Lily’s mind raced. This can’t be happening, she told herself. No one in their right mind would make James Potter Head Boy!
Before she had read this letter, Lily Evans had actually been looking forward to returning to Hogwarts. It was her favorite place on earth, after all. But unfortunately, that same place was also inhabited by some of her least favorite people…the most prominent of these being James Potter. And she had been made Head Girl. Which meant she would have to see him…have to talk to him…every…single…week.
Maybe he’s changed, she thought desperately. Maybe he’s not the pompous, puffed-up, arrogant toerag he was last year. Actually, she hadn’t seen him all that much last year. She’d managed to avoid him most of the time…except for when he’d stay behind after class to ask her out, then just grin and swagger away when she refused. Just this thought made her feel a twinge of anger. Oh Merlin, please let him be different this year. She put down the letter and continued packing.
It was an unusually blustery fall day as Lily Evans and her family got off the subway train at King’s Cross Station. Lily shivered and wrapped her coat tighter around her. Heaving her trunk behind her, she made her way towards the platform between 9 and 10.
“Lily! Over here!”
She turned around as someone called her name. Anne Jenkins was in the crowd behind her, standing on tip-toe and waving. Lily smiled and waved back.
“Hey, sorry I haven’t written you!” said her friend breathlessly as she fought her way to her. “I’ve been in Romania all summer. Will has been using the family owl non stop. We think he’s got a girlfriend.” Anne made a retching noise.
“That’s okay,” Lily said, happy just to see a familiar face. “So how was your summer?”
“The usual. Mum understood about half the words I said.” Anne laughed. Her mother was a Muggle, and her dad was a wizard. “What about you?”
“Er,” said Lily, a bit unsure, “it was all right. Except--well--hang on.” She stopped and set her trunk down. Opening the lid a crack, she reached her hand inside and brought out something small and shiny. Something that made Anne shriek so loudly passers-by covered their ears and Lily laughed will amusement.
“Oh my God”Lily, you’re--you’re Head Girl!” said Anne in a whisper. Unable to contain herself any longer, she squealed shrilly. “Who’s Head Boy?”
Lily’s smile disappeared and Anne stopped jumping up and down. “What?” she said. Lily sighed.
“You know how I told you last year that if I’d rather die by butcher knife than see James Potter ever again?”
“Yeah. So?”
“So you better start sharpening your blades.”
Anne’s mouth opened in an expression of half horror, half amazement. “Oh Lily, no. James Potter? The James Potter?”
No, his evil twin.
“One and only,” said Lily grimly. “Come on, we better get onto the platform.”
They said goodbye to their families (both mothers began crying). Together the two girls walked up to Platform 9 ¾ and leaned casually against it, slipping through to the archway.
The crowds around the Hogwarts Express were almost as big as the ones at the Station, considering they contained parents and relatives. Lily gazed lovingly at the train. She had always been fond of its red, glossy paint and gold embossment. She was brought out of her reverie when Anne elbowed her in the ribs. They began pushing through the crowd. Anne boarded the train, but just when Lily had her foot on the step, an angry voice made her stop.
“No, she’s NOT!”
She stared around, trying to find the source of commotion. Then she saw, about three feet below her, two first year boys rolling on the ground. She quickly bent to their level and held them apart. Each one continued flailing his fists, glaring at the other.
“Is there a problem here?” she asked looking from one to another.
One with short brown hair spoke up first. Angry tears were spilling out of his eyes. “He called my sister a Mudblood!”
She stared at the other boy. “Is this true?”
“Yeah, it is!” said the other boy, who had blonde hair. “She’s a stupid daughter of Muggles who--“
She loosed both of them and clapped a hand over the boy’s mouth. “That is no way to talk to another student!” She then turned to the other boy and wiped a tear from his face. “Don’t you worry about what anyone says of your sister. Why, I’m Muggleborn, and I’m a proper witch-“
The blonde boy glared at her. “You mean you’re a Mudblood too?”
Her stomach gave a funny lurch. How she hated that word…
“What did you say to her?” Came a voice from behind her. She turned around. It was James Potter, and he looked livid.
The boy didn’t answer. James bent down and grabbed him by the neck of his robes. “Don’t you ever call her that again, or anyone else for that matter. Do you understand me?”
“Yes…” mumbled the boy. James put him down. “Good. Now go find a compartment with the some other Slytherins.” The boy stalked off. Lily turned her attention back to the brown-haired boy in front of her. “You go ahead too, and if you need a place to sit just come find me. Okay?”
“All right,” he said, wiping his eyes and smiling. “You’re nice.” And to Lily’s delight, he wrapped his small arms around her in a hug.
“Okay, okay, that’s enough, board the train,” said James a little impatiently. The boy detached himself and waved to her as he ran onto the train. She stood up and turned around. James was standing there, smiling at her. “Funny how you can always tell the Slytherins,” he said.
“Thank you,” she said stiffly. “I never thought anyone would call the Head Girl a-“ She broke off. His smile faltered
“Are you okay?”
“Fine,” she said coolly and began to push past him. “See you.” And with that, she boarded the Hogwarts Express. Yes, that’s plucky Potter for you. Rushing to the aide of the damsel in distress. Honestly, I could have handled that situation myself! She walked through the corridors of the train, practically seething about Potter and all his shortcomings. Bloody pig head. Just then, she caught sight of a brunette mane in front of her.
“Anne! Anne, over here!” The girl turned around. “Aha! I wondered where you were.”
“Yeah, sorry,” said Lily. “There was-“ She was cut off as someone tugged her hair lightly from behind. She turned around. It was Jennifer Pierce, and she was grinning.
“Jen!” squealed Lily and Anne in unison.
“The one, the only,” said Jen, still smiling.
“Oh my gosh, we have so much to tell you!” said Anne as they group-hugged.
“Yeah, well, I’d rather we not do it here. We’re kind of blocking the whole corridor. Let’s find a compartment; there should be an empty one near the back.”
Lily faltered. “I can’t. I have to meet James in the prefect compartment.”
Jen’s eyebrows rose. “’James’? Since when do you call him ‘James’?” Lily flushed in spite of herself. She hadn’t meant to call him James...
“Since they’re both school Heads,” said Anne, giggling again.
“Oh wow! Well done, Lily, I didn’t know you were Head Girl!” said Jen with a smile.
Lily smiled too. “Thanks. I’m not sure it’s going to be the tea party I bargained for, though.”
“Well, we’ll see you later. I think we’ll be in the last compartment, okay?”
“See you then.”
But as she turned around to head to the front carriage, Anne practically screamed, “And say hello to James for us!”
Lily ignored it.
After a little bit of pushing, she managed to get through the flow of students to the very front compartment. She slid the door open…empty. Walking in and sitting down near the window, she checked her watch. 10:56. She was late, but Potter was later.
As if thinking his name was a summons, the door to the compartment banged open a little violently and James Potter walked in. He rumpled his messy black hair as he saw her.
“Hey, Evans.” He said casually. She raised an eyebrow. He put on an innocent face as he sat down opposite her. “What?”
“You’re late.”
“My apologies, fair one. Sirius and I required a crucial discussion, due to the fact that Hogwarts will be swarming with fresh first years tonight.”
She raised the other eyebrow. “I hope you’re not planning anything I’ll have to clean up.”
“No worries,” was all the answer she got. She couldn’t help but feel a small sense of foreboding. As the minutes ticked by, he took a snitch out of his pocket and started fiddling with its wings. Lily found herself staring at his head. Was it just her, or was his hair even messier than last year?
Just then, the door slid open again and Professor McGonagall walked in. Lily saw James hurriedly put the snitch in his pocket out of the corner of her eye.
“There you two are, here are the schedules for Head and prefect duties.” She handed them each a stack of parchments. Lily glanced down at hers.
Prefect Duties:
Gryffindor shift; 3:30-5:30 p.m. on Mondays and Tuesdays
Ravenclaw shift; 3:30-5:30 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays
Hufflepuff shift; 3:30-5:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays
Slytherin shift; 3:30-6:30 p.m. on Sundays
Head Duties:
Patrol corridors at 9:00 p.m. Tuesdays and Saturdays
Discuss problems and concerns during monthly meetings
Change all House passwords every three weeks
Add or subtract House points when seen fit
“Please hand these out to all the prefects, their names are at the bottom of the page. You will also be required to change a House password if someone in a different house somehow discovers it.” Said Professor McGonagall. “This year, we decided to give you the privilege of giving and taking House points. Please do not abuse it.” She looked pointedly at James, who winked at her. “I suppose that is all. You may go.”
Lily jumped up and left the compartment at top speed before James could say a word to her, the parchments still clutched in her hand. She sped all the way down the corridor and didn’t stop until she reached the last compartment. She wrenched the door open and flung herself down.
“Why Miss Evans, what a pleasant surprise!”
She looked up at the strange voice. To her horror, she saw the faces of Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew, all grinning at her.
“And to what do we owe the pleasure of your company?”
She had entered the Marauder’s compartment.
L'Amour Commence by Pinkerton
Chapter Notes: Whew! Okay, I finally got this up. I'll try to get the next chapters up ASAP, don't bug me about it people! D;