Chasing Lily Evans

The Hogwarts Express Again

"So, did dear, dear Mrs Black tear the posters I sent you again?" James winked at Sirius and he laughed. "No, I put a spell on them, the one Flitwick's always putting on his stool-" "A Permanent Sticking Charm," Remus said, bored. Sirius rolled his eyes, "Yeah, that. But, really, James," he chuckled, "Posters like that and I'll be the one she'll tear apart." James smirked, leaning back in his chair. Sirius had been going on and on about how his parents were getting worse, buying him robes so long, they slid on the floor and slumped off of his shoulders. He was a handsome boy but being wary of his new life in Gryffindor, they did everything they could to stomp it out of him. They bought him Slytherin-themed clothes and even made a scene at the end of every semester in Dumbledore's office. They looked down on any girl Sirius fancied or any boy he made friends with, so, just to spite them, James had been sending him rebellious posters of the Gryffindor colours and a few, random Muggle women he didn't recognise. Just to spite his family, Sirius dirtied his walls every summer with glued up sheets and made the dead, lifeless room, his.

"Hey, Sirius," a girl appeared in the doorway, breaking him from his thoughts, "Would you like to share a carriage with me to the school?" She batted her eyelashes pathetically, and it was all Remus and James could do to keep their faces straight. Peter watched with eager eyes, unashamed at the scene unfolding before him. Sirius smiled, "I'm sorry, Yvonne, my mates and I always share a carriage to school." She looked a little disheartened until he added, "But I could spare a few minutes right now. In fact, I've been meaning to speak with, in private, about-" She grinned, "Oh, of course, my compartment's completely empty."  Winking at his friends, he disappeared behind the overly-eager girl.

"Peter, stop gorging on the Chocolate Frogs," Remus said with disgust, "I've heard the spell they use on them is actually harmful to the liver; people have actually been admitted to St. Mungo's a few times." Peter immediately dropped his half-eaten frog and said, trembling, "I won't die, will I? I did eat a lot of them-" "Oh, that's rubbish, Remus," James said exasperatedly, one leg on the seat and one the ground, the picture of ease. "You need to lighten up a bit; it's third year, after all. Here, have some beans." He tossed the bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans to his caramel-haired friend, who sighed with annoyance. "You will die an early death, what with all the sweets," he warned James, who smiled at him. He was used to Remus being this way. 

A red-haired girl pushed open the compartment door, laden with clothes, speaking to a greasy-haired boy behind her shoulder, "No, Sev, I can't see where I'm going so stop distracting me- aaah!" The clothes tumbled out of her hands as she tripped on the edge of a seat, thankfully landing on the soft cushion of the clothes. As she scrambled up, pushing her hair behind her ears, she realised where she was. "This isn't our compartment," Severus said, stupidly, leaning over her. 

The wind was knocked out of James as he took in the beautiful girl in front of him. Seeing she had bruised her elbows, he leant forward to help her up, "Are you OK?" His voice was filled with a softness he never knew he was capable of before. "Yes, thank you," she said, checking herself for any injuries, "I'm sorry, I didn't see where I was going and I mistook this for my-" she stopped speaking as her eyes finally landed on James'. He felt paralysed as a coolness filled her green eyes, her expression turning sour. "Oh," she said disdainfully, "It's you." She looked around the compartment, taking in Peter's tentative wave and Remus' reassuring smile. She smiled slightly at them and James felt a wave of jealousy. She smiled at them but couldn't care enough to spare even a friendly look at him, the one who tried to help her?

"Oh, you would know my name," he said coolly. "I'm sorry, who are you again? And why are you in my compartment?" She glared right back, "I'm someone who despises you and I came here by accident, obviously," her eyes narrowed, "I would never come here knowingly, I hope you know." As she left the apartment with that slimeball shooting them nasty looks, Peter started to snigger and Remus looked at him with pity. "You didn't have to act like that, you know." James replied haughtily, "Like what? Who does she think she is, anyway? As if I care." 

Though he had pretended not to, James did know who she was. She was that girl who hung around that Snape boy, Lily. The one who shot him one of the iciest looks he had ever encountered the first time she met him, on the Hogwarts Express itself.