Disclaimer: I do not own any characters except for Aryan Boggs and the plot. The characters all belong to J.K. Rowling. Hail her!
Lily was caught in the moment when she quickly seized Remus's hand and dashed out the door towards the Prefect compartment, but now halfway through the train she turned around realizing that she had no idea where the compartment was.
Behind Lily, stood a confused Remus, not being able to comprehend correctly what was going on and where Lily was leading him. But when he saw the look in her eyes, he sighed heavily.
"Lily, do think before you act." With that he turned around and headed the other direction walking swiftly. "I think it's the other way. Actually, no, I am sure it's this way."
Lily ran to keep up with him, her thoughts still focused on James and the embarrassing situation that they both got caught in by their friends. 'Aryan is not going to left me forget this' Lily thought to herself as the figure before her suddenly stopped and entered a small compartment to the left side of the train leaving her to follow him.
Inside there was Frank Longbottom the Head Boy and Jennifer Beam waiting for their arrival along with the other house Prefects.
Lily took her seat next to Remus receiving a death glare from the Hufflepuff prefect Eleanor Brandstone who was part of the Marauder fan club. If Lily noticed this glare, she didn't react. She was always getting glares from girls for associating or yelling at James or any of the Marauders in fact. Lily concentrated on the announcements Jennifer and Frank were getting ready to make.
"First of all Congratulations to all of you, who have been picked as the highest in your years to serve as prefects. Being chosen as a prefect is a great honor. The school teachers and headmaster have chosen you above all others to give you the opportunity to enforce the laws at school." Frank took a deep breath as Jennifer got up to announce the Prefect duties and privileges, Lily paid close attention noting in detailed all that was explained. Remus next to her sat with ease and looked like he couldn't care less what was going on.
The meeting soon ended as Hogsmeade Station came into view. Lily couldn't help but smile and Remus smiling with her to be back home.
"Alright you have your instructions for tonight, please follow order to avoid any panic especially from the first years. They tend to freak when they see Hagrid." Frank urgently stated heading out the door with Jennifer behind him.
The prefects all looked at each other one more time and headed out the door. Lily opened the train door and stepped onto the Platform. One by one the students left the train hand in hand with their friends.
Over the crowd Lily could see the familiar outline of Hagrid the gamekeeper's enormous body signaling for the first years. Lily couldn't wait to talk to Hagrid again and had to stop the temptation from abandoning her post right there and running up to embrace him in a much-needed hug.
"Is everybody gone?" Remus yelled to her, ten minutes later. Lily looked around to see Remus running up to her from the other door.
"Should we check the train?" She asked unsure.
"Nah! If there is anything left, it's probably the luggage and a few dungbombs Sirius and me planted in Snape's compartment." Remus smirked at the last part of the sentence. Lily didn't say anything. She had never approved of the Marauder way of treating Severus Snape a fellow, fifth year Slytherin.
Lily, Remus and a few other prefects made their way to the horseless carriages. Remus held up his hand and gestured Lily to go in first. Lily climbed in followed by Remus and then Eleanor Brandstone climbed in and squished herself next to Remus. Lily was quiet during the entire bumpy ride listening to how Eleanor hung on to every syllable out of Remus's mouth. Listening to her giggle at his jokes disgusted Lily to the core, but she didn't say anything.
What seemed like an endless ride came to a stop in front of the familiar oak doors and everyone climbed out to go inside.
The great hall was just as Lily remembered it from the year before. She had no trouble finding her friends Aryan, Megan Reynolds, Kristen Hansen and Jessica Monk. Lily took a seat next to her friends and joined the conversation.
"Oh gosh, Lily big surprise! You are a prefect!" Megan mocked surprised. Megan was always doing things out of ordinary. Her policy was 'never be like anybody else' and she never was. With her unique style and speech she was the hardest to talk to among the group. Megan was a curly brunette who crazily experimented with bold colors in her hair. She had a slender figure and her main aspect was her glamorous blue eyes and dark brown eyelashes.
Lily couldn't help but smile at her friend's remark. "Were you guys on the train?"
"Yeah. We were about a couple of compartments away from you." Replied Kristen smiling. Kristen the tallest of the group was also the most practical and serious one, but her looks never agreed. She had strawberry blonde hair, purplish blue eyes, and flawless skin. Kristen, at first seemed quiet and soft, but once alone, she is loud free and fun.
"Sorry, I couldn't come by to see you. I...uh... fell asleep on the train ride."
"Oh not to worry, I told them all about what you were busy with." Aryan looked up to meet Lily's eyes of shock and a small grin played across her lips. "No secret really, they weren't surprised at all."
Lily looked at the other's faces, and they all nodded their head approvingly. Lily smiled, "Shut up, it was nothing like that."
"Like what?" Sirius came up behind Lily and sat down grinning at her. Lily looked straight at the boy warningly. But he just grinned back. Beside him, James took his seat and Remus and Peter on the other side of the table.
"Like what?" Sirius repeated interested. Aryan and the others swallowed their laughter receiving a look from Lily.
Sirius looked at the others, and then at Aryan. "Hey Aryan, what?" He asked again.
Aryan shook her head, "nothing... I guess."
Before Sirius could ask again, Dumbledore stood up to announce the year's welcome. "Welcome back to another wonderful year at Hogwarts!" Everyone is the hall quickly became silent. "As you all know the sorting ceremony will begin momentarily." Dumbledore stated pointing to the old sorting hat sitting on a stool at the front of the hall.
The hall doors opened and the first years followed the swift-walking Professor McGonagall looking scared and frightened to the front of the hall. The sorting hat sang its' song and ended with applause and laughter from everyone.
The sorting ceremony took no more or less than 20 minutes and when it was finished, about 150 first-years were added to the Gryffindor house.
Dumbledore stood up once again, "As you all know the Forbidden Forest is strictly forbidden and any student who chooses to roam there..." Dumbledore stopped and glanced at the Marauders a twinkle in his eyes. "Will have consequences. Also Congratulations to the new Head Boy...ah, yes...Frank Longbottom, and Head Girl, Jennifer Beam." Dumbledore paused for a moment smiling to himself with pleasure before he raised his arms, "Let the feast begin!"
Instantly bowls and plates full of delicious food appeared out of thin air and the students begin to feast.
Lily ate her heart out talking and laughing with her friends and rarely but surely making eye contact with James. Sirius, Peter and even Remus seemed to be very flirtatious as they talked with the Hufflepuff girls sitting at the next table. James concentrated on his food before he couldn't stand it any longer and turned around with his friends to talk to the Hufflepuff girls.
The feast ended shortly. Lily and Remus lead the first-years up to Gryffindor tower. There guarding the door was the fat Lady, "Password" she asked.
"Jobberknoll!" yelled Remus loudly so everyone could hear. The Fat Lady gave way and they made their was through the portrait hole and into the beautifully decorated common room. "Boys rooms this way on the right, and girls this way on the left. You will find your things next to your allotted beds."
Lily followed the girls upstairs saying a quick goodnight to Remus who did the same with the boys.
As soon as Remus opened the door to the fifth year boy's bedroom James and Sirius mobbed him. "So Moony, did she talk about me?" James whispered.
"Who?" Remus asked confused for he had not witnessed the events on the train.
"Lily, who else?" Sirius whispered. Peter snored loudly as they passed his bed.
"Oh! No! Why would she?"
Disappointed James walked to his bed and sat down. "Oh! James do you fancy Lily?" Remus asked realizing.
"No!" James yelled quickly, but then looking at the floor he muttered, "Ok, yea, maybe a little."
Sirius grinned madly at Remus who just shook his head grinning back.
The rest of the night, Remus, Sirius and James planned out new pranks and new teachers to torment especially the Potions teacher, Professor Turpin, who hated the all those who were not in Slytherin, especially the Marauders.
Lily opened the door to find her friends unpacking their clothes and talking about the up coming year, classes, boys, and quidditch.
"Hey! Lily," greeted Jessica motioning Lily over. Jessica was smart, funny, a charming girl with thick dirty-blonde hair and brown eyes. She was as gorgeous as the other girls, but she still had her charms. With her beautiful laughing voice, Jessica was the second best singer at Hogwarts, next to Aryan that is.
Lily sat down on the bed beside Jessica, which was hers. "So when does quidditch start?" she asked Aryan. Aryan was a beater on the Gryffindor quidditch team with Sirius Black.
"Next month! Did you know James is captain this year?" Aryan asked looking at Lily questioningly.
Lily didn't answer, in fact, when no one did, Aryan abandoned the question and switched the topic to Hogsmeade weekends. "The first trip is in a few weeks. I am thinking about asking someone to go with me."
The last statement caught the attention of everyone. Lily gasped, Aryan had never told anyone whom she fancied. They knew she fancied someone, but she never told, not even Lily. "Who?" Lily asked her eyes wide from shock.
"Oh! No one special," Aryan laid down on her bed a smile playing across her face, "just Black."
"Sirius?" Lily asked even more shocked.
"Actually, I am quite serious." Aryan replied smiling to herself.
The others watched as Aryan lay there smiling, her secret revealed. Lily couldn't believe she didn't see it before. Aryan was always happy when Sirius was around, always talked about him, and everything. It was so obvious.
Cursing themselves for not figuring it out sooner, the other girls changed into nightclothes and went to bed.
The magical clock next to Aryan's bed screamed 4:00 o'clock before receiving a punch from a grouchy Aryan. Aryan woke up to an early morning cursing the magical clock that her parents bought for her. Aryan liked getting up, just not at 4:00 in the morning. She quickly brushed her teeth, took a shower and went for a morning walk before breakfast started.
Aryan preferred being alone in the mornings, it was in this time, she was peaceful for Aryan had a secret; a deep secret not even Lily knew. It was only in the mornings that Aryan could not be seen or observed as she makes her way quickly into the Forbidden Forest.
But today was somehow different; Aryan strayed outside the Forbidden Forest debating with herself whether she should go in or not. Going against her better judgment she walked away from the forest and made her way to Hagrid's hut humming to herself a muggle song.
It was only six in the morning now. The sun was just rising; the clouds had specks of all colors in them. It was a beautiful sight to see.
Aryan knocked on the half giant's door strongly.
"Who is it?" came a voice quickly followed by a grunt.
"It is Aryan, Hagrid." Aryan called out smiling.
Hagrid opened the door and was greeted by a hug.
"Hiya, Aryan! Haven't see ye in a while. How are ye? How are ye parents?" Hagrid stepped back from the door letting Aryan in. Aryan walked inside and seated herself next to Fang, Hagrid's big dog.
"Good." She replied stroking Fang up the ears. "And how are you?"
"Me is as fine as can be. Blimey!" Hagrid hurried over to the pot in the fireplace, which was making tea. "Betta ye be wantin' some tea by now, yea?"
"Tea is good." Aryan smiled and took the hot cup from the giant's hand reluctantly. Hagrid's cooking was something not everyone enjoyed.
Hagrid seated himself on a chair in front of Aryan. "So," he began, "how are ye doin' with those... un... things in ye head."
Aryan almost choked into her tea before she remembered that she had confided in Hagrid about her secret.
"Fine, they still hurt when they come though. Professor Dumbledore said I would just have to get used to them." Tears started to form in Aryan's eyes, but she quickly gulped the last of her tea down and stood up to go. "I should be going. Breakfast is probably starting, Lily and the others will start to wonder where I am."
Hagrid nodded opening the door, "Come back, me door is always open for ye, Aryan."
Aryan gave another quick hug to Hagrid and left for the castle running fast.
"Have you seen Aryan?" Lily asked Megan as she walked into the Great Hall looking for Aryan.
"No, sorry, I saw her last night. I didn't see her at all this morning, not even when I left the common room. Weird, actually."
Lily had woken up on several mornings to find Aryan not on the bed opposite her, and later when Lily had asked her about it, Aryan would always dismiss the discussion.
"Wait, here she comes," pointed out Jessica looking up from her mashed potatoes.
Surely enough, Aryan was coming into the Great Hall holding her coat tightly in her arms.
"Hi!" Aryan greeted everyone with a friendly smile, "Breakfast! Thank God! I am starving." Aryan sat down next to Jessica and helped herself to a batch of mashed potatoes and juice. Lily was still standing observing Aryan with interest.
"Where were you, Aryan?" Lily asked calmly. Lily had that determined sound in her voice. Aryan put a spoonful of mashed potatoes in her mouth and gestured 'just a moment' with her finger. Aryan swallowed her food, drank some juice, and then turned to Lily calmly.
"I wanted to visit Hagrid, so I went to his hut this morning, seeing that we would be busy with classes and homework all day." Just then Professor McGonagall started handing out everyone's class schedule. Aryan was simply not pleased with the classes at all as she surveyed at the list.
"Ugh! We have Potions first thing!" Megan cried a disgusted look on her face.
"At least we don't have Charms!" yelled someone coming up from behind Megan and scaring her. It was none other the famous James Potter followed by his three best friends and his fan club filled with giggling girls.
"Speak for yourself! Some of us actually like Charms," muttered Lily glancing up from her own schedule. "I can't believe we have Transfiguration second. Pointless subject in my opinion."
"Maybe you should keep your comments to yourself, Ms. Evans, as you know you are setting an example to the younger students." Professor McGonagall voice was unmistakably louder than Lily had ever heard her. She had apparently heard Lily's comment. Lily flushed the color of roses as she quickly put on a sorry face and turned to look at the ground. James smirk could be seen through the corner of her eyes as she examined the floor cursing herself for getting caught by McGonagall.
Truth be told, Lily was never good at Transfiguration. Her talent was mostly in Charms. Everyone knew that she was the best student in Charms, yet did not do so wonderfully in Transfiguration. But James was just the opposite. He did well in Transfiguration, coming in as top student followed closely by Sirius and Remus, but he wasn't so patient with Charms.
"Potter, stop smirking!" Lily hissed to James, "Or... I'll..."
James didn't let her finish, "Or you'll what? You do know who you are talking to, right? I am the James Potter." James gestured to himself, "The world is known to revolve around me!"
"Hey!" Sirius yelled behind James, "Me too!"
James rolled his eyes at Sirius and went back to talking to Lily. "My point being, you can't do anything to me even if you wanted."
"Want to bet!" Lily found her temper rising. She now found the passionate hate that she felt for James since the beginning. "I bet that I can make you beg me for mercy before this week is over."
"I wouldn't make this bet if I were you." Aryan warned James. "Don't James, it's not worth it."
"Whose side are you on?" cried Lily turning to Aryan.
Aryan took a step back and looked at Lily, then James, and then Lily, "I am on your side, and you know that. I just don't think it's..." Aryan stopped in the middle; she looked dazed for a moment.
"Aryan, are you okay?" Piped up Jessica gathering her books for Potions class.
"Yeah, I am okay." Aryan replied earning curious looks from everyone. "Actually, Lily, I think this would be a great idea. Anyway, I will meet you guys in class, I have to go do something first." With that Aryan turned around and left the Great Hall with her books in one hand and another on her head running towards the nurse's office.
"What was she on about?" Remus asked confused, staring after the direction that Aryan had left.
"Don't know. But we should find out later." Sirius answered.
Lily made a mental note to talk to Aryan alone when she had the chance.
"Back to what we were talking about then?" James stated in a questioning tone staring at Lily.
Lily turned around. "I believe I was just challenging you that I can hurt you emotionally before this week is over."
"No. How about we see who can hurt who the fastest?" James suggested the smirk returning on his face.
"Fine by me." Lily stated quickly, thinking it over.
"Well?" James questioned, "I don't know about you, but for me money is no matter. How much should we bet?"
"Why not making this bet be worth something that is actually of matter to both of us? Something like our pride?" Lily glared at James, observing his reaction closely assuming that he did react because he didn't show it.
"What do you suggest?" Jessica asked curiously.
"If I win, then you have to answer to my demands for a full week as a slave. Agree?"
"And I win, I guess the same will go?"
"Of course, Potter. I am a woman of my word."
"Agreed."
"Agreed."
James and Lily shook their hands confirming their bet and walked away in separate directions followed by their friends.
R/r Next chapter? No promises. If anyone has a clue on what Aryan is, please review, but the secret won't be revealed for another 3 or 4 chapters.
Thanks to all those who review! I will post the next chapter if I can get at least 10 reviews.
Dinis