James Potter hesitated just outside of the Prefect’s Compartment on the Hogwarts Express. He took in a deep, controlling breath as he straightened his Head Boy badge. Alright James, he thought to himself, keep in line. This year you’re the Head boy, and the Head Girl is Lily Evans! Don’t spoil your last chance with her by acting bigheaded. Just... relax, take it easy, try not to stare into her beautiful green eyes too much, or at her stunning features, her gorgeous hair... Stop it, James! You’re doing it again. Just be the best Head Boy you can be, act like a gentleman, don’t hex Snivellus around her, and maybe she might accept you as a friend....
Nodding, as if to reaffirm these thoughts to himself, James entered the compartment, hoping the Prefect meeting would be over quickly so that he might get to have a private conversation with Lily Evans, the girl of his dreams for the past six years, before they reached the school.
Of course, the first person he spotted in the room was Lily. She was standing before the other 16 Prefects (two 5th years and two 6th years from each of the four Hogwarts houses), and seemed impatient to begin. He ran a nervous hand through his untidy black hair, rumpling it. Hearing the compartment door close, she spun to face him, and as usual, she greeted him with a frown. “You’re late Potter,” she said, before turning back to face the Prefects.
“Oh, thank you Evans, I did have a nice summer. And I hope yours was good as well,” he said without missing a beat, and neither his voice nor face revealed the pain he felt at hearing her speak to him in such a venomous way. I’ve changed for you, Lily, he thought. I’m no longer that teenage prat who asked you out every other day. I’ve grown up. If only you’d give me a chance.
He turned to the Prefects, who were eyeing him with a bit of amusement, chortling at his response to Lily. Clearly they thought he would take his new position as a joke.
“Right, well, I guess the best way to start this meeting is by introducing myself. I am, in case you don’t know, James Potter, Head Boy and in Gryffindor.”
“And I’m Lily Evans, Head Girl, also of Gryffindor,” said Lily, black robes swirling around her as she moved forward to stand next to James. “You all know what the Prefects are supposed to do, making sure students are behaving by taking away points or awarding detentions and all that, but I think “ “
“We think,” interjected James.
Lily grimaced. “The Head Boy and I both agree that what this school needs is more unity. You know, talking to each other at meals, NOT cursing each other in the halls...” she shot a furtive glance at James.
James threw a mischievous look at Lily. “NOT being hostile to one another for no good reason...” he added in for her. She stared up into his face blankly, reddened slightly, and looked away.
“Anyway,” she continued. “I don’t want to hold you up, and I think you get my drift. Just keep an eye out.”
“And, the only extra duty we ask of you: don’t abuse your position. If I find out that one of the Prefects under my supervision has been screwing around with people just for the fun of it, you might find yourself dangling upside down, in the air, your knickers on show for the world to see.”
“Potter,” said Lily warningly. James cursed himself. He’d already messed up.
“I’m kidding, I’m only joking of course,” he said, smiling that so-called heartbreaking smile of his. “But my point was serious.”
“That’s all for now,” said Lily, pulling out some slips of parchment from her bag and passing them around to the 5th year Prefects. “These are your Common Room passwords. I think the Lunch Trolley is just coming around, so if you hurry you might get to your compartment before the witch does.”
James stood aside as the Prefects passed by, hurrying back to their friends. Lily sat down at a window seat, sipped at a glass of water, and eyed him suspiciously as he joined her.
“Aren’t you going to go back to the infamous Marauders?” she asked.
James frowned, thinking of the marvelous taunting he’d get from Sirius about being Head Boy once he got back to their compartment. “Not quite yet.”
“Not going to ask me out again are you?” she said in an exasperated sigh. “Because if you are, just know you’ll be wasting your time.”
James shook his head, amazed that he might actually be irritated at Lily.
“Look Evans, what was it I did to make you hate me so much? Is it my glasses? Devilish charm? Or are you just annoyed of my liking you for six years?” he found that his voice was rising, and fought to keep in under control. “Tell me. Maybe then I can fix whatever it is!”
She opened her mouth to respond, looking surprised, as the compartment door opened. In swept tall, pale, and sneering Severus Snape, James’ least favorite person at Hogwarts.
“Oh, if it isn’t the new Head Boy and Girl. How sweet,” said Snape in an arrogant, greasy way that made it sound as if he were speaking to himself, though James knew he and Lily were the true targets. “I do hope I'm not interrupting anything. Ah wait. Evans there probably just turned down Potter again. Pity,” he sneered with grim satisfaction.
“And what are you up to?” spat James, standing and moving to unconsciously shield Lily. He pulled out his wand and pointed it at Snape. “Just get back from rubbing your greasy nose in those Dark Arts books you love so much?”
“Actually...” drawled Snape with a suggestive smile, leaving his sentence hanging. “You’re ever the fool, Potter,” he then breathed. “The Dark Lord is gaining power. It is folly to stand in his way. He is invincible.”
“If that’s all you’re on about, go away,” said Lily. She shifted out from behind James, standing defiantly before the three, her green eyes shining brightly. “Your mere stupidity rivals that of even your so-called ‘Dark Lord.’ My intelligence is dropping rapidly just because you’re in here.”
“Ah, so the Mudblood speaks!” said Snape delightedly. He opened his mouth again, but never had the chance to say anything. James, fuming, irritation at Lily forgotten, jerked his wand with a silent spell that threw locked the compartment door, and flung Snape against the compartment wall a foot off the ground, all in the same instant. Lily gasped in surprise, but didn’t try to stop James.
“Apologize!” said James threateningly. Snape, a defiant look still on his face even through the panic of not being able to breathe, jerked his head no. Lily’s water glass began to shake violently as James willed his emotions into that, rather than the invisible bind he had on Snivellus. Crushing his windpipe would surely not impress Lily.
“Do it, now,” said James calmly. He refused to yell again, and knew that since Snape only wished to irritate them, this forced calm would annoy him more than any yelling would.
Snape gave him the look of death, then slowly, nodded. James lowered his wand, and Snape crumpled to the floor. “Sorry,” he croaked.
“You’re lucky term hasn’t started yet, or you’d be sitting a week’s worth of detentions for what you called her, damn you,” said James as Snape got to his feet. “Now get out.”
James motioned his wand towards the door, where some Slytherins that had noticed the fight were furiously trying to get in. The compartment door flew open, and Snape was tossed out and down the hall a ways, slamming into his friends as he went.
James poked his head out of the compartment, stared at their disgruntled forms laying on the floor and smiled bitterly. He couldn’t resist adding “And shove your Dark Arts up your ‘Dark Lord’s’ arse!”
James straightened abruptly as a terror coursed through his body. A malignant voice seemed to speak in James ear, and it echoed throughout his head in a vehement hiss: “So you think you can defy me?”
He tucked his head back in the compartment and slammed the door, still angry, and now confused.
“Did you just say something Evans?” he asked before turning around.
She sighed. “No, you seem to be the one who’s doing all the talking today. Why?”
James stared at his reflection in the compartment door. His hazel eyes, covered by wire-rimmed glasses, were wide and worried. As usual, his rumpled hair refused to lie flat. James could see Lily behind him, still standing. “No reason. Just thought I heard someone.”
“He was baiting you, you know.”
James sighed as he turned slowly around. “Yes, I know. I’m sorry I took the bait. It’s just that I can’t stand hearing him “ or anyone “ calling you that.”
Lily sank back into her seat, taking another sip from her now still water glass. She seemed wary and extremely tired. Tired of what, James couldn’t tell. Her face was pale, and she seemed withdrawn. A tear slid down her cheek. This was the first time that James had ever seen a crack in her strong and unyielding demeanor. He hovered near the door, unsure of what to do. What he would like most would be to take her in his arms and comfort her, but if he even tried she’d probably slaughter him. Instead he compensated by once again taking the seat next to her.
“Evans, you know, if you ever need to talk, you know where to find me,” he said softly. Then, trying to get her to smile, he added, “And if you ever need a Snape pounded into a pulp, you know where I’ll be.”
She looked into his eyes, before lowering her gaze to the floor. “It’s not him. I’m growing tired of the rudeness, but it doesn’t bother me like it used to. But now, I just have this terrible sense, this feeling that....” she trailed off, her voice sad. Suddenly she straightened, swiped the tear off her cheek, that defiant look back in her eyes. “Oh what’s it to you Potter? I can handle it myself.”
James shook his head. “If you keep it bottled up, you’re going to explode. And then where would we be? I’d be a Head Boy with no counterpart.”
She gave him a rare smile and stood to leave. James wished she wouldn’t. He felt like whatever was bothering her was serious, and that she needed to talk about it. “I can handle it. Now, I’m sure that your Marauders are waiting for you. I’ll see you at the Sorting.”
And with that, she left the compartment.
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Oh yeah (disclaimer): I do not own any of this. Too bad.