Chapter Four: How did we get here?

Lily excitedly packed her things. She had to hurry. Her parents would be taking her to Kings Cross Station in ten minutes. She would be returning to her last year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Lily grinned to herself. It was going to be her best year yet. She had been made Head Girl, after all.

"Lily, are you ready?" Her mother called.

"Yes, mum." Lily called and swept her gaze across her room. She didn't appear to be missing anything. Lily ran down the stairs and waited anxiously for her parents so they could load the car with her things.

James tried to stuff everything into his trunk. "Why won't this close?"

"Probably because you need to pack that thing properly." His mother chided. "There's no time now, we have to leave."

"Yeah, give me a sec." James muttered. He turned around and saw his best friend Sirius lugging his trunk down the stairs. "Padfoot, are you bringing a whole store in that thing?"

"Of course, mate. I will need something to impress the ladies with." Sirius grinned.

James groaned. "No. Tell me that you're not going to try and date everyone possible again this year, are you?"

"Nah. I think I'll settle down. One or two… a week. How's that?"

"Incorrigible." James' mother muttered.

"Oh, Mrs. Potter, you know I save all my real charm for you." Sirius wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

"Black, please take your hands off my wife." Mr. Potter scolded, smiling to himself.

"Right-o." Sirius quickly got his trunk and flew out the door. "Come on, James, we'll be late."

"Ready!" James ran after him. "Mum! Dad! Come on! I'm gonna be late for the girl of my dreams."

Sirius stiffened. "And who's that?"

"I don't know." James shrugged. "I haven't met her yet. I'm sure I will, though."

Sirius sighed in relief. "Well, we better not keep her waiting then."

Lily walked through the train trying to find an empty compartment. She had a strange feeling, like there was something she couldn't remember. Lily tried to recall the past six years she'd spent at Hogwarts. However, most of what Lily could remember was the lessons she'd learn. Did she not have any friends? That can't be right.

She opened a door and looked in. There were four boys joking around and a girl sitting with them. "Excuse me." She made to close the door before she was interrupted.

James had shot out his hand and kept the door open. "You can sit with us."

"Okay." Lily smiled. She sat down next to a handsome boy with straight black hair. She giggled a little to herself. He was really cute. "I'm Lily Evans."

"Do I know you?" The boy with messy dark hair asked. He was tall and cute in a charming sort of way.

"I don't know. I can't remember having seen you before. What's your name?"

"James Potter." James stuck out his hand and Lily shook it. "Pleased to meet you."

The boy sitting next to her was squirming uncomfortably. Lily noticed he was shooting glances at a brown haired boy sitting next to James. The brown haired boy just shrugged and smiled to himself. Lily wondered what was going on between the two.

There was another boy with sandy blonde hair that was talking to the brown haired boy, oblivious to her presence.

There was also a blonde haired girl. She smiled pleasantly at Lily and said, "My name is Alice. It's nice to meet you."

"You too." Lily smiled. Alice seemed really nice.

Alice rolled her eyes at the boys and sat down next to Lily. "I suppose I'll introduce them, since their blithering morons." Lily giggled. Alice pointed at the black haired boy. "This is Sirius Black," The brown haired boy, "Remus Lupin", the sandy haired boy, "and Peter Pettigrew. You, of course, have already met James Potter. Their ringleader in crime." Alice winked.

Lily laughed quietly and looked at the four boys. She felt like she could be their friend. Her glance fell across James though. She caught him looking at her and blushed. Why is he doing that? Do I have something on my face?

"Why haven't I seen you before, Lily?" James queried.

"I don't know. Maybe you weren't looking hard enough." Lily shrugged and tried not to stare at him. He was rather handsome now that she thought about it.

"I don't think I could have missed the most beautiful girl in Hogwarts." Lily blushed furiously.

"I don't know about that…" she started. However she was interrupted by Alice.

"Potter, are you forgetting about me?" Alice slapped his arm playfully.

"Dear Alice, no one could forget your loud mouth." Sirius intoned mischievously.

"I'm telling Frank." Alice stuck out her tongue at Sirius.

"Who's Frank?" Lily asked.

"Frank Longbottom is Alice's long lost boyfriend." Remus replied. "He graduated last year and Alice still insists that they were meant to be." The boys snickered.

"I think that's romantic." Lily said reassuringly to Alice.

"Thanks, Lily. At least one of my friends cares about me."

Lily smiled inwardly at being called Alice's friends. She hoped so. This would be a good year, she could tell.

James sat next to Sirius at the Gryffindor table during the sorting. He kept sneaking glances at Lily Evans. He couldn't believe that he had never seen her before. James had made it a point to know every girl in Hogwarts, and she was even in his house. It didn't make much sense to him. Lily was the most gorgeous girl he had ever seen. How could he not have noticed her?

James nudged Sirius as a first year was being sorted, "What's the deal with this Evans girl?"

"What do you mean?" Sirius asked nervously.

"Why haven't I dated her yet?"

"Well, your paths have never really crossed. I think you asked her once, but she turned you down." Sirius was fidgeting uncomfortably.

"Are you okay, mate?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"It just doesn't make sense." James sighed. "I feel like I know her."

"James, you feel like you know every woman." Sirius joked lightly.

"Yeah, that's true." James grinned and went back to watching the proceedings in front of him.

James' attention soon wandered from the sorting back to Lily. She was so beautiful. He could tell already that she would be a distraction from his studies. By the time James had committed her every feature to memory, the feast had begun.

Sirius glanced at James. "Prongs, mate. It's time to eat. What's wrong with you?" Sirius kept staring at him aghast. "There is food to be had!"

James shook his head at Sirius and began filling his plate with food. "Chill, Padfoot. We don't all eat as obsessively as you."

"Hey! I take offense at that."

"You should." Alice interrupted. She and Lily had finally stopped talking quietly to each other. James noticed that Lily was glancing at him shyly. James felt the blood rush through his body.

"So, Lily. Tell us about your summer. I don't think we got that far in our conversation on the train." James asked suddenly.

Alice and Sirius who had been bickering looked up at James quickly. He was staring intently at Lily. When they looked over at Lily they found her blushing but her eyes were locked on James'. "It was pretty uneventful, as far as I can remember." Lily looked off distantly. "Mostly I just hung out in my house, I think." Lily bit her lip, she seemed confused.

"Yeah, me too." James added, he too was looking a bit perplexed.

"Well, my summer was fabulous." Sirius interjected. "I met this gorgeous girl. We spent many a night together."

"Eww. Sirius, no one wants to know about that." Alice kicked Sirius from under the table.

"Now, Alice. Don't go and get him excited." Remus winked.

"What?" Sirius asked. "I don't get it."

"Of course not." Remus replied and continued eating.

James and Lily's eyes had found each other again. James reached his hand across the table and took ahold of hers. He entwined their fingers, feeling her smooth skin against his. Lily cast her eyes down to glance at his hand. When she looked up again, she was smiling, her cheeks infused with red. The rest of the Marauders and Alice continued bickering with one another, oblivious to the new development.

After the feast Lily and James had disappeared to the Head Boy and Girl's dorm. Sirius, Remus, Peter, and Alice sat in the Gryffindor Common Room.

"I think it's going well," Sirius said cheekily.

"You would." Alice muttered.

"Do you really think they won't find out?" Remus asked. "I mean, they are bound to run across certain things that will confuse them. They're already confused about each other."

"That'll pass." Sirius said assuredly.

"How do you know?" Peter asked quietly.

"Because, I know." Sirius growled. "I have it all planned out. We'll just have to intercept all distractions. Alice, you'll have to stick with Lily at all times. And we'll stick with James. It can't be that hard to keep them in the dark."

"What about the Slytherins?" Peter questioned. "They're bound to notice something and try to mess with their minds."

"Do you really think they're smart enough to notice?" Sirius scoffed. "Besides, they're the same people. They just don't remember each other."

"But, Sirius." Alice said softly. "Lily doesn't remember anyone. She was telling me earlier that her memory seems to be off. All she can remember is her classes."

Remus glared at Sirius. "I knew you'd screwed up. I was watching her on the train ride here. She seems to be very lost. What did you do to her?"

"Well," Sirius began. "It was harder with her!" He said stubbornly.

"Oh, Padfoot." Remus shook his head.

"Well, I know James like the back of my hand. It was relatively easy to wipe just Lily away. But I don't know her as well. I just thought it'd be safer this way."

"And you just thought that no one would notice that she doesn't remember them or their friendship?" Alice grumbled.

"That's what you're there for, Alice." Sirius intoned sweetly. "To take care of her."

"Oh, I give up." Alice stormed off to the girls' dormitories.

"You don't think it will work?" Sirius turned to Remus.

"I hope it will, Padfoot. But your plan seems to have backfired."

"What do you mean?"

"Haven't you noticed how much Lily and James were glancing at each other? They're obviously attracted to each other."

"Oh. I didn't think of that." Sirius looked thoughtful. "But, they were always meant to be together. Maybe it's better this way."

"Humph." Remus grunted.

Lily lay in her bed awake. She was really excited to be back at Hogwarts. Lily smiled while she thought of all the people she had met today. Alice seemed like a really cool girl. She hoped they could be best friends. In fact, she already felt like they were. Sirius was a cute boy. He seemed like the really friendly type. Remus reminded her a lot of herself. He seemed very studious. Lily had mixed feelings about Peter. She thought that he might be a bit of the follower type.

Then there was James Potter. Lily blushed at the warm sensation running through her body. James was so gorgeous to her. He had a beautiful body. She could just imagine running her hands everywhere on him. But it wasn't even just the physical attraction. During their brief conversation Lily had felt a connection with him. He was a huge mystery to her. A mystery she wanted to get to know better.

James had curled up on the couch in the Head Common Room staring at the fire. He couldn't sleep. His mind was swept up with images of Lily Evans. He was so caught up in replaying their conversation that he didn't notice her come down.

"James?"

James looked up and saw Lily standing on the stairway in a light green robe. "What are you doing up?"

"I was gonna ask you the same thing." Lily smiled and sat down next to him.

"Oh, well, I was just thinking."

"About what?"

"The events of the day." You.

"Yeah, I'm so overwhelmed, I couldn't sleep. I was going to come down and watch the fire, but I see you've beat me to it." Lily rested her head on the arm of the couch.

"We can both watch the fire." James smiled

"I certainly hope so." Lily teased him.

They both watched the fire for awhile, comfortable with one another's presence. Lily yawned and closed her eyes. Before she knew it she had fallen asleep. James glanced over at her. She is so beautiful when she sleeps. James picked her up gently and carried her towards her room.

"James?" She questioned.

"Shh, Lily. You're tired and you need to sleep."

"Okay." Lily rested her head on his shoulder and fell back asleep.

James pulled back her bedcovers and lay her down. She immediately curled up with her pillow. James smiled and pulled the covers over her before leaving to his own room for the night.

A/N: Oh, so that's what Sirius was up to... grin I hope you guys still like it! I appreciate every review, they make me feel so good! Keep them coming okay?