Chapter 4 – The feast
The chatter of the many Hogwarts students filled the Great Hall as they walked into the familiar magical surroundings. They were all excited about returning to school, meeting their friends and catching up on each of their interesting summer. All but Lily who was still thinking about the incident in the train. The meeting didn't go well at all. Thanks to what happened previously in the compartment, James was still mad at Lily who was trying to avoid his eyes.
She sighed, exhausted from the meeting. The four girls took their usual seats which was right in the middle of the Gryffindor table. The Marauders usually sat a few seats down from them.
"So, Lily, can't wait for lessons to start?" Esther asked, mocking her.
Lily's lips curled a little upwards as she replied "As always."
The noise level dropped as the double doors in the Great Hall were thrown open and the first years, led by a young Professor McGonagall, head of Gryffindor, walked nervously up to the front of the hall.
"Hurry up and get over it!" Sirius Black exclaimed loudly, rubbing his rumbling stomach hungrily. The students around him laughed as they said "Hear, hear!"
Within minutes, the sorting was finally over and James and Sirius were piling their plates full with food as if they haven't eaten for days when Dumbledore stood up and said "Welcome back to another year of Hogwarts! Two words for you. Tuck in!" With that, he sat down and left the students to their feast.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhh!" screamed a newly first year Gryffindor as Nearly Headless Nick appeared, head only, on the table.
"That happens every year!" Ashlee exclaimed. "Doesn't he get tired?"
"Apparently not." Fern replied, her mouth stuffed with food.
"EW! Fern! Gross!"
Lily toned herself out of the conversation and looked around the Great Hall. Everything seemed exactly the same as her first year. She still could remember her amazement and nervousness on her first day there. She could faintly remember a young James and Sirius scaring her that she had to perform magic in front of the whole school which she, of course, didn't know how to. She panicked and when she found out that all she needed to do was to put on the sorting hat, she was so mad at the two boys that she went over and shouted at them which they only laughed in her face, saying that she looked like a tomato when she was angry. That only made her madder and redder. She sneaked a look at James and wondered if he was still angry with her. "What if he still is? What should I do?" Lily asked herself. "Wait a minute. Why would I care what that insufferable git has to say or think about me?"
"Lily! You're practically drooling!" Fern shouted out loudly. The other students, as well as the Marauders turned and looked at Fern and Lily curiously. Fern followed the direction Lily was looking before she could look away and said loudly "JAMES POTTER??!!! No way! Why were you drooling at Potter??!!" Lily blushed and hissed at Fern to keep her voice down. "Why?" she said, then looked around and was surprised to see an audience which she was not aware that she drew.
"Hey Prongs! Did you hear Boot?" Sirius said excitedly.
"Yea, I did." James replied, a grin forming at his mouth. He had forgotten all about the way Lily had treated him on the train and was excited on hearing that Lily had just been staring at him. He turned and looked at Lily and was very happy to see her blushing.
"Seems like Prongs here has finally moved the ice queen's heart." Sirius said whistling.
"Way to go Prongs!" Peter complimented James as usual. Remus just shot James a smile, wishing him luck getting Lily.
James just grinned at his friends and snuck another look at Lily.
"Well, well, well." Said a voice from behind James. He turned around to see Malfoy and Snape sitting at the Slytherin table behind him which he has failed to notice due to his anger and disappointment from the way Lily treated him. "The mudblood and the mudblood-lover. Together at last. How romantic." Lucius Malfoy said sarcastically. James lunged at him but Remus held him back, trying to avoid trouble. Sirius stood up, his eyes blazing with anger while Peter just sat at his seat timidly. Before anything more could happen, Dumbledore stood up and gave his usual announcements before sending the school to bed. The scene between the Marauders and the two Slytherins went unnoticed except for the four other girls.
Before she could stop herself, Lily excused herself from her friends and walked towards the boys.
"Come on, Potter, Remus. We have duties to do."
"Just a moment Evans. We've got a problem to settle with these two gits." James said through his gritted teeth. It shocked Lily how fierce and dangerous he could sound and look when he was angry.
"Forget it." She told him. "They're not worth it."
"Lily's right. Come on." Remus said, tugging his arm.
Reluctantly, James stood up and said to the Slytherins, "I'm letting you two off on Evan's sake. But watch what you say or do." With that, he turned from the table and joined the rest of the school in moving out of the Great Hall and into the Entrance Hall. With one last look, Sirius followed James. Remus gave Lily a grateful look before the two of them together with Peter strode out of the Hall, unaware about the insult that Malfoy and Snape had said behind their backs.
The chatter of the many Hogwarts students filled the Great Hall as they walked into the familiar magical surroundings. They were all excited about returning to school, meeting their friends and catching up on each of their interesting summer. All but Lily who was still thinking about the incident in the train. The meeting didn't go well at all. Thanks to what happened previously in the compartment, James was still mad at Lily who was trying to avoid his eyes.
She sighed, exhausted from the meeting. The four girls took their usual seats which was right in the middle of the Gryffindor table. The Marauders usually sat a few seats down from them.
"So, Lily, can't wait for lessons to start?" Esther asked, mocking her.
Lily's lips curled a little upwards as she replied "As always."
The noise level dropped as the double doors in the Great Hall were thrown open and the first years, led by a young Professor McGonagall, head of Gryffindor, walked nervously up to the front of the hall.
"Hurry up and get over it!" Sirius Black exclaimed loudly, rubbing his rumbling stomach hungrily. The students around him laughed as they said "Hear, hear!"
Within minutes, the sorting was finally over and James and Sirius were piling their plates full with food as if they haven't eaten for days when Dumbledore stood up and said "Welcome back to another year of Hogwarts! Two words for you. Tuck in!" With that, he sat down and left the students to their feast.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhh!" screamed a newly first year Gryffindor as Nearly Headless Nick appeared, head only, on the table.
"That happens every year!" Ashlee exclaimed. "Doesn't he get tired?"
"Apparently not." Fern replied, her mouth stuffed with food.
"EW! Fern! Gross!"
Lily toned herself out of the conversation and looked around the Great Hall. Everything seemed exactly the same as her first year. She still could remember her amazement and nervousness on her first day there. She could faintly remember a young James and Sirius scaring her that she had to perform magic in front of the whole school which she, of course, didn't know how to. She panicked and when she found out that all she needed to do was to put on the sorting hat, she was so mad at the two boys that she went over and shouted at them which they only laughed in her face, saying that she looked like a tomato when she was angry. That only made her madder and redder. She sneaked a look at James and wondered if he was still angry with her. "What if he still is? What should I do?" Lily asked herself. "Wait a minute. Why would I care what that insufferable git has to say or think about me?"
"Lily! You're practically drooling!" Fern shouted out loudly. The other students, as well as the Marauders turned and looked at Fern and Lily curiously. Fern followed the direction Lily was looking before she could look away and said loudly "JAMES POTTER??!!! No way! Why were you drooling at Potter??!!" Lily blushed and hissed at Fern to keep her voice down. "Why?" she said, then looked around and was surprised to see an audience which she was not aware that she drew.
"Hey Prongs! Did you hear Boot?" Sirius said excitedly.
"Yea, I did." James replied, a grin forming at his mouth. He had forgotten all about the way Lily had treated him on the train and was excited on hearing that Lily had just been staring at him. He turned and looked at Lily and was very happy to see her blushing.
"Seems like Prongs here has finally moved the ice queen's heart." Sirius said whistling.
"Way to go Prongs!" Peter complimented James as usual. Remus just shot James a smile, wishing him luck getting Lily.
James just grinned at his friends and snuck another look at Lily.
"Well, well, well." Said a voice from behind James. He turned around to see Malfoy and Snape sitting at the Slytherin table behind him which he has failed to notice due to his anger and disappointment from the way Lily treated him. "The mudblood and the mudblood-lover. Together at last. How romantic." Lucius Malfoy said sarcastically. James lunged at him but Remus held him back, trying to avoid trouble. Sirius stood up, his eyes blazing with anger while Peter just sat at his seat timidly. Before anything more could happen, Dumbledore stood up and gave his usual announcements before sending the school to bed. The scene between the Marauders and the two Slytherins went unnoticed except for the four other girls.
Before she could stop herself, Lily excused herself from her friends and walked towards the boys.
"Come on, Potter, Remus. We have duties to do."
"Just a moment Evans. We've got a problem to settle with these two gits." James said through his gritted teeth. It shocked Lily how fierce and dangerous he could sound and look when he was angry.
"Forget it." She told him. "They're not worth it."
"Lily's right. Come on." Remus said, tugging his arm.
Reluctantly, James stood up and said to the Slytherins, "I'm letting you two off on Evan's sake. But watch what you say or do." With that, he turned from the table and joined the rest of the school in moving out of the Great Hall and into the Entrance Hall. With one last look, Sirius followed James. Remus gave Lily a grateful look before the two of them together with Peter strode out of the Hall, unaware about the insult that Malfoy and Snape had said behind their backs.