“JAMES POTTER!” A petite girl with red hair and a prefect’s badge stormed through a group of students without stopping to apologize. Her green eyes were blazing with anger as she approached a boy with messy black hair and glasses. The boy’s three friends stepped back so as not to be caught in the crossfire. She shoved a large pile of crumpled parchment pieces in his face. “EXPLAIN YOURSELF!”
The boy, James Potter, grinned. “Well, Lily darling, I thought it was only fitting that I show you my undying love for you. I mean, we are going to be married, no?”
“WRONG! I despise you, James Potter, and I would be happy if I could never talk to you again!” Lily cried before turning on her heel and storming away.
James’ face fell the moment Lily left. He ran his hand through his messy black hair. “Let’s find a compartment,” he said, his cocky tone gone. He sounded defeated, actually. He and his friends walked towards the Hogwarts Express, luggage in tow.
After several minutes of searching, Sirius Black evicted a small first-year from a compartment and the four sixth-years entered. Sirius Black sat down first. Sirius, a very handsome boy with longish black hair and twinkling grey eyes, was still silently laughing at Lily Evans’ performance outside on Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. Remus Lupin sat next, a pale, sickly-looking boy with light brown hair and brown eyes. Sitting just moments after Remus was Peter Pettigrew, a slightly heavyset boy with small blue eyes and blond hair. James Potter came in a few moments afterward his three friends had sat down, looking dejected.
“Cheer up, James! It’s not the first time Lily rejected you,” said Remus light-heartedly.
“I know,” he muttered. “But for some reason, it really… hurt this time.”
Peter looked puzzled. “What do you mean, Prongs?”
“I… I don’t know, Wormtail. I just don’t know.”
Remus stood up. “Well, normally I’d try to figure out what in the world you mean by that, but I’ve got to go to the Prefect’s compartment.”
“Tell Lily… Tell Lily I’m… sorry,” James said slowly. Remus raised his eyebrows and nodded, obviously unaccustomed to hearing the word ‘Sorry’ cross James’ lips. He quickly exited the compartment.
Sirius and Peter began a game of Exploding Snap. For half an hour, a battle raged between the two friends. Friendly insults were tossed and, when the cards blew up in Peter’s face, Sirius laughed uproariously. Remus came back and the three played Gobstones the rest of the way to Hogwarts, often begging James to come and play with them. But James ignored his friends and stared moodily out the window for the entire train ride.
James lay in his bed, wondering where the evening had gone. He vaguely remembered the feast… the Sorting… the train ride… The last thing he remembered clearly was Lily yelling at him for all the letters he had sent over the summer. Her rejections never hurt this much before, James thought. What changed? He pondered on what had happened for a moment. He was deep in thought when Sirius ripped his bed curtains open. “Moony wants to talk to you. Now. You know where.”
James nodded as Sirius disappeared. Five minutes later, James stood outside the Room of Requirement. He walked back and forth three times, thinking, I need a safe place to talk to my friends. After the third time, a door appeared. James entered the magical room to find his three friends sitting, talking lightheartedly about the upcoming Quidditch season.
“James. You said Lily’s rejection really hurt this time?” Remus questioned, getting down to business immediately. James nodded, the memory of the brief encounter still stinging. Remus shook his head. “I must admit, I’m surprised. I think… I think you really love her, Prongs.”
Sirius stood up. “You’ve GOT to be kidding me, Moony! I thought you were the sensible one! What are you doing encouraging him in his delusion!” At that point, James jumped up, eyes blazing with fury and mouth open. Sirius shot him a glare that clearly said, I’m not done yet. James, following the Marauder’s unspoken rule, sat down and closed his mouth, preparing for at least an hour of listening to Sirius rant.
Lily Evans walked through Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, hands empty, a slightly worried expression on her face. “Potter,” she called, seeing the boy she was seeking just a little ways ahead of her.
James turned around slowly, a neutral expression on his face. “Yes?”
“Are… you okay? You didn’t bother me at all over the summer- not that I’m complaining,” she added hastily. “I was just wondering, because you always send me a million letters declaring your undying love for me, or whatever it is that you say.”
“I’m fine, Evans. I just grew up. That’s all.” And with that, James turned around and walked away from her.
Five minutes later, Lily was standing in the same spot when hands covered her eyes. “Guess who?” chorused two voices. A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.
“Hi, Tara. Hi, Trista. How are you?” Lily asked, pulling their hands from her eyes. Tara and Trista Abernathy, two of her best friends and roommates, stood before her, their brown eyes sparkling mischievously.
“Good,” they chorused. “How was your summer?”
“Oh, you know… Decent. Yours?”
“Wait. Decent? I thought James always sent you millions of letters over the summer. You always complain about him when we see you again!” Tara exclaimed, tugging at a section of her blonde hair.
“I don’t want to talk about it right now. Can we find Rebecca and Devan and get a compartment?”
Trista shrugged. “Sure,” she replied, sending a confused glance to her sister behind Lily’s back.
After Tara and Trista had found and surprised both Rebecca Edwards, who had barely suppressed a shriek when Trista’s hands had covered her grey eyes, and Devan Kincaid, who had just smiled and pulled Tara’s nails from her brown hair, the five girls boarded the train, lugging their things behind them. Subconsciously, they were all thrilled. They were on their way to Hogwarts. They were in their seventh year, which meant everyone would look up to them. But most importantly, they were with their friends again.