Nah, She Didn't

~ Part 23 ~ Well Where's James Then? ~

lovely - Billie Eilish & Khalid

-Lily POV-

The big crowd of Hogwarts students files into the Great Hall. It feels so great to be back-no pun intended. Even the scent of the old school was refreshing. Old parchment, warm home-cooked food, and even the very brick walls had a deliberately pleasing smell.

I walk over to the Gryffindor table and sit down in the usual spot for me and my girls (and the Marauders, who could forget them?).

The girls and 3/4 of the Marauders are already sitting down (and Frank). I sit down in between Mary and Sirius.

"LILY! There you are!" Alice shouts. Everyone pauses in their conversation for a moment and looks at me and Alice. I glare at Alice who in response yells to everyone, "NOTHING TO SEE HERE! ContINUE YOUR PETTY GOSSIP!" Alive says defiantly, popping the p. (Even though she's quite the gossiper too).

"It's the Head's job to lead second years to the carriages so I had to do that," I say to Alice, rolling my eyes at her call-out.

"Well where's James then?" Marlene asks.

"Oh... I walked off and got onto a carriage without him," I answer. "There were only two carriages left, and I sat in one with Phil Lovegood and Patricia Patil and some others I don't know. But it was way better than the other one, so I took the last seat on-I took the last seat... I took the last seat. That means Jam-" I get cut off by James storming into the Great Hall; only a few more stragglers including him were left walking in. Sirius scooches over, and James slams himself in between me and Sirius.

"Do you know who I just had to ride in a carriage with?" James rhetorically asks, lividly. "The official SLYTHERIN BITCHES!"

I elbow James in the gut. "James! The professors..." I mumble. "And I usually use a less expletive term, the Death Eater Crew."

"Well I don't even care, because I sat with MALFOY, THE BLACK SISTERS, NOTT, CRABBE, GOYLE, AND SNAPE! Snape!" James yells in response. And yeah, you guessed it, the whole of the Great Hall was staring.

"What was that I heard you say about me?" Someone yells from the Slytherin table. And oh, look at that, it's Lucius Malfoy.

"You're the egotistical dumb-arse!" Another Slytherin shouts, who was of course, Snape. This just gets better and better.

"Excuse me?"James yells back, pulling his wand from his robes. Oh wonderful. This is just lovely.

"Yeah, go on! HEX ME!" Snape shouts.

"THAT WILL BE QUITE ENOUGH!" McGonagall booms, louder than either of them. Thank Merlin! "I don't want to hear another thing out of either of you! Is that clear? Or do I need to explain that in the detention that will be in your future if I do hear you?"

"Yes professor," both of them mumble. Ahhhh I love that professor. Can make even the most prideful student quiver in fear.

Anyone standing up sits down.

I start laughing.

"What? What's so funny?" James asks.

"Just you, and McGonagall. What a special relationship you two do have," I keep laughing, and eventually James can't keep a straight face and cracks a smirk.

"Me and Ol' Minnie go way back," James responds with a grin.

All the first years walk in through the Great Hall doors, and I can see the same awe I had on my face when I first walked in on their faces. I kind of tune out the sorting, and the sorting hats speech.

~ ~ ~

After a handful of uninteresting students, it's finally over and we can eat. Dumbledore says the usual stuff; the Forbidden Forest is forbidden for a reason, certain places you should stay away from unless you 'wish to die a very painful death', the curfew, things Filch wanted Dumbledore to say, and 'Pip pip, tuck in!'.

The Gryffindor table is immediately filled with delectable food, and so are the other tables. I grab my plate and fill it to the brim with mashed potatoes, peas, chicken, rolls, etc.

After a refreshing dinner full of teases and jokes and conversations about the professors, the food, much to my dismay, disappears. Dumbledore sends everyone away, and the prefects lead the students to their dorms.

I stand up once everyone has cleared out, and James follows suit.

"...So we have to meet Minnie outside, right?" James asks.

"Yep. For the dorm," I respond.

"For the dorm that we share," he adds with a grin and a glint in his eye.

Oh brother.

~ ~ ~
NOTES: Below is a visual of where everyone would be sitting at the table.

Frank-Alice-Marlene-Remus
-----------------
Mary-Lily-James-Sirius-Peter

-Amelia