The next morning arrived sooner then Lily would have liked. She wanted nothing more than have a few extra minutes in her warm and comfortable bed. Unfortunately, the morning was not going to be kind to her, and continuous footsteps and excited whispers outside her room forced her up. It couldn't be that late, could it?
Dressing quickly, it was not long before she was out following the crowd of Griffindors to the Great Hall for breakfast.
Lily wandered into the Great Hall sleepily, with a hoard of people from different houses, as well as her own. She hadn't expected to it to take so long getting dressed and putting the final touches to her potions essay, but it had and she hadn't give herself enough time to get ready for school, but she made it to breakfast just as everyone else had. Maybe she wasn't late after all. Lily walked around the Ravenclaw table to get to the Griffindor one.
It took much longer than she had expected, perhaps because of all the people in the Hall. Lily wasn't used to so many people at breakfast, when she normally arrived each morning, apart from today, there were barely any people to be seen. There were usually only a few teachers and students getting ready for the morning classes.
Lily generally got up before everyone else in her dormitory and had her breakfast early, then went to the library to study. She didn't have time to study this morning, however; she had transfiguration in about 10 minutes, which gave her just enough time to eat her breakfast.
She reached the Griffindor table and Sirius Black caught her eye, all the while grinning madly and looking down at the blushing James Potter who had focused on a stain in the wood on the table, as if fascinated by it. His black hair was unruly as always. Obviously, Black had said some crude to make Potter blush. The two of them are as bad as each other, she thought. Lily just rolled her eyes and kept walking to the other end of the Griffindor table, as far away from Black and Potter as could be managed, the table was very crowded at this time in the morning. As there were no more seats down the other end of the table, she was forced to sit in earshot of Potter and his friends.
Lily ate her breakfast of toast with strawberry jam in silence, going over the techniques that they might be practising in Transfiguration these first two periods. Professor McGonagall said that they still needed to know more about Animagus transformations. Luckily, she had done the homework that was set for over the weekend, because it was due today. Transfiguration was not one of Lily's strong points but she got through the essay easily enough. She was far more advanced at Charms, or so Professor Flitwick had told her. Lily studied while she ate her toast, but the Marauders, who were three seats down, had more pressing news to talk about.
"No point in that, Prongs," Sirius's voice drifted over to Lily's ears, "She's not looking at you."
James's hand froze halfway to his hair, he looked over to Sirius, who was grinning, "Padfoot, shuddup!" he hissed, "She'll hear you."
Sirius shrugged, not repentant in the least, on the contrary, he grinned at James who looked exasperated. Remus looked over at the two of them, one eyebrow raised. Sirius, reading this communication, widened his grin, but relented in his teasing.
He relaxed back onto the bench, and returned to his breakfast. Remus shook his head at the both of them. Peter, who had watched them with interest, turned back to Remus, and tried to get the answers for the Transfiguration Essay from him.
By the time Sirius had finished wolfing down his third helping of food, Remus was looking at his watch, obviously anxious to be going. James decided that it was time to go, "Come on, Padfoot!" he said, "Time to get a move on."
Sirius swallowed an impossibly large mouthful to speak, "But I'm hungry." He whined.
"You're always hungry," James said fondly, "But we have to go, else we'll be late, and McGonagall will be cut at us."
Sirius nodded ruefully in agreement, picking up his books and quills and shoving them unceremoniously in his bag. He looked up again to see James ruffling his hair and grinned at him, "Come on, Prongs. She'll be coming as soon as she's finished her …"
"Strawberry jam on toast," James said, then blushed as Sirius raised an eyebrow at his friend.
"Come on," Sirius repeated, and started away, throwing looks over his shoulder like a dog being taken on a walk. James sighed and followed, Remus and Peter tagging along behind.
James jogged to catch up with Sirius's enthusiastic bounds. He looked back every so often at Remus and Wormtail who, moving at only a fast walk, were falling behind.
When James and Sirius reached the Transfiguration Room, they stopped to wait for the others. James looked around, peering over the heads of the oncoming students to see if Lilly was among them.
Remus caught up to them first, a puffing Peter not far behind him. Professor McGonagall was striding through the students milling around the door, her dark hair pinned in a bun underneath her witches' hat. James looked fretfully about for Lilly, calming when he saw her, his hand, as usual, going to his hair.