A/N: Hello all! Here I present the first official chapter~ And to clear any confusion from the prologue, this is set before, as they are beginning their sixth year at Hogwarts.

Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns all.

I

"Bread the Size of Hippogriffs"

Lily laid in bed and hoped that this year would go well.

She hoped that Severus would stop being so distant once school began again. For the entire summer, it seemed, he had given her the cold shoulder. She believed it to be due to his parents, whom made him sad altogether. But a small part of her knew this was not the case.

She ached to see her friends again. The tiny surge of happiness she got from seeing their owls perched at her window would never be enough. She missed her teachers. Merlin, she even missed the Marauders. She couldn't wait for tomorrow to come. And for her life to begin once again.

Suddenly there was a knock on her door and Petunia's familiar voice was heard

"Lily?"

"Come in." Lily called.

Petunia had her blonde hair pulled into a tight braid and she was wearing a skirt with her pajama top.

"Would you like to explain your fashionable attire for the evening?" Lily asked with a smile.

Petunia sent her a look. "If you must know Lily, I came in here to ask for a sweater of yours. I hope this is not asking too much of you."

"Not at all. the cream one is over there." Lily pointed to a small pile of clothes.

Petunia crossed the room and pulled the garment to her chest in front of the mirror.

"This looks good, right?" She asked, "I'm seeing Vernon tomorrow."

Lily suppressed the urge to vomit. "It looks great, Tunie."

Petunia looked pleased and sat at the edge of Lily's bed.

"He's so wonderful Lily, once you're gone it will be easier to cover this… secret, of course. But I do wish you had someone like him."

Lily once again, fought the urge to vomit. "Yea well… Petunia, you do know you're going to have to tell him sometime don't you?"

At this Petunia was almost willful enough to leave the room altogether. But she remembered that her sister would be leaving tomorrow. And perhaps, in one final act of sisterly affection,

"Lily, your hair is a mess."

"Thank you, sister."

"Here, let me fix it." and so Petunia got a brush and began to tame the waves of Lily's red hair.

They sat this way for a while. In silence. And maybe it was better that way, Lily thought.

"So at this… school…" Petunia began, "do you people… talk to each other?"

Lily laughed. "Of course we do Petunia. When we're not turning each other into toads." She joked.

Petunia was not amused. "Well, I don't think that's funny. I mean, how are you going to make a life for yourself Lily? honestly? You disappear to some school and do this silly 'magic'? But to what avail?"

Perhaps in different context, Lily would have been impressed with Petunia's use of the word magic for once in her life; but the way Petunia spat it out, the only thing that gave Lily's life any meaning. She could not be anything but angry.

"Petunia, when you insult magic, you're insulting me." Lily could not contain the heat rising to her cheeks, "I'm going to live there, Petunia. With witches and wizards like me, and make a living. I don't know how else to make you understand."

Petunia had had enough. She dropped Lily's hair and went for the door.

"Well, I hope you have fun with all of those… freaks."

And then she was gone.

Swirls of smoke rose through the night in front of James, and he watched them fondly.

It was one last 'smoke of freedom' for him. As he would be returning to Hogwarts tomorrow. And would not be allowed to indulge the habit as freely.

He walked up the path to the stately manor he called home and snubbed the final cigarette.

His mother was waiting for him in the hall.

"Drop the habit soon, James."

She was smiling.

"Yes mother."

"And stop looking so glum all of the time. It reminds me of your father in our Hogwarts days."

"Yes mother."

His father could be heard from inside the living room, "And look after Sirius."

"Yes father."

His mother was picking at the lint on his jacket. "And dear Remus and Peter." She added.

"Yes mother." He kissed her and then climbed up the stairs.

"Love you!" Mrs. Potter called after him.

James smiled and made his way to his room. He needed to pack the cloak and map before he forgot, but once he was digging in the drawer he kept them in, they could not be found.

"I've already packed them, Master Potter."

Hilly the House Elf looked to him from across the room with devout eyes.

"Oh, thank you Hilly." He smiled and she left him.

He thought a minute on how she knew where he kept them, but forgot it.

He laid down and thought of the days ahead. Of everything he had planned. Of everyone, but that One.

Damn it.

This year would have to be different, he thought to himself. He was tired of trying. For the first time.

Maybe he could now spend his spare time focusing on his potions OWLS this year.

He laughed out loud.

Sept. 1, 1976

7:30 AM

Lily Evans loved to sleep.

It was almost a defining trait. Anyone who was not aware of this fact was no true friend of hers. So it was a natural reaction, when the alarm went off to automatically muffle the sound with a quick slap of her hand. But Lily, after her mind cleared and she registered what day it was, rolled out of her bed and did not even need her usual (and crucial) extra five minutes of slumber.

She got ready slowly, as she had risen very early. Taking her time in the shower, drying her hair, and finally deciding to curl it. Au revoir, muggle habits.

She dressed in jeans and a simple blouse, and made sure everything was packed.

10:00 AM

King's Cross Station

Emmeline Vance was not to be trifled with.

Standing at 5' 7 & 1/2" with steely gray eyes -and what some said to be a 'matching steely heart'- no one in their right mind would dare get in her way.

Many often did question Lily's sanity, though.

As was the case last year when Lily asked Emmeline to accompany her, Mary and Marlene to Hogsmeade one weekend.

They had all been in the dormitory the night before. Emmeline had been their roommate all year and had scarcely said a word to any of them, aside from the occasional help with homework or 'Do you have an extra tampon?'. This bothered Lily. She liked Emmeline, and her offhand comments during classes. So she saw an opportunity.

It was somewhat funny how it turned out.

Lily almost expected a quizzical glance and a sharp "No, thank you." But instead Emmeline looked up and let out a grateful, "Yes."

It was then that the four of them became friends. Mary, Marlene and Lily had been since their first year, but the addition of serious and straightforward Emmeline Vance caused some to take a second glance. Lily would have none of this. Because Emmeline was blunt but honest, and she made Lily laugh.

So the Emmeline now standing near the platform at King's Cross Station was not entirely happy that her friends had not yet arrived like they said they would.

With one last huff of impatience, Emmeline stepped through the platform.

On the other side were several wizards and witches of all ages, some first year families fussing and worrying over their children. Emmeline rolled her eyes and made her way over to a bench. She pulled out her potions textbook.

10:03 AM said the large clock stationed on the wall.

"Sodding friends."

It was then that Emmeline saw Remus Lupin step through the platform.

Finally, she though. Someone worth talking to. She liked Lupin. He wasn't a complete git like most other Gryffindors she put up with on a daily basis. She was about to get up, until she saw another figure step through immediately after.

Hell no she thought as Sirius Black's familiar face was now in view. She sat back down. He and Remus turned around to face the platform. And like clockwork, James stepped through, followed by Peter.

Once reunited the Marauders made their way past the sea of witches and wizards. Emmeline continued to watch them; and perhaps for the first time, saw their appeal. James led the way and appeared taller than the last time she had seen him, he had a nice jaw and new glasses that suited him well, but his hair was still stupid. Sirius' smile was the best, his hair was longer now, almost reaching his shoulders and his eyes were still too happy for her taste. Remus was the tallest, kindest, and had large blue eyes one could swim in- but she stopped herself. Peter was an alright sort, not ugly, but not worth describing she thought.

As they made their way through, Emmeline noticed the girls whispering as they passed and she felt something akin to vomit rising up through her chest.

And then just as she was reflecting upon the stupidity of her gender-

"You are a vision this morning, Vance."

"Leave me alone, Black. I'm trying to read." Without glancing from her book.

"Now, now Emmie. I saw you staring at me earlier, I've come to make your dreams a reality." Sirius gave her his best smile.

"I was merely noting your new hairstyle. Androgyny is the new style is it?"

James and Remus laughed.

"Well if that's what you're into." He winked and they began to continue on. "Let's not play these games at the castle, Emmie."

She rolled her eyes as they walked off and she heard Peter ask what 'andragony' was.

What the hell were the Marauders doing at the platform before her friends anyway?

She read on.

10:45 AM

Lily quickly made her way to platform 9 & 3/4.

She had a long breakfast with her parents and now she was late.

And of course because she was in a hurry, King's Cross Station was full of people. All determined to stand in her way. She had tried to be polite at first, but soon realized that was futile.

She was now shoving past muggles and was directly in front of the platform-

SMACK

Wonderful. She was on the ground now and her bum hurt.

Lily looked to see who the complete wanks who ran into her were.

And then she laughed.

Because the two witches on the ground before her were Mary Macdonald and Marlene McKinnon.

Mary and Marlene caught on and soon they were struggling to get themselves and their trunks back in order through the laughter.

"Em's going to kill us." Mary let out as she fixed her tussled bun.

Lily and Marlene exchanged a look of confirmation.

"Let's get this over with." Lily sighed.

They each went through the platform.

Their eyes were met with scrambling parents of young wizards and the familiar faces of fellow students.

For a few seconds that was all they heard too.

"YOU DO KNOW WHAT A UNIT OF TIME IS RIGHT?"

They recognized the angry voice, but where was it?

"SO MAYBE THE NEXT TIME WE SET A SPECIFIC TIME, YOU WILL ACTUALLY SHOW UP!"

The crowd began to shift a little in front of them, but the voice remained faceless.

"Honestly, you guys are idiots."

And then a wild-looking Emmeline stood before them.

Lily was the first to speak. "Um, sorry Em, I had a late start… and you should have seen the traffic."

"Yea, and then we ran into each other. Literally." Marlene added.

"The Marauders arrived before you lot did."

"Sorry Em."

And they made their way aboard the Hogwarts Express.

11:50 AM

"Oh, but Lily please let me introduce you two!" Mary pleaded.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Mary…" She exhaled.

They had been traveling aboard the train for nearly an hour now. They had already changed into their robes and discussed their summers further than their previous letter had, which brought about the topic of boys. And Lily's lack of summer flings.

"Even Emmeline approves of him!" Mary tried one.

Lily raised her eyebrows.

"Hey, I only said he seemed like a nice sort of bloke." Emmeline said.

"See what I mean?" Mary persisted.

Lily looked at Marlene for support.

"Well personally, I am a fan of Lily with Prongs." She made finger-antlers when mentioning the Marauders' nickname.

"Thanks, Marlene."

"Oh God." Emmeline covered her face.

"Marlene, why do you never have anything insightful to add?" Mary snapped.

"Well I don't know Mary, why don't I ask one your many exes?"

"You better shut it, Marlene."

"Are you going to hex me?"

Emmeline laughed. Because a year of observing Mary's attempted hexes, made this a funny joke.

"Oi." Lily was tired of this.

"At least I got a date to the ball last year…"

"Can you all cut it out now?..."

"At least my relationships have lasted longer than the effects of one of your love potions."

Emmeline was in fits of laughter.

"HEY!"

They all looked at Lily now.

"Have any of you seen Severus?"

"Speaking of unrequited love…"

"Emmeline." Lily warned.

"I haven't seen him." She answered.

Lily looked to Marlene and Mary, but they only shook their heads.

"Wait a minute…" Emmeline started. "Severus is a prefect…"

That was all Lily needed.

"Shit." She swore.

And now she scrambled to find her badge before running to the meeting.

11:52 AM

The Marauders shared a compartment on the train.

"Prongs, you're insane."

"Sirius, I know what I'm doing."

Sirius was unfazed, "Moony, Petey and I have been discussing this, and we're fairly certain this is the year."

James furrowed his brows. "Year for what?"

Sirius rolled his eyes, "Honestly mate, for someone so brilliant you really are thick sometimes."

James was getting impatient, "Siri-"

"James," Remus pressed, "What Sirius is trying to say is… We think… This year, with the proper amount of positive actions-"

"We think you can get with Lily." Peter interjected.

James was somewhat taken aback. Not exactly by what was said. But had they really been talking about this without him? Planning and counting together his and Lily's past like some sort of arithmancy problem? Normally, he would've been angry, which is why they had tried to break this to him in a 'careful' way. But he had to let them know that he didn't care. Because after all, he didn't.

"Guys," James sighed, "I've gotten over that. Her."

Sirius stared blankly at him. "Right."

Peter suppressed a giggle.

"Well…" Remus started. "I've got to get to a meeting."

"tell Lily Prongs-y says hi."

Remus left the compartment as James delivered a swift kick to Sirius' leg.

12:06 PM

Lily arrived to the prefect's meeting six minutes late.

She issued a quick apology as she entered the compartment and looked to sit near Severus. But she could not.

Because seated on either side of him were two Slytherin prefects that she could not name at the moment. But thank Merlin for Remus Lupin, he offered her the seat next to him.

Thank you, she mouthed. And he smiled in return.

She tried to make eye contact with Severus, as the current Head Boy, Frank Longbottom introduced himself, but he never looked her way.

"Are you Lily Evans?" A voice whispered near her.

It occurred to Lily then, that someone was sitting to her right. And had just spoken to her.

"Oh, yes I am, why?"

She glanced at him. The voice belonged to a Ravenclaw, indicated by his tie. He was leaning towards her, close enough for her to see the freckles on his nose and the light blue of his eyes.

"Hi, I'm Samuel Jacobs." He smiled.

It took Lily a few seconds to remember that name, but it was the boy Mary had mentioned, the one she was supposed to be introduced to.

"You couldn't wait for Mary to introduce us?"

Merlin help him, he chuckled.

Frank Longbottom sent them a look before continuing to warn them of broom closets in the night. Severus looked at Lily for the first time all day.

"I guess not," he mused, "but thinking back on it that may have been a better time than now."

. . .

"And that being said…" Frank concluded. "I hope to make this year as wonderful as possible."

They could leave now.

Without thinking Lily got up to catch Sev before he left the compartment. And she almost did before-

"Uh, Lily?" Samuel had stepped in front of her.

Severus was gone now. And everyone else. Remus lingered in the doorway and sent her a quizzical look. She nodded and waved.

And then they were alone.

"Oh, right, you wanted to introduce yourself." She smiled

"Yes, er, well, I was hoping we could talk more in the Great Hall. My friends are expecting me back now and I just wanted to give you a proper greeting."

"Sure alright then." Lily agreed.

He smiled again, then left.

So this was Samuel Jacobs she thought. He was handsome. She wouldn't tell Mary that they had met, yet. In thinking of all of this and pondering why Severus had not spoken to her, she did not realize that she was standing completely alone in the compartment as James Potter walked by.

He stepped in the doorway and glanced around the compartment before sending her an incredulous look.

"Shove off."

He smirked. "Whatever you say Evans. Nice curls by the way."

And she was alone again.

6:03 PM

At last they arrived to Hogwarts.

"Where's the food."

It was not a question, but a statement that Lily Evans muttered.

"Lily dear, we have to enter the castle to get into the Great Hall." Mary sighed as they got off of the horseless carriage.

"Not exactly." Said a new voice.

They turned to see James and the Marauders coming up the path.

"I don't even want to know what that means." Lily groaned. "I just want bread the size of a hippogriff."

James smiled.

"I second that notion." Sirius stated.

And the Marauders trekked ahead of them, the girls followed behind.

"Lily look, there's Severus." Emmeline pointed ahead to a group of students. He was with the two Slytherins who had been in the meeting.

"I saw him at the prefect's meeting." Lily said. "He didn't really acknowledge me at all…"

"Git." Marlene added.

Lily did not feel like arguing with this now.

"I'll just talk to him later."

7:48 PM

The meals at Hogwarts were stupendous.

And tonight was no exception Lily thought. The sorting ceremony had finished and Dumbledore had made his annual welcome speech.

They had a new Defense teacher, Alfred Doge, who had a nice enough smile and with that, a fan club of adolescent girls.

"Poor man won't last a week." Emmeline declared through a bite of pudding.

"You're the reason Gryffindor table is said to have the worst manners." Hestia Jones, their dorm mate noted.

"Hardly." Emmeline said gesturing towards the Marauders, who had somehow managed to charm Benjy Fenwick's pumpkin juice to tap dance, spilling its contents everywhere it moved. Lily was pondering what sort of spell could have done this when suddenly someone was at her side.

"Hey Lily." It was Samuel Jacobs.

She turned to him and smiled, "Hey Samuel, sit down!"

He sat beside her, and this did not go unnoticed by Mary Macdonald who sat across from them, or James Potter who glanced up from the charmed pumpkin juice, or Severus Snape who eyed Lily from the Slytherin table, or half of the population of Hogwarts who were not knee-deep in Yorkshire pudding.

"You two already met!" Mary looked stunned.

Any students who were not already watching turned to see who was yelling on the first night back at school.

"He's a prefect, Mare," Lily added, "We met at the meeting."

"Oh."

"But we can pretend we didn't if it means that much to you." Samuel offered.

"Oh shut up, Sam," Mary started, "But I still want credit."

"Credit for what?" Emmeline was not preoccupied with her pudding now.

"For introducing the most adorable couple to ever walk the halls of Hogwarts."

"Merlin…" Marlene sighed as Mary held her hands up in a heart shape around the 'couple'.

Lily's cheeks reddened.

"I think, clearly that title will always be held by Ms. Norris and Filch." Samuel stated.

And the focus was brought away from that, thank goodness.

10:33 PM

"He's cute, Lily." Marlene said from the bathroom.

The girls were climbing into their beds after the day, all but Hestia, who had not yet returned to the dormitory for the night, for whatever reason. This was more or less unnoticed by the other girls, because Samuel had nice brown hair.

"Well obviously," Lily called from her bed. "I just need to get to know him a bit more."

"Lily you do realize what school we attend, right?" Emmeline asked from beneath her blanket.

"She's right, Lily." Mary added with a yawn. "Nice blokes here are called for faster than chips at dinner."

Marlene laughed through her toothpaste.

"Nice analogy, " Lily smiled, "But that is not true, what about Remus?"

"Gay."

"Hey!" Emmeline's head shot up from beneath her pillow. "He is not…" She suddenly looked embarrassed.

"Em, we all know of your little infatuation." Mary now went to rub her shoulders, "But it is not going to happen."

Emmeline slapped her hands away, "Whatever, I'm going to sleep."

Marlene returned. And then they were all asleep.

Sept. 2

12:41 AM

Hestia Jones returned to the dormitory with a smile on her face.

A/N: There you go, I hope it was long enough. I hope you liked it. I hope you are not confused. And thank you so much to those who reviewed, alerted, and favorited.

I prefer to reply privately, but I couldn't to QueenOfTheEyesores, so here it is: Ah thank you so much. and I'm very glad you liked the portrayal because I would despise myself to do it wrong. And again thank you so much :')

Tell me how it is~

Reviews are slices of bread that are only the size of hippogriffs,

xx Kaytlin