Disclaimer : I own nothing that has anything to do with Harry Potter, thank you for your time - that is all.
A/N : My first ever, LILY JAMES fic! Yay! I love LJ to death! I'm always reading it, so I'm like lemme write it too! So here I go! I'll try and do this right, but bare with me, I've never written these characters before! But enjoy anyways!
Oh and just some side info! Bethany Belle is NOT Katie Bell's mother or anything
The First Generation - The Beginning of Everything
Chapter 1
Owls and Letters Everywhere
Dear Lil,
Hey I hope everything is going well over at your house. Hopefully your sister isn't making your summer holiday completely horrible! If she is, tell her I say HEY TUNIA!
Lily Evans stopped reading and smiled, thinking back to two summers ago when her best friend, Bethany Belle stopped by her house, out of the blue to surprise Lily with tickets to the Quidditch World Cup that had taken place later that summer. Bethany had walked into the house as if she owned it, one of the many qualities Lily loved about her, she was able to feel comfortable even in places she so sorely stuck out from. She stumbled across Petunia in the living room, sat down beside her on the fancy, pink sofa and stared at her until Lily's sister looked over at her, nose high in the air.
Bethany had scared the heck out of Petunia, starting out on the wrong foot right away. Petunia had gotten so mad she started screaming at Bethany about how she was just like Lily, a complete freak. Of course, Bethany was the strong, stick up for yourself kind of girl, so even though they weren't allowed to do magic out of school she pulled her wand out and started yelling made up words, making Petunia scream even louder, running from the room, off to find mum and dad.
Don't worry about it, though. I've come to save you! My mum and dad are going out of town for the rest of the summer and she said I'd be a lonely little girl without anyone to hang out with.
Lily took the time to envy Bethany's blessing as an only child.
So she said I could invite you and Katilin for the rest of the summer. Will you be allowed to come? My parents are leaving tonight at midnight so if you could come tonight that would be great! Ask your parents and owl me back as soon as they say yes.
And, oh yeah ... well you know how Remus Lupin lives right next to me? Erm ... as your best friend I feel I must tell you (although I really would rather keep it a secret from you), he has invited his friends over for the summer holidays too. That means if you come over, you should know, we are practically living with Potter and Black as well.
Lily put the letter down as she breathed quietly to herself, trying to take in this new information. She weighed her options, she could leave her sister behind for the summer, getting as far away from her evil looks and horrible words ... but she would have to live with Potter and his friends. Normally this wouldn't be so bad, sharing the summer with three boys in her year, but in this case it was the worst thing in the world. Lily and her friends hated James Potter and his best friend, Sirius Black, partly because they played pranks on younger students at school, interrupted classes more than once, dated almost ever Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Huffulepuff girl in their year and above, and were the most big headed, self centered people they had ever met, and partly becuase they had been asking the girls out since first year.
Sirius had always jokingly asked Katilin Thorn; Lily's other best friend, out and no one was sure if he was serious or not. Katilin didn't care because she just played along with his jokes, telling him she would never date him, even if he was the last boy on Earth then flirted with him ten minutes later.
Remus was much more subtle about his feelings, he was very sweet and rather shy when it came to being around Bethany. He was always nice to her, Lily, and Katilin. He'd always make sure she was okay and they'd always spent time together during the summers, although they both denied any feelings for eachother.
James Potter, on the other hand, was the most annoying, cocky, and rude of the three Marauders. He had been after Lily since they we're eleven and he would never give up. Every time he saw Lily he would mess his jet black hair up, making it look like he had just gotten off his broom, trying to show off which usually meant being as mean as possible toward any unlucky student to cross his path. Lily was convinced the only reason he was asking her out was because she was the only girl in all of Hogwarts he couldn't get. She was like a challenge to him, a challenge he wanted to win. Lily would never let him, though.
I know how much you hate them but ... Lily please! come over. We'll have fun and stay away from them. Please please please? For me! Come for me and Katilin, we both want to see you, the summer wont be fun if you aren't there too. Please think about it?
Love always,
Beth
Lily was caught between two rocks, if she wrote to Bethany and didn't go over for the rest of the summer she would have to spend the next two weeks with Petunia muttering bitter things under her breath whenever Lily walked past her. If she went to her best friends house she'd have to spend two long weeks with the Marauders, which she felt was almost as bad as battling Death Eaters single handedly.
She could just imagine two weeks with Sirius and James right next door. Every morning the boys would come knocking on Bethany's door, they would go wake the sleeping girls. Sirius and James would end up turning Lily's hair purple, give Katilin a beard, and Bethany would end up with no hair at all.
Just as Lily had started thinking about spending two more weeks with her sister, a second owl flew in through her open window. This time, Lily recognized the owl as Katilin's, Mr. Tuffles, she had called him. Lily took the letter from the small owls leg and unfolded it.
Lils,
I just got an owl from Beth, she said she had already told you about the Marauder's. Lily listen to me, you have to come over. I know how much you hate Potter but if you don't come over it wont be as fun.
Lily snorted, fun? How could fun include sleeping in the house next to Potter? She couldn't understand Katilin sometimes, she would always have a different opinion of fun. Katilin was more crazy then Lily or Bethany. She had spent the summer before their fifth year traveling through Muggle Europe, completely last minute.
At the beginning of summer, before their fifth year she had written Lily from Spain, using Muggle post. This had surprised Lily because Katilin was pure blood and she had never used anything other than an owl to send a letter. Katilin had come up with the idea to travel through Europe in a completely Muggle fashion, no magic, so the very next day Katilin had packed up and gone to Spain.
The two best friends could not possibly be more different, Lily's opinion on 'fun' was very different from Katilin's wild, party like way of thinking so Lily didn't believe her when she said it wouldn't be as fun without her.
I know you're probably thinking I'm crazy and my kind of fun is skinny dipping under the full moon and your kind of fun is sitting infront of a fire with a good book in hand, but Lils please just believe me when I say this. The Marauder's wont bother you, I promise.
Lily come on, they aren't as bad as you make them out to be. Sirius just likes to see you glare at him and James likes you so much but you wont give him any attention so he has to get you to acknowledge his presence's somehow, so he does things that he knows will annoy you, just so you'll yell at him. Lils give them a chance. This summer is gonna be the best ever, but not if it's just Beth and I. So think about it okay?
Love you,
Kat
Lily couldn't believe her best friend was taking the Marauder's side on this. Katilin knew how much she hated them, Sirius was always acting like he was a god, like every girl, including Lily was lucky to be allowed to speak to him. James was always cursing people just because he could, messing up his hair as if it made him look 'cool', and asking Lily out whenever he could get the chance.
Spending the next two weeks saying 'No Potter, I will not go out with you.' just did not seem like fun to her. James Potter would never lay a single hand on Lily, and that was a promise she made to herself in her first year when James had first asked her out, while he was dating Kira Blance, who was a year older than he was.
Just then Petunia shouted up to her from the kitchen, 'Lillian!' She had started calling Lily by her full name ever since the day she got her letter from Hogwarts when she was eleven. 'Mum wants to know if you'd like to come out to dinner with us.'
'No thank you.' Lily yelled back down, just before the front door slamed shut.
Great, was this what Lily had to look forward to if she didn't spend the rest of the summer with her two best friends and the Marauders? She didn't think she could bare that, but then a picture of James flashed before her eyes and Lily huffed, she couldn't handle James Potter, either.
There was a loud hoot and Lily looked over at the two owls, Bethany's owl was perched on top of her dresser and Katilin's owl was flying around the room, above her head. The bird who had made the hooting noise, however, was neither Mr. Tuffles or Donaven; Bethany's owl. A new owl, slightly bigger than the other two with large wings and feathers as dark as mud, flew into Lily's room.
Lily frowned and moved over to the bird on her window sill. Who's owl was this? She had never seen it before.
She took the letter from its leg and recognized the writing right away. Remus Lupin.
Lily,
I was just over at Beth's house.
She could pracitcally see Remus blushing. It was rather obvious to evereyone except Bethany, that he liked her - a lot.
She told me she invited you and Kat over for the next two weeks, so I'm sure she also told you I've invited Sirius and James over as well. Lils please don't worry, I will personally make sure they don't bother you, so please don't refrain from visiting Beth because you know James will be over.
Geeze, word got around so fast these days. How did everyone know she'd been thinking about staying home for the rest of the summer?
Beth and Kat want you to come over so please don't disappoint them by staying home to stay away from my friends. I know how you are, Lils. Beth and Kat want to see you and you don't want to be stuck at your house with your sister, so don't punish yourself. Come over and I'll do my best to keep James from being ... well James. All right?
I
really hope to see you soon,
Remus
Lily tossed the letter aside. There was no way Remus would be able to keep Sirius and James at bay, if Dumbledore couldn't do it, if McGonagall couldn't do it, and if the Head Boy and Girl couldn't do it, there was no way Remus would be able to.
Remus' owl nibbled affectionetly at her ear from where it sat on her bed. Lily was sitting on the floor, leaning against the foot of her bed. She watched Mr. Tuffles, who had stopped flying wildly around her room and had perched itself on her fan, attached to the ceiling.
Remus Lupin was the nicest of the Marauder's, he was always trying to help out and he would do his best to keep Sirius and James from killing any Slytherins. Lily didn't know how he could put up with the two boys, but somehow he managed, and somehow he liked to spend time with them.
Lily knew his biggest secret though, and she knew Sirius and James' secret too. Remus was a werewolf and once a month, on the full moon he turned into the beast. His two best friends would turn into their anamagi forms; Sirius a dog and James a stag, and they would spend the time Remus was a werewolf with him, making it as fun as possible.
Lily knew this was why Remus wouldn't stop them from pulling pranks on everyone at Hogwarts, even when he was Gryffindor Prefect. He was so thankful to have such loyal friends, he would never tell them to stop their games. Lily understood why, and she had to admit that, even though she didn't like Sirius and James at all, they were both very good friends. She knew they would die to protect each other, and even Lily had to say this was their best traits. Friendship was the most important thing to the Marauders and nothing could tear them apart.
For the fourth time that day an owl flew in through Lily's window and landed on her knee. What was it with letters today? Did everyone know about her little problem with what to do; goto live next to the Marauders, or stay at home with her darling sister.
The newest owl was snow white and the largest of the four, with very green eyes. Again, she had no idea who's owl it was.
Lillian my sweet, the letter began and right away she knew it was from none other than Sirius Black. He had the annoying air to him that was even carried around in his letters.
I heard you were invited to Beth's house? I'm sure you've heard, Remmy has also invited James and I over as well. Isn't this great! Remus, James, me, Kat, Beth, and you get to spend the next two weeks together! Isn't this great! Lillian come on! Admit it, you're dying to see us all, especially Jamesie. He's dying to see you too, he's missed you a lot this summer. Why didn't you write him back? He said he wrote you about twenty letters. You hurt him Lils, you hurt thim bad.
Lily snorted, Sirius was such a dramaqueen. He was always streching the truth or adding details to spice up a story.
The real reason Lily hadn't written James back even once through out the whole summer was because she was hoping if she ignored him he would go away - she was wrong.
Lillian, Lillian, Lillian. What will we do with you? Why don't you just admit it, Prongs isn't as bad as you think he is. Stop making him feel like an animal. Haha! No pun intended. (You get it Lils? He's a stag? He IS an animal? That's why it's a pun. Get it?)
Sirius, you are such an idiot, Lily thought.
Anyways, come to Beth's okay? It'll be fun and James would be really happy to see you again, even though I'm sure you don't want to see him.
You know he's been really down this summer? He hasn't seen or heard from you since the end of school, he likes you so much, Lils, and even if you don't feel the same way about him, he still likes you and he still wants to see you.
He doesn't mean to be so ... how did you put it? Annoyingly self absorbed. Lily you know when he hexes Snape or some young thrid year he only does it to impress you. When he messes up his hair he only does it because he gets nervous around you. Lily! I've never seen him act the way he does around you. Usually, with the other girls he's dated he only dates them for the sake of dating but Lils, with you he gets nervous and wants to impress you, he actually tries to think of sweet, romantic was of asking you out.
It makes me sick but I help him out anyway, like last year at Valentines Day when he had six dozen owls fly into the Great Hall during breakfast, each with a pink lilly tied to their leg? I helped him tie those, lillies, I helped him send the owls into the great hall, all at the same time. I helped him find enough owls for that. Do you know why I spent a week before Valentines Day helping him fix that up for YOU. Why? Because I know how much he likes you Lily, I know how much he loves you. He doesn't look at you the way he looked at all the other girls he's dated. He looks at you as though your the only girl in the world, the only one he loves.
Lily, I know you don't want to come to Beth's house because you don't want to have to spend two weeks next to James and I, but come anyways, because I might kill myself if I have to spend even one more day with James moping around the house, always asking what he could do to make himself less of an air head. Or what he can do to change who he is to become someone you'd want to date.
Lillian Evans you are killing me! You are killing James! If I die, I am taking you down with me! So either you come and let James be an annoying idiot infront of you or I will explode!
All my love,
Sirius
Lily started blankly at the parchment in her hands. Sirius Black, the crazy teen. He exaggerated everything. She couldn't understand him most of the time. He lived on a different planet, one where he was a god. That planet was Hogwarts, every girl loved him.
Even Lily had to admit, Sirius was very handsome and made most girls fall at his feet with just one smile. Most girls loved him, not Lily. She thought he was almost as bad as James.
Lily stood up and moved to her window, just as a fifth owl flew up to it. She sighed and stood back to let it in her room.
She knew this owl, he had flown through her window many times before. Keeper, James' owl.
What did he want now? She tore the letter from the owls leg and read, rather reluctantly.
Lils,
Listen, Remus and Sirius both just wrote me to tell me that you were invited to Beth's house for the last two weeks of summer. You know Sirius and I will be next door. Lils please come? I want to see you, you haven't written me back at all since we left Hogwarts. I want to talk to you, please just come? It'll be fun.
Lily's cheeks turned pink, everyone kept telling her it would be fun. She didn't believe any of them.
I'm sorry you don't like me very much but I really want to see you and I know for a FACT that Beth and Kat want to see you too. So just visit Beth's house tonight? Sirius and I are leaving for Remus' house at around ten.
It was seven right now and Lily knew they'd be there earlier. That was how they always did things. They gave each other a time, but ended up showing up whenever they wanted.
Come? Please? Come for Kat and Beth, your best friends. None of us have seen you since we got off the train on the last day of school.
I hope we'll see you soon,
James
Lily grunted and looked up, when she started laughing. She was one very loved seventeen year old. There were five owls sitting around her room.
Bethany's owl was sitting on her desk, pecking at a pencil lying near its foot, Katilin's owl was flying, hyper, around the room again, Remus' owl was perched on the edge of her bed, sleeping. Sirius' owl was sitting on the fan, attached from the ceiling. James' owl was brushing against her arm from on the window ledge where she was leaning against.
Lily grabbed a stack of parchment and a quill from her desk, and began to write.
Beth,
I'll be there by eleven.
She tied it to Bethanys' owls' leg and sent it off into the darkening sky.
Kat,
See you there.
Again, Lily sent the rightful owl off into the cool air, then walked back to her desk, once more.
Remus,
Thanks, you're a great friend. See you soon.
She sent his owl back to Remus.
Black,
You idiot! I'll see you soon, unfortunately.
His owl soared from her room.
Potter,
I swear if you act like a pig headed, self centered, air head this summer I'll make sure you're not able to have children!
All my love,
Lily
She grinned, there, now he wouldn't be able to say she hadn't ever answered his letters. With that she sent his bird back to him.
Now she had packing to do. If she was going to be at Bethany's house at eleven she only had five hours to get ready and find a way to get there.
Lily had to ask her parents if she was allowed to go too, so she slipped downstairs, where everything was still dark. Her parents and sister were still out to dinner. Lily picked up the phone near her, which was on the kitchen counter and dialed her father's cell phone.
Her dad picked up after three rings, 'Hello?'
'Dad? Bethany wrote me a little while ago, she wants me to visit her for the rest of the summer. Would it be alright if I went?' Lily asked him. She knew he'd say yes so she wasn't worried about writing her friends back, canceling their plans.
'Sure sweetie. When does she want you there by?' He asked her and she smiled happily.
'Tonight, at eleven. I was thinking I could take a cab over, since she lives in a Muggle neighborhood. When are you and mum coming home?' Lily asked him as she took an apple from the fruit bowl next to her.
'We wanted to go see a film after dinner, Lils. We wont be home until past eleven. Why don't you pack and call a cab then get some money from my night table and go to Beth's house. You can write to us when you get there, okay?' Her father offered.
'Okay, I'll see you at Christmas then? Tell mum I goodbye for me.' Lily and her father talked a bit longer before they hung up and she went back up to her room to pack.
When she walked in James' owl was, once again, sitting on the window ledge with another note.
I love you, Lils. I'll see you soon.
Lily sent his owl off again and ignored his note as she began packing. She still needed to shower and get ready for Bethany's house and if she stopped to play little note games with James Potter she wouldn't get there on time.
This would be an interesting two weeks, spending time with her two best friends, Remus, James, and Sirius, who Lily knew would bother her, even with Remus' help. None the less, Lily couldn't help but smile. All those owls and notes from her friends, she knew how much they wanted her there, and she knew how much she wanted to be there, even if James and Sirius would be there too.
Maybe they'd leave her, Beth, and Kat alone. She laughed, fat chance! This was promised to be a very interesting summer, it always would be with the Marauders.