A/N: Hi there my lovelies! So this is a Marauder Era story which begins in sixth year and will hopefully continue right through to post-hogwarts. This isn't my first Marauder story, but I'm hoping it'll be my best and I am very excited about it. There'll be plenty of my own characters mixed in with J.K's ones, and I hope you enjoy! Do be warned though, most of my story won't be canon and I plan on changing events to suit my fangirling needs...

Disclaimer: I do not, nor ever will, own any of J.K. Rowling's wonderful world, (I can only dream).

I should, however, mention that although this story is rated a T, there may be some strong language and action- and probably some mentions of sex, but nothing too graphic, I promise!

Much love x

Prologue

August 11th 1978

Life is a long line of moments.

A bundle of scenes, events, conversations, words, arguments, duels, embraces and breaths that are all bound together to create a life time. Interlinking all these moments are our decisions. They are the things that define us, and they make us human - whether we be muggles or wizards - deciding the path that we will take.

At least, that's what some people believe.

At this particular moment in time, on the eleventh of August 1978, Adelaide Beatrix Reid didn't believe that. She had a decision to make, a very hard decision, in fact, for she was a very indecisive person. She knew that this decision would decide her future - but what she didn't realise was that it would decide so many other paths as well.

So, here she was, stood at the kitchen sink, her chipped, purple nails biting into the wooden counter, a crease marring her forehead as she struggled with her thoughts. Faces blurred around her head - a certain face appearing more frequently than others - as she desperately tried to decide what to do. But it was difficult. Her family were waiting in their old car, impatient for her to go with them, and nothing should have been holding her back.

But it was.

Should she leave, or should she go? The question lingered. It seemed simple, but didn't feel that way, and as her worries swirled around, a resigned sigh escaped her lips. She couldn't help but feel torn between what was right and what was easy, especially when the right thing to do meant she would lose so much.

Of course, this was all irrelevant.

You see, the strange thing was, Adelaide didn't realise that the decision had already been made for her. The pink-grey clouds knew, the light, chilly breeze knew, the whole world knew that she was going to brush down her jeans, walk out of that door and climb into that rusty blue ford where she belonged. She had to. It was written in the stars, it had been decided by fate a long time ago.

Only, there was one small problem.

Adelaide Beatrice Reid rarely did as she told. And this, like many others before it, is a story. Many different versions of this story could – and have been – told… but this is the version I believe. Because I know Adelaide Reid more than anybody else does, and I'm almost certain that this is the decision she would have made. You can decide for yourself.

This is what happened when she stayed.

A train ride

September 1st 1976

"You're sat on Bean, Addie!" screamed Louisa, one of Adelaide's two younger twin sisters. Bean was her treasured teddy, and Adelaide tugged it roughly out from under her leg, kissing the tattered lump on the ear.

"There. I kissed him better, alright?" Louisa huffed melodramatically, but Addie just rolled her eyes, used to seven year old sass.

"What have you got there?" demanded Della, the most outspoken of the pair. Though they're both loud enough, Addie thought sourly. In her hand was a scrunched up letter from Sirius Black, which had only arrived that very morning. Addie quickly stuffed it in her pocket.

"Mind your own." she grumbled. Della stuck out her tongue in response.

Their small five-seater car was positively overflowing with Adelaide's huge trunk, her cluttering owl Pudgy, (who was a miserable-looking, large bird with a squished face), and her whole family, so everyone's patience was wearing thin - Adelaide's especially, since she was sure they would miss the train. She tapped her foot impatiently from where she was wedged between the squawking Louisa and Della, until her mum snapped at her to stop. She didn't.

The morning had been hectic, with people running about madly, her dad trying to serve breakfast to the girls, and Addie desperately trying to stuff last bits and pieces into her suitcase. Every year, her mother nagged her to pack earlier, and every year Addie responded with a "That's not helping!" It usually ended in an argument, but this year, thankfully, (for Addie and her mother's shouting matches were not enjoyable for anyone), her dad stepped in, ever the peacekeeper, calming them both before it could get heated.

The said man finally climbed into the driver's seat, flashing a grin at his grumpy family, (Addie didn't understand how he could always be so damn jolly), and they drove quickly to the station. She watched her parent's heads sway as the car rocked along - her mother's mousy dark hair, which was once thick and curly like Addie's, was pulled into a tight pony tail that was wedged between the back of her head and the old car seat. She could see her mum's bony hands were clenched tightly in her lap as her dad swerved in and out of traffic' the older woman had always hated driving, but she didn't complain and for that, the sixteen year old was grateful. It would only cause another row.

Addie glanced out of the window. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. She sighed, and wished - as she did often - that she could use magic at home, despite not knowing the spell to speed up a car. Everything was just so much easier with magic, and she was itching to get back to school.

Lily groaned as she tried to tug the heavy trunk onto the train, her cheeks flushed from the warmth of the station. She struggled for a few minutes, before giving up and aiming an angry kick at the heavy load. Her parents, two cheerful muggles by the names of Charles and Katherine Evans, stood fairly far away, chatting to one of Lily's closest friends, Alice, and her parents - but none of the five people seemed aware of Lily's struggles. The said witch cursed under her breath - now nursing an injured foot - and wished bitterly that she hadn't packed quite so many books for extra reading. She knew it was a bad idea to bring The Tails and Trials of One Hundred Witches. She reprimanded herself, but was suddenly pulled from her angry thoughts by a warm voice, as the trunk rammed in the carriage door once again.

"Can I help you with that?" asked Colin Dawkins, a smile lingering on his face. Lily stuttered as his glittering blue eyes glued her to the spot, making her breath hitch in her throat. Colin Dawkins was a year older than her, and with his handsome features and a sharp mind, he was the boy of every girls dreams. Of course, Lily didn't class herself as one of those airheads, but that didn't stop her stomach from doing a little flip as a strand of his perfectly groomed blonde hair curled onto his forehead.

"I... thank you." she stuttered, blushing furiously.

"That's no problem." He dragged her case into a carriage with ease, slotting it into an empty space above the seats, before flashing her his brilliant smile. She knew those perfectly straight teeth had left many girls before her weak at the knees. "You really should be careful with your trunk. For some reason, I don't think kicking it will do it any good." His eyes sparkled with humour and she laughed - but it sounded forced and slightly manic. She coughed, embarrassed.

"You're right. Thanks again, Colin."

"I'll see you around Lily." But he didn't leave straight away. Gently, he altered the satchel strap that was slipping down her shoulder and gave her one last glance before disappearing down the train. Lily's heart fluttered and she sighed, but she had little time to relish the moment.

"Did I just see you talking to Colin Dawkins?" asked Alice, clambering onto the train. Of course, her trunk slid into the carriage effortlessly, as she glanced at her friend.

Lily smiled in spite of herself. "He was helping me with my trunk."

Alice raised her eyebrows sceptically. "Lily, dear, Colin Dawkins doesn't just help girls with their trunks. He must have taken a fancy you." Lily laughed, rolling her eyes at Alice's ability to exaggerate.

"I don't know about that..."

"Trust me, Lils, I can tell. Don't you get how lucky you are? Colin Dawkins - chaser on the Ravenclaw team; school prefect and dreamy heartthrob, has his eyes on you. You should jump at the chance." Lily smiled at her friend. Alice was a year older, but when it came to romance, she acted like a giggly third year. Her rosy cheeks and short height didn't soften the image.

"Leave it, Alice. We were just talking. And you have a boyfriend." she reminded her with a smirk. Alice stuck her tongue out at Lily, but was quiet as they lifted her trunk up next to her friend.

"Speaking of which - have you seen Frank? I can't seem to find him anywhere.'' Lily shook her head, having looked around the station for Alice's boyfriend previously, as well as their other friends, and together they went back out to the corridor to speak to their parents out the window.

Finally, Addie and her family arrived and all clambered out of the Ford, rushing into King's Cross Station. Addie had begged her parent's not to let the twins come, as she knew they'd surely make them late and make the car ride hell, but her mum had been adamant. "You know they love running into that wall." She'd reminded her, and Addie couldn't deny it. The twins were infatuated with the wonder of the wizarding world, and asked her countless questions. She'd always wished that they would turn out to be witches too, so they could experience it for themselves, and so they wouldn't always be pestering her, but they'd shown no signs of magic. Sometimes, Addie thought this relieved her mum in a way. Although she didn't disapprove of Addie's lifestyle, exactly, she seemed to wear this strange tight-lipped expression when Addie talked about some of the stranger happenings that went on in the Wizarding world. But, she'd always been fairly sceptical of the supermatural, so who was to blame her?

They ran onto platform 9 3/4 and as usual, Addie's heart rate sped up at the sight of all the wizarding families mulling about, and the huge red steam train that immediately made her feel at home. The air was warm and damp, settling on her skin, and the smell of warmth and smoke and leather trickled under her nose.

Fortunately, the train wasn't moving, and when Addie glanced at the clock, she saw that they still had a couple of minutes to spare. They made their way to the nearest carriage.

Louisa and Della wrapped their arms around her middle tightly, beaming up at their older sister, their earlier feud forgotten. Addie hugged them back with a smile. "Good luck in Mrs Jackson's class, Lou." she smiled, talking of the horrible teacher her sister had next year, (whom she herself had suffered through during her fourth year of primary school), whilst ruffling her blonde hair. "And you be good, Dell. No more sword fights."

"I promise." she replied, crossing her heart and grinning. Addie rolled her eyes, a habit which her mother had begged her to lose and was consequently part of the reason why she never had.

"I love you both." She turned to her mum, who hugged her and kissed her on the cheek, whispering a stern "Be good." (She wasn't one for soppy goodbye's), and got a special bear hug from her father, who, surprisingly, had tears in his eyes.

"You have fun, Addie." He beamed, placing his warm hands on her shoulders. "We're both so proud of you."

"Thanks Dad."

He smiled, sadly. "Jump on, quickly now."

Not sure how to respond, and feeling slightly confused as to why her father was acting so nostalgic, Addie stepped onto the train, and waved as it began to move along. The twins ran along beside her, giggling, until it sped away.

Along the train, other students were mirroring Lily and Alice, saying their last minute good-byes. The Hogwarts Express was due to depart any minute, so the redhead wrapped both her mum and her Dad in a hug, promising to write. Next to her, Alice did the same. Tears had started to form in her Mother's green eyes and her Dad wore a proud smile.

"Look after yourself, sweetheart, and be safe." said Katherine. Lily smiled.

"I will. I love you both." She hesitated. "And send my love to Petunia too. I... tell her I'll miss her." Her mother smiled weakly, as a loud horn blared.

"Of course I will. You never know, she might come round this year... she just needs time." Lily highly doubted that, since six years on, her sister still hated her - but she couldn't help feeling the same flutter of hope that her parents did. She smiled brightly, for their sake.

"I'm sure she will." The train began to chug along and Lily leaned further out of the window, waving as they hurried away.

"I'll see you soon!" she cried, waving and smiling as her parents did the same, holding each other. Once they were out of sight, she closed the window and looked back at Alice with a smile. "And so, our sixth year begins."

Alice disappeared to find Frank, but Addie soon appeared, her dark, chocolate hair curling around her face. Lily had always felt a twinge of jealousy when she saw Addie's big, bright blue eyes and dark curls, but she didn't realise that Addie envied her pretty green eyes and bright hair just as much. Addie ran at Lily, wrapping her arms around the redhead, like all her Christmases had come early. It had been a long summer without her best friends.

"I've missed you!" she exclaimed.

"You're squashing me, Ads!" laughed Lily, as the former released her. "I missed you too."

They settled into the carriage, watching the fields fly past the window. It was warm and Lily sat back in her seat, relishing in the peace she knew would soon disappear when they go to school, as they babbled about summer.

It was a few minutes before a dishevelled Marlene appeared, her trunk trailing behind her and her long blonde hair tumbling around her flushed face.

"There you two are!" she cried, her case banging against the door as she pulled it in. "I've been looking everywhere! Nearly missed the train as well - you know what Dad's like." Lily and Addie jumped up to help her lift her trunk, smiling, and they had just finished when another girl showed up.

"Hi, Mary." grinned Addie, reaching out to hug their other dorm mate, who was stood in the open doorway. Mary Kelpings and her best friend Jo Harrington were the remaining members of the dorm, though they weren't as close to Lily, Marlene and Addie.

"Where's Jo?" asked Marlene, though only out of politeness. None of them were very keen on the remaining girl in their dorm. Mary rolled her eyes.

"Oh, she got a boyfriend over the summer - Adam Baker in hufflepuff, have you heard of him? Anyway, she might be along shortly… after their make out session, that is. The traitor." Her words were sarcastically spoken, but her smile was fond. The girls laughed, but were fairly surprised at the news. Jo wasn't one for a long term relationship.

"Where's Alice, anyway?" Mary asked, plopping down.

"With Frank." replied Lily. "But she might be sitting in Helda's carriage for the journey." Helda Jones was Alice's best friend in the year above and was a bit dim, but a nice girl, nonetheless, and they all liked her.

They settled down once again, talking to each other about their summers, and filling in the gaps that they hadn't told one another in their letters.

All the girls had very different home lives: Addie was Lily's only other muggleborn friend, (and had had a lot of disputes over the years with slytherins for the fact); Alice's family were well respected purebloods; Marlene's father worked for the Ministry of Magic; Jo came from a family of Half-bloods; and Mary was also a half-blood, with four other siblings, (all with her chestnut hair and sarcastic humour). Jo's parents were together, (unlike Marlene's, whose mother had left when she was very young), but they argued constantly, and she didn't speak of them often.

Eventually, they started discussing boys. Lily talked about how she spent her whole summer avoiding Severus Snape, who constantly wanted to talk to her, whilst Mary told stories of her holiday romances and Marlene described the letters she'd wrote to Charles Kipling (a hufflepuff in their year whom she'd been sort-of dating for a while). Addie listened, feeling slightly out of it, but didn't particularly mind. She knew she'd feel worse to be under interrogation.

"What about your crush on Remus, Mary? Has that disappeared yet?" Lily asked. Addie noticed that Marlene turned pink at Remus's name and smiled slightly. It looked like Charles had competition.

Just as Mary finished gushing about Remus, (apparently her crush on the marauder hadn't disappeared), the door opened again, and in entered a beaming Jo Harrington. She looked windswept, but her auburn hair, which was always sleek and well groomed, still managed to fall endearingly onto her shoulders. Addie had always marvelled at how she managed to look like she'd just appeared off a magazine photoshoot, come rain or shine. Mary got up, smiling and tugged her best friend into a seat.

"Jo! You're here!" she squeaked.

"Yeah, I was slightly... preoccupied.'' she threw them all a lazy grin, which only Mary returned.

"Is this, er, Adam?" asked Lily. Jo was a 'onetime' kind of girl, and had a reputation at Hogwarts - which was why they were all surprised when they heard that she'd had a boyfriend.

"We met over summer.'' she gushed. "I never knew he lived nearby until he said that he recognized me from school. Oh, he's just perfect." It was hardly a long relationship, but probably one of the longest Jo'd had, and Addie couldn't help but feel glad for the girl - maybe this was a new her, after all.

"I thought you were in Egypt all summer? That's why we didn't meet up." pouted Mary.

"Ohh, right. Mummy cancelled it at the last moment. I'm sorry, love. I didn't want to spoil your plans."

"It's alright, I guess." replied Mary, though rather sulkily. There was a pause, which everyone but Jo seemed to find awkward.

"So, what were we talking about, girls?" she beamed.

"Boys." laughed Marlene, smoothing over the uncomfortable silence. "But we've already grilled everybody."

"Not Addie." Lily reminded them. Addie grimaced. So much for escaping interrogation.

"Spill the beans then, Ads."

"There's really nothing to tell." she muttered. "You know I'm not really a magnet for the opposite sex."

"Purr-lease, you're a looker, love. And don't you think otherwise." Alice scolded. "You'll meet a bloke one day."

"Maybe."

They went back to discussing their crushes, but Addie couldn't avoid the sidelong glance that Jo sent her way.

The rest of the journey was more uncomfortable after Jo's arrival, despite Mary's attempts at conversation. And when, a couple of hours later, Lily had to go to the prefect cabin for a meeting, she hated to admit that it was a relief to leave the tense compartment, and she felt better once she was out in the open corridor. She checked her watch. The prefect meeting started in fifteen minutes - so she'd just have to wander around for a little while first. She wondered if she could find Alice.

Slowly, she walked along past the compartments, filled with students, looking at the pretty view outside the train.

But, suddenly, she was interrupted.

"Lily." In front of her stood none other than Severus Snape. Her heart clenched as she took in the boy who had once been her closest friend. All through summer, he'd tried to talk to her, contact her, bur she'd kept her distance, and even though she knew it was bound to happen, it was still a shock to see him up close like this. He'd grown a few inches over summer, she noticed, so now he was a lot taller than her. She knew he'd always been desperate to be tall when they were younger, and it looked like he'd finally got what he wanted. Surprisingly, the thought made a lump rise in her throat, and she swallowed thickly.

"Severus." she replied. There was a pause.

"I tried to talk to you, but you avoided me." he said, quietly, bitterly. God, he sounded hurt. Lily's heart thudded painfully in her chest.

"I know." She closed her eyes. "I'm sorry Sev, I really am. But us, this-" she gestured between them. "... this was never going to work. We can't be friends... we just can't." She turned to leave.

"But why not Lily?" he asked, his eyes desperate. "Why can't we be mates? You know how much I regretted saying it; you know how sorry I am-"

"It's not that, Sev." she snapped, her eyes burning as her patience waned. "I'm over it, I've forgiven you. But you're a different person now. You've changed, can't you see that? You're still frightened to talk to me in front of your Slytherin friends - Mulciber, Avery, Stebbins; you're still obsessed with the dark arts, like them."

"I-"

"No, Sev. No excuses. If anyone's got dirty blood - it's you. I can no longer be your friend, because I can no longer enjoy your company, with your infatuation with the dark arts. Goodbye." She turned to leave, once again, but he stopped her.

"Lily, wait-" she turned back, her eyes still fiery, but glossy now, too.

"No. I'm done waiting, Sev!" she exclaimed, angrily. "Waiting for you to change, waiting for you to care about me, to actually treat me like a friend-"

"What's going on here?" demanded a voice - it was low, gruff, angry. Lily turned and found herself face to face with Mulciber, one of the nasty Slytherins whom Snape hung around with. His dark hair fell around his eyes, which glinted with malice. Next to him stood Avery and a younger boy Lily barely recognized - was his name Barty? She wasn't sure, but he looked excited to be there - it was probably a privilege in their house to be chosen to hang around with Mulciber. He was one of the nastiest students she knew, probably coming close to Bellatrix Lestrange. Lily could feel herself becoming increasingly angrier - he was the one who had hexed Mary McDonald, (a cheerful fifth-year), last year, and caused her to be admitted to the hospital wing for the weekend. Severus spoke before she could.

"I was just passing Evans on the way to the prefect cabin." he explained, coolly. So, Snape was a prefect too. Great, thought Lily. Mulciber's eyebrows burrowed with suspicion.

"It didn't look like you were just passing. I though this friendship-" he snarled the word. "-was over."

"It is." snapped Lily, ignoring the pain that pricked her chest at the words. Mulciber grinned, an ugly grin, and pulled out his wand.

"I don't believe you." Lily's heart rate accelerated.

"It's true." intervened Severus, frowning. "We no longer associate with each other." Mulciber looked between them with a calculating look in his eye and pocketed his wand. Lily sighed in relief.

"Well..." He spoke slowly, drawing out his words. "If that's so... why don't you disarm her, Severus?" he asked, in a curious voice. He was still grinning horribly. Lily glanced at Severus, uncertainly, who had gone as white as a sheet. "Or..." continued Mulciber. Why don't you call her the name that made her hate you?" His voice was mocking - he was enjoying this. Lily's hands shook slightly, as her breath caught in her throat. He wouldn't. Sev wouldn't, not again. She turned away from the Slytherins, and looked right into his eyes, which were wide with fear. "Go on, Snape." Mulciber coaxed venomously.

"Sev." she whispered, so only he could hear. Her heart was thudding so loudly, she was surprised no one else could hear it. There was a long, painful pause, and then-

"Mudblood." He said it quietly, avoiding her gaze. There was a moment of silence, where Lily felt like someone had basked her in cold water. Hurt pricked at her chest as Mulciber's dark laugh blasted in her ears. She turned and fled down the corridor, wiping away the stray tears and breathing deeply. He was lost to her.

She took a deep breath, and rubbed her face, trying to calm her thudding heart. How could he? How could he do it again? Her first day back at Hogwarts, and she knew it couldn't get any worse.

That was, until she saw James Potter.

"Evans!" His face lit up as he saw her, and she glared at him in return. She wasn't in the mood for this. He was wearing a blue shirt and jeans, since he hadn't changed into his school robes yet, and was leaning casually across the corridor, blocking the way. The arm he leant on was bent in such a way that the muscles on it stuck out, and Lily rolled her eyes internally. Cocky git. Her gaze trailed up to his face where he wore a crooked smile, his brown eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Move out of the way, Potter. I'm busy." she snapped. He grinned.

"Prefect meeting, right? Moony's going too, but it doesn't start for another fifteen minutes.'' He grinned again, obviously proud of his superior knowledge. "Why the rush?" Lily groaned internally - he was so incredibly irritating.

"Because I wanted to go early! Why don't you keep your nose out of other people's business?!" she exclaimed.

"I was just..." His crooked grin faltered as he looked carefully at her face. "Are you okay Evans? You look like you've been... crying." He looked so confused and concerned, that she had to take a deep breath to stop the tears from spilling over once again. She couldn't deal with more people mocking her.

"I'm fine, Potter, I just want to go to the prefect's cabin." She bit her lip, which had started to tremble. He was frowning.

"But-"

"Potter, move." Something in her voice must have made him relent because he moved out the way and she marched into the empty prefect compartment, slamming the door behind her. She sank into the seat and tried very, very hard not to cry.

It wasn't long until the other prefects showed up, but by this time Lily had calmed herself, and formed a pleasantly detached expression. Remus came to sit by her and greeted her with a smile. His amber eyes were glistening with warmth, and his skin pale seemed to glow through the shabby clothes he wore. He stretched out his thin legs, and told her how glad he was that Frank was the new head boy, giving no indication that Potter had said anything to him which was good. She knew Remus would hold actual concern for her, sweet as he was, and she wasn't in the mood for fuss. She could forget the whole Snape fiasco had ever happened. Colin was there too - he flashed her a grin as he sat down, making her blush. She hoped no one saw.

Addie left the carriage a little while after Lily, on the pretence of going to find Alice. Truthfully, she just didn't want to talk about boys any longer. The conversation was boring the life out of her - it wasn't anything like the train ride she'd been looking forward to.

As she walked along the train, she noticed James leaning out the window in the cramped corridor. He held an unlit cigarette between his lips as the cool wind whipped his messy hair about. "Hey Potter!" she called, and he turned to her, looking miserable. They were close friends, considering they were both chasers on the quidditch team, and both had similar sense of humours, (though Addie liked to think of herself as more mature than the marauder), so a worried line appeared on her forehead. James had always made her laugh, and they'd been mates since he'd helped her out in second year. A third year Slytherin had jinxed her, so he'd summoned a box of dragon plasters from his trunk for her scraped knee, before he and Sirius had given the said attacker a face full of pimples. From then on, they'd looked out for each other, so she stopped by.

"Come on James, you can't be depressed already - we're not even at school yet." she joked, trying to cheer him up. He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes, and pocketed his cigarette.

"Hey, Addie." He pulled her into a hug. Internally, she commented on how he'd grown - her head barely reached his chest now. Why was it boys always shot up over the holidays? "You alright?"

"I'm fine." She frowned as he released her. "But since when did you start smoking?"

"Oh, that…" He looked away, embarrassed. "Bad habit I picked up over summer. I guess I had a lot on my mind."

"I can see that." She crossed her arms, but refrained from lecturing him. Obviously, he didn't need one right now.

James changed the subject, throwing her a sheepish grin. "Good summer?"

"Alright." she shrugged. "Six weeks with two screaming seven year olds is always a blast… You?" His lips twitched, then fell. Damn, she knew she'd been close to a smile.

"Yeah. It was fun."

"You spent it with Sirius, right? He moved in?"

"Yeah." James looked confused. "Did he tell you?"

"Oh, no." She blushed. Sure, she and Sirius had sent letters in the summer, and each one had been full of jokes and funny stories, but he hadn't divulged that private piece of information.

Not wanting to sound as though she'd been prying, she shook her head. "No, Remus mentioned it in a letter." Her heart had ached for Sirius when she heard. Remus hadn't gone into detail, (he wasn't one to gossip about people's problems), but she knew that Sirius's parents weren't nice people, and something terrible must have happened for him to actually run away from home. It took bravery to do something like that, no matter how horribly you were treated.

"Oh."

"He's... he's okay now though, isn't he? Sirius, I mean."

James looked away, and Addie thought for a moment he didn't want to reply. But then he spoke. "Yeah. He... I don't think he really wants to talk about it. Not to me, or to Moony, though we've both tried."

"It must have been awful." Addie felt so sorry for him - though she knew Sirius hated people's pity - and sympathy leaked into her voice. James only nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

"So, what's got you down?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Hmm? Oh, nothing." He ran a hand through his hair - something he'd done for as long as she could remember, and she knew irritated Lily to no end. "Just thinking, is all."

"Right." She smiled gently, getting the hint that he wanted to be alone. James was usually full of high spirits, constantly mucking around with Sirius and cracking jokes, but when he was feeling gloomy, they'd learnt over the year she was better left alone. "Well, don't think too much James - it's bad for you, you know." A grin played on her lips. "I think I'll go find Alice. See you at the feast."

She began to walk away, but he called her back.

"Hey, Addie! Wait a sec." He ran a hand through his hair, again, as she turned around expectantly.

"I was just wondering... has Lily mentioned a Colin Dawkins, at all?"

"That Ravenclaw doofus?" James's mouth twitched up at her quick insult, and Addie raised her eyebrows. "No she hasn't."

"Oh, good." He looked considerably happier.

"Any reason in particular?"

"Nothing you should worry about. Just something Peter said he saw earlier..." He coughed uncomfortably, and Addie tried to hide her grin. The reason was pretty obvious. "So… you're going to see Alice?" he asked. "Are you sure you don't want to have a game of exploding snap with us lot? Remus is at the prefect meeting, so there's only three of us to lose against." He grinned, and Addie laughed.

"Are you sure? I don't want to interrupt your male bonding time." she joked. James's chuckled and Addie tried to hide her smile, happy that he finally seemed to be.

"Nah, you're good. We could use a fresh pair of hands to win against. Peter's getting fed up of having his skin seared off." He grinned again.

"Well, when you put it like that... I do love a good challenge."

When Addie entered the compartment with James, she raised her eyebrows at the mess they'd made. Various food wrappers and half eaten chocolate bars littered the seats and floor; scorch marks had stained the walls; and a few bottles of firewhisky had been placed on the spare seat. Addie didn't have a clue how they'd sneaked it on the train, or how they planned to sneak it up to their dorms, but she didn't particularly want to know. It seemed, without Remus to tame them, Sirius and James were more than slightly out of control. She dreaded to think what James's mother had been through over the summer. I mean, she knew they were messy, but this... "In my defense, the chocolate belongs to Remus." James muttered, before turning to the marauders.

"I bought a replacement Moony!" he announced, fluffing Addie's hair. She shoved him off, non-too gently.

Peter smiled at her, from where he sat, leaning against the wall, holding a Bertie Bott's box. "Hullo, Addie. How was your summer?"

"Only average, I'm afraid." she replied, smiling. "Yours?"

"It was okay." muttered Peter, popping a sweet in his mouth. "But these goons made me and Remus play them at quidditch, even though they know we suck." He grimaced at the foul taste.

"Peter will never get over the humiliation." smirked Sirius, as Addie sat down opposite him.

He smiled at her, looking as handsome as ever with his dancing grey eyes and smoky, dark hair, (not that she'd ever tell him that - god knows he didn't need his head inflating anymore), and she sighed. Even the way he sat suggested that he belonged, his arms folded casually against his chest and his legs stretched along the row of seats with elegance. She on the other hand, was the definition of clumsy: a slightly dorky individual with hair messier than James's.

"So, Addie, who do you want to play first?" asked Peter.

"I think Peter meant to ask who you want to lose to first." Sirius added, casually, though his eyes were smiling.

"I'm pretty sure I could beat you all actually." she commented. James laughed sceptically, shoving Sirius's feet down carelessly, so he could take a seat.

"Are you absolutely positive about that, Miss Reid?" Sirius's smirk was playful, mischievous, and she raised her eyebrows.

"I can assure you, Mr Black, I won't lose."

He laughed a bark-like laugh, knowing Addie well enough to hear the stubbornness in her voice. "Hmm, brave words, brave words. We'll see, won't we?"

"We will."

She lost all her games, but refused to admit it.

A few hours later, after a particularly gruelling prefect meeting, where Snape wouldn't stop staring at her, they reached the school. Lily met with Marlene, who was chatting to Alice and Helda, and they walked to the place where carriages would take them up to gates; Jo had detached herself from them, which was a relief, along with Mary, and so the girls could walk and chat freely together. Lily didn't mention her run-in with the slytherins, but she couldn't help but throw a glare at Mulciber when she caught him glowering at her from the queue of people waiting to get in a carriage.

Addie ran up to them, flushed and breathless.

"Where have you been?" asked Lily, her eyebrows raised.

She paused to catch her breath. "I ran into the marauders."

"The marauders? They didn't prank you, did they?" she asked. "It's not like them to plan something on the train ride up, but then, without Remus there..." Addie laughed.

"No, we played exploding snap. It was rather fun actually." Addie grinned. "Though I did lose."

"I see." Lily smiled knowingly and the five girls clambered into a carriage, waiting for it to depart. Alice asked the others if Lily had told them about her little run in with Colin, and when it became apparent that she hadn't, she filled them in, to Lily's embarrassment.

Addie was now starting to understand what James was 'thinking' about.

Just before they were about to leave, the carriage door opened and a blonde head popped in. It was Colin. He smiled at the girls in front of him. "Is there any room in here?" he asked. Alice grinned.

"I think there's a seat next to Lily." she said, giggling as Lily tried desperately not to go beetroot red. Colin skirted over to her and sat down. He was very close and Lily felt a little awkward, but threw him a shy smile anyway.

They made small talk on the way to the castle, and Lily found Colin did live up to the rumours - he was a very nice boy. He even helped her down the stairs leading off the carriage, which made her feel very flustered, but warm inside. And every time he shot her a grin... well, her stomach did a little flip.

As she departed, Addie noticed that James was staring from a little further away as Colin left to meet his Ravenclaw friends, and she grimaced inwardly as she spotted his expression.

Alice, not realising this, wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"Soo?" she asked.

"I can't believe you told him to sit with me, Alice, it was so embarrassing." Lily laughed. "But, you're right, he is nice." she admitted.

"Just nice?" repeated Marlene, sounding slightly disappointed.

"Come on guys, I barely know the guy! It's not like we're dating or anything."

"Yet." said Alice seriously, and Lily rolled her eyes. "Don't look so disbelieving. Who got an O in Divination, Evans? I can tell the future."

"You're such a liar." Marlene laughed. "And that O was only because you're Professor Bodi's Niece."

Alice only winked and turned back to her victim. "Oh, come on Lily, he's perfect for you! He's nice, intelligent and ambitious. What more could you possibly want?"

"Colin's nice, but he's a bit boring." commented Addie, feeling like she owed it to the boy who was most probably eavesdropping. "She doesn't want to go out with a vain airhead like him. I'm sure there are plenty of boys that would be dying to date Lily." James Potter, for instance.

Lily highly doubted it, since the only boys to ever show the least bit of interest in her were Colin, and Potter with his stupid game that had started in second year and never really ended, but she shrugged anyway. A new voice chimed in.

"At least Lily has a chance with Colin. Not like you and Black." Jo appeared, her arm linked with Mary's. She glared at Addie, who started.

"What are you on about, Jo?"

"Don't act like you don't know." The girl sneered. "I saw you with him and the marauders!"

Addie's temper spiked. "What does that have to do with you? They're my mates."

"Yeah sure." The girl replied sarcastically. Addie reached for her wand, her anger getting the better of her.

"Jo, I really don't know what you're getting at." frowned Marlene, interrupting before a fight could break out.

Jo scowled. "Don't you remember? Sirius and I were together last year! And now this slut has come and stolen him."

Lily clenched her fists. "How dare you call Addie a-"

"It was hardly a thing, Jo." Interrupted Alice. "You just snogged at a couple of parties."

"And I didn't steal him. We're just friends." added Addie.

"Liar." Spat Jo. Addie didn't understand what was up with the girl. She'd always been like this, a hurricane of emotions - one minute pleasant, the next full of rage. Addie couldn't keep up. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted the other three marauders joining James, and Sirius cracking some kind of joke, making them all laugh. Her heart jumped into her throat. He couldn't overhear this conversation.

"Look, Jo - me and Sirius are mates, nothing more. You said yourself I'd never have a chance with him."

"Doesn't change the fact that you want to." Growled Jo.

"But I don't-"

"You have a boyfriend, Harrington." Alice reminded her, glaring. "It really shouldn't affect you."

"It doesn't. I just wanted Addie to-"

She never got to finish.

"What's going on here, ladies?" came a pleasant voice. James appeared, followed closely by the other marauders. Remus wore a small frown, but Sirius was smiling. Addie flushed, her heart withering up internally. How could this get any worse?

Jo's voice immediately became sweeter. "Oh, hi boys, didn't see you there. We were just discussing Addie's er… very limited experience with boys. Oh, and the fact that she fancies Sirius." Addie glowed redder, and stared at a spot in the trees, determined not to look at him. God I hate her, she thought, silently cursing the witch as her fingers itched to pull out her wand.

"She does?" He sounded surprised, and tears pricked at Addie's eyes. Of course he would sound surprised - she was Addie Reid and he was Sirius Black. They were polar opposites.

"Uh-hu." Jo giggled. She was asking for a punch.

"Addie?" She could almost picture him trying not to laugh at how pathetic she was.

"No." she mumbled, glancing at him.

He nodded firmly. "Right."

"Stop lying Addie. Did you know she's never kissed a boy, Sirius? She's sixteen - how embarrassing." Right, that was it. She'd put up with a lot of crap over the years, and just because Jo was supposedly her friend, she wouldn't be treated any different. Addie pulled out her wand, and pointed it right at Jo's chest.

"Shut up, you little-"

"Are you really going to hex me, Addie?" Jo asked, sceptically. "And risk getting suspended? You're not even in the castle yet."

Helda tugged her back. "She's right, Addie." she warned. "Don't do anything you'll regret."

Jo laughed it off, looking relieved despite her brave words and turning back to the marauders. "The whole thing's kind of sad really, even Addie thinks so. You know, I reckon Mary's little sister's done more than her - and she's a firstie!"

She giggled, but she was the only one. This time Alice reached for her wand, and Lily looked murderous.

"Jo, that's enough." whispered Mary, glancing nervously at the angry girls.

"I think Mary's right, Jo." Sirius said conversationally. "You really should shut up. And anyway, I reckon Addie's got more experience than you think." His voice was light hearted, but carried a steely undertone, and Addie's head shot to him in confusion.

"Plus," continued Sirius, "I have much more respect for the girl who keeps her 'experience' - as you so politely put it - to themselves and doesn't feel the need to blab about it to everyone else."

Her heart soared as she saw Jo Harrington's red, spluttering face. "Well, I..."

"Furthermore," He was enjoying himself now. "I don't particularly want to engage in a conversation with someone who finds putting down others, to make themselves look better, entertaining."

James was laughing quietly now.

"So, if you'll excuse me, my friends and I are rather hungry." He stalked off, with James, Peter and Remus in tow, all smirking, though James cast a side-long glance at Lily before he departed. After a moment, Addie, Lily, Marlene, Alice, and Helda followed close behind, leaving a hot-faced Jo, and a startled Mary behind them.

"That was bloody brilliant, Padfoot." commented James, as they approached the castle.

"Beyond brilliant." agreed Peter.

Sirius smirked. "She'll never snog me at the Christmas party again, that's for sure." he joked, but there was some kind of other emotion in his eyes. He bent down to tie his shoelace, and when he looked up, it was gone. Remus was the only one who noticed, but he stayed quiet as they traipsed up to the castle.

If Sirius was the best at anything, it was hiding how he felt.

They girls entered the great hall with the rest of the swelling crowd and took their seats at the Gryffindor table, next to Alice's boyfriend Frank. Jo and Mary sat right down the far end. Lily congratulated Frank on getting head boy, since she hadn't had chance to in the prefect meeting, and they settled down to watch the sorting.

The frightened faces surveyed them all from the front, and Lily felt sorry for the small first years, remembering how nervous she'd felt before her sorting. She didn't recognize any of the young ones, apart from Mary's little sister, Grace, who she'd met a few times. The girl looked like she'd been dragged through a hedge, with the thick brown hair that Mary had barely learned how to tame, and eyes that seemed too big for her small, pale face. She stood a couple of inches smaller than everyone else and looked like a deer caught in headlights.

The Sorting Hat began its song and they applauded as it finished with a flourish. One by one, the first years stepped up for their sorting, and the relief on their faces afterwards was almost comical. Lily clapped loudly with the rest of Gryffindor as Grace was sorted into their house, following the tradition of Mary's family and made her way over to her sister, who smiled. Lily turned her attention back to Dumbledore, who had stood up now the sorting was over.

The headmaster was as jubilant and upbeat as usual, as he talked about Filch's new rules and the year ahead, but just before he finished, his words hinted at something slightly darker.

"And just before we gorge ourselves with these scrumptious treats before us," he said, twinkling down at them all. "I believe it should do us all some good to remember that no matter what takes place beyond our walls, Hogwarts will remain united. United in our bravery, in our determination, in our wisdom, and in our loyalty. Now, eat!"

The weight of his words was somewhat lost as the tables filled with food in front of them and chatter began throughout the hall. Lily helped herself to a slice of shepherd's pie as she laughed with her friends, looking forward to the year ahead.

A year that hopefully wouldn't revolve around Jo Harrington and her psychotic tendencies.