of them as friends. Besides, within the ranks of the Dark Lord, Snape would finally have the opportunity to be recognized for his brilliance in potions and find a use for his extensive knowledge of the dark arts.
"There really is no way he can lose," Lucius Malfoy was saying happily, in his annoyingly nasally voice. "We can have a part in ridding the wizarding world of filthy mudbloods." Crabbe and Goyle agreed with grunts of stupidity. They always agreed with whatever Malfoy had to say.
"Are you in, Snape?" Malfoy asked, turning his cold grey gaze on the smaller, darker boy.
Snape didn't respond. He was looking thoughtfully at Lily Evans, who had stopped to help a first year remove the four large purple feathers that had sprouted from his head. 'Are all mudbloods bad?' he wondered. Lily was at the top of the class, clearly a skilled witch, and beautiful, charming, and kind as well. Snape continued to eye Lily, deciding whether or not he felt capable of killing her. She looked so beautiful and at ease. There was always a smile on her face. He felt as if he had been punched in the stomach just thinking about the possibility of a world without Lily Evans. 'No,' he decided. 'I could kill anyone else, but not Lily Evans.'
"Would you look at that? What in the world is he staring at? I don't think I've ever seen Snape smile," Peter Pettigrew said, nudging his hero, James Potter. The Marauders had decided to talk a little walk, as the compartments just weren't big enough for the four overenthusiastic boys. James looked up at Snape, who had an evil looking smirk on his face. Following Snape's gaze, James saw the flaming red hair he knew so well. Sirius smacked Peter on the back of the head.
"What's wrong with you? Think before you speak, man!" Sirius said, cringing. "Now he's gonna have to go defend her, and we're gonna have to help him, and we'll all have detention before school even starts next year!"
Sirius knew his best friend well. James had already started across the room toward Snape.
"I don't see any reason for you to be staring at Lily Evans, Snivillus," James said loudly, removing his wand from his pocket.
"I don't see how that is any of your business, Potter," replied Snape icely, angry that he had been caught staring at Lily, especially by James Potter. He began to remove his wand from his robes as well.
"I suggest you find someone else to fulfill your sick fantasies, Snivillus, Evans isn't available," James growled quietly, stepping closer. Snape could see his eyes flashing with hatred.
The rest of the Marauders had spread out behind Potter's back with their wands out, clearly preparing to defend their friend against the group of Slytherins, who were arranging themselves in a similar fashion behind Snape. The other students in the crowded room sensed the tension and began to move toward the walls. This was a common enough occurrence for most students at Hogwarts to know the usual procedure. Nobody wanted to be in the way when the hexes started flying.
Just as Snape was opening his mouth to hit Potter with the jelly-legs hex, a red head appeared between them and a loud, frustrated voice shouted, "STOP!"
Both boys looked down at Lily, who was turning back and forth to make eye contact with both of them. Her face was red and her emerald eyes were flashing dangerously.
"STOP! This is so stupid. Potter, I can take care of myself, I don't need you butting in. And Snape, I'd prefer if you kept your evil eye focused on someone else. Both of you leave now! I don't want to see anymore of this ridiculous behavior. Everyone go - NOW!" she shouted, as the boys looked from each other back to Lily.
"Of course, Evans. Whatever you want," James said, lowering his wand. "But I do think you should be worried about the way this pervert was looking at you."
"Potter, shut your trap, mind your own business, and head back to you own compartment," Lily responded, although she looked slightly less angry.
"Just as soon as my good friends from Slytherin here do the same," he said with a false smile at Snape. "I wouldn't want them to have all the pleasure of your company."
"You heard the mudblood Potter, run along," Snape heard himself saying. He tried not to watch the look of pain that flashed across Lily's face.
James immediately lunged at him, but was held back by Sirius and Remus, who tried to calm their friend. After a few seconds of struggle, James nodded, relaxed and smiled smugly, "After you, Snivillus."
Snape took one last glance at Lily's angry face and decided that nothing could be gained by continuing the confrontation. Besides, Crabbe and Goyle were no match for the Marauders. "Let's go," he said to his companions, and swept away sulkily.
"Evans, I'm sorry," James said to Lily, with a concerned look as they both turned to go back to their compartments.
"Look, Potter," she said with an edge in her voice, "I don't know why you have nominated yourself my official protector, but I expect you to mind your own business from now on. I am not interested in you or your assistance. Find another bimbo and leave me alone!"
Lily stormed down the hallway and quickly returned to her compartment, leaving a stunned James Potter standing motionless in the hallway. She was shaking with rage, embarrassment and fear. She analyzed her actions, berating herself for being stupid enough to step between the two long-time enemies. She could have been hurt. After her fear ebbed away, Lily's embarrassment began to increase. That had been quite a scene, all over some guy looking at her. What was Potter playing at? Despite her dislike of his habit of intruding into her life, she couldn't help but feel grateful to Potter for his protectiveness. She still didn't like him, but at least he had stopped Snape's uncomfortable stare.
Her friends were absolutely no help. "I think it's sweet," Melissa said when Lily told her and Aurelia about the events near the food cart.
"Yeah, and at least he did what you asked this time. No requests for dates or anything," Aurelia smiled.
"Oh, let's just forget it," Lily said, annoyed. Her thoughts turned back to her problems at home.
:::::::::::::::
When the Hogwarts Express finally arrived at the platform, Lily slowly dragged her trunk off the train and hugged both her friends goodbye.
"Don't worry, Lil, I'll be sure to ask you out to my house this summer. We wouldn't leave you there forever!" Aurelia said, hugging Lily swiftly. She noticed that Lily was almost shaking.
"Bye, Lil. I'll miss you!" Melissa said as she also gave Lily a hug.
"Bye Lia, bye Mel. Thanks! I'll miss you a ton! Write a lot!" Lily said as she slowly moved away, looking through the crowd for her father. When she spotted him, she was happy to see that he was alone. She rushed to him and gave him a long hug.
"I missed you, Dad."
"I missed you, too - my Lily Flower. Sorry your sister couldn't make it. She is busy with her new boyfriend. I can't wait to hear all about the wonderful things you learned to do this year."
Lily's dread disappeared instantly upon hearing that her sister would not be driving home with them. She smiled thinking happily of the drive home, where she was free to enjoy her beloved father without the interference of her malicious sister. 'At least this summer is starting off on the right foot,' she thought to herself as her father led her toward the car.
James Potter stood in the doorway of the train, watching Lily leave her friends and greet her father. He could hear his own parents calling his name from somewhere in the crowd, but he could not bear to tear his eyes away from the fascinating redhead. He noticed, not for the first time, that Lily moved with grace and poise. When Lily was finally out of sight, he turned with a sigh to go find his own family. 'Another long Lily-less summer,' he thought to himself.