Note: For all of you who liked the first chapter, here's another!

Chapter Two: Double Potions

Lily followed Professor McGonagall to the doors of the Great Hall. What was Sorting? With her were all the scared-looking first years, two surly sixth years and one lonesome seventh year, who looked pretty miserable. The doors opened and all the new kids trooped up to the stage, where an old, tattered pointy hat lay on a wooden stool. A tear near its' brim opened wide and the Sorting Hat started singing.

'Hoggywarts,

Oh Hoggywarts,

This year will bring joy and love,

Even to those up in heaven above.

Today my song is short and sweet,

So that you can all celebrate and eat.

Washed away are all sins,

Now let the Sorting begin!'(Note: SONG IS BAD!) There was a polite scattering of applause, then McGonagall unrolled a long piece of parchment. One by one she called up the newbies and they put on the hat and sat on the stool, then were sorted into a different house. Each house had a different table, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Slytherin and Gryffindor. Lily noticed all the grand golden dishes and plates were empty.

'Evans, Lily!' Lily held her breath and walked abruptly up to the stage. She sat down on the stool and put on the Sorting Hat, feeling a bit like an idiot. The Hat began to mutter.

'Certainly got brains there, eh, what about Ravenclaw? Wait a bit, bravery, a lot of bravery. No, wait, the brains are always thinking! Bravery, yes, I can see. I guess you'll have to be in… Gryffindor!' Lily leapt up and snatched the hat off her head. She ran over to the Gryffindor table. Her heart leapt as she saw Hagrid, James, Sirius, Peter and Remus there. She took a seat beside James as he had saved her one. He hugged her. Lily didn't squirm. She was sort of starting to like James, maybe even love, but sometimes he could be a bit of an idiot. He had a gentle touch that Lily liked, but she wasn't sure of anything yet. James' hand caressed hers.

'Knew you'd be with me,' he said happily. The plates filled up with delicious, mouth-watering food, and the Feast started. Lily gripped James hand.

NEW PARAGRAPH

'Wha…?' Lily scrambled awake and looked at her clock. 'Wait, where am I?' Then it suddenly dawned on her. Last night, she had spent a terrific time at the Feast with James. A tremendous grin swept over her face. Lily leapt out of her four-poster and rummaged about for her robes, skirt and blouse. Unfortunately, they had to wear a tie too. Lily skipped down to breakfast to see James there, awake and lively. He was wearing scarlet Quidditch robes.

'Hello, sweet possum,' he said as Lily came up to him. Peter nearly choked on his porridge. 'Been having Quidditch practice. McGonagall's handing out the Gryffindor timetables.' Lily and James took their timetables and compared them.

'Ooh, look, unlucky, you've got Divination,' said Lily. 'I've got Arithmancy. We've got Double Potions this morning, unfortunately, urgh; it's with the Slytherins! Okay, we've got Herbology together in Greenhouse Three, lucky, it's only with the Ravenclaws!'

'Will you two lovebirds stop being so… gushy?' groaned Sirius.

'Well, it's not like you don't snog all the girls at school in corridors at night,' said Remus cheekily. Sirius flushed a deep pink.

'Hey, how do you know?'

'Well, last night, I saw you and Mia Florentino snogging in the secret corridor behind the tapestry of Herbie the Hilarious, and in third year, you were making out with Daphne Yankee in the hallways,' said Remus simply. 'I just never said anything.'

'How did you find out?' glared Sirius.

'I've got my sources.' Hagrid lumbered in at that moment, shaking the floor, causing James to break his bowl of cornflakes in shock.

'Reparo,' said Lily simply, repairing the bowl. 'James, you've got to be more careful…' She scooped up the cornflakes carefully, bending down, her short skirt showing off her legs. Some boys stared.

'Oiy, what are you looking at, you gits?' burst out James.

'Hey, I gotta go,' said Lily, checking her watch and kissing James gently on the cheek. 'See ya in Double Potions, okay?' Lily set off for the dorms.

NEW PARAGRAPH

'He's soooooooo got the looks! And he plays Seeker for the Gryffindor Quidditch team! You're so lucky, Lily!' exclaimed her classmate, Aleisha Mayp.

'Do you have to be so annoying?' exclaimed Lily, half amused and half happy that she had got James.

'Sorry!' Aleisha shut up as Professor Durno, the Charms teacher, walked in.

'Today we will be learning… Yes, Miss Evans?' Lily's hand had shot up.

'What Charms have we learnt in the past?' she asked. 'I'm new, I was supposed to come three years ago but-'

'Do we really have to listen to your history, Mudblood?' came a malicious voice. It was none other than Lucius Malfoy.

'Malfoy, do we really have to listen to your voice?'

'Enough, class, let's get to work. Miss Evans, we have learnt the standard spells pretty much. We've covered the Body Bind ones and the Jinxes and we're moving onto the Hexes. Just be patient, my dear. Today, we will be learning the Impedimenta Charm. It makes whatever you are cursing slow down. Now, get into pairs, and charge at each other and perform the charm. Or, you can just get pillows and fling them instead.' Lily was about to ask Aleisha if she would be her partner, but Malfoy cut in.

'Partner, Evans?' Aleisha crept away quietly.

'Fine, Malfoy, but I thought you didn't like me because I'm a "Mudblood"?' Lily used the word and cringed slightly.

'That doesn't matter, sweet pea…' Malfoy gently kissed her hand just as James had done. She pulled her hand away.

'Whatever. I've got a boyfriend. James Potter. Charge at me.' He flung hard at her, a vase.

'Impedimenta!' The vase sort of froze in mid-air but kept coming at Lily.

'Let's see if you can block a spell,' said Lily. She wanted to beat Malfoy up. 'Expecto Patronum!' A silvery fawn shot out of her wand tip. Malfoy froze.

'How did you do that?'

'Been learning it for a couple of months,' said Lily. Professor Durno hurried up to Lily.

'Excellent, Miss Evans, that's practically NEWT level! I see you are very advanced… well… perhaps I shouldn't… doesn't matter… Miss Evans, on Friday afternoon, why don't you come down to my office, and you can have private tutoring with a few other students?'

'Uhh… okay,' said Lily.

'Excellent, excellent! See you Friday, Miss Evans!' Malfoy scowled.

'Brainbox,' he murmured.

'Git,' said Lily in response.

NEW PARAGRAPH

'That git was staring at Sirius the whole time, and wouldn't stop until Sirius said, "Snivellus, m'boy, you wanna bit of this?" Then he flung a bit of crocodile liver at Snape and he just caught it, like that, and he was saying, "Thankyou, Mr. Black, that's what I would aim for next time." God, that idiot made no sense!' James stopped ranting for a moment. Lily laughed.

Oh, James thought. It's heaven to hear her melodious laugh…

'Yes, Malfoy was being a git too in Charms,' Lily said.

'What did he do?' James exclaimed.

'Oh, nothing, just flirting,' said Lily.

'Why didn't you tell me?' James brushed a strand of orange hair from Lily's face and tucked it behind her ear. They both leaned in for a kiss.

'Fifty points from Gryffindor,' rapped out a voice, who was probably well practiced at this phrase. 'Fifteen each from Miss Evans and Mr. Potter for being late to class, and twenty more for showing public displays of affection.' Lily and James looked up at the Potions master, Head of Slytherin, Armadillo Avery. Lucius Malfoy, Severus Snape and the Slytherins were laughing.

'Shut up, Snivellus,' glared James under his breath to Snape. Snape just laughed.

'Today,' said Professor Avery. 'We will be making… Veritaserum.' Nearly everyone drew in a gasp of breath. They had been waiting for this for ages.

'Veritaserum, as you all know, is the Truth Potion,' continued Avery. 'If you make it correctly, it will appear as a clear liquid, and only three drops, no more, no less, can make you spill your innermost secrets. Whoever concocts the best Veritaserum, wins… this.' He held up a small bottle, filled with three drops of greyish liquid. 'Devisi. A very powerful potion with which you can use to Apparate and Disapparate… Mr. Lupin?' Lupin's hand had shot up just like Lily's in Charms.

'I've read Hogwarts: A History and it says you can't Apparate or Disapparate in the castle grounds…'

'Yes, that is true, but Devisi allows you to for three hours,' said Avery. 'Even if you have learnt to or not. Divisi also allows you to have one good thing that you really want happen to you for a little while.' The whole class practically bristled with excitement. ' You have exactly thirty-five minutes. Start… now!' The class busied themselves with their Potion books and the ingredients. Snape just got out a quill and crossed out a few things in his book. Sirius could hear his muttering.

'Stir 12 times clockwise… no, that's not right, it should be 5 times anti-clockwise… a quarter of a bezoar? You must be joking, it's usually substituted for a pygos… it's much more effective…' Sirius leaned over to Snape's cauldron.

'Inventing your own potion, Snivellus?' he chuckled. Snape ignored him and leant over his cauldron even further, his greasy hair swinging wildly.

'Watch out, Snivellus, your hair might add drops of oil and spoil your potion,' grinned Sirius.

NEW PARAGRAPH

Soon, the class was finished. Avery went around marking.

'Aha! Very good, Evans, even though you are too mixed up in your love life, a very nice potion. Potter, ah, top last year… excellent mix, a bit thickish though, have to take marks off for that… Black… dear me, what's that? Definitely not… Lupin! Quite nice, though a little colourish. Pettigrew, very good, but that's the fifth cauldron bottom you've burnt. Malfoy…' He passed over Malfoy's without even looking. He scowled.

'Professor Avery, you missed mine,' he called.

'Not now, Lucius, yours is too yellow… aha! Severus Snape! The winner of Devisi!' He passed the little bottle to Snape. Snape hugged it like it was the world to him.

'Git,' muttered Sirius as the class trooped out for Care of Magical Creatures. 'He was substituting 12 stirs clockwise for 5 anti-clockwise, and he put in a pygos instead of three quarters of a bezoar! He can't have got it right! I'm going to get that Devisi no matter what it takes!' He looked over at James for support, but James was too busy passionately kissing Lily.

'If I ever fall in love…' Sirius glowered.