A/N Greetings faithful Potter fans! CCM here, with my first fic. (On this account anyway...I forgot what my other one is...Sigh) Anyway, this was a bit different for me seeing as I usually do anime fanfics instead of ones for books. But I couldn't help myself with all the hubbub of the 6th book coming out and everyone's neat Lily and James stories on here...I felt INSPIRED! :) So I gave my own a shot. Hopefully some people like it. Well, R+R! (And be gentle!)
Disclaimer: I do not own anything to do with the Harry Potter series. However, if J.K. Rowling would be generous enough to give me Sirius Black, I would be one happy little girl. XD
The Way it Was
It had only been a month since Lily Evans was first informed she was a witch. It all happened so fast too--like life had been put on fast forward. The shabby looking barn owl that had swooped into the kitchen during supper (nearly scaring both her Mum and sister Petunia to death), the acceptance letter to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry it had dropped, the instructions on how to prepare for first semester, her first trip to diagon ally...It all seemed like some unbelievable and mystical dream that she had been yearning for all her life. And finally, here she was, standing at the entrance of the world she knew she belonged to--a brick wall. Lily's stomach curdled with nervous doubt.
"The letter from Head Master Dumbledore instructs that you go through the wall between platforms nine and ten." Mr. Evans said as he looked from the parchment in his hands to the wall and then back again. "At a run if your nervous, love." He gave her a reassuring wink.
"Are you kidding me? That's nonsense. You're all a bunch of nutters--the lot of you." Petunia muttered under her breath in a vicious tone not three feet behind her sister. Lily shot her a backwards glare. Ever since Lily's discovery of her place in the wizard world, Petunia had seemed to shut her out--shooting her names like "freak" and such. Even though Lily was different, she was still Petunia's sister, was she not? Then why the critical tone? Could it be jealousy? Lily shrugged off the worry with a roll of her shoulders and then returned her focus on the entranceway.
"Petunia!" Mrs. Evans spat angrily at her haughty daughter and then approached Lily's side, embracing her thin delicate shoulders. "Lily darling, you know your father and myself are quite proud of you. But if you feel the need to come home, we will think nothing of it. You're room will always be open. None the less...do your best--Okay love?" Mrs. Evans eyes glimmered warmly with tears and love as she looked at her daughter--Lily couldn't help but feel her eyes trying to mimic the reaction.
"Ok Mum." She responded in a muffled tone as she hugged her mother good-bye, burying her face in her mother's shoulder in order to stop the tears from showing. In turn she moved to her father, repeated the notion, and then looked to Petunia who stuck her nose up in the air. A wave would have to suffice in this case.
With a deep sigh, Lily decided to stop this insufferable farewell and get on with it. After all, the train was departing soon. With a spirited "Well, I'm off!" Lily took to a sprint and disappeared through the wall--Leaving Petunia with the most horrendous look of disbelief and disgust.
James
James Potter had been standing near the platform 9 and 3/4 entrance for nearlyfive minutes trying to wipe the lipstick kisses his mom had left just moments ago when he was brutally mauled and flattened by a rather large trunk. "What the--?" He cried as he tumbled to the cold pavement, his glasses scattering.
"Sorry!" A sweet, yet frantic voice chirped as a blurry pink and red blob entered his vision. Angrily, yet quickly, James's right hand grabbed at his fallen glasses. Furrowing his brow as he snatched them up and cleaned them a bit, he put them on so he could identify the offender. It had been a girl about his age. Her dazzling red hair had fallen gracefully around her angelic face and her brilliant green eyes were now looking at him with concern. "I'm so sorry! I didn't see where I was going! Are you okay!..."
James sat up swiftly, the anger escaping him as he tried to regain composure and footing. He quickly brushed himself off, rumpled his hair, and then looked back to the girl who had been watching him all the while. James's face suddenly heated at a rapid rate. "I'm-m--I'm fine." He choked out as he found himself trapped in her emerald gaze, but he strained to regain his cool speech. "No harm, no foul."
"Great." The girl sighed in relief, "I would have hated for that to be my first impression at Hogwarts--knocking out a classmate..."The sentence lingered for a while before her eyes started to wander hurriedly. So she was a first year as well...
"My name is Lilly Evans, by the way." She said in a slow and luxurious voice that left James focused on her lips. It was soon that he realized she was looking for a response.
"Potter!--" He barked, unaware of how out of control his voice was going to be. "James Potter." He managed smoothly. They shared a comforting, yet awkward smile for a moment before the two were interrupted by the very fellow James had been waiting for.
"'ello there Potter!" Came a familiar voice that broke the silence, causing both James and Lilly to glance at the slick and handsome dark haired young man who was now at James's side--arm slung around his shoulder. "Who's this?"
"Hey Sirius." James said with a sly smile that seemed to bloom whenever he was in his friend's presence. "This is Lilly Evans. She just attacked me with her luggage." The two shared a chuckle at Lilly's expense, causing her to turn a deep shade of read--partly from embarrassment, partly from what seemed like anger at James for causing her to be the joke.
"Knocked 'em good, did ya Evans?" Sirius laughed, "You sure can find the brutes, can't you James?" The second comment would have gained another considerable laugh if Lilly hadn't started up immediately after.
"I beg your pardon, but I am not some joke to be laughed at!" Lily had said hotly at the two, as she returned to her trunk and then met their faces. "It was a simple accident that I rather have not had happened if I had known it would mean encountering such--such--!"
"Whoah there!" James said following Sirius's laughable lead, but not intending to. "Don't get your robes in a knot. We meant nothing by it, did we Sirius?" James shot a glance to his pal.
"Nope, nothing at all." Sirius smirked. "So just calm down and try not to tackle anyone else on your way on the train. Not everyone has as thick a head as Potter here." The two couldn't help, but laugh at the thought of the delicate girl plowing others down on her way. Lily however scrunched her face up, looking as if she did not know whether to scream or cry. And in that instance James had regretted saying what he had.
"Boys!" Lily let out exasperatedly as she swung herself (and trunk) around and quickly headed for the train--away from the two.
"Looks like we've gone and made her mad..." Sirius said, casually running a hand through his thick black hair.
James frowned, feeling a bit sick for making her see him the way he imagined she now did. "Evans!" He shouted at her as she made her way past hordes of students and their parents.
"Evans, c'mon!"
"EVANS!"
Lily
Lily blinked a few times as the scene before her swirled in her vision. She placed her right hand over her eyes and rubbed them tentatively for a moment before the weird stinging sensation in her head simmered down. She could feel a few people hovering above her so she removed her hand in order to see who they might be. To her surprise and disgust is was the very pain in her side--James Potter. He was accompanied with his normal gang and a few of Lily's own friends who seemed to be focused on her with worried looks.
Lily felt a moan escape her lips.
"Hey Evans, you ok? You took quite a fall there." James said rather quickly.
"Yes, and I wonder who had a hand in that." She said in a low tone as he tried to offer her a hand--which she denied quite sternly before helping herself up. "I'm fine." She said in a groggy tone as she gave her robes a good brush down. James quickly bent to his knees and gathered her fallen things as the others stepped back.
He thenoffered her the books with a pleading smile and she took them forcefully, anoyance flowing through her veins. "You know, we have strict hallway rules for a reason, Potter!" Lily snarled, unable to keep the anger from seeping from her lips. Her head was pounding too much for her to be able to concentrate on being civil.
"I know." James said defeatedly, "I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention. I--" But his plea was drowned out by the fiery rage that emanated from Ms. Evans.
"NO YOU MOST CERTAINLY WERE NOT!" Lily barked at him angrily before catching the sincere look in Potter's eyes. Unable to contain herself, she headed off for the nurse's office--her friend's trailing behind her.
The Marauders were left looking on in silence.
Lily
Lily lay in a curtained bed area with an ice pack, provided by Madam Pomfrey, nearly glued to a bump on the back side of her head. She winced as she pulled away the pack and gingerly touched it with her index and middle finger. She must have gone down pretty hard on her head to have gotten such a bump.
Lily let out a long sigh that ruptured the silence of the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey had ushered her friends out so Lily could recover in peace and then she had taken off to warn the young Professor McGonagall of Lily's absence in class. So now Lily could lay quietly and reflect on yet another Potter incident. She rewound what had happened. Him running into her, her being knocked flat, her momentary blackout, their fight...
She went over what she had said, a pool of regret settling in her gut. Lily clenched her eyes shut.
Why should I feel bad? He deserved a good yelling at. He's always so reckless, b someone /b has to set him straight.
Nearly satisfied with her reasoning, Potter's face seemed to flicker within the darkness of her clenched lids.
"I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention. I--" She saw the defeated and sincere boy say once more, causing her stomach to sink. Slowly, Lily opened her eyes, the lit room hazily coming into vision. A small, voice echoed in her ears...
"I'm so sorry! I didn't see where I was going! Are you okay!..."
"It's just like that time..."Lily whispered, her mouth feeling dry and as though filled with a bitter tang.
"What time?" A low voice responded shortly after her own. Lily sat straight up, surprised at the new sound. She would have jerked her head quickly around to search for the source, but it pained her too much from her sudden jerk upward.
"Take it easy Evans, eh?" A familiar voiced cooed out of nowhere. Lily raised an eyebrow.
"Potter?" She questioned, not sure if it was him or the worst hallucinations she would ever have. To her relief and displeasure, James Potter took form at the foot of her bed, removing what Lily recognized as an invisibility cloak. Lily slumped done a bit. "What are you doing here?"
The annoyed tone had returned to Lily's voice, but she felt too exhausted to correct it. It seemed to always sound like that when James Potter was around.
"Don't get mad now--but I just came to see if you were ok." James said in what seemed like a hurried tone. He probably wanted to get it all out while he could. "I really am sorry I knocked into you, Evans. I really didn't mean to." She watched him as he looked at her hopefully. She sighed, letting her defenses down for the moment. He seemed like he was sorry and he meant well.
"Whatever." She responded, not feeling much into talking. "You better go before Madam Pomfrey comes back." With that, she turned her back on him and laid on her side despite the fact that she would be laying on her bump.
Lily really did not wish to reveal the small smile tugging at the corner of her lips--especially to James Potter. After a moment of ruffling and the soft click of the office door, she felt he had gone and it was safe to turn onto her back once more.
Lily proceeded to stare at the ceiling and glance around the room in silence as the smile still danced across her lips. It was not so long after James's departure that she noticed something at the bottom of her bed. Slowly, she sat up and reached for it. It was a package of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans and attached was a note. Lily looked up and around cautiously before reading the note which read:
Evans--
You don't know if you've got something good until you've tried it.
Wishing you a fast recovery,
James Potter
Lily suppressed a soft giggle. Yet another confession of love she'd have to deny. With that, she popped a bean in her mouth and bit her tongue as she tasted what she imagined to be dirt.
A/N Yep, so that's the first chapter for you. Well--er--prologue I suppose actually. It might be a bit short, but please be mindful of the fact that it is just an introduction to the story at hand. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. Let me know in a review! Until next time!
Ciao!