"Okay, you may leave now," a red haired kid said exasperatedly and barely trying to cover it, literally pushing a couple of grown ups back, her rather small hands forcefully grasping bunches of the fabric of their clothes and using it to propel them towards a specific brick column. Her eyes were narrowed and her face was determinedly set in hard lines that were sacrilegious to her so young face.
But no matter how hard she really tried to just get rid of them they seemed determined to keep fawning all over her, cooing unintelligible words in parent-language, smiling and hugging and weeping and it was all she could to stop herself from screaming.
Quite literally, mind you.
So she was leaving.
So she was eleven.
So it was it her first time.
So her parents loved her very much.
So?
Did that mean that they just had to act so immaturely? No wonder her friends always were sort of embarrassed to be seen with their own set of parents. If they were half the way her parents at this moment were she would lock herself up in the attic and never come down. Preferably to become mad than be harassed in public by her own family and let the whole world be a witness to it.
She had never before been embarrassed to go out with her parents. They always had been a loving family and all that, and she was sort of used to it. She didn't blush when her mother called her "my pretty baby" (in public!) and she didn't squirm when they gave her their typical peck on the cheek. She had never done any of those things. She hadn't really put much thought into it, and when she occasionally did she had considered herself a bit more mature than the rest of her peers on that aspect. There wasn't absolutely anything wrong with the fact that your parents loved you and showed it to you in their various and really creative ways (For you to come up with "my baby, weenie, teeny muffin duffin" and actually create a song for it while in the shower you sure had to be. And it had always rhymed, so what's not creative?). But it hadn't mattered, they didn't start singing it at the top of their lungs on the streets, only in the shower, and they only called her "baby" and "muffin" when in public, not the whole effing thing, so she was sort of cool by it.
But this?
This, my friends, was not loving, nah ah. This was something huger that made you want to shave your head, pierce your nipples with a needle that came from doubtful sources and join a rickety rock band that's only real prospect for the tomorrow was not waking up.
That bad.
She could almost shiver in mock terror. She couldn't even start to be grateful enough.
Thank God for boarding schools (she never did like rock music).
Gods she was only eleven and she was desperate enough to want to leave! Sure, parental love rocks my socks blah blah, but there's such a huge drift between being loving and being clingy. And right now? Her parents had launched all kind of whirring sirens in their clingy demonstration. So many in fact, that she was quite sure she was bathed in red; or it could have been the reflection from the shiny train that was piping up, happy and ready to leave.
"We'll miss you Lily, honey! Be a good girl now, and don't go off taking that sweater! You may catch a horrible cold if you do, and your mommy won't be there to take of mumsy Lilsy!" the woman said as she finally disappeared through the brick column, Lily's efforts not being in vain as her father finally dashed through too.
Panting with the enormous attempt, she leaned against the same column, careful to not step through just like her parents. Her pretty green eyes were closed and her short, fiery springy curls were sticking to her flushed and sweaty face.
"It's not even cold," the girl muttered as she yanked savagely at the sweater her mother had made her wear for the 'special occasion'. Vulgarly said, she was sweating like a pig, and it didn't matter what her mother had just told her, she was taking this off right now! Darn parental conspiracies and preoccupations, she was hot.
Of course she loved her parents. She honestly and truly to God did. Who didn't? They had given her life, they had given her a home, food, all the basics, you know, but they could be so exasperating at times. It hadn't been that they openly showed their affection, as she had mentioned before, she didn't really care about that, but there were so many details that kept driving Lily up the wall. She had been ecstatic when the Hogwarts' letter had arrived. She was special and she was going to go study away! And it only belonged to her, only her.
Now, the only actual problem had been the convincing. It had taken every ounce of Lily's loving skills and skilful tactics to be able to convince her parents that she would be properly taken care of, and that this would "help her broaden her educational and personal experience" and that it simply was the best thing for her.
Of course she had come out triumphant, she could cuddle and sweet dimple if she wanted to. She had demonstrated a darn good sense of cunning, thank you very much.
Not even the bitterness of her sister towards her would change the fact that she was leaving, that she was going to study magic; that she was going to a boarding school and she would get experiences and friends of her own, that she would be leaving Vernon behind.
That guy.
That big, annoying bully of a guy. He couldn't just take a NO for an answer.
Free at last.
With a smile she took off towards the red train that would free her from her silly parents, freaking sisters (mind you, she only had one), and the stalking Vernon, who just couldn't get it in his thick skull that she was NOT interested in him.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
James Potter strode nonchalantly through the barrier that separated him from station 9 ¾ and his future in Hogwarts as a memorable heartbreaker.
He was more than aware of his blossoming good looks, and with exaggerated pride he held his head high. His hopelessly rebellious chestnut hair was sticking every which way in a strangely attractive manner and his warm brown eyes shone mischievously behind a pair of round glasses that accented his good looks in an earthly manner: intelligent and classy, not geeky. Finally the year to leave home and become 'independent' had arrived. The mischievous twinkle in his eye gave it all away. He was ready to eat the world.
He grinned crookedly and unknowingly leaned against the same column Lily had rested on just moments before. Closing his eyes, he tried to savour the moment, trying to take everything in at once. The senseless chatter that surrounded him: murmurs like a cloud rising from the ground and floating around, enveloping the air, making it stagnant with the bitter smoke that came from the Hogwarts' Express.
Hogwarts. He was enthralled. The place held so much mystery to him that he couldn't help but feel almost giddy with excitement, barely managing to leash it in and stay under control. It was the magical school, the stone palace, apparently a fortress taken right out of a dream, it was the place. And he was all on his own now: his parents had not come all the way to the station, preferring to say goodbye to him at home. His father proud as he gave him a one-armed hug and his mother with a giving smile, giving him money to spend "wisely" for the rest of his school year, and if he was ever to "lack" anything he would owl her immediately and she would "happily provide it to him".
Giving a contented sigh, he stood up and brushed away invisible particles of dust from his expensive clothing. He wanted to travel forward in time and see just how exactly this day, and the rest of the days he was to spend at Hogwarts, would turn out to be. With a snap of his fingers and a loud, resounding 'crack' a tiny creature with flopping ears and huge tearful eyes appeared.
"Master be needing Higgy?" it asked humbly.
"Why, yes," James answered kindly as he mentally rolled his eyes. Why else would he snap his fingers for? To hurry himself up? Ah well, patience was a virtue after all. "I need you to take my things on board, Higgy, if you please. Find a compartment that's unoccupied or if unable to do so, the one that has less people in it, alright?" he said carefully, clearly and politely. He didn't want the Summer Incident to repeat itself in here. He had to make a positive impression, not the ridicule. But it had been his fault, he supposed. He was the one that "had not spoken clearly". Poor Higgy, he had ended up somewhere on the Cayman Islands. It had taken almost a week to locate him, the elf kept trying to Apparate back, but the Frontier Guards had asked him "too many questions that made poor Higgy's head spin and spin, master".
With a goofy grin, he started walking towards the train, already thinking of all the potential behind his safely pocketed galleons and a bandit house elf. Oh, the trick things he would be able to buy at Zonko's! There would be pranks galore! The professors would never even know what hit them. And he wouldn't be blamed for a single thing. Higgy would be behind it all because house elves were never caught.
He was determined to be the fearful nightmare of the staff at Hogwarts. He would drive them up the wall; he would make them pull out their hair in exasperation as they wondered who could have transfigured all their desks into pigs and changed all their real wands for fake ones that squawked as soon as you grabbed them…
"Hey you! Hey! Excuse me!" With a start he woke up from his fevered reverie. A small girl was—poking him? And waving her arms like a windmill, apparently.
Sure thing. There she was, red hair and all, standing at the boarding entrance of the Express; a frown deeply entrenched between her pretty eyebrows, her eyes fierce, her hands at her 'hips'. A stance that reminded him way too strongly of his Nana Francesca. Merlin, not good, definitely not good.
Needless to say, he stopped dry on his tracks, his eyes wide and fearful for a second. Then he mentally shook his head and 'elegantly' arched an eyebrow.
"What?" he asked crudely.
"What?" she repeated in an incredulous gasp, her lips falling open in a perfect 'o'. "What, exactly, do you mean with 'what'?"
"What else except for what would I mean with what except exactly that, what?" James answered rolling his eyes. Girls could act so…girlish at times. Some were total airheads, and this one wasn't exactly proving her worth in weight.
"I've been speaking to you for the last five minutes!" the girl cried indignantly, her almond jade eyes narrowing impossibly and her tone low.
James just looked at her.
Huffing, the girl continued, "What I have been telling you, or rather trying to tell you it's that it is against the rules to bring any other magical creature that is not and owl or a frog."
"What are you going on about?" James asked tiredly. Really, the things girls would go blabbering on about. Bloody annoying if you asked him.
Gaping like a fish the girl positively started jabbing him on the ribs. "I'm talking about this poor creature that you have sent to save you a compartment! And carrying all your trashy loads, nonetheless! It's positively shameful that wizards can slave a creature like this! It goes against all morality!" And she raved on and on; it appeared that her rage would go on endlessly.
At that moment, James noted the rather loud and unmistakable whimpering that was heard behind the girl's uncouthly clothed legs and finally comprehended just what she was screeching about.
"Higgy?" James groaned.
Sure enough, Higgy chose that moment to dare poke his head from behind the girl and stare with teary, wide and frightened eyes at his master.
"Higgy is being sorry, Master James. Higgy had been searching for a compartment when he was found by Mistress Lillian Evans here," Higgy declared woefully, wringing his hands nervously as his eyes appeared to be transfixed on James.
Mercifully, the girl's—Lily—diversion was waylaid by this statement for a second.
"I already told you Higgy, I'm not your owner or anything and there is no need for you to be calling me by my full name. You can call me Lily," the girl—Lily—declared happily.
"Yeah, she's not your owner," James repeated and Higgy's eyes widened even more.
"Higgy's being sorry, Master. No one is Master but great Master James! I's being sorry, Master! Higgy's sorry!" the elf exclaimed fearfully.
"Err—yeah, it's okay, you're sorry Higgy, its okay," James said rapidly as he caught the death glare the girl sent his way. He gave a nervous laugh as he watched the girl from the corner of his eye. "Come Higgy, Mother and Father ought to be waiting for you," he said firmly, trying to rapidly set something up.
"No! Master can't be sending Higgy to Masters! Higgy told he was being sorry, Master! Please don't send Higgy home to get him punished! Higgy'll punish himself, yes Master, look how Higgy punishes himself!"
To both of the kids horror—James in fear mostly—Higgy started banging his head against the red surface of the Express, the awful clangs resounding in the brimming station.
"No! Higgy, stop!" James yelled, grabbing his house elf from the shoulders to prevent him from doing any further damage. "I—I was not going to send you home to be punished! Just remember that Father sent you to put my things on the train and then to leave with them!" he said hurriedly, trying to buy some time against Lily's wrath.
But Higgy either wasn't on a cooperative mood or simply didn't understand his Master's desperate attempts at covering his foolhardiness. "But Senior Masters didn't come to platform, Master, they said their goodbyes at home, remember?" Higgy asked slowly, his watery eyes darting from Lily to his master. Could Master be sick? Why didn't he remember? If so, it was Higgy's duty to stay beside him every step of the way.
Arching an eyebrow, the girl crossed her arms and fixed James with a stare. "Nice try," she said coldly.
Gulping, James turned to look directly at her. "So what if he comes with me?" he asked defiantly, his eyes blazing. "Who do you think you are to decide who or what comes on board of this Express, huh? What are you, Magical Menagerie Guard? Besides, we aren't even near Hogwarts, so what makes you think that I won't send him back as soon as we arrive? Maybe I just need him during the trip to carry my things and all that! It's not your business anyway, so stop being such a girl and keep your sticky nose in your businesses!" he exploded childishly. He was not going to be intimidated by a girl of all things.
The girl, unaffected, responded just as childishly. "It's against the rules dummy! You can't bring a house elf into the train! Why, you should've gotten an owl or something less—less magical!"
"HA! Well, I do have an owl, had you taken the time to see!" James pointed out triumphantly. "Higgy, show her Nocturne," he commanded smoothly. Smoothness born out of years of practice, which was not lost on Lily.
"I can see it on my own, thank you very much," she answered coldly, turning to the pile that was James' property. Right on cue, a pitch black owl hooted arrogantly from its silver cage, its emerald eyes glaring at the girl.
"Cost me a bloody fortune, that one did. The best of the lot. The shop clerk himself showed me its genealogic tree. Goes back to Grindelwald's time," James said proudly.
"Well, I, for one, think you both are disgusting, ancient or not," Lily replied delicately, her nose in the air. "You are one vulgar prick, James Potter," she declared as she uncrossed her arms. "And your owl is one cheap imitation."
James growled, irritated. Nobody messed with Nocturne. But at least she had stopped bothering him about Higgy and "the rules".
"You're one good example of what the French call bâtard narcissique," she continued huffily, her curls bouncing and springing as she shook her head.
"And you expect me to believe that you knowwhat that means?" James asked rudely, a sneer marring his lips.
"Excuse me? But of course I know what that means!" cried Lily offended. She had studied in France after all! So she proceeded to tell him just that.
"Oh yeah?" James asked with a glare.
"Yeah! Just because you barely see the sun once in a while doesn't mean that the rest of the world has to be as uneducated and ignorant as you are!"
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah!"
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah!"
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah!"
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah!"
"Oh yeah?"
"YES!"
"I don't believe you. Tell me what it means."
"It's the synonym to your name, arse," Lily said, wheeling around and picking up her own trunk.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Already in a shady mood, James was looking into every compartment, and finding each of them full, slammed the door shut. How was it possible that not a single place was available? None of this would have happened if that—that—girl hadn't interfered. Higgy would have found a decent compartment and he wouldn't have to be walking all the train to find something he should've had already in the first place! And what was her business anyway? What did she care if he brought a house elf? He could bring a nundu and she still wouldn't have a right to interfere!
Darkly he kept muttering things under his breath in total frustration. He had to vent in some way.
"Who does she think she is?" James asked himself for the umpteenth time, still fuming. "It's against the rules to bring a magical creature that's not an owl or a frog," he mimicked in a high-pitched voice. "Get her a life, I say!" With a particularly strong grumble he shoved open another compartment door, only to make the conversation inside stop and the occupants turn to stare at him.
Great, this one's full too, James didn't even bother to scan the interior.
But the silence only lasted a second.
"James, mate!" one of them merrily exclaimed, his cobalt eyes lighting up at the sight of his life-long friend. He had his dark black hair tied in a low tail, though some frustrating rebellious strands refused to stay in place. "I've been looking everywhere for you, where have you been?" he asked jovially as he stood to his full size and thumping his chum on the back.
"Sirius?" James asked quizzically, his right eyebrow instantly going up. He sized the bloke with a crooked smile, some of his foul mood dissipating upon the sight of his friend. Amsterdam has sure done a few things for this Black, James thought amusingly. James Potter had always been rather tall and had towered over a few of his acquaintances, but he didn't tower now over this Black. His mate had sure done a heck of growing over the summer. His hair had never been chin length. And now, judging by the straight black strands that framed his handsome face that was exactly its length.
"The one and only," Sirius answered confidently, giving a delightful sloppy grin of his own and returning to his seat, plopping his feet up on the seat opposing him. "Who else?"
Rolling his eyes, James allowed himself to plop down into a comfortable seat, sliding the door shut behind him, Higgy taking this as his cue to disappear for a while with a soft 'pop'. Sinking low in the cushions, he proceeded to ask his friend about his annual trip. "How was Amsterdam?"
Hearing the question, Sirius brightened considerably more. "You have no idea, mate. You should've seen the branch of Zonko's! Of course, it's not called that over there, but it's the same company. The most amazing prank objects you could ever imagine! I felt in heaven when I first stepped into that store—absolutely brilliant," and he rambled on and on about several things to which James only paid half attention.
It was good to hear Sirius' tiresome chatter again. You would be surprised at how amazingly silent your life seemed without that endless stream of nonsensical blabber right beside you. You didn't know you missed it until you heard it once again.
Temporarily forgetting his temperamental mood he looked around the compartment, finally looking at the other two occupants, who, in turn, were looking right back at him.
All of them were male, which didn't surprise him at all (who wanted girls anyway?), but one actually had a book on his lap and was looking at him curiously with honey eyes (no kidding) and the other one just stared in a type of awe at him with nondescript brown eyes. At first James tried to match the stare, you know, some kind of male ego thing going on, but after a while if just freaked him out. While Normal Bloke returned to his reading almost right away after a few seconds of quiet perusal, Creepy Bloke kept staring and staring and staring and staring…and it was all he could do to run away from the compartment screaming MURDER! at the top of his lungs.
He didn't recognize either of them, but they had to be Sirius' acquaintances. Why else would they be together in this compartment? And if they weren't, well, then he could throw Creepy Bloke out of there in his butt. Normal Bloke was kind of okay. He minded his own business. In curiosity he was about to ask Sirius, but his friend appeared to be too busy gushing about some girl or other to actually be paying some attention at James' obvious discomfort.
"—I met this girl. Oh, what a girl, mate! I mean, I didn't talk to her, y'know? But I saw her pass and I just stopped dead on my tracks. You should have seen her. She has the most amazing green eyes that blaze with such an inner fire, such a force! The kind that just cut y'know? And that hair, Merlin that hair. With springy curls red as fire that end just at her chin, just like mine! She was saying goodbye to her parents when I saw her. I didn't catch her surname, but I got her name alright. They called her Lily—"
"What?" James bolted upright, immediately forgetting Creepy Bloke. His hands were white, straining as he used them to propel himself forward and out of the seat. Pacing around the small compartment was rather difficult since it was sort of crowded with the Normal Bloke and Creepy Bloke (who was scrambling trying to make enough space for him), but he managed just fine.
Sirius ignored him, rambling on and on about this girl—Evans, James was sure.
"Her name's Lily Evans," he stated through clenched teeth, and Normal Bloke looked up from his book—Hogwarts a History, with an arched eyebrow, his curiosity piqued.
But neither Sirius nor James noticed it this time. Sirius was actually bouncing in joy and James was too busy working out his fury.
"Mate, you know her?" Sirius exclaimed. "That's brilliant! Hey, do you think you can, y'know, introduce us?"
"NO!" James bellowed with wide eyes.
"Huh?" Sirius grunted. He was getting confused. "Why not?"
"Why not?" James repeated, his voice rising steadily. "Why not? Because—because—because she's a girl!" he spluttered helplessly.
Sirius just looked at him with a 'no shit' expression.
"Just because, Sirius, just because!" James yelled finally in exasperation of not being able to explain what had happened to his mate without being in immediate ridicule. He wouldn't be able to get rid of the taunts for years. Immediately Sirius' face changed. Comprehension dawned on his features, and it was all he could do to stop himself from whooping.
"Oh, I get it Potter," he said with an amused chuckle. He had this mischievous expression in his face that did not amuse James at all.
"You do?" James asked; nervously puzzled.
"Oh yes I do. I do, mate, believe me, I do. You want to keep her all to yourself, don't you?" Sirius asked mischievously. That only managed to set James off again. Sirius, somehow, had managed to misunderstand everything. Ranting he started to make no sense whatsoever and Normal Bloke just stared amusedly at the whole picture these two painted. He, contrary to Sirius, understood that in one impossible way or another, James had a rather strong dislike about Lily, and that Sirius had just turned everything heads down in his mind.
"Want her all to myself! WHAT? Sirius are you MAD? She's an abusive, pathetic, self-righteous, I-don't-have-a-life-so-I-bother-everyone-who-does kind of girl. She can go to hell for all I care," James raved darkly. "She is a nosy bitch," a squeak was heard when James said the curse (Creepy Bloke was now looking at him with total adoration). "That can't keep her mouth from working overload."
At this, Sirius burst into genuine peals of laughter, thus gaining everybody's attention in the place.
"What's so funny?" James asked with narrowed eyes.
"You are," Sirius replied sincerely shrugging.
"Oh really?" James asked narrowly, his tone of voice "dangerous".
"Actually, you are. Kind of," Normal Bloke replied. His honey eyes were centred on James as they danced merrily. The quiet smile that was on his mouth made James quiet down a bit. Normal Bloke folded the corner of the page he was reading and carelessly closed his book. "You really don't like her, do you?" he asked directly, and James didn't need to be told who exactly he was talking about.
"Not like her? What's NOT to like?" James replied sarcastically as he let himself fall on the seat. "I hate her," he claimed passionately from the depths of his seat. "Say, what's your name?" he asked curiously after a brief pause, a piqued frown emphasizing his point.
"Yeah, what is your name?" Sirius piped up, echoing his friend and eyeing Normal Bloke suspiciously. James interiorly snorted. It was so Sirius to happily be spending hours with someone he didn't even know the name of.
"Remus Lupin," Normal Bloke answered merrily apparently not caring if they hated him or not.
"Lupin?" Sirius continued in the same suspicious manner.
"Yep." He was settling back once again, thumbing the pages to find the one he had marked and giving a sigh. Everyone was silent after that, since the bloke apparently wasn't in the giving-more-personal-information-mood and not one of them had the courage to ask more about him.
Bloody wonderful Gryffindors we would make, James thought derisively. We're acting like ball-less Hufflepuffs. But even after that recriminating thought he remained silent.
Sirius appeared to be channelling him, though. Suddenly sitting up straight he narrowed his eyes quizzically.
"And who are you?" Sirius asked his upper lip curling in disgust, his suspicions now directed at Creepy Bloke. Not exactly Gryffindor courage yet, but they were advancing to Ravenclaw wit. Baby steps, baby steps!
"Yeah, who are you?" it was James' turn to echo.
"Why haven't you spoken at all? Are you mute? Cat got your tongue? Are you sweating? Are you shy? Are you uncomfortable? WHAT?" Sirius fired away, intent on intimidating Creepy Bloke. And he was succeeding all right. Creepy Bloke was squirming and beads of sweat were forming on his red tinged forehead.
"I—uh—I—"
"His name's Pettigrew. Peter Pettigrew," Remus said in a bored fashion, turning a page from his book and not even looking up. "Met him when I got on the train. He was the only one in the compartment when I got here," he shrugged dismissively.
"Is that so?" James asked pointedly.
"Y—yes," Peter stuttered out in a squeak. He was literally pressed against the corner of the window, his sweaty face containing eyes that were darting to and fro: from James to Sirius, from Sirius to James. It was getting them kind of dizzy. "D—do y—you want so—some m&m's?" he squeaked, his hands groping around the huge coat that hung off him, apparently looking for something. M&m's.
Sirius turned to look at James and Remus with a confused expression.
"He's muggleborn," Remus supplied carelessly as if sensing Sirius' confusion, but still not looking up from his book. "M&m's are some kind of muggle sweets. I've heard them mentioned before, never tasted them, though," he said, answering the boys' unspoken questions.
"Mu—muggle?" Peter questioned carefully, but everyone ignored the question.
"Stop moving!" Sirius ordered, exasperation toward the boy technically oozing from him. "It's a bit infuriating," he added after a beat, trying to smile sweetly and failing miserably.
James was just looking at him with an inquisitive expression; his head tilted left, his glasses partially down his nose. "Is that why you kept staring at me?" he asked intrigued. Peter's eyes widened and he started wringing his hands.
"Heh, that's one nervous bloke," Sirius commented to Remus, his thumb signalling Peter.
"A muggle is a non-magical person," Remus answered instead, enthralled more than ever with his reading. "What I meant by calling you 'muggleborn' was exactly that. You were born as a muggle into a muggle family. No one in your family has ever been a witch or wizard, or even showed signs of magic. You are the first, so you're muggleborn."
"Oh," Peter managed without a stutter, looking down at his now still hands. Everyone lapsed into silence then, not really knowing what to comment on. They were sharing a cabin with a muggleborn and a nerd. That was about it. It was all they knew about these two people.
They could be prisoners from Azkaban for all we know, convicted for wizard murder, and here we are, chatting happily with them, Sirius thought panicking.
"What are m&m's anyway?" James asked, interrupting Sirius' imaginative thoughts and conveniently stopping an impending panic attack from his part. Pettigrew apparently had calmed down more, because he didn't even flinch now when James talked.
"Oh, they're just what Lupin said. They're sweets—muggle sweets," he amended. He wasn't dealing with his friends back at home now, to whom explaining the m&m's concept to anyone would just be nonsensical. Everyone knew what m&m's were. Even if they were American sweets, everyone got the concept of brightly coloured spheres with chocolate in the centre. Chocolate, m&m's. It was that simple. But he was a wizard now, and wizards didn't know what m&m's were. It was just incredible just how easily he had stepped into a world that was within the 'normal' world but couldn't have been so far from it. "They're these small coloured spheres with chocolate in their centre. They melt in your mouth, not on your hand," he recited; dutifully producing a bright yellow package with m&m's printed in bold brown letters. He shook it, and proving his point, there came a kind of rattling sound from the inside.
"You're kidding me," Sirius claimed, his eyes trained on the bright package.
"Um, no," Peter said simply. "Want some?" he offered.
"Like hell!" James exclaimed bouncing from his seat and springing forward, his hand already extended. Peter poured some in James' hand and waited for him to finish chewing them, since he had immediately darted them into his mouth. "No shit!" he roared. "Holy crap! Sirius, mate, you've got to taste these things! They've got chocolate inside!" Peter stared at him with a 'duh, really?' expression while he poured more for James and now for Sirius, who had an eager expression on his face.
"Remus! Mate! Put that book down and come taste these goodies! They've got chocolate inside!" Sirius yelled happily after shoving a handful to his mouth.
Remus put down his book and arched an eyebrow; whether at the first-name basis Sirius seemed to take for granted or for the "Mate!" part, or for the appalling eating habits of those two he didn't know.
"Yes, don't you want some—?" Peter seemed a bit uncertain of what to call him, since he had caught Remus' quizzical expression when Sirius had called him by his first name.
"Sure, Peter," Remus said kindly, solving the matter with a shrug.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
"Stupid idiot," Lily mumbled. She had her trunk trailing behind her, bumping around every which way and her own owl in a cage in front of her. "The best of the lot. The shop clerk himself showed me its genealogic tree. Goes back to Grindelwald's time," she mimicked ridiculously, her tone high-pitched and stressing every other word. "He's so full of himself! I had never met someone so pompous in my whole life, and let me say that I live with Petunia and I have met Vernon Dursley. Oh my, that's quite something, isn't it? And he even made me cuss. That stupid fag. Darn! Well, he can go to heck for all I care. I just need to find a compartment or I'll be walking all around the train during the whole trip," she declared shamefully, her feet dragging heavily. "I need a compartment, I need a comp-A-rtment," she chanted drearily.
Finally reaching the end of this particular corridor, Lily found herself an empty and quiet compartment. No other noise reached the place except for the low murmur of the train as it whistled on the tracks; no telltale whispers of loud conversations from all over the place, not anything. From what she could tell by standing on tiptoe and looking in the small window on the door there was nobody inside. "Well, would you look at that," Lily declared happily as she go to slide open the door. "Just a nice little place where I can sit to read Hogwarts A History and—ugh," she grunted as her hands couldn't move the sliding door. Frowning she set her things down to get a better grip on the handle. "Maybe we just need a bit more strength," she continued happily, sure that this was just the place for her. "Then I will be able to relax—ugh," she grunted again, her efforts in vain as the door wouldn't budge. Stuck. "What's happening?" she wailed as she stomped her right foot. Narrowing her eyes she folded her sleeves and placed her hands again on the handle. Determinedly accepting the dare, she pulled at the handle with all her might, throwing in all her weight for good measure.
Nothing.
"Aw shucks! This can't be happening," Lily groaned unhappily as she jumped on the balls of her feet. Blowing air out of her mouth she shoved her red curls out of her face. "This is not being fair," she claimed heavenwards. Then, realizing how ridiculous she must look she plopped down in the middle of the hall with her legs crossed Indian style. "My life sucks. This was supposed to be the best day of my life and now it's totally ruined. I hope that boy dies," she declared passionately as her eyes narrowed automatically at the thought of the boy. Giving a sigh of frustration and defeat she smoothed out her clothes and propped her back against the enemy. "Well, it turns out you're quite comfortable," Lily said to the door. "And now I'm talking to an inanimate object." Shaking her head she took out Hogwarts A History and started reading it for the umpteenth time. Thus setting camp there indefinitely.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Making a frustrated sound Lily lowered her book. This was getting too annoying. It had started out as nondescript murmuring, but now it had turned into bothersome talking. And the worse part was that she didn't even know where it was coming from. If she knew where it came from she could just shout a general curse in their direction, but talking to thin air would just be plain sad. She could tell they were bickering; whoever they were anyway, but she didn't know what they were bickering about. It was driving her up the wall. They had been going on about it for almost an hour now and she just couldn't stand it anymore. Couldn't anybody that was stranded in the middle of a deserted corridor with their trunk and owl hooting on the background get some quality time to be able to read? It was all she was asking. Surely it wasn't too much!
"Who are you kidding Samantha Lillian Evans Darrell? This is boring anyway," Lily declared to the empty corridor.
"It sure is girl, Hogwarts A History?" A disembodied female voice answered in a tone of distaste.
"Hey, let me tell you that this is a darn good—" Lily mindlessly started to reply when reality set in. "Whaaa," she jumped up and started staring wildly around. Nobody was in sight, apparently she was alone. But she knew she wasn't. Someone had just talked to her… She had known all the time that were was something that wasn't quite right with her mind, but this? This was lunacy! She couldn't have gone totally bonkers in a matter of seconds, could she? It was probably scientifically impossible or something.
"Aw, look at her Bracivie, jumping and looking all around she thinks she's hearing voices!" the same voice squealed in delight when another female voice interrupted.
"Quit being so immature Chase, can't you see you're scaring her? The poor girl," the second voice said in a scolding manner, but not without a tinge of amusement. At this Lily just let herself fall down with a loud clunk, her legs giving out underneath her. She would end up in St. Mungo's. Or maybe not. Maybe they didn't accept muggleborn people in such a magical institution. But she was a witch, duh.
"Hey that sure as hell hurt. Are you a masochist or something, Red?"
"That was stupid Chase. Give her a break, she's scared," the second voice huffed and Lily could almost picture her crossing her arms and looking away from her friend in an irritated manner. "Stop creeping her out!" she demanded.
"Let's give her something useful to read for a change, hm? And stop being so bossy and scolding. After all, she's sitting in our compartment!" the first voice accused, her voice turning high-pitched.
"I'm not!" Lily protested weakly.
"Yes you are!" First Voice countered.
"She's right, she's not," Second Voice declared.
"Now you're siding with her! But what's new? She was reading Hogwarts A History after all," First Voice accused nastily.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Somehow these voices sounded familiar to Lily…
"Whatever you want it to mean, Bracivie,"
But of course! They were the ones that had been bickering all the while! They were the ones that hadn't let her read! She wasn't talking to ghosts, as her logical mind had wildly been trying to convince, she was actually talking to a pair of girls. Probably her own age too, judging by their tone of voice. Hiding a grin, Lily gave a little sigh.
"Gi-irls," Lily chanted, breaking up the bickering pair that she still couldn't see.
"What?" both girls snapped.
"Get a life," she replied sweetly.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
"So, James," Remus spoke up lazily after a while. They were all sprawled carelessly in the compartment, their faces pure contentment as they just watched the view speed by. The m&m's had proved their worth in gold and now the boys had successfully eaten the entire provision Peter had brought for the whole school year. During their eating, apparently, they had bonded in some way or another, since now all of them were undeniably on the first-name basis and had been sharing little and stupid anecdotes during that time.
"What?" James grunted in an indistinct manner, his face buried on the plush seat.
"Mate, do you know how many arses have sat there in all these years?" Sirius asked with a girlish giggle. The chocolate had gone straight to his head and he was bubbly and giggly and undeniably drunk. With sugar and Sirius Black, you never knew.
"Ew," Peter provided easily from his place, barely lifting his face from the floor. Everyone present had at least one inch more on their belly's size.
James groaned. "Merlin," he said disgustedly, rapidly lifting himself up.
"Be thankful I didn't mention the farts," Sirius giggled again. "Oops, just did, didn't I?" he tittered.
"Shut up, Black," Remus called, his face scrunched in revulsion. "You're being gross and you know it. Besides, I was about to ask James something really important," he added.
"Really?" Sirius asked excitedly, pulling out the vowels of the word and clapping his hands like a child. "Oooh, please tell!"
Remus shot Sirius a dirty look. "I can't believe you think you're going to be in Gryffindor," he muttered. He knew this would get right at the brunette boy, but he didn't bother to wait for his reaction. "James," he directed to him. "Why do you hate Lily so much?" Remus tried to ask diplomatically, moderately keeping his tone light so as not to ignite Potter's temper. It didn't prove to be helpful though, as James reacted instantly: his eyes narrowed, his hands clenched and he gave a guttural growl.
"Aw, why did you even have to start the topic?" Peter whined. He hadn't really appreciated James' mood from hours before and they were just fine right now, why did Remus have to ruin it?
"Yeah!" Sirius echoed interestedly. "Why do you hate pretty Lily flower?" he giggled and Remus just looked disgustedly at him.
"Pathetic," he declared.
"Shut up, nerd," Sirius defended, but the malice was lost as he ended the phrase with another girlish giggle.
"I hate Evans," James chanted, drawing out the 'E'. "She's such a prissy little b-i-t-c-h," he spelled out with the same sing-song tone. "Who doesn't have a l-i-f-e."
"I say get her one!" Peter supported in a chorus, glad that at least James wasn't pacing and muttering and yelling again.
"Shut up Peter," Sirius and Remus said in unison. "James," Remus said in a drawing-out-information kind of tone. "Why is she such a, and I quote here, 'abusive, pathetic, self-righteous, I-don't-have-a-life-so-I-bother-everyone-who-does kind of girl'?"
"Whoa, mate, you actually memorized that? You're such a nerd," Sirius squealed, but everyone ignored him now. "I want m&m's," he pouted. Remus rolled his eyes and again focused his attention on James, who was on the floor, his back propped up against the seat, his head lolling back like a rag doll.
"Because she is!" James exclaimed, suddenly coming out of his stupor state and into life. "Who does she think she is to decide what I do and don't bring on board this bloody train? What's her business if I did bring Higgy!" he exploded.
"Man, you brought Higgy?" Sirius questioned with wide eyes.
"Uh huh," James answered unenthusiastically.
"Yeah mate! Do you have any idea what we can do with Higgy? Bloody brilliant!" Sirius exclaimed happily.
"Why do you think he's here? Of course, my parents at first didn't want me to, but you know, the Potter charm came into action," James declared proudly with a smirk.
"Cool," Sirius said with a long 'o' sound and nodding his head.
"Wait, you're getting ahead of me here, who's 'Higgy'?" Remus asked bewildered, looking from James to Sirius.
"His house elf," Sirius answered drunkenly.
"Oh well I thought it was some—what?" Remus exclaimed, interrupting himself in mid-sentence. "James, mate, tell me you didn't bring your house elf to Hogwarts, of all places," Remus said slowly.
"Huh, yeah," James answered with a sugary inebriated grin.
"Sorry to burst your bubble mate, but that's against the rules," Remus said with a shake of his head.
"Shut up, that's exactly what that prissy girl said. What are you, her encore?"
"Hey, don't insult my Lily flower Potter, or I'll have to deal with your bits, hm?" Sirius asked as he crawled towards his own seat. Needless to say, that was enough to turn his threatening statement into a joke.
Remus groaned and hit him at the back of the head. "Shut up Sirius, you keep surprising me with your stupidity."
"What's a house elf?" Peter piped up. He was looking at the ceiling, his mouth hanging open as he stared at the complicated and dizzying patterns. He thought he could discern a half-eaten butterfly, but he could never be sure.
"It's a magical creature that's enslaved to a wizarding family. Their ownership can go on for ages and they can only be liberated if one of their masters or mistresses gives them a piece of clothing. If a house elf is liberated he falls into disrepute with the rest of his kind, because that means he was inefficient and didn't supply the family's needs in a suitable manner," Remus answered automatically.
"You make it sound so cruel," Sirius pouted, but Remus ignored him.
"That's why you're so mad at her? Because she told you that bringing a house elf was against the rules?" Remus asked with an amused smile.
"She's just… so…so…such…"
"A girl," Remus finished for him.
James sulked and Remus couldn't help but snigger.
"What's so funny?" James asked indignantly.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Lily barely had an opportunity to duck before a tome was thrown her way.
"Quidditch Throughout the Ages. It's better than the crap you've been reading," there was this note filling the girl's voice that made Lily smile. She bent to pick up the book in an effort to hide her grin, sure that if this 'Chase' girl saw her it would end this truce they had established sometime…although Lily wasn't quite sure exactly when.
"Quidditch Throughout the Ages," Lily repeated softly, her eyes quizzically darting over the cover that had flying wizards throwing around some balls, as it seemed. Arching an eyebrow to the nothingness, she proceeded, "This is supposed to be interesting?"
There was a scuffling sound and then, "Don't overreact, Chase. It's obvious the girl is muggleborn, of course she doesn't know about Quidditch," 'Bracivie' said in a soothing tone.
"Let me go Bracivie, I'll kill her."
"You'll do nothing of the sort, Chase, now stay still. I'll talk to her," Second Voice said. "You," Lily was quite sure she was talking to her. "You stop trying to rile Chase up. Merlin knows how much trouble she is. Just take the book and get off the front of our compartment."
"But I don't have anywhere else to go!" Lily protested feverishly. "It's not even fair. You girls weren't even in the compartment all this time."
"Oh, and you were," Second Voice said amusedly.
"Well, yes," Lily answered as she crossed her arms.
"Tell me girl, have you managed to open the door at least?" Second Voice continued and Lily was sure that she heard 'Chase' girl chuckle. Frowning she turned to face the reluctant door. So whatever this compartment was charmed with the girls were the ones behind it. "I take it you haven't, so," Second Voice paused and Lily swirled around when she felt a tap on her shoulder. A brunette was standing before her, her black eyes twinkling merrily. "If you'll excuse me, we have to change into our school robes." And then the girl took out her wand. "Alohomora," she whispered. Effortlessly, the door slid open and Lily narrowed her eyes.
"Did you know that we're not permitted to use magic out of school—"
"You need to get an updated version of that prehistoric mammoth, lass," another girl appeared, her black hair streaming behind her and her blue eyes narrowed. "Page 259, second paragraph: "The students attending Hogwarts are permitted the use of magic as soon as they are on board the Express. Even though it is not recommendable for first years to take out their wands and partake of magical activities, if the student has been surrounded by a magical environs all their life it is permissible for them to achieve simple charms that do not put at risk their or their surrounding companions' life at risk." End quote. Is that permission enough for you?" she asked acidly as she shoved past her and into the compartment, leaving a gaping Lily behind.
"Don't you think you were a bit rude there, Chase?" The brunette asked curiously, her head tilted to her right.
"Well, if the chit wants to daunt her alleged knowledge she better have her facts straight."
"Hello, I'm still here," Lily waved.
"Your point?" Both girls asked in unison.
"I thought you said Hogwarts A History was boring," Lily said.
"It quite happens to be when you have been reading it since you were four," Chase answered with a smirk. "Now, step back chit. We're changing."
"Shut up, Chase," the brunette said. "Just because she doesn't know what Quidditch is doesn't mean you have to hate her very bones. "Now, Evans, come in and change please. I'm sure you would not be fond of having to strip in the middle of a hallway, not mattering how deserted it may appear."
"Bracivie!" Chase protested loudly.
"I said shut up! Just let the poor girl have a proper seat beneath her arse for once. This is supposed to be a great day. Now stuff your mouth and make space for her."
"I will not allow you to let this girl in. This is my compartment! I found it!" Chase protested.
"Um, girl?" Lily asked tentatively as she watched the bickering pair.
"Bracivie, its Bracivie," the brunette said amicably as she turned her attention from an enraged companion to a puzzled Lily.
"Yeah, um, Bracivie, how do you know—?"
"Your name? Well, apart from the fact that it's embossed into every single thing you have with you I heard you talking to yourself a while ago. Quite hilarious, in my opinion," Bracivie chuckled as Lily blushed. "Now, please step in before I'm forced to do so myself," she continued seriously as she shoved a pouting Chase aside. "Good, we're progressing," she declared as she saw Lily step in and slide the door shut while Chase only glared silently. "This is Chasey Cavanaugh and I am Bracivie O'Wintry."
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
"…and although my father and mother are wizard and witch, they just simply don't to pay much attention to what I'm actually doing." Bracivie finished with a dramatic sigh.
"Bracivie hate the fact that she could arrive home stoned beyond wits and they wouldn't even notice," Chase commented while she turned a page from her copy of Flying with the Holyhead Harpies.
"Shut up Chase," Bracivie said off-hand.
"Do we have any more of those chocolate pasties?" Lily inquired as she cracked the wrapper of the last one she had eaten hungrily.
"We ran out of them," Chase stated lazily without looking up from her reading. She had forgotten her intense hatred for Lily as soon as she had immersed herself in her book. It had been like that since they had changed. Chase had barely directed a word to Lily while Bracivie had made easy chatter with both of them. Lily had cooperated her family story and Bracivie had just related her own with some sarcastic comments inserted here and there, provided by Chasey herself.
"But we have chocolate frogs," Bracivie drawled as she threw her one.
"Brilliant," Lily said brightly. "So, how come she hates me so much?" Lily asked Bracivie as she greedily unwrapped her chocolate frog and nodded at Chasey.
"It's Cavanaugh for you, Evans," Chase snapped.
"Bracivie, this thing is alive!" Lily squealed as the frog was about to jump out of her reach. Chasey rolled her eyes and settled back in her seat again. The frog croaked and slipped away from Lily's tiny hands. "She…she jumped!" Lily said, clearly startled.
"Here, Sammy dear; have another one," Bracivie said with a grin. Lily didn't seem to notice that she had called her Sammy, because she took the chocolate frog, unwrapped it and bit the head off before it could croak.
"There's a good girl," Bracivie said, stroking Lily's hair.
"I'm so proud of you," Chase said sarcastically, but Lily rolled her eyes and ignored her. She had tried to make peace and the girl had just batted her off, so screw her.
"Bracivie, how old is your family?"
"Is this inane chatter going to continue for the rest of the trip?" Chasey snapped as she sat up, clearly exasperated.
"Why, yes, is there anything that bothers you?" Lily asked sweetly as she faced Cavanaugh.
"Shut up, both of you," Bracivie said carelessly, brooking the brewing argument. "If you want to hate her Chase, go ahead; just don't start with your bickering. Merlin knows it can go on for hours."
"I heard that all purebloods are related, or something like that." Lily said; ready to forget that she was forcefully hated.
"Oh, I guess it's because there are not much of us left."
"She actually is a third degree cousin of Potter," Chasey said disdainfully with a snort. "That's what I call degrading."
"Why do I have to spend half of my time telling you to shut up?" Bracivie said tiredly.
"Well, it's not my fault that your limited vocabulary mainly consists of two words that you insist on repeating."
"Who's Potter?" Lily interrupted and Chasey laughed, not bothering to answer her question.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
As the train slowed down to a stop, Lily couldn't help but a feel a bit relieved. That had been one long trip, and she yearned for a comfortable bed to spread her cramped limbs. The trip had gone by smoothly enough, Chasey's interjections getting a bit less biting as she progressed on her reading and just continued to ignore the pair that happened to share her compartment.
"Don't worry," Bracivie murmured when she saw her looking hard at the pretty black haired witch. "She's always like that. It actually took me two months to get her to be decent with me." Bracivie laughed as Lily arched an incredulous eyebrow. "I can never do that," she pouted as she signalled the eyebrow. "Never managed." She shook her head. "Anyway, don't mind her. She'll come around."
"I heard that," Chasey growled as she breezed past them towards the exit.
"Well, hear me when I tell you that you need a boyfriend!" Bracivie called and Chasey flipped her off.
"See what I mean? Even when you're her friend she's always sarcastic and biting. But in the end, she proves her worth in gold," she confided.
"But she seems so…angry," Lily said with a puzzled expression. She had really wanted to befriend Chasey Cavanaugh. It was apparent that she had a sharp mind and it had piqued Lily's interest.
Bracivie waved a dismissive hand as they too disembarked and the cold hid the directly on their faces. With a shiver she said, "She's angry at the world, not at you." And she pulled on tight, black leather gloves to guard off the chill.
"Firs' yeah's this way! Firs' yeah's this way!" A booming voice called, its echo getting lost in the midst of the people and interrupting the girls' discussion. They looked up, searching for the owner of the voice, only to see a gigantic man, waving his huge hand and assembling all the first years. Some of which were in telltale panic. His beady eyes that were almost lost behind that immense amount of hair glittered.
"Are ye lasses firs' yeah's?" the giant asked as he spotted them.
"Yes, sir," Lily responded curtly, making eye contact with him even though she was a mite afraid.
"Well, don't be skeered Missus. What are ye names?"
"My name is Lily Evans, and this is Bracivie O'Wintry,"
"Pleasure to meet ya, I'm Hagrid." The girls seemed to relax a bit at the warmness of his tone.
"So you are a professor, eh…sir?" Hagrid grinned at Bracivie and shook his head.
"No, I'm just the groun' keepa of Ho'warts. Then gals, just git behind me and into the boats," he said, and the girls just nodded, though Lily could tell that Bracivie was searching for Chasey as her black eyes kept darting to and fro. Feeling guilty, Lily turned around in her precarious seat and just then spotted the black headed girl, sitting alone in a boat, her face bowed, still reading the book even though sunlight was falling fast.
"There she is, Bracivie," Lily said quietly and she heard the relieved sigh Bracivie expelled as she too saw her friend.
Hagrid kept calling out for the 'fir's yeah's' when he suddenly cried, "JAMES!"
The two girls jumped as his voice was much louder and Lily wrinkled her nose when it settled in who he was calling. Could it be that arsehole?
Sure enough, soon she saw him strutting in their direction, an odious grin in his lips.
"Hagrid! How are you, mate?"
"Ah'm fine James, how are ye?"
"Just great Hagrid." He said. "I guess you already know Sirius?"
Curious, Lily tried to see who this Sirius was without tipping the boat. Maybe it was another poor house elf.
"Yeah, I know this folk." Hagrid answered, still obstructing Lily's view, who was precariously standing at the point of the small boat, Bracivie trying to get her to sit down.
"Lily, what are you doing? You're going to tip the boat. Sit down, for Merlin's beard."
"This is Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew," James continued, oblivious to everything.
"Nice to meet ya folks," Hagrid said as a plump boy shook his hand.
"Lily," Bracivie hissed warningly.
"Just a moment, Bracie, I'm about to—"
"Bloody hell, is that Potter?" Bracivie hissed, forgetting Lily as she too stood up to watch.
"That's Potter?" Lily asked as she remembered Chasey laughing in the train. "No wonder she laughed," she muttered darkly.
"Drat the arse. If Chase sees him I will not see the end of it, ever," Bracivie groaned. "Wasn't he going to attend Durmstrang? Oh gods, this can't be good."
Hagrid, hearing some whispers behind him, remembered his manners and decided to introduce the lasses with the lads. "James, I want ya to meet some lasses heah."
"Ah, really?" Sirius said, his eyes twinkling at the prospect of meeting girls.
"Yeh, their names are Lily Evans and Bracivie O'Wintry," Hagrid said, and the look on James's face turned dark, forgetting his expectations.
"Lily!" Sirius exclaimed happily and Lily's expression turned puzzled as she turned to look at Bracivie questioningly.
"Who is he?" she whispered. "And how does he know my name?"
"He's Sirius Black and hell if I know," Bracivie whispered back.
"You said Lily?" James asked sourly, ignoring his surrogate brother with his excited squeals.
"Yeh lad, why?"
"As in Evans?"
"Damn straight, Potter," Lily said, stepping out from behind Hagrid.
-.-.-.-
"What House do you want to be in Lily?" Sirius asked, eagerly trying to make a decent conversation, since it seemed that neither Lily nor James was truly making an effort. The glares they sent in each other's way weren't really promising towards a friendship.
'Only four per boat' Hagrid had said, and Lily was stuck with the stupid arse of James Potter and the nice Sirius Black, while Bracivie just sat ignoring the three of them.
"I don't know. I would be pretty honoured to be in Ravenclaw you know, but I would definitely love to be in Gryffindor." There was a snort at her left, and she turned to the source of the sound with narrowed eyes.
"You will be lucky if you even get into Hufflepuff," James Potter said.
"I'm not talking to you Potter, so sod off," Lily said hotly. She really was in no mood for this. Whatever happened with "great day"?
"But I am talking to you."
"Does it look like I care?" Lily asked, narrowing her eyes at him.
"Well you should. It's not like you will get the honour every day, you know."
"Well then, please spare me the honours Potter; I'm quite happy without them," Lily shot back.
"You know, you should get yourself a boyfriend," James unconsciously repeated what Bracivie had told Chasey on the train.
"I will when I see some boys," Lily said with a sneer, seizing James up.
"Hey! I'll take that personally!" Sirius called.
"Well, I doubt that you'll get one Evans, not with your character," James continued, ignoring his friend.
"And who says I want one?"
"Oh please it's not that you should want one. It's that you're in an urgent need for one, prude, before you chomp every boy's head off."
"Not every boy's. Just yours," Lily said with a sweetly sarcastic smile on her lips. At this, Sirius started laughing right out. He had been holding in during the entire trip in the boat, since it was the time they had started the squabbling, but now it was simply too much. He adored Lily more than ever.
"She got you there James."
"Shut up Sirius."
"Why should he?" Lily said, stepping in.
"Because I say so."
"Oh well, then that turns you into a narcissistic and annoying bastard"
"At least I'm not…"
"You two just stop this shitty bickering!" Bracivie finally shouted. "I'm tired of hearing you two fight like childish arses. For Merlin's beard, just shut up. We know that you hate Lily, Potter, that's clear, so just sod off."
That shut them up for a while.
"Everyone lower yer heads!" Hagrid called as they reached a dark and gloomy looking cliff. Everybody did so, and the boats took them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in its side. They went through a dark tunnel that seemed to take them just under the looming castle until they got to what seemed an underground wharf.
"Old maid," James whispered into Lily's ear.
"Narcissistic bastard," Lily muttered under her breath.
"Hag" At this, Lily snorted.
"Well, its better being a 'hag' with an H than with what you are. And that is an F, Potter," Lily said with a smirk, as she descended from the boat, knowing that she had won this.
With his giant fist, Hagrid knocked on the oak doors of the castle three times. The doors were opened immediately to reveal a tall witch with a severe countenance and midnight blue robes.
"Firs' yeah's Professor McGonagall," Hagrid said, bowing his head.
"Thank you Hagrid. I will conduct them from here." She opened the doors completely to reveal a huge foyer. There were stone walls that were illuminated with torches and the ceiling was so up high that you couldn't even see it; and marble stairs were to take you upstairs. Hundreds of voices were heard behind two huge doors, but McGonagall took them to an empty room out of the foyer, beside those great doors.
"Welcome to Hogwarts." The stern-faced witch said in a serious tone. "The opening banquet shall take place before long. But before you occupy your seats in the Great Hall, you shall be sorted into your Houses." Here, the greater part of the kids burst into alarmed whispers. Nobody had said anything about a Sorting…
"The Sorting ceremony is something important, because while you are here, your Houses shall be like your family in Hogwarts. You shall have classes with the ones in your House; you shall sleep in the dormitories of it, and you will pass your free time in the common room. The four Houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Every House has its own noble story and each one has given origin to notable wizards and witches of our times. While you are in Hogwarts, your triumphs shall be rewarded with points for your House, while each break of rule shall diminish them. At the end of the year, the House with the most points shall be awarded with the House Cup, a great honour. I hope that each one of you will be a cause of great honour to the House you're sorted in."
There was a pause as everybody nodded and gulped noisily.
"The Sorting Ceremony shall take place in some minutes in the front of the whole college. I suggest that while we wait, you arrange yourself in the best way possible." Lily turned to James's messy hair with an arched eyebrow. He presented a grin and she blushed, looking away and muttering, "Narcissistic bastard" under her breath.
"I shall return when everything is ready."
Bracivie started to nervously shuffle her feet, while Chasey, who was four people ahead of them turned with an arched eyebrow, her eyes darting from Bracivie's feet to her face, quietly telling her to shut up. Annoyed, Bracivie started shuffling them harder, making more noise than necessary until the people around her told her to shut up, causing Chase to smirk in satisfaction and turn around again to face the front where McGonagall was returning.
"Start to move your feet, the Ceremony is about to begin."
They entered the Great Hall and some gasped, though Lily appeared to have lost her voice. Candles were floating and the ceiling 'opened' up to the night sky. There were four tables where the other students were already seated and the House ghosts had a silver glimmer to them.
Professor McGonagall placed a stool, and on top of it, a wizard's hat. Dirty, old, it still managed to impose silence in the Great Hall. The whisperings stopped immediately, and the murmurs ceased instantly. Everyone looked at the hat, as if expecting it to talk.
And it did.