Chapter 2: An Awkward Train Ride

Lily could not stand being alone in that compartment with James for one more second and decided to join the prefects and patrol the halls. As she approached the end of the hallway she saw someone sitting on the floor.

"Are you okay?" Lily asked Annabelle politely.

Annabelle looked up, surprised that she was even noticed, "Oh, yeah, I'm fine."

"Why are you sitting in the hall?"

"No one wants me in their compartment, but don't worry, it's really no big deal."

Lily looked down at the girl and felt a pang of pity. She had never been very nice to Annabelle, she hadn't been mean, but she never really paid any attention to her. She always thought she was just a bit weird and figured that Annabelle would just find her own friends. She had just never realized that the girl had absolutely zero friends. "Why don't you join me in the Head's compartment?"

"Really? You would let me sit with you?"

"Of course," said Lily.

"You really don't have to pretend to like me."

Lily had never felt more awkward in her life. "No really, you seem like a nice girl."

"Seriously, you don't have to. If I were you I wouldn't have anything to do with me."

"Don't say that about yourself!" Lily had never heard anyone talk so poorly about themselves. "Just come with me."

James saw Lily walk in with another girl. It took him a few seconds to realize who it was, "Oh hi, um…Annabelle."

"Hello," Annabelle was surprised that James did not instantly react the same way that Sirius had.

Lily was taken aback as well at James's reaction. She had been worried that he would kick the poor girl out as well, "Annabelle couldn't find anywhere to sit, so I let her sit with us."

James tried to start a conversation, "So how was your summer, Annabelle?"

"What?" Annabelle was surprised that he would even talk to her. "Oh um, okay."

"Did you go anywhere," James expected a more interesting answer.

"My mom let me go with her and my sister to her plastic surgeon about breast implants for my sister. I think she wanted me to get some too, but that's the only time I left the house other than catching the bus to King's Cross."

James's mouth was hanging open as he stared at Annabelle; he had never expected such answer to come out of her mouth. And on top of that, she had only left her house one time all summer and at that she only left to talk to a surgeon about breast implants. Something was obviously wrong with her family.

After several awkward seconds of silence that felt like an eternity Lily was the first to speak, "Oh, well I am glad that you decided against implants…"

"Why would get those things surgically put inside of you when you can just do a spell…" James wondered aloud.

"James!" Lily scowled. "Annabelle, you should be perfectly comfortable about your body."

"Thanks. But I disagree, how could anyone be comfortable in this body?"

Once again James was left with is mouth hanging open. However this time he was the first to speak, "You should never say something about yourself!"

"Annabelle, you should have no problem with your body, I mean you are tiny!"

"I know I'm not fat, but I am hideous. I mean do you not hear what everyone says about me?"

"You are not ugly!" James felt instantaneously guilty, for he had called her ugly on many occasions. But he never meant to make her feel so poorly about herself.

"Of course I am! Everyone says so. My mother, my sister, everyone I've ever spoken to at school. Honestly James, you have no need to lie to me."

"But I'm not lying," James could not have felt worse.

"Yes. You are."

"No, he is not," Lily said. "You are a very pretty girl."

"Have you ever heard of beauty in symmetry?" Annabelle asked forcefully, she was getting angry that they would not just admit that she was the ugliest girl they had seen in their life.

"Well that person lied." Lily said matter-of-factly.

"Honestly, how could anyone think that a face like mine was attractive in any way?"

"By looking at it," James said. "You aren't ugly."

"Tell your friends Sirius and Peter that."

"Look, Annabelle," James felt angry at his friends. "Kids our age look for anything to pick on, they look for weaknesses."

"And my weakness is my appearance, I get it."

"No, that is not your weakness. It is your opinion of your appearance," Lily said.

"Look, can we just stop talking about it. I am regretting ever coming into this compartment."

"I'm…sorry?" James was confused by why she would be insulted by them being nice to her.

"I will be right back," James said.

James got up and walked down the train to the marauder's usual compartment.

"Sirius, Peter, What did you say to Annabelle?" James demanded.

"Taking the role of Head Boy a little seriously, huh?" Sirius laughed.

James explained everything that had just happened with Lily and Annabelle.

"Who really cares?" Sirius covered his guilt. He was not one to admit he was wrong.

Peter however showed his guilt, "She's not that ugly…I feel kind of bad…"

"You two better apologize," James glared at his friends.

"Okay," Peter answered.

At the same time Sirius answered, "Why?"

"Because she is not ugly and by the sounds of it she has been treated like shit for a long time and deserves an apology," James said.

"Fine, if it will you to leave me alone I'll apologize when we get to the school," Sirius said.

James glared at his friend one last time and made his way back to the Head compartment. James was almost surprised at himself for getting so angry at his friends for acting quite similar to how James was famous for acting like.

When James returned he could tell that Lily and Annabelle had not said a word since he left, and it did not change once James returned.

The rest of the train ride was filled with an awkward silence.