Oct 9, 2005

A/N: Here's the second chapter. It was actually part of the first one, but I decided against it ultimately. Good thing I did, too, seeing how long it is.

Thanks to my one review and my many readers. Read and comment, please. )

Chapter 2—Of Confessions and Dirty Underwear.

The arrival at Hogwarts was memorable if not pleasant, sailing across the inclement waves of the lake with the new first years especially so. As the boat pushed off from the bank, Lily looked back to shore, pulling her hood tighter about herself against the cold, frowning as she watched James skiving off his private duties and boarding a carriage with his friends.

Typical. Lily didn't expect much more from him.

She turned back around, suddenly wishing that she'd had the better judgment to avoid this journey across the lake. After all, who would know? Cursing herself silently, she flashed what she hoped was a reassuring smile at the first year sitting across from her, a nervous looking red haired girl.

Hufflepuff, she thought, definitely Hufflepuff. Shame. She would have liked to get to know her better.

---

By the time she and the few other prefects that had been similarly stupid enough to undertake the job had herded the scared first years into the Entrance Hall and had handed them gratefully over to Professor McGonagall, the transfiguration professor, Lily was in a decidedly bad mood. She peeled off her rain soaked cloak, voicing the drying spell for what seemed like the thousandth time, and walked through the double doors that led to the Great Hall.

Such was her temperance that she had no thought to spare for the lovingly crafted—or conjured—decorations, no energy to wave at the various students that called a greeting as she passed. Cold, tired, and hungry, Lily was at her breaking point. She looked around, spotting her friends at once, and strode over, taking a seat between them, looking expectantly at her empty plate.

"Gods Lil, you look terrible," was Leah's worried remark, as she looked her friend up and down.

Lily sighed, and propped her head on her hands, staring straight ahead at the tall windows. "I've been better," she replied, her eyes loosing their focus.

"No doubt," agreed Salina, who was now craning her neck toward the direction of the entrance hall, trying to catch a glimpse of the first years. "I'm so hungry," she complained, "What's taking them so long?"

Lily shrugged, wondering the same thing herself, her patience at last worn to its limit. Across from her, James and his group of friends had taken a seat, looking decidedly warm and dry, but she spared them no glance, having not the energy to drag her eyes away from the rain that ran in rivulets down the window panes.

---

When she finally arrived in her dorm room, the first years having been accordingly sorted (the redheaded, true to Lily's prediction, into Hufflepuff), it was all Lily could do but fall directly into bed without even changing. She had contemplated taking a soak in the prefect's bath, but had decided against it, realizing that she would probably have fallen asleep in the tub. Now, as she removed her pajamas and assorted cosmetics out of her trunk, leaving the bulk of the unpacking to do tomorrow (Saturday, thank goodness), Lily yawned and listened half-heartedly to the conversation of her friends, and the bustling of the two other sixth years that shared the dormitory.

"I'm so looking forward to this year," breathed Leah excitedly, "Owls done, no Newts for another year, nothing to worry about."

"Ha! Tell that to Lily." Salina grinned, extracting a large dressing gown from her trunk.

Leah looked over to Lily, who gave her a sympathetic smile, then replied seriously. "But think about it, Salina, I mean, we're practically free."

Salina grinned and propped a large velvety teddy bear upon her dresser, standing back to look at the effect. "True," she agreed.

"Yep, and now we can actually turn our attentions to--"Leah giggled, "--boys."

"Leah!" Lily reprimanded, but Salina merely raised an eyebrow.

"Oh come on Lily," the accused cried, "we're sixteen. It's about time we go through mental puberty."

Lily just shrugged, pulling out a pair of pale green pajama bottoms and pulling them on.

Salina's grin widened. "And who might we be referring to, eh Leah? You finally found someone you're interested in?"

"Well…you know that Ravenclaw beater, the one who broke his arm last year?"

"Enlighten me."

Leah blushed and rummaged furiously through her belongings. "The one who asked me to the Christmas Ball last year, but I turned him down because I didn't think I was ready to date?"

Her friend frowned. "Nick…Choudry? Casey?" she said slowly.

"Chandler." Leah reddened further as Lily finished dressing and fell into bed, pulling the covers up around herself and sighing contentedly.

"Oh. Him. But he's so…superficial. The stereotypical knight in shining armor."

"He's just a bit too dramatic, is all."

Salina watched as Ari and Tonya, the remaining two girls, left the dorm, most likely for the showers, and smiled. "If you say so."

Lily closed her eyes and was almost asleep when Leah spoke again.

"So what about you, Salina? Who've you got your eye on?" she asked, getting into bed as well.

Her friend yawned widely. "Sirius Black," she replied, without a trace of sheepishness.

Her remark caused Lily to snap her eyes open, the blanket of sleep that had all but settled upon her dispersing at once. "What!" she and Leah cried simultaneously, both of them sitting up slightly in bed.

Salina frowned, taken aback. "Don't act so surprised guys, there's nothing wrong with Sirius."

Lily blanched. "But he's so immature. And don't tell me you haven't heard of his reputation for sleeping around."

"Yes, but he's got the looks to make up for it, call me shallow if you want. And besides, everyone has a reputation, and if his is true, well, we'll see if I can't tame him down a bit."

Lily stared at her a moment longer, then shrugged, knowing there was nothing to be gained from arguing with her friend, who was known to be especially stubborn. "If you say so, she said, settling back against her sheets.

Leah was thinking along the same lines. "To each her own," she said wisely, "though I'd have to question your tastes. Or your priorities, I should say."

"Hey!" retorted her friendly sharply, "Don't get me started on your Nick Chanley."

"Chandler."

"Whatever," Salina scoffed as she, too, climbed into bed.

"Night," said Lily, and her remark was echoed on either side of her.

As she dreamt that night, through her dreams drifted an indiscernible figure, always hovering just out of sight, someone who, Lily knew, would be ultimately important in her life. Who the person was, she didn't know.

She wasn't all too sure if she wanted to.

---

James Potter, on the other hand, was feeling anything but tired, as he had spent the last half hour trying to persuade his buds to go on another midnight romp with him, and, when he was outvoted, the next fifteen minutes trying to catch the eye of a fifth year Gryffindor who was looking as eagerly at him as he at her.

All in all, he was feeling pretty smug, as he entered the dormitory, stripped down to his boxers, checked his reflection in the mirror, and all but leapt into bed. A moment later, he had to roll sharply to his left as a pair of dirty socks came flying his way, followed by a pair of equally besmudged looking pair of red and green striped boxers.

"Watch it," he shouted to his right, eyeing the items distastefully and reaching for his want to levitate them off his bedspread. "When I want your dirty underwear thrown at me, Padfoot, I'll ask."

"Yours." Was Sirius's nonchalant reply.

"What?"

"Yours. I borrowed them last year and forgot to return them."

James looked down, recognizing faintly the articles of clothing, and gagged. "You wore my underwear!"

"Er, no, just the socks." Sirius continued to rummage through his trunk. "I was using the boxers for something else.

"And didn't even wash them?"

"Can't blame me if I forgot."

"Why on earth would you need to use my boxers?" James cried indignantly, ignoring Remus's and Peter's uncontrollable laughter.

"Well I couldn't exactly find Remus's, though it wasn't for lack of trying, the bastard." He shot the person in question a dirty look. "And I wasn't about to use some of Peter's, so yours was the obvious answer."

At his comment, Remus and Peter quieted immediately, both turning similar shades of red.

"Nevermind," said James, wrinkling up his nose, "I don't want to know." He picked up his wand and sent the items back over to Sirius, landing each one perfectly on top of his head. "Keep them, Sirius. A gift, from me to you."

"I'm touched," his friend replied sarcastically, peeling the underwear off from on top of his head. He frowned thoughtfully. "I wonder if we can get the house-elves to cremate these things." Tossing them aside, he bounded into bed, sighing and changing the subject. "It's good to be back," he murmured into his pillow

James laughed. "It won't be long until you've got a girl in there with you, Padfoot."

"I wish." Sirius smirked. "All of them are too scared to come near me now."

"Oh I don't know about that," came Remus's soft remark, "I thought I saw Salina Perry eyeing you tonight at dinner. You know, Lily's friend." He looked at James pointedly and was rewarded with an indignant stare from him.

"Maybe," said Sirus. His lack of concern surprised Remus, who was sure he had seen his friend return some of Salina's more heated glances. But, after all, Sirius was a mystery to him, as was James. Their minds worked in different ways from most.

Remus sighed, and glanced out the window, trying to catch a glimpse of the moon through the rain and clouds, realizing that there was only a week before it was that time of the month again. Surprisingly, it didn't bother him as much as it used to, and he was rather looking forward to it. He had missed their monthly midnight romps.

One by one the boys fell asleep, until there was naught but the even sounds of breathing within the chamber, the only light coming from the shaft of moonlight that graced the floor. Somewhere in the castle, a ghost moaned, and the subject of a painting twittered, but all was more or less still, as the first day of term drew to a close.

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A/N: And there you go. Expect the next chapter sometime next week, though I can't guarantee anything. D