The Life and Times of Lily Evans
by le loup deguise en brebis


Week Two: The First Week of Classes
September 5, 1977
My alarm clock beeped at 5:45 as usual, and when I hadn't moved from my burrow of blankets by 46 it started chirping obscenities at me. Potter and his friends had hexed it back in fourth year to do that, and I hadn't wasted my time to get a new one, or figure out how to fix it.

I fumbled with the clock, and shuffled my feet out of dormitory pulling my dressing gown on. My feet protected from the chill by my fuzzy snidget slippers. With my school bag over one shoulder and clasping my bundle of clothes in front of me I left the dormitory.

I was going to the prefect bathroom. I had made that decision last night when packing my clothing for the next day into a neat little bundle. I exited the portrait, earning an annoyed sound from the Fat Lady, and made my way toward the loo.

The weekend had been boring and long. I was very anxious for term to start and being in school, but not actually learning anything was completely maddening. I had just passed Boris the Bewildered when I ran into someone. I had walked most of the path here with my eyes closed being so familiar with it. The new obstacle therefore took me by complete surprise. I bounced off of the chest of the person, and would have fallen on my backside if the person didn't catch me. They had amazing reflexes.

"All right Evans," Potter said. I felt his voice reverberate through his chest.

"Just fine James. Thanks for catching me," I replied feeling the fog of sleep cloud my mind again. I could barely sleep last night for all the excitement of today.

"The password has been changed to quaffle. A Slytherin fourth year bullied a fifth year Hufflepuff prefect into giving him the password. I already took care of it. Reported it to Dumbledore."

"Thanks James that sure was swell of you." My eyes had once again closed themselves, and they didn't want to open again.

"A hot bath will put right in no time. Remember it's quaffle Lily."

With that he released me from his grasp and I heard his feet walk away.

"Wait!"

"Yes?"

"You called me Lily," I said confused walking closer to his voice.

"You called me James," he countered and I could here the smile in his voice. "I like your slippers by the way, very cute."

I blushed deeply and scurried toward the bathroom, a large smile on my face. The snidgets on my slippers bobbing as I moved their wings flapping with each movement. I heard him laugh as I shut the door behind myself.

I fumbled with the faucets for a bit filling the tub with lavender scented water. Hot enough that I would be completely pink when I got out of it. Thankfully the door didn't open unless they had the override password that only the Heads and Dumbledore knew. There had been several incidents before the override's installation of peeping. Particularly among the female prefects when the quidditch captains were using the facilities.

I slipped into the tub and felt my weariness dissipate as the lulling scent of lavender filled my head. After a few minutes of soaking in the hot water my inactivity started to bother me to remedy this I swam several laps around the tub and frolicked under water before setting to washing. I was a great fan of water, and I went into near withdrawal like symptoms in my first four years at the school. Only using showers because let's face it no one wants to go swimming in the lake.

I had toweled off and was ready to go by seven o'clock. Popping my dressing gown and pajamas down the laundry shoot, for the house elves to clean, and putting my slippers into my satchel, shrunken, I left. I had completed all possible revision this weekend so an hour for breakfast and walking to my first class, which started at eight, was not going to be a problem.

My watch, which contained the letters CFC for the Chelsea Football Club, said it was quarter after seven when I got to the hall and had settled into my plate. A light breakfast of fruit and toast was all that my stomach could handle. I always feel a bit queasy on the first day of school.

Professor McGonagall passed out the schedules as she walked along the line; she smiled at me briefly and moved on. I ended up with Potions first which was a relief since it was one of my best classes.

As I stood from the table I saw James stand as well. His friends followed him as he left the hall. Pettigrew bid the others good-bye in the entrance hall and then went upstairs to Muggle Studies. The other three headed downstairs to Potions. I followed them at a distance until James noticed someone was walking behind him. My loafers were making clacking sounds on the floor no matter how hard I tried to stifle them.

"Lily," he said as he turned around. He smiled and stopped apparently waiting for me to catch up. Remus and Black stopped a few feet ahead of James and were looking at me curiously.

I figured it would be unnecessarily rude to not walk with them, as we were the only Gryffindors in the class, so I walked down to the classroom with them.

"So Evans, are you going to awe us with your potion knowledge today?" Black asked his tone teasing.

"It isn't difficult to be awe inspiring when compared to you lot," I said in a mock snooty tone. The three laughed and Remus caught my eye and winked.

"What winks and is a tiger in bed?" Sirius asked catching the exchange. I blinked and Sirius pounced on Remus catching him in a headlock. "A Moony!" he crowed messing up Remus's hair.

"Geroff Padfoot," Remus mumbled. Everyone was laughing and I found myself enjoying the company of all present. Which I think surprised me more then it did them.

"We are supposed to have a prefect meeting this week," James said as Remus and Sirius began to wrestle on the floor, "Oh they do that all the time. Don't worry about it."

I was a bit worried because this wasn't appropriate conduct and was nervously chewing my lip. James words didn't reassure me, but they let my mind wander to other things.

"Is Wednesday all right for you?" I questioned diverting my eyes from the boys and on to James. He was taller then I had expected. I had never really stood close to him. He must have been at least a head taller then me.

"It's great," he said and smiled his infamous crooked one. The left side was always slightly lower then the right giving him a very mischievous look.

"So you completed all your summer homework right," I asked. When in doubt of conversation there is always school.

"Yeah I finished it in the first few weeks," he replied before turning to his friends, "You two need to carry this a little further down the hall or we will be late."

The two disentangled themselves sporting a few cuts and bruises as well as looking messy but smiling jovially.

Potions with Professor Slughorn went as easily as normal. We were brewing a complex healing potion that I got on the first try right before Severus Snape. He looked quite indignant as the professor praised me. I had felt pity toward Snape in earlier years, but since sixth year his personality became more and more poisonous. The crowd he was running with also got progressively darker by the day.

The bell signaling the end of lessons tolled an hour and half later, and I was making my way out of the dungeons quickly to get to Divination. I didn't put much stock in the subject, but I was very good at the theory and could normally fake my way through it. Besides it was easier then Arithmancy.

September 7, 1977
Transfiguration was a travesty. On our first day back in class we were going over the basics of human transfiguration, which we had learned the year previous, when Black and Potter made a Slytherin's head expand to twice its size. Professor McGonagall had been so incensed by the incident she gave them both a detention while she deflated Aubrey's head.

I think the favor the other students were lavishing on the pair was inflating their heads more then basic human transfiguration ever could though I was some what inclined to test it.

"Our head boy is such a fine model of morality," a shrewd voice said behind me as I was walked from the room. It was Fredrick Dawlish the Ravenclaw seventh year I was sure was going to be my companion head.

I was a bit relieved that it wasn't him. His stiff demeanor and strict fealty to the rules was disturbing even to me.

"You're just jealous Dawlish because James beat you out for the position," I found myself saying before my brain could even fathom what was being said. Dawlish looked at me scandalized and affronted. Black and Potter were standing just behind him gawking at us.

"Obviously Evans you have been seduced by both your position and…"

I didn't let him finish. I had already cast the furnunculus hex on him. He howled in indignation and ran off toward the hospital wing.

"Lily Evans! I would never have expected this behavior from you," a voice behind me said making me jump. I turned around guiltily to see the mildly disapproving but very amused face of Remus Lupin. I stuck my tongue out at him and took off at a quick walk to Charms.

By dinner everyone had been informed that I, Lily Evans, had defended known foe James Potter. The looks of shock I was receiving in the hall were enough to put me in a foul mood. No sooner had I sat down then Remus took a seat next to me. It was still early in the dinner hour so this wasn't completely unexpected; his other friends weren't here yet.

"You have become the talk of the school. Hexing a prefect tsk, tsk," Remus said shaking his head mockingly. I looked down at the shiny badge on my robes. It had fingerprints on it, from lack of care, but the HG could be plainly seen.

"He deserved it for being such a prat," I muttered into my spotted dick. I wasn't in the mood for actual food so I was feasting on the deserts.

"I am not the one to argue with about just causes," was the only reply I got from him. We chatted a bit longer about classes and such when his three friends joined us. In the matter of ten seconds I was completely surrounded by them. Potter sat down next to me and was still talking to Sirius who was across from me; Peter was across from Remus.

"What do you think you are doing Potter?" I asked coldly. Just because I stick up for him and we have a decent conversation he assumes that we are good friends. The past forgotten?

"I believe I am buttering my bread," he said raising an eyebrow at me. He must be really narcissistic to have learned to do that. It takes hours of practice in front of the mirror to be able to do that. I know because I have tried.

"You are an insufferable, presumptuous bastard," I hissed at him. I stood up quickly, threw the napkin which had been located in my lap onto the table, and left the Great Hall with my head held high.

In hindsight I realize that I may have overreacted a tad bit, but I don't understand what he expected me to do; he sat down next to me as if we were friends. We weren't friends; we were enemies who happened to engage in a pleasant conversation the day previous and whom I defended.

September 9, 1977
He lit my hair on fire! My hair!

While I am unsure of the level of personal insult I know he distinctively lit my hair on fire. I was standing over my cauldron minding my own business when that prat makes a big show of relighting the fire under his own. Before I can even think to move the cauldron shot upwards and hits the ceiling with a resounding ring. A foot of my hair and Potter's eyebrows are gone.

A foot may not seem like a whole lot, but my hair is only 18 inches long! Hopefully Madam Pomfrey can do something. If not, Potter was going to lose more then his eyebrows.

"Was it that Potter boy again Miss Evans?" the matron asked as soon as I walked into the ward. See, even she knew that he was out to get me. She clucked her tongue against her teeth, and stepped into the potions storage room.

I had hoped there was going to be a charm for hair lengthening. That was highly improbable, but I had still hoped. I might be very good at potions, but that didn't mean that I liked to take them.

Madam Pomfrey emerged from the room holding a beaker of a greenish mixture.

"Drink this down. It should take only a minute," she said and I swallowed the whole thing in one go. I had learned that lesson early in my education. A tingling in my scalp was the only symptom I had of the potion. I watched in fascination as my red hair spread from my ear and shoulder until it pooled in my lap. "I'll crop it even and leave you to figure out a new length. With a swipe of her wand a foot fell away.

She vanished it, and then dismissed me to my next class. As I exited the wing I rubbed my hands on my scalp. It still tingled. My hair swished all the way to my hips. I chanced a look in the mirror of the closest girls' loo and smiled at my reflection. I looked older and prettier.

I was going to be late for Transfiguration, but I had a pass from Madam Pomfrey so it wouldn't matter.

When I entered Professor McGonagall was reprimanding Sirius Black for transfiguring Remus Lupin's hair into feathers.

"But Professor I was just helping out a friend. Remus was practically asking for it," Black said smiling at the professor. The cat animagus did not look impressed.

"What, Mr. Black, is it that Mr. Lupin did to ask for such plumage?"

"Well he was having issues with the girls. You know how it can be with young men these days Professor. So I kindly transfigured him to give him a more exotic flare," Black said. I was surprised he could keep a straight face especially with the tic in the professor's cheek going.

"Detention for the rest of the week. Miss Evans please take your seat," Professor McGonagall said returning to her lecture on human transfiguration. The one problem I saw with the seating arrangement was that the seat I normally occupied was already in use.

A Ravenclaw sat perched in my seat a look of adoration on her face as she stared at the ruffled head of Remus. The only vacant seat was the one directly in front of Potter. The one Black had his feet propped up on. I shoved the boy's feet of the seat with a look of suitable disgust and sat down.

"Wow Evans I really like your hair," Potter said behind me. I showed him a rude hand gesture and began to take notes on the lecture. I could feel Potter's eyes on the back of my head, or it could have been a side effect of the potion.

"You know Evans I really like the hair. It is almost better then Remus'," Black said walking up behind me when the class was over.

"No girl could ever compare to Remus could he?" I snapped back. Black's face was confused for a moment and then it turned comical.

"You think Remus and I are together?" he gasped laughing. I narrowed my eyes at his stupidity. Of coarse I didn't think that. Remus was my best friend. I would know if the boy was gay.

Speaking of Remus he had just walked out of the classroom trying to ward off the advances of the much smaller Ravenclaw girl who had stolen my seat.

"Oh Remus we have been parted for so long," Black said attacking the startled werewolf. Black hugged him tightly and nuzzled him exaggeratedly. The girl looked stricken for a moment then stalked away blinking away tears.

"Geroff me!" Remus demanded his voice weakening from what I assume was lack of oxygen. The Ravenclaw girl let out a shriek when she thought she was out of our hearing range and I rolled my eyes. Nothing kills a crush like the object of your affections being gay.

"Oh Remie!" Sirius yelled shrilly and I heard another shriek from the same corridor. The remains of our transfiguration class had dissipated. The Marauders making fools of themselves had long lost its novelty.