New and Old Friends are hard find

Lily Evans didn't know much about magic. She didn't grow up with it. She was surprised by lots of things and it was only the second day. She was surprised when the stairs moved. When the plates in the dining hall filled before her eyes suddenly. She was surprised when ghosts walked through walls. She was surprised when a seventh year ravenclaw student was walking through the halls with a book floating in front of them as they read. She was surprised to find herself keeping up for the most part in her classes. She couldn't help but privately thank her old friend Severus Snape who hadn't talked to her much since the Hogwarts express. She was also surprised that, though she could keep up with the classes, she didn't understand wizarding society at all. Jane Potter on the other hand seemed to be a socialite. She knew half the students at Hogwarts already. She knew what to say and how to act. All the things Lily was surprised by Jane Potter seemed to find completely mundane. But Jane Potter had been completely confused on what a light switch was the first night when Mary Macdonald had asked how to turn the lights out in their dormitory. And when Lily couldn't help but be in Awe of her.

Lily also found her self surprised that she had made knew friends so easily. At her muggle school. The other kids found her odd. Now she supposed that maybe that's because she wasn't meant to be there. Not really. And Lily liked her new friends. She really did. But she missed her friend Severus. She was determined after two days of not speaking to him. To find him and force him to talk.

The problem was that, while the Hogwarts grounds were Beautiful, they were just as large. Lily hoped that she wouldn't get lost in them. Especially since she didn't have Jane or Marlene (who were quick to find their way around the castle) with her to help her get back. But on the bright side, the Castle was large and no matter where on the grounds she was she should at least be able to see it and find her way back. She also hoped that sometime she would get the chance to explore them as they were gorgeous, from the many stone paths, to the large fields, and the Lake. There was so much that she still needed to see around the castle and its grounds.

Finding Severus through it all was hard. But eventually she found him sitting under a tree with his nose in a book by the large black lake. It wasn't a surprise to her that she found him here. They always stuck near the pond at the park back home.

"You've been avoiding me," she said standing over him.

After several moments of silence he finally looked up at her with a grimace. He closed his book. She sat down next to him and tugged her knees to her chest.

"It's because I'm a mudblood isn't it," Lily said.

"What!?" Severus sat up sharply. "Don't call yourself that!"

"Why? Isn't that what all your new friends call me." She scowled at him.

"I-I we-well. They aren't my friends," he spluttered out.

"Sure looks like they are," she argued. "You've been hanging around them and completely avoiding me."

"Well they're in my house and my dorm," he defended. "I can't exactly avoid them."

"You have still been avoiding me," she said coldly.

"I don't mean to or want to," he muttered. "It's just Gryffindors and Slytherins aren't supposed to-—"

"To what, Sev?" She interrupted. "Not supposed to be friends? That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. You know Jane Potter told me her mother and father are a Slytherin and a Gryffindor and they got married. Obviously houses don't actually matter. I thought we were supposed to be friends! No matter what! You promised!"

"We are! We are!" He tried to insist.

"You know the girls also told me all about how some purebloods think that they're better just because of their blood," she said.

"It's not like that," he tried insisting. "I'm not like that."

"That's what I tried to tell them!" Her voice started to get louder. "But the way you've been acting says otherwise."

"I'm sorry!" Snape said again. He quieted for a moment. Before speaking again. "Besides, it doesn't seem like you want me around anyways."

"What are going on about?" She glared at him. "I've been trying to get you to talk to me since we got here."

"You're always hanging around Black and Potter."

"Excuse me?" Lily said. Her green eyes narrowed angrily at him. "What do they have to do with anything? I haven't really been around them. I've been with Jane Potter and the other girls who are with them sometimes. We're in the same house. It's like you said. I can't exactly avoid them."

"They cursed me!" He exclaimed. "And they cursed you!"

"It was an accident, they've already apologized to me," Lily said. "And you cursed them too!"

"So you're siding with them?" Snape said. "How is that being my friend?"

"I'm not siding with anyone," she said defensively. "I'm just saying that you both were at fault flying spells around. And who cares about Black and Potter and what they do?"

She crossed her legs and started picking the grass. This was not how she wanted their conversation to go. Next to her Snape shifted uncomfortably and still didn't meet her eye. But he did sit up a little straighter knowing that Lily seemed to care more for him than her

Gryffindor classmates.

"Why don't we start our time and Hogwarts over and forget about the past couple of days," Lily said finally.

"How do you expect to do that?" Severus said. "It's not like either of us have a time turner."

"A what—?" Lily asked.

"Never mind," Severus said quickly.

"I meant," Lily continued. "That we pretend the past couple of days didn't happen and forget your Slytherin friends and forget Potter and Black, and we can go back to being best friends. Lily and Sev."

"I like that idea," Severus agreed.

James Potter had everything. A large house, Parents who loved him, fancy new clothes, and more than plenty of money.

Remus Lupin on the other hand was the complete opposite. He didn't have a large house, his clothes were second hand, patched up by his mother and several sizes too big so that he could grow into them without having to buy new ones for the next 2 or 3 years. Sure his parents loved him, but sometimes it felt like they just pitied him, like they only loved him because no one else would. And Remus knew that James Potter might not be expelled for dueling in the hallways. But Remus Lupin could be. Because he wasn't like Potter. He wasn't an average wizard. He was a werewolf and he was lucky to have stepped foot into Hogwarts for even a day.

And Remus Lupin was determined to stay at Hogwarts for as long as he could. It was only the second day of classes and he had been called into the head of house's office yesterday, the very first day of classes. He knew it wasn't his fault and thankfully Professor McGonagall knew it too. But that was luck. He had been ready to have gotten in trouble for it even though he hadn't done any of the actual dueling. It's just what had always happened. People had always blamed him for things that weren't his fault, especially if they knew what he was. But McGonagall knew and he still hadn't gotten in trouble. Luck indeed. No, not luck, it was a whole bloody miracle. Remus knew that he wouldn't get so lucky again.

So, he avoided his dorm mates at all costs. At dinner, he made sure to sit far enough away so that they wouldn't see him. He ate quickly and sped away to the library in an attempt to seek refuge until curfew. After only the first day, he knew that James Potter and Sirius Black were not the type of students to go to the library.

The Library itself was expansive. Remus thought he would get lost in there. He weaved between shelves of books, and dodged loose ones flying back to their places. It reminded him of libraries in the muggle fairy tales his Mother used to read to him. He found himself in the corner and read until the angry librarian came to shoo him away.

He was right, they didn't find him. He tried to ignore the feeling of disappointment of that fact which crept into the back of his mind.

James Potter was a lot of things. He was well known, even though it was hardly the first week. He was bright. He was confident. He was mischievous. He was nosy. He was curious. He liked having fun and he liked causing a little bit of trouble. What he didn't like was the way that his new friend, Remus Lupin, avoided him and his other new friends after being in McGonagall's office.

Remus Lupin was a lot of things, James noticed. He was funny, but quiet. He made a lot of comments to himself and seemed to get embarrassed when you pointed it out. He didn't like getting into trouble. And after knowing him for hardly 24/7 hours, James Potter knew that Remus Lupin was probably the smartest kid he had ever met and ever will meet. But most importantly, James Potter noticed that Remus Lupin was lonely.

"He probably just wants to be left alone," Jane said to him one late night in the Gryffindor common room. They were the only ones still up and the fire was somehow still blazing without anyone tending to it. It was Friday night and the two cousins had hardly spoken to each other since arriving at Hogwarts. Well in private and by their standards anyway.

"No!" James insisted. "He keeps pushing us away. But it seems kind of like he doesn't actually want us to."

"That doesn't make sense, James," she replied with a roll of her eyes. She sat at a table writing a letter with James pacing next to her. "Just leave him alone. You're probably annoying him."

"I meant that he looks so sad sitting there by himself all the time," James said. "But every time I try to sit by him he leaves."

"Because you're bothering him," she said.

James sighed in frustration.

"No! He seems sad when he leaves." He said. He was waving his hands around as if that would get her to understand. "It's like he doesn't actually want to leave but he feels like he needs to."

"Why would he leave if he doesn't actually want to leave?" Jane asked.

"Precisely!" He exclaimed. He pointed his finger in her face and she pushed it away with a huff. "It's so strange and I can't figure out why."

"Maybe he's an only child or lived in the country where there's not many people," she suggested. "Maybe it's all overwhelming for him."

"You and I are only children." James said.

"I am." Jane said. "You're not. Or did you already forget about your baby sister? I'll be sure to tell her when she's older."

"She can't talk yet," he replied defensively. "It hardly counts."

"I'll be sure to tell her that too."

"Ugh! You know what I mean!"

"Maybe he does want friends, but doesn't want to be friends with you." Going back to their conversation about Remus Lupin.

"That's harsh, Jane." He glared at her.

"What?" She responded with a shrug. "I wouldn't want to be friends with someone who almost got me detention and on the first day no less."

"Mate didn't even get points taken off him," James scoffed and folded his arms stubbornly. "Besides anyone who knows anything about Hogwarts would

know that no one has ever gotten expelled."

"That's not true."

"What? Ok fine, maybe he didn't know that but still—"

"No." Jane interrupted. "Two people have been expelled from Hogwarts."

"What!? Who!?"

Jane rolled her eyes again at her cousin who slammed his hands down on the table in front of her.

"Don't roll your eyes at me or I'll tell Aunt Maggie just how unladylike you've been the past couple of days," he glared at her. "Oh how disappointed she'd be in her heir."

"Shut up, James," Jane glared back and slapped his hands away.

"Oh that wasn't very ladylike either," he teased.

"Newt Scamander and Rubeus Hagrid we're both expelled from Hogwarts involving dangerous acts with magical creatures that have harmed their fellow students," Jane said, choosing to ignore him now. "You'd know that if you paid attention to anything in the world outside of Quidditch."

"I resent that, there's nothing else worth knowing outside of Quidditch," he replied. He slumped back in his chair across from Jane. Then paused for a moment before straightening back up. "Wait, Hagrid? That giant who brought us across the lake? I highly doubt he would have done something to hurt a kid. Why would they let him back as a… well I'm not sure what he does here. But you get my point. And Newt Scamander? The DADA Professor's brother? You've met the bloke Jane. he comes to Mom's Christmas parties, sure he's got a soft spot for magical creatures but he wouldn't let one hurt someone."

"Well yes but still it's true, you could ask Professor Scamander on Monday. Or Hagrid."

"Oh yes! Marvelous idea, Jane!" James said sarcastically. He raised his hand as if he were in class. "'Excuse me Professor, but I heard your brother got expelled from Hogwarts, say, what did he do?' You're out of your mind."

Jane let out a little giggle. "Keep your voice down, I'm sure the entire tower heard you. It's the middle of the night, remember."

"Look, all I'm saying is that I highly doubt Lupin would ever get expelled for letting loose a dangerous magical creature." James said. "The guy wouldn't hurt a doxy."

"Oh, I'm sure he wouldn't," Jane agreed. "You on the other hand are just as likely to make friends with a werewolf."

"Hey! That's not fair," he replied. "They only turn into werewolves once a month. They can't hurt you the rest of the time, and it's not even their fault. I bet they can be good people too."

"My point exactly," Jane said. "You go looking for trouble, and I'm sure Lupin wants to stay far away from it."

"And My point is," James said. "Lupin is lonely and I feel bad for offending him. Even though I'm still not sure what I said that made him so upset."

"That's sweet of you James," Jane said. "But maybe just give him time and space. It's only the first week. He probably just needs to adjust to being around so many people. Or maybe he's still getting used to magic."

"You think he's a muggle-born?" James said. "I thought he was a halfblood at least? He mentioned his father was the one who told him about the sorting. So he can't be a muggle born."

"How would I know?" Jane said with a shrug. "You're the one that shares a dorm with him."

"I thought you knew every single wizarding family there was." James said.

"Not all of them." She said. "That's far too many for me to memorize. I can't possibly know everyone. Although now that you mention it the name Lupin does sound familiar."

"So you do know him?" He asked earnestly.

"I don't but I bet Mother does." She said, "I just hope he's not one of the families she wants me to stay away from."

"What!?" James said, "Why would she do that?"

"Come off it, James," she said. "You know something is going on with all the old Pureblood families don't you."

His face darkened.

"Mom and dad told me at the station." James scowled; he felt the flames behind him dim a little. "Some pureblood elitist uprising or something."

"Exactly," she said. "But I doubt Lupin has anything to do with it. He doesn't seem the type."

He nodded and relaxed again. Jane finally continued to write to her mother and added a little note asking about Remus Lupin. James, for his part, silently bowed to apologize to Lupin.

"So about that girl in your dorm," James started. "The one with red hair… Lily Evans is her name right…?"