"Gifford, Melanie," Professor McGonagal called out. A short girl with a sneer on her face walked up to the stool, sat down, and put on the hat. It was barely on her head for ten seconds because shouting out, "SLYTHERIN!"
"Merlin, I wish they'd hurry up already," Claudia complained. "I'm starving." She reached into the pocket of her robes and pulled out a sugar quill.
"I know. I'm telling you, the groups of first years are getting bigger and bigger each year," Lily said. She eyed the sugar quill in Claudia's hand. "Do you remember what happened the last time you had one of those?"
"Frank's eyebrows grew back in a couple of weeks," said Claudia absently.
The last time that Claudia has actually been "allowed' to have sugar quills was last winter. She sucked on one in Charms right before Potions, and then basically got on a sugar rush. Her and Lily walked into Slughorn's classroom and Claudia proceeded to trop on three stools, bump into a table, and knock over one of the potions that was simmering on the table where Frank Longbottom sat. He was, unfortunately, picking up a quill he had dropped when the potion spilled off of the table and it splattered his face. His eyebrows were, for lack of a better word, burned off and hadn't grown back for about two weeks.
"Claud, put the sugar quill away," Lily warned as the hat shouted out "RAVENCLAW!" sorting Daniel McBeth. "You turn into a walking twister! You know I'm right, Claud."
"Yes, but I'm starving, Lils. That snack cart seemed so, so long ago! I don't even remember it. You know, I bet it was a figment of my imagination. You're killing my here, Lils!" Claudia begged dramatically, yet quietly. A sixth year across from them rolled her eyes and muttered, "Fourth years," to the girl next to her who nodded her head in agreement.
Lily reluctantly agreed to let her keep the sugar quill and turned back to watch the sorting.
"Newburry, Michael," Professor McGonagal said, her voice ringing throughout the Great Hall.
It took the hat a full minute before shouting "GRYFFINDOR!" Michael Newburry sighed a very noticeably sigh of relief as he jumped down from the stool and quickly took his place at the Gryffindor table.
"Hahahaha." Claudia laughed suddenly.
Lily smacked her hand to her forehead and said, "I told you not to eat the sugar quill." Claudia's sugar rushes could get pretty bad.
Claudia kept laughing silently. Shoulders shaking and her face turning red. She grabbed Lily's elbow and pointed across the hall to the Ravenclaw table.
"Claudia, what is so funny?" Lily asked. She was searching the room until she spotted what was causing Claudia to erupt into a fit of hysterics. Joel was facing Lily and Claudia and was making faces and wiggling his ears (something both Lily and Claudia found hysterical). Now, to a normal person, and even Claudia at times, this would be funny, enough maybe to get a chuckle out of someone but not full out laughter. But with Claudia hyped up on sugar quills, the smallest things would make her crack.
"How do you think he does that? Wiggling his ears, I mean," asked Claudia in awe. She tried (or at least that's what Lily thought she was doing) to wiggle her ears but it turned out that she was crossing her eyes. How that happened, Lily wasn't quite sure of.
"Shh, Claudia! Be quiet! McGonagal is giving us a horrible look!" Lily begged, but she couldn't help but giggle at Claudia's attempt to look like Joel. Lily looked over at him and mouthed, "She just ate a sugar quill!"
Joel looked confused for a second and then comprehended what she had said. Then he burst out into laughter. Full out, very loud laughter. Every head in the Great Hall snapped towards him.
He stopped laughing furrowed his brow for a second, then grinned and said, "Sorry about that Headmaster. You see, over the summer I went to Ireland and came across a not so happy bunch of leprechauns. But after beating them at their own game, they taught me a little jig. Would you like to see? Professor?"
A small smile played on Professor Dumbledore's lips and there was a twinkle in his eye. He chuckled for a second and finally said, "No, no, Mr. Landie. That's quite all right. But you mind, perhaps, if we got back to the sorting?"
"If you insist, Professor," Joel said with a smirk. He straightened his tie, sat up straight, and folded his hands with the look of an innocent angel upon his face.
Lily and Claudia were both in fits of silent laughter. Lily's face was turning red as it always did when she felt any emotion and Claudia's nose was scrunched up.
Eventually their unnoticed laughter died down. The sorting continued and Lily managed to keep Claudia quiet until the end.
"Oy, Prongsie! Are they almost finished?" Sirius kept asking. He was fidgeting in his seat.
"They're on 'P' now. Hold on about another eight minutes, Sirius," Remus said. He laughed as Sirius pouted and started twirling his fork in between his fingers.
"I have something left from the train, Padfoot," James said quietly. He reached into his robe pocket and pulled out a chocolate frog. Then he tossed it to Sirius who smiled and tore it out of its package.
Mouth full, Sirius said, "Thanks Jamsie. You're the best."
"What card did you get, Sirius?" Peter asked. He collected the cards and was looking for any ones he didn't have, or did have if they were any good.
"Dumbledore," Sirius said dully.
Peter jumped and grabbed the card. "I've been looking for him!"
"How could you not have Dumbledore?" Remus asked in shock. He was fairly surprised. With Dumbledore being a relatively new card, quite a few were printed and Peter tended to eat a lot of Chocolate Frogs. So it was quite shocking for Remus to find out that Peter didn't have one yet.
"Well, it seems as though the sorting is done," the real Dumbledore said, standing up after the last of the first years (Zwelf, Emmet "RAVENCLAW!") scurried off to his table. "I'm assuming all of you are hungry after that very long train ride? I have also experienced a long train ride. You see I was quite young and-" McGonagal coughed from behind him. "Well. That's beside the point. For now, we feast!" He raised his arms in the air and food appeared on the table. "I will, of course, make the announcements after." But no one heard that little add on for they were already digging into the hot, delicious smelling food.
Sirius's mouth was full of chicken as he pulled three rolls and two scoops of mashed potatoes onto his plate. He had a smile on his face like a little kid at Christmas as chicken wings were passed down the table.
"Hey, Lily, look! Its mashed potatoes, Lily!" Claudia, who had her second sugar quill right before the food appeared, was, if possible, even more hyper.
Lily laughed and said, "Very good, Claudia! You know your foods. I'm proud."
"Me too! These mashed potatoes sure are good. I mean, the texture is just right, you know?"
"Sure Claudia." Lily slightly tolled her eyes and then looked over at Joel. "Help me," she mouthed.
Joel held up a finger signaling that he'd be over in a second.
She glanced down the table and sighed as she saw James Potter flick mashed potatoes at Peter's head. He'll never grow up, she thought. Lily went into a kind of daze, imagining what life would be like if Potter's head was normal sized and he actually acted like a normal person.
James, laughing at the blob of mashed potatoes that landed in Peter's left eye, felt as if there was someone watching him. He looked to his left but saw only the first years slowly picking at their food. Then he looked across the hall. Oddly enough there were no death glares coming from the Slytherin table. He looked at the Ravenclaw table and saw no one looking over his way. (Although he did catch the eye of a rather pretty brunette who was chatting with her friend.) After winking at her and causing her to giggle, James looked at the Hufflepuff table. Nothing. Finally, he looked down to the right of him and saw what was giving him that chilly feeling down his spine.
Lily Evans was staring. But not just in any direction, in James's general direction. And it wasn't just in his general direction either. She was starting at him. Her mouth was slightly open and her eyes were boring into his.
Without removing his gaze, James tapped Sirius on the shoulder. He spun around and James said, "Bloody hell, mate. She's staring at me! Why's Evans staring at me?"
Sirius took a second to swallow. Then he looked over at Lily and raised an eyebrow. This seemed to get her out of her daze. Lily turned red and looked back at her plate. "I think there's something in your teeth, mate."
James ran his tongue across his teeth. Nothing.
Sirius laughed his bark-like laugh.
"Apparently I'll win this bet a lot faster than I thought," James said with a cocky little smile plastered on his face.
At the sight of Sirius's cocked eyebrow, Lily realized what and where she had been staring at: Directly into James Potter's hazel eyes. Embarrassed, she looked away and blushed.
"Lils, can I ask who you were just staring at?" Claudia asked point blank. She took a sip of her pumpkin juice and eyed her friend.
"I… um… well… I wasn't paying attention you see." She was stumbling over her words. That rarely happens. And if it did, she was either guilty or nervous. In this case it was both.
"You were staring at James!" Accusations always came with sugar quills.
"Not on purpose!"
"You were practically drooling!"
"I was not!" Lily turned a deeper shade of red.
"You like him!" Claudia said, slightly louder than was necessary and stressing every syllable.
Lily was pretty much astounded. "WHAT?!"
"Whoa, don't have a how. I was just kidding!" She was motioning for Lily to sit back for she popped out of her seat at the second accusation.
Joel was looking over at the girls with a raised eyebrow. Claudia smirked, shook her head, and mouthed that she would tell him later. He shrugged and turned back to the conversation he was having with the girl next to him.
About half way through the feast, Remus pulled out his wand.
"Ready boys?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows.
The other three grinned and pulled their wands out as well.
"Who wants to do the honors?" Sirius asked. He twirled his wand in between his fingers.
"Can I?" Peter asked. He actually looked excited at the prospect of causing one of the best pranks in Hogwarts history.
Remus gave the other two a skeptical look. They all seemed to be arguing with each other in their minds but all at once, they nodded and Peter smiled.
Closing his eyes, Peter concentrated on the task at hand: transporting the Slytherin table to the Astronomy Tower. He swooped his wand clockwise then slashed it down. Everyone was too preoccupied with the feast to notice this abnormal behavior. Although, when water began pouring onto them they did become aware that something weird was going on.
James, Sirius, and Remus looked at each other and then burst out into laughter. Full out, belly-blown laughter. Peter just laughed nervously, realizing what he had done wrong.
"Peter! That was brilliant!" James yelled.
"Your idiocy has finally paid off!" Sirius hollered, clapping him on the back.
Girls were screaming about their hair and boys were laughing at them. Over at the Hufflepuff table, a fifth year boy tried to stand up and slipped in a puddle of water.
"Will everyone please evacuate into the entrance hall," Dumbledore said calmly, although his voice was booming over the rest of the students. The only noise heard was the rain splashing on the tables and floors. "Please go to the Entrance Hall. There you will receive further instructions."
There was slight chatter as the crowd of students was herded to the door by the heads and the prefects.
"Hello, ladies."
A hand clasped onto Lily and Claudia's shoulders. They jumped, startled by the touch, and turned to see Joel standing there, red fringe stuck to his forehead and glasses fogged up.
"Joel you prat!" Lily said. The three still were getting water poured on them.
"Now, what was it you were trying to tell me earlier, Claudia?" Joel asked, dropping a lazy arm around her shoulder, a sly smile on his face.
"Lily likes James!" Claudia bellowed.
Lily slapped a hand to her head.
"I do not! He's an insufferable prat that needs to boiled in marshmallows and syrup! Shut up!" Joel was laughing hysterically.
Claudia's eyes were glazed over and then she laughed. "Remember the James fly, Lils?" Lily thought about that for a second and then nodded. "I imagined that in the boiled marshmallows and syrup. You know, just the James Fly slopping around in sticky goop."
"Marshmallows and syrup?" said a voice from behind them.
Lily groaned, rolled her eyes, and turned to face her questionnaire.
"Sound painful, Potter?" she asked, arms crossed, hair dripping wet, and a smug smile playing at her lips.
"Very. Seems like something that Ol' Snivellous has coming to him," James said, his voice low and grim.
"Move it!" an annoyed, screechy voice yelled.
Lily and James both turned at the same time, expecting to see a seventh year, or even an arrogant sixth year. No, of course it wouldn't be that. It was a third year. A third year.
Now, it may have been a sign of the apocalypse or maybe all of the planets were aligned, but Lily and James looked at each other, raised their eyebrows, and turned to face the sopping wet thirteen year old.
"What was that, squirt?" James asked.
"Bloody second years," the boy whispered to the girl next to him. She nodded knowingly.
Lily's face turned to shock. She readily placed hands on her hips, pursed her lips, and then said, "Try fourth."
The boy's face looked skeptical as he said, "Who are you trying to fool?"
"What are you saying? You don't believe us?" James asked. He was tossing his wand threateningly. They were still blocking the doorway and people were pushing past them.
The third year looked at the wand. "It's not my fault you and your little girlfriend here look a little on the scrawny side."
Lily blushed and James took a step protectively in front of her.
"Are you-"
"Potter! Stop it! You don't need to defend me! I'm completely capable of taking care of myself!" Lily said, regaining her composure.
"Yes, Potter. I'm sure your little mudblood of a girlfriend can defend herself," the third year, no doubt a Slytherin, snarled. Lily's face flushed again but she didn't say anything.
"Did you hear what he just called you, Evans?" James yelled. The third year took this time to stalk off, unnoticed, his friends trailing behind him.
"Potter, shove off. It's not like it was the first time," Lily said. She wasn't making eye contact.
"You know, whatever, Evans! You just let people walk all over you and you never do a thing about it! Ever heard of lack of confidence?" James was yelling loud enough for the whole Entrance Hall to hear every word if they tried. Water was still pouring on them.
Claudia and Joel stood to the side of Lily, exchanging half horrified, half curious looks. Sirius had a smirk on his face, Remus looked concerned, and Peter just looked guilty. It was better to just stay out of this one.
Lily's face turned bright red as she pulled out her wand. "I've heard of lack of confidence, yes! But I'm not sure you have! Marching around here like you own everything and everyone. The teachers? They love you! Of course they do! You're the biggest suck-up I've ever even heard of! The girls? They're completely in love with you're "good looks!" The messy haid just makes them fall deeper! They boys? They worship you! You're everything they want to be and more! Good grades, good looks, girls following you everyday, a spot on the Quidditch team," she was listing the items off on her hand. "But you know what I think, Potter? I think you're a jerk! A prat! A prick! And a slimeball! But I bet you don't even care! You know why, Potter? Because every word said to you that either isn't about you or doesn't compliment you goes right over your head!"
Lily's emerald green eyes were alive with electricity. Her wand was out and it was pointed directly in between James's eyes. Her long red hair was soaked and clinging to her face and shoulders. It made her look more frightening than ever.
James had his wand out too. Although he wasn't pointing it directly at Lily. It was aimed just above her right shoulder. His jet black hair was flatter than normal, pressed down by the pouting rain. His hazel eyes looked slightly shocked and hurt. But he didn't let it show.
The two had a flaring contest for a moment before Lily yelled and stormed out of the Entrance Hall. Claudia poked Joel who's mouth was hanging open, and the two of them trailed after her.
"Lily?" Claudia asked after following Lily through the crowded Hall and over by a suit of armor. "A-are you alright?"
"Lils? It's okay. You're right, he's pretty damn arrogant," Joel said quietly. Wet Joel took Wet Lily and pulled her into a big old wet hug.
She didn't say anything. She just took long deep breaths. And she didn't cry. Not even tears of rage. Why? Because Lily Evans just didn't cry. Never in all her years at Hogwarts has anyone seen Lily shed a tear and if she did, it was because of a yawn that made her eyes water.
She wasn't a crier as a baby either. She was always quiet. When Petunia would steal her toys, Lily would scream. Then, being a witch, the toy would float on back to her and then Petunia would cry.
Lily pulled away from Joel and said, "I'm fine." She put her wand back in her pocket and flared at a Hufflepuff who was staring at her. "Oh, and Claudia?"
"Yeah, Lils?"
"I'm not in love with James Potter." She turned and stomped off towards the Gryffindor Tower.
"Right, Lils."
"Merlin, Prongs! Not even a day into the school year and you've already had the biggest fight the school has ever seen!" Sirius said. "Oh, and I don't think the challenge is going to be as easy as you thought."
"Yeah, I'd take serious consideration about being nice if you want to win this thing," Remus said knowledgably.
"Yes, because I took her words seriously," James said sarcastically, putting the whole fight thing in the past. "It's obvious she was hiding her love for me!"
"Yeah, James, really obvious," Remus said just as sarcastically if not, then more.
The second Lily and Claudia got into their room, they changed out of their wet clothes. Lily pulled on pink pajama pants with penguins and a huge Quidditch t-shirt. Claudia quickly put on some old shorts, a tank top, and her bathrobe before she ran over to her trunk and flung open the top. It smacked the end of her bed and made a thud sound but she and Lily ignored that.
"Are you more in the mood for chocolate? Or fruity stuff?" she asked Lily who was bust rummaging through her own trunk for her lost slippers.
"Um, ch-NO WAIT! Fruity stuff please," Lily yelled from half way inside her trunk.
"Mkay," Claudia said. After popping a Chocolate Frog into her mouth, she put the box of them back in her trunk and pulled out a different box, this one filled with things such as Acid Pops, Gummy Snails, and Ice Mice. Not exactly fruity but that was how they categorized their junk food fests.
"Claud, have you seen my other slipper?" Lily asked. She had one on and the other was somewhere hidden.
"Check under your bed," Claudia said absently. She was pulling out all of the candy she could find. She's going to need a trip to Honeydukes soon to restock.
"Claudia, how in the name of Merlin would my slipper get under there? I've had it all summer. What, did they just fly on over here and hide under my bed?" Claudia's look was mixed with skepticism and "Just do it"ness. Lilu grudgingly picked up the side of her comforter and peered under her bed. Her eyes scanned the floor under her bed and they went wide when she saw a fuzzy foot shaped thing. Or her slipper. She pulled it out and stuck it on her foot. Claudia started laughing. "Shut up."
"I saw you push it under the bed with your foot when you were getting the other one," Claudia said. She kept laughing.
"Gah."
"My socks are soaked to my ankle and I think my toes are pruny!" Adrian Scott was complaining.
She, Linda Botchi, and Nancy McThompson shared a dormitory together. They were friends on most days. But the girls did tend to bicker. But then again they were girls, what could you expect?
Linda was pulling off her shoes as she sat on her bed. "Junk food fest already?" she asked. Her and the other girls knew quite well of the junk food fests. They've even been part of a couple. But normally, they just went to the other side of the dorm and talked amongst themselves.
"Yes," Claudia replied, pulling back her sheets and spreading the food across it. "Lily had a fight with James."
"Already?" Linda asked while Nancy said, "Again?"
Lily nodded glumly.
"How can you not like the boy? He's so pretty!" Adrian said. She'd always had a little crush on James. Not that she was alone. The majority of the female population (below sixth year, although there were probably some exceptions) have liked James Potter at one point or another.
"How can you?" Lily asked. "he's a selfish, arrogant, egotistical moron!"
"Well, he's pretty, and funny, and can play Quidditch really well and-" Adrian was cut off by Claudia.
"And he has these amazing arms!"
Lily, Adrian, Nancy, and Linda all looked at Claudia who shrugged.
"Well, he does!"
"Who has an arm fetish?" Nancy asked, raising an eyebrow.
"What? You have to admit that arms are pretty amazing!"
Lily roller her eyes and plopped down on Claudia's bed. "My point," she said, unwrapping an Ice Mice, "is that he's a prick who really doesn't deserve this kind of attention."
Claudia agreed and plopped next to her. The other three walked off to the bathroom to shower.
The first day of classes was brutal. The first years were up half the night with butterflies in their stomachs. The old students wanted to hex them for being annoying and loud. Then, in the morning, they were up at four thirty as to make sure they weren't late for breakfast.
"Lily! Lils! God, move it, you lump!" Claudia said when she woke up. Lily had fallen asleep in her bed with the junk food at about two AM.
Neither of them were really morning people.
"Gah, what do you want?" Lily asked, shoving Claudia and popcorn off of the bed.
"School time!" Claudia's eyes were barely open but at least one of the two (girls not eyes) was partially awake.
"Noooo!"
"Yes, come on!"
Lily jumped out of bed and dragged herself to the bathroom.
"Sirius! That's my sock!" James said at seven thirty.
"It is not!" Sirius said back.
"It is too!"
"Guys, that's my hat!" Peter said. He snatched the hat out of Sirius's hand and pulled it onto his head.
"Has anyone seen my tie?" Remus asked, walking from the bathroom. He had on his pants, socks, and white shirt with the sleeves rolled up.
"Um, I think Jamsie was wearing it as a hat last night," Peter said. He laughed.
"James, where's my tie?" Remus asked as he stepped over Sirius who was lying on the floor almost asleep.
"I don't know," James answered groggily. His hand went to the back of his head to mess up his hair as he looked around.
Once the four finished getting ready, they all picked up their bags and went downstairs and to breakfast. Remus's tie ended up being slung over a post on the four poster, no one remembering how it got there.
"Potter, Black, Lupin, and Pettigrew. Professor Dumbledore would like to see you in his office after you are finished eating." It was Professor McGonagal. She looked grim but didn't say anything more.
The boy's had caused trouble before, of course. They've filled Severus Snape's bag with a kiwi scented shampoo, they've turned Dumbledore's beard pink, and they've even gotten a house elf to tap dance. Dumbledore found these, even the pink beard thing, humorous but he only let the others know because of the twinkle in his eyes and the chuckle he gave then when he punished them.
"It surly won't be that bad, mates," Sirius said determinedly.
"Yes, Dumbledore loves us. Peter, do you have any Lemon Drops on you?" James said. The four were walking up to Dumbledore's office to meet their fate.
Peter looked guilty as he said, "Maybe."
"Give 'em to Dumbledore. To soften him up, you know," James said with a grin. It was easy to get on Dumbledore's good side.
Lily and Claudia had made their way slowly down to the Great Hall. They stopped a couple of times to attempt to sleep on the cold, hard, stone stairways but it didn't work all that well. By the time they reached the doors the smells of breakfast reached their noses and they perked up a bit. As they walked in, it dawned on them that they were back and that they would have to get up this early every day.
"We should go to Dumbledore and see if he can change the time of classes. We need out sleep," Claudia said, slightly over pouring the milk into her glass.
"Well, if you weren't up half the night eating candy and sugar and junk food you wouldn't be this sluggish," came Joel's voice. He was standing behind them. He used to sit with them in the morning but last year he got hexed by a seventh year at his table for being a traitor. He had a beard for a month and didn't appreciate it one bit. So now he eats and then stands behind them to talk.
"Since when are you Mr. Wise Man?" Lily asked, playing with her food.
"Since I was in bed by the time I got up to my dorm last night and am quite refreshed right now," Joel said. He was being smug. Go figure.
"Shut it," Lily and Claudia said at the same time.
"Ladies, your class schedule." Professor Slughorn just came over and handed Lily and Claudia each a piece of parchment. "Lily, it seems as though you have me first tomorrow morning. I'm looking forward to seeing you."
Lily tried with all her might to put on a fake smile but the fact that her face wasn't obeying her commands to move this morning wasn't cooperating. "Yes, Professor. You too."
"What's it like to be hung over, Joel?" Claudia asked, eating a piece of bacon.
"Probably fifteen times worse than that. I wouldn't know. I've never had a sugar hangover before," Joel said with a mischievous grin.
A/n: Alright, here is chapter two. So, so, so sorry for the long wait. I've been lazy and then I didn't have time and then it was Christmas. Well, not really. Not yet. I mean, if you're reading this oh never mind. I'm just confusing myself.
I hope you liked it! I'll update soon, I swear!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!