Disclaimer: None of this shiz is mine; so don't be thinkin' it is…
A/N: This I my first fan fiction, so be kind….and don't forget to review!!
Better Luck Next Time
James Potter strutted confidently onto platform 9 ¾, scanning the area for his three best friends Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew. Not seeing any of them in the crowd James turned around to say goodbye to his parents. His mother then captured him in a bone-crushing hug, clinging to him like there was no tomorrow.
"Be good, dear." Mrs. Potter said when she finally released James from her suffocating grip. She then continued with a small smile and a pointed threatening finger at him. "And if I hear you've put one toe out of line, I will personally write a letter to Mr. Filch, giving him permission to hang you by your toenails. Understood?"
James smiled at his mother's false threat.
"I'll behave, Mums. I promise."
James then faced his father. He stuck out his hand for a firm handshake and then laughed at his father grabbed the extended appendage and pulled his son into a bear hug.
"Make me proud, son." His father said, clapping him on the back.
"I will, Dad."
With that his parents disappeared through the barrier of the muggle world, and James was left to his own musings for his final year at Hogwarts. He bent his lanky seventeen-year-old form and began to drag his trunk towards the vivid scarlet train. On the way, he finally ran across a member of the Marauders.
"Greetings Wormtail!" exclaimed James, slapping his friend on the back.
Peter made a spastic twist to the left to face his idol, wheezing as he tried to catch his breath from the shocking salutation.
"Simmer down, mate! It's just me!" said James, giving a hearty laugh.
"Hullo, James," Peter replied in his squeaky voice. "Was your summer okay?"
"Just fine as a matter of fact."
James looked around the platform distractedly while Wormtail rattled on about his own summer, searching for a bouncy red head with piercing green eyes. He spotted her struggling with her trunk, attempting to pull it up on the train.
"Hey Peter…would you be a sport and haul this into our compartment for me?" Pointing to his trunk. "Thanks Pete." He said, not even bothering to see if Peter said yes, knowing he would be quivering excitedly at being able to help James out. James then strode purposefully toward Lily Evans, the girl he's been after since fifth year, to help her out with her luggage.
Lily's POV
Lily Evans struggled hopelessly with her trunk, trying with all her might to pull the reluctant luggage onto the train.
"This stupid thing seems to get heavier every year," Lily mumbled to herself.
"Tell me about it," said a husky male voice from behind her. A voice she knew all too well.
She ceased the uphill battle with her trunk, and turned slowly around to face the infamous James Potter.
"Potter," Lily said in greeting, giving a curt nod.
"Hello, Evans," said James, giving Lily a brilliant grin.
Lily found herself staring fixedly at the owner of that disarming smile, remembering the previous year at Hogwarts. James had given up asking her out every chance he got about half way through their sixth year, and she had noticed a definite a change in his mannerisms. He had slowly stopped cursing everyone that got on his nerves…well, except for Snape, but who could blame him, really? Sure, he was still cheeky and rather cocky, but that's what made James, James. As she sunk deeper into her memories, a small smile began to play on her lips, recalling the good times of last year.
"Uh…. Evans?" James gently prompted.
Lily quickly snapped out of her reverie.
"Well! What do you want?"
"Simply to relieve your burden," James said, nodding towards her trunk and holding up his hands to show he meant no harm.
"Oh…" Lily's eyes softened for a moment, looking at her glorified 'savior'. And she once more found herself noticing how much James had changed since last year. He had grown since she had last seem him, leaving him at a lanky six feet, towering over her 5' 6 frame. His perpetually messy black hair fell into his hazel eyes, which were framed by a new pair of silver rimmed glasses.
Lily then shoved James forcefully from her mind, giving her head a righteous shake. "Enough with the nostalgia already!" Lily told herself.
"Are you going to help me or not!?" Lily asked him as he stood in front of her stupidly.
"With pleasure," James responded, giving her a deep mock bow. He then shot up and grabbed Lily's trunk, hoisting it up the train steps in one fluid motion.
Lily climbed up the steps after him, silently admiring his blatant show of athleticism.
"Think you can take it from here?" James implored, running a calloused hand through his mane.
"Yes," was Lily's clipped response.
Then she did something completely out of character, at least when it came to James Potter. She flipped her long auburn locks over her shoulder and gave him a dazzlingly gorgeous smile.
"Thank you, James." Lily added in a silky voice.
James gave her a confused, lopsided grin and bounded to the end of the train. Lily watched him as he went, wondering what had gotten into her. She never called him James. It was some unwritten law of the universe, surnames only.
"Whatever," Lily mumbled, writing off the strange encounter as nothing more than back to school nerves. She then set off to find an empty compartment.
James' POV
"Oy, James!"
James looked in the direction of the call, spotting Sirius Black sticking his head out of a compartment. James quickly slid into the compartment, taking note that there were no other passengers in this particular patch of space.
"Where's Moony, Padfoot?"
"He said something about going to find his Ravenclaw friend…uh…what's her name? You know….Lily's friend."
"Gwendolyn?' James offered.
"Yeah! That's the one! Said he wanted to get 'reacquainted' with her." Sirius snorted. "I'll bet he wanted to get 'reacquainted' with her, in all kinds of different ways." Giving a suggestive wiggle with his eyebrows.
"Control that imagination of yours, mate!" James laughed.
At that moment Peter came scurrying in with James' and his trunk, looking like he was about to pass out.
"Here…. you…. go…. Prongs." Peter said between pants.
"Thanks Wormtail." James said, sprawling out on one side of the compartment, Sirius and Peter sitting across from him.
As soon as they were settled in nicely the compartment door slid open. All three boys looked up, surprised Moony would be back from his adventures so soon. But as soon as looked up, their shock factor was doubled when they found a thin, redheaded girl with emerald green eyes in to doorway.
"Hey, um…Gwen is a little, well, busy in our compartment…" Lily paused until Sirius was down guffawing. "And I can't seem to find Linnea, so I was wondering…"
But what she was wondering they never found out, for at that moment the train gave a sudden lurch as it started its journey, causing Lily to topple over. She landed across James, pressing her hands against his chest for support, their faces centimeters apart. Time seemed to stop for the two of them, as they stared into each other's eyes, mesmerized. Unfortunately, at the moment, James' mouth decided it wanted in on the action.
"You know Lily, " James said, inching even closer to Lily's parted lips. "If you wanted a kiss, all you had to do was ask." James finished, just as their lips were about to touch.
But James had said the wrong thing. Lily was off of him in an instant, steam practically come out of her ears such was her anger.
"Potter! You…. I…never! You can't just! - Your fault…stupid train!" Lily fumed, apparently unable to complete an entire sentence. Her eyes narrowed to slits out of anger and she finished with a frustrated "Ugh!!!!" then stormed out of the compartment. Probably going to kick Remus out of her compartment.
James looked at Sirius, baffled.
"What'd I do?"
Sirius gave him an appreciative chuckle, looking amused.
"Better luck next time, Prongs."
A/N- Alright people! Here's the first chapter, hope you liked it! I myself am a bit fonder of chapter two…but, ah well…