Author notes: Thanks Sapphire for your review comments. . Hopefully I will be able to update more often now that I'm finished moving.


Lily quickly finished off the prefect schedule, and was ready to return to her friends. Unfortunately, Lily didn't get to decide who patrolled with who, only made the hours, resulting with her having to spend hours wandering the hallways with 'Potter…' Lily groaned, 'Ugh, this is going to be a fun year. With NEWTS and Head Girl duties, Potter is enough to send me over the edge.'

The red-head made her way slowly down the train, glancing through the compartment windows, looking for the familiar faces of her friends. Spotting Kat's golden curls, she opened the door. "Ugh, of all people, why Potter?" She announced coldly. "He is such a jerk. 'I guess we're stuck with each other then…'" she mimicked.

"It kinda sounds like he wasn't too thrilled with you being Head Girl, there Lils." Kat shrugged. "Maybe he's over you."

"Over me? What are you going on about?" Lily raised her eyebrows sceptically as she plopped herself down beside Mel. "All he cares about is himself. He only wanted to date me because I wouldn't."

With a light tap on the door, the compartment door slid open and the faces of the four marauders appeared.

"Mind if we join you?" Remus asked politely, "Some first years joined us and asked about a billion,"

"and one" Sirius added.

"questions. It was a tad annoying."

Kat scowled but switched sides so she could sit beside her friends, as the four boys took a seat. James sat near the window, not even taking a passing glance at Lily. She raised her eyebrows in surprise but didn't say anything. Sirius sat on the opposite end of James and the two remaining marauders squished in between. There was a brief awkward silence between the two groups before Sirius started up a conversation.

"James is something wrong?" Melody asked a few minutes later, noticing the unnatural silence radiating form him.

"Hm?…Oh I'm fine." He responded solemnly before returning back to the window.

'Is this because of me?' Lily shrugged in question as her two friends glanced at her. 'Perhaps I was a tad harsh at the end of the last summer. But he did call me a bitch.'

"Ah, " Remus cleared his throat, at a weak attempt of changing the subject. "Congrats of getting Head Girl Lily. That's quite an achievement."

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The train ride rolled on, seemingly slower than usual. The girls couldn't quite figure out why, but the marauders were not their cheery selves. Sirius cracked only one joke per hour instead of his one per second. Their laughter all seemed very canned and forced, and they tended to sigh quite a bit more than usual. The girls never realized how much they enjoyed the boys' silly antics until they stopped.

Soon the screech of the train brakes being put on sounded throughout the machine. Lurching, the train came to a halt. Students quickly filed off, and just before Lily was about to do the same, James caught her arm.

"Hey Evans, don't go skipping your Head Girl duties before the term even starts!" He grinned.

"Huh?" She questioned, surprised at his sudden mood change.

"We have to check to be sure everyone gets off okay, and all the first years make it to the school."

"Oh right. Let go, Potter." She brushed off his arm roughly.

They started in the back of the train. They opened each compartment to make sure it was empty and looked under every seat to make sure nothing was left behind. They would have a hard time returning some of the items to their owners, as they were something any student may own, but others, like wands, would surely be missed.

"I bet first years were in here." James laughed as he found a misplaced wand. "They're pretty stupid to lose their wands so quickly."

"They are probably just not used to it." Lily scowled.

"Probably muggle-born" James mumbled.

"What did just say?" Lily snapped. "So muggle-born are stupider than pure-bloods…that's what I'm gathering. I can't believe you said that! You're acting like a death eater."

A dark look came across James face, as he pointed the lost wand directly between Lily's green eyes. "If they are muggle-born," he started off slowly, "then they aren't used to carrying wands. Therefore, they would more likely forget them. If you ever, ever, compare me to a death eater, ever again, I…"

"You'll do what, Potter?" Lily hissed. 'Well isn't this a nice way to start off the term.'

James sighed and lowered the wand in defeat. He was about to open his mouth, perhaps to tell her off, or maybe even apologize, but Lily cut him off.

"You are such an ass Potter! Threatening me? What the hell is wrong with you anyways? You can finish checking the bloody train yourself." She stormed off.

"Evans! Wait, don't go off by yourself, it's dangerous."

"Safer than being with you."

"No! We could be attacked if we separate."

"I could only hope." She took one backwards glance at him, her eyes flashing dangerously.

Lily bounded off the train, billowing with anger. The few remaining students were getting into a carriage, and she quickly joined a group of second year Ravenclaws. 'I can't believe him. One second he's threatening me, the next he's worrying. What a psychopath!' The girls in the carriage glanced at her warily, afraid to speak to her, for her scowl was so deeply etched upon her face.

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"James stop being such a jerk." The boy scolded aloud to himself as he finished checking the front compartments. 'Acting this way won't change what happened over the summer. So just forget about it! Lily must hate me even more now. I'll apologize later…So much for my plan to get over her.' With a cloud full of debating thoughts, James did not notice that he was being watched. Nor did he notice when a black hooded figure stepped out and muttered an incantation.

"Incarcerous"

Thick black ropes sprouted out from the tip of the wand and flew towards James. The black-haired teen turned around suddenly as he heard the whizzing of a spell coming from behind. Caught off balance, he fell to his knees as the thick rope bound his body tightly, so that he could barely breathe, let alone move. He struggled briefly, and expression of anger, not fear, in his eyes. Two more figures circled around. A deep hollow laughter resided from them.

"Well if it isn't the famous James Potter!" A familiar female voice cackled.

"Bellatrix!" James cursed.

"Crucio!" She muttered. "You do not have the honour to speak that name, you filthy blood-traitor."

"AGHHH!" James released a blood-curdling shriek as the riveting pain slammed into his body, causing massive spasm through every muscle. The pain was never-ending, it would not stop. He had never felt so much pain in his whole life. He thought his brain might explode at any moment. 'Please stop.' He begged through the tears that developed in his buldging eyes.

Bellatrix waved off the spell and grabbed James' jaw with her hand. "We're going to have fun, aren't we?" She moved his limp head up and down, as if he was answering 'yes'.

--------------

'Where is he?' Lily fumed, 'It doesn't take that god-damned long to check a train. The feast is about to start. He's probably going to try and embarrass me for ditching.'

Sirius seemed to be thinking the same thing as he leaned over to Lily and whispered, "Did you guys fight again?"

She nodded briskly and turned to watch as the last of the sorting ended. She had already told her friends the story, and Melody was quickly repeating it to Remus. Those two were like the link between the two groups. Although, Lily had started noticing that Kat seemed to enjoy the marauders company. 'Whatever'. She shrugged to herself. 'I vow to not think about him more than I have to. Starting this very moment.'

Dumbledore rose to his podium with a sad smile, the crowd instantly hushed over. "Greetings once again, and welcome to those who are new. It is time to start a new term, and although many of us have lost some we love, we must move forward with our lives. Remember that your are always safe at H..."

Dumbledore paused mid-sentence as the doors of the Great Hall were being opened. A figure stumbled through. Thick red blood poured down the sides of his face, matting his jet-black hair into thick clumps, and covering his eyes like a waterfall. His sides were gashed, and his robes sliced to reveal more wounds leaking slowly. As he stood in the entrance way, a small red pool formed at his feet. A deep red rope burn radiated across his wrist as he raised his sleeveless arm in a small, pathetic wave.

"S-sorry I'm late…"James moaned, grinning stupidlyas he slumped unconsciously to the ground.