Just Evans
There was a full moon out, as James and Sirius arrived a bit late at the feast, due to a bit of first day pranking The boys helped Peeves the Poltergeist, an annoying, bouncy ghost, who enjoyed wrecking everything and anybody possible at Hogwarts (except perhaps Dumbledore), spill flasks of pumpkin juice on some 1st year girls. They arrived just as all the other first years were lining up in front of the sorting hat, waiting to be placed into their proper houses. McGonnagal, catching sight of the 2 windblown, red cheeked (from all that running and spilling...) boys, wagged her finger at them with a scowl on her face. The boys got in line, spotting Lily standing with a few other pretty girls, with an uncanny resemblance to Professor McGonnagal, shaking her head, scowling as well.
"What's her problem?" questioned Sirius to James. James just shrugged and smiled to himself.
"Black, Sirius!" was one of the first to be called up by Professor McGonnagal. "That's my cue," Sirius said, and walked up to the hat with a bored expression on his face. When he got up to the front, he sat down on the stool, and placed the hat on his mane of jet-black hair. Sirius twiddled his thumbs, while the hat thought. James, who knew a bit of Black family history from his parents, who worked in the ministry as aurors, and a bit from Sirius himself, guessed that the hat was considering the line of members in the Black family, probably all pure blood, who had been accepted into Slytherin. James crossed his fingers and muttered "please..." to no one in particular. Moments later, as if James' call was answered, the hat raised it's tip proudly and shouted "Gryffindor!" Sirius got up and nodded celebrity-style, to the crowd, before returning to his seat
After a few more names called, none of which James knew about or cared about, and finally, "Evans, Lily", echoed throughout the dining hall. James was sure he saw a few of the boys turn their heads in interest, as Lily breezed to the front of the room, her hair swishing gently behind her. James watched carefully as Lily put the tall, pointy black hat on her head and closed her eyes gently. James longed to have her open them again, so he could see those beautiful emerald eyes. She lay her head down to her chest and held her hands together so that it looked like she was praying. James thought she looked very pretty when she did this.
"Gryffindor!" the hat shouted after some thought. James heard some of Lily's acquaintances whispering to themselves, "I thought for sure, she'd be in put into Ravenclaw!".
A few names later (Samantha Frier, Elizabeth Finnigan, MelanieGorkin, Sandy Loughlin...), James raised his head to see a boy by the names of, "Lupin, Remus." James noticed that the boy looked quite tired, and his clothes were rumpled. James saw the bags under his eyes as the hat was placed on his head.
"Gryffindor!" the hat shouted once again, and Remus' tired features lit up with glee.
"Malfoy, Lucius", interrupted the cheerful clapping for Remus, as he walked with his chest held high, up to the stool where he sat down proudly.
The hat had barely touched his slicked-back, white-blonde hair, beneath his cold gray eyes, before it exclaimed, "Slytherin!" Boos could be heard from the Gryffindor table, but Dumbledore quickly whistled loudly to get them to stop. The Slytherins on the other hand, were overjoyed with glee.
After "Parkinson, Patricia" was made a Slytherin, and "Peter, a chubby boy with a rat-like face, was made into a Gryffindor, James heard his cue ("Potter, James.") And strutted over to the stool, and plopped the hat onto his head.
"Ahhhhh," he heard the hat say, and James wondered if anyone else could here the hat talking. "Another Potter, eh? No thinking needed for this one, a brave and loyal one like a Potter, belongs in...Gryffindor! That part, James was sure everybody heard, because a thunderous appluase echoed throughout the room, and James proudly took a bow, he turned to Lily at the Gryffindor table, and saw her laugh at his antics. He was happy.
"Nice going there, Evans!" James grinned. Lily rolled her eyes. What was her problem, James thought.
"Don't call me Evans. My name is Lily!" Now James knew what her problem was.
"O.K., Evans, whatever you say, Evans!" Lily rolled her eyes. Hey, he could afford to bother her just a little bit, right?