As Lily entered Platform 9¾ for the second time that day she took a moment to take everything in. Before her stood the most magnificent train that she had ever seen. It wasn’t one of the modern types that she was used to, but an original locomotive colored the most brilliant scarlet that Lily had ever laid eyes on. Students and parents alike were running around frantically gathering their things and getting ready to board the train.
Lily stood for a second, shocked by the grandeur of the new world that she was entering.
As if Remus could read her mind, he said, “It’s pretty great isn’t it?” Lily could only nod in response. “Since my parents are a witch and wizard this is nothing new for me, but I have been looking forward to going to Hogwart’s for as long as I can remember. My dad used to tell me stories all the time about his days at Hogwart’s. I can’t wait to see the first Quidditch game!”
“Sorry, what?” Lily asked, utterly confused.
“Oh, I had forgotten that you are muggle born. I guess you don’t know what that is either, huh? A muggleborn is someone with non-magical parents. I’ll explain everything on the train,” Remus suggested, adding, “if you’d like,” as a shy afterthought.
“That would be great, Remus. Thank you,” Lily said to him with a radiant smile on her face.
Remus blushed and said, “Well, let’s go find a compartment, shall we?”
The two gave Lily’s things to one of the attendants and boarded the train. Their late arrival meant that there would be no empty compartments. Remus stuck his head in a few to see if there was room but they were all full. Eventually they reached the end of the train and the last compartment.
“I don’t care if it is full. We are sitting in this one, Remus, even if I have to sit on your lap. I am not walking all the way back down the train,” Lily said, clearly annoyed with the lack of space on the train.
Remus blushed at her comment about her sitting on his lap and said, “alright, if you insist. But we may want to check out who’s in here before you commit to that. There can be some pretty shady kids at Hogwart’s.” Remus opened the compartment and saw that only a small mousy looking boy and a girl who looked to be about their age inhabited the compartment.
“Mind if we join you?” asked Remus.
“Sure,” the girl said without looking up. When she did decide to look up she saw Remus and turned a bright shade of red and started fiddling with her hair. Lily smiled, she knew the girl thought that Remus was good looking, and he was. Lily, though, didn’t find herself attracted to him that way. Remus was not Lily’s type, though, at only eleven years old, Lily wasn’t sure what her type was.
“I’m pretty sure those seats are taken…” the small boy said quietly, but Remus and Lily didn’t pay him any attention and entered the compartment anyway.
“Hi, I’m Lily Evans. This is Remus Lupin. What’re your names?”
“I’m Alice, Alice Winters,” the girl said, shyly.
“Nice to meet you. I am so excited about all this. Are you a first year too?” Lily had such a bubbly personality that Alice couldn’t help but smile at her enthusiasm.
“Yes, I’m a little nervous about it all. I don’t think that I know anyone going here,” Alice told her.
“Well neither do I, so we’ll have to stick together,” Lily said, flashing Alice one of her radiant smiles.
Alice smiled back. Lily turned to the boy and asked his name again. He didn’t give Lily as friendly a vibe, but she wanted to get to know him regardless.
“Peter Pettigrew. And, like I said, I’m pretty sure that those seats are taken,” Peter said.
“I don’t see anyone here. Move your feet, lose your seat,” Lily said, as if that explained everything.
“Alright, but those boys are going to be angry.”
“Well, I will have to deal with them when they get here, now won’t I. But for now, and until someone physically takes me from this seat, I am sitting here.”
Remus was astonished by Lily’s boldness; this was a far cry from the girl being bullied on the platform. He figured that she knew that this boy was not a real threat, like Malfoy had been, but someone that she could easily handle.
Ignoring Peter’s warning Lily sat down and Remus followed her example. The four kids had been talking for a short time when they were interrupted by the opening of the compartment door. From her position Lily could see two very good looking boys. Both had dark hair, but the two styles could not be more different. The slightly shorter one wore his shaggy and long, but Lily could tell that his unkempt look was practiced and strived for. Looking at the other boy, though, Lily could barely keep herself from laughing. He was slightly taller and wore wire-rimmed glasses. His hair was a completely different story. It was completely out of control, and not in the same way as the first boy. It seemed like the hair did whatever it wanted. When the boy noticed that Lily was looking in his direction he gave her a quizzical look and tried to pat down his hair, but it was to no avail. Lily laughed to herself; there was nothing that boy would ever be able to do to control that mop of black hair on his head.
The two boys seemed pleasant enough. That was, until they opened their mouths, specifically, though, when the one in glasses opened his mouth.
“Those seats are taken,” the boy said. His snobbish manner did not go unnoticed by Lily. She was taken aback, but when she looked around the compartment it seemed that no one was as shocked as she had been.
Meanwhile, in a small voice Peter said, “I told you so.”
“Did you not hear me? Those seats are taken. Find somewhere else to sit,” the boy said, more forcefully than before.
Lily did not make any move to leave. She looked around the compartment again. Alice was looking down, fidgeting with her skirt. Peter was rapidly looking between Lily and the boy in glasses in a very nervous manner. Remus was sitting calmly but was giving Lily a look that said to her that maybe they should find another compartment. The boy with the glasses was looking at Lily expectantly. Lastly, Lily looked at his friend who was leaning against the door frame, acting as if he was entirely too cool to be bothered by the situation.
“I’m not going anywhere. If you think that it is so easy to find another compartment with the room for two people why don’t you go find it?” At this both Alice and the boy by the door looked quickly at Lily. Their expressions were ones of total disbelief. Lily was confused at their reactions, was there something that she was missing?
“Because I was here first,” he said, futilely.
“You left.”
For a second the boy looked at a loss for words, but then it looked as though he was struck with a thought.
“Apparently,” he said, in a higher-than-thou tone of voice, “you don’t know, but I am a Potter.” The boy looked very proud of himself. If you have never seen an eleven-year-old try to act manly, you should go find yourself an eleven-year-old boy. It is hysterical, and all in all, not very convincing. His chest was puffed out and his arms were crossed. He was giving Lily a look that told her that the argument was clearly over and that she was meant to leave.
“Well then, Potter, I suggest that you find your self a new compartment. Unless, that is, you plan on standing there looking like a git the whole way to school.” Everyone in the room was gawking at her. Utter disbelief was displayed in every face. Clearly this girl was not brought up in the magical world. How could anyone not know the name Potter?
With that, the boy made an angry noise turned his back, and left. Lily could not say that she was disappointed at seeing him leave. He was haughty and unpleasant, not someone that she wanted to be spending her time with.
“Wow, Lily. I can’t believe you just said that!” Lily could see the shock, and maybe even a slight amount of admiration on Alice’s face.
“Yeah, that was pretty great. You just continue to shock me by the minute,” Remus said, with a slight laugh at the thought that a tiny little red head could put the James Potter in his place.
“Well, where does he get off acting better than everyone else? He didn’t look so special to me,” Lily said.
“But… but he’s a Potter!” Peter said this as if it explained everything.
“So what? No matter who your parents are it doesn’t give you the right to act all high and mighty.”
“I don’t think you get it.” At this point Peter spoke every word slowly, “He… is… a… Potter.”
“No, Peter, I don’t think you get it. I don’t care. It doesn’t mean anything to me. But if the Potter name means so much to you, why don’t you go and sit with him?”
“Fine!” Peter gathered his things and, with a squeak of frustration, left the compartment.
“You know, I can’t say that I am sad to see him go,” Alice said with a smile, “being alone with him was honestly the most awkward situation of my life. I was so glad when you guys came in here!”
“I’m just glad he’s gone. He was getting on my nerves,” Lily said. A second later she saw something that Peter left behind. Picking it up she noticed that it was a ratty book filled with pictures and descriptions of different types of cheese. She showed it to Remus and Alice.
“Weird! That Peter kid sure has strange taste. I mean, he seemed a little off, but honestly, cheese?” Remus asked, quizzically.
“Hey, you don’t know anything else about him. It might be a gift from his mother or something?” Lily said this, but it was clear that she didn’t really believe it. She always tried to give people a chance before she wrote them off completely. “Anyway, I guess I should go find him and give it back,” Lily said, clearly not looking forward to it.
“Why?” Alice asked, looking skeptically at the book. “Let him come get it.”
“Oh come on, it’s the nice thing to do. I’ll be back in a minute.” With that Lily slid open the door and walked out of the compartment. Remus and Alice were left alone wondering why Lily hadn’t just let Peter come back for it.
Lily checked the other compartments in the car but did not see Peter in any of them. She walked to the end of the car, slid open the door and proceeded to the next one. The first two compartments were full of upperclassmen who gave Lily nasty looks when she poked her head in. She was about to go onto the next one when she noticed that it was open a crack, and there were voices coming from it.
Lily recognized one of the voices as the Potter boy’s. Normally she would just continue on and would not eavesdrop, but Lily stopped. She listened for two reasons. One, she heard Peter’s voice along with Potter’s and two, they were talking about her.
“Sheesh, what is with that girl?” an annoyed James Potter asked. “First she kicks me out, and then you. Where does she think she gets off telling me not to be snobbish?”
“I don’t know. Her name’s Lily Evans, though,” Peter responded. “Well,” thought Lily, “at least he’s got my name right, so that they can trash talk me properly.”
“Evans? Evans… Evans… I don’t know that name, and I know everyone,” James said, haughtily.
“Oh, you wouldn’t know her, she’s muggle born. Don’t tell me you didn’t notice. I could tell the moment I saw her,” Peter said, clearly thinking less of Lily because of her family.
At this there was a second of silence. Almost like Potter didn’t know how to respond. Lily felt awkward, and she wasn’t even in the room. Something that Peter said did not sit well with Lily, or with the two boys that he was talking to. After a second a third voice entered the conversation.
“Hey, you never know about a person from their family. Look at me! I’m a Black. They’re nearly as well known as the Potters, but obviously for different reasons. We all know how messed up the Most Noble and Ancient House of Black is,” this part was said in a very dramatic voice. Lily couldn’t help but laugh at this boy’s antics. He continued, “And you don’t see me hexing anyone who doesn’t look slightly shady.” Lily figured that this must have been the boy who was standing near the door of the compartment earlier.
“Good point, Sirius… No wonder, though. Anyone who knows of my parents wouldn’t dare talk to me like that. Imagine her in Gryffindor!” The boys laughed.
“Yeah, haha. She’ll probably end up in Slytherin,” Peter said, clearly wanting to be accepted by the other two. He laughed, but the other two did not join him.
“Are you serious, Pettigrew?” James asked.
“No, I am!” the third boy said. Lily smiled. This Sirius Black character was turning out to be quite the comedian.
“Slytherin, Pettigrew? Don’t you know anything about Hogwarts? That house only accepts purebloods!”
“Oh, is that the house you want to be in, then?”
“You just keep on striking out, don’t you, Pettigrew?” this was added by Sirius. Peter didn’t respond.
“No, peter, I do not want to be in Slytherin! I hate those slimy gits. Walking the same halls as them is bad enough, let alone sharing a dorm! My family has been in Gryffindor for generations,” James said. From his tone of voice he felt that it was a fact to be proud of and something that everyone should know.
“Oh,” was Peter’s only response.
“Well, let’s see,” said James. “This Evans character won’t be in Slytherin, she’s not got what it takes to be a Gryffindor, she certainly didn’t look smart enough to be in Ravenclaw, so that leaves…”
At this, Lily had had enough and entered the compartment.
“Hufflepuff, I believe. That’s right, isn’t it?” Lily smiled at the awestruck looks on all three of their faces. If she didn’t know better she would have thought that little Peter Pettigrew had peed his pants. The first to recover was Sirius Black.
“Well, that’s two points for the lady, so far, zero for the prat,” he said. Lily could only assume that Potter was the prat. “Sirius Black, by the way,” he said, holding out his hand. Lily shook it. “Anyone that can ruffle this boy’s feathers is a friend of mine,” he said with a smile. Lily was beginning to think that Sirius was an okay guy. She didn’t like him yet, but his quick wit was growing on her.
“Oh sod off, Sirius,” James told his friend. Turning his attention back towards Lily, he said, “Looks like someone’s been reading over the summer,” James said, giving his friends a look. It was a look that Lily did not miss and clearly said, “book geek.” She rolled her eyes at him. She didn’t need James Potter to tell her that she was a book geek, she already knew that.
“I have, Mr. Potter. And if being in Hufflepuff would mean I would not be constantly bombarded with your lovely face, then Hufflepuff would be ideal,” Lily said.
“And we have a runaway lead by Lily Evans! Three points to none,” Sirius said in his best imitation of an announcer.
At this point James couldn’t think of a comeback so resorted to asking, “Why are you here anyway?”
“Well, I didn’t come for your stellar company, if that’s what you were wondering,” Lily threw back.
“Four…”
“SHUT UP, SIRIUS!”
“I came to give Peter his book back. Here you go,” she said, tossing the book into Peter’s lap. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I really haven’t the tolerance to deal with four-year-olds.” With that Lily turned her back just as Sirius silently held up five fingers. Lily smiled at herself, knowing that she had made an impression and walked swiftly out the door.
The boys did not bother to slide the door closed after Lily left, so she could hear their conversation until she reached the end of the car.
“Merlin, what is with that girl?” James asked. Lily could clearly imagine the look of complete confusion on his face. She smiled.
“Come on, Potter. No offense to your mother, I mean really, how could I ever say anything bad about Sylvia… ouch! Mrs. Potter, I mean? Anyway, didn’t your father ever tell you to never mess with a redhead when she’s angry?”
A/N: That’s all for chapter 2. What did you think? I would love you to death if you took two seconds to give me a review :).
I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. I don’t know why. I could barely stop to go to practice. I like this witty Lily, she seems like fun. What do you think of the characters so far? This is my first time writing about the Marauder crew, so I’m open to suggestions. I know Peter seems annoying at this point, but he will get better. I don’t really like how in most stories he is put off to the side so much, he was a part of the group, so I intend on making him one.
So, thanks in advance for any review that you leave me! I will try to get the next chapter out as soon as possible!!!