Disclaimer: I still don't own anything, and I'm pretty sure you still knew that.
So What Am I so Afraid Of?
Chapter 2: Welcome Back, Cont.
A lengthy carriage ride later, Lily slipped into a seat at the Gryffindor table next to Quinn.
"Is it possible for you to be so hungry your stomach explodes?" Bree asked rhetorically. " 'Cause I think I'm nearing that point."
"Puh-lease. We're going to be eating soon," Quinn smirked. "Besides, you're starting to sound like a Marauder." Bree glared at Quinn.
"You called, Fair Lady?" Sirius Black slipped into the seat across from Quinn and directly next to Bree.
"Black! I don't want you next to me! If I had it my way, you'd be at another table. Move!" Bree pushed Sirius out of his seat.
"Funny thing," Sirius said to James, who was now on Lily's right, "she doesn't seem to like me much."
"Well," Remus commented, "If I recall, you don't like her much either. It's not nice to turn a girl's wardrobe invisible, so she can't find her clothes. Especially on the last day of term."
"Oh I did that, didn't I?" Sirius said, more proudly than he should; Bree shoved him out of his seat again.
Silence fell suddenly upon the Great Hall as Professor McGonagall led in the line of timid First Years.
Before them she placed a rickety looking stool and a tattered, old hat.
"The Sorting Hat," she announced to the masses.
Surprisingly, as the Sorting Hat opened its ripped mouth and began its song, the stool below it suddenly exploded.
As commotion settled, the Sorting Hat could be seen resting on the ground, with a livid looking McGonagall staring around the Hall.
The Marauders avoided her gaze and attempted to look innocent, but even as the ignored Prof. McGonagall, Lily stared them down.
"That wasn't very Head Boy-like, James. Or Prefect-like, Remus. And Sirius, you must have some common sense!" She hissed across the table. "Those First Years must be terrified now!"
"Let the Sorting continue," Professor Dumbledore proclaimed, and Professor McGonagall stepped forward to retrieve the Sorting Hat.
After each First Year had been placed with the proper House, Professor Dumbledore stood. "Welcome, Students!" Silence fell on the Great Hall as Professor Dumbledore began to speak. "Today begins another Year, to some your First, others your Last. I assure you, both will bring you surprises and challenges. Tuck in!"
"It is about time!" Bree breathed.
"Ah, finally something we agree on," Sirius mumbled before starting to load his plate.
Directly following the Feast, Lily, Bree, and Quinn left to their dormitory to unpack their belongings.
"I cannot believe that played a prank on the first night we're here," Lily ranted.
"Oh, come on, Lil. It wasn't even a big prank. Pretty minor actually," Quinn reasoned.
"Well, someone seems more prone to siding with the Marauders since she got "close" with Remus," Bree pointed out.
"Oops, silly me, I forgot. From now on, remind me. We find all Marauder pranks indecent, inappropriate, and inexcusable." She laughed. "Lighten up, Lily."
"Perhaps you're right," Lily said. Then turning from her bed to face Quinn, she grinned, "But they couldn't think of anything better than exploding the Sorting Hat's stool?"
"Maybe it was a bit weak, but did you see how scared the First Years looked?" Bree laughed.
"Head Girl Lily seemed pretty disappointed in you this evening, Prongs," Sirius snickered. He was watching James lose magnificently to Remus in Wizard's Chess for the fourth time that day.
"She was amused. She just didn't realize it," James answered, not looking up from the board.
"Silly of her really, to not even know when she finds something funny," Remus said. Then added, "Checkmate."
"Bloody hell!" James moaned. "I'm really no good at this am I?"
Sirius laughed. "Better at chess than winning over Evans."
"You'd think that, but I really haven't started to try with her yet. This year, that's when it all begins." James tried to sound at though he believed himself. He'd been trying to impress Lily forever.
"Yeah, Padfoot," Remus said tipping back in him chair. "All these years James hasn't been making a fool of himself for Lily. He's been doing that on purpose."
"Sarcasm not appreciated," James said, and he started up the stairs to the dorm.
"Think he's got a chance?" Sirius asked Remus.
"Probably has a better chance than he knows."
"You know what I think?" Bree asked sitting down at the breakfast table. "I'll tell you what I think. We shouldn't have classes our first day back. I'm far too tired. We should have a day to adjust to the time change."
"There isn't a time change, Bree. You're just lazy," Lily said over the top of her Daily Prophet.
"Oh is that it?" Bree smiled through a mouthful of toast.
"Morning, Lady Lily, Beautiful Bree. Have a restful night's sleep?"
"James, if that wasn't so incredibly predictable and corny, it might come close to polite," Lily said, still behind her paper.
"What she meant to say was 'I had a lovely night, James. Thank you for asking. And yourself?'" Bree corrected.
"Yeah, that, too," Lily said, waving her hand with impatient.
"So what's our fist class," Remus asked, having just come into the Great Hall hand-in-hand with Quinn.
"Herbology, followed up with Potions," Lily sighed, finally putting down her paper.
"Oh lucky us," James said, stabbing his eggs unnecessarily hard.
"Remind me again why we didn't just drop Potions," Quinn asked Lily specifically.
"Because to get a decent job in this World, you need Potions," Lily said for the thousandth time.
"Anyone seen Sirius?" Remus asked cutting off whatever smart reply Quinn was ready to make.
"I would venture to guess he's still in bed," James sighed. "I'll go get him." He swung his legs over the bench and started to leave.
"Lemme come with you. I left a book in the common room," Lily said, readying herself to leave.
"Oh, okay," James said, eyes widening. He had to think of something to say once alone with her. Something thoughtful or profound.
Leading him out of the Hall, Lily turned to James. "I didn't actually leave a book in the common room. I just wanted to be alone with you. About what I said yesterday, about us not being friends. I've been thinking about it, and maybe I was kinda harsh. I mean, it's worth a try right?"
James just nodded. He actually felt like dancing. She said they could be friends. 'See,' He thought, a little too cockily. 'She's falling for me already.'
'See,' Lily thought to herself. 'I might be able to tolerate him.'
(A/N: Hey again! I honestly don't like this chapter. I actually intended to start classes in this chapter, but I realized I wanted to set up the Sirius/Bree dynamic and establish the characters a little better before I moved into classes. So I promise next chapter will start classes and hopefully some more action. It's kinda slow right now. Review! Do you want another chapter? I'm gonna type it up right now so it'll be ready to post. Thanks, Cali)