Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of it's characters. I only own the plot and a few characters I made up to help shape our heroes.

"Your end of year exams will begin next week, I trust that you all have prepared," was announced by Dumbledore almost exactly six days ago. She almost found it funny that now, she was watching the common room scramble to finish studying things she just had to review.

There was a tug on her hair so she would turn to see her best friend grinning up at her, or at least one of her many. "I never took you for a sadist, especially with that smile of yours." Dark eyes were visible only because he was grinning at her like a cheshire cat, his eyebrows wiggling like they were trying to escape. She had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing as the prefects would kick her out, they wanted everyone to do great on their exams to get extra points for their house. They were tied with Hufflepuff for first, only because James lost them 10 points for calling her friend Snivellus and getting all of the other first years to as well. Besides her and her friends, though Sirius only did it when he thought she wouldn't find out. Prats.

"I never took them for mascichts either but here we are." Lily curled up tighter in her blanket and turned her face away from the group. "Can I visit you over the summer? I know that you're dad works for the ministry so you probably live in the magical world but…"

They were interrupted by her favorite bloody first year, sliding into the larger boy's lap and pretending to faint from the horrors of studying. "Save me Wolfie, protect me with your teeth and claws from the dangers of potions…" The minute terror on the poor boys face was enough to make James stop, rolling his eyes. "I'm kidding, I finished studying already. And Wolfie is because your last name is Lupin. It means wolf?" The way he was talking made it sound like this was the most reasonable thing in the world and they were idiots for not realizing it.

Lily sniffed and turned back to her friend. "Well at least you can come visit me, my sister is going to a camp this summer so I'm allowed to invite some friends over to stay because they can't afford for me to go too."

"Of course we'll come, how great of you to ask!" The glare on her face could have scared a basilisk blind but James was completely undeterred. "Were you going to wait until we were on the train to tell us or should I announce it to the common room?"

There was a growl that would have fit right in with their Magical Creatures teacher's pets. "You are not invited, I thought that would be made clear by the fact that I don't like you and by the fact that you are bullying one of my friends who will be invited. Now if you'll please leave us alone, you've overstayed a welcome you never got." Lily raised an eyebrow as he just gave her another easy smile and raised his hands in a non threatening manner. When he was gone, she sunk into her chair and let her body mold to the cushions. "Why does he always target me?"

"He's got a crush on you and because he's a Potter, he's always gotten what he wanted. Doesn't make it right, but at the very least he's not the type to just takes what he wants and he's your age. There's been worse." At least some things are the same from one world to the next.

Charms was not her favorite subject because for one, they had it with the Slytherins and two, she was not exactly the best with spells. It was also really hard to concentrate when mudblood was being whispered when she so much as twitched. Their professor either was a bigoted swine or was deaf beyond even Nicolas Flamel because they weren't exactly trying to cover anything up. "If you don't shut it, you'll find out exactly how little I differ from my family." The hissed threat shut them up for the time being though she could see Severus sneering at her friends for standing up for her. Sirius' eyes remained on his parchment but she could almost feel his rage at the people he might have befriended if things were different. She gave him a small smile to try and distract him, but all she got was a nod in return.

"Who does he think he is, threatening kids like that? I get that they were mouthing off at you and he shut them up right, but he makes an arse out of himself!" For someone who claimed to want to defend her, he was making quite the point of targeting her friends.

She knew the words would hurt him before they even formed into thought but for once she didn't care. Coming to Hogwarts put their friendship under veritaserum and she did not appreciate the secrets that came pouring out. His possessive nature, his jealousy of her other friends and the fact that she could care less what he thought about what she said because the other way around was certainly the same. "You sound like Potter."

He turned a barrage of different colors as he stared at someone he apparently didn't know. "They're bigoted prats who follow you around and tease you! What do you see in him?" If Severus wanted to be a stubborn prat, so be it.

"I don't see anything in James, the arrogant toerag, he's not my friend for a reason! I thought you were, but I guess I was wrong." Like a tornado of fire, Lily swirled around and stormed off to find someone worth her time and just shoved whoever tried to stop her into the wall. When she reached the library, she collapsed next to her two best friends and let everything pour down her cheeks into the soft carpet. Not even the librarian disturbed them.

No one even bothered them as they walked as a united front into the Great Hall, heads held high above any Slytherin gaze while sparing a smile for their new friend who was clearly punishing her housemate as well. They sat with Randolph and his boyfriend who Lily could never remember the name of. They were both on the quiet side when they were outside of the common room, tending to just relax in the company. But at Quidditch matches they were louder than a Sonorus charm could ever be, calling fouls and cheering each player by name.

"You would think they had favorites or something," Sirius would joke next to her while ducking when a stray bludger flew by, pretending to hit it right back at the other team. "One of these days they'll be cheering for me."

The deafening roar as the house cup was announced did nothing to lighten her mood, glad to hear that Slytherin came in last by the same amount of points they got taken away when they tortured her in the first part of the year. She still gave Venus a sympathetic smile and shrug while Ravenclaw cheered for their third place standing. No one in her house walked away happy knowing that they had lost to Hufflepuff, glaring at the chasers who had sealed their fate in the last match of the final. She just walked right by them and ignored the whispers of Evans and of the fight outside of Slughorn's office.

"You know I'm so excited to get treats from the trolley, but I'm even more excited to try some of your muggle candy! At least you don't have to worry about it getting away from you." Aphrodite slung an arm around her, winking while the rest of her house moved along quickly. Hufflepuff followed.

There was a reason that Lily liked the other first year, and no it was not for their brilliance. "Hm..are you sure you won't scare it away too?" There was a joke in there that was hidden by her harsh anger. But any friend could see it was wrongfully placed and quickly regretted. "I didn't mean to...I'm sorry, that was uncalled for." She slid down onto a bench nearby with her hair hanging limpy next to her head, pressed down by the couch she slept on.

If there was anyone who could understand what a year it had been for her, it was her friends who had watched her go through it and had experienced it themselves. The targeting, the bullying, Potter's undying need for everyone to like him while thinking that pranking and humiliating them was the best way to do it. Yes he had his three friends but no one else really cared for the crew as a whole expect for when they needed a laugh. He specifically targeted Severus like he had a personal vendetta and she waited for the day he would look back and realize he was no better. She would relish in it as the shame washed over him for the first time in his privileged childhood.

"I feel awful having to turn down your offer of companionship this summer, it seems that my father wants me to join him for all his business endeavors. I'll send you cards from Romania and France." Potter looked so smug like he was doing her a favor.

"You're lucky you still have your teeth or you'll be gumming those Fizzing Whizbees." There was a holler as she was used as a human shield from the candy that was thrown at them, but she expertly caught in her mouth. Her eyes widened as she felt like she'd choked on pop, her body suddenly not touching the train booth. "What was that?" There was giggling from the other girls as she realized she must have looked like she got rabies with pink fizz dribbling down her chin. She pouted until Remus got her down and gave her a towel to wipe herself off, smiling sheepishly to convince her he meant no harm. "It's not legal for me to hex you so you're safe for the time being."

Getting on the train felt like he was going to an execution, he knew that there was nothing he could do to stop or change what would come when he got off it. He smiled for his friends and teased James about the redhead he had no idea what to do with. "I swear I didn't know she was going to catch it."

"Trying to catch a peek up her skirt there mate?" It was an innocent joke that he'd heard on the telli when he snuck out into the muggle world. It still made James get him in a headlock, throwing them both to the floor so they could wrestle it out. If Sirius wasn't fighting back as hard as he usually did, his best friend didn't seem to notice. He waved off Peter's hand before fainting a heart attack and grasping desperately at the smaller boys hand. Even with his tendency to fall for their antics, he was too used to it to give the boy rolling around on the floor moaning a second glance. "Peter, how could you?"

Brown eyes narrowed in suspicion." And just who was it that filled my pillow with owl treats?" They all laughed, eyes closing or looking at the new jokester with a smile. No one noticed the one on the floor who relaxed his mask, asking quietly for the train ride to never end.

But when Severus tried to poke his head into the room to apologize, he didn't join in on the chorus' of Lily's defense. "You called her a mudblood then went off and went back to those Death Eater friends of yours! If you think words are going to fix this, you've got another thing coming!" Alice was probably the most terrifying person on the Express that morning. Soon after, he couldn't make himself care when his cousin walked by. She gave him a mental smile that was more of a threat than anything else, all teeth with lips pulled back and eyes narrowed. He just gave her a dead stare to let her know there was nothing she could do that he wouldn't experience the worse version of at home. She skipped away humming a death march tune, calling loudy to her friends that they were going to be at the station soon.

"Hey, do you know how to get to my house?" A whisper in his ear and a nod, of course he did. They had planned this day for years, mastered the art of slipping through windows and past wards. "Will you be able to get to my house?" That question didn't need answering, but nonetheless there was a shaken head. "Do you know how to get to anyone else closer by? Can you contact anyone to come get you?"

"What does it matter when I'm not leaving that house besides in a coffin? Or maybe as a new house elf? Do you think my mother will be that kind?" What was with these boys and questions they knew the answers to?