Lily Evans stood next to the Hogwarts Express saying her good-bye's to her parents. She was heading into her last year of school, and though she knew this year would be life changing, she didn't understand just how life changing it was going to be. She hugged her parents, tears in her emerald eyes just like every year when leaving her parents.

Ten minutes later, she was on the train looking for an empty compartment as the train hurtled towards its destination. She found one second to the last finally, and stuffed her luggage in the overhead compartment, choosing the window seat on the left out of the four empty seats. Soon she heard a rap at the door of someone knocking. Knowing this was probably the emptiest compartment by now, she said in a loud enough voice, "Come in."

The sliding door opened, and there stood who else but James Potter. Lily rolled her eyes, and asked in a voice that showed she was impatient with him as always, "What is it, Potter?" She brushed back a strand of her red hair behind her ear, her usually bright emerald eyes cold.

"Oh, Lils, come on. This is the only empty compartment, where else am I suppose to sit?" He put his luggage next to Lily's, choosing the seat across from hers. Seeing Lily still watching him, he ran his hand through his already messy hair, messing it up further.

Lily sighed out of frustration, and asked, "Why do you do that? You only further mess up your hair." She scooted farther back into her chair, trying to create more distance between both of them.

James shrugged, and at that moment another rap came at the sliding door, but the person didn't wait for an answer. Sirius Black and Remus Lupin walked in, choosing the two remaining seats after putting up their own luggage.

Lily groaned, and muttered under her breath, "Why?" No one heard her, and she just made herself as tiny as possible, hoping they would talk among themselves leaving her out of it. But James made sure Lily was included by continuously asking her for her opinion.

Lily took out a book and began reading, hoping this would get the point over to them that she would rather just sit there. A moment later, though, James grabbed the book, "What do we have here? Ten Short Stories of Magical Beginnings."

Sirius took the book from James, and Lily grabbed at it, but too late, Sirius threw it over to Remus. Remus tossed it over to James, who tossed it back. It went on like that until Lily's temper was flaring so high she slapped Potter.

James handed the book back finally, Remus and Sirius laughing so hard they had tears streaming down their faces and their sides aching. "We're just messing with you, Evans. Don't you have a sense of humor," Sirius said wiping his eyes.

Lily didn't say a word, but put up her book. She slipped her robe over her muggle clothing, saying in a cold, emotionless voice, "We'll be reaching Hogwarts soon, as you should know after six years, so I would get your robes on if I were you."

The three ignored her. Sirius spoke up, "Prongs, have you seen Wormtail? We never did find him before the train left."

James shrugged, "I haven't seen him. How about you, Moony?"

Remus shook his head, "Sorry, but no. I was going to ask the same question, actually."

Peter was actually in a compartment towards the front, having gotten on the train a bit early. He'd wanted to save seats for his friends, but the train had filled up too fast.

Lily sat back down, just watching everything outside fly by. They were approaching Hogwarts quickly, and she warned them once more about their robes. This time they listened to her, roughly getting their own robes on over their clothes. The train came to a halt, and fifteen minutes later they were outside, the first years being called over to the boats for the trip across the lake.

Much to her displeasure, James followed Lily into an empty carriage. Sirius and Remus had apparently found Peter and were taking another carriage. Lily asked, annoyance apparent in her voice, "Why didn't you follow your friends instead of me?"

James shrugged, "I don't know. Guess I felt like talking with you. I hope your still not made at me for that...er... book incident." He gave her an apologetic smile, his hazel eyes getting lost in hers.

Lily sighed, and said, "Fine. I forgive you. I'm...er... sorry for...slapping you." It was hard for her to apologize to James, not having ever done it before. She looked away from his gaze and out the window, watching the dots of the boats make their way slowly across.

James grinned widely, "Apology accepted. Thank you." He continued to look at her even though she'd looked away until the carriage came to a stop, indicating they had arrived at the Hogwarts castle.

Lily opened the door, and stepped out. The stars were just beginning to come out, and she looked up at them for a moment before making her way up towards the castle. She was happy when she saw her friend Trinity and when James walked over to his own friends instead of following her.

Running up to Lily, squealing, Trinity asked, "How have you been?!?"

Lily giggled, and hugged her friend, "Great. The summer flew by, though. My parents and me visited Egypt as well as London. How about you?" Lily began walking up the steps and into the Entrance Hall.

"Positively, absolutely the best. I don't see how you can be so cold towards Potter and his friends. Sirius is just so...so..." Trinity's eyes went all dreamy.

Lily rolled her eyes, "Don't start with this again, Trin...please." Trinity had been obsessed with Sirius for as long as she'd known her, and Lily was tired of hearing about him from Trinity.

Trinity just gave a sigh, but didn't say anything else about the subject. Lily waved goodbye to Trin, who was in Ravenclaw while Lily was in Gryffindor.

James chose a seat next to Lily, across from Sirius and Remus, Peter on his opposite side right when the Sorting Hat began it's song before sorting the first years into their houses they would be in from that point on until the end of their seventh year.

A while later, even Lily's stomach was making small sounds out of hunger when the sorting was finally over with. The headmaster stood, and said, "One announcement before we begin the feast. All students are prohibited from entering the Forbidden Forest. Let the feast begin!"

At that moment every kind of food imaginable appeared in front of them, and everyone began grabbing what they liked or something they thought they might like. James was saying through a mouthful of food, "The house elves really have outdone themselves this year."

Lily ignored him, thinking it very rude of him to even open his mouth while having food in it. She nibbled at her own food.

A half an hour later, the desserts disappeared as well and the headmaster stood back up. "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts. I suggest everyone get a good night's rest, as tomorrow being the start of term will be very busy. Prefects, please lead your houses to the common rooms and dormitory. Good-night everyone."

There was a lot of hustling and noise, but soon the prefects managed to get everyone into groups according to their house and led them to their own common rooms and dormitories. Lily said goodnight to a few of her friends before heading off to bed.