Disclaimer: Again, I do not own the world of HP; I'm just playing in it.

Chapter 1: Introductions

We (the Weasleys, Hermione and I) did not meet Lily or James until the train ride to Hogwarts of our third year. We became friends during the course of that ride, and a little later - to the deep dismay of the professors, and yes that is a confirmed fact in writing - the fraternal pair were befriended by the Weasley twins.

However, despite spending the majority of our time together, there was always a reserve between us in that first year which began to break down once I was entered into the tournament and had gone by the end of it. Though at the time I did not realise this, I understood after the events at the ministry when she lost that reserve she'd still maintained around Ron and Hermione was she had been waiting for us to grow up.

She and James had arrived at Hogwarts without their innocence intact and knew that even if it had not yet begun to rear its head, the second war was approaching. No, they did not know about Voldie's return to power, but they understood more than the others, and definitely more than me about what his return implied at the time. To his first reign I lost my parents and most of my chance at a childhood, the twins lost their parents, their god-parents and subsequently their childhood and innocence of life. But, of the darker times I shall come back to later, first I shall tell you of the lighter times before the second war.

1st September 1993 (a/n is it '92 or '93)

Clambering on board the train with Mr. Weasley's warning ringing in my ears, we hunted for that elusive empty compartment. Finding one near the back of the train we piled in and dumped our trunks, Hermione's onto Ron's foot, complete accident she assured us but the slight smirk she held told otherwise. After managing to stop Ron swearing,

"Ronald, if you do not stop that language coming out of your mouth this second I will hex it shut"

"Thanks, 'Mione" I was able to tell them about what Ron's father had said. Fortunately, I was able to cut Hermione off from full blown lecture mode and we settled down for the long journey north.

Lily's entrance into the compartment coincided with the arrival of the lunch trolley and said owner's grumblings about children who choose to fill up the corridor despite the existence of seats and compartments.

The raven head's hastily performed entrance into our compartment to avoid being 'squashed by a crazy lady and her trolley' and her mischievous grin piqued our interests and when she moved to leave, we asked her to stay -

- Not that we knew what we were getting into at the time - oww, my love, I meant that in the best way possible, honest.

Ok, ok, I'll get back on track, sheesh.

Anyway, introductions were made, amazingly enough with none of the usual flick to the scar on my forehead, just nodded acceptance, and Ron being snubbed briefly for accusing the petite girl of being a first year. He quickly found out why you don't mistake a 13 year old girl for an eleven year old - I think Lils scares him more than Ginny does sometimes, not that he would admit that to either of them, amuses the rest of us though.

Despite her annoyance and Ron's green hair, she agreed to keep Hermione company and give up her brother hunt, saying the lazy gits shouldn't have ditched her, and curled up on the seat next to me opposite Mione.

She was just explaining how she'd attended Xi-Siang (a/n hope that is a complete nonsense phrase) Academy for the last 5 years (though mainly muggle academics were concentrated on for the first 4 years) and that due to a bad illness was not up to joining Hogwarts at eleven and had waited for an appropriate time to move, when the cabin door slid open for a second time to reveal a double to Lily, though with boyish features and short hair, and a Gryffindor seventh year, Matt Saxter, of similar features.

"Oops, sorry, to intrude, err," the older sibling noticed the green head, and raised his eyebrow, "making friends already Lils?" Lily had the decency to blush, and remove the charm, and ignoring the elder sibling turned to her twin.

"So, can I help you, o brother of mine?" her annoyance at being abandoned edged her tone,

"Actually, you can give me your seat, so I can meet and greet these fine people who I presume our year mates of ours, and you can go with Matt to see Olli, J-J wants to see you..."

Lily groaned, said see you soon - hopefully- and followed Matt to his compartment.

The newest entrance grinned and said,

"Sorry, we saw that Lils appeared to be getting on with you guys but we wanted to get her out of the way to explain some things to you. Oh and J-J's Oliver Wood's younger brother, he's had a crush on Lily since we stayed at their house last summer," he stopped to breathe.

"Anyway, in case Lily hasn't said, I'm James, and before you want to chuck the lunatic out of the compartment let me just say a few things. One, don't dig for any more information than she's given you. Two, No questions on why she was ill, and three, don't ask about life before the Academy, you won't like what she tells you and you won't like what we do to you if you ask. If you want to know something ask me or Matt, and if we can tell you we will. So you like quidditch?"

And with that strange summation, Ron and James launched into a full blown quidditch debate. Hermione huffed, and turned to a book, while I zoned out from most of the conversation. The twin's names bugged me, was it coincidence that they were my parents names? What was with all the warnings, I don't doubt he was serious, but what did they have to hide, and why did they look somewhat familiar?

A while later Lily returned, and promptly sat on James.

"Hey," Lily turned to face him.

"Would you have got up?" she demanded.

"Well no,"

"Then tough sh..." James immediately began tickling her.

Laughing, Lily begged for mercy, though James refused saying he didn't want her swearing. Lily, tried to tell him he was her twin, not their mother, and ended up being pushed onto the floor and pinned down as he sat on her and continued to tickle her.

"James, James," she wheezed between laughing and trying to breathe, "stop it, that's enough,"

"Nope, I don't think so,"

"James Andrew Saxter, stop it this instant, I can't breathe, please."

James helped his sister up onto the seat so she ended up curled between him and me, where after elbowing him not so gently in the ribs she settled down to sleep.

"Maybe we should all get some sleep; I'm kind of tired myself." I suggested and the compartment quietened.

A couple hours later, a redhead woke up, grinned, and poked the bushy haired girl next to him. He indicated that she should look at their companions.

"Aww, we should take a photo,"

"What so they can kill us when they wake up?"

"No, for blackmail," the younger sibling of a certain pair of Weasley twins retorted. Grabbing a camera from her satchel Hermione complied.

The picture would later be the first one in an album, but till then, the negative in the camera showed a girl curled up between two boys, with her head on the lap of one, with a lightning shaped scar on his head, who had his right arm loosely resting on the girl's head, slightly tilted towards his torso. The other boy, bearing a strong resemblance to the girl, had his right arm round her knees keeping her between them.