Chapter 1: Return Journey

The following morning, Lily stood with her father at Platform 9 and ¾, at which the Hogwarts Express was situated. Mr Evans was a rather tall man with short black hair and cloudy grey eyes- which were concealed under thick black eyebrows. Lily's sister Petunia had chosen not to come for Lily's departure, as she did every year when Lily left for Hogwarts.

Lily kept a firm grasp on her trolley, which held two-bolted suitcases- both her luggages for Hogwarts. Mr Evans looked down at his daughter; a soft smile flittered proudly upon his face.

"You've grown up so fast," he said gently, "your mother would have been proud."

Lily smiled; she could do nothing else but smile. She always tried to act strong whenever the subject of her mother arose.

"I know, thanks dad," she replied.

Lily loosened her grip from her trolley and gently hugged her father, not letting go until the final hoot signalled from the Hogwarts Express, signifying that it was about to depart.

"Well, I better go," Lily exclaimed, grasping her trolley once more.

Mr Evans smiled again, before patting Lily on the shoulder, "Make sure you write, have a nice year, Lily," he said.

She nodded vigilantly, "Bye dad."

Mr Evans waved, and watched Lily embark onto the Hogwarts Express, along with the rather ample crowds of students.

-x-

The train was soon pervaded with the noise of students talking joyfully among each other while they tried to find seats for the journey.

Lily quietly packed her luggage away and turned in search for a compartment. However, she was interrupted from her action as a girl with sleek long black hair, and shining blue eyes ran towards her, and engulfed her into a tight hug.

"Herra!" exclaimed Lily, a wide grin quickly residing upon her brightened face.

Herra Findela had been Lily's best friend since their first year at Hogwarts; they met on the Hogwarts Express and almost immediately became friends. Lily felt that Herra was the only one she could open up to, the only person she could tell her feelings to without the worry of them spiralling elsewhere. Herra led Lily into an empty compartment near the bottom end of the train, away from the noise of the sifting students.

"How was your summer?" Herra asked, shutting the compartment door lazily, and then sitting opposite Lily, adjacent to the condensed window.

Lily shrugged idly, "It was alright," she replied. "Yours?"

Herra's face suddenly contorted into a loose frown, and she looked to the floor somewhat despondently, "Well it was alright, but I broke up with Dane," she replied.

Dane Summero, a seventh year Ravenclaw, had been Herra's boyfriend for the last two previous months at Hogwarts.

"That's too bad, what happened?" asked Lily, concerned.

Herra sighed and looked sombrely out of the blurred window, "I don't know, it just wasn't working, I guess," she replied. "Anyway, enough about me, I know someone who has their eye on you," she added, arching an eyebrow.

Lily scoffed indignantly, she knew immediately to who Herra was referring to, "Herra, the whole world knows that Potter has his eye on me," she replied hastily, expecting more of her friend.

A slight moment later, the compartment door rapidly swung open, and leaning loftily against the wooden frame was a tall, slim boy, with black messy hair and hazel eyes, which glinted eagerly behind thin glasses.

"Talking about me?" he asked pretentiously, before taking a seat next to Lily.

A handsome boy with dark, courtly slumped hair, followed the first boy into the compartment and sat next to Herra, who did not look opposing, but instead flushed.

"What, Potter?" asked Lily, the tone in her voice wavering irritably.

James Potter, a seventh year Gryffindor, had been infatuated with Lily the moment he had matched eyes upon hers. Lily, however, could not stand James, as she thought he acted rather arrogant and got into too much trouble by playing immature pranks.

"Rather hostile approach, Evans," replied James, trying to come over as offended, but failing quite miserably.

Lily rolled her eyes scathingly. "And where are the rest of your gang, or is it just you and Black?" she asked.

Sirius Black, a seventh year Gryffindor, was James's partner in crime. However Sirius wasn't in lust with Lily, but rather nearly all the Hogwarts girls were in lust with him instead.

"Well, considering we couldn't find them, and considering you have to go the Head Boy and Girl compartment with Prongs, we decided to grace you with our presence instead," answered Sirius simply.

Lily suddenly felt some strange, horrid rush of mixed annoyance and shock brush through her. How could this possibly be true? James Potter elected as Head Boy? She couldn't be sentenced with a year in such close proximity of this utter prat.

"You're Head Boy?" Lily asked dubiously, hoping Sirius's statement was just a crude joke.

James idly ruffled his unruly hair, before digging his left hand into his robes pocket, a short moment later he extracted a shiny gold badge and absently flicked it.

"That is correct," he answered loftily.

The same strange feeling dashed through Lily once again, like an unwelcome surge enlightening her to a most unpleasant and unfortunate piece of information.

"Oh c'mon, don't act like your disappointed," James said deviously in reply to Lily's utter illusion, wrapping an arm around her with a smirk.

Lily scowled and hastily shoved James away, "And what did you do to bribe Professor Dumbledore to pick you?" she asked sharply, "because there is no way on this planet that you could be picked out of free will."

James smirked in what could definitely be considered his trademark pretentious smile, which always seemed to make Lily's insides pang with anger. To some that smile could be considered charming, but most certainly not to Lily.

"Just my natural magnetism, I don't need to bribe," he replied simply.

Another thing that annoyed Lily about James was his arrogant manner, and as James answered, she found another pang of annoyance pinch her.

"Why didn't you tell me you were Head Girl?" suddenly questioned Herra indignantly, seemingly offended that Lily had not told her.

"Sorry, I was going to," replied Lily quietly.

"Anyway, my sweet Lily, I think we should go to the Head compartment now, as Padfoot pointed out," informed James rather smugly, winking at Sirius, who smirked in return.

He disembarked from his seat and walked to the compartment door, he then leant against the frame casually, a playful grin tugging against his lips.

Lily resentfully stood up, as she had no particular option but to follow James. She was not going to abandon her responsibilities as Head Girl just because James was chosen to work along side her as Head Boy.

"Bye, Herra," said Lily with much resent, before following James out of the compartment door.

-x-

"Potter, aren't we supposed to be patrolling?" asked Lily impatiently, only a short while after she had been sitting rather stiffly in the Head compartment with James.

James studied Lily cynically from behind his thin glasses, as if she were a frustrating puzzle. He loved everything about her, from her flowing ruby hair to her bright emerald eyes, and how they would glow dangerously whenever he taunted her. She was a true picture of perfection, so beautiful and a wonderful personality to match.

"Dear Sweet Lily-" James began to say, but was hastily stopped short.

"Don't call me that, please," Lily countered bitterly.

James idly shrugged, and shuffled his hair once again before replying. "You know, you're so cute when you're angry."

"Is that why you persist in getting me angry?" sneered Lily irritably.

James Potter certainly did anger Lily, and unfortunately he did so on a large number of occasions. Over the previous years at Hogwarts, Lily seemed to be on the receiving end of most of his impudent pranks. James took immense joy in infuriating her, and then constantly asking her out- annoying her, if possible, even more.

"Yes, that and you get angry so easily," teased James.

Lily slightly scoffed and rolled her eyes, "I'm patrolling, like we're supposed to, Potter."

She concluded her remark and mounted from her seat before opening the compartment door, and leaving just in time to hear a muffled 'Bye sweet Lily'.

The meek sun gradually set, and the Hogwarts Express slowly became darker, enabling small wall-lights to flicker on and re-illuminate the train. Lily, who had been patrolling, smiled as she felt the train finally come to a halt, as she was keen to start her last year at Hogwarts.

After she and James had vacated the Hogwarts Express, they monitored the students as they departed the train, Lily then left to find Herra so they could begin the year together.

"Well, we're here!" sparked Herra cheerfully.

She had only just departed from the Hogwarts Express, and stood with Lily as the other students milled the grounds of the dark platform, all-huddling off in different directions. It was a rather cold night, and the twinkling star-studded sky was a dark, deep, entrancing purple.

"Yes, we are, its kind of scary isn't it? I mean, our last ever year at Hogwarts," said Lily, shuddering from the coldness panging her face.

Herra nodded in agreement, "I guess, but we just have to enjoy it," she replied cheerfully, before linking Lily's arm and leading her to one of the many cream carriages silhouetted against the darkness.

The main factor Lily admired most about Herra was that she was a great optimist, she seemed to be more inclined to look on the bright side of things, as if always looking for the good thing out of a bad situation.

Lily, having been guided by Herra, emerged next to one of the carriages. To some, the carriages seemed to operate by some undistinguishable, or invisible creature. However, they were actually directed by Thestrals, fleshless creatures with dragonish heads and pupil-less white eyes. Few people could actually distinguish the Thestrals, because to be able to see them, you had to have previously seen someone die. At a young age, Lily had seen her mother die; however, she had not recollection as to how she had died.

Herra bounded into the empty carriage that rested before them, and sat down on a cushioned seat adjacent to the window. Lily followed after Herra, however she only reached one leg up into the carriage before was interrupted.

"Evans, you're forgetting something!" surfaced a loud voice from the mass of crowds behind her.

Lily frowned at the call of her name, and sharply turned back round to see a content James Potter smirking at her rather roguishly

"What, Potter?" Lily questioned, annoyed. She sprung back down from the carriage, and turned to watch James irritably

James didn't answer Lily's question, but instead took her wrist and escorted her away from the carriage, leaving Herra aghast. He finally directed her to the end of the line of carriages, and they reached a larger, and slightly grander, carriage with a large gold 'H' imprinted on its side.

"Let me guess, Head Boy and Girl carriage?" asked Lily bleakly, once James had released her wrist.

"Correct, again," answered James, stepping into the carriage and extending an arm out for Lily.

Lily didn't really see the reason why she had to sit in a different carriage. The Head Boy and Girl carriage looked almost exactly the same, and it was only a short period of time in which she would be travelling in it. The only major difference was the large gold 'H' engraved on the side, and the appearance being slightly more elegant then the normal carriages. It was still the same style, the same colour, the same Thestrals.

Lily quietly sighed and stepped into the carriage, not taking James's absently floating hand as she did so. She sat opposite him and stared solemnly out through the window at the Thestrals in silence.

James noticed Lily's posture and frowned, "I can't see them," he said quietly.

Lily slightly jerked as James broke the stillness, and she looked towards him. "How do you know they're there?" she asked, "Or did you, well, did you see anyone-"

"Someone told me about them, and that you have to have seen someone die to be able to see them," James replied quietly to Lily's rather frayed question.

Lily grimaced, "Yeah, I wish I couldn't see them," she said sombrely.

James smiled, not the type of mischievous smirk he was notorious for, but instead a genuine caring smile which sparked a strange feeling through Lily.

"Sorry about that," he replied.

A/N: Chapter one es finito. Reviews are appreciated!