Change

Summer holidays before seventh year

Lily stared at the gleaming badge. The envelope and letter were held tightly in her left hand, but she did not have to read the letter to know the position she had been appointed to. Head Girl. She wondered who the other person was, the one who had received the Head Boy's badge. Perhaps it was another Gryffindor – Remus Lupin, maybe. Although part of James Potter's gang, he was kind and had made an excellent prefect. He would be a good choice.

"Tuney!" she laughed, turning to face her sister, who was sitting on her left, looking curiously at her letter. The instant Lily faced her, she jerked her gaze away.

"What is it?" she snapped. "Got another letter from your freaks' school? And I told you not to call me that; it's Petunia."

"Never mind that," said Lily. "Look – they made me Head Girl!"

"Head of the freaks," said Petunia coldly. "How appropriate."

"Haven't we grown out of this yet?" asked Lily quietly, sadly. "Why is this always between us? Tun- Petunia, I hate constantly having this between us."

"It's the truth," spat Petunia. "It's not some silly childish grudge–"

"But it is!" exclaimed Lily.

Petunia glared at her with old hurt and hatred and something that seemed like remorse in her eyes. She stood up stiffly.

"Why don't you tell mum and dad?" she said. "I'm sure they'll be pleased about their little golden freak girl. I'm sure they'll give you the response you were expecting from me."

So saying, she turned on her heel and strode out of the room. Lily stared after her sister, blinking back tears. She dropped her gaze back to her badge once Petunia was gone, and hoped with all her heart that the Head Boy would be someone like Remus Lupin, someone kind and intelligent, someone she could see herself growing fond of.

Actually, she thought, after a moment's contemplation, I don't mind who it is, as long as it's not that idiot James Potter.

No. Of course not. Dumbledore would never appoint James Potter. He was a troublemaker, nothing the school needed. She laughed at herself. Why had she even allowed a thought like that cross her mind? It was impossible. Not even something that magic could make come true.

James held his badge up to the light and an elated laugh escaped him. He, James Potter, Head Boy? What had Dumbledore been thinking? True, Dumbledore was a great wizard and the best Headmaster Hogwarts had ever seen, but James knew that he was not Head Boy material. Everyone knew.

Oh well, thought James with a grin. It's done. I'm Head Boy. They can't take the badge from me now, even though Dumbledore might've been drunk on excessive amounts of Firewhisky at the time that he had written this letter.

"Mum! Dad!" he called, running down the stairs and into the kitchen. "Guess what?"

His mother looked up with a smile. "Morning, James. Breakfast?"

"I'm Head Boy!" said James.

His father looked up, startled. "Did you say…"

"Head Boy," repeated James, laughing.

Although taken aback for a moment, his mother hurried forwards and hugged James tightly.

"Well done," congratulated his father. "And you weren't even a prefect!"

"It doesn't matter," said his mother proudly. "He's Head Boy!"

His father motioned for James to sit down, then spoke once more, musing. "Do you know who the Head Girl is?"

Until now, James had not given it a second's thought. One girl stood out in particular out of all of the others. Lily Evans. She was the perfect choice, being kind, talented and an extremely good witch, booth morally and academically. And he, James, would be the Head Boy at her side.

Finally, after six long years, perhaps she would see, in the time they would spend together as Head Boy and Girl, that he had changed and would change for her. For he was no longer James Potter, Marauder, troublemaker.

He was James Potter, Head Boy, finally worthy of Lily Evans.