"First years follow me!" James called through the crowd of people trying to get out of the hall after the feast. It was well past midnight now and the already tired students now had stomachs full of delicious food to drag them down as they made their way to the dormitories, excited to sleep. James could see Lily bringing up the rear of the line of Gryffindor first years, talking gently to a small girl who seemed to be crying.
"Everything okay Evans?" James called over, a small tingling in his stomach as he saw the young girl crying.
"Yeah." Lily shouted back, clinging onto the first years' hand as they started to walk up the steps in the entrance hall.
James wanted to go over to her, but he knew he couldn't leave the front of the line, so he looked back in front of him and lead the way up the many stairs, giving a short tour on the way.
"Placent intrant." James' voice echoed amongst the bustle of students crowding around the small portrait hole.
"What was that?" Several people questioned behind him as the portrait swung open to reveal the Gryffindor common room.
James repeated the password to those behind him and strode into the familiar room; the fire was ablaze, bringing instant warmth to the sleepy room, the older years strode tiredly to their dorm rooms, fatigue taking over any idea of staying up late to talk about the holidays.
"Boy's rooms are to the left, and girl's to the right," Lily told the first years, walking into the centre of the room and gesturing up to the staircases. "Your things have already been brought up, and you have your new Gryffindor ties and jumpers waiting for you," She gave one last smile before finishing with a cheery "Goodnight."
"Where's our room?" James questioned quietly to her as he watched his own friends sit down by the fire.
"I don't actually know." Lily answered in the same hushed tone, glancing nervously around the room for a sign leading them to the Head's room.
"McGonagall said the password is 'Amare'" He told her, turning around to check the circular room.
"Is that it over there?" the girl questioned, suddenly spotting a door which she had never seen before appear behind a group of students.
James turned back around, and followed the girl's finger to where a small brown door in a stone archway now stood. "I swear that wasn't there a second ago." He stated, rather confused, as he made his way towards the door.
"Amare." Lily stated clearly as she reached the door.
Out of the corner of his eye, James watched Lily open the door as he scanned quickly around the two of them, no one in the common room seemed to be taking any notice of them, and none of them had noticed the new door. The arch way had always been there, but he had never noticed the entrance to a new room before.
The boy looked back and took a step behind the red-head into their new dormitory.
"At least we get separate beds." Lily sulked as she took in the large bedroom; two single four poster beds stood at each end of the room. Thin crimson satin sheets draped across the centre of the bedroom, giving each gender its privacy as they got changed and so on. These drapes-hanging magically from the ceiling and reaching the floor-went across the middle of the room and ending around two meters before the next wall; this shared space held a large desk, two plush armchairs and a bookcase. Above the desk, on the wall, was a notice board with one sheet stuck to it.
"Looks nice." Said James smiling, walking over to the nearest bed, at the right of the room, where his trunk lay neatly at the end of his bed, his fresh uniform laid out on a wooden chair next to a chest of drawers.
"Certainly more space than in the normal rooms." Breathed Lily, walking over to her own bed, barely visible through the semi opaque divide, and opening the chest of drawers and wardrobe (which stood beside her bed) in turn.
"They've even given me a rack to put my broom in!" James expressed, picking up his broom from inside his trunk and carefully fastening it in the brace hanging on the wall.
But Lily was barely listening, she was busy pulling her belongings from her trunk, hanging her school jumper, skirts, pinafores and muggle dresses in the wardrobe and the rest of her clothes into the vest of drawers-each drawer holding a specific item of clothing. All she could think about was how much she was dreading sharing a room. Although there were suitable enchantments done to the space, with the floating drapes concealing each other from view, she was still extremely anxious. It was no secret that James had had a huge crush on her since the first year, but Lily had never given the right answer to his frequent asking of a date. She just couldn't see what the other girls saw. Okay, there was the slight bit of attractiveness hidden behind all that arrogance. But other than that, he just wasn't her type. He didn't have what Remus had-she didn't like him, not by any means-but Lupin was clever, caring and extremely brave. He was a great friend to her, and had confided in him about how she felt about James, on his word that he wouldn't speak any of what she said back to him. If only she could have that sort of trust with Potter. She just couldn't see how this year was going to work.
"Lily..." James' apprehensive voice broke her rhythm as he looked over at her from the table.
"Mm." She responded, not looking over at him as she set a mirror onto the top of the drawers. "Come here a sec." Rolling her eyes, Lily turned to him and saw he had taken the sheet of parchment off the notice board and was reading it, obviously confused. Walking over to him, he held it out in his hand. She took the letter and read it to herself, her eyes recognising the handwriting as McGonagall's as she took in the words.
James and Lily,
Once again, thankyou for taking up the position of Head Boy and Girl, I am sure you will find the role both challenging and exciting. I hope you have found your new dormitory satisfactory. It is not usual that we get Heads from the same house, so you will have to excuse the smallness of the room
(Lily looked around, the room was not small at all in her opinion)-and the fact you are both sharing. There has been an enchantment set on the door so that no other student can enter (nor see the entrance) without you present, and that all sound is blocked from outside. The private bathroom is to be entered by removing the top right book at the top of the bookshelf. You may put your own studies in this bookcase, but I advise that you keep this key present. Although it is a private bathroom, I am afraid to admit that it is a little less grand than the prefect's bathroom, yet still extremely suitable for all your needs. The most bottom shelf on the case, to the very left, holds another book which will reveal a hidden passageway to Headmaster Dumbledore's office. This is only to be used in emergencies and times of grave trouble. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow, setting an example to all students.
Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall.
"Ohh that's cleaver." Lily cooed, looking the bookcase to her left up and down, her eyes focusing on the two books that were mentioned as a way of entering the secret passageways.
"But what's the point?" James frowned, reaching up at the top right of the bookcase, and pulling out a thick, dusty green book. Just as his hand fell back down to his side, the two watched as the bookcase swivelled around in its stand; the wall surrounding becoming dislodged and rotating around with the shelf, revealing a narrow door on the other side.
"Open it." Lily urged, excited to see the bathroom.
Tentatively, and half expecting to see the back of the bookshelf, James reached out and grabbed the handle of the door, pulling it gently towards the pair.
A bright light met their eyes, the gleaming white tiles flooding the large room. Walking in, they discovered that everything in the bathroom was shining white, but there was a small keypad to the side of the door that could change the whole colour scheme; reaching to this, Lily pressed the pink button, amazed when everything around them turned different shades of light and dark pink, punctuating the air with a liveliness that she had never before seen in something so ordinary as a bathroom.
James had begun walking around the large room, taking in the large bathtub as the colour changed each time Lily pressed a different button, trying out every shade. The tub was slightly smaller than the prefect's one, which was still more than enough room to swim about in, and had the same number-if not more-of the taps containing different soaps, bubbles, moisturiser and hair products.
"So are you going to the party?" James asked after the room had fell silent again, and the two sorted out the last of their possessions. "Oh I don't know, Alice said something about it earlier but I was thinking of getting an early night." Lily confessed, folding up her last pair of socks and throwing them into the neatly packed drawer. "Oh come on, don't be a spoil sport," James moved to the other side of the room, just passed the divide as he leaned casually against the desk, "You could be my date." He added with a wink as she turned to face him. Giving a slight false laugh of mock amusement she walked over to him, "You wish," she smirked, and pulled out her wand delicately, summoning an alarm clock to appear onto the desk bedside them both. "I suppose I could go for an hour," she pondered, consulting the clock, "I mean, duties don't officially start until next week...and it's not like we have any homework." She trailed off, thinking of the newly acquired muggle dress she had in the now packed wardrobe.
"So that's a yes?" Asked James, trying to keep his voice sound less excited than it actually was.
"Might as well." The girl shrugged, giving in to the temptation of warm Butterbeer on this cold night.
"Great," The boy smiled. "Well, I'm just going to tell the boys to go and get more supplies from the kitchens."
"I think some people have brought some."
"Yeah but, you can never have too much drink." James winked as he turned to leave, a slight spring in his step as he walked towards the door, swinging it open and walking out into the almost empty common room.
It was a Hogwarts tradition that the new 7th years were to host a party for the house on the first night of the year; toasting to the horrible year ahead and the last year they would spend together.
As James leaped up two at a time to the familiar dormitory he used to spend with his best friends, his heart could help but feel that little bit brighter as he thought about how Lily was going to the party. Of course nothing would happen, but there was still a little bit of hope that she might like him when she's drunk.
"Boys!" James called ecstatically to attention as he came barging through the door, a wide smile on his face as he watched his four best friends stop what they were doing to look at him.
"What?" Said Sirius, who was currently lying on his bed, an eye mask across his eyes; giving an odd look as the figure spoke.
"What are you doing?" Questioned James sceptically, momentarily forgetting why he had come into his old dormitory to speak to the boys.
"Trying to get a few winks before the party, you?" Replied his friend nonchalantly, not moving from his fixed position of lying face upwards on the middle four poster bed.
"Erm..." James mind seemed to have gone completely blank as he started at his friend, the other two just moving around him as they carried on unpacking for the year ahead. "Oh yeah, the party, we need to go to the kitchens and get some Butterbeer or Firewhiskey, whatever we can get hold of. Lil said there might be a few people who have brought some so we'll have enough."
"Lil now is it?" Sirius smirked, now taking off the eye mask and turning his head to James, his eyes mystically gleaming.
"You know what I mean." Retorted James, rolling his eyes.
"No, I'm afraid I don't." Sirius mumbled through a groan as he pushed himself up to sit at the edge of the bed, facing James on the other side of the room. "So can you persuade the house elves?"
"I guess so. You up for that Lupe?" Sirius called out to Remus, who was currently in the bathroom, "They like you."
Stifling a reproachful look as he exited the small room, Remus nodded, "Sure. But if that doesn't work, Peter can just turn into a rat and distract them."
"Oh very funny! I'm sure I'm up to getting my tail chopped off!" Peter exclaimed sarcastically from under his bed-where James guessed he was looking for something he had lost some time previously.
"Peter's pissed off because Moony's lost his bag if dung bombs." Sirius explained to the confused James, who was looking apprehensively at both of his friends, questioning inwardly for their short replies to eachother.
"How can you lose dung bombs?" James asked, walking over to Peter's bed and kneeling down to look under the bed with him.
"Ask the werewolf." Peter snarled, his hands scrambling in the dark of the almost empty space under the bed.
All of them ignoring this mean comment, James reached for his wand from his jeans pocket at mumbled "Lumos" before sticking it between his teeth and searching around with Wormtail.
"They best not set off in the middle of the night." Sirius advised warningly as he joined the search party, removing the covers off Peter's bed.
"Is that them?" Remus' low voice rung out after several minutes stressful and through search. All three heads looked at him, to see him pointing towards his own bed. Standing up from searching in Peter's trunk, James walked over to the large crumpled, paper bag that Remus was pointing too. Tentatively opening the creased folds at the top of the package, James peeked inside to see a cluster of the carefully wrapped black balls of the lethally strong smelling potion.
"I suggest looking in the obvious place first." James laughed shortly, handing the bag to the annoyed looking Peter.
"I knew you had them!" Peter made a start at the snug looking Lupin, drawing his wand in the process of putting the bag of dung bombs on his bed side cabinet.
"I don't suggest you do that Pete." James said warningly, standing infront of him with a quick stride.
Rolling his eyes, Peter lowered his wand from James' face and returned it to his pocket; "Don't tell me you're not going to let me hex anybody now you're head boy." Peter moaned, rolling his eyes.
"Better not do!" Sirius roared before James had a chance to defend himself.
"I won't if it's one of my best friends!" James smirked, laughing at the put out faces in front of him, they really would hate him this year if he stopped all their fun.
"Thanks Potter." Remus smiled, patting his friend on the back and holding out his hand as an apology to Peter.
Grudgingly, Pettigrew took the outstretched hand and shook it. "Sorry for calling you 'werewolf'." Peter mumbled into his chest, looking ashamed.
"Sorry for telling you to get back in your cage." Remus smiled apologetically.
"Puke!" Sirius exclaimed from beside them, laughing as he wrapped his arms around the shoulders of the two. In turn, Peter and Remus wrapped their arms around Sirius' shoulders and brought James into the group; who interlocked the circle. "Lupin, take the map and that extendable charm bag you've got, Peter, you're best going with him as Scabbers, just incase the vermin-" (Peter cast him a sharp look), "-sorry, I mean rat, idea is a better one. I'll go in the kitchen with Moony, and James can keep watch outside. That okay?" They all nodded at Sirius' words and broke out of the circle after all grinning at eachother.
Five minutes later, the four were standing in the entrance hall just beside the portrait of the fruit bowl.
Fifteen minutes later, (after a lot of banging, shouting and knives being thrown), James, Remus, a dog and a rat ran out laughing and barking from behind the portrait of the fruit bowl loaded with assortments of bottles. Big dusty green bottles under both of James' arms labeled 'Knotgrass Mead', a thin bottle of Firewhiskey was being held precariously between Padfoot's bared teeth, and Lupin was currently balancing 6 bottles of Butterbeer in his hands, as well as a heavy bag on his back as the group ran up the stairs, Peter now having transfigured back to his human self.
"We probably should have taken the cloak!" James panted as they reached the portrait of the fat lady and heavily breathed out the password in between gasps of breath.
"I agree with you on that one." Peter exclaimed, clamouring through the hole after the Head Boy.
"Oh I've missed us." Sirius laughed, pulling James into a neck embrace once he had turned back into a teenage boy with scruffy black hair.
"Best get this party started then. We want to catch at least some sleep before tomorrow." Remus advised, setting down the rucksack on a nearby chair and discarding the bottles he was holding next to it.
"Oh come off it Lupe, it'll be only be interdictory stuff to N.E. and all that shit." James laughed, pulling himself out of Sirus' grasp and dropping the bottles of Mead carefully onto a nearby plush chair.
"When are people coming down?" Peter asked, glancing at each of his friends in turn; knowing one of them would hold the answer.
Sirius pulled out his pocket watch, stared intently at it for a split second before breaking the hanging silence with a small "In 3...2...1." And indeed, at that precise moment the stillness of the common room was broken by several other teenagers walking down the stone steps from the dormitories. But James wasn't looking at the throng of beautiful girls that had just entered, he was still looking at the door to his new bedroom-the door that nobody else could see.