An excited Lily Evans looked up at the great castle looming over her with a sense of pride and contentment. It was good to be home. People rushed all around her, trying to get into the Great Hall before the sorting started. Sighing happily, she ascended the steps leading through the huge oak doors opening to the entrance hall, currently bursting with students.
Chatter, laughter, and the general clamor that arises when a larger group of people gather in a place that echoes such as this one was loud in her ears. Even so, the sounds were as familiar to her as her favorite song, the sound of her muggle coffee pot at home, or her best friend's laughter.
"Lily!" She turned to see a grinning Marina Danks, or Rina as everyone called her, running towards her.
"Speak of the devil," she mumbled to herself, grinning.
"Rina!" They embraced. It had only been two months since she'd seen her best friend, but she had changed a lot in the time. She had grown at least an inch (or was that because of Lily's persistent lack of height?), and her skin had darkened quite noticeably. She looked fantastic! "Well, well. France certainly agreed with you!"
"And I certainly agreed with it! You've got to see it, Lily! You'd love it."
"I'm sure I would, but how am I ever going to get my muggle parents into the wizarding part of France?"
"Beg?" Rina answered uncertainly.
"Yeah, like that's going to work. Anyways, tell me about the hotel – and the bell boy!"
"Ugh," she said in mock-exasperation. "I've already told you this once! In the fifty billion letters we sent, remember? Molly was dead on her wings after that last trip to St. Tropez."
"Well, then, I suppose you'll just have to tell me again." Rina laughed and began to tell her best friend of all that had happened again.
Rina, with her silky blue-black hair and violet eyes, was considered one of the prettiest girls in their year. She could mimic anyone's handwriting, which came in very useful when pulling pranks on teachers or lovers. Her personality was outgoing and friendly but bold – she definitely marched to her own beat.
As they made their way inside, they found Matilda Rivers and Laurie Ford chattering away amongst the crowds of students waiting to get into the Great Hall.
Mattie was a plain sort of girl. Simple, straight brown hair hung to her shoulders and was often pulled back in a hair band, making her large, brown doe eyes seem even larger. She was quiet as a mouse and only spoke when necessary. Because of her tendency to blend into her surroundings so much, people often forget her presence and revealed things better left untold. She remembered all of them, but she was no gossip. She was loyal and benevolent.
Laurie was a classic blonde beauty. Her long, blonde hair cascaded to her waist and was beautifully accented by her smiling baby blues. She was of average intelligence, but harbored a secret skill in acting. She could cry and laugh on demand and lie her way into and out of anything and anywhere. She could think up the most believable stories on the spot. More than a few times she had helped her friends escape sticky situations, including detention with the ever-foul Filch.
"And then, when he finally wrote me back, all he could ask was, 'How's school?' I was like, 'It's the middle of bloody July!' So, I told him to-"
"Laurie, dear, when are you ever going to learn to give up on your idiot of a paternal figure?"
"Rina! Oh, hello! And don't say that!" Mattie replied with wide eyes. "Don't worry, dear, he'll come around."
Laurie frowned deeply and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, whatever you say."
Mattie mumbled a quiet hello to Lily, who returned it with a quick wink.
"You know, Laurie, it doesn't do a thing for you when you pout like that," said Lily.
"Oh, Lily! I didn't see you there! Oops, must've been because you were hiding behind Rina," she said half- sarcastic, half-teasing.
"Shut up, blondie. Just because I'm vertically challenged…." She huffed in mock-anger, but soon smiled. "Anyways, how has your summer been – other than that?" And so began the telling of the tales of summer, as they made their way into the Great Hall for the feast.
Lily was the one person in the group that held everything together. She was the glue. She planned the pranks and made sure everyone did their part in carrying them out. She was never afraid to speak her mind and, though it often did her more harm than good, it didn't stop endless opinions and comments from pouring from her pouting, pink lips.
Apart, they were like random, missing pieces to a puzzle, but together they were unstoppable. No problem was too big or unsolvable. They stayed on the teachers' good sides, and stayed –mostly– out of trouble. They charmed all of the guys in the school. Well, almost. The Marauders were their only competition when it came to pranks, and therefore, they were off limits to them. James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew were the pranksters who always stayed neck and neck with them on Filch's bad list. Not that anyone, save Mrs. Norris, was on his good list.
James was the leader of their group. He attracted all the girls with his messy, wind-blown black hair and hazel blue eyes. He was quidditch team captain, deserved it, and knew it. He ran through girls like wildfire. He was one of the smartest guys in the sixth year, and the most talented at transfiguration. His mother died from a sickness when he was in his second year and his father was killed when he was in his fifth, leaving him filthy rich, but alone. On top of all, this he was arrogant and self centered. This was why Lily and co. hated him the most. He was a player, and he picked on random people, but mostly Slytherins, and Severus Snape in particular.
Sirius was his best friend, and they were as close as brothers. Sirius was, by far, the most attractive of all the marauders. He had long, black hair that fell perfectly into his dark gray eyes. He had a fair complexion and was tall and lean, like James. A total lady's man, he had dated more girls than any other guy at Hogwarts. He played on the quidditch team, as beater.
Remus was the smartest guy in the year. He spent more of his time reading than not. He was quiet and kept to himself. His looks attracted a fair amount of girls, but nothing compared to that of Sirius or James, and it didn't bother him. He had short, shaggy, blonde hair and bright, blue eyes that were often ringed with a tale-telling shadow. His smiles were rare, but this was said to be his greatest feature. He was of average height and did not play quidditch. Never, ever ask him why, though. He can quote verbatim a three foot paper on 536 reasons why quidditch is a stupid sport for dopes. And then make you read it.
Peter was more of a tag-a-long than an actual marauder on most occasions. He was a short, chubby boy who never spoke up for himself and used his closeness with the marauders for protection purposes. Constantly picked on, he turned to eating - all the time. He had a mop of blond hair that seemed to be suspended to the crown of his head and hung straight down in all directions from this point. He had muddy brown eyes that always seemed glassed over, as if he had just woken up. He didn't play quidditch either, but he enjoyed watching it. He was quiet as far as speech goes, but he had an annoying Tigger-ish laugh and was the most gaseous boy you could ever meet.
This was their seventh and final year at Hogwarts, and up until the previous year Lily and James had hated each other's guts. He pranked her and insulted her and hexed her and, at the very least, glared at her whenever in her presence. At the beginning of last year, they had decided to call a truce and not to hate each other anymore. It worked for about a month, but then the fighting started back up. Finally it came down to an old fashioned scream off:
(Flashback)
"Potter, you idiot! How dare you!"
"What do you mean, how dare I? You're the one who called me a useless, moronic billy-weed!"
"And so you are!"
"Ugh!" James turned to stomp off when Lily called him back.
"Oh, no Potter! Don't you go anywhere! I've got bigger bones to pick with you."
"What Evans, what? What more can you have to say to me?"
"How come you've always picked on me? Huh? I don't get it. Ever since our first year, I was always your target! Except for Snape, of course! You've used every prank in the book on me and my friends, you lie to me, you're sarcastic, you've hexed me and cursed me, you can't just look at me, you have to glare. I don't get it! Why! Why, Potter, Why!"
"You wanna know why, Evans?"
"Yeah, actually that was the whole point of that last little rant, if you couldn't tell."
"Fine." They paused for a stare off, searching each other's eyes, both expressions softening.
"Well?" Lily asked.
"Well… because I love you. I'm so hopelessly in love with you, Lily I've made a complete arse of myself… and I was kind of hoping, if this isn't a bad time or anything, if you'd go with me to Hogwarts this Saturday." James answered quietly and quickly, stared at his feet, and braced himself for the worst.
And it came. "You… you, what? After five years of solid torture, you're gonna tell me you love me! This is an outrage! Unbelievable! Merlin, James, you're pathetic – just some self-worshiping player trying to add another girl to his list. Just leave me alone, okay? I really don't need your sap or your jokes."
James looked like she slapped him. "But, Lily… I really meant it… I mean, look at you! You're perfect. That's the only reason I pick on you – I knew it was the only way you'd notice me. "
"Whatever, Potter. I'm going to bed." Lily turned on her heel and walked away, confused and suddenly very tired.
Yeah, it was an interesting fight. Lily looked back on it now and laughed at herself. She had been so naïve. By the end of the year, they had been going strong and steady. Still were. It had been a slow process, but it fell as naturally into place as if someone had planned it that way. Just then, snapping out of her daydream, the Marauders walked in. "James!"
"Lily!" A smile brightened her whole face as he came up and hugged her, giving her a quick kiss. Sirius whistled at the small display of affection.
"Shut it, Padfoot. I'm sure you've seen much worse." Lily commanded. She swatted at his head, but he easily dodged it. Instead, she smacked him once on the arm with her other hand.
"Hey, it's Mr. Padfoot to you." Lily scowled and stuck her tongue out at him.
"Give it up, doll. It would've never worked between us, anyway," he said.
"Oh, don't you wish!" Lily exclaimed as she took another shot at his arm, this time with a clean punch.
"Ow! That hurt! What've you been feeding this girl, Prongs?"
By now everyone was laughing at their playful banter – Lily and Sirius always ended up in some fight or another, though neither ever really meant it. "Okay, okay!" James intervened. "There will be no killing of the best friend and/or girlfriend tonight, you hear? I'd like you both alive, at least through the feast, if you don't mind."
Sirius, defeated by default, slung an arm around Rina and said, "Now, what's this I hear about a bell boy?"
Lily shot Sirius one last look, and addressed James as if nothing had happened. "I missed you. Why didn't you write me back?"
"Huh? The last one I got was the one about you going to the beesball thingy with your parents." He meant baseball, but coming from an entirely magical family, he hadn't even heard of it until last year when Lily told him about her dad, a big fan of the classic American sport.
"Baseball, James," she corrected him, and frowned. "And I wrote you after that. Molly must not have made it. She's been getting sicker and sicker. Anyways, come on, let's sit down."
The feast began as usual with the sorting and Dumbledore's start of term speech, announcing the growth of 34 items on Filch's "list". It turned out a new joke shop had opened up in Hogsmeade and all things from it were now taboo in the hallways.
As soon as everyone had eaten more than their fill, as such food was hard to come by, Lily and James, as head boy and girl, lead the first years up to the common room. As dramatically as they could, they spoke in hushed tones with the portraits, gasped when the stair cases moved, and peeked hesitantly around corners. They figured that as dramatic as one's first night at Hogwarts is anyway, why not help it along a bit.
When they reached the common room, the Fat Lady commanded in a deep, stern voice, "Password."
James stepped bravely forward, his hands placed behind his back like a soldier, and answered, "Lemon drop." As the young ones filed slowly into the common room, a few of the brave whispering among themselves, he winked at Lily and whispered, "A Dumbledore original."
After they made sure everyone got to their dorms okay, they went up to the head's dorms. Lily wandered into her room to find a sleeping snowy owl, Molly, her beloved pet, sitting on the dresser. She placed some owl treats in her dish and patted her gently on the head, thinking of the uncompleted journey earlier.
Assuring herself of Molly's well-being, she began to unpack her trunk, placing the items away without a thought. The head girl's bedroom, though much bigger, was set up in a similar way to her old dorm. It lacked the extra four beds, but these were replaced with a desk, and a small sitting area. The company was partly replaced with James, her new neighbor.
Finished, she meandered back down to the common room and climbed into a huge, overstuffed chair to wait for James. She watched the flames dance, and thought for the second time that night about just how good it was to be home again.
When he finally wandered down, clean from a shower, Lily's eyes were closed and her breaths were even and soft. Grinning when he saw her, he walked over quietly and placed a small kiss on her lips. "Hey, you."
She opened her eyes and smiled at him. "Hey." She scooted over, making room, and he sat down, wrapping his arms around her. She sighed. It felt good to be back in his arms again. "I missed you."
"I missed you, too." They sat there like that for a while. He fiddled absentmindedly with a strand of her long, red hair, and eventually, she dosed off for the second time. He looked down at her sleeping face and smiled. Merlin, he loved this girl. "Come on, Lils. You need to go to bed."
She stretch in his arms and slowly crawled out of his safe embrace, however unwillingly. He walked her up to her room and kissed her forehead after she crawled into bed. "Night, babe. Love you."
"Mmm hmm… You too." She responded groggily.
The next morning she woke up, as usual, at 7:30. Her body clock wouldn't let her sleep any later during the week. If she did, you knew she was really sick.
She knew James would still be sleeping, so she tip-toed into his room. Slung all the way across the bed, she could tell he had slept hard. She smiled to herself, eased onto the bed, and sat lightly on top of his stomach. She placed a trail of soft kisses up his neck and along his jaw and finally kissed him on the lips. For a second, he lay semi-unconscious, smiling.
His eyes popped open and he grinned wider.
"Girl, you could kill a guy like that," he said through a yawn.
"Oh really? Well, I wouldn't want that. No more kisses for you." She said resolutely. He huffed in mock annoyance and furrowed his eyebrows as if thinking this over carefully. Suddenly he smiled, reached up, and kissed her on the mouth, pulling her down on top of him. Merlin, she loved this guy.
"It'd be worth it."
She laughed. "For you, maybe. Come on, time to get up."
"Ugh, Lils… do we have to?" he whined.
"You're such a baby! Yes, now get up!" She rolled him off of the bed, and he landed on the hardwood floors with a thump. His head popped up on the side of the bed, and he furrowed his eyebrows in mock anger.
"You're gonna pay for that!" he growled. She squealed and ran out of the room with James hot on her trail. Dashing down the stairs, she ran and hid on the couch. He ran into the room and shouted, "Okay, where are you?" She giggled from her hiding place buried under the overstuffed pillows. "Ah hah!" he shouted as he bounded over and landed on top of her.
He landed with a plop beside her and said, "Let's see. I think you owe me…" she grinned as he pretended to count on his fingers and mumble to himself, "five kisses. And I want them now!"
She rolled her lips in and turned her head to the side so he couldn't kiss her. "Oh, so that's how you're gonna be!" She nodded stubbornly, trying not to smile. "Fine." He began to tickle her, and she laughed out loud. It was her weakness, and he knew it. As he mercilessly attacked her middle, his knee bumped her thigh, and she stopped giggling and let out a small gasp.
He stopped immediately. "What is it, Lily? Did I hurt you?"
"No, no. You didn't do anything. I'm fine." She reached down and pulled her pajama shorts up a bit to reveal a large purple bruise on her left thigh.
"Whoa, Lily! What happened?"
"I must've fell or something. It's nothing. I'll be fine."
"Okay, whatever you say," he said, but the look on his face clearly told her that he would be keeping an eye on it. He climbed off of her, and helped her up off of the couch, still frowning.
She smiled at his concern, stood on her tip-toes, and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. "That's one," she whispered in his ear seductively.
"Mmm hmm," he said, slightly smiling. "Well, as long as you're alright…" He moved to kiss her, but she pulled back quickly, a slight smirk on her face.
"Oh no. You said you wanted kisses from me, right? That means I have to give them to you, and I think you're going to have to wait until I'm ready to give them to you. Now, I have to go get ready for class, and you should, too. Don't want to be late on the first day."
He huffed, and began mumbling under his breath, "… teasing minx… five kisses… wait 'til she's ready to give them to me…"
"What was that, dear?" Lily asked sweetly.
He reached up and started to tickle her again, carefully. She squealed, squirmed out of his grasp, and shot up the stairs, as the game began again.
Author's Note: Well, what say you? This first chapter is just setting up the story. I know it isn't very long, but the next one should be longer. It's been revised from what I originally posted, because I had a few errors… oops. Yes, I know Lily and James didn't get together until their seventh year, but I had to speed things up a bit to fit with my plan (yes, I have a plan!) for the story. It's my first posted fanfic, so all reviews are appreciated. I'm having some trouble with the British lingo, seeing as I'm an all-American country girl, so I would especially appreciate any help in that department. Ideas are welcome as well. ;)
-inky