Chapter Two

The Morning After.

"Honestly, It was gross"

"Come on, Lainie. I've heard he's pretty good"

"Well you've heard wrong. It was gross."

"But you haven't got anything to compare it with"

"Suppose not, but still. It was yuck. His tongue was everywhere. And he tried to feel me up."

"What a disaster. Well at least he was hot. Not a complete waste."

"To you maybe. At least Jack was nice. Alex was nice to talk to though. It's when he tries to kiss you, it's the problem"

"At least you didn't give him your number"

"Well......"

"Oh my god. You didn't. You idiot. Now he will call you."

"Well I couldn't say no. I'd just kissed him"

"Hmmmmmmmph"

Later that day.........

Lainie was packing her trunk, getting ready to go back to school. She had nearly finished. Her wardrobe was nearly empty and her room was looking bare. She packed her photos last. Her and her parents in Hawaii. Mum, blonde and petite with topaz blue eyes that sparkled like the sea behind them. Dad, tall with a shock of black hair and her, a perfect combination. Then the photo of her, Lily and Livvy. Lily in the middle and her and Livvy on the outside. Smiling from ear to ear with their scruffy school uniforms. Then her and James at the beach. She shut the trunk with a thump. She was ready.

Next morning, she and Livvy were waiting, showered and dressed. Livvy wore a denim skirt and a pink singlet top. Her hair curled about her shoulders held back my a pink clip. Lainie were rolled up jeans and a t-shirt with her hair in a ponytail under her hat with sneakers. They climbed into her parents Range Rover and drove to London.

At Kings Cross, she kissed her parents goodbye and pushed her trolley through to the platform. Then a mass of red hair obscured her vision.

"LILY," They grabbed her and hugged her tightly. She was looking great. He hair was out and curled about her face. Her clothes enhanced her tiny frame and brought out her eyes.

"Lainie" Said a voice behind her.

"Hey James, Sirius, Remus. And Peter"

"Hey girls" was the reply from Sirius, Peter, James and Remus. Or the Marauders as they were known. The hottest guys in school and they unfortunately knew it.

"Should we go get a compartment" suggested Remus. They all shuffled off to the train. Once on board they all began to read or do their own thing. They were silent for a while.

Till James said "Right, time for the annual game of truth and promise"

With a few groans and minor complaints they settled into their usual positions. In a circle on the floor with the spinning bottle in the middle. This truth and promise of theirs was a game they had invented in third year.

"Right" said Sirius "Lets start. He thought and then said

"Lainie, did you kiss anyone THIS summer" It was a widely known fact that Lainie hadn't kissed anyone, they seriously considering getting someone to donate a good snog for her, there would be people, Lainie blushed like a beetroot but eventually gave a shy nod. And so it went on, no one could hide from the "bottle of truth" When they reached Hogwarts they were silent. All stuck in their own world with expectations and anticipation with maybe a few private thoughts about another person but then who knows.

In the girls dorms Lily climbed into bed and said goodnight. She caught a brief glimpse of the stars out her window before she dropped off to sleep.