DISCLAIMER: I, by no means, own Harry Potter, the world in which it occurs, or the characters that JK Rowling crafted - I just really really like to play make believe with them.

Nor do I own Kelly Clarkson and Christina Perri, whom I am thankful to for inspiration.

So far: Lily and Sirius have been corresponding. Sirius moved in with James after a terrible fight with his family. The summer of '75 is ending.

Chapter 5

Or

Of an Uneventful Train Ride and an Aloof James

James Potter had never missed being alone before.

When at school, surrounded by other students and teachers and ghosts, he thrived. He loved being the center of attention, he loved being a star student and incredibly popular, he loved it all. Even the nights, sitting as Marauders and talking, were more exciting than summers. Perhaps it was because, growing up, he had almost no one his age to talk to, maybe it was because he was simply made that way, but he never wanted to be alone.

But ever since Sirius moved in, James came to the realization he would never be alone again. At least until Sirius moved out. And despite the fact that he loved Sirius like a brother – it was the last day of vacation, and for the last month he hadn't had a single day to himself, besides the day that he went to London to "hang out" with Evans. How did that happen, anyway?

He was packing his things, sighing whenever his mind wandered back to Evans. He had made up his mind – he would let her be from now on, her and everybody else. He couldn't deal with his strange obsession anymore, and besides, the N.E.W.T.s were coming up, and he may have more or less breezed through his O.W.L.s, but he had a feeling that actually studying would be slightly more important this year.

Did I forget anything? he thought. A second later, he remember. My broom!

He left his room, intending to go straight to the shed and get it, but when he stepped into the garden, he found Sirius already flying on it.

And for the first time as far as he could remember, James missed being an only child.

Platform Nine and Three-Quarters was just starting to fill with people when James and Sirius arrived. Scanning their surroundings, they spotted a few acquaintances, but no one they knew well, and so they continued to wander, waiting for someone to arrive.

"Sirius!" called a voice behind them. Turning around, they saw Lily head straight towards them. "Oh. Hi, Potter. I didn't see you."

"Hello, Evans," James said. "I think I'm going to find us a compartment," he added to Sirius.

"Are you sure –" Sirius began.

"Yeah, I'm sure," he said, shrugging. "I'll see you later."

James did not given a second thought about leaving Sirius alone with Evans. Sirius didn't fancy her, Lily definitely didn't fancy Sirius, and besides, James didn't care anymore. Not about Lily Evans, with her red hair and legs and –

He was thinking of her again. Shit.

"So," Lily said once James had disappeared from sight completely. Something about James was nagging in the back of her mind, but she ignored it. "How was living in with Potter?"

"My best summer yet." Sirius smirked, tucking his hands in the pockets of his Muggle clothes. "How was your summer, Evans?"

She sighed dramatically, and speaking in a fake posh accent, she said, "Oh, absolutely dreadful. It was almost as if the world wasn't designed to please me and me alone."

His grin widened for a moment, but then shrunk into nothing. "I got your letter yesterday. I – Merlin, I'm terrible at this stuff – are you okay?"

She nodded. "I think Tuney is who needs to be worry about. I mean, I did break her up with her boyfriend." She grimaced. "I still think I did her a favor. I'm not even sure she liked the guy. But she was hurt, and after I –"

But her story, no doubt exciting and tearful at the same time, was interrupted by the sound of STGs: Screaming Teenage Girls.

"Lily!" the two STGs were yelling.

Lily whipped around, her long hair almost going into Sirius' nose. "Marlene! Dorcas!" she said, excitement clear in her voice. Both of the girls in question ran towards them, and one by one, they all hugged each other.

"Merlin, your hair, what did you –"

"It feels like ages, I can't believe it's been only –"

"How was that dinner, you never called –"

"Did you do something –"

"When did you –"

"How was France? –"

"Oh, it was just a week or so after –"

"Thanks for sending the books, I really –"

"It was nothing, really –"

"France was amazing, I'll tell you all about it at –"

Sirius was taken aback by the sheer amount of talking that was being done at the same time. "Didn't you just see each other, like, three weeks ago?" he asked, a confused expression on his face.

"Yeah, so?" asked Lily, tugging a strand of hair behind her ear. "A lot can happen in three weeks – hell, even one week! And Marlene – you got a haircut! It's adorable."

Marlene blushed and played with her wristwatch. "I – well, I wanted change," she admitted. "I've been a little sick of everything – it's always the same."

Sirius huffed. "Not with me it isn't," he said pointedly. "Everything's an adventure, that's what I say. Almost everything can be made interesting." He paused, thinking for a moment, before adding, "Except History of Magic. Nothing can make Binns interesting."

"What about the couple of times he enters through the wall every year?" asked Dorcas.

"That lost its charm in, like, first year." Sirius shrugged. "Anyway, I'll see you later, Evans – you still need to tell me exactly how you got poor Samuel to quit – but I need to find Worm- Peter and Remus, and get them to whichever compartment James –"

"Yeah, yeah," Lily said. "Go to Potter, and enjoy. I am going to stay here, with people less despicable."

"Now, I wouldn't call James despicable –"

"Who said I was talking about Potter?" she grinned. "Goodbye, Sirius."

Sirius waved them goodbye lazily and walked off.

It was going to be an uneventful train ride, but then fate intervened.

It was about two hours after the ride began that the brown owl made its way to train. Knocking its beak against the window, the teenage boy hurried to open it, completely unsuspecting at to the contents of the letter it carried. Once he saw who sent it, though, he read it quickly and left the compartment.

"Snape –" called a voice from behind him. Students grunted, probably from being pushed aside as the voice made his way to him.

"What, Mulciber?" asked Severus, not turning around.

"I got a message from – come in here, I don't think you'll believe it – "

Severus looked at the compartment Mulciber was trying to pull him into. "I'm not throwing out second years," he said quietly. "That's Potter's job. My compartment's just over there."

Mulciber was excited. He was good at hiding it, keeping his calm as he walked besides Severus, pushing students out of his way, as per habit. But Severus was even better at detecting his mood – excellent, in fact. And Mulciber – uncaring, cruel Mulciber – was very excited, and very happy.

Severus couldn't help but hate anything that made Mulciber happy, except for this one time. In this particular instance, Severus Snape didn't know what to think.

To all but two people, it was uneventful train ride.

The welcoming feast was always magnificent, the sorting hat was always met with applause, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher was always introduced.

And Dumbledore always gave a speech.

"Now that you have all eaten to your hearts' content, I would like to welcome all of you to Hogwarts," he began, and the uppity chatter of the students died down. "Welcome, newcomers and old-comers alike. Welcome.

"I have a few announcements to make. Firstly, I would like to introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Harold McMillian." A stout, slightly chubby man stood. There was a fair amount of clapping, and when it calmed down, Professor McMillian sat down, and Dumbledore continued. "Our caretaker, Filch, would like to remind you of the ever-growing list of banned items, which is now hanging in his office. There is also a new rule stating that you are not allowed to use magic in the hallways, after a couple of incidents last year which landed students in the hospital wing."

Suddenly, Lily noticed something odd about the teachers' table. There was not one, but two new faces – Professor McMillian and a tall, long-faced witch, wearing red. Who's she? She wondered, but before she voiced her inquiries to her friends, Dumbledore continued.

"First years should be aware that the forest on Hogwarts grounds is forbidden to all students. Some older students should be reminded of this fact as well." Dumbledore's eyes wandered around the hall, but landed, eventually, on James and Sirius, who were grinning up at him. Amusement flashed in his eyes, and once again, he continued.

"Lastly, I would like to introduce you all to Mrs. Hitchens. She is an Auror who has been placed at this school for its protection. If you see anything out of the ordinary, or if you receive any threat, you are encouraged to report it to Mrs. Hitchens immediately. Thank you.

"The prefects will now escort the first years to their dormitories. Good night, everyone. May your mind remind itself of facts that you have forgotten over the long, relieving summer vacation, and be filled with new ones."

Lily immediately turned to Dorcas and Marlene, who were both staring at their now-empty plates. "You know what this means, right?"

Marlene did not react, but Dorcas nodded.

"The war is getting worse."

"James, are you okay?" asked Remus, looking at James, who was still sitting by the table after most of everyone was heading out of the Great Hall.

"I'm fine," he said numbly. "It's nothing."

"Remus!" Lily's voice was heard clearly, echoing through the entire Hall. "We need to help guide the first years to the dormitories –" She was interrupted by a voice from behind her, and she turned around quickly, not noticing James.

"Go," James said, not a trace of his bitterness clear in his voice. "I wouldn't want you to neglect your duties for me, I'm not Sirius. The password's 'Dipetalous', right?"

"Yeah," Remus confirmed. "You sure –"

"I'm fine," James insisted. "In fact, I'm going. See me going? I'm going." He, in fact, started walking away, facing Remus still, so he didn't notice as he walked straight into Lily's back.

"Oh, sorry –" his eyes widened as he saw who he had back into. "Sorry, Evans."

Quickly, he rushed away, ignoring anything she might have to say to him.

It was clear to Lily: James no longer liked Lily.

She didn't know what had made this happen – though she had a couple of theories – but she found that she didn't particularly like this idea. Last year she would have jumped on any opportunity to get him to stop annoying her, and as she made her way up the enchanted staircases, warning the first years to skip certain steps, she considered what could've spurred this change. Maybe it was that she'd grown used to his constant poking and prodding and his insistent asking her out, but she had a sneaking suspicion it was something else entirely.

She had given the password to the Fat Lady portrait and led the first years inside. She had shown them where their dormitories were, and explained that if they needed anything else, they could talk to any of the prefects of their house or the Head Boy and Girl. She had unpacked her things and made her way down to the common room to read, but had found herself incapable of doing so. The thought kept popping back into her head: James Potter no longer fancied Lily Evans. The arrogant prick who had, despite dozens of refusals, continued to ask her out and try to impress her for over two years, had given up.

She was deep in thought, pretending to read her book, for perhaps an hour. Sitting on her favorite chair which was near the fireplace and faced away from the stairs which leaded up to the dormitories, she found herself wishing herself back home, something she had never felt on the first day of school before. Then a distraction in the form of Sirius Black showed up and plopped itself on the chair in front of her. She waited for him to say something. He didn't. She went back to pretending to read her book, though she hadn't registered a single word in the last thirty pages or so.

"You're not actually reading."

Lily looked up from the book slowly, as if savoring the last words of a sentence – which she wasn't, as she had no idea what was happening in the narrative at all. "Huh?' she blurted after a couple of seconds. "I didn't catch that."

A knowing grin spread on Sirius' face. "You're not actually reading. You're very good at hiding it, almost as if – could it be? – you've done it before. But you're not actually reading. You're thinking about something."

"Sirius – I don't know what made you think that I wasn't, but I am definitely reading. So if you are willing, please go bother someone else. You have friends – I'm sure they're viable options." She rubbed her temples, as if just having him near her gave Lily a headache.

"Nah, they're not, actually," he said. "Pete's asleep already, Remus is talking to – I mean, he's ill, and James has asked for some 'alone time'. Whatever that means. So here I am, and here you are." He grinned once more.

"Ill? Already? We just got here!" she exclaimed. Sirius shrugged, and silence followed.

"Sirius?" Lily said suddenly, closing her book and placing it carefully beside her. "Why do you think we have a ministry worker in our school?"

"You mean Mrs. Hitchens?" Lily nodded, and Sirius closed his eyes, thinking. "I have no sodding clue," he admitted. "Something to do with the war. It's getting worse, you know."

Lily nodded, accepting this answer. "It's just, the War – it's been terrible for – for years. Its seeds were planted before I knew that I was a witch, before I was even born, and it's been a major hindrance in my life since the moment I stepped in Hogwarts castle. I –"

"Lily –" Sirius began, but then he shook his head and restarted. "Evans, this is all idiocy. It will – it has to die down. Because shit like this can't stay this way forever. Like everything else, it goes away eventually. And, Evans –" He touched her shoulder now. "It's only a 'major hindrance' if you let it be. You're fucking talented, Evans. I've seen the things you can do, and I'm terrified of you. That's saying something, what with me being such a powerful dark wizard, according to the entire student body. And – yeah. I mean –"

"I get it," she interjected, smiling warmly. "Thank you, Sirius."

He nodded. "I'm going to walk away, and it's going to be very manly. When you think about this moment sometime in the future, you'll remember it very clearly: despite my girly touchy-feely speech, my walk was very manly. Understood?"

Lily nodded, grinning. "Of course. Understood."

"Night, Evans."

"Night, Sirius."

As he walked away, she asked herself if it would've been better if she had asked him about James.

A/N: I wrote this chapter and then went straight on to write the next two, so I had to edit it heavily before I could publish. I hope you guys like the final version. I'm still a little shocked that I have any recognition at all - my other story simply failed, but I also put much less energy into it.

Calypso:I'm really glad you're following my story so closely. And thank you :).

SiryII: You nearly gave me a heart attack. I'm really glad you enjoyed my story, and my portrayal of the characters, and everything. And of course I don't want to get rid of you! I don't want to get rid of anyone. Except, maybe, my arch-nemesis, Finals.

So that's it for now. The next chapter should come soon and whether or not it does I'm gonna take a hiatus, as my first important test is this Monday and I really have to study. It's just a month - during which I'll probably post anyway, but not as frequently - and by July I'll be back. Pinky-swear.

Reviews literally make my day, and all the other things too.