Chapter 9: Charms, Books, and a Nimbus.

Disclaimer: Still twiddling her thumbs... it's not mine...

"Getting on the Hogwarts Express did finally happen for your information," Lily said to her staring son. Somehow she had taken the look as accusatory but in reality, Lily was just having so much fun she had almost forgotten she was telling a story for her newborn baby.

"Mind you I almost missed it, thanks to an insufferable prat. But I got on, and found my friends in no time."

The thing outside the door seemed to move again, but this time it seemed as if it was sitting.

…

"Lily!" It was Marlene. Her long beautiful blonde hair seemed even longer this year, and as always she had it up in high pigtails, with two strands at either side hanging loose. She sat closest to the window, and beside her sat a very quiet Emmeline Vance who was fluffing her short curly hair with one hand and reading the Daily Prophet with the other. Across from them sat Alice and Frank. Alice was obliviously playing with a piece of hanging string from her skirt, which looked new. But Frank was not interested in the string. He was more interested in her intense blue eyes and flowing brown hair. They all looked exceptional, apparently everyone was excited for the new year.

Everyone greeted her as soon as she sat down and then she got a good look at everyone. Before long they were talking about the latest fashions and gossip.

"Alice, is that a new skirt?"

"Yeah, it is," she said looking grateful that someone noticed. "It matches my vest, see?" she asked as Lily noticed that indeed it did match her old vest, which she wore at least once a week every week. When Lily questioned her about in third year, she said that she liked the way it accentuated her curves. Lily had laughed at the time, for Alice had been a slow developing girl. But now, Lily couldn't deny, it did in fact bring out her small waist and cute hips.

Meanwhile, Emmeline was commenting on Marlene's new sweater. "It's all the rage now, Emmeline," Marlene was saying. "I hear that in a few years everyone is going to be wearing them." Emmeline just rolled her eyes. Who would ever be caught in a long sweater that hung off one shoulder and was long enough you could bind a belt over it? But she said nothing, of course, especially since Marlene was almost always right about fashion.

"So how was your summer, Lily?" Emmeline asked to get away from Marlene's rants, "You are the only one I didn't see over the break." Everyone seemed to perk up at her question. No one had seen Lily, she was a muggleborn and her parents weren't too keen on letting her go and stay at Wizard's families no matter how nice they seemed on the platform twice a year. Plus they didn't have floo powder. Her only outlet was her owl, but that didn't help now.

"Well, we went to the south of France for a month. That was pretty cool." Everyone seemed very interested, but Lily changed the subject. "And then, of course, my birthday was yesterday…"

They all went red at once, except Frank. "Oh Merlin's beard!" he said with a laugh, "You all forgot didn't you?" He then proceeded to pull out a package from his trunk. "Happy Birthday, Lily, sorry I'm not very good at wrapping."

No, he wasn't, Lily thought as she looked at the parcel. It was very badly wrapped indeed, and she doubted she would ever get through all the tape. She started to open it, and then someone took her hand. She looked up and it was Marlene.

"I am so sorry, Lily!" she said as if nothing else in the world was more important than remembering a birthday. "I can't believe I forgot (me either, Emmeline said in the background) I'll get you something on our first Hogsmeade visit (me too, Emmeline said again)."

Lily told them it was okay and then finished opening her present. When she had it completely opened she saw that it was a beautiful bracelet with charms on it. "Get it? It's a charms bracelet" Frank said. It was no secret to anyone that Lily's favorite subject was Charms and she found the play on words rather cute.

"Frank, you shouldn't have…" she trailed off, barely being able to think of how much it must have cost.

"Don't worry about it, it wasn't that expensive, and Remus pitched in. Said you would find it rather funny, the play on words I mean."

She had to admit, the boy was good. As if on cue, Remus entered the compartment, but he looked rather put out.

"I swear, Lily, this was not my idea," he said, and then Lily noticed some other people at the door.

Potter. Black.

"What are you doing here?" she asked as Remus sat down and Potter's face was clearly visible to everyone in the compartment.

"Hey, Evans, I was just outside in the hall talking about my new birthday present." Lily rolled her eyes at his ridiculousness. "When I saw you and your crew, I figured I'd come share."

"So, what is it then?" Emmeline asked, looking anxious as always when Lily and James were face to face.

"I'm glad you asked," he said as he whipped something out from behind him. It was a broomstick. "A Nimbus 1990," he finished.

Everyone gawped at it, but Lily just sat where she was with her arms crossed. "That's not a Nimbus 1990."

Everyone turned and looked at her like she was insane, especially Potter. "Excuse me?" he asked.

"You heard me, it's not a Nimbus 1990."

"What makes you say that?"

"They don't come out for another month."

"Well, so, my father has connections."

"Not that big of connections, they don't even start producing them until September 22."

Everyone looked at her in awe. "How do you know that?" Potter asked, more annoyed this time.

"Duh," Frank said, drawing unwanted attention at that moment. Her grew quieter as he continued on because of all the mean stares. "Lily knows everything."

Lily just shook her head. "Actually I read it in the Daily Prophet, they had an ad in there for it. And in the small print it said they wouldn't start production until September 22. Now tell me, Potter, how long have you had that broom?"

"Since my birthday, July 30th."

"Well, Potter, unless your parents have some sort of time traveling device that is simply impossible."

Black opened his mouth to continue the argument for Potter, but almost every time Black decided to start arguing Potter was done with hearing it. James waved his hand at Sirius, and then sat down beside Lily. No one said anything, nor dare to defy James Potter, only Lily ever dared make him seem like a fool. Everyone else was afraid he'd put a hex on them or something. Instead, they all acted like nothing had happened.

James tried to put his arm around her as Sirius sat down beside Marlene and Remus sat down beside Emmeline. Lily, however, was not swooning nearly as much as the other two girls. In fact, Lily was doing everything in her power to get him to leave. She pushed him rather hardly toward Frank, and then he noticed the bracelet.

"Speaking of presents," he said as he gawped at it. "Where did this one come from?"

"It's a charms bracelet."

"That's cute," Potter said, as he obviously understood the pun.

"She got it from Remus and Frank for her birthday," Alice said, as she was just now noticeable from the other side of Frank. Everyone closed their eyes at her error.

"Excuse me?" Potter said as his anger built up. "You two were getting my girl jewelry?"

"I'm not your girl, Potter," Lily said barely audible now. Potter was fuming.

"And you of all people Remus? I thought you said you were friends, friends don't give each other jewelry."

"Sure, they do," Lily said, this time much louder. "Didn't you tell Marlene last year that the heart pendant you gave to that Ravenclaw Leanne was just a friendly gesture?"

Marlene looked at him with disgust. She couldn't believe she had actually dated him. At least that was what her face said at that moment.

"That's different," he said rounding on her.

"I don't think it is, and I'm sure Marlene doesn't think it is either." Both girls were enjoying making him uncomfortable now. Marlene was infuriated, Lily was smiling.

"That's not the point, I really came here to give you this." He pulled out a parcel. It was shaped like a book, but she doubted he would have the insight to do such a thing. "Happy birthday," he said and then stormed out looking hurt for the first time in a long time. Lily was stunned. James Potter was never bothered by anything. Not in this way anyway. He never got upset or hurt. He would get angry, oh yes, but not sad. That seemed like a foreign emotion to James Potter.

But here he had actually looked sad. And she felt bad. For the first time, she felt bad for James Potter.

…

Lily wouldn't open the parcel until she got back to Hogwarts. She was afraid to. Despite her friends begging her to open it, she didn't. She waited until everyone was asleep in their beds, so she could deal with her emotions on her own.

She was sitting on her bed in her pajamas. Her hair was in two plaits, just like her mum used to do for her when she was little. Everything was normal, except that she was opening a birthday present in the middle of the night with her curtain pulled and her fuzzy slippers still on.

She reached down with shaking hands and pulled the ribbon free. As it fell so did the card that was attached. It read:

Just thought you might like to know that your hard work wasn't for nothing.

She looked at it curiously. What could he mean? Then, she ripped open the paper and found a picture lying on top. It was a picture of a stag and a dog. They were cute little animals. The dog was scruffy and cute. The stag was elegant and gorgeous. As she looked closer she saw they were moving very uncharacteristically for their forms. The dog was actually waving. And the stag was bowing. She looked closer and noticed that the stag had very pretty hazel eyes.

OH MY GIDDY AUNT!

They had done it? It seemed impossible. Maybe they were smarter than she thought. But when had they done it? What had happened? She was about to jump up and down with excitement, but then remembered that this was James Potter she was talking about.

Ew, she thought. She tried her best to shake it off, but then noticed there was something else with the picture. It was a red book with gold lettering.

She almost laughed full out when she saw the title.

Collected Works of Aristotle

And something had been magiced on just below the title. She giggled as she read the gold lettering:

Old Dead Guy

She didn't know what to think, or what to say. It didn't matter, though, because she was out of bed faster than a hyena chasing its prey.

…

Lily was tearing up now, as she thought back to it. "I had never gotten anything so sweet or funny in my young life before. It was special, like every gift your Daddy gives me now is special. He understands me like no one else does, even when he isn't paying attention."

Harry giggled again, and reached out his hands for his mommy. She gave him her finger and he was satisfied to suck on it instead. At the door, the figure actually leaned its head onto the doorway.

A/N: I just had the worst morning ever, so I decided to make myself happy by submitting my favorite chapter. I hope you guys enjoy it! The end was my favorite part. Oh, and my description of the characters that are friends with Lily is from my own idea, and I have this really cool candy doll thing that I made to illistrate it. Ps. Anyone checked out stuff about Virgos and Leos? If you want to know some stuff, I can hook you up (that sounds funny coming from me). Thank you guys and galls!