September first came around very fast after that. Lily still stayed in the house most days. Severus had created the very annoying habit of going out of his way to walk by her house everyday. She hid in her room.
At platform 9 ¾ that day, Lily waved goodbye to her parents and told them to tell Petunia, who was now at the university, that she loves her. Then she joined up with her friend Mary and they found a compartment before Lily had to go to the prefect cabin.
The train ride passed without event. Soon they arrived at school and got into carriages. Lily and Mary were running a bit late and there were only two carriages left. As they ran to catch one, it left and they were forced to climb into the other one. Mary groaned a bit as they entered. It was James and his gang: Sirius, Remus, and Peter.
As soon as he saw her, James got up and let Lily have his seat. It was a nice gesture but it separated her from Mary who was now stuck between Peter and the wall. James squeezed in between Lily and Sirius.
When they reached the castle, Lily intentionally hurried from the carriage and sat down at the Gryffindor table. James sat down further down the table but smiled at Lily, flirtatiously.
After the feast, Lily reminded the new fifth year prefects to help the first years. She was on her way up to the Common Room when she say a greasy slinking boy coming towards her. Severus.
"How was your summer Lil?" he asked.
Lily knew he was trying to pretend none of last year had happened. "Hello Severus. Fine, how was yours?"
She saw how her cordiality disappointed him and he seemed to slump down but he responded, "A bit lonely… I'll see you in class."
As he walked away, she saw his robes flutter around his arm. For a second, the sleeve rolled up and Lily saw a flash of black ink, before the sleeve went back down.
"Severus!"
He turned around as fast as he could, a hopeful look on his face. As if he expected her to forgive him. She walked over to him and grabbed his arm. Only then did it register to him what she was doing. He grabbed at his sleeve in a panic.
"Lily, what are you doing. Stop it!"
But it was too late. She rolled up his sleeve and saw a black figure eight made of a snake coming from a skull's mouth.
"I knew it! I knew you joined him! They kill people like me! I can't even look at you," she raged, then turned away and stormed up the stairs.
"Lily, wait!" he shouted after her, but she didn't wait.
As she was storming, she joined up with Alice Longbottom, a seventh year who had been a prefect last year. The two of them talked about the new students. Lily bid Alice goodbye in the Common Room, because she wanted to go to bed. It had been a long day and she just wanted to avoid people for a while.