ꜰɪʀᴇʙɪʀᴅ |ᴊᴀᴍᴇꜱ ᴘᴏᴛᴛᴇʀ

chapter 1 - head of the idiots

As Ember walked onto the platform for her final year, a storm of memories came back to her. First was meeting her best friends, Marlene McKinnon, Alice Fortesque, and Lily Evans. 

*flashback*

Ember as a half-blood had heard about Hogwarts, not much, but a little bit. As her mother apparated her to the platform, she felt her stomach twist from apparation and anxiety. Her mother left not a second after she had dropped her child off. The young girl stood nervously in front of  the scarlet train. She decided 'now or never' and entered the train hopefully to make some friends. 

As she was walking down the hallway, she came across a compartment with three other girls, who looked close enough to her age. In her mind she thought, 'oh god I hope they aren't mean girls.' When she entered the cabin she spoke, "Hey guys. Umm is it okay if  I sit here?" The girls all looked at each other as if communicating with each other. "Of course, Lily Evans by the way!"  the girl with the fiery red hair spoke. "Marlene McKinnon" the girl  with the pretty blonde hair spoke. The girl in the corner was reading. One of the kicked her in the shin, "Ouch, oh shoot sorry, Alice, Alice Fortescue. Nice to meet you!" the girl with the short brown hair said. "Oh yes I forgot about my own name, Ember Holland. And before you ask, yes like the fire." she giggled. 

The girls sat on the train ride together, getting to know each other better. By the time the train stopped, she knew all of the girls pretty well. She was sure they would be friends for a long time. Marlene was a bit outgoing, Alice was the kindest, and Lily was the smartest. Ember related to all of them on some level. Alice and Ember both loved animals, Marlene and Ember both loved messing with people, almost Slytherin-like. Lastly, Lily and Ember both had family problems. Ember didn't go too deep into it but she just said she had lost someone at a young age. 

The girls had been friends ever since.

*flash forward*

When she came back out of her thoughts she heard someone calling her name. She turned around, looking to see who was calling her name, until someone tackled her in a hug to the ground. 

"Bloody hell Marlene, you scared me." The girl got up off of her reaching out a hand to help her friend off the ground, "Sorry about that Em." "All good Mar, have you seen the rest of the crew?" "Yeah, I think I saw them get on the train already." "Oh good, I want to get on before he finds me." "He finds you every year girl, you honestly can't hide from him. Besides, maybe he'll grow up this year." Ember snorted, "Yea and Black will stop shagging all the girls in the bloody school." Marlene sighed "Oh come on Em, he's so smitten for you, give the poor guy a chance." Ember just shook her head, "never, nope, nada, zilch, absolutely not." 

As the girls got on the train, they ran into Alice and Lily. "Hey Lils, Alice! Did you guys find a compartment?" They girls just sighed, "Nope, wanna come check again with us?" Ember shrugged, "Sure, what else have we got to lose?" No open compartment in sight. The girls thought they would never find a compartment. A certain marauder noticed this. 

* * * *

As Sirius Black heard the girl's conversation, he rushed back to their compartment. He was greeted by his best friends, James Potter, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew. "What's up Padfoot, why are you out of breath?" Sirius, still gasping for air, said, " Girls-- don't have-- compartment." And with that James jumped up running out of the compartment in the wrong direction. "Wrong way Prongs!" Sirius yelled to his delusional friend. They laughed as they saw James sprint in the other direction past their compartment once more.

* * * *

The girls continued walking, hoping to find a compartment until Ember heard her least favorite nickname being called. And no one uses that nickname but one person. 

James bloody Potter.

"Firebird! Firebird! Hey I heard you were looking for a compartment! Mine's free!" She whipped her head around, "And how did you hear that Potter, we literally had that conversation 2 minutes ago." As he smiled proudly, it came to her, "It was Sirius wasn't it, that bloody bastard! I knew I saw him!" She was fuming, she didn't need someone spying on her for James. But her friends just eyed her saying, 'stop it we just need a compartment not a bloody wedding.' She rolled her eyes, sighing and turning back to Potter, "Fine, but only because there aren't any other compartments."

James's heart was just about to jump out of his chest when he was showing them to the compartment. She hadn't insulted him once while he was showing them to the compartment. He opened the door to the compartment turning around to just see Ember, his cheeks flushed a vibrant red as he took her in. He swore she had gotten more beautiful during the break. 

Ember noticed this, "Snap out of it Potter, my friends forced me to go with you since they already found a compartment. They literally shoved me out of the compartment. Ugh I am so going to murder them at the feast. Please just let me into your compartment." James was so flabbergasted but let her in nonetheless.

She was greeted by the infamous marauders as she begrudgingly entered their compartment. "Hi Em, how was your summer?" Remus Lupin greeted the girl. To be honest, the girl was closest to Sirius Black because of their similar family problems. But during school she hung out with Remus Lupin the most. She never really liked Peter, but she was friendly enough to the pudgy boy. 

"Good Rem, how was yours?" Remus shrugged, "Mm, the same as usual, spending the last summer at James's  house. Anyway, um did you re-dye your hair, it looks great by the way." The girl gave him a small smile before sitting near the window, on the same bench as Sirius and Remus. James however wanted to her to sit next to him. But since he didn't want to anger the brunette any more, he just crossed his arms and slouched in his seat. 

The brunette noticed his pouting and snickered to herself. She knew the boy had an obsession with her, she had no idea why but he did. It was extremely obvious. She yawned, getting tired and laid her head in Remus's lap. He smiled at the fiery girl being so vulnerable, and began playing with her hair. James was now fuming at Moony, but his mood faded instantly once he saw Ember. 

Her hair splayed across the seat, her red layers now showing. He smiled at her, as he got butterflies. He knew he was in love with this girl. He has known since fourth year, he just wished she would feel the same way. He truly tried everything to woo the girl, but nothing worked. She lit up the room with her smile, her amber eyes staring into his soul, her hair flowing in the wind. Merlin, this girl really knew how to get him feeling all giddy inside. He just sighed lovingly at the girl across from him, before seeing her head girl badge. 

He quickly jumped up and realized he had a meeting to go to. And so did she.