Disclaimer : You know that if I was JK Rowling I wouldn't be posting fan fic, but rather putting it in a book... So I don't own any of her stuff but I own all of mine

Chapter 2 : Paintings and Passages

By the time Lily got to the carriages, every seat had been taken… Except the one next to James. Lily reluctantly sat down in the seat and the carriage started to move. Lily was sitting next to James and on James' other side sat Lana and squeezed in between Lana and the side of the carriage was Delia. Across from them, Ava was sitting next to Sirius and on Sirius' other side was Remus. Then Lily noticed it.

"Guys? Where's Peter?" Lily asked.

"Oh… He said he'd grab a carriage with some girl he met. I think her name was Matilda… Or was it Martha? Well, it was something like that. She came into the compartment looking for a rat and Peter offered to help her look for it.

"Oh." said Lily. She was looking out the window at the darkness, which was punctured by the welcoming castle looming ahead. "Nearly there."

"Yup." said Ava looking out her window too. "Do you guys know what kind of NEWT classes you're going to take?"

"I'm definitely taking potions." said Lily.

"Well we all knew that. After all, you are Sluggy's favorite." said James. Everyone in the carriage laughed. Lily started to blush a light shade of pink.

"Well, what are you going to take, Potter?" Lily asked.

"Probably DADA, Potions, and some others. I can't really remember what they are, but I need them to get into the Auror Academy." he said, happy with his choices.

"That's it? Don't you want to take Muggle Studies or Ancient Runes?" Lily asked surprised.

"Nope. That's it." The carriage slowed down to a stop. "I guess it's time to get out, then." James said. He got out of the carriage. "Here. Let me help you, Evans." he said as he put his arm out to help her.

"I'm perfectly able at getting down myself, thank you." Lily replied. And with that, she managed to step on the hem of her robes and would have fallen flat on her face if James hadn't been there to catch her. "Thanks." she muttered as she started to walk towards the castle.

"No problem." said James watching her walk away.

"Smooth move, Prongs." said Sirius.

James gave a little smile and started walking towards the castle. They entered through to the Great Hall where it looked as magnificent as ever. The ceiling had been bewitched to represent the sky. So if you looked up, you could see a dark navy sky specked with white stars.

James, Sirius and Remus sat down at the table, just a little ways down from Lily, Ava, Delia and Lana. They continued to look around the table. "Where did Peter get off to?" asked Sirius.

"He's right over there." said Remus. "Look."

And sure enough, there just a little bit farther down sat Peter with Matilda Flutes. She was not very pretty and had big glasses that took up the whole top of her face. The two of them sat together engrossed in conversation.

"Wow… Peter's got the girl before I've got mine." said James. Sirius and Remus laughed.

Professor McGonagall brought the first years in single file. They all looked terrified. The sorting hat sang its song and then the sorting began with "Arden, Lucretia" who was sorted into Slytherin and went all the way down to "Zenith, Henry" who became a Hufflepuff.

Professor Dumbledore stood up and addressed the students. "I shall not keep you from enjoying this magnificent feast, so I will keep my announcements short and too the point. Mr. Posey, the caretaker, would like me to remind you that no student is allowed to enter the Forbidden Forest. Also, students are to check the list of forbidden joke items that is located in Mr. Posey's office." Dumbledore looked around at the students. "With out further ado, dig in." As he waved his arms across the Great Hall, the platters filled themselves with all sorts of magnificent foods.

"Excellent. I'm starving." Sirius said as he reached out to load up his plate with food.

They all ate until they couldn't eat anymore. Dumbledore stood up once again from the Headmaster's seat at the Staff Table. He waved his hands again and all the food disappeared. "Now that you all have eaten your fill, it is time for you to be heading off to sleep so you can enjoy your first day of classes. Good night to all. Prefects and Head Boy and Girl, would you please help to lead the first years to their dormitories?"

James watched as Remus and Lily started calling to the first years to follow them. "Shall we take that lovely short cut?" Sirius asked James as they left the Great Hall.

"Sounds like a plan." James replied. They took off in the other direction and started walking along the fourth floor corridor. They stopped in front of the painting of a woman in a stunning red dress. She appeared young and youthful. She was very pretty with her long blonde hair tied up in an elegant knot on top of her head with stray curls falling out around her face and in the back. Her blue eyes stared intently at the two boys.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Good evening, Miss Holly. It's a pleasure to see you again." said James.

"You look stunning, might I add." chimed in Sirius.

"Why thank you. And I suppose you would like me to move aside for you to pass?" she asked, with a smile.

"That would be nice, ma'am." Sirius said in his best innocent voice.

"Of course." she said. She swung open and behind the painting there stood a passage that took them straight to the corridor outside the Gryffindor common room.

"Thank you, Miss Holly." said James as she swung shut behind them.

"Anytime, boys."

James and Sirius walked casually out the other side of the passage way. They knocked on the back of the portrait. "Ms. Vivian." James said sweetly.

"Good to see you two again." said Vivian.

"Is the corridor clear?" Sirius asked, trying to listen through the painting.

"Yes, I believe it is."

"Can you let us through?"

"Naturally." she said as she took a final glance up and down the corridor. Then she opened up and James and Sirius walked out from behind, checking the corridor also.

"Thank you, Ms. Viv." James said with a slight bow.

"Yes, thank you Ms. Viv." Sirius added.

"No worries." replied Vivian.

James and Sirius walked across the corridor towards the painting of the Fat Lady.

"James!" said Sirius. "We don't know the password!"

"That's right! We forgot to ask Moony!" James said exasperatedly. He looked up at the portrait of the Fat Lady. "Do you think you could let us in? Just this once?"

"I'm sorry Mr. Potter. I don't believe I can." said the Fat Lady.

"Oh well. That's alright. We'll just wait for the first years to come." Sirius said, sitting himself down on the floor next to the portrait hole.

"Brilliant idea, Sirius." James said, sarcastically.

They only had to wait a few minutes before Remus and Lilly came with all the first years in tow.

"How did you two get up here so fast?" asked Lily.

"We… uh… we… we… jogged." Sirius finally stammered.

"You… jogged…" Lily said, sounding a bit suspicious. Remus put his hand over his face and shook his head.

"Yea… jogged." said James giving Sirius a 'that-was-a-stupid-idea' look.

"Right…" Lily said. She then turned to the Fat Lady, but still keeping her eyes on James and Sirius. "Good evening, ma'am." Lily said.

"Good evening, Miss Evans. I believe you would have the password, unlike these two." she said as she nodded towards James and Sirius.

"I do." said Lily, matter-of-factly. "Gillyweed."

"Very good. You may enter."

"Thank you." said Lily with a smile. "Come on, first years, this way." She led them all into the common room.

James and Sirius walked up to their dormitories and flopped down onto their beds.

"Jogging! You're a Marauder and the best excuse you could think of was jogging!" James said, a little annoyed. "I thought we taught you better than that." he said.

"Well, I wasn't expecting her to ask that!" said Sirius.

"Right." James said looking over at the bed next to him. Moments later, they were joined by Remus.

"Jogging! What was that!" Remus asked.

"I don't know!" said Sirius, now irritated. He rolled over onto his stomach. Remus sat down on the bed on the other side of Sirius. He looked over at Peter's bed.

"Have either of you seen Peter since dinner?" Remus asked.

"Can't say I have, mate." Sirius said.

"He's probably still with that Matilda girl." said James.

"This is really odd of Peter. He usually never talks to girls." said Remus.

"Definitely. Well, I think I shall let the party animal party so that I can stay awake in class tomorrow." said Sirius.

"Good idea." said James. "Say, I think that's the best idea you've had all day, mate. Congratulations!" he said sarcastically.

Sirius shot James an annoyed look and changed into his pajamas. James and Remus did the same and they all went to sleep.

A/N : So theres Chapter 2... I happen to like this one. I thought it was funny that they were on like first name basis' with the paintings. So yea... reviews are always greatly appreciated and I'll post the next chapter tomorrow.