Thank you to my wonderful beta, maraie. These chapters wouldn't be as good without her.
Pulling a black-checkered trunk on a trolley behind her, the redhead ran through the train station dodging men in suit jackets and mothers kissing their children goodbye. Dark brown eyes followed her as she swerved to miss a leashed yellow lab by a phone booth, her trolley almost dumping. Hopping on one foot to try to maintain her balance, she kept hold of a ticket in her free hand, unknowingly crumpling the edges. She put her left foot back on the ground, changing her direction slightly, heading her in a more direct line towards the barrier. Now running as fast as one can with a trunk in tow, the girl veered to the right around a woman stopped to riffle through her purse; the barrier was there to meet her. She moved onto her toes trying to slow her motion forward, but her trolley slammed into her, causing her to smack into the wall.
Right then, a large group of Asians with blue base ball caps and cameras passed between the girl and the guy watching her, and trying to look around them, the boy couldn't see the trunk or the girl in the red shirt. Tapping his friend next to him, he asked, "Hey Chris, did you see that girl run by here?"
"You mean the girl with the trolley? Yeah, I saw her and thirty other girls just like her. You're going to have to be more specific, Greg."
"I meant the one who ran into that barrier over there and disappeared," Greg added, motioning towards the wall between platforms nine and ten.
"Um," Chris considered, "no. I don't tend to see disappearing girls. Come on, our train's boarding," he added, walking away in the direction of platform eight.
Catching up with Chris, Greg said, "I really did see her disappear. Really."
On the other side of the gate into Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, Lily Evans paused to catch her breath. She glanced at her wristwatch and muttered, "I can't believe I'm this late."
Lily grabbed her trolley handle again, and having walked to the front of the scarlet train, dragged her trunk up the stairs and in front of the first compartment marked 'Reserved for Heads and Perfects.' Smoothing the front of her skirt with the back of her hand, Lily sighed. After tucking her hair behind her ears, checking over her trunk, and standing as straight and tall as she could, Lily took a deep breath, smiled warmly, and slid open the door.
She was startled, at the least, to find the compartment empty. Frowning slightly, she looked at her watch, looked down the corridor, and moved herself and her trunk into the room. She settled her trunk into the corner, sat in the precise middle of the red cushion, and took out a small book from her pocket. Unfolding the bent corner, and trying to even out the creases, Lily tapped her foot impatiently.
The door slid open, and Lily looked up, smiling expectantly, but her smile disappeared and instead she simply let her mouth hang open a little. At the door was James Potter, probably the most rule-breaking student at Hogwarts, his friends aside. Lily would have thought he'd gotten lost, but she could see the silver badge in his hand, as though deciding whether to wear it or not.
The black haired boy looked down at her, looked around the compartment while shuffling his feet, and finally said, "Hello, Evans. I'm James Potter, as I'm sure you remember," offering his hand.
Lily merely looked at the hand and shot up from her chair when she remembered what she was supposed to do with it. "Yes, right. Sorry, um, I'll be right back. I, ah, need to use the little girls' room," she replied, shaking James' hand and walking out the door at the same time.
Lily walked to the bathroom, but merely stood by the door. She couldn't believe James Potter was the Headboy; it didn't make sense for someone like that to be a role model. For years he had hexed people in the halls, and the pranks he played on certain students caused Lily to want to hex him herself. Then there had been the matter of him asking her out at the end of fifth year, but Lily had shot that idea down before he'd taken his next breath.
Of course, Lily considered as she walked back, he seems to have stopped the random hexes and the pranks are at least towards everyone in general now. Everyone does like him for those, and if you want students to pay attention and feel school pride, you put someone they like in an authoritative position.
Glancing through the frosted glass of the door, Lily could see James had settled himself in pretty comfortably; he was sprawled on the bench opposite hers with his feet near the outside window, reading the last pages of her book.
She slid the door open and quickly shutting it, sat down. "So, have you read The Slow Tilt of Mind before?"
James tossed her book back to her, and answered, "No. Do I look like someone who has?"
"Well, no. I just thought you had; you were reading the last pages and all, so I figured you did," Lily paused. "Why were you reading the last pages?"
James shrugged, "To see if I wanted to read it." James leaned back his head and closed his eyes.
Lily really wondered how the new Head Boy would manage his duties. Even if he did do well in classes, he really didn't seem to be the type who would be able to take any responsibility. The workload for the Heads was more than it was for the Perfects, and Lily really didn't think she could handle both hers and his. The thought, This might just kill me, had already crossed her mind.
"Well," Lily started, "we first need to come up with passwords for the four houses. We really should have that done before the Perfects get here at 10:45. Any ideas?"
"Why in the world would Dumbledore let the Heads choose the passwords? It seems like it's a bit of a safety hazard, if you ask me," James thought aloud.
"It won't be a hazard, unless you tell other people what they are, or use them yourself. I'm sure you wouldn't do that," Lily said, even though she was positive that was exactly what he had in mind.
Eyes still shut, James continued, "So got some interesting words we can use, Evans?"
"I guess," Lily replied looking at James warily.
When the Perfects started to find their way to the Heads' compartment nearly fifteen minutes later, neither James nor Lily had decided on any of the passwords, but instead focused on instructing the other students.
"For your first assignments, you're going to patrol the train halls and the compartments. I'm sure you can manage; you've all seen the Perfects do it in the years before, and some of you were those same Perfects," Lily said, looking pointedly at Remus Lupin, who at the moment had a small piece of chocolate halfway in his mouth. "Anything to add, Potter?"
"Er," James stumbled from his reclined position, "Not really, Evans. Thank you."
Lily tried to hide the smirk of satisfaction from the others by starting a violent coughing fit, but she was pretty sure James had seen it; somehow his glare gave her that impression.
"Why are you calling each other by last name? Aren't you two in the same house and year?" one of the fifth year Perfects asked.
"Well, yes. Thank you for pointing that out. James and I decided, before you all got here, to show you how important it is to be friends with each other, and work together this year. We'll all call each other by first names, and help each other in any way we can," Lily said, looking to James for reassurance, as most of the Perfects seemed to think she made it up.
"Right. Lily's plan is just what we need," James added.
"Okay, that's it for now. Our next meeting will be Tuesday at seven, so we'll see you there. Benjy and Marlene, you two will have the patrols of the corridors from eight to eleven until then."
As the Perfects walked out, James only stared at Lily, following her with his eyes until she sat down.
"What?"
"You lied. I'd have never fingered Ms. Lily Evans to be one who lies."
"And I'd never finger Mr. James Potter to be Head Boy. What difference does it make? They believed me, I think, and now we'll all be friendlier to each other. It did some good," Lily argued. She noted that he had a very good sense of how to make people feel guilty, possibly the way he got out of some detentions.
James simply shrugged. "Fine. We have to decide on passwords still. How about Dragon Dung, Gringylow Guts, Snake Spit, and Nundu Breath?"
Lily looked disgusted. "How about no? The passwords have to be unique, and not stomach wrenching."
Over fifty password ideas later, Lily gave up. "We'll never agree on anything!"
With a slightest look of dread on his face, James ventured, "I agree?" He hadn't thought it possible for a human being, let alone a girl, to growl like that, and he wisely decided to not mention it to Lily.
"Fine! We'll tell Dumbledore to choose the names when we get to Hogwarts! That's all we have to do, so you can go now." Lily sat down and opened her book, folding the spine back so fast she could hear the small crack that came from it.
James was about to shut the door, but stopped and turned to Lily. "Aren't you going to go sit with your friends?"
Lily gave a light sigh and sat the book down. "My best friend moved to France in June and goes to Beauxbatons Academy now, and frankly, the girls in my year are really petty."
"You can come with me, if you like. We're throwing a party in the last compartment on the train, and I personally think it'd be better than sitting here alone."
"The 'Traditional End of Summer Party,' I see."
Shifting weight to his left foot, James replied, "No, actually. We're celebrating National Luggage Day."
"We have a National Luggage day?" Lily wondered.
"No, it's National Luggage Day in Moldova," James said, then shut the door and disappeared down the corridor.
Stunned, Lily sat in her spot, fighting with herself. She could finish reading her book, or go down to the party. Being in the same place with the Marauders was hazardous to your health, Lily knew, but being alone couldn't be much better.
James would be down there, and if he still liked her, he may try to ask her out again. Other people would be there too though, so Lily could always dodge him if things seemed to be heading in that direction.
She stood up, opened the door, and walked down to the last compartment. Lily could tell this would be the death of her, but figured that, for once in her life, she'd rather die.