The Hall fell to sudden silence, however, when Headmaster Dippet stood and
gave his annual speech before the sorting. He spoke of achieving good
grades, being cooperative, being kind to all classmates, and finally,
behaving oneself and not pulling meaningless pranks. As he spoke of pranks
and misbehaving, his eye wandered towards the Gryffindor table and landed
on the Marauders. The group let out a low but boisterous chuckle. Dippet
finished his speech and the sorting commenced. The list seemed
particularly long this year, and all of the students were anxious for
dinner to begin. The sound of growling stomachs seemed to echo throughout
the cavernous Great Hall. At last, Headmaster Dippet declared that it was
time to commence the feast. This announcement was met by thunderous
applause from each house.
For the Marauders, the dinner was mainly spent on planning pranks for the upcoming school year. Lily tried to get some more information out of Chloe about her break up with Sirius, but she was remaining tight-lipped about it all, especially around James. Soon enough all of the golden plates had been cleaned perfectly, and all the sparkling goblets were empty. Professor Dippet then announced that it was time for prefects to lead the members of their house to the common room. Lily and James, head girl and head boy, rose from the table and began to lead the parade of Gryffindors down the winding corridors to their common room.
"James, seriously, what happened this summer between Sirius and Chloe?" Lily whispered as the first years cowered behind them.
"I really don't know, Lily. One day, they just kind of. stopped being a couple. What does it matter anyway, Lily?" James demanded.
"I just want to make sure that they're both going to be okay," Lily replied, slightly injured by James's remarks.
"Well, I think they're both fine, judging from the way Sirius moved right in on you," James responded bitterly.
"What do you mean?" Lily asked, her mind clouding with confusion.
"Oh, don't tell me you haven't noticed, Lily. He has his eye on you," James declared resentfully.
"James, I-I don't think he does," Lilly responded quietly.
"He has since our fifth year, Lily," James shot back. Lily bowed her head in silent wonder. Could she really not have noticed that Sirius had had a crush on her for two years?
"Wait, no, James, that's when he started dating Chloe. Why wouldn't he just ask me out?" Lily inquired.
"I don't know," James replied, shrugging his shoulders. "Ask him."
"Nevermind, James, forget that I ever brought it up," Lily replied with exasperation. James nodded his head and adjusted his robes, trying to compose himself. Chloe came running up suddenly from out of nowhere and grabbed James's arm.
"James! That badge looks so great on you!" Chloe cried with glee, fingering James's luminescent head boy badge.
"Err-thanks, Chloe," James replied awkwardly, removing Chloe's fingers from his badge.
"You're so lucky to be head boy, James," she said in a bubbly tone. Lily rolled her eyes at Chloe's outright flirtation.
"Chloe, give it a rest," Lily muttered after several minutes of her brazen flirting. Chloe turned her gaze towards Lily. Her gray eyes suddenly looked cold and cruel beneath her long lashes. She sneered at Lily and then went on speaking vapidly with James. James kept glancing at Lily uncomfortably. Lily ignored them both, allowing herself to fall behind James and Chloe, she began to direct hopelessly lost first years. After what seemed like an eternity, the group reached their destination, the Gryffindor common room. Lily pushed her way to the front of the crowd once again, making sure to elbow Chloe and James in particularly violent manner, and offered the password to the fat lady in the portrait.
"Reptilian Jig," Lily announced to the lady sporting a pink dress. The first years gasped with amazement as the portrait swung open, revealing a hole large enough to allow access to the common room. The scarlet colored common room was warm and inviting. Fires were lit within each stone fireplace, and the whole room was enveloped in a cheerful glow. Lily walked over to the fire and warmed her hands. The room quickly became crowded with Gryffindor students of all ages. Lily looked around at the delightful bustle of students and felt deeply contented.
"I'm home again," she whispered to herself, as a sensation of deep warmth overcame her.
"It is nice here, isn't it?" a voice spoke from behind her. Lily was startled, not having realized that someone had been standing behind her. She turned to see Sirius's piercing blue eyes examining her.
"Sirius-oh-sorry, I was just talking to myself," Lily said apologetically. Sirius smiled and brushed a few strands of dark hair from his brow. Lily fidgeted awkwardly as she wondered whether Sirius truly thought of her as more than just a rare female sidekick of the Marauders.
"No, I agree with you, Lily. Hogwarts has always been much more than just a school to me," Sirius explained. "It's much more like a home than anything else." Lily nodded in agreement and scanned the thinning crowd in the common room, searching for an excuse to end their impromptu conversation.
"It's late, Sirius, I think I'm going to head up to bed," Lily said.
"Sure, let me walk you up," Sirius offered. Lily tried to think of an excuse, anything to avoid walking anywhere near a bedroom with Sirius Black, but words failed her. She shrugged and Sirius put his arm around her shoulders and began to steer her up the stairs. Lily felt a rosy pink tinge her cheeks. She skimmed the room to see who was paying attention. Her gaze landed on James Potter, whose face held a look of utter disdain and disgust. As they walked by he clicked his tongue at her admonishingly.
"I told you, Lily," he added in an undertone as she passed by.
"What's that, James?" Sirius asked, defiance glinting in his eyes. Lily lowered herself so that Sirius's arm fell from around her shoulders. James shrugged his shoulders and shuffled away slowly. "What's wrong with him?" Sirius questioned as he watched James's retreating back.
"I don't know, you should probably go to talk to him, Sirius," Lily suggested as she scampered up the stairs as quickly as her legs would take her. Lily breathed a sigh of relief as she slipped into her bed and closed her eyes tightly. Confusion ruled her mind, twisting her thoughts, as she struggled to find solace in sleep.
For the Marauders, the dinner was mainly spent on planning pranks for the upcoming school year. Lily tried to get some more information out of Chloe about her break up with Sirius, but she was remaining tight-lipped about it all, especially around James. Soon enough all of the golden plates had been cleaned perfectly, and all the sparkling goblets were empty. Professor Dippet then announced that it was time for prefects to lead the members of their house to the common room. Lily and James, head girl and head boy, rose from the table and began to lead the parade of Gryffindors down the winding corridors to their common room.
"James, seriously, what happened this summer between Sirius and Chloe?" Lily whispered as the first years cowered behind them.
"I really don't know, Lily. One day, they just kind of. stopped being a couple. What does it matter anyway, Lily?" James demanded.
"I just want to make sure that they're both going to be okay," Lily replied, slightly injured by James's remarks.
"Well, I think they're both fine, judging from the way Sirius moved right in on you," James responded bitterly.
"What do you mean?" Lily asked, her mind clouding with confusion.
"Oh, don't tell me you haven't noticed, Lily. He has his eye on you," James declared resentfully.
"James, I-I don't think he does," Lilly responded quietly.
"He has since our fifth year, Lily," James shot back. Lily bowed her head in silent wonder. Could she really not have noticed that Sirius had had a crush on her for two years?
"Wait, no, James, that's when he started dating Chloe. Why wouldn't he just ask me out?" Lily inquired.
"I don't know," James replied, shrugging his shoulders. "Ask him."
"Nevermind, James, forget that I ever brought it up," Lily replied with exasperation. James nodded his head and adjusted his robes, trying to compose himself. Chloe came running up suddenly from out of nowhere and grabbed James's arm.
"James! That badge looks so great on you!" Chloe cried with glee, fingering James's luminescent head boy badge.
"Err-thanks, Chloe," James replied awkwardly, removing Chloe's fingers from his badge.
"You're so lucky to be head boy, James," she said in a bubbly tone. Lily rolled her eyes at Chloe's outright flirtation.
"Chloe, give it a rest," Lily muttered after several minutes of her brazen flirting. Chloe turned her gaze towards Lily. Her gray eyes suddenly looked cold and cruel beneath her long lashes. She sneered at Lily and then went on speaking vapidly with James. James kept glancing at Lily uncomfortably. Lily ignored them both, allowing herself to fall behind James and Chloe, she began to direct hopelessly lost first years. After what seemed like an eternity, the group reached their destination, the Gryffindor common room. Lily pushed her way to the front of the crowd once again, making sure to elbow Chloe and James in particularly violent manner, and offered the password to the fat lady in the portrait.
"Reptilian Jig," Lily announced to the lady sporting a pink dress. The first years gasped with amazement as the portrait swung open, revealing a hole large enough to allow access to the common room. The scarlet colored common room was warm and inviting. Fires were lit within each stone fireplace, and the whole room was enveloped in a cheerful glow. Lily walked over to the fire and warmed her hands. The room quickly became crowded with Gryffindor students of all ages. Lily looked around at the delightful bustle of students and felt deeply contented.
"I'm home again," she whispered to herself, as a sensation of deep warmth overcame her.
"It is nice here, isn't it?" a voice spoke from behind her. Lily was startled, not having realized that someone had been standing behind her. She turned to see Sirius's piercing blue eyes examining her.
"Sirius-oh-sorry, I was just talking to myself," Lily said apologetically. Sirius smiled and brushed a few strands of dark hair from his brow. Lily fidgeted awkwardly as she wondered whether Sirius truly thought of her as more than just a rare female sidekick of the Marauders.
"No, I agree with you, Lily. Hogwarts has always been much more than just a school to me," Sirius explained. "It's much more like a home than anything else." Lily nodded in agreement and scanned the thinning crowd in the common room, searching for an excuse to end their impromptu conversation.
"It's late, Sirius, I think I'm going to head up to bed," Lily said.
"Sure, let me walk you up," Sirius offered. Lily tried to think of an excuse, anything to avoid walking anywhere near a bedroom with Sirius Black, but words failed her. She shrugged and Sirius put his arm around her shoulders and began to steer her up the stairs. Lily felt a rosy pink tinge her cheeks. She skimmed the room to see who was paying attention. Her gaze landed on James Potter, whose face held a look of utter disdain and disgust. As they walked by he clicked his tongue at her admonishingly.
"I told you, Lily," he added in an undertone as she passed by.
"What's that, James?" Sirius asked, defiance glinting in his eyes. Lily lowered herself so that Sirius's arm fell from around her shoulders. James shrugged his shoulders and shuffled away slowly. "What's wrong with him?" Sirius questioned as he watched James's retreating back.
"I don't know, you should probably go to talk to him, Sirius," Lily suggested as she scampered up the stairs as quickly as her legs would take her. Lily breathed a sigh of relief as she slipped into her bed and closed her eyes tightly. Confusion ruled her mind, twisting her thoughts, as she struggled to find solace in sleep.