/𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒\ [𝒔. 𝒃𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒌]

𝟑.𝟛.𝟣

"dwell on the beauty of life. watch the stars, and see yourself running with them." ~ Marcus Aurelius

~september 1973~

The Hogwarts Express rattled along the English wilderness as rain beat down on its red metal and children inside clambered around to find the friends they hadn't seen all summer. Lily Evans, red hair gleaming, leaned in the doorway of a compartment near the front, talking to her best friend, Severus Snape. "I mean, you saw the look on Tuney's face when I said I'd learned how to change a rat into a water glass, didn't you?"

"Hmmm," Severus said noncomittedly.

"I mean, it was like she didn't even know me." Lily brushed her curls from her face and let out a sigh, leaning entirely on the doorway. "She doesn't understand, Sev."

Severus looked up from the teapot he was trying to turn into a tortoise, a skill their class wasn't supposed to learn until later that year. "Why would she?" he said lazily. "She doesn't know anything about us. Just forget her, Lily."

Lily frowned and opened her mouth to say more, but then someone pounced on her back and Marlene's loud laugh echoed through the corridor. "Missed you, Evans," she said lightly, pulling Lily into a hug.

"Hey, Marly." Lily hugged Marlene back, holding on for an extra moment and forcing a smile onto her face. "How was your summer?"

Marlene grinned and waved at Severus, then turned back to Lily. "Let's find the others and come back here to talk about it, okay?"

"Sounds good," said Lily. "Sev, save us some seats."

Severus picked up one of his bags and threw it onto the seat across from him, then gave Marlene and Lily a smug smile. "You got it."

Lily and Marlene started down the crowded aisle, hand in hand so they wouldn't lose each other, and eventually came to Mary and Peter standing outside a compartment, deep in conversation. "Come on, lovebirds," Marlene said loudly, "time to get seats."

"We're not lovebirds," Mary said calmly. "But yeah, we should get seats."

"I should find James and Sirius and Remus anyways," said Peter. "Promised I'd sit with them."

Marlene nodded. "Well, we'll follow you because wherever the boys are, I'm sure that's where we'll find Art." Lily shot her a dirty look and Marlene held her hands up in surrender. "I'm kidding!"

"We don't need a repeat of last year," murmured Mary.

Peter shifted nervously for a second, and then turned to head down the aisle towards the compartments in the back, where he figured his friends would be sitting. Lily, Marlene, and Mary trailed close behind. "Has anyone heard from Art all summer?" Lily asked.