"Need some help?" a familiar voice questioned from above her. Lily lifted
her gaze upward to see a young boy with a mischievous grin staring at her.
His mop of black hair appeared wild and unkempt, but his eyes were kind.
"James!" Lily exclaimed. "How was your summer?" The boy's grin grew wider. Lily had gone to school all seven years with James. They'd gotten to be close friends during their second year, and though they often squabbled about meaningless things, it was clear that they both felt the utmost respect for the other.
"It was very nice, thank you!" James answered. "So, need help with that trunk?"
"Yes, thank you!" Lily answered with a sigh of relief. She got up off the trunk and allowed James to lift it onto the train. He turned to her with his boyish grin once more.
"Well, shall we board the train then?" Lily smiled at him and nodded her head. Together, they got aboard the train and searched for a compartment. A door slid open suddenly as they made their way down the train's long corridor.
"James, Lily, in here!" They turned to see a boy with dark hair and a big grin gesturing at them.
"Hello, Sirius," Lily responded as she made her way towards the compartment he was currently occupying. She and James entered through the small door to find the familiar group of friends sitting within the depths of the compartment.
"Peter! Sirius! Remus! It's great to see you all again!" James declared as he cuffed each one hard on the back. Lily observed the typical traditions of male behavior as they each hit each other in turn.
"Ah, it's nice to see that some things never change," Lily said with a smirk after all of the greetings had ceased.
"What exactly is that supposed to mean?" Sirius asked, pretending to be wounded.
"That you guys will always act as though hitting each other is a proper greeting!" Lily explained in exasperation. "Where is Chloe?" she asked after a moment. Chloe happened to be the only other female that was ever found in the company of the marauders.
"I don't know," Sirius answered, shrugging his shoulders.
"Oh, don't you?" Lily asked pointedly. Sirius looked sheepish and he ducked his head. "I would have thought that you of all people would know," she added. Remus elbowed him hard in the side. Sirius's breath left him in a sudden whoosh. He glared at Remus and then turned his attention back to Lily.
"We uh-we broke up, actually," Sirius admitted.
"Broke up?" Lily exclaimed in shock. "When?" Sirius's cheeks turned a rosy color and he shifted his weight in his seat.
"It's been about a month," he stated. Lily shook her head at him and then surveyed the whole group of boys only to see guilty looks plastered on each of their faces. Sirius and Chloe had been dating since their fifth year, and Lily had heard only too many times how deeply Chloe cared for him.
"Why on earth did you break up?" Lily demanded.
"I don't know," Sirius responded with a shrug. "We just did. It was mutual," Sirius added.
"Mutual? Sure, of course it was mutual. Come on, Sirius, you don't need to hide the truth from me," Lily insisted.
"But it was mutual!" Sirius exclaimed. Lily rolled her eyes and was about to open her mouth in order to demand further explanation when there was a sudden noise at the compartment door. The whole group was suddenly silent as there was another sound from outside the door. James sprang to his feet and threw the door open.
"James!" Lily exclaimed. "How was your summer?" The boy's grin grew wider. Lily had gone to school all seven years with James. They'd gotten to be close friends during their second year, and though they often squabbled about meaningless things, it was clear that they both felt the utmost respect for the other.
"It was very nice, thank you!" James answered. "So, need help with that trunk?"
"Yes, thank you!" Lily answered with a sigh of relief. She got up off the trunk and allowed James to lift it onto the train. He turned to her with his boyish grin once more.
"Well, shall we board the train then?" Lily smiled at him and nodded her head. Together, they got aboard the train and searched for a compartment. A door slid open suddenly as they made their way down the train's long corridor.
"James, Lily, in here!" They turned to see a boy with dark hair and a big grin gesturing at them.
"Hello, Sirius," Lily responded as she made her way towards the compartment he was currently occupying. She and James entered through the small door to find the familiar group of friends sitting within the depths of the compartment.
"Peter! Sirius! Remus! It's great to see you all again!" James declared as he cuffed each one hard on the back. Lily observed the typical traditions of male behavior as they each hit each other in turn.
"Ah, it's nice to see that some things never change," Lily said with a smirk after all of the greetings had ceased.
"What exactly is that supposed to mean?" Sirius asked, pretending to be wounded.
"That you guys will always act as though hitting each other is a proper greeting!" Lily explained in exasperation. "Where is Chloe?" she asked after a moment. Chloe happened to be the only other female that was ever found in the company of the marauders.
"I don't know," Sirius answered, shrugging his shoulders.
"Oh, don't you?" Lily asked pointedly. Sirius looked sheepish and he ducked his head. "I would have thought that you of all people would know," she added. Remus elbowed him hard in the side. Sirius's breath left him in a sudden whoosh. He glared at Remus and then turned his attention back to Lily.
"We uh-we broke up, actually," Sirius admitted.
"Broke up?" Lily exclaimed in shock. "When?" Sirius's cheeks turned a rosy color and he shifted his weight in his seat.
"It's been about a month," he stated. Lily shook her head at him and then surveyed the whole group of boys only to see guilty looks plastered on each of their faces. Sirius and Chloe had been dating since their fifth year, and Lily had heard only too many times how deeply Chloe cared for him.
"Why on earth did you break up?" Lily demanded.
"I don't know," Sirius responded with a shrug. "We just did. It was mutual," Sirius added.
"Mutual? Sure, of course it was mutual. Come on, Sirius, you don't need to hide the truth from me," Lily insisted.
"But it was mutual!" Sirius exclaimed. Lily rolled her eyes and was about to open her mouth in order to demand further explanation when there was a sudden noise at the compartment door. The whole group was suddenly silent as there was another sound from outside the door. James sprang to his feet and threw the door open.