Chapter 5
The sliding door opened once more, omitting a girl with wavy blond hair into the compartment.
"Chloe!" Lily called out. Chloe looked at Lily and beamed. She then let her gaze travel around the rest of the compartment. It fell on Sirius at last and lingered there for a moment. The tension was almost palpable.
"Hello, everyone," Chloe said, her smile fading slightly.
"Chloe, how have you been?" Lily asked. She studied Chloe carefully, trying to determine whether or not she suffered from pain induced by a broken heart. Chloe turned to Lily and grinned once again.
"I'm fine, Lily, thanks! This summer was amazing!" Chloe responded enthusiastically. Lily glanced quickly at Sirius who seemed very unemotional and unaffected by everything that was occurring. The rest of the occupants seemed slightly less at ease. "How was your summer, Lily?"
"Oh, just the same as it is every year, nothing spectacular, but not horrible," Lily responded.
"I suppose that you spent it with your sister, Petunia, as usual," Chloe added with slight irritation. Lily nodded her head in response. "You two might as well be joined at the hip!" Chloe added. Lily wrinkled her forehead and arched her brow.
"Well, I don't get to see her at all while I'm at Hogwarts, and she is my sister," Lily stated defensively.
"I know, I know. Would it kill you to spend the summer with some friends, or perhaps even a charming young man?" Chloe asked, amusement creeping into her voice. The boys laughed and hooted at this remark. Throughout all seven years of Lily's Hogwarts experience, she'd never even had a boyfriend.
"Listen, how Lily spends her summer is her choice," Sirius stated, cutting through the boys' laughter.
"Thank you, Sirius," Lily replied appreciatively.
"No problem, Lily. However, if you do ever need some nice young man to pass the summer with, I'm available," Sirius snickered, placing an arm around Lily's shoulders. Lily looked a bit taken aback by his odd behavior.
"Oh, shove off, Sirius," James shot at him bitterly. Sirius took his arm off Lily's shoulders and settled back into his own seat.
"Relax, James," Sirius replied smoothly. James simply shot him a dirty look. A few moments of uncomfortable silence passed and then the train had arrived at Hogwarts. The group departed the train and headed towards the location where the horseless carriages were boarded. Sirius, Peter, and Remus boarded the first available horseless carriage. Chloe then dragged James off by the arm to board the second.
"Lily! Over here!" James called as he struggled against Chloe's grasp. Lily suddenly felt a pang of annoyance as she watched Chloe hold James's arm as though she were his proud owner. She followed nonetheless, but when she got to the carriage that Chloe had chosen, it was already full to its capacity. James realized what had happened and he struggled against Chloe's grip once more. "Hold on, Lily, I'll ride with you," he called to her from the carriage.
"Don't worry about it, James, I'll catch the next one," Lily shouted to him. James's eyes filled with concern as Chloe reached over to shut the door tightly. Lily felt very isolated and lonely after all of her friends had left. The icy wind suddenly seemed to chill her right to the marrow of her bones. She drew her robes more tightly around her and rubbed her hands together. The next carriage pulled up and she boarded it quickly, eager for its warmth.
"Do you mind if I join you?" a timid voice asked. Lily brushed several strands of her strawberry colored hair out of her eyes to find Severus standing anxiously at the door.
"No, of course not, Severus," Lily replied considerately. Severus climbed into the carriage and plopped himself down in the seat across from Lily's.
"Thanks, Lily," he said with a smile.
"Anytime," she replied, gazing out the window at the glistening stars. Severus sat across from her looking pensive.
"Lily, may I ask you a question?" Severus inquired quietly.
"Sure, what is it?" Lily asked, turning her gaze towards Severus, curiosity alight in her emerald eyes.
"Why do the Marauders hate me?" Lily winced at the question and she heaved a great sigh.
"Severus, they don't hate you, they just don't understand you," Lily explained gently.
"Well then, how come you're so nice to me?" Severus questioned eagerly.
"You're a nice guy, Severus," Lily answered after a moment with some semblance of a smile. Severus's face lit up with a bright smile.
"Why don't the Marauders think so?" Severus asked.
"They're blind to a lot of things," Lily replied thoughtfully. "Such as kindness."
"It's not just them though, it's most people at Hogwarts. Nobody really thinks very much of me," Snape added in a tone of immense hurt. Lily moved over to Severus's seat and placed her hand on his shoulder.
"Severus, you have many wonderful qualities. So nevermind what others think about you. They probably just don't understand you because you're so quiet all the time," Lily responded.
"Thanks, Lily," Severus replied as the horseless carriage reached the castle. Lily smiled at Severus and gave his shoulder a squeeze before opening the door. The first thing she saw was James's eager face against the backdrop of the candlelit castle.
"Lily, I'm sorry you had to ride alone," James said apologetically.
"I didn't ride alone, James," Lily replied with a smile. "I rode with Severus." James's lip curled into a sneer, but he refrained from making any remark. Severus stepped out of the carriage and into the moonlight. The moon illuminated his greasy black hair and made his pale flesh seem almost opaque.
"Thanks for keeping Lily company, Snape," James stated stiffly. Severus's eyes filled with astonishment at James's unusually kind behavior towards him.
"Sure, no problem," Severus replied eagerly. Severus turned towards Lily and grinned. Lily smiled in response, but James put his hand on her shoulder and began steering her through the crowd of students and towards the main entrance of the castle.
"I'm so sorry, Lily!" James cried as they climbed the steps together.
"Why?" Lily questioned.
"Because you had to sit alone with Snape!" James exclaimed in astonishment. Lily shrugged her shoulders and flipped her scarlet hair over her shoulder brusquely.
"He really is a nice guy," Lily tried to explain once more to James. James nodded his head abruptly and opened the door for Lily. They made their way into the Great Hall and then towards the Gryffindor table.
"Lily! I saved you a seat!" Sirius shouted as Lily and James approached. He patted the bench next to him. Lily sat down next to Sirius and he began to make polite conversation with her about her summer.
"James!" a similar shout came from nearby. "Over here!" Chloe motioned at him fervently. James took the empty seat next to Chloe, across from Lily, and she began to chatter about her summer to him as well. The Great Hall was filled with student's bantering and shouting.
The sliding door opened once more, omitting a girl with wavy blond hair into the compartment.
"Chloe!" Lily called out. Chloe looked at Lily and beamed. She then let her gaze travel around the rest of the compartment. It fell on Sirius at last and lingered there for a moment. The tension was almost palpable.
"Hello, everyone," Chloe said, her smile fading slightly.
"Chloe, how have you been?" Lily asked. She studied Chloe carefully, trying to determine whether or not she suffered from pain induced by a broken heart. Chloe turned to Lily and grinned once again.
"I'm fine, Lily, thanks! This summer was amazing!" Chloe responded enthusiastically. Lily glanced quickly at Sirius who seemed very unemotional and unaffected by everything that was occurring. The rest of the occupants seemed slightly less at ease. "How was your summer, Lily?"
"Oh, just the same as it is every year, nothing spectacular, but not horrible," Lily responded.
"I suppose that you spent it with your sister, Petunia, as usual," Chloe added with slight irritation. Lily nodded her head in response. "You two might as well be joined at the hip!" Chloe added. Lily wrinkled her forehead and arched her brow.
"Well, I don't get to see her at all while I'm at Hogwarts, and she is my sister," Lily stated defensively.
"I know, I know. Would it kill you to spend the summer with some friends, or perhaps even a charming young man?" Chloe asked, amusement creeping into her voice. The boys laughed and hooted at this remark. Throughout all seven years of Lily's Hogwarts experience, she'd never even had a boyfriend.
"Listen, how Lily spends her summer is her choice," Sirius stated, cutting through the boys' laughter.
"Thank you, Sirius," Lily replied appreciatively.
"No problem, Lily. However, if you do ever need some nice young man to pass the summer with, I'm available," Sirius snickered, placing an arm around Lily's shoulders. Lily looked a bit taken aback by his odd behavior.
"Oh, shove off, Sirius," James shot at him bitterly. Sirius took his arm off Lily's shoulders and settled back into his own seat.
"Relax, James," Sirius replied smoothly. James simply shot him a dirty look. A few moments of uncomfortable silence passed and then the train had arrived at Hogwarts. The group departed the train and headed towards the location where the horseless carriages were boarded. Sirius, Peter, and Remus boarded the first available horseless carriage. Chloe then dragged James off by the arm to board the second.
"Lily! Over here!" James called as he struggled against Chloe's grasp. Lily suddenly felt a pang of annoyance as she watched Chloe hold James's arm as though she were his proud owner. She followed nonetheless, but when she got to the carriage that Chloe had chosen, it was already full to its capacity. James realized what had happened and he struggled against Chloe's grip once more. "Hold on, Lily, I'll ride with you," he called to her from the carriage.
"Don't worry about it, James, I'll catch the next one," Lily shouted to him. James's eyes filled with concern as Chloe reached over to shut the door tightly. Lily felt very isolated and lonely after all of her friends had left. The icy wind suddenly seemed to chill her right to the marrow of her bones. She drew her robes more tightly around her and rubbed her hands together. The next carriage pulled up and she boarded it quickly, eager for its warmth.
"Do you mind if I join you?" a timid voice asked. Lily brushed several strands of her strawberry colored hair out of her eyes to find Severus standing anxiously at the door.
"No, of course not, Severus," Lily replied considerately. Severus climbed into the carriage and plopped himself down in the seat across from Lily's.
"Thanks, Lily," he said with a smile.
"Anytime," she replied, gazing out the window at the glistening stars. Severus sat across from her looking pensive.
"Lily, may I ask you a question?" Severus inquired quietly.
"Sure, what is it?" Lily asked, turning her gaze towards Severus, curiosity alight in her emerald eyes.
"Why do the Marauders hate me?" Lily winced at the question and she heaved a great sigh.
"Severus, they don't hate you, they just don't understand you," Lily explained gently.
"Well then, how come you're so nice to me?" Severus questioned eagerly.
"You're a nice guy, Severus," Lily answered after a moment with some semblance of a smile. Severus's face lit up with a bright smile.
"Why don't the Marauders think so?" Severus asked.
"They're blind to a lot of things," Lily replied thoughtfully. "Such as kindness."
"It's not just them though, it's most people at Hogwarts. Nobody really thinks very much of me," Snape added in a tone of immense hurt. Lily moved over to Severus's seat and placed her hand on his shoulder.
"Severus, you have many wonderful qualities. So nevermind what others think about you. They probably just don't understand you because you're so quiet all the time," Lily responded.
"Thanks, Lily," Severus replied as the horseless carriage reached the castle. Lily smiled at Severus and gave his shoulder a squeeze before opening the door. The first thing she saw was James's eager face against the backdrop of the candlelit castle.
"Lily, I'm sorry you had to ride alone," James said apologetically.
"I didn't ride alone, James," Lily replied with a smile. "I rode with Severus." James's lip curled into a sneer, but he refrained from making any remark. Severus stepped out of the carriage and into the moonlight. The moon illuminated his greasy black hair and made his pale flesh seem almost opaque.
"Thanks for keeping Lily company, Snape," James stated stiffly. Severus's eyes filled with astonishment at James's unusually kind behavior towards him.
"Sure, no problem," Severus replied eagerly. Severus turned towards Lily and grinned. Lily smiled in response, but James put his hand on her shoulder and began steering her through the crowd of students and towards the main entrance of the castle.
"I'm so sorry, Lily!" James cried as they climbed the steps together.
"Why?" Lily questioned.
"Because you had to sit alone with Snape!" James exclaimed in astonishment. Lily shrugged her shoulders and flipped her scarlet hair over her shoulder brusquely.
"He really is a nice guy," Lily tried to explain once more to James. James nodded his head abruptly and opened the door for Lily. They made their way into the Great Hall and then towards the Gryffindor table.
"Lily! I saved you a seat!" Sirius shouted as Lily and James approached. He patted the bench next to him. Lily sat down next to Sirius and he began to make polite conversation with her about her summer.
"James!" a similar shout came from nearby. "Over here!" Chloe motioned at him fervently. James took the empty seat next to Chloe, across from Lily, and she began to chatter about her summer to him as well. The Great Hall was filled with student's bantering and shouting.