C'est La Vie by BellaMurte
Chapter Notes: Hey! This story has gone through lots of changes and a giant thanks to my fabulous beta, grangergurl who stuck by me the entire time... without her, this story might have taken another week to get up! Check out her story: Conflict. And another giant thank you to PansyParkinson who made me a story banner. You can go to the beta boards and go to my page... my name is the same and check out the bannner. If you want, you can check out her story: Bad Moon Rising... it's Marauder Era and I am hooked. Finally, thank you to the nutty imp who writes sorting songs and lets authors use them... :applause: DISCLAIMER: You had better know that I don't own canon characters... only the o/c and the plot. Enjoy!
As the Hogwarts Express pulled into Hogsmeade, the students clambered into coaches, trying to avoid as many raindrops as possible. Students of young and old attempted to dry their clothes by wringing them out, while a few intelligent Ravenclaw sixth years used a charm to dry themselves off. Lily and her two best friends, Theresa Fritsch and Lindsay Smith, slammed the carriage door shut. The girls sat in silence for quite a while, until Theresa launched into a play-by-play account of a Quidditch match she had seen over their summer holiday. “….and then McCormack, you know, of the Pride of Portree, she preformed a Woollongong Shimmy and then quickly perfected a combination of a Reverse Pass and a Porscoff Ploy. It was the best ever! She signed my back, that’s one place I’m never washing again.”
Lily and Lindsay burst into fits of giggles, which turned into gales of laughter at their Quidditch-possessed friend. Soon, Theresa started to laugh because Lily and Lindsay were laughing, and the stagecoach was filled with hysterical chuckling.
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The Great Hall began to fill with chattering students and solemn ghosts. When everyone was seated, Dumbledore rose and silenced the room automatically. “Welcome, students old and new!” he began, “Before we begin the sorting, I must say that I am very pleased with the bunch that has turned out this year. Now, for the Sorting Hat.”
Professor McGonagall placed a three-legged stool on the Great Hall’s floor and placed the hat upon it. “Here it comes, boys, what we’ve all been waiting for,” whispered Sirius. Lily shot a suspicious glare at the Marauders, who smiled back innocently at Lily. She rolled her eyes and waited for the Sorting Hat’s song. The Sorting Hat opened its mouth and began:
I am the Hogwarts Sorting Hat.
Step up when you hear your name.
Whether or not you so desire,
I will sort you just the same.
You think fate is yours to control
and choices are yours to take.
Stupid kids, you're barely twelve!
Such decisions are mine to make.
Will you land in Gryffindor
for actions without prudence?
Or perhaps in Hufflepuff;
those slow, delusional students.
Maybe you're a Ravenclaw,
Slowed by your wit and vision.
Or will you slide into Slytherin;
extraordinary ones bound for prison?
I'll cast you losers to where belong,
to suffer each and every day.
Begging me will not change my mind,
but a handful of galleons just may.
Run if you must, but you cannot hide.
Your parents sealed for you this fate.
Unwanted children, lowly first years,
for you, salvation will come too late.
I do not tell tall tales or lies.
You have every right to fear.
To be forever marked and judged,
be wary for your end is near.
The Sorting Hat finished his song and the room burst into various cackles, hoots and full-on gut laughs, which left many, especially four certain boys at the Gryffindor table, on the floor in hysterics. The boys stopped snickering after Dumbledore cleared his throat loudly and he began, “Well, that was a refreshing start. Thank you to four Gryffindor boys who clearly made this meal more enjoyable, ten points each, but fifteen points from them for bewitching an object that was in my office. Now, Minerva, the sorting.”
Each student pretended to listen to McGonagall as she shouted off the names from Adams, Kelci to Zolotnyuk, Benjamin, the students robotically applauding each time they heard their house name called. Finally, the sorting ended and the glimmering, golden dishes were filled with food.
The student’s mouths watered when they saw all that there was to eat. Mounds of drumsticks and twelve platters of big, fat, juicy pork sat, waiting to be gobbled. Trays upon trays of fruits from oranges to cassava decorated the tables. James piled his plate with everything within reach, seeing if he could stuff himself with more food than Sirius. As he shoved mounds of meat down his throat, James ripped the bones out, after sucking on it, to make sure he had eaten every edible part out of the food. Next to him, Sirius was inhaling food, not from his plate, but from the platter it came from; like a human vacuum. Lily, who was unfortunately seated across from James, delicately nibbled on a salad and a few bits of pork. Soon, the dinner was swept away and the desserts magically appeared. The sturdy tables looked ready to buckle under the weight of the sweet food. Every inch of the table was laden in every type of tart you could imagine. Apple, kiwi, strawberry, orange, chocolate, cherry, and the list could go on. Mouthwatering treacle fudge was found everywhere you gazed. Finally, everyone’s stomachs were stuffed and the prefects ushered the first years to their common rooms. Lily and James rose, coincidentally, at the same time. Professor Dumbledore briskly strolled over to them and smiled. “Miss Evans and Mr. Potter,” he began, “I am going to show you to your lounge. As you are Head Boy and Girl, you are privileged to your own lounge which consists of a bathroom and several chairs and sofas, much like your Common Room. There is a studying area for both of you. Also, your meetings with the prefects will be held there. Now come along.” Dumbledore, Lily and James sauntered down the corridors, until they reached the hall on the second floor corridor with the tapestry of Merlin the Mage. “The password is ‘Gumdrop’. I hope you find it to your liking.” with that final note, Dumbledore disappeared, leaving James and Lily outside of their new common room.
“Well, Potter…we have patrol in a half hour, I suggest that you use your time to unpack. I will,” Lily said as they walked to the portrait of the Fat Lady. Lily climbed the familiar step to her good old dormitory. As she entered, she saw Theresa, Lindsay and another girl they shared the dorm with, Emmeline Vance. She wasn’t good friend with the other girls, but they chatted sometimes. The girls were laying on their beds, stomachs down, eating the masses of sweets Theresa’s mum packed in her trunk. “Hey, Lils! C’mon, sit down. Mum sent these sweets, they’re delicious,” cried Theresa happily. The two other girls nodded their head fervently.
“No thanks, dear,” Lily sighed, “I have to go patrol with Potter after I unpack my trunk.” The dorm-mates exchanged quick, knowing glances. They didn’t understand why Lily wouldn’t admit she was madly in love with James. Lily glared at her friends, “I saw that. And I don’t love Potter, Lindsay.” Lindsay blushed furiously when Lily caught her mouthing the words in denial to Emmeline. “Now if you ladies don’t mind, I’ve got to go patrol,” Lily said as she stormed out of the room. As soon as she left, Lindsay, Theresa and Emma burst into giggles.
Lily walked down to the common room. Remus, Sirius and Peter were dozing on the couches and squashy armchairs. Assuming that James was in his room, Lily walked to the boy’s dormitory to collect him. She entered the seventh year boy’s dorm to find it completely unorganized and messy, save one bed area Lily assumed to be Remus’s. She walked to what she assumed was James’s bed area and saw that, next to it, a few shelves held prized possessions. One of them, Lily noticed, was filled with pictures of all sorts. An eight year old James and his parents digging in the garden; James getting his wand in Ollivander's; twelve year old James and Peter being levitated into the lake by Remus, while Sirius was running around underneath them. The years progressed with several picture of the Marauders and plenty of pictures of Lily rejecting James which many of them had her screaming and punching him. Oh, the memories. There were two pictures though, that were the biggest and in frames. The first was of Sirius, James, Remus and Peter who were covered in wrapping paper and ribbons, laughing to the point of exhaustion. The other though, was of Lily and James. James was chasing her around the old oak tree on the grounds and he finally caught her and gave her a shy peck on the cheek. Lily blushed and smiled; the picture then repeated itself. Lily found several pieces of paper on another shelf that had her name on them and was about to sit down on James’s bed and read them when she realized that James was sitting on his bed, watching her go through his belongings. “Oh, I ummm…Well,” Lily stuttered, “I am so sorry, I don’t know what came over me!”
James smiled softly. “It’s okay Lily,” James said, “I understand. So, since we are going to be working together, I was hoping we could be friends?”
Lily fidgeted with her robes before answering. “Alright James, I do believe I could try to be friend with you for this year. For now though, we have to go patrol.” Wow, Lily thought as the two exited the Head’s Room, being nice to James is easier than I expected.
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“What is your problem?” Lily screamed, her emerald eyes becoming frosty, “We split up on patrol for just ten minutes and I find you pummeling Snape mercilessly; I thought you had changed Potter, but I was wrong, so wrong. How could I have ever thought you could have changed? You are still the arrogant, egotistical, bullying toerag that you’ve been since second year! I… I HATE YOU!”