Disclaimer I do not own these characters, they belong to JKR

"Mudbloods, half-bloods, and blood traitors come out you filthy animals. You don't deserve to be here, come out, come out now!" An icy voice laughed in the distance. The whole compartment, all of the teens falling into the aforementioned categories, went silent. Everyone stood up at once, pushing Lily and Mary to the back, seeing as they were the only muggle-borns present.

"Where's Pete?" Sirius asked, glancing around.

"I don't know, he wasn't here when we got back from the meeting, maybe he's in another compartment," James suggested, looking worried. Lily grabbed Mary's hand, anchoring herself, then reached for her wand. James turned to her, taking her shoulders. "Lily, listen. We need to get everyone off this train. We need to get everyone who can't apparate to pair with people that can. We can go through the compartments underneath the seats. I'll come with you, okay? We can see who is making these threats." Lily looked at him, unblinking. "Lily, do you understand me?" Lily nodded. Mary squeezed Lily's hand and let go. James turned to Mary, "you both need to disguise yourselves. Mary, Remus, go that way. Sirius, Dorcas, Marlene, Alice. Disguise yourself, then go out into the corridor. Get everyone out." Lily cocked her head at him. When did he mature? Everyone pointed their wands at themselves, changing their looks. Lily turned her signature hair and eyes, to a dull blonde and a muddy brown respectably. James turned his hair a bright ginger winking at Lily despite the seriousness of their situation. After changing their clothes Lily slid under the seat and James rolled on top of her. His weight crushed her in an oddly comforting way. He slid the compartment door open, shimmying into the space. "What year are you?"

"F-f-first years," a small voice replied. James got out from under the seat dragging Lily with him. They brushed off their clothes. Scared faces stared at them. A small girl ran to Lily and hugged her tightly.

"Hey now. It's going to be okay, trust me. We'll get you to safety," Lily told her, leaning back to wipe the little girl's tears. "Two of you hold onto me, tight as you can." Lily felt a heavy hand on her shoulder, she looked up meeting James' eyes.

"Be careful, love." She narrowed her eyes at him, narrowing them more when he kissed her forehead. She allowed herself to bask in the feeling of comfort for a tiny moment. She shoved him in the shoulder gently.

"You too, James. Meet here when you get back." He nodded, turning to a small boy with messy hair quite like his own.

"I need you to be brave, can you do that for me?" The boy nodded. "I need you to go to compartments like we just did and find anyone sixth year and below. Tell them to find seventh years, or tell them to come to this compartment. Can you do that?" The boy nodded again before slipping underneath the seat opposite where Lily and James emerged from. Lily smiled at James before apparating away. She landed in Hogsmeade, the two first years looking pale beside her. Rosmerta, the bartender at the Three Broomsticks, came hurrying out of the pub.

"Oh merlin. What happened?" Rosmerta asked, taking in their scared faces.

"The train was attacked. We need more people who can apparate safely. Everyone who can apparate is trying to get the ones who can't off the train," Lily explained, passing the small hands to Rosmerta. Rosmerta nodded.

"Go into the pub, it'll be warm there." The two ran off disappearing into the warm pub. "I'll send a Patronus to the castle and other residents here. Everyone will be helpful. Now go." Lily nodded before apparating back to the train compartment. When she got back there was no James but a handful of young students.

"Hold onto me, tight as you can. Good?" They all nodded to her. Again she apparated to Hogsmeade, sending the students towards the Three Broomsticks. She did this again and again. Finally, when she returned to the compartment for the seventh time, James was there waiting for her. She smiled widely at him.

"Let's go check the halls," James suggested. They ventured into the hallways, Lily shoved James against a wall, messing his hair and clothes up before taking his arms and placing them around her. She muttered a sorry before leaning in and attacking his neck with kisses. Lucius Malfoy, who graduated from Hogwarts Lily's second year, stalked by them angrily holding his wand.

"I heard that that mudblood slut Lily Evans was snogging some boy in the back compartments," Lily said a little loudly hoping it would send Lucius on a wild goose chase. James let out a huff of laughter.

"Someone said they saw Regulus Black sneaking off with her," James said, winking at Lily. She giggled annoyingly, running her hands up his sides. He tightened his grip on her slightly. "Don't do that," he whispered. He flicked her back, sliding his hands down past her arse to grip the back of her thigh pulling it up close to him. Lily glared wrapping her arms around his neck pinching the back and huffing with laughter when James let out an exaggerated moan. Slowly they pulled away when they heard a disgusted scoff and loud footsteps. "Coast is clear, wasn't so bad was it Evans?" She glared at him and smacked his arm. He rubbed it slowly as she walked off, whistling at her arse to which she raised a finger to him. He laughed before settling down. Together they patrolled the halls, helping students when they came across them. Finally, having seen no one but old graduates from Hogwarts, they headed back to their original compartment. With no warning at all the train turned over. With lots of curses, the two Head students fell into the window before hitting the benches. Lily blacked out at some point as the train rolled. When it came to a stop Lily blinked awake. "Oh, shit. Lils? Lily, can you hear me?" She reached a hand up to her temple, feeling something warm and sticky. "You're bleeding Evans, come on. I have you. Trust me." James broke the window of the compartment, dragging Lily out behind him. "Shit, shit, shit," he muttered when more blood trickled down her face. He limped away.

"Potter! I know that's you!" A voice bellowed. James turned slightly, meeting the cold eyes of Mulciber and his gang of Slytherins. "Seems like your mudblood slut is hurt. Too bad, so pretty that Lily Evans." James glared holding Lily tighter.

"I'm going to apparate us okay," James whispered. He crushed Lily to him before smirking and flipping the group of Slytherins off. They stumbled on the ground when they landed. They both took deep breaths. Looking around and seeing the town looking glum as night drew near. James smiled, "fancy some chocolate, Evans?"

"Not the time James," she muttered. James smiled hearing her voice.
"I disagree strongly. Come on. Don't you trust me?" he widened his eyes innocently. Lily laughed softly. He smirked, placing hands on the small of her back. He ran his thumb under the hem of her shirt. Her breath hitched in her throat, releasing only when he tugged it down. He smiled slightly, before hoisting her over his shoulder.

"JAMES POTTER! YOU LET ME DOWN RIGHT THIS INSTANT!" She yelled, wacking his back repeatedly.

"Calm down Lils. Just trying to help," he laughed.

"I CAN WALK!" He laughed at her harder, only letting her down when they reached the backdoor to Honeydukes. They snuck into the basement, James pulling up a trapdoor proudly. They climbed down into the tunnel. "Lumos," Lily whispered. "Where are we?"

"In a tunnel, Merlin Lils. Thought you were all brainy," a pause, "ow! Bloody hell woman. Just teasing." She laughed at him, stopping herself from gripping his shirt as a guide.

When they emerged from behind the One-Eyed Witch statue on the third-floor corridor, Lily blinked stupidly. James smiled at her reaction, remembering his first experience with the secret passages. He dropped their disguises. Lily smiled at him, mentally noting she liked him better this way. "Hey, uh Evans."

"Yes?" James fidgetted nervously, grasping his wrist when he went to run a hand through his hair.

"We are friends yeah? I mean you don't look like you hate me and we have to share a dorm this year and uh I didn't want it to be awkward and all." Lily raised a brow at him.

"Don't be stupid Potter," ignoring his offended gasp she continued, "course we are. You saved my arse. You are on the path to forgiveness." He smiled happily, hugging her to him tightly.

"You kind of scared me back there, with your bleeding head and all." She patted him on the back before pulling away.

"I'm starving, can we go to dinner?" They laughed together before setting off. When they arrived in the Great Hall the Welcome Feast had already started. Alice waved Lily towards their usual spot, the marauders joining them.

"Shit Red. Hell happened to you two?" Sirius asked, teasing eyes betraying him with real worry.

"Long story," Lily informed him, shoveling food onto her plate. She didn't put up any kind of fight when James sat next to her. She ate as he told the group what happened to them. The group worried over the two Head students. Lily waved Mary away when she tried to poke Lily's wound. "I'll heal it later, promise." Mary shook her head at Lily disapprovingly. James had launched into a story of his summer, where he and Sirius went to a shopping centre. Lily laughed and smacked James when he went into too much detail. The whole group exchanged looks about the oddity of Lily Evans laughing at James Potter's antics. Too soon, however, Dumbledore came to fetch them to show them the dorms.

Happy New Year! Here is to 2021! Hopefully, I will graduate, dropping out is a growing temptation.

Love

M