Feet pummeling the stone walkway through King's Cross train station, it seemed James and Sirius hadn't been the only ones running late that morning. White-knuckled hands clenched the trolley she was steering as a girl with cascading crimson hair pushed through the crowds of muggles waiting for their trains. The clock was sure to strike 11:00 any second now, and the barrier would be sealed shut, barricading Lily Evans from Platform 9 and 3/4. With this thought in mind, she ran faster, panting, towards platforms 9 and 10. Glimpsing a clock face overhead, the girl saw that she had a few minutes time before the whistles of the Hogwart's Express would sound its departure from London. Glancing left and right and positioning herself to sidle through the stone barrier, she saw that no muggles were looking . With a great push of her trolley, the ginger-haired girl charged at the wall and slipped through onto 9 and 3/4. She directed her trolley full of her luggage and eagle owl around a corner and pleasantly banged right into someone else's, scattering things down onto the stone platform.

"Oh, damn..." Lily swore and immediately bent down and began snatching things up. "I'm sorry, I was in such a hurry I wasn't looking where I was going..."

"No problem at all, Evans." A second hand joined hers to pick up the fallen items, and Lily stood up so suddenly that she dropped a few of the things she had been clutching.

"James Potter," Lily breathed narrowing her eyes to slits and glaring at the boy, now seemingly a young man.

"Correct." James answered, and was quickly reminded of his conversation with Sirius that morning.

"I take that back." Lily began.

"Take back what?" James asked, genuinely confused.

"I take back my apology. I'm glad I ran into your trolley." Lily grumbled monotonously.

"Now, now, Lily, is that how you're going to start off this year?" James moved beside her and threw his arm around her shoulder. Lily cringed and her head sank down between her shoulders.

"It's our last year together as schoolmates, and we must cherish this short time we have to amend any past disagreements we may have been through." James was sarcastically looking towards the heavens as he said all of this, and it actually made a smile crack on Lily's lips. She had chanced a glance sideways at Potter's "overly large" head and noticed, for the first time ever, how much she could see in his face. All of his intelligence, humor, friendliness, and even cockiness, all intricately blended together. She was shocked that she had been starring, but luckily James hadn't paused in his speech to glance at her.

"That's all just peachy, James, but I must be going." Lily removed his arm from around her shoulders, wondering for the first time why she hadn't been immensely grossed out by it being there in the first place, and threw her once-fallen belongings onto her trolley once more, and wheeled it around towards the train.

"See you at school then!" James' sarcasm still dripped on his every word. Lily raised her hand in a wave, humoring him, but did not turn back around.

So, getting a start on our little deal, are you Prongs?" James ripped his eyes from continuing to stare at Lily's retreating back to come face to face with his old gang of friends. The Marauders, as they liked to call themselves.

Sirius, who had spoken, was leading forward two other 7th years. One, by the name of Remus Lupin, and called Moony by his friends, was pale-faced and had a scrawny look about him. But that could be expected, seeing as he had been most unfortunately bitten by a werewolf in his youth, and still struggled with his transformation once a month. A short and squat young man with beady little eyes, jutting front teeth, and a pointed nose shuffled along behind Lupin, bringing up the rear. This was Peter Pettigrew, known to James, Sirius, and Remus usually as Wormtail for one reason or another.

"What 'little deal' might this be?" Lupin inquired as he slung his trunk onto James' trolley, having tired from carrying it around. The group of boys began to meander towards the Hogwart's Express. The conductor was shouting that departure from platform 9 and 3/4 would be taking place in a few minutes time.

"Oh, it's just-" James began to explain, but Sirius cut him off and filled in Moony and Wormtail for him.

"James and I have a bet going that he can't successfully ask out Evans and have their date end in a kiss. We bet 20 galleons on it. Oh, what a rich man I shall be, eh James?" James glared at his best friend. "I wouldn't get your hopes too high just yet, Padfoot, old friend." James replied simply.

The Marauders handed over their belongings to the rear of the train where they were loaded in with the rest of the students' things, and then one by one they disappeared onto the Express to find their usual compartment. James slid in beside the window and gazed out as the train chugged out of the station. His friends had started a game of Exploding Snap which he had chosen to exclude himself from.

About an hour into the train ride, a knock was presented on the door of the Marauders' compartment. Peter slid open the door and squeaked a little when he saw who was their visitor.

"Is James in here?" came a cool female voice. James' head snapped from the window. Lily Evans stood in the doorway.

"Right here," he replied, trying to act calm. What was she doing here to see me for? he thought to himself. He realized too late that he was staring at her, but Lily spoke again.

"We're needed up at the front of the train, Potter."

"What for?" James asked, thoroughly confused.

"How am I supposed to know! Just come on, it must be something important."

James stood up clumsily, tripped over Remus' legs, caught himself before slamming into the wall, and somehow got out of the compartment door to follow Lily down the train. He liked that she was in front of him. He could stare at her without her knowing anything. Her scarlet hair swished back and forth with the movement of the train and her walking. Good thing she was turned the other way. James seemed to be having a bit of trouble with the concept of walking.

Lily reached the head of the train where it was filled with the prefects from other houses. Also, the conductor was there and in his hand he was clutching two letters that were sealed with the Hogwarts crest.

"These just arrived by owl from the school," the conductor informed them. James and Lily looked at each other, both very curious as to what the letters enclosed. The man shoved the parchment into their outstretched hands and walked off past them. Netiher Evans nor Potter made to open the letters, possibly because so many of the 5th year new prefects were gazing avidly at them, apparently also curious as to what was so important in those letters that they needed to be sent to them before they even arrived at school.

James cleared his throat. "Ahem...Lily? Want to open these somewhere else?" He lead the way into the hallway lined with compartments. Here, he slit open the top of the letter and pulled out a letter addressed to him. Lily was doing the same.

Dear James Potter,

We are proud to let you know that you have been chosen as Hogwart's Head Boy. You have shown the skills, intelligence, and responsibility to take on this duty. . .

James skimmed over the rest of the words, still not believing what he had just read. He chanced a glance up and met eyes with Lily at the same time, wondering if her letter read the same words as his...

"Head Girl?" he asked her. She nodded.

"Head Boy?" James nodded in answer.

"I never expected this..." James was saying out loud, more to himself than anyone else.

"Well, we've obviously earned this, the headmaster believes..." Lily offered. She was looking at James in a way she had never looked at him before. Like with a kind of pride she had for him. Maybe she never thought James Potter could clean up his act enough to deserve the Head Boy title.

"Well, it says here we'll get more information when we get to school tonight..."

"Yeah, yeah..." James was saying , still in a lock-gaze with Lily Evans. She ambled off down the corridor and turned her head as she went, smiling. James slumped against the wall and ran his hand through his hair, ruffling it up and sighing deeply as he closed his eyes.

"Head Boy..." He still couldn't get over that minor detail now added to his 7th year at Hogwarts. This was going to be interesting though, seeing as he "shared his duties" with none other than the girl he was betting money on with Sirius. He grinned and walked coolly back to his compartment.