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i.
It’s a bleak September morning the first time she sets foot on the Hogwarts Express.
Lily sniffles, glancing over her shoulder, not at her parents whose grins were so wide that she feared it would split their faces, but at her sister, her Tuney, who pouted and frowned and whose eyes had a strange sheen over it. She’s only seen it a few times, when they got into fights that lead to broken dolls or hair tugging.
Petunia Evans was a cold type of sadness. She would pout and sulk and her lip would quiver, but she would never, ever cry.
Lily was the opposite. She was an explosion of feeling, a forest fire too big for her body that left its confines in wet, noisy sobs that had the whole house shaking.
A lone tear made it’s way down her sister’s cheek and she was ready to jump off the train and back to her if it meant stopping the impossible.
Sev pressed a hand to her shoulder, a steadying force. “Let’s go find a compartment,” he mutters, and she finally tears her eyes away, looking ahead instead.
They do find one eventually, only to be interrupted by some Potter and Black. Her bottom lip curls at the thought of them, and the anger is acidic in her throat. They’re bullies, terrible and mean and ragging on her friend, and she wants to do something- tell them off, cast a spell, throw a punch- but instead she just stands.
Her voice is cold when she speaks, and poison coats her tongue. “Come on Sev,” she sniffs, standing up, “Let’s go find a new compartment.”
-
ii.
Lily is still dabbing at her eyes when James Potter finds her, and she doesn’t quite growl, but comes close to it, messily swiping away the rest of her tears. Petunia didn’t even bother to come this time to see her off.
“Wotcher, Evans,” he says, flashing her that crooked grin.
“Potter,” she says evenly.
“Where’s Snape?”
“Around.”
“Ah, too bad,” he says, stretching his hands out, “I was hoping to have some fun before the sweets trolley passed.”
Lily scoffs at him, grabbing her bag. “I hope you choke on a licorice wand,” she says sweetly, her anger bubbling just beneath the surface as she stalks out of the compartment.
-
iii.
They get ambushed by Potter and Black almost immediately, Remus and Peter lagging behind.
“Had a nice summer, Snivellus?” Black sneers, while Potter tries to grab hold of his bag.
Lily elbows him in the gut and pulls her wand.
“What?” she asks easily, twirling it between her fingers. All four of took a step back, hesitating, when she grabs it, “Afraid of a little girl with a wand?”
“Nah,” says Potter, sauntering forward, “A little girl with a wand can’t scare me. Lily Evans with a wand on the other hand-”
He doesn’t get to finish the rest of his sentence, for she casts a bat bogey hex on them. It lands her in detention the second night back, but she doesn’t find herself being regretful, not when she can still hear Black’s shrill scream ringing in her ears.
-
iv.
Severus disappears as soon as they arrive on the platform. She doesn’t really find it in herself to care that much, not when Marlene and they find her almost immediately, linking arms and chatting about their respective summers all the way to their usual compartment.
They’re already inside, door still wide open as they listen to Mary recount her trip to France, when James and they show up.
His eyes immediately fall on Lily, sprawled out across and entire seat for herself.
“Evans! Long time, no see. How are-”
He doesn’t get to finish the rest of the sentence as she jackknifes off the chair and slams the door in his face, locking it too.
“That was rude,” he says, voice warped through the glass.
“Piss off, Potter!” she yells back in turn, and all the girls collapse on top one another, laughing until their sides hurt.
-
v.
“Oi Evans!”
She doesn’t turn around at the call of her name; in fact, she walks faster, but James has always been long and lanky and could cover three of her strides in the span of one.
“Potter,” she grudgingly acknowledges when he finally sidles up beside her.
“How was summer?”
“Fine, I guess,” she says with a one shouldered shrug. And then, only because it’s polite, she tacks on, “Yours?”
She expects the same brush off type response from him, but instead, James Potter regales her with tales of quidditch matches and laboratory experiments, visits to see the Iron Belly dragons in person and the trips to Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade. It’s a lot, and she doesn’t realise that she’s actually listening to what he’s saying until he comes to an abrupt stop, almost causing her to run into him.
“Sorry,” he says, ruffling his hair. There’s a faint splash of pink across his cheeks, and she bites the inside of her cheek to stop from smiling. He jerks his head at the compartment door. “Mary and and they are in there.”
“Oh,” she says, “Er, thanks.”
“No worries.”
“Right then.”
“I’ll talk to you later then? After the feast? I have some books you might like to borrow on the iron bellies and uses of dragon blood in potions.”
This time she doesn’t try to hide her smile. “Thanks Potter.”
He ducks his head, grinning. “Like I said, not a problem.” He turns on his heel to leave and manages to get three steps before glancing back at her. “Oh, almost forgot. Congrats on being made prefect.”
The little badge is still in her coat pocket, hidden away, but she doesn’t ask how he knows. Instead she flashes him another small smile and a quiet ‘thanks.’
“S’later Evans,” he says, this time leaving for good with a wave over his shoulder.
-
vi.
Lily is by herself this time as she arrives on the platform. She boards the train by herself too, taking care to hurry and find a compartment before anyone spots her. She’s incredibly early- there’s still more than a half hour to go- but she wanted to leave before she said something to her sister that she might regret.
Surprisingly, the marauders are there already, and she almost doubles back before they spot her.
James glances up, just looking at her for a moment before he says, “Evans?” in a tentative voice.
She doesn’t even bother to respond, the hurt still there, stinging at her eyes even three months later.
-
vii.
“You are absolute rubbish at writing letters, do you know that?”
Lily ducks her head, grinning. “Hi Potter, how was your summer? Mines was well, thanks for asking.”
She dances out of the way before he can swipe at her braid.
“You damn well know how my summer was, Evans,” he says, falling into step with her. He’s already wearing his Head Boy badge on his jumper, and it gleams in the sunlight. “I actually write to you about it.”
“Ah yes. The veritable essays you send me on a bi-weekly basis.”
“It’s not my fault that my life is ten times more interesting and enriching than yours,” he sniffs. She grins when she hip checks him, sticking her tongue out when he stumbles a bit and tosse a baleful glare her way.
“I’m sorry, enriching? Weren’t you trying to convince your house elves to play quidditch?”
“They made a mighty fine quidditch team under my tutelage, I’ll have you know.”
She makes a choking sound. “Sorry, your massive ego is crushing me a bit here mate; would you mind-”
The rest of her sentence is cut off by a shriek when James’ hand darts out, faster than she thought possible, and mercilessly tickles her sides.
He’s still going at it, leaving her breathless on the floor, begging him to stop when Sirius walks in, eyebrow hitched as he smirks at their tangled, sweaty forms on the floor.
“Now, now. There are children on this train, surely I don’t have to remind the Head Boy and Girl of that?”
“Fuck off, Sirius,” they say together in unison, Lily going as far as to throw her shoe at him.
-
+i.
“I cannot believe you transfigured a turkey into an actual lion at the end of year feast.”
James grins crookedly down at her, and just pulls her closer to his side. “See, your tone suggests that I’m a prat, but your words are telling me that you’re mighty impressed with my wand work.”
“Please don’t use the words ‘wand work.’ We’re in public.”
“You’re the one making it dirty, Evans. For shame.”
Lily nudges him with her shoulder, smiling wide. “Oh please; you love it.”
His crooked grin softens along the edges, and he cups her jaw, tilting her face up.
“I love you ,” he murmurs softly, nose brushing against hers before he kisses her, sweet and slow and perfect.
Of course, things can never stay perfect for long, as Sirius roughly bumps into them, pretending to throw up.
“Hate to break up the lovefest- actually, no, I don’t, you two are fucking nauseating- but we have a train to catch,” he says, tugging on Lily’s hair, “Hurry along now. You can eat each other’s faces off in an empty compartment on the train.”
“You’re a prat.”
“Nah, he’s just jealous,” Lily smirks, “Don’t worry, Sirius, I could kiss you too.”
He throws her a disgusted look and she laughs. “Please don’t,” he says, “Now come on. You guys have time for this later.”
James’ hand slips into hers and she glances up at him, eyes softening. “Yeah,” she says, squeezing it, “Yeah, we have time.”