Disclaimer: Anything you recognize from the Harry Potter books does not belong to me.
IMPORTANT: If you have read the original version of Popularity, please take the time to read this one as well. I have changed the plot considerably. Thank you & enjoy.
Popularity
Chapter One: Isolation
The sound of gravel crunching beneath car tires filled Lily's ears as she stared dispassionately through the window. It was August 29, and there were two more days before she would depart once again to Hogwarts. She felt almost as if she were returning home from a long journey. It would certainly be more of a home that what Petunia had provided.
It was raining and the sky was an ominous shade of grey. Lily pressed her face against the window and watched the raindrops slip slowly down the glass. She loved the rain.
The car screeched to a stop and she flinched, jarred gracelessly from her thoughts. Petunia reached her arm around the seat and turned her head to look at Lily.
"We're here."
Her voice was high pitched and slightly nasal. Lily winced again and shouldered her bag.
"I'll be back at 3:00."
With that she turned the door handle and exited the vehicle.
Crunch.
Crunch.
The wet gravel crumbled beneath her sneakered feet. She crossed the threshold of The Leaky Cauldron and, for a moment, let herself be swallowed up in the cacophony that was the pub before heading out back to the infamous brick wall.
Lily pulled her list out and checked it needlessly. She had already memorized it. The parchment was creased as if it had been opened and then hastily refolded many times. Lily had kept her Hogwarts letter close to her at all times. It had given her something to look forward to.
She tied back her long red hair as she paused outside of Flourish and Blotts. She regarded the sign thoughtfully before entering the shop. A young salesman stood behind the counter, looking up as she walked through the door.
"May I help you?"
She looked down at the list once more.
"I'll need one copy of everything on this list, if you please."
He held his hand out to receive the list. Her arm moved slowly forward and she hesitated a bit before finally handing it over. The salesman disappeared into the back of the store for a moment, returning with an armful of precariously balanced school texts.
"Here you go, miss. That'll be two galleons if it suits you."
She dug down into her coin purse with an ironic smile, wondering what the eager-to-please salesman would say if she decided it didn't suit her. She dropped the galleons into his waiting palm and dragged the heavy book bag out of the store.
Where to next? She mused, looking at the list once more.
Well, the apothecary will just have to do. It's in the near vicinity anyway.
As she entered the apothecary door, she was knocked to her ground by a looming figure in worn gray robes. A dirty-nailed hand was thrust into her face, and she was pulled hastily to her feet. She dusted herself off and looked up into the black eyes of Severus Snape.
"Beg your pardon and all that, but I really must be on my way." He muttered absently, tossing her a sneer at the last moment as if he had only just remembered who she was. He swished his faded cloak and strode down the street with it billowing out behind him. Quite regal for one in such battered clothing, she thought. Lily watched him until he was out of her line of vision.
She had made it into the apothecary without further incident, and was perusing a display of frog spleen when she was torn out of her thoughts by an unwelcome hand on her shoulder. She shrugged the hand off and turned to meet an angry looking James Potter.
"Was he bothering you?" He was fairly crackling with anger and his eyes were burning pools of hatred.
"Who?" She asked, genuinely puzzled.
"Snivellus." James answered with no small amount of contempt staining his voice.
"You mean Snape?" Lily asked incredulously.
"Are you feeling quite alright? I haven't the faintest idea of what you are talking about!"
She looked at him, mildly concerned, as James ran a hand exasperatedly through his hair, looking down into her eyes.
"I saw him knock you over, bloody git. What I wanted to know was if you were alright!"
"I'm fine, thank you very much. And Severus" She put emphasis on his proper name. "Was the perfect gentleman. He helped me up as a matter of fact."
She sniffed and turned back around, ready to begin contemplating the frog spleen once more. James made a frustrated noise and turned back around, storming out of the shop.
"Fine Evans! Just fine! See if I try and help you ever again!"
Honestly. Why on earth would he care anyway? It's not as if he hasn't bowled me over before in his lifetime… She snorted, brushing off the conflict and grabbed the much thought over potions ingredient before paying and exiting the store.
She had managed to get back to the front of the Leaky Cauldron without further incident, much to her relief. Much to her annoyance, Petunia was not waiting when she arrived. Well, at least the rain's lightened up a bit.
Lily stood on the wet gravel, a forlorn figure in slightly faded robes, clutching her bag of supplies to her chest. She looked down at her watch and sighed. 3:27. She tapped her foot and looked up at the gray sky. She glanced at her watch again. 3:42. What could Petunia possibly be doing? She looked at the street despondently and wondered how she was to get home.
She had just decided to start walking down the street on her own when something hard smacked against the area between her shoulder blades. Lily dropped her bag, startled, and reached a hand behind her to rub the area. She turned around and was surprised to see James Potter and Sirius Black doubled over with laughter.
Her brows furrowed together as he pointed at her and whispered something to Sirius. She glared and spat vehemently,
"Very mature, Potter. Go on and throw pebbles at defenseless girls, you pitiful coward."
He straightened and glared in her direction.
"I'm not a coward!"
She arched a delicate brow and tossed her hair over her shoulder.
"Yes, because courageous young men often throw stones at unsuspecting girls as opposed to confronting them about whatever it is biting their arses. What is your problem?"
He shot a furious look her way, trying to intimidate her.
"Oh, don't you even try and make me out to be in the wrong! I saw you! Don't play innocent with me, Evans."
"James Potter, are you quite touched in the head? What are you going on about!" She was frustrated now, and sore from his accusations of… of… well, whatever he was accusing her of.
"Oh, what are you going to do now? Run off to your good friend Snivellus? Tell him that that wicked James Potter was bothering you?"
She rolled her eyes in exasperation.
"Sweet Circe, is that what you're on about? I already told you! He knocked me down, he helped me up, he billowed down Knockturn Alley in search of small fuzzy creatures to decimate or whatever it is they do down there! End of story!"
Her voice had risen several octaves. She swooped down and grabbed her bags, hastening down the street and hoping to meet Petunia along the route to their home.
"Good one, Evans. Hurry off in search of old Snivelly, now! Give him a kiss for old Jamesy, eh?"
She loosened her grip on her bag long enough to send a rude gesture his way and rushed down the street once more.
September 1
Lily slammed the trunk of Vernon's new car and grabbed her trunk. She heaved it forward with no small amount of effort and looked over her shoulder at Petunia one last time. Petunia stared back, apathetic, and watched objectively as Lily struggled to move her large burden. Vernon put the keys in the ignition and revved the engine before driving away.
Lily sighed and continued her attempt at dragging the trunk all the way to Platform 9¾. She gave up temporarily and sat down on her trunk with a huff. Not too far away, a nervous looking youth looked down at a letter in his hand and clutched at his mother's skirt.
"Are you sure it said 9¾, love?" The mother tugged at her hair and looked down at her son, worry lines appearing on her forehead.
"I see Platform 9 and Platform 10, but darling I can't see any 9¾."
"I know mum. But that's what the letter says! Look here!"
The boy proffered the letter and pointed at the delicate calligraphy. Lily smiled from her perch, unseen. She and her mother had had an all too similar experience whilst searching for the elusive platform. She left her trunk momentarily and headed over to the boy and his mother.
"Beg pardon, but are you here for the Hogwarts Express?" She asked.
The boy nodded with wide eyes. She smiled again.
"You see that brick wall over there, between Platforms 9 and 10? All you've got to do is walk through it."
The boy's mother started, looking at Lily as if she were really quite mad.
"But how is he to do that? It's a solid brick wall!"
"All you've got to do is believe that you're going to pass through it. If you'd keep an eye on my trunk for a bit, I'll demonstrate."
She walked up to the bricks and casually leaned on them before going through. She walked back through the barrier to see the boy grinning and his mum looking as though she were going to have an apoplexy at any moment.
"So you're a real witch then?" The boy asked. His mother frowned and chided him.
"Jeremy!"
"Yes I'm a real witch. Head on through the barrier now, don't want to miss the train."
She leaned down toward him confidentially.
"It's best to hit it at a bit of a run if you're nervous. I hope to see you in Gryffindor house!"
She smiled as the boy eagerly shook her hand and went back to the tedious task of dragging her trunk through the barrier. As she walked through the brick wall, the conductor loudly sounded the horn signaling that the train was about to begin moving.
"Oh, bugger it all… I can't be late!" She pulled her wand out of the sleeve of her jumper and muttered,
"Wingardium Leviosa"
Lily ran all the way to the train, trunk in tow, barely getting through the doors before the Hogwarts Express began chugging slowly along the tracks. She let her luggage down with a loud 'thump' and walked down the hall in search of her dorm mates. Lily found their compartment and slid open the door with a half-smile on her face. Their jubilant chatter and loud giggles quieted abruptly as they all turned their eyes toward her.
"Um, hello all. Are there any free seats?"
They noted her presence with blank faces and disinterested stares.
"Afraid not, Evans." Audrey alleged coolly, surreptitiously spreading out her luggage so as to take up all free space.
"Why don't you go find a seat with your Slytherin friends?"
This was met with cold laughter. Lily's jaw dropped as a dark anger boiled through the marrow of her bones.
"Is this about anything that James Potter may have told you?"
Her voice was calm, deadly. A few of the girls stopped giggling long enough to send her nervous glances.
"Anything James Potter says is worth galleons more than whatever comes out of your mouth, you sneak!"
Lily narrowed her eyes and took a step closer to Audrey.
"I may as well be sitting with a room full of Slytherins for all the forked tongues I see in front of me!"
She stormed out of the compartment, slamming the door as she tried to block out the cries of 'traitor'. Lily stowed her trunk away in a desolate compartment at the very end of the train and strode down the hall once more with a determined look on her face, wand out in front of her, her fury crackling around her like a fiery shield.
Dumbledore himself would not be enough to save James Potter from the vengeful wrath of Lily Evans.