A/N- New chapter, I own nothing

Just a disclaimer- some students may be in Hogwarts when they weren't originally, or in different years, because I need characters.

"Hmm, hmm!~"

"…what?"

Lily Evans' voice rang out through the house, and she could only look in shock at the scene in front of her.

"Hmm hmm~!"

Her sister, Petunia, was humming in happiness as she cooked something in the kitchen. Petunia never seemed so happy these days, so what changed? Yesterday was the weird encounter with Naruto, and her sister had been… different since then. She had been nicer, more subdued and generally pleasant to be around. She hadn't even insulted Lily since she came back from the park with Naruto!

Still suspicious, Lily inched closer towards her sister. Petunia was swaying from side to side, and it looked like she was stirring something. Wait. Didn't that look like-

"Are you baking a pie?" Lily asked, cautiously looking at the bowl on the counter.

"Oh?" Petunia looked up, saw Lily, and smiled. "Yes, I'm baking a pie."

Lily was dumbfounded. Had Petunia smiled just now? At her? "What for?"

Petunia gave a shy giggle. "Oh, it's for our new neighbour, Naruto!" She resumed stirring the apples, "He seems to like pies, so I wanted to make him one."

Petunia got a twinkle in her eye. "Ah, I wonder what he'd say when I hand him the pie?" she sighed.

Lily, after so long, felt irritation. "If yesterday was anything to go by, he'd probably tell you to buzz off." She knew she was being mean, but Lily didn't like that Petunia was making pies for Naruto. That was her thing!

Petunia gasped. "Oh my! Will he send me away without even thanking me for my effort? How… sad." She finished her sentence with a slight shiver, and sped up her pie making.

Lily's eye twitched. "You don't sound sad." Petunia had changed somewhat, and she seemed to fancy her friend. Lily didn't know why that made her so angry. "And what's with you, do you like Naruto or something?" She tapped her foot on the floor impatiently.

Petunia shook her head. "Heavens, no! I have my Vernon, after all."

"Riiight."

"Yep, so if you'll excuse me, I have a pie to bake." Petunia dismissed Lily and returned to her task.

"…"

"What was that, Lily?"

Lily stomped her foot on the floor. "You can't!"

Petunia blinked. "I… can't?"

"He won't like your pie, he only likes the pies that I make!" Lily blurted out with a red face, getting out some of her frustration.

Petunia heard her sister's rant, thought about it, and smirked. "My, sounds like someone is a tad jealous, hmm?" her smirk widened at Lily's squeak.

"Am not!" Lily protested, "Why would I even be jealous? It's not like I fancy him?!"

Petunia put a hand on her hip. "You don't sound so sure."

"Urgh! You're impossible!" Lily huffed and left her sister in the kitchen, storming out towards the front door. Why was she so mad? Was she jealous of the fact that Naruto might like Petunia's pie more and start hanging out with her? No, she was his friend first, not her snobby sister! Lily would bake him as many pies as he wanted so her sister wouldn't sink her claws into him!

Giving a self-satisfied nod, Lily firmed her resolve and left the house to buy some baking ingredients. She'd make the best pie Naruto had ever eaten! But when she left the house with her bag in hand, she saw her new friend exiting his house as well.

Her face bursting into a grin, Lily called out to him. "Hey, Naruto!"

"Where do I even get all this stuff from?" Naruto groaned while exiting his house.

Yesterday, after coming back from the park, an owl had showed up outside his window. It was carrying a letter. When Naruto read it, he found that he had been accepted into some school called Hogwarts, and there was a list of a bunch of things he'd need for his time at school.

Naruto was debating whether or not to even go, but some badgering by Kurama convinced him. He wasn't a fan of going to school again, but it was at least better than rotting in his house every day. Plus, Lily went to that school, so he would get to see her every day. If he didn't go, Lily certainly would, and it would be months before he saw her again.

Not that he wanted to see Lily or anything.

"Suuuuureeee…" Kurama deadpanned, but was ignored.

Lily had told him that she went to that school, so Naruto thought it best to ask her about the list. He had no clue where Diagon Alley was. Just as he was about to go over to her house, he saw Lily come outside as well.

"Hey, Naruto!" She waved cheerily, skipping over to him.

He gave a small smile in return. "Hi." While he was nowhere near his old self, the extreme desire to not turn into Sasuke ensured that he at least appeared pleasant, however fake it may be.

"What are you up to?" Lily peered at the bag in his hand, "Going shopping?"

"Yep," Naruto nodded, and decided that he might as well get this conversation over with. "Actually, I was looking for you."

Lily couldn't deny the slight joy she felt at his statement. "Oh? Well, here I am!" she chirped, "What do you need?"

"I got into Hogwarts, so I need to do some shopping. I was hoping you could help me."

Silence.

Lily made no sound, and her eyes got really wide. Did she hear him correctly? "I'm sorry. Could you repeat that?"

"I got into Hogwarts. Sixth year." Naruto repeated flatly.

"Oh my! How lovely!" Lily clasped her hands together in delight. She knew that her new friend didn't hate her after yesterday, but this was marvelous! He was a wizard, and they would be classmates as well! Lily couldn't remember the last time she was this happy. "I'm so glad that we'll be going to the same school!"

Naruto observed her giddy reaction with some turmoil in his heart. She sounded so happy that he would go to Hogwarts with her. This was a response wholly unfamiliar to him. No one in Konoha was happy to be in the same class as him. No one on his team was happy to be teamed up with him. People generally avoided his presence until he saved their lives. Then they became all chummy with him, but anyone in that situation would do the same.

"It was just out of convenience and thankfulness."

The whole village, Sakura, Ino, Gaara, Shion, Koyuki, and so many other people. Almost everyone Naruto met was initially hostile to him; most even wanted him dead. Only after saving their lives did they change their behaviour from gratitude.

Sadly, even Kurama and Iruka hated him initially, and Naruto had to prove himself to them, yet again. He was no longer going to bend over backwards for strangers who didn't care for him in return. The only few people who cared for him unconditionally were his parents and the ramen shop owners, but they were out of his reach. Ero-sennin was debatable, but he was also gone.

Now, looking at Lily, who had been happy to be with him from the start, Naruto understood how hollow his bonds were. If he hadn't saved those people from something, if he hadn't proven himself in some way, Naruto would still be the annoying demon brat. Do such relationships even hold any value? Did he not have any value until he could prove that he was useful?

So, seeing Lily actually jump in joy at being in the same school as him, turned Naruto's mind into a mess of conflict. If he knew one thing, it was that he wanted to be near this bubbly redhead for the time being. It was refreshing to speak to someone not out to harm him by default.

"Damn, that's a low bar if I say so myself." Naruto chuckled inwardly, but then realised that Lily was looking at him with excitement. Best to reply to her for now.

"Me too."

Lily pouted, but these sombre reactions were normal for Naruto, so she didn't think much of it. Better yet, she had something to pass the time. She didn't plan on anything else today, so she would help Naruto with his shopping. It could be intimidating for new students, after all.

"Let's go then! I'll help you buy all your things." Lily didn't wait for a reply, and dragged Naruto out by his arm. She now knew that Naruto needed a small push to be proactive- he must be shy.

How little she knew.

However, as they were walking through the streets of London, A stray thought fluttered through Lily's mind.

"This isn't a date, is it?"

Diagon Alley

The duo were now walking through Diagon Alley to pick up Naruto's school supplies. They had to buy books, quills, robes, a pet and a wand. Even a broom if Naruto had an interest in Quidditch.

"So, where should we go first?" Lily asked, placing a finger under her chin.

"Whichever place is closest." Naruto shrugged. Having Lily's company was nice, but shopping was still boring.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Lily blinked, "Do you have our money with you by any chance?"

Naruto shook his head. "No, I have Pounds but nothing else."

"Well then, we're off to Gringotts!" Lily cheered, pointing a finger towards an old building down the street. "Let's go. We can exchange money there."

Naruto followed the excitable redhead, still being led by the arm. For some reason, Naruto didn't mind when Lily held his arm anymore. She was a very caring person, and her actions reflected that. It felt nice. So, he allowed her to drag him along. It's not like he knew this area anyway.

He could hear a few students his age gossiping about the duo, but Naruto didn't care unless they exhibited hostility. Gossip all you want, but if anyone tried to attack Lily, there would be no mercy. Naruto was a shinobi, after all, always on guard for threats.

"Surprising…" Kurama thought with a smirk, but kept silent. Naruto was not ready for this conversation just yet.

When they entered the bank, Naruto was momentarily surprised to see a goblin for the first time, but quickly brushed it off. With the amount of weird things he'd seen and fought, a short creature was pleasantly normal.

Lily was shocked at his lack of reaction. "You're pretty cool about all this." Most people were unsettled or scared on seeing a goblin, but not her friend.

Naruto shrugged. "I've seen a lot more unusual things."

"What do you mean by that?" Lily leaned closer, her eyes shining with excitement. Was there more to him than met the eye?

Naruto paused, debating whether to explain further. He didn't care about keeping his secrets anymore, as it didn't really matter. But this place wasn't the best for such a long talk. Maybe later. "I meant in films and stuff." He brushed off the subject.

"Hmm…" Lily narrowed her eyes, but let it go. There would be plenty of time to speak at school.

"Deposit or withdrawal?" The goblin droned, not too interested in the new customers. It's not as if they could go to another bank.

"Currency exchange and account creation." Naruto droned back in an equally disinterested voice. He appreciated it, actually. He didn't want pointless small talk with this goblin.

"Very well, fill in your information here." The goblin handed Naruto a form, which he filled out and returned. "Account created. Your deposit?"

Lily was watching the whole process with a big sweatdrop. Both the goblin and Naruto had the same energy levels- none. Still, Lily was worried whether Naruto would actually have enough money to afford the supplies for his time at Hogwarts. She'd have lent him money if she had it, but Lily herself was a muggleborn. Maybe the school could provide a subsidy?

All those thoughts went out of the window when Naruto reached into his bag and took out about fifty bundles of notes. "This is one million pounds in cash. Please exchange them for wizarding money."

The goblin pinched his forehead in irritation. "They're called Galleons, boy. And you'll get about three hundred thousand after deducting the exchange fee."

"Alright."

"Wh-wh-wh…" Lily pointed a finger at him, her eyes wide in shock. Her jaw was dropping and clicking into place again and again. "Y-you're rich!"

Naruto quirked a brow at the amusing reaction. She really was cute. "Yes, and?"

Lily was about to question some more, but then stopped herself. She knew he was an orphan, so questioning his wealth may just bring back sour memories. So she changed the subject. "Wh-why were you carrying so much money in a bag?" she coughed, trying to hide her stutter. Not every day does one get to see a million pounds in cash!

"I didn't know how much I would need, so I brought the cash I had on hand." Ero-sennin's works were surprisingly popular in this world. They were all bestsellers.

Lily balked. "On hand? Does that mean you have more?"

Naruto nodded, a small smile on his face. "Yep, lots more." He was somewhat happy at how Lily was reacting, it was a breath of fresh air.

"If you're that rich, buy me some nice silk robes!" Lily joked, hugging his arm and trying to be daft. She was expecting him to shrug it off and then go about the rest of their day (Date?)

"Sure, anything for you." Naruto stated, then paused as he realised what he'd said. He debated whether or not to retract his words but thought against it. He meant it, after all. Lily was a friend, and he had lots of money. Lily would never take advantage of his kindness, so buying her some gifts was not a problem.

Lily's grip on his arm tightened, and she looked down shyly. "Umm… I was just joking." She whispered, not meeting his gaze. There was a slight blush on her face, and her heart was fluttering in delight. Wasn't he being too cool?

Was Petunia right? Did she fancy her new friend? Shaking her head, she realised that she was still gripping Naruto's arm. Mortified, she let his arm go. 'I-I'm sorry, I was still holding your arm!"

Two middle-aged goblin women started giggling at the sight, further embarrassing the redhead.

Naruto tilted his head. Didn't she often hold his arm? What was the problem now? "I don't mind it, it's nice." Naruto had become a lot more blunt these days. There was a fine line between blunt and rude, which he would not cross. He couldn't be rude to Lily even if he wanted to.

Lily's eyes got big. "O-oh, is that so?" she debated whether to reach for his arm again, but that would be too forward. Her heart was already aflutter, and she needed to calm down.

"Yeah. And I wasn't joking. Anything you want, I'll buy it for you. For being so nice to me and for being my friend."

Lily stomped her foot petulantly. "I didn't do those things so that you'd give me gifts!"

"I know, which is all the more reason for me to give you the gifts. I want to show you how thankful I am."

Lily held her right arm with her left, her face erupting in a fierce blush. "You already did that yesterday at home." She muttered softly. She recalled how Naruto had defended her against Petunia. That had been a great day.

"My my, he's been over to her house already?" One goblin auntie giggled.

"Youngsters these days sure are lively." Her friend nodded sagely.

Lily was turning as red as her hair, and steam was rising from the top of her head.

Naruto paid it all no mind. "Still, if you want anyth-"

"Please stop your lovers' quarrel. You're holding up the line." The goblin clerk drawled, shooing them away. He had other customers to serve.

"We're sorry!" Lily squeaked, and grabbed Naruto's arm to drag him out of the bank. She had unconsciously held his arm again, but she didn't realise it.

Naruto did, and allowed himself to be led along. Hmm, he nodded to himself. He didn't mind this at all.

Their first stop was Madame Malkins' for robes. The pair were back to the original arrangement of Lily leading Naruto by the arm. She was initially embarrassed, but seeing Naruto be so nonchalant about it had calmed her down.

"Again, I don't want silk robes. I was just joking…" Lily mumbled, as the shop doors opened to let them in.

"Ok, got it." Naruto gave up on the matter. He was still getting her something, but he'd just surprise her with it later on. There was no use fighting about it now.

Lily nodded. "Good. Now go and get fitted, mister!" She beamed and pushed him towards the tailor.

Seeing as Naruto was getting measured for a robe, Lily took a seat on the couch by the window. She was observing the tailor as he did his job. There was one undeniable truth, though.

"My, he's got some muscles on him…"

Lily's eyes widened at hearing her thoughts aloud, but she wasn't the one who said them. Looking to her right, she saw another woman with black hair sitting on a chair.

"Bellatrix." Lily nodded, curtly greeting her classmate. They knew each other in passing, and their ideologies differed completely.

"Lily." Bella nodded back, averting her eyes from Naruto for a moment. "Now, if you'll excuse me." She went back to unashamedly stare at the blonde boy. She'd come to buy some new robes, but she'd gotten a rather nice treat in the shop. Bella was going to end up married to some pureblood lord anyway, she may as well appreciate good looks when she saw them.

Lily's eyebrows twitched in irritation. Must every girl their age fawn over her friend? It's not like they had a chance with him anyway! She was his friend; she knew him better than all these girls!

Bella was still staring at Naruto, but paused when she locked eyes with him. The moment she peered into his cool blue eyes, she saw the hostility in them and jerked upright in shock. She felt like a bug which could get crushed at any moment, and she didn't know what to think about it.

"Well, I'll take your leave." Bella hurriedly got up and left the shop, scared out of her mind.

Naruto, for his part, nodded in relief. He had felt the woman who was drowning in negative emotions staring at him for minutes. He didn't care for it, so he had scared her away with some killing intent. Naruto no longer had patience for people like her. If she turned out to be hostile, she was dead. Simple as that.

He didn't get why Lily seemed so ticked off, though.

"You've matured a lot, but you're still hopeless."

"Shut up, furball."

After buying his robes, Naruto and Lily went on to Ollivander's to get his wand. Naruto was a bit curious as to what his wand would look like, since Lily had told him that all wands were unique. Entering the rickety shop, Naruto saw an old man sitting behind the counter.

"Welcome, young ones." Ollivander greeted the new customers with a smile. Always nice to see aspiring witches and wizards purchase their first wands. He saw a familiar face and greeted her properly. "Miss Evans, I trust your wand has served you well?"

Lily smiled and nodded. "It has, Mr. Ollivander."

"You know each other?" Naruto asked.

Ollivander chuckled. "Not that well, I'm afraid. I just remember every wand I've ever sold."

Naruto silently admitted that the old man was a bit cool.

"Well then," Ollivander clapped his hands, "Shall we find you your wand?"

"Okay."

Ollivander thought nothing of the bored tone, and went to the back of the shop. Minutes later, he returned with a few boxes. "Here, try this one. Cedarwood, ten inches, Unicorn hair core." He said and handed a neat-looking wand to Naruto.

He took the wand, and stared at it. "What do I do now? Do I buy it?"

"No, no, you see if you're a match. The wand chooses the wizard, after all." Ollivander said, "Give it a swing."

Naruto did so, and the area in front of him exploded in orange glitter. "Heh. Nice. I'll take it." He shot a thumbs-up. Naruto liked this wand, it was fun.

Ollivander coughed, having been coated in the glitter. "I'm afraid it's a mismatch, lad."

"Aww." Naruto was a bit dejected. The wand shot orange glitter; what else did he need?

Lily giggled, patting his back comfortingly. "I'm sure you'll find your wand, Naruto."

After a few more failed attempts, Ollivander brought another dusty-looking box. "Hmm, maybe this would work? Eleven inches, Fir wood, dragon heartstring core." He handed the wand to Naruto.

The moment Naruto held the wand, a gust of wind picked up in the shop, but it wasn't as flamboyant as the earlier failures. Naruto could instinctively tell that this one was a good match.

It seemed like Ollivander could, too. "It seems that a fine wand has chosen you, my boy." He scratched his chin in thought. "This is a fir wood wand, also known as… the survivor's wand."

Naruto's eyes snapped to the old wandmaker, wondering if he knew anything. Even Lily was listening with rapt attention.

"Firwood wand with dragon heartstring core signifies the strength of one's character, and having suffered and survived a great calamity." Ollivander hummed, "I wonder what trials you have faced so far."

Naruto's guard was up, and he tensed reflexively. Just by using this stick, the old man had hit the nail on the head. It was uncanny. He wondered if he was underestimating these wizards too much, if he was too complacent in his abilities. Naruto resolved to be more cautious in the future.

Lily was worriedly looking at Naruto. She didn't want to believe that he had been through some great calamity, but his reaction to Ollivander's assessment told her all she needed to. Still, she didn't pry. He would tell her when he was ready.

That didn't mean she wasn't concerned.

"What have you been through, Naruto?"

Yet again, Naruto and Lily found themselves in a park. It seemed to be a ritual to go to a park after a heavy encounter at this point. They sat on a bench, the air thick with some tension.

Naruto was busy in thought when he felt Lily take his hand.

"Naruto, about what just happened," Lily gulped and steeled herself, trying to comfort him as best she could. "You don't have to tell me anything until you're ready. I won't pry."

"… thanks." Naruto muttered, his mind a mess of emotions. He wasn't particularly keeping his secrets on purpose, but he didn't know how to broach the subject. Lily had been afraid that he would be scared of her, but now Naruto was feeling the same.

"Hey, I'm an alien assassin soldier with a gigantic fox demon sealed in my gut. Wanna be friends?" Naruto gave a sardonic chuckle.

Lily probably wouldn't hate him, she was too nice for that. But this was literally the secret owing to which everyone had kept their distance from him his whole life. It wasn't as simple as just blurting it out. And if she started fearing him…

"Why do I even care? I've known her for two days at best!"

"Stop lying to yourself, brat."

One quip from Kurama shut him up.

Deciding to take his mind off this dilemma, Naruto dug into his bag and got out a box. He gave the box to Lily, who blinked and curiously looked at him.

"What's this?"

"A gift."

Lily immediately protested, "You didn't have to-"

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I already bought it, so just open it." She was being too considerate. She still didn't understand just how much money he had.

Lily pouted, but relented. She opened the box and gasped. It was a quill, and it had a vivid crimson colour. "This is…"

"It reminded me of your hair, so I got it for you." Naruto looked away, scratching his cheek awkwardly.

Lily smiled at him, seeing how uncharacteristically shy he was being. "Do you… like my hair?" She asked, just as awkwardly. A faint throbbing started in her heart as she waited for his reply.

"Yes, I like your hair a lot. It reminds me of my mother." Naruto reflexively blurted out, and realised what he'd said. He cautiously looked at Lily, only to find her shyly looking at the ground, running a hand through her hair.

She looked beautiful.

"Thank you. It means a lot to me." Lily replied. Petunia had always made fun of her hair, so she had thought it was weird. Hearing those kind words from Naruto, and that her hair reminded him of his mother, made her happier than she could express in words. She felt that they were growing closer, and she liked it.

So, Lily hugged him. This was the first hug they'd shared, and she felt sad when Naruto flinched in place. Still, he didn't push her away, and shakily brought one arm over to return the hug. It wasn't ideal, but she could work on it given time. She figured that he wasn't used to being hugged or being shown any sort of affection.

She now knew that he had been through a lot of pain, but he still managed to be so nice and kind to her. Lily wanted to help him smile again. Still, she wondered why she was going so far for a friend she met two days ago. Why did she get angry and jealous when other girls fawned over him? Sure, he was her handsome friend, but was that the only reason?

No.

Lily could no longer deny it; she liked Naruto, romantically, and she would try her best to help him. Who knows, he might feel the same as well?

A/N-

There was some debate in the comments about whether there will be any villains. Those who have read my other stories and are familiar with my writing style will already have that answer.

One review mentioned that if Naruto could use seals, why didn't he find a way back home. Simple, this Naruto is different, his mentality is described in the story. He just doesn't want to return. Add a loving family to the mix, and why would he even bother going back to the village? Screw them.

Review if you liked, it gives me motivation!