A/N: Well to those who reviewed thank you so much! Well here is the next chapter the beginning is just a bit sad but I am hoping for this story to just get happier! (But really it is up to the voices in my head, they make all my decisions.) Totally kidding. So anyways, this will be the first sighting/meeting of the couple to come! Are you excited? I sure hope so.

Disclaimer: Don't sue! All you could get is twenty bucks…and my pretty red laptop. I do not own Harry Potter or anything that goes along with him!

Well I'm ready, I'm ready to drop
Oh, I'm ready, I'm ready so don't stop
I'm ready so don't stop, Keep pushing
I'm ready to fall, oh, I'm ready

-"I'm Ready" by: Jack's Mannequin

"Hey Mr. Tambourine man, play a song for me. I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to!"

"Oh god, not again." Autumn heard her brother groan, from outside her door. She could practically hear him roll his eyes as well. She got out of her bed and walked to her kitchen where her parents were standing in the kitchen making breakfast and singing along to their favorite muggle singer: Bob Dylan.

"Hey Mr. Tambourine man, play a song for me. In the jingle jangle morning I'll come followin' you."

Autumn smiled, she also got annoyed when her parents sang along to him, but sometimes she would think about how happy it made her parents to relive their younger days. She sat down next to her thirteen year old brother and looked outside at the green sky and blue trees, everything was good.

She slowly woke up to the sound of her mom's old muggle record player playing her parents' favorite artist. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and realized her cheeks were slightly wet from crying. She sighed and smiled sadly. It was the end of August and she was used to waking up with tears still on her face from the old memories she dreamt of.

Autumn was also used to living without her mom now. Ryan was there every night and morning so she was only alone during the day (If Lily didn't come over, but she always did). They had their own special routines now, they took turns making breakfast and dinner, they each had their 

specific chores around the house, and they made sure to tell each other everything that happened that day. The two of them needed to stick together because they were alone, on their own in the world now and they had to take care of each other.

Not that they didn't have any help. Lily was home all summer and she came over every day while her parents made sure to check in as well. Most of all Autumn's mom made sure they were taken care of. Since she could no longer be home schooled buy her mom she was finally going to go to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Autumn had always dreamt of going. Ryan had gone for three years until their dad died and they couldn't afford it anymore. That was when her mom began to teach them at home (with permission from the ministry of course). However, when their mom had got the promotion and pay raise, Autumn was already ahead in her sixth year schooling. But now, Ryan still had to go to work, and he didn't trust himself to teach Autumn so she would be attending Hogwarts thanks to the money her mom had put aside just in case anything happened to her.

………………

September 1st, 1977

"Do you have everything?"

"Yes Ryan. For the whatever-ith time, yes I have everything I checked a thousand times." Autumn replied to her brother, exasperated.

"Well make it a thousand and one." He said. She rolled her eyes but smiled, he just loved her.

"Yeah okay." She said sarcastically as she watched their front door burst open to reveal Lily and her trunk.

"Hey guys are we all ready?"

"Yes let's go before Ryan makes you check your trunk a thousand times." Autumn laughed and the girls dragged their trunks into the car that once belonged to their dad. The drive to the train station seemed to take no time at all. Autumn wanted to spend all the time she could with Ryan before leaving and the time seemed to be slipping away to fast.

"Come on Autumn!" Lily and Ryan yelled together as they ran to the platform portal. She looked at a clock in the station: it was already ten-fifty. Autumn smiled and ran over, which was actually rather hard considering Ryan wouldn't let them stop and get a trolley for their stuff; although, thankfully he did offer to carry Angel, Autumn's extremely overweight cat. When she caught up to them, she took a deep breath she was going to Hogwarts and the way there was right in front of her.



"Sirius damn-it!" A young man's voice yelled and laughter followed it. Two boys came running towards the exact spot that Autumn was standing. 'Thank god for Lily' Autumn said to herself as her friend quickly pulled her out of the way and the two boys ran one after the other into the portal.

"Imbeciles." Lily scoffed and then she stomped off through the portal. Autumn looked at Ryan who looked right back and they walked through together.

"Whoa, whoa Lily calm down. Muggles are so blind they probably thought they just got confused or something." Autumn and Ryan came through the portal and were greeted by a male voice that sounded just a little panicked. He was a good six feet tall with black shaggy hair and pretty grey eyes. There was no doubt about it: this boy was very handsome.

"You were running and yelling! I'm surprised no muggles followed through!"

"Oh come on Lily, live a little." He said nudging her a bit. Oh, big mistake, Autumn thought and she pulled Ryan closer to Lily and out of the way of the portal.

"Are you serious?" she yelled.

"Well actually I-"

"Don't even go there!" Lily said holding up her hand to stop him. The boy who had yelled earlier sniggered a little. He was shorter than most boys his age would be, but still taller than most girls. He also had a little extra baggage, but he wasn't horrid looking; he had cute boyish looks and light blue eyes.

"Aw Lily! You know I live for the serious jokes!" the taller one whined but he was smiling playfully and Autumn could tell he was just arguing with her to make her mad. Before Lily could say anything else a third boy came up and stood next to her.

"Hey guys what's up with the yelling?" This boy was the same height as the grey-eyed boy, he also had black hair but his was shorter and looked like he had ruffled it a few seconds ago. The boy had hazel eyes and he was looking right at Lily. James Potter, Autumn guessed. I had to be him; she had heard Lily complain about him numerous times.

"I….nothing." Lily said and Autumn was surprised to see that Lily was turning slightly red, but not red enough for any of the boys to notice.

"It's ten-fifty-seven." The voice came from Ryan and everyone turned to look at him. The looks from the three boys showed pure curiosity as they looked at Ryan and then at Autumn.

"Oh, come on lets go find a compartment." Lily spoke up and they started towards the train.



"Hey guys I have been looking all over for you." They heard another boy's voice behind them. Autumn thought that it must be the fourth…musketeer? Lily had called them something like that but James's name was the only one that stuck due to many hours of complaining.

"Well I guess this is it until winter break." Ryan said sadly. Autumn was already getting teary eyed. She didn't think she would cry until they were on the train, but here she was tears about to fall. She didn't trust her voice to speak so she just hugged her brother tight.

"I'll write every day." He said and she laughed.

"Not every day, that would be over doing it." She said wiping her eyes. "But, how about at least once a week?"

"Deal." He said and they shook hands and shared one more hug before the whistle blew. Autumn and Lily raced onto the train (well raced as much as they could with their trunks and one very heavy cat) and stood near a window to wave at Ryan. When the train started moving faster the two girls moved away from the window and walked to the end of the train.

"There should be an empty one back here." Lily said, and sure enough there was. "I have to go to the prefects' compartment first to meet the head boy, tell the prefects what they can and can't do, and then I will be back. It should only take thirty minutes at the most!" she continued, quickly changing into her robes and pinning her head girl pin to the front.

"Okay." Autumn said smiling at her friend and pulling out a book to read.

………………

Autumn sat in her new school robes with no special house crest immersed in her book. She had her legs spread out straight with her back facing the window. She was so content and comfortable that when she heard a knock on the compartment door she fell right off her seat in surprise.

"Anything off the trolley dears?" a kind voice came through. Still in shock, Autumn quickly opened the door and smiled.

"I'm sorry dear, were you sleeping? I heard a thud after I knocked." A stout, kind, older looking woman stood in front of her door and in front of her was a big trolley full of sweets.

"Oh no I was just reading and you just startled me. But I'm alright!"

"Okay good, well is there anything you would like?" Autumn nodded and thought she should probably get some food for Lily as well. As she looked at the different foods deciding what to get a boy came through the compartment across from her own and started picking out some things. Autumn looked at him while making sure he wouldn't notice. The boy was very good looking in her opinion, he was probably around six feet tall, with light brown hair, but the thing 

that really caught her eye were his eyes. They were the most amazing shade of amber she had ever seen on a person before. She quickly stopped her thinking about the handsome boy next to her just in case he saw her looking. Then she picked out two chocolate frogs and two cauldron cakes for her and Lily.

"Well deary it seems someone has an appetite!" The trolley lady said smiling and Autumn felt herself heat up a bit. One thing she had always been thankful for was the lack of red pigment in her cheeks, even when she blushed it wasn't too noticeable.

"Oh, it's not just for me." She said a bit too quickly and she took out her money avoiding looking to her left where the boy was still choosing what he wanted.

"Alright that will be five sickles," the lady said smiling and she looked more intently at Autumn, "You're not a first year are you?" at this comment the boy looked over directly at Autumn.

"I-I'm not, no." she answered, she had always been nervous when asked questions like this by people she didn't know. She didn't look at either of the people in front of her but she counted out the money. Although she knew they were both giving her robes a look over trying to find out what house she belonged to.

"I'm just transferring in this year." She said and then gave the lady her money.

"Well then I hope you have a wonderful first year at Hogwarts!" she said cheerfully, and thankfully at that moment Lily came bouncing up to Autumn.

"Hello there what did you get?"

"Uh, chocolate and cakes." Autumn responded handing one of each to Lily and still painfully aware of the boy watching her, she didn't usually get nervous around boys, but now she was at Hogwarts and everything felt new and different around her. Even if boys at Hogwarts weren't any different she didn't want to seem like a flirt.

"Excellent. Oh hello Remus!" Lily said smiling, as she unwrapped her cake and took a bite. Autumn took a few inching steps towards the open door to their compartment.

"So I guess you've figured out who the head boy is then?" the boy Remus asked Lily as he paid for his food. Lily's face reddened.

"Oh, yeah. I think James will do a fair job." She looked down at her shoes and Autumn grinned and nudged Lily with her elbow. Lily looked at her and Autumn raised an eyebrow, her grin widening. Then without another word Autumn let out a laugh and walked into their compartment.

………………



Remus was jolted awake suddenly by the sound of soft voices outside his compartment; the door was slightly open. He looked around, it seemed as though James was still at the head boy meeting and Sirius and peter had disappeared about fifteen minutes after the train started moving. No doubt to probably try and find someone to prank. Remus got up and ran a hand through his hair when his stomach growled. He looked through the slightly open door and saw the food trolley. Perfect timing, he thought to himself and he quickly found his money bag, then proceeded to get some food.

However, what, or rather who he saw when he slid the door open further was enough to make him loose his appetite all together. A girl who looked sixteen or seventeen stood there; she was quite tall probably five feet and ten inches, she had reddish-brown hair, green-grey eyes, and a pretty face. Remus quickly looked away and picked out a few things that he might want later.

"Well deary it seems someone has an appetite!" Remus looked up at the girl then at the trolley lady.

"Oh, it's not just for me." The girl said quickly looking down, Remus noticed she didn't want to look at either of them.

"Alright that will be five sickles," the girl counted out the money and then the lady spoke up again, "You're not a first year are you?" at this question Remus's head snapped back to the girl and he looked at her robes, there was only the Hogwarts crest like on the robes of a first year student. But, wait really? She couldn't be a first year, was he looking at a first year?

"I-I'm not, no." Remus let out a quiet sigh of relief.

"I'm just transferring in this year." She said and then gave the lady her money. Remus wondered what house she would be put in and if she would be a seventh year.

"Well then I hope you have a wonderful first year at Hogwarts!" the lady said to her and Remus watched her again before paying for his food.

"Hello there what did you get?" a new voice said, but Remus recognized this one as Lily's.

"Uh, chocolate and cakes." The girl replied giving some to Lily.

"Excellent. Oh hello Remus!" Lily said happily, Remus smiled at her and looked at the pretty girl again who took a few tiny steps toward her compartment; he wondered how she and Lily knew each other.

"So I guess you've figured out who the head boy is then?" He said to Lily and he saw her face get pink. He knew it, he totally called that one, Remus gave Lily a sly smile.



"Oh, yeah. I think James will do a fair job." She looked down at her shoes. He looked back at the girl who was grinning at Lily. Then she nudged Lily with her elbow and raised an eyebrow and let out a laugh. Without a word she walked into her compartment.

"I...I'm going to uh, go." Lily said awkwardly and Remus gave her a polite nod. Right after Lily closed the door, his three friends came up to him and the trolley. They bought some food and let the lady pass through.

"So Remus what have you been up to?" Sirius asked his mouth full of food.

"Sleeping."

"That's all? Where is the excitement in your life?" he said dramatically.

"I had it last week during the full moon." Remus said dryly, "Well you know actually I just talked a bit to Lily." James' head popped up at this.

"Really?"

"Yeah." Remus said and he told James what she had said and done.

………………

"What the hell was that about?" Lily asked one the door was safely shut.

"Oh, I think you know what that was all about." Autumn said unable to contain her laugh.

"No I don't think I do!"

"Oh come on Lily! You like James Potter. You like the very boy you have hated for six years! So tell me what made you change your mind about him? Huh?" Autumn plopped herself onto a seat and bit off half the head of her chocolate frog and she still managed a very obnoxious grin.

"I don't."

"Oh don't be so stubborn Lily! I know you better than anyone in the world so explain."

"I…" Lily didn't continue, it was true Autumn did know her better than anyone. Plus there was no denying it in her mind (although she tried all summer), but after James had comforted her they day Audrey died he had become more and more kind and thoughtful. So Lily told her about the day Audrey died and how James was being kinder and more thoughtful every time she saw him.

"So, does he know why you were crying now?" Autumn asked looking at her cake. She was interested in the answer but she didn't mush like talking about her mom openly just yet.



"Yeah, when I came back to school for finals I was in the library alone and he came to talk to me. I thought I should tell him because he made me feel somewhat better and he was just…so nice. But I don't think he has put two and two together yet."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well after the meeting he asked me who you were and I told him you are my best friend who I have known since I was four. The he asked why he had never seen you before and I told him that you had been home schooled until now because of something that happened to your family. All he did was nod and say 'that's cool'." Autumn laughed, boys could be so slow.

As the train slowed down Lily and Autumn got their trunks ready and opened the door to the compartment.

"Oh fuck this." Autumn said angrily and she dropped her truck and put Angel's cage on top of it, that cat was just too big. "Locomoter Trunks." She said with her wand pointed at her things and they slowly rose up and followed her wand. Lily started laughing as Angel started meowing loudly and non-stop.

"Oh shut up." Autumn said tapping the cage with her finger. They were just about to take a step out of the room when the door to the compartment slid open and a boy fell out of it. It was the one who had been arguing with Lily at the train station. He let out a growl that sounded a bit too much like a dog.

"Ouch. What the hell James?" he said standing up and brushing his pants off.

"It was crowded enough with all of us standing up and you wouldn't stop waving your arms around so I just pushed you out." James came out next and when he noticed the two girls trying not to laugh he smiled.

"Hey Lily, and Autumn right?" he asked and held out his hand for her to shake. Autumn took it with her wand free hand.

"Yep, that's me. Autumn Layton." She replied cheerfully and James' expression changed from smiling to confused, then to realization.

"Oh…Oh!" he looked at Lily and smiled then they let each other's hand go. Lily however didn't smile back she gave James a look that wasn't mean but clearly told him not to say anything about Autumn's mother.

"Well I am Sirius. Sirius Black." The boy who fell said and shook Autumn's hand enthusiastically.



"Cool. Oh! I get it now." Autumn said smiling.

"Get what?" he asked.

"When you were arguing with Lily earlier today you said you lived for serious jokes. You're name is Sirius, so I get what you were talking about now." She sad and laughed and he did as well. She looked at the other two boys; the shortest one was smiling while the other one rolled his eyes at Sirius. Autumn suddenly felt nervous again, she noticed that he was the boy from earlier, but she also started wondering if James had told them all about her mother. She definitely didn't want to be known as the home schooled new girl with a dead mother and father. Thankfully Lily spoke up at this time.

"Well you guys this is my best friend Autumn, we have lived next to each other since we were little and she has been home schooled until now. Autumn this is Peter Pettigrew," Autumn shook his hand, "And Remus Lupin." Autumn shook his hand as well and gave them both a small smile.

"So we should probably get going. We have to see if any first years need help before we get to the carriages." James said to Lily and she nodded then the six teenagers walked towards the exit.

"Do you know where you are supposed to go?" Lily asked Autumn.

"Yeah the letter said to wait for Professor McGonagall outside the Great Hall."

………………

Autumn waited outside the great hall for McGonagall to come with the first years. Lily and the four boys were already seated at their table and Autumn grew increasingly nervous with every passing minute. She wasn't going to be in Gryffindor, she was going to end up in Hufflepuff with no friends. Or worse she would end up in Slytherin as one of her distant relatives had been. But, she thought, Severus was in that house so at least she would have one friend. Oh wait, she was supposed to be mad at him, right? He had said something to Lily…oh right, he had called her a mudblood. At this time her anger overpowered the nervousness she was feeling and the first years started coming up the stairs.

Autumn noticed most of them looking quite frightened to see her there and she realized that her face was scrunched up as if she was angry with them. She quickly relaxed her face as she saw who she thought must be Professor McGonagall come up the stairs with a long looking scroll.

"Autumn Layton I presume?" she asked, although she looked strict Autumn saw kindness and pity in her eyes as she looked at her. Autumn smiled and nodded and she heard a few whispers among the students. The murder had been in all over the Daily Prophet.

"Yes that's me."



"Well you will be sorted first, so those nerves you're feeling will be over with soon." The professor whispered to her and she gave her a wink as the doors opened to reveal the great hall. Autumn walked right behind the teacher and stopped in front of a stool with an ancient hat perched on top of it.

"Welcome students, to another year!" a booming voice ringed throughout the hall and everyone became quiet as they listed to the great man speak.

"This year we have a new transfer student at our school. Autumn Layton has been home schooled until now and she will be starting her seventh year of training. I expect all you seventh years to be respectful to her as you would be to any other seventh year and I wish you luck." The last part he said to Autumn and he winked at her. She smiled, she had met Dumbledore for the first time over the summer to talk about coming to Hogwarts and she believed him to be a magnificently kind and gentle man.

Professor McGonagall took the hat off the seat and Autumn sat on the chair, the last thing she saw before the hat slipped over her eyes were the boy Remus' own looking right into hers.

'Well I see we have an older one. Layton hmmm. I remember your mother very smart she was. She would have made an excellent Revenclaw, but I saw bravery in her that could not be ignored. Your brother too was brave, and I see that you are as well. Very much so.' He hat spoke in her mind and she could not help but feel confused.

'I'm not brave.'

'Why, yes you are. You have been through many troubles and you are only seventeen. You have been very brave throughout these deaths. But you are just as smart, if not more so, than your mother had been. I could certainly put you into Ravenclaw. No you say? Alright then Gryffindor it is.'

"GRYFFINDOR!" that hat yelled and Autumn smiled and silently thanked the hat. She walked over to the table where everyone was cheering and she spotted Lily and sat down across from her.

"Oh I am so glad!" Lily squealed and the four familiar boys around her all gave their congratulations.

………………

A/N: SO long chapter huh? I thought this was pretty good except for the hat. Some people come up with really interesting things, but I only had simple in my mind so I hope that wasn't a disappointment! Review please, they help me update quicker!