Woohoo! New chapter!
------
Lily looked around at each anxious face staring up at her. All of the fifth year prefects were seated in front of her in the spacious compartment the prefects and Head Boy and Girl had. She was telling them about their duties as prefects, but her mind was only half focused on what she was telling them. She had no idea who the Head Boy was. He wasn't in the compartment, and it hadn't been mentioned in the letter she'd received from Professor McGonagall.
Probably Remus Lupin, she thought. That wouldn't be so bad.
She couldn't help but like Remus, even if he did hang around with prats like Potter and Black. At the thought of Potter, Lily grimaced, drawing confused looks from her audience. She smiled and continued speaking, though she still thought about-
The compartment door opened, and Lily's stunning green eyes flared when she saw who it was.
"Potter!" Lily cried. "What are you doing down here?" Lily paused and composed herself, putting on her Head Girl voice. "This compartment is reserved for the Head Boy and Girl and the prefects. That does not include you."
James flashed her a grin and ran a hand through his already messy hair. "Actually, Evans, I'm afraid that does include me."
"What are you-" Lily paused and then paled considerably. "You don't mean-"
"Head Boy," James nodded and slung an arm around her shoulder. "It's fabulous, isn't it? Us? The whole year?"
Lily just then comprehended that he had put his arm around her, and she stared at it in disgust. Forgetting about making a good impression on the prefects, she jerked out of his grasp and glared at him.
"There is no us, Potter," Lily hissed coldly at him. She turned back to the prefects and put on a smile, "That's all for now, everyone. You can go and sit with your friends in other compartments if you want, or you can stay here."
Without sparing James another glance, Lily turned on her heal and walked out. Sighing, James followed, but he turned a different way outside, moving down towards his friends' compartment. When he entered, he found Sirius on one side, lounging in a way that his legs were propped up to take up the entire bench. Remus sat near the window, the sunlight falling on his pale face as he read. Peter was going through his new bag of pranks and tricks he'd gotten over the summer. Peter and Remus had already changed into their uniforms and robes completely, whereas Sirius hadn't tucked in his shirt and his tie was loosely done. Liking that idea, James loosened his tie and then rubbed at his temples. Sirius looked up at him with an amused smile.
"Are the duties of Head Boy already getting to you?" Sirius asked, smirking. James rolled his eyes and moved toward the seat Sirius' legs were on. When Sirius didn't make any sign of moving, James shoved his legs off, sending Sirius to the floor. Remus and Peter snorted in amusement, while Sirius glared at him. James was sure that if Sirius was in his dog form, he would have been growling.
"You have no idea," James replied casually, sitting down on the seat where Sirius' feet had been moments before.
As Sirius started to sit back down on the seat, the compartment door slid open. Lucius Malfoy was there, his grey eyes glittering like polished stones and his platinum blonde hair tied back at the nape of his neck. Behind him were Sirius' cousins, Bellatrix and Narcissa, with one of their redheaded Slytherin girlfriends, as well as Severus Snape.
"Cousin!" Sirius said brightly, greeting primarily Bellatrix, who narrowed her eyes at his sarcasm. "I'm so sorry I missed the family reunion over the summer. Tell me, what's the family count of Death Eaters now?"
Bellatrix took a step towards him, but Lucius cut her off. Bellatrix must have gotten Malfoy's warning, because she backed off. James couldn't miss the look of contempt Sirius had on his face when his gaze shifted to Snape. Snape looked back at him with just as much loathing.
"So, Potter," Lucius murmured. "I could not believe it when I heard you made Head Boy, but now I see it's true."
"Jealous, Malfoy?" James shot back. "Since you aren't a prefect anymore, you might want to watch what you say from now on."
"Empty threats, Potter," Lucius replied, smiling coldly. "I can do more to you than you could ever do to me."
James rolled his eyes and looked out the window.
Sirius, however, got to his feet. "Tell me, Lucius, is that tattoo Voldemort gave you over the summer the reason you're threatening us? Because, let's face it mate, you used to be scared of us."
Lucius began to pull out his wand, but Bellatrix's redheaded friend put a hand on Lucius' arm.
"Lucius, they aren't worth it," She whispered. "They aren't worth getting expelled over."
"Appreciate that, love," Sirius almost purred, causing the redhead to blush and move to Bellatrix's side once again. Bellatrix raised an eyebrow at her friend, who just shrugged and tried to hide her growing blush.
Lucius motioned to his group and they stalked out of the compartment.
"She was a Slytherin, Padfoot," James said incredulously as he watched Sirius' cheeky gaze follow the redhead.
Sirius just shrugged and looked out the window.
------
When Lily entered her friends' compartment, she slammed the door violently, causing Rayven and Gari to jump. They glanced at each other when they caught some of the words Lily was muttering under her breath:
'Stupid prat...how could he...what was Dumbledore thinking...'
"I suppose you met James in the front compartment," Gari cut in to Lily's ranting. "It's come as a shock to everyone, Lils. Trust me."
Lily sighed and flopped down onto the seat next to Rayven. "It's just that it's...well, Potter! When is he going to get it through his thick head that I'm not interested?"
"It's a mystery," Rayven shrugged, taking a chocolate frog out of her bag and unwrapping it. "It's our last year, so maybe things will be better."
"I don't think so," Lily sighed. "We've known those boys for six years, and they've never changed. What's going to be so different about this year?"
"He knows that this is his last chance," Sirius' smooth voice interrupted them from the doorway.
"What do you want, Sirius?" Gari asked, rolling her eyes.
Sirius shrugged from his pose of leaning against the doorway. He moved to sit next to Gari, but she inched away from him.
"Just thought I'd check in," Sirius replied innocently. "And to answer your question, Lily, James knows that he needs to be better this year." Sirius snorted in amusement at the look of doubt on Lily's face. "Not that it matters, evidently."
Lily crossed her arms defiantly over her chest and gave him an emotionless face. Sirius sighed impatiently.
"He knows that unless he makes a good impression on you this year, that he won't see you again," Sirius explained. "He's going to try and be nice, but I'm betting it only lasts a few minutes."
Rayven frowned. "Sirius, you're his friend."
"Exactly," Sirius smirked. "So I can only try and dissuade him from chasing after you this year, Lily."
Lily sighed in relief. "I appreciate that."
"I don't do it for you," Sirius said bluntly. "It's just that it's pathetic to see him turn into a wreck around you when you aren't looking."
Gari rolled her eyes again, and strode out of the compartment; Sirius followed. Gari turned around and crossed her arms.
"What is it now?" Gari asked, tapping her foot.
"Just like to know what it is about me that you have a problem with," Sirius asked. "I haven't even done anything to you."
"Yet," Gari shot back at him.
Sirius grinned, revealing a dimple on his left cheek. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Maybe I do have a few tricks planned for the coming weeks."
"But without James," Gari reminded him, but then she frowned. "How is that going to work?" She paused and grinned. "No more Padfoot and Prongs?"
"How do you know about those?" Sirius asked, surprised, but nonetheless amused.
Gari blushed. "Oh...once in fourth year, I saw you guys pouring over a map or something. It had the names on it, and I heard you calling each other them."
Sirius' eyes widened slightly. "How much of that map did you see?"
"Enough," Gari said, grinning mischievously and turning away from him.
Sirius caught her arm, and whirled her to face him again. He couldn't help but smirk back at her. "Well...now that you've seen too much, I guess I'll have to kill you."
"Right," Gari replied sarcastically. "Good luck with that."
She started to walk away from him, and then called over her shoulder: "See you at school, Black!"
------
Again, I say Woohoo!