Author's Note: Still doing those rewrites. Sorry to anyone that got excited over any notifications... going to try and NOT spread out the updates. Just do some bulk edits.

Chapter 2: Starting Fresh
Wednesday, September 1, 1977; Great Hall for Sorting and Dinner

I was sitting at the long table with my fellow Gryffindors and, boy, was I famished. Sure, I had my Pumpkin Pasties on the train but those things barely hold a first year over. And it was over two hours ago. By this point, I've already ushered the First Years to the boats (promptly handing them off to Hagrid), calmed down a bunch of Second Years that were freaked out by the horseless carriages (really, people? MAGIC SCHOOL), had a quick meeting with McGonagall to learn where the Heads' Common Room was, and organized Prefects into handling the Third Years and older (good practice for the new Fifth Year Prefects). Good group this year, thank goodness.

Yet here I am, sitting impatiently through the Sorting, clapping with faux joy for each new Gryffindor.

Want to see true joy? Give me Shepherd's Pie. Give me roast chicken. Give me cheesecake. Then you'll see real joy.

I'm hungry, dammit.

Marlene was sitting on my right and she gently poked me in the ribs. "Relax, Lils. McGonagall's on the 'Ts.' She's nearly at the end. Then we can eat." She appeared to be saying it for own benefit as well as mine.

Emmeline was across from Marlene and Dorcas was across from me and then to my left were the Marauders. Remus separated me and James while across from them were Peter and Sirius, respectively. I have a feeling the eight of us will be spending a lot of time together this year.

And you know what? I think I'm okay with that.

"Zanders, Thomas." A scrawny, blonde-haired boy sheepishly walked up and was promptly swallowed by the raggedy Sorting Hat.

"I swear, they get smaller every year," Dorcas muttered as the hat covered his entire face.

"FINALLY!" I said, relieved. It was only loud enough for my seven neighbors to hear but it was enough to make it hard for us to hear the Sorting Hat yell out, "RAVENCLAW!" for young Mr. Zanders over our laughter. Luckily no one else was aware of our disruption or the fact that I was as red as a cherry.

And with that all the food appeared on the table and I swear I heard angels singing. Well, I would have if my stomach wasn't growling so loud. I grabbed some chicken and rosemary-roasted potatoes and started eating. Dorcas laughed at me.

"Merlin, Lily! You're worse than Sirius!" she laughed at me before grabbing some roast beef.

"Hey!" Sirius said from her side. This caused more laughter and for me to blush even more. I slowed down and decided that it would be better to eat slowly and enjoy it.

"I do have to ask, Lily. Where do you keep it?" Emmeline joked. I looked down at my small frame. While she and I were about the same size and the shortest pair of our dinner party, my appetite could be double hers on a good day.

I just shrugged and figured to change the subject. "Wonder what our lineup will be this year."

"No idea," Marlene said after swallowing a big bite of turkey. "But if I got Muggle Studies like I signed up for, you're tutoring me," she told me, pointing her finger a hair away from my nose. I felt my eyes go a little cross at the gesture. She giggled at that.

"No problem. I'm the only Muggle-born here. Although Remus may be able to help if I'm not available for some reason," I mentioned, pointing my thumb at Remus. I grabbed a slice of strawberry cheesecake.

"A little, I guess. I may be Half-Blood but Mom preferred the magical way of things. She was fascinated by it. I didn't get out, much," he said and I noticed him glance quickly to the guys. "But I guess I could help a bit." He shrugged and grabbed a slice of cake.

Sirius grabbed a roll from the table and tossed it at James, bouncing it off his head. "Oi, since when have you been a mute?"

James laughed as he caught the roll as it bounced off his head and threw it back at Sirius in one swift motion. Sirius caught it with a laugh. "Nothing to say, really."

"Who are you and what did you do with James Potter?" Peter asked.

"Yeah. It's normal for Wormtail to be quiet, but you?" Sirius said, "you're usually yakking all through dinner!"

"I know. Maybe I'm just a little stressed because of this whole Head Boy thing."

"James, you'll do fine. We'll make a great team."

Instant replay from the train. All seven of my mates stared at me, all with the same frozen expression of shock and in various stages of eating paused in place.

I looked around me, looking for another possible focal point for their stares and confusion. "What?"

"You didn't call me 'Potter,'" James said. His voice had a tone to it that sounded like he questioned my sanity but I couldn't miss the slight air of glee to it.

"Lily, are you okay?" Marlene asked, placing her palm to my forehead.

"Yeah, maybe I should take you to the hospital wing..." Dorcas added.

"Guys, relax. I'm fine," I assured them. They weren't convinced. "Seriously, I'm okay." I turned to James. "Starting fresh, right?"

He smiled at me. His eyes sure do sparkle when he does that. "Right. Starting fresh." He ran his fingers through his untidy hair.

Remus glanced to his left, then his right. "You two are freaking me out but as long as I'm sitting between you without feeling like I'm in the line-of-fire, I'm okay with you two losing your grasp on sanity."

We all laughed.

"Hey, just thinking," James said when the laughter calmed down. "Why not we all chill in our common room tonight? It's not too far from Gryffindor Tower. Same floor, actually. That painting of the lady in the library."

"You know, I was thinking the same thing," I agreed, smiling at James. I think I was imagining things, but I believe his cheeks turned a tad pink.

"As much as I want to, I really don't know if I'll ever get used to this..." Marlene sighed. I smirked at her.

All the food disappeared from the table and that was our cue to head to Gryffindor Tower. James and I already had orders to report to Dumbledore after dinner for a brief meeting and Remus was helping guide the Gryffindors to the Tower and deliver the password. We all agreed to meet in front of our room at 7:30. James and I waited against the wall next to the large doors to the Great Hall in silence, holding off heading to Dumbledore's office until the congestion in the halls clears up a bit.

James broke the silence, first.

"So... I was wondering something."

"Oh? If you're going to ask me out again..." I looked at him questionably, smirking at him.

"How did you guess?" He was smiling. I was glad that I wasn't breaking his spirits. "Well, I figured it was worth a shot. This whole 'starting fresh' plan and all," he said with a shrug.

"You always ask girls out that you just meet?" I raised an eyebrow, leaving my smirk on my face.

"Yeah, you got me," he laughed. "Lets focus on friendship, then?"

"Friendship," I repeated, looking up at him and giving him a true smile and a nudge with my shoulder, causing him to laugh softly. There's those pink cheeks, again. I wrapped my arms around him in a hug. He hugged me back.

He gives nice hugs.

"Lets go see Dumbledore," he told me. I nodded in reply, and we started off towards that familiar gargoyle statue.

A half-hour later we were walking up to the portrait McGonagall informed us about earlier of a woman reading in an old library. Next to it was our crew, laughing at something Sirius said. I noticed Sirius had a bag hanging from his shoulder.

Marlene saw us first. She waved towards us, which caught the attention of the rest of the group.

"There you are! Dumbledore rattling on, again?" Dorcas asked.

"Nah," I told her, "just welcoming us to the positions, filling us in on our duties, scheduling the first Prefects' meeting-"

"Monday the sixth, by the way," James interrupted, looking at Remus. He looked at me, mouthed "sorry," and waved his hand so I could continue.

"Anyway, he also gave us the password to get in there," I finished and pointed to the portrait. I turned to James. "Because you've been itching to say it," I said and gestured towards the portrait.

He turned to the portrait and grinned. "Wronski Feint."

The woman in the portrait stopped reading and looked up at us. "I don't know why Dumbledore assigned such a silly password..." and with that, the door opened.

We all entered a cozy common room, already lit by a fire. There was a red couch in front of the fire, with a low coffee table separating the couch from the hearth. Next to the hearth was a set of tools for the fireplace, and the other side had an oak box with a gold clasp. Sandwiching the couch and table are two plush red armchairs. To the right was a table with two chairs and two bookcases full of books. On the table were stacks of parchment, quills, inkwells, and other essentials for N.E.W.T. year. To the left was a staircase leading up to our two rooms.

I looked around and took it all in. "I could get used to this," I said with a satisfying nod of my head.

Everyone laughed and made themselves comfortable around the table. Sirius emptied the contents of the bag onto the coffee table. Snacks from the kitchens, I should have known. I grabbed an apple and leaned back into the plush chair I claimed by slipping behind Peter, who was currently situated on the floor. Marlene and Dorcas took the couch, Emmeline was in the other chair. Remus was leaning against the side of the couch by Marlene, Sirius was sitting against the coffee table, and James was laying on his back on the floor in front of the fireplace, arms behind his head.

"Can you believe it's our last year here?" he said, staring at the ceiling.

We all sat there in silence.

"It's a bit surreal, isn't it?" Dorcas said.

"We have to make it count," Emmeline said.

"Every Friday," I said. "Lets do this every Friday evening."

"And Saturday," Remus added. Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Okay, I can't take this, anymore," Sirius said. "What the fuck is in that bloody box?!" he exclaimed, pointing to the oak box by the hearth.

We laughed as he pulled it over, opening it. A brand new Wizard Chess set.

We spent the rest of the evening playing chess.