A/N: Hey again! Sorry this has taken ages to upload- I've been busy with the delight of A-Levels. I've had over 250 views, so do you think if you read a chapter, you could take a few minutes to review? It'll help me get better writing, and it'll make me wantto upload!

Chapter 5
Or,
Of Petty fights, New friends and New starts.

Everybody loved the train ride to Hogwarts. They loved staring out of the windows and smiling because they knew they would soon be at Hogwarts; the place of magic, so magic it created friendships and relationships, it now, created safety. Hogwarts probably was the safest place to be right now, especially with Albus Dumbledore- the headmaster- being around. Nobody knew exactly what was happening, in fact, Dumbledore probably didn't have the exact answers as to what was going out outside the well protected gates of Hogwarts. But one thing was certain. With all of the chaos, upset, and trauma, injury, destruction and death, the students needed Hogwarts. They not only needed it for a safe place to sleep at night, but they needed it for protection in a sense where they could learn to defend themselves.

Lily- after punching James in the face for that bloody hug- was now sitting in one of the compartments on the Hogwarts Express, simply reading Shakespeare. Only she he wasn't reading it because her mind was too focussed on the events that had happened that morning, and she hadn't found any of her friends yet- she also refused to sit with Sirius and James. Her mind wandered to her friends, and eventually to Josh; how his hair was a rare shade of blonde; the colour leaves turned at the beginning of autumn and how it hung neatly above his eyes, those very same eyes which were a delightful shade of honey, and how his lips would pull into a perfect smile and reveal a sparkling set of perfect white teeth. She imagined every single detail- which she had acquired so far about him- and settled on a final thought. She really liked Josh.

"Shit!" Lily exclaimed, completely oblivious to the fact she was now talking to herself. Out loud. "Bollocks, shit, fuck. I've completely forgotten about him!"

"Lily, are you aware you're talking to nobody but yourself?" Asked a voice from the door of the compartment, which Lily immediately recognised as Alice. Alice stared at Lily with worry, for one thing Lily was completely alone in a compartment and now, Lily was showing signs of going mental. Lily and Alice had been friends since their first day on the train; they ended up sitting together in the compartment, sharing sweets and stories of their home life and once they were both sorted into Gryffindor; they became inseparable. Yes, they did have Marlene and Hestia, but Lily and Alice were different. They knew each other like the back of their hands, and this was how Alice knew to be worried about Lily and not confused as to why she was talking to herself. "Lily, answer me. What's wrong?"

"I need to find Josh." Lily stated, jumping up off the seat and pushing past Alice. "I left him. I didn't meet him this morning and I need to explain why." Lily hurried down the train- ignoring Alice's attempt to get her to stay- looking into every compartment as she passed. She knew Josh would be pissed off, but she hope that she'd be let off once she explained. She did have a valid reason as to why she wasn't on the platform waiting for him.

Lily finally reached the part of the train where all the Ravenclaws sat, and after a few more minutes of looking, she came across the compartment which Josh was sitting in. She stood outside it for a moment, catching her breath, when a girl- who Lily recognised as Grace Fitzpatrick- looked up at the compartment and smiled slyly. Lily smiled back and entered the compartment without any hesitation.

"Josh, hey." She spoke. In her mind, her voice was confident and ready, but when she actually spoke, it was weak and shy. Lily groaned when Josh looked up from his quidditch magazine and frowned.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, tossing his magazine aside.

"I came to see you." This reply from Lily only earned a laugh. Josh was laughing at her. Lily's stomach dropped, especially when Grace joined in. "Why is that so funny?" She asked, her temper rising. There was no way she was going to stand there and get laughed at, especially not after what she had been through today.

"You actually have to ask that?" Grace intervened, cocking her head innocently to the side with a bewildered expression. Lily knew that beneath her pretty, innocent exterior, Grace Fitzpatrick was a complete and utter bitch.

Lily turned to face her, and mirrored her expression. "And who asked you to join this conversation?" Lily asked sweetly, trying very hard to keep obscenities out of her vocabulary, and before Grace had a chance to reply, she continued. "I came here to see you, Josh. I needed to explain why I was late this morning."

"I don't want to hear it. I get it. You had better things to do, better people to be with. You know, Evans, if you don't want to be with me you should just say." He replied rolling his eyes and picking his magazine back up. Lily grabbed it from his hands and threw it behind her in rage.

"Oh, you get it do you, Richards?" Lily started, fixing her well-practised glare onto Josh. "I was late, I get that, but you must have only waited five minutes for me to me arrive, because I wasn't that late. And you say that I don't want to be with you? I'm pretty sure we cleared this up yesterday. I told you I want to be with you. I told you I had no intention of leaving you because of Remus, James, or Sirius- oh don't look at me like that; I know that's who you were thinking of- I don't want to fucking leave you, but I will if that's what you want. And before you say that isn't what you want, maybe you should think about it. That is twice now you've said 'if you don't want to be with me, just say' and I'm starting to think you wish I would just leave." Lily finished her rant with a shaky sigh and blinked back tears which she didn't even know were forming.

"I keep on saying it because you don't show any signs of wanting to be with me! You were fifteen minutes late- yeah, it's not a big deal- but you still were late. You didn't call me or anything to tell me not to wait for you, and I bet you don't even have a valid fucking reason. You'll probably make something up about how you slept in or how your dad's car wouldn't start so you had to walk, but when it comes down to it- you didn't fucking think about me." Josh argued back, raising his eyebrows at Lily as if daring her to make excuse.

"I do have a valid reason for being late, Josh. No, I didn't sleep in and I don't know whether my dad's car would start or not because yes, I did have to fucking walk. I had a terrible argument with my family this morning so I didn't get a ride to the station, I had to walk and that's why I wasn't late. You're right about one thing though; I didn't fucking think about you. You know why? I care about my family and I probably just lost them this morning, so no, I didn't think about you. I also just blew off my bestfriend for a chat about it to see you, and I'm still the fucking bad guy!"

"You looked all happy when you arrived on the platform chatting to Sirius Black."

Shit. Lily thought. Why did he have to see that? Lily had been hoping she would have been able to get away with coming to the station with Sirius and James, but no such luck. Lily stared at Josh, her mind completely blank. What could she say? How could she make this better? She didn't even know whether she should bother making this better. Josh seemed pretty adamant to win, and he had a point. She hadn't thought of him this morning, she had arrived with Sirius and James, and she was happy- well, she was happy with Sirius. So Lily thought she'd be nice, she decided not to beg but to be nice and play on Josh's soft spots. She didn't want to break up with Josh, heck they'd only been going out for a couple of weeks.

"Josh, can't we just go sit together, please? I'm sick of today, really I am, and I just want to spend time with you. I don't want us to end when we've hardly started, so can we just forget I was late?" She walked towards him and reached for his hand, thankful when he didn't pull away. She took advantage of his silence and kissed him. She pushed him against the window and used all her remaining strength to prove to him she wasn't messing with him, and that she was serious.

"Oh, will you two get a fucking room?" Grace spat, her words dripping with jealously. Lily pulled away from Josh and smiled.

"Should we go find a compartment together?" Lily suggested, smirking slightly at Grace, and when Josh nodded, Lily took him by the hand and led him down to her compartment.

"I really am sorry, you know. I had no intention of leaving you like that." Lily bit her lip and waited for his reply. They were now sitting alone, but Lily was hoping Josh would forgive her and that she wouldn't have to beg.

"It's okay, honestly. I was just mad." He sighed. "What happened, Lils? Tell me." Josh asked, wrapping an arm around Lily, while she launched into the story about what happened this morning. She told him every single detail. She thought if she wanted her relationship with Josh to last, she couldn't and wouldn't lie- she even told him about James hugging her, and then she went on to explain her relationship with Sirius to him. Maybe she was just rambling, but Lily wanted Josh to know that she wasn't interested in anybody else but him.

Lily eventually stopped talking when Josh kissed her, and they spent the entire train ride hugging, kissing, and laughing with each other; doing everything people in relationships do. They were finally on the correct track to love, maybe even true love, who knows?

The only people, who can determine true love, are the people involved in the relationship itself, but the bystanders- the people who are watching the relationship pass by- they can alter the true outcome of the relationship. These people are people like James Potter and Sirius Black. And these people don't stop until they get what they want.

The train ride from London to Hogwarts went ridiculously fast; you could fall asleep one minute and then be being screamed at the next minute- by a very angry and agitated Remus Lupin for example.

"Sirius Orion Black, if you plan on making it to the welcome feast, you will get the fuck up!" Remus Lupin was normally a clam and collective person, much like Alice Prewitt, and when Remus was screaming at you, you became very worried- that is, if you were awake.

Remus hated being late, he was a prefect and he needed to be at welcome feast early. He also relied on his best friends (James, Sirius and Peter) to be there with him because as a prefect, he was supposed to rein them in; fat chance.

"James Harold Potter, maybe you're going to get up?" When Remus got no response from either James, or Sirius, he decided he would go with a threat. It was very easy to threaten James and Sirius, especially when you knew them as much as he did. "Fine, I'll go get Lily. She'll help." Remus finished with a smug look when James leapt up.

"Jesus, Moony, I'm up! No need to get Evans, nope, none at all." James' voice was hoarse from sleeping and he was wearing a much panicked expression; along with a black eye.

"Maybe I should get Lily to help wake Sirius up though." Remus yelled, right next to Sirius' ear, and he still didn't move. Sirius was the worst for sleeping, there could be a war taking place right next to his bed and he still wouldn't wake up.

Remus didn't need to go get Lily because she was standing outside of the Marauder's compartment, she looked as if she was dying to laugh, but she obviously thought it was best not to.

"Hey, Remus, you ready for the prefects meeting?" She asked when Remus opened the door.

"No, I am not because these twats…" He pointed to James, and then to the sleeping heap that was Sirius. "Were sleeping, and wouldn't get up. I was just about to come and get you, actually."

"Why?"

"My guess is because you're terrifying." Josh added, with a cheeky grin to Lily, who was pouting.

"Yes, the guy's right, now wake up Sirius, please?" Remus begged.

"No, why don't you just leave him? Maybe he'll wake up before he reaches London." And with that, Lily grabbed Remus and dragged him off the train and up to a carriage.

"What the hell was that, Lily? You just…left Sirius." Remus was staring wide-eyed at Lily from the opposite seat in the carriage, while Josh was chuckling silently.

Lily rolled her eyes dramatically. "Are you being serious, Remus? Potter will have woke him up, relax."

Remus pouted at Lily for being right, and did as she said; he relaxed. They managed to reach the castle early just like they had planned, and Lily took notes during the prefects meeting so she could go over them later in the common room and refer back to them if she hadn't managed to remember the new rules.

The prefect meeting took place in the great hall, so Lily and Remus found themselves sat together at the Gryffindor table waiting for their friends to arrive. Eventually, after only waiting 10 minutes or so, the Great Hall started to fill up with existing students and the sorting began. Lily liked the sorting, and every year since her first year at Hogwarts, she watched it. This time, however, she found herself distracted by a very pissed off Marlene McKinnon. Marlene had been Lily's friend from the day Lily threw the pitcher of pumpkin juice in James' face at the first breakfast of first year; Marlene found it absolutely hilarious and decided she needed to make friends with a girl like Lily. Ever since, they had been inseparable, along with Alice (thankfully they all shared a dorm), but Marlene was very different to Lily. Marlene had an extreme talent for making things go her way, and for making people tell the truth. She would flutter her eyelashes and turn on the charm- if her target was male- or, she would glare into her targets eyes and simply press on the subject for what seemed a lifetime- if her target was female.

"Lily, where have you been?" Lily was about to answer her question, but Marlene continued. "You didn't owl me last night to tell me when you were home- or about what happened with Josh, but we'll get to that later- and I haven't seen you all day today! Are you fucking kidding me? I've been worried sick, and you wanna know the worst part? I had to find out from Sirius Black and James Potter that you'd had a row with your family! Good Godric Lily, do you love me anymore?!" Marlene hissed across the Gryffindor table, her eyes narrowing at Lily.

"Marlene, do we have to do this now? And, stop being ridiculous, of course I still bloody love you!" Lily whispered back, but Marlene only kicked her under the table and Lily took that as 'Yes, we are fucking doing this now.' So, she began her explanation of why she ended up with Sirius and James and she also included her little argument with Josh, for Marlene lived for gossip. Professor Dumbledore stood up and the hall immediately fell silent, but Lily sent a glare toward Marlene for making her miss the sorting.

"Welcome, welcome to another year at Hogwarts. First of all, Mr Filch- our caretaker- has asked me to remind you that the forbidden forest is surprisingly forbidden, and that all products from Zonko's are banned. " He finished this sentence with a knowing look at the Marauders (although he was smiling, so the reprimand was pretty pointless), and then resumed his speech. "I would also like to announce a new arrival at the school. The tale begins grave, but I know of course you will rectify it. Beaxbatons Academy of Magic was attacked early in the summer holidays resulting in damage and unfortunately death and I of course, said that some students would be welcome to resume their education here at Hogwarts if they wish. I also said that they deserve to be housed properly, so if you don't mind- which I know you won't- the feast shall be postponed for only short while so we can give these students a sense of belonging. You will treat these students like you would any other, they may speak differently and believe in different things, but they are still human like yourselves. Remember that."

Dumbledore smiled and sat back down in his seat, while McGonagall proceeded with the new housing. There were around 20 new students, and they all lined up politely waiting for their turn to be sorted. The last name was called.

"Isabelle Babineaux, Gryffindor." The sorting hat fell silent, and Professor Dumbledore stood up and signalled for the students to eat now; with a casual flick of his wand, food lined the tables.

Hestia and Marlene were arguing over which Hufflepuff they would most likely date (presuming Hestia and Marlene did actually date people), Alice was chatting with Frank and Lily was staring into space; a few moments later her daydream was disrupted by a polite French girl appearing beside her.

"Excuse me, would you mind if I sat with you?" The girl had hair much like Lily's except it was blonde and poker straight, she had a heart shaped face with tanned skin which made her pale blue eyes stand out.

"Of course I wouldn't." Lily scooted along the bench to make room for her and smiled gently, the girl looked timid and shy, but she also looked like she wanted to belong.

"I'm Isabelle, by the way." She spoke very good English, but her accent was French as Lily could tell by the way she clipped certain letters.

"I'm Lily."

"Marlene."

"Hestia."

Marlene elbowed Alice and she quickly turned around, noticing Isabelle's presence and then she smiled. "Sorry, I'm Alice." The girls laughed.

"What was it like at Beaxbatons, Isabelle?" Lily asked after a few minutes of silence, curiosity getting the better of her.

"It was great, but completely different to here. I mean, this is brilliant; it's like old and historic, but Beaxbatons was more modern and…elegant. I presume I'll prefer it here. As long as I make friends and do well in class."

"You already have friends, Isabelle, you have us." Marlene grinned and stuffed a pie whole into her mouth.

"Presuming you actually want to be friends with that." Lily told her, smiling.

"Eh, she'll do." Isabelle smiled back, and they all began eating. They discussed different foods from England, and then compared it to tradition dished to France. They all were all dared by Isabelle to eat a typical French delicacy which Dumbledore had ordered the house-elves to make especially. Lily particularly enjoyed the Truffle du Perigord, but it was clear by the look on Hestia's face that she found it horrid.

"I'm from Bordeaux, and we're particularly known for good wine." Isabelle whispered, and the four girls grinned. "I say we try it, I mean, we do need to get to know each other."

"I have prefect duty!" Lily groaned. As if it were fate, Professor McGonagall appeared behind Lily and Remus.

"Prefect duty has been cancelled tonight, please take care of our new students?" Lily beamed at her friends and they jumped up, skipping from the hall.

"She was fit." Sirius declared while lounging over the entire sofa in the common room.

"Was? As in, she was fit and she isn't now?" Remus asked, smirking.

Sirius stuck his tongue out at Remus and chucked his cushion at his face, fortunately for Remus, he ducked just in time. "Oh fuck off, she is fit. I would."

"You fuck anything with legs, mate." James said, peering at his friends over his quidditch magazine.

"I might have been on about dating her! Nobody mentioned sex!" Sirius protested, pouting childishly. At his response, all three of the boys burst out laughing- this caused Sirius to throw all of the cushions on the sofa at his friends.

"You are all prats. I am dating material-"Sirius' rant of how he was apparently dating material more so than Remus, or James, was interrupted by high pitched laughter. The Marauders turned around to see Lily bent double with laughter, Alice was clutching the wall and Marlene and Hestia were already on the floor in a laughing fit; Isabelle was smirking because the girls were just in the middle of telling her exactly what Sirius, along with James, was like.

"Oh, come on. Lily, you know for a fact you'd date me!" He cried, fluttering his eyelashes pathetically at Lily who still hadn't recovered from her fit of giggles.

"Oh, yeah Black, you're totally Lily's type. She'd date you." Alice said, rolling her eyes.

"You'd have to pretend she wasn't already in a relationship with a gorgeous quidditch player, though." Isabelle pointed out, grinning at Lily and the girls who returned the smile.

"I play quidditch!" Sirius whined.

"You're a beater though." James grinned. Isabelle sent an approving look toward Lily who winked in response.

"Well, thank you for the information, but we have things to discuss now." Isabelle smiled sweetly at Sirius and sauntered up to her dorm with Lily and the girls.

Lily, Alice, Marlene and Hestia all showed Isabelle which bed was hers while she cracked open a bottle of fancy wine which she had in her trunk. Lily transfigured several glasses and their night began; they stayed up late drinking heaps of wine and telling stories about their family, friends and school life. By the end of the night (or 4 o clock in the morning) and several bottles of wine later, the girls fell asleep. Isabelle fit in pretty well with the group of girls, and they all really liked her. She was funny, charming, and intelligent- but she wasn't stuck up or somebody who would spend all their time doing homework, like Lily. She brought an equal balance to the group because she had a daredevil/rebel side, and a serious/school life side, they sensed a new beginning to the year; they knew sixth year would be good.

The Marauders spent the night chatting- in explicit detail- about the new, and existing, girls at Hogwarts. They for once had an early night and they all were asleep by midnight. Remus was desperate to try and become head boy next year, so he wanted to get an early night for his busy morning tomorrow. Peter needed to get sleep so he could wake up tomorrow, he physically needed to be fresh and awake- he couldn't afford to fail his N.E.W.T's. James and Sirius were just bored, and after running out of ideas for things to do, they fell asleep also. They had a new boy in their year, but he wanted to stay with the 5th years, so they left him to it.

Overall, you could say 6th year was going to be highly entertaining.