Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.
A/N: This is my first story, please read and review.
Chapter One: The Year Begins
James Potter took a deep breath as he caught sight of the glamorous steam engine in front of him. He embraced the moment. It would be the last time he ever got on that train like this, at the beginning of the year. He sighed, put his hands in his jeans. Then he smiled. This was his seventh and final year at Hogwarts, he had been made Head Boy, and he had a pretty good idea who was his partner.
"Ouch!" howled James as a sharp jabbing pain sprang into his side. Sirius Black was poking him with his unusually sharp elbows.
"Oy Prongs, snap out if it, Mr. Head Boy sir. You've said good-bye to your parents…let's go get a good compartment." his best friend, the dashingly handsome Padfoot stated.
James shook his head and rubbed his side. "Damn it, Padfoot, this is the last time we'll do this. Hogwarts has been like a second home."
Sirius rolled his bright blue eyes. "Mate, it's been the home for me, you don't think I'm sad about this? I'm just looking on the bright side. It's seventh year, for Merlin's sake. We're legal, we're handsome, and we're going to have more fun this year then every before." Sirius grinned and began to drag his trunk onto the train. "Well at least I am, fun is restricted when you're Head Boy."
James sighed and started to lug his trunk onto the train, as he turned to take a glance at the platform he saw a pretty girl with red hair and bright green eyes, she smiled. No, not at him, but at a girl he knew was her best friend. He felt his knees go weak and that peculiar flip-flopping in his stomach and he gulped.
Sirius saw his friend and rolled his eyes, unknowingly causing several girls to melt. "Prongs, you're hopeless. Get on the train already."
"I'm coming." James mumbled and he began to search for an empty compartment with Sirius.
Once they found a vacant one near the back of the train, James sat down and let out a long, dramatic sigh.
"Oh Prongsie, please get over her already." egged Sirius, taking a seat across from him.
James muttered something quietly and sat up. "She's going to hate the fact that I'm Head Boy."
Sirius just grinned. "Well, she'll have to get used to it. Please Jamie boy, use this as an advantage, I mean, you'll get to spend loads of time with her."
James grinned but shrugged all the same. "I'll get to spend loads of time with her, true. But how fun will that be if she's glaring at me all the time and threatening to hex me into oblivion?"
"Good point." grinned Sirius, remembering the countless times James had been on the receiving end of the wrath of Lily Evans. "Just declare a truce, Prongs, state that this year you'll behave yourself and ask her to start completely new. Forget the past."
"That's a brilliant idea, Padfoot." came a voice from the entry of the compartment.
"I thought so too, Moony." came another, squeaky voice.
James and Sirius grinned, the remaining Marauders had arrived.
"Have a good summer, Lily?" asked Allison Prewitt, one of Lily's friends and a fellow Gryffindor.
Lily embraced her blonde, blue-eyed friend and smiled. "It was wonderful, my family and I took a trip to Paris, and it was absolutely beautiful."
Allison grinned. "I'm assuming Petunia didn't go."
Lily's face glowed even more. "Well that's why it was so pleasant. Do you really expect Petunia to enjoy anything with culture or intelligence?"
"I wasn't counting on it." replied Allison as they boarded the Hogwarts Express for the last time.
"She's alright and happy though, she spent the time with her fiancé and his family. I'm sure she was dreadfully delighted to spend time with people she strives to be just like."
Allison laughed as they reached an empty compartment at the end of the train. "Overweight ignoramuses?"
"Something like that." replied Lily as she closed the compartment door.
"Why are you shutting the door, it sends an uninviting message." asked Allison as she pulled her hair into a pony tail.
"I don't want Potter spotting me and fancying himself a chat. I want to start off this year without being hit on or being asked out shamelessly."
A mischievously smile played on Allison's lips as she thought of James Potter, a handsome boy that was dying to date Lily. Allison opened up the compartment door and stuck her blonde head out.
"Don't!" shouted Lily, sensing Allison's intentions. Allison slammed the door shut, still grinning.
"You wouldn't think I would do that, really, do you?" she smirked.
Lily sneered. "I wouldn't put it past you, Prewitt." She grinned as something occurred to her. "Guess what!"
Allison, taken aback by Lily's change of moods took a few safety steps backwards. "What?"
"I'm Head Girl." she replied. Allison smiled but raised an eyebrow.
"I know that, you wrote me over the summer."
"Yes…but if Potter even thinks of trying anything on me I can put him in detention!" Lily smiled brightly. "I'm going to make him pay."
"Now, Lily, don't start abusing your privilege." came a strong, smooth masculine voice that belonged to the tall, dark haired Jacob Oakes who was Allison's boyfriend.
"I don't think Dumbledore would approve of that at all." added Ellie, the beautiful younger sister of Jacob and had been taken under the wing by Lily when she was sorted into Gryffindor, apart from her older brother.
"Not one bit." agreed Jacob, smiling as he teased Lily and wrapped his girlfriend in a close hug.
Lily rolled her eyes. "I won't abuse my privilege by punishing Potter, he gets himself into trouble, I don't need to set him up for it." She sighed. "Although I wouldn't mind keeping him in detention for the entire year."
"Speaking of these privileges, don't you need to be in the Heads compartment in the front?" asked Allison as the train took off.
Lily nodded. "I guess I need to meet the Head Boy and conduct the prefect meeting. But after that I'll be back here." answered Lily, changing into her robes and putting on a professional look.
She pinned her Head Girl badge neatly onto her robes and smiled. "See you later."
"Have fun." they replied as she left.
Lily walked the corridors of the train she headed up to her reserved compartment. She took a deep breath, being Head Girl was something she had aspired to be since first year. She had achieved her goal through hard work and discipline.
She stopped in front of the compartment door with the gold letters "Head Compartment" inscribed on the door. She pushed it open to see none other then James Potter sitting, somehow, quietly in the corner.
"Potter, first of all this is the Heads Compartment, and second of all, no, I will not go out with you." she stated.
James grinned and stood up. "First of all Lily, I am quite aware of what compartment this is, and second of all, get over yourself." he replied, pointing to the shiny badge on his chest.
Lily didn't know what she was more speechless about, the fact that James Potter was Head Boy or the fact that he, the most arrogant prick in the entire school, had just told her to get over herself.
"What?" she cried, with her cheeks turning slightly red.
"I said get over yourself, Evans, I mean really." he grinned.
She sent her emerald daggers to his head. "How are you Head Boy? Is Dumbledore off his rocker?"
James shrugged. "I hope so."
Lily glared at him. "What is your problem?" she yelled.
"I wasn't aware that I had one." he replied cheekily. He took a look at her beginning to loose it,and he knew he was just asking to be jinxed but he didn't care. She had no right to be this upset with him over something he couldn't control. And it's not like he was Snape or anything.
"UGH!" stammered Lily. "Well let's go. We have a prefects meeting to conduct."
"Right-O" replied James as he opened the door of the luxurious compartment. "Ladies first."
Lily glared at his stupid charming smile and walked through the door, not without kicking him in the shins first.
"You reckon she's killed him yet?" asked Sirius as they sat among Allison, Jacob, and Ellie, not without Remus and Peter.
"Oh she won't kill him." stated Ellie. "She might hex him so that he has no manhood left, but she won't kill him, anyways, there's nothing she can do about Dumbledore's decision."
Sirius bit into a chocolate frog. "She's a real nutter though."
"No she isn't "cried Allison and Ellie in Lily's defense.
Sirius, Remus and Peter glanced at each other, each with secret smiles.
"Oh really, please, we beg to differ." replied Sirius.
"IF James Potter wasn't such a conceited, womanizing, shameless prick in front of her all the time maybe she wouldn't have a reason to go nuts at him all the time." retorted Allison.
"He can't help it." replied Remus reasonably. "Half the time he thinks he's impressing her, and the other half of the time he's too nervous to do anything right."
"Ha, James Potter, nervous?" laughed Allison. "That'll be the day."
"He is around her. He's so hopeless when it comes to her." stated Remus.
"Look, we all agree that they would be cute together, but when they do nothing but argue I see no way that that is even possible." answered Ellie.
"James doesn't argue." said Peter, as he grabbed for Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans.
"Only when Lily starts it." added Sirius.
The girls just sighed.
Lily Evans was livid. She had just finished conducting the prefect meeting with Potter, and although it had only lasted a grand total of fifteen minutes, the time with him had driven her completely mad.
"Evans, the meetings over, you don't have to stand up there looking like McGonagall." came James Potter's voice from the door.
Lily's face twitched with anger, although she did gather herself and head to the exit. "And you don't have to follow me around like a lost puppy."
As the words escaped her lips, she saw James's eyes flash with anger. Expecting an outburst or an insult of some kind, she prepared herself to snap back at him. To her surprise, he gave her a slight smile and turned to leave, shutting the door behind him.
Lily wrenched the door back open. "Ugh! He is so impossible!"
She reached her compartment and was somewhat disappointed to see her friends in the company of the Marauders. For she knew it would only be a few minutes before Potter showed up, realizing where his friends were.
Lily took a seat next to Sirius, who was smoking.
"How'd the meeting go?" asked Ellie wearily.
Lily glared. "James Potter is Head Boy."
"We know." said the girls in unison. Lily glared at them again.
"Well how do you think the meeting went? I was surprised his ego could get through the door!"
Ellie and Allison exchanged glances, and Jacob stroked Allison's hand.
"Lily you're going to have to deal with him, besides, he's not that bad." replied Allison.
Lily looked like she was about to remark, but a wave of smoke came floating towards her.
"Sirius put that out! You can't smoke on the train!" Lily stared angrily at him. He only grinned. "Not to mention it's against school rules!"
Sirius took another drag and blew out a few smoke rings. "Oh Lily flower, it's so relaxing."
Lily folded her arms in resignation, and a knock came to the door. Without waiting for a response, James Potter strutted through the compartment and took a seat across from Sirius.
"Oy, Padfoot, put that out. It's disgusting and bad for you." coughed James, waving the smoke out of his face.
Sirius smiled and put his cigarette out. A sputtering noise came from his side.
"What is it, Lily?" grinned Sirius.
Lily only shoved him. "So Allison, did you hear about the new line of pads coming out?"
Allison nearly choked on her pumpkin pasty. "Wh-aat?" she caught a glimpse of Lily before understanding. "Er…I mean, no, Lily, please, tell me ALL about them."
"Well I'd say it's about time for us to get going." interjected Sirius as he stood up hastily. "Right guys?"
James, Remus, and Peter nodded and stood up as well.
"We'll see you lovely ladies…and Oakes… later." cooed Sirius as the left the compartment, not without sending a sympathetic look towards Jacob, who looked like he would rather be leaving, but his hand intertwined with Allison's, could not.
As they left Allison and Ellie burst into a fit of giggles.
"What was that about?" cried Ellie.
"I had to get them to leave some how. I didn't want to spend the entire train ride with stupid Potter." responded Lily, looking smug. "And don't worry, Jacob, we really aren't going to have a discussion about pads." added Lily, noticing Jacob's uneasy composure.
Jacob look relieved and a smile spread across his face. "Good."
"He really isn't that bad." insisted Ellie through a bubble of laughter.
"Then why don't you date him." replied Lily, rummaging around the compartment.
Ellie raised an eyebrow. "I already have. Remember? Last year, for about three weeks, I know you remember, Lily, you said something awful about him almost everyday for the entire time I was with him."
Jacob's dark eyebrows went up. "You dated Potter?" he stated, almost appalled.
Lily raised an eyebrow, of course she remembered, Potter hadn't asked her out once those glorious three weeks. "Well if he's such a nice guy how come it wasn't for longer?" Lily winced on the inside, having resorted to such childish banter.
"What did he do to you? I swear if he did anything—" Jacob was cut off.
Ellie scoffed. "Because, Lily--Jake, we just didn't work. He was nice the entire time! He didn't cheat, he didn't lie, and he treated me great. We just didn't work." She took a breath. "And besides, we both know that I was just a distraction from you, honestly."
Lily groaned, and Ellie realized Lily hadn't been listening to her.
"Those boys took all of the chocolate frogs!"
The two remaining girls sighed. It was going to be a long year.