I thought I knew my ending - Year 1 and 2

Chapter 4 - The brightest witch of her age

After my first month in the castle, other teachers also began to notice that I had a natural talent for... being a witch. All the spells and incantations we had to perform came naturally. I didn't have to practice on the swing or the pronunciation, because I had performed all these spells countless times before. It felt a bit like cheating, I knew, but I had to admit I liked being really good at courses I used to struggle with.

Professor Slughorn had soon set me and Severus apart so we could engage in more challenging concoctions. Much to the annoyance of the Gryffindors who were sure that Slughorn was favorising us because we belonged to his department. Now if only they knew what a bezoar was...

In Transfiguration, I turned a turtle into a box of gems, an assignment we had to do for our O.W.L.'s. But when McGonagall called me to her desk after class and asked me where I got this spell from and I couldn't possibly give her an answer, I decided to hold back a little from now on. Before people would start asking questions I didn't want to answer.

At the various houses, I noticed that my knowledge was perceived in all sorts of ways. Positive and negative. A girl from Ravenclaw came to ask me if I wanted to be part of their study group and at Huffelpuf everyone was eager to work with me in any class. The Gryffindors however, did not seem to like my brilliance (or whatever I should call it). There were whispers in the hallways as Severus and I passed by. James made it his greatest obsession by making jokes and booing us every time he saw us. I began to wonder more and more if we shouldn't switch houses. And why on earth would I ever want to be married to this despicable boy?

None of that mattered anyway, because I was beginning to gain a certain kind of respect from the Slytherins. Lucius Malfoy came up to me a week after the incident with professor McGongall.

"I've never known McGonagall to speak so highly about a first year from Slytherin. Congratulations, Evans, perhaps you will prove yourself right after all," he said with... was it... a smile? I grinned at Severus who stared at me in disbelief. 

The first semester flew by and every day I began to get more used to my new house and friends. Evelyne and Angy asked Severus and I if we wanted to celebrate Christmas with them at the castle, but I decided to go home since I wanted to spend as much time as possible with my parents and Petunia now that life had given me the chance to do so. 

On the day of departure my friends came to see me off at the train station. I watched with a full heart as the castle slowly disappeared behind the mountains and then looked for a seat for myself, hoping there was one left, as the train was crammed with students. Almost everyone was going home.

As I passed a door, I heard my name and turned around. Remus and James were sitting in the carriage. I rolled my eyes, but it wasn't James who had called me.

"Hey, Lily, was it?" Remus asked, "are you going home for Christmas too?"

I remained standing in the doorway, not intending to spend an entire train ride with James.

"Um, yeah, my parents had asked if I could come home these weeks."

James put away his comic book and looked at me smugly.

"What?" I asked, a little ruder than I intended.

"Nothing," he laughed, but it missed the joyous twinkle in his eyes, it was a hollow laugh and a very sarcastic one as well, "just make sure you don't fall behind with your work as the teachers' pet."

"Ohh," I said, nevertheless letting myself sit down on the couch next to Remus. "If you just treat people a little kindly, you're not someone's favorite. I just try to be a decent student, not that you know anything about that..."