Chapter 7
Lily ran to the list, eager to see how she placed in the year. She felt people pushing and shoving around her.
"Evans, Evans, Evans, where is it? Ah! Here it is! Evans, Lily. I—"she grinned, turned around and went over to her friends, pretending to be upset.
"Lil, how'd you—what's wrong?" asked Sirius.
She couldn't hide her grin any longer, and she burst out laughing.
"I came in first! I came in first in our year!"
Everyone hugged her to congratulate her. James rolled his eyes.
"Big deal," he muttered sarcastically.
"I was surprised considering all the detentions I'd gotten this year," she said glaring at James.
"So? I got second and I got more detentions than you."
"Well, congratulations, Potter," said Lily, stiffly, holding her hand.
He looked at her, and then shook her hand, warily.
"Yeah, same to you."
The next day, they were on the train on the way home.
"Lily, you could probably be Head Girl!" said Jenni.
"Nah, next year's going to be harder, and plus, I doubt they'd have a Muggle born as Head Girl, too much controversy, and I probably won't be top of the year ever again. I just lucked out this year."
"And Jamsie will be Head Boy, while you are Head Girl," said Sirius.
Both Lily and James threw something at Sirius, disgusted at the idea of them having to be the Head Boy and Girl with one another.
"It's possible," said Remus, "Quite possible."
"You and Jen came in third, you have as good a chance as we do," said Lily.
"No, I KNOW I won't be Head Boy."
"I will!" said Sirius.
Gabby rolled her eyes.
"Oh no, I hope Dumbledore doesn't make you Head Boy, then we'd all be doomed," said Peter.
Lily jumped, she'd forgotten about Peter. The train slowed, and they got off, dragging their things behind them.
"Mum! Daddy!" called Lily, running to her parents.
"Lily!" said her mother, hugging Lily.
"Guess what?"
"What?"
"I got first in our year!"
"That's terrific, darling!"
"Congratulations, Lily," said Mr. Potter, who had been talking to Mr. Evans.
"Thank you. James got second by a fifth of a point, I think he should have gotten first."
James glared at Lily for bringing up how much he lost to her by.
"That's WONDERFUL, honey!" said Mrs. Potter, hugging James.
"But I didn't get first," he grumbled.
"That's fantastic, James." said Mrs. Evans, smiling kindly.
He smiled at her.
"Thank you."
"Don't worry, James, you'll probably beat me next semester."
"You bet I will."
"Is that a challenge?"
"Maybe."
Lily glared at him.
"You're on, Potter."
"You're going down, Evans."
The parents looked at one another.
"James, we must hurry and get home, the Evans' are coming over for dinner tonight," said Mrs. Potter.
"Yes, and we must hurry to get home in time," said Mrs. Evans.
The Evans family got into their car and drove to their home across London. Lily and her family then walked across the street to Potter Manor.
"But they're GRYFFINDORS, Mum," hissed Petunia.
"Petunia, hush," scolded Mrs. Evans.
Mr. Evans knocked on the large door, and it opened, revealing the smiling face of Mrs. Potter.
"Come on in," she said.
Petunia and Lily sat in the den with James no one speaking. Finally, the dinner bell rang, and they walked to the dining room. James muttered unpleasantries as he was forced to sit between Lily and Petunia.
"I'm not enjoying sitting next to you, either, Potter," Lily whispered to him.
The children listened as their parents chattered during dinner. It seemed that the Evans' and the Potters' had become good friends.
'How ironic,' though Lily sourly, 'how I hate irony.'
By the end of the summer Lily and James hadn't had a chance to prank one another, because their parents were always doing stuff together. Lily and James sat at opposite ends of the compartment, silent to one another. Sirius looked from one to the other, grinning.
"How was your summer, Lily?"
"Horrible."
"And yours James?"
"Ten times worse than hers."
"Why? What did you do to her?" Gabby asked him.
"Did to HER? I did NOTHING!" he said, angrily.
Lily glared at him.
"Lils, what happened?" asked Remus.
"Over the year while we were at school, our parents became friends, therefore forcing us to be around one another ALL SUMMER," Lily said calmly, a bitterness to her tone.
Jenni hugged Lily.
"Aw! I'm so sorry, Lily! Had we known we would have come more often," she said.
Lily smiled.
"It's all right. At least at Hogwarts I have an entire castle to hide in from James."
He laughed, hollowly, as the train slowed. They got off and used the carriages to get back up to the castle. Lily sighed as she sat between Gabby and Jenni, as the Sorting began. She smiled sympathetically at the terrified first years, remembering her Sorting. Dumbledore stood, silence followed, and then his usual announcements. The feast began and everyone stuffed his or her face. By the time they were done, no one felt like moving, but considering the four- poster beds were much more comfortable than the wooden benches in the Great Hall, everyone managed to get to their dorms. Lily sighed and fell into a deep, satisfying slumber.
"I'm trying out for Seeker," said James one morning at breakfast.
"Why?" asked Lily.
"Because I'm good."
She rolled her eyes, pulled out a parchment, quill and ink, and began muttering and writing.
"Chauvinistic, pig- headed, cocky, delusional," she said, writing down those words.
Jenni and Gabby tried not to laugh.
"What's that?" Sirius asked her.
"A list."
"A list of what?" asked Frank.
"James's qualities."
The girls snickered.
"Ha. Ha. Ha," said James sarcastically. "So, what did you REALLY write? Charming? Debonair? Gorgeous? Sexy?"
Lily looked as though she would throw up at the thought of ever thinking any of those things.
"No, I wrote what I said."
She placed the list in her bag
"May I see that list?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Even though I have made several copies and hidden them, I will not allow you to see the list."
"I'm trying out for Beater," said Sirius, changing the subject to his favorite subject: himself.
"Really? Wow, good luck," said Lily.
"Thanks, there are some pretty good guys going out for the team, so I'll have a time of it."
The next day, Sirius and James left for the Quidditch Pitch. Lily rolled her eyes as James made a comment about being the Seeker on England's team by the next year. They both came in, several hours later, dirty, and elated.
"WE MADE IT!!!!!" Sirius shouted. Lily smiled at him, and most of the Common Room cheered. Sirius walked over to Lily. "Hey Lils."
"Hey Sirius, congrats!"
"Yeah, thanks. Come with me, I wanna show you something."
"Okay," she said.
He smiled and led her to the West Tower, and opened an old classroom that was a lounge area, with a radio and couches and beanbag chairs. She took a step in, then Remus came in with James. James went further in than Lily, then turned to see Sirius pulling Remus out of the room, Lily turned around and they closed the door, and locked it from the outside. They both ran to the door, and James tried to open it. It was locked. Lily sat on one of the couches. He tried again.
"If you try once, and it's locked, then it's more than likely it's going to be locked the second time you try," said Lily, looking at him.
He turned around.
"Well, it's better to do something twice than stay in here with you," he said.
"And I agree, but Sirius forgot one thing."
James looked at her.
"And what's that?"
"He needs to disarm his victims."
She grinned and pulled out her wand. James looked at her. She stood and walked to the door.
"Alohamora!" she said, the lock clicked and she walked out of the room, James not too far behind her.
When they got back to Gryffindor Tower, they sneaked in and went into the separate dorms, planning their revenge on Sirius. James planted an intricate web of Dungbombs around Sirius's bed, and Lily had him sing a show tune every time he said the word 'I,' which she knew would me nearly constant wave of Broadway hits.
"Then I said— THE SUN'LL COME OUT... TOMORROW, BET YOUR BOTTOM DOLLAR THAT... TOMORROW..." said Sirius.
The girls clapped, and the guys laughed. Lily cracked up every time, and at lunch, she fell off the bench. Sirius glared at her, and planned another meeting between the two of them in a room, without their wands. He thought and thought and thought about his next move, then grinned.
"Hey Lily!" Sirius ran after her, after Potions class one day.
"What do you want, Sirius?" Lily asked.
She didn't feel like putting up with Sirius, she'd had a bad enough time in Potions.
"To talk."
"Whatever," muttered Gabby.
"Come. Walk. Talk. C'mon, please?"
Lily sighed.
"Fine," she said, walking with him.
She was too tired to notice Sirius slip her wand out of her bag, and into his. James looked up at them as Sirius showed Lily a miniature Common Room, and Sirius locked the three of them inside.
"What are you doing, Sirius?" James asked him.
"Nothing, why?"
"You've locked us in here, you must be up to something," Lily replied.
Sirius tried to look offended.
"Me? Up to something?" James and Lily both gave him a look saying, 'DUH!' He smiled and headed for the door. "See? It's not locked."
He opened the door and stepped out, slammed the door quickly and locked it again. Lily sighed, and James beat on the door.
"I'm going to kill him," she muttered.
"Not of I get to him first," said James. Lily rolled her eyes and sat down on a sofa. James continued to kick the door until the lock clicked, and hour later. "I did it!"
Brad O'Connor looked at the two of them.
"Are you all right?" he asked.
"Fine," said James, stomping past him.
"Thank you, Brad," said Lily.
He blushed.
"Hey, Lily, would you... would you be my girlfriend?"
"Brad, we're twelve! We're much to young for relationships, but I'll be your friend."
He smiled a little, and they went their separate ways. When Lily walked into Gryffindor Tower she could hear James shouting at Sirius, so she just walked up to her dorm and slept through the night. In the following months, Lily was sure to stay away from Sirius without her other friends around, and he would try to get her alone, just to get her worked up. Once, she got so mad at him, she punched him, giving him a black eye, and giving her a week of detentions.
In April, Sirius and James sat in the Common Room.
"Where's Remus?" Sirius asked.
"His gran's sick." said James.
"Again? I wonder what she has."
"I dunno, but he's gone every month, I wonder if he's all right. He comes back looking sick as a dog every time."
Sirius shrugged.
"I don't know, Jamsie boy, I just don't know."
"I was reading about werewolves and they transform every month."
"And... is that supposed to be news?"
"Well, what if Remus doesn't really leave?"
"What are you saying?"
"What if Remus is a werewolf?"
"Naw, he would have told us," said Sirius, dismissively.
"Sirius, if you were a werewolf, would you tell anyone? Friends or otherwise?"
"Are you nuts? I don't want people hating—oh, okay, I see your point."
When Remus returned, James and Sirius pulled him into an empty classroom.
"What's up, guys?" he asked.
"We know," said Sirius.
Remus laughed nervously.
"Know what?"
"We know why you leave every month," said James.
"I don't know what you're—"
"Remus, we still want to be your friends," said Sirius.
"Really? Then you must not really know why I leave."
"You're a werewolf, aren't you?"
Remus nodded slowly.
"And you still want to be my friends?"
They nodded.
"I was reading a book my dad has and it's got a potion in there for the Animagus Potion and Transfiguration. It's tricky, but we can manage it," said James.
"You're going to try a dangerous potion-transfiguration that could deform or kill you, for me?"
They nodded.
"Absolutely," said Sirius.
Remus smiled.
"This is such a relief, I was afraid to tell you, I didn't want you to hate me."
James grinned.
"No big, Re."
"Oh! After we've become Animagi, let's make up nicknames!" said Sirius, excitedly.
The other two rolled their eyes and smiled.
"Okay, Sirius, okay."
Then they walked out of the classroom, and went to class.
Lily ran to the list, eager to see how she placed in the year. She felt people pushing and shoving around her.
"Evans, Evans, Evans, where is it? Ah! Here it is! Evans, Lily. I—"she grinned, turned around and went over to her friends, pretending to be upset.
"Lil, how'd you—what's wrong?" asked Sirius.
She couldn't hide her grin any longer, and she burst out laughing.
"I came in first! I came in first in our year!"
Everyone hugged her to congratulate her. James rolled his eyes.
"Big deal," he muttered sarcastically.
"I was surprised considering all the detentions I'd gotten this year," she said glaring at James.
"So? I got second and I got more detentions than you."
"Well, congratulations, Potter," said Lily, stiffly, holding her hand.
He looked at her, and then shook her hand, warily.
"Yeah, same to you."
The next day, they were on the train on the way home.
"Lily, you could probably be Head Girl!" said Jenni.
"Nah, next year's going to be harder, and plus, I doubt they'd have a Muggle born as Head Girl, too much controversy, and I probably won't be top of the year ever again. I just lucked out this year."
"And Jamsie will be Head Boy, while you are Head Girl," said Sirius.
Both Lily and James threw something at Sirius, disgusted at the idea of them having to be the Head Boy and Girl with one another.
"It's possible," said Remus, "Quite possible."
"You and Jen came in third, you have as good a chance as we do," said Lily.
"No, I KNOW I won't be Head Boy."
"I will!" said Sirius.
Gabby rolled her eyes.
"Oh no, I hope Dumbledore doesn't make you Head Boy, then we'd all be doomed," said Peter.
Lily jumped, she'd forgotten about Peter. The train slowed, and they got off, dragging their things behind them.
"Mum! Daddy!" called Lily, running to her parents.
"Lily!" said her mother, hugging Lily.
"Guess what?"
"What?"
"I got first in our year!"
"That's terrific, darling!"
"Congratulations, Lily," said Mr. Potter, who had been talking to Mr. Evans.
"Thank you. James got second by a fifth of a point, I think he should have gotten first."
James glared at Lily for bringing up how much he lost to her by.
"That's WONDERFUL, honey!" said Mrs. Potter, hugging James.
"But I didn't get first," he grumbled.
"That's fantastic, James." said Mrs. Evans, smiling kindly.
He smiled at her.
"Thank you."
"Don't worry, James, you'll probably beat me next semester."
"You bet I will."
"Is that a challenge?"
"Maybe."
Lily glared at him.
"You're on, Potter."
"You're going down, Evans."
The parents looked at one another.
"James, we must hurry and get home, the Evans' are coming over for dinner tonight," said Mrs. Potter.
"Yes, and we must hurry to get home in time," said Mrs. Evans.
The Evans family got into their car and drove to their home across London. Lily and her family then walked across the street to Potter Manor.
"But they're GRYFFINDORS, Mum," hissed Petunia.
"Petunia, hush," scolded Mrs. Evans.
Mr. Evans knocked on the large door, and it opened, revealing the smiling face of Mrs. Potter.
"Come on in," she said.
Petunia and Lily sat in the den with James no one speaking. Finally, the dinner bell rang, and they walked to the dining room. James muttered unpleasantries as he was forced to sit between Lily and Petunia.
"I'm not enjoying sitting next to you, either, Potter," Lily whispered to him.
The children listened as their parents chattered during dinner. It seemed that the Evans' and the Potters' had become good friends.
'How ironic,' though Lily sourly, 'how I hate irony.'
By the end of the summer Lily and James hadn't had a chance to prank one another, because their parents were always doing stuff together. Lily and James sat at opposite ends of the compartment, silent to one another. Sirius looked from one to the other, grinning.
"How was your summer, Lily?"
"Horrible."
"And yours James?"
"Ten times worse than hers."
"Why? What did you do to her?" Gabby asked him.
"Did to HER? I did NOTHING!" he said, angrily.
Lily glared at him.
"Lils, what happened?" asked Remus.
"Over the year while we were at school, our parents became friends, therefore forcing us to be around one another ALL SUMMER," Lily said calmly, a bitterness to her tone.
Jenni hugged Lily.
"Aw! I'm so sorry, Lily! Had we known we would have come more often," she said.
Lily smiled.
"It's all right. At least at Hogwarts I have an entire castle to hide in from James."
He laughed, hollowly, as the train slowed. They got off and used the carriages to get back up to the castle. Lily sighed as she sat between Gabby and Jenni, as the Sorting began. She smiled sympathetically at the terrified first years, remembering her Sorting. Dumbledore stood, silence followed, and then his usual announcements. The feast began and everyone stuffed his or her face. By the time they were done, no one felt like moving, but considering the four- poster beds were much more comfortable than the wooden benches in the Great Hall, everyone managed to get to their dorms. Lily sighed and fell into a deep, satisfying slumber.
"I'm trying out for Seeker," said James one morning at breakfast.
"Why?" asked Lily.
"Because I'm good."
She rolled her eyes, pulled out a parchment, quill and ink, and began muttering and writing.
"Chauvinistic, pig- headed, cocky, delusional," she said, writing down those words.
Jenni and Gabby tried not to laugh.
"What's that?" Sirius asked her.
"A list."
"A list of what?" asked Frank.
"James's qualities."
The girls snickered.
"Ha. Ha. Ha," said James sarcastically. "So, what did you REALLY write? Charming? Debonair? Gorgeous? Sexy?"
Lily looked as though she would throw up at the thought of ever thinking any of those things.
"No, I wrote what I said."
She placed the list in her bag
"May I see that list?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Even though I have made several copies and hidden them, I will not allow you to see the list."
"I'm trying out for Beater," said Sirius, changing the subject to his favorite subject: himself.
"Really? Wow, good luck," said Lily.
"Thanks, there are some pretty good guys going out for the team, so I'll have a time of it."
The next day, Sirius and James left for the Quidditch Pitch. Lily rolled her eyes as James made a comment about being the Seeker on England's team by the next year. They both came in, several hours later, dirty, and elated.
"WE MADE IT!!!!!" Sirius shouted. Lily smiled at him, and most of the Common Room cheered. Sirius walked over to Lily. "Hey Lils."
"Hey Sirius, congrats!"
"Yeah, thanks. Come with me, I wanna show you something."
"Okay," she said.
He smiled and led her to the West Tower, and opened an old classroom that was a lounge area, with a radio and couches and beanbag chairs. She took a step in, then Remus came in with James. James went further in than Lily, then turned to see Sirius pulling Remus out of the room, Lily turned around and they closed the door, and locked it from the outside. They both ran to the door, and James tried to open it. It was locked. Lily sat on one of the couches. He tried again.
"If you try once, and it's locked, then it's more than likely it's going to be locked the second time you try," said Lily, looking at him.
He turned around.
"Well, it's better to do something twice than stay in here with you," he said.
"And I agree, but Sirius forgot one thing."
James looked at her.
"And what's that?"
"He needs to disarm his victims."
She grinned and pulled out her wand. James looked at her. She stood and walked to the door.
"Alohamora!" she said, the lock clicked and she walked out of the room, James not too far behind her.
When they got back to Gryffindor Tower, they sneaked in and went into the separate dorms, planning their revenge on Sirius. James planted an intricate web of Dungbombs around Sirius's bed, and Lily had him sing a show tune every time he said the word 'I,' which she knew would me nearly constant wave of Broadway hits.
"Then I said— THE SUN'LL COME OUT... TOMORROW, BET YOUR BOTTOM DOLLAR THAT... TOMORROW..." said Sirius.
The girls clapped, and the guys laughed. Lily cracked up every time, and at lunch, she fell off the bench. Sirius glared at her, and planned another meeting between the two of them in a room, without their wands. He thought and thought and thought about his next move, then grinned.
"Hey Lily!" Sirius ran after her, after Potions class one day.
"What do you want, Sirius?" Lily asked.
She didn't feel like putting up with Sirius, she'd had a bad enough time in Potions.
"To talk."
"Whatever," muttered Gabby.
"Come. Walk. Talk. C'mon, please?"
Lily sighed.
"Fine," she said, walking with him.
She was too tired to notice Sirius slip her wand out of her bag, and into his. James looked up at them as Sirius showed Lily a miniature Common Room, and Sirius locked the three of them inside.
"What are you doing, Sirius?" James asked him.
"Nothing, why?"
"You've locked us in here, you must be up to something," Lily replied.
Sirius tried to look offended.
"Me? Up to something?" James and Lily both gave him a look saying, 'DUH!' He smiled and headed for the door. "See? It's not locked."
He opened the door and stepped out, slammed the door quickly and locked it again. Lily sighed, and James beat on the door.
"I'm going to kill him," she muttered.
"Not of I get to him first," said James. Lily rolled her eyes and sat down on a sofa. James continued to kick the door until the lock clicked, and hour later. "I did it!"
Brad O'Connor looked at the two of them.
"Are you all right?" he asked.
"Fine," said James, stomping past him.
"Thank you, Brad," said Lily.
He blushed.
"Hey, Lily, would you... would you be my girlfriend?"
"Brad, we're twelve! We're much to young for relationships, but I'll be your friend."
He smiled a little, and they went their separate ways. When Lily walked into Gryffindor Tower she could hear James shouting at Sirius, so she just walked up to her dorm and slept through the night. In the following months, Lily was sure to stay away from Sirius without her other friends around, and he would try to get her alone, just to get her worked up. Once, she got so mad at him, she punched him, giving him a black eye, and giving her a week of detentions.
In April, Sirius and James sat in the Common Room.
"Where's Remus?" Sirius asked.
"His gran's sick." said James.
"Again? I wonder what she has."
"I dunno, but he's gone every month, I wonder if he's all right. He comes back looking sick as a dog every time."
Sirius shrugged.
"I don't know, Jamsie boy, I just don't know."
"I was reading about werewolves and they transform every month."
"And... is that supposed to be news?"
"Well, what if Remus doesn't really leave?"
"What are you saying?"
"What if Remus is a werewolf?"
"Naw, he would have told us," said Sirius, dismissively.
"Sirius, if you were a werewolf, would you tell anyone? Friends or otherwise?"
"Are you nuts? I don't want people hating—oh, okay, I see your point."
When Remus returned, James and Sirius pulled him into an empty classroom.
"What's up, guys?" he asked.
"We know," said Sirius.
Remus laughed nervously.
"Know what?"
"We know why you leave every month," said James.
"I don't know what you're—"
"Remus, we still want to be your friends," said Sirius.
"Really? Then you must not really know why I leave."
"You're a werewolf, aren't you?"
Remus nodded slowly.
"And you still want to be my friends?"
They nodded.
"I was reading a book my dad has and it's got a potion in there for the Animagus Potion and Transfiguration. It's tricky, but we can manage it," said James.
"You're going to try a dangerous potion-transfiguration that could deform or kill you, for me?"
They nodded.
"Absolutely," said Sirius.
Remus smiled.
"This is such a relief, I was afraid to tell you, I didn't want you to hate me."
James grinned.
"No big, Re."
"Oh! After we've become Animagi, let's make up nicknames!" said Sirius, excitedly.
The other two rolled their eyes and smiled.
"Okay, Sirius, okay."
Then they walked out of the classroom, and went to class.