I'm trying to make it most like each character thinking as I tell it, so now we get properly introduced to Lily Evans who will be playing a major part in this story. She is practical yet rather unsure of herself and her feelings for James. ;)

Disclaimer : I own nothing but the two transfer girls and plot.

Part Five – Gryffindor Tower

Contrary to what Alyssa had said on the train, I had not been trembling all day long. I had been quite pleased to learn that I had become a prefect when I had received my letter over the summer. I had actually jumped up and down because I was so excited about it. The first thing I had done was to write a letter to Alyssa Carlton – my good friend since we started at Hogwarts together, telling her what had happened.

No, I had not been worried about the responsibilities at all since the day I first got the news. I wasn't worried when I learned that Remus Lupin was the other Gryffindor to be made prefect this year, either. He was a good choice, and would be easy to work with. I hadn't even been worried when the head boy, a fellow Gryffindor, Alex Jordan, congratulated me and told me about the prefects meeting during the train ride.

No, I had not been worried at all. It started halfway through the prefects meeting though. Right after Alex told a story about how he had been bitten by a first year on his first day as a prefect. That was when the trembling started. I had a great deal of responsibility now, and I had never realized that not every student would listen to a prefect as I had done.

Thankfully Remus had noticed my shaking and pulled me aside after the meeting to assure me that everything would be alright, and that if anyone bit me he would bite back. Though this did nothing to assuage my worries, Remus had always had a knack for cheering me up.

We had always been close, Remus and I. Ever since the first day of our first year when I was knocked over in the station yard by a rude boy, whom I had later learned was James Potter. Remus had helped me up and kept me company for the train ride and we had become quite close after we were sorted into Gryffindor together. The only reason I did not spend as much time with his as I would have liked to was because of his friendship with James Potter.

While James wasn't a terrible fellow on the whole, he had been chasing after me since first year. You would think that he would get the message that I didn't want to go out with him, but nothing I did could get him to stop pestering me. But, James was a minor annoyance in comparison to what I believed I would be facing this year.

Especially the new Transfer students. I had not even thought about them previously. It never occurred to me that both of them would end up in my house; in my dormitory. This meant that I was going to be personally responsible for them, and from the looks of it, at least one of them was going to be a trouble maker.

"Miss Evans." I was drawn out of my anxious musings by Professor McGonagall tapping me on the shoulder and handing me an envelope. I already knew this was to contain the new password for the common room, and a list of all the first years names. I thanked her and watched her walk over to Remus and hand him an envelope containing the same information.

Remus turned to look at me and smiled reassuringly. I guess James saw Remus looking down the table for he turned to follow his friend gaze. Before I could turn my gaze away, James grinned at me and winked. I looked down, shaking my head in disdain. This was obviously going to be another year with him chasing me again.

"Well Ladies," I announced, turning to my companions, "I must bid you adieu! Off to my prefect duties." They waved me goodbye, telling me they would see me in the Gryffindor tower and such, all the while laughing at my dramatic exit. I saw Remus standing as well and I walked towards him.

"You ready?" He grinned at me as we started heading to the end of the table, towards the new students.

"Surprisingly...yes." I lied.

We got to the head of the table and looking down at the students, I realized how small they all were. I could do this. I became quite light hearted and addressed them easily.

"Hello. My name is Lily Evans and this is Remus Lupin." He nodded and waved, grinning particularly at the new transfer students. "We are the Gryffindor prefects, and if you would like to follow us, we can show you all to the tower now." See? This wouldn't be hard at all.

I noticed the blond transfer student looking at me oddly. What was her name again...Miley? I couldn't remember. I did remember that she had been the troublesome one, and I knew that she would particularly enjoy the new password.

"What's a 'prefect'?" She addressed Remus with a look of confusion. Ah, yes. Alex had told me how the transfer students last year hadn't known this and that we might have to explain.

"I'm a prefect." Remus grinned broadly at her. Very helpful.

"Charming." She rolled her eyes at this and turned to me. "What's a prefect?"

"Basically students who enforce the school rules. Also if you have any questions about how things are done in Hogwarts, you may come to either of us and we can help you." I explained ,carefully addressing all of the new students and not just the girl asking the question.

"Oh. Right! Lets get a move on then. I for one, would like to sleep." She stood up and I marveled at her height. She barely made it up to my shoulder, and I myself was considered under average height. When the red headed first year beside her stood up, he was actually taller then the girl by about half a foot.

We made it up to the portrait of the fat lady without much incident. Remus and I had explained a bit about Hogwarts history along the way, as well as giving the usual warnings about the moving staircases, trick steps, and the use of portraits as door guards. When it came time to tell the password, I turned to Remus.

"You can do the honours." I grinned, knowing that he would enjoy it far more than myself.

He smiled and turned to the waiting students. "The password to get into the Gryffindor tower this year will be ' Ahh. It talks!' "

"What the hell?!?" The blond girl exclaimed while everyone else broke out laughing as they remembered her display with the sorting hat. Her jaw had dropped and her eyes were bugged out slightly, but she still managed to look as though she were laughing.

The portrait had opened behind us, and we all entered the common room laughing. Several other Gryffindors were in the common room and laughed when they saw the new girls affixed grin of shock. However, by the time I had finished explaining about the dormitories and started to lead them up to the girls 6th year dorm room, she was grinning and laughing.

"So, which beds are ours?" This was the first thing I had heard the darker haired girl say all night long. I pointed them out and she and her friend flung themselves on the mattresses in almost the same manner. However, there was a 'yowl' from the blond girls bed, and she quickly jumped up.

"Oh no! I'm so sorry Batman!" She exclaimed while picking up the oddest looking cat I had ever seen. This cat had a mostly black coat with small white spots on his chest and at the tip of his tail, along with deep green eyes with rather large pupils. But none of this was what was so off-putting about the animal. The odd thing was the cats ears. Or rather, lack thereof. I gapped at the scars where the cats ears used to be as the girl fused over the creature.

"I'm so sorry my kitty." She gushed. "How was the ride here? Did you get train sick?" She cooed over him while I continued to stare.

"Don't worry. He's healed." the dark haired girl told me reassuringly when she noticed me looking.

"Oh yeah. Batman here," The blond walked over to me and held up the cat, "Is a rescue animal. He had frost bite, and they had to remove his ears. But we adopted him, and he's fine now. See?"

I leaned in to look at the animals ears and he pushed his face up to mine. He was sniffing me, and I couldn't help but smile. He was rather affectionate.

"I'm Riley by the way." She shifted the cat in her arms and help out a hand to me.

"Nice to meet you." Oh yes, that was her name! "I'm Lily."

"And I'm Melody." The other girl stood up and offered her hand to me as well. Before I could shake it though, the other two Gryffindor sixth years burst into the room. Alyssa Carlton and Amber Wright had shared the last five years of their lives with Lily, and she was ever grateful to have them as such dear friends.

"So, lets me these new girls!" Amber shouted from behind Alyssa before she had even entered the room fully."

We spent the next hour unpacking our things, getting to know each other and cooing over Riley's cat.

"Why, 'Batman'?" Alyssa asked while cuddling the cat who had nuzzled up to her and was purring.

"Cause Batman is amazing." Riley smiled, "and because, even though he has no claws with which to climb, he can get on top of my dresser, climb trees, and even get on the roof. He's as crazy as Batman." She nodded as she unpacked his food supply.

At this, Batman started to meow and wriggled free of Alyssa's grip. He leaped over to Riley and started rubbing up against her hands as she poured his food.

"Does anyone know where I can get him some milk?" she asked absentmindedly.

"Umm...I think James Potter knows how to get into the kitchens." Amber offered.

"Cool, be right back!" Before I could tell her that the kitchens were closed, she was already out the door.

I turned to Melody, "She won't be able to go to the kitchens this late. The cat is gonna have to do without."

Melody shook her head at this. "I don't think you understand. No one, and I mean no one, will be sleeping tonight if he doesn't get some milk."

I laughed at this and headed out of the room to try and find Riley before she convinced James to get into trouble on his first night back at school. When I heard voices from the common room and the sound of James laughter, I knew I wouldn't have to look for long. I stood at the bottom of the stairs and watched the scene unfold.

"Please, please, please!!!" Riley whined, and when James merely laughed, she abruptly smacked him upside the head. "You owe me jerk!!" she exclaimed loudly as I watched in amusement.

"Ow! You can't do that! School hasn't even technically started yet! I don't wanna get detention on my first night." He rubbed the back oh his head, and I had to wonder what she meant by, 'you owe me.'

"I'll go." Laughed Sirius, standing up. Uh oh. Sirius didn't just agree to do things that might get him detention, for any normal person. God, I hope they don't date. I couldn't deal with that again. I shuddered involuntarily while thinking back to when Sirius and Amber dated for a month in third year.

I chose this moment to step out, and hopefully, put an end to things. "No, you won't Sirius. No body is going to go out after curfew." I sighed as James turned around and smiled at me.

"But Lily Flower, my darling. Didn't you hear? Her poor kitten is starving." He put on overly pathetic puppy dog eyes as he said this, and gesticulated as dramatically as he could.

"Would it kill you to call me Lily? Just once?" I sighed in frustration. "And yes, I heard. But he's just going to have to suffer." I could already see the wheels in Riley's head turning, and the slow grin forming on her lips.

"Hasn't he already suffered enough?" She suddenly cut in, throwing the back of her hand dramatically against her forehead.

"Don't you understand Lily-kins?" James exclaimed, jumping to catch Riley as she pretended to faint. "Can't you see that this is tearing us apart?" He wailed, before pretending to console Riley, who was now biting her lip, and actually had gotten the fake tears going.

I just stood there, watching what was quite possibly the most dramatic, soap-opera style, pathetic yet laughable attempt at convincing, I had ever seen. Remus, Sirius and Peter we just about as shocked as I was, but started to laugh, and were quickly doubled over with mirth. I merely took note of how alike the two hooligans were and cringed.

Before they could take their charade any further, I merely threw my hands up in defeat, and walked away shaking my head. I could already tell that this was going to be a long year.

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