Invisible Magic

The One Where They Nearly Miss The Train!

SOOOO, this is late! Sorry guys, all my fault.....

I'd like to thank my beta who hasn't complained at all about my disorganised-ness. (Or my lack of grammar and small knowing of the right words to use!) 

The next chapter could be updated between tomorrow and the end of the month so y'know don't hold your breath!

1968 - First Year

-Lily-

Lily and Alice sat next to each other in the ic cream shop, in a very awkward silence as James and Sirius talked animatedly to each other about Quidditch.

"Which house would you like to be in?" Lily asked trying to start a conversation which would help her learn more about her new school. Lily looked at Alice, she had shoulder length light brown hair and piercing blue eyes, her nose was ski jump shaped and dotted with freckles. She had quite a quiet demeanor, though Lily felt extremely intimidated.

"I'm not certain, I'd like to be in Gryffindor but Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad. Most of my family are Ravenclaw but I've heard that Gryffindor is the house for the brave and that's important to me, all the best people are brave, that's what it takes to become a hero, or even just a good friend. What about you?" Alice replied.

"I think I'd be happy in any of the houses. All of the qualities are important to me. To get what you want you have to be ambitious, brave, patient and wise." Lily told her, trying not to sound too stuck up.

They both finished their ice creams in comfortable silence before looking up at the boys who were still talking. 

-James-

James had noticed Lilys eyes on him and he turned away from Sirius.

"You're muggleborn right? You really don't know anything about the wizarding world?" James asked curiously. He couldn't imagine living without Quidditch and magic. 

"Ummmm, yeah. I only know what Professor McGonagall told me, the qualities of each house and I've tried to work out how your money works but it's sooo illogical." 

"Do you know about the train?" Sirius said, drawing his eyes away from his ice cream and looking at her.

"Train? Oh the train to school. I have my ticket here. What do I need to know? We have trains in the muggle world too, you know." Lily smirked.

"Oh, okay then. You'll be just fine." Sirius grinned mischeviously.

Alice shook her head at Sirius, she didn't want Lily to get into trouble at Kings Cross. "Maybe it'd be best if we met her at Kings Cross, help her onto the platform and such." 

"Okay." James replied enthusiastically smiling at the girls.

James didn't really know what to think of the three people sitting in front of him; he'd never really had much contact with witches and wizards his age. 

He thought of them as friends already even though they'd only met that day, he hoped that they'd all be in the same house and maybe that the other people at Hogwarts would be as nice as they were, he felt that he and Sirius got on well. And he felt some sort of connection with Lily.

- Lily - 

Lily had arrived at Kings Cross ten minutes earlier than they'd all agreed to meet. She sat down at the small station cafe and ordered a cold drink, sitting at a bar stool looking out into the station she spotted James who waved to her and came and took the seat next to her.

"Where're your parents?" James asked looking around the crowded cafe, after all what kind of parent leaves their daughter alone at Kings Cross?

"Oh, Tuney has an audition for an arts school and they agreed to take her along, I got the bus here; it really wasn't very far." She smiled slightly to reassure James.

"Have you done any magic yet?" 

"Only accidentally, once I controlled the wind to make Tuney fall over after she had pushed me over at school." Lily laughed.

"Really? I haven't tried any spells yet either. Can you fly?" James questioned.

"FLY? You can fly? You're telling me witches and wizards can fly? Like do you flap your arms are on a broom?" Lily stared at him in misbelief.

"On a broom, and I'm guessing the answer to my question is no then. I'll teach you some day if you like." He smiled.

Lily turned as she heard shouts of her name on the train station platform, there were Alice and Sirius running toward them, red faced and their hair messy. She looked at her watch and saw the time.

"James! We only have five minutes to get onto the train. Come on!" They both jumped up and all four children ran with their trolleys toward platforms nine and ten. 

As Sirius and Alice were ahead they stopped at the entrance to the platform and waited for James and Lily to catch up.

"You've got to go through here. James and I will go first. Just hurry." Sirius told them.

Lily watched gobsmacked as James and Sirius disappeared through a seemingly solid brick wall. 

"Come on Lily!" Alice started towards the wall and she too just vanished. Lily made up her mind that she would have to get onto the platform somehow. 

She shut her eyes and ran at the wall, preparing for impact. But instead she found herself on a crowded platform; full of adults chatting and waving at their children as the last few got onto the train, James and Sirius were at the train doors helping Alice get her bag onto the train. Lily ran over to them, they helped her with her bag and pulled her up just in time.

They walked along to the compartments and saw one with only three boys of about their age inside. 

"Do you mind if we sit here?" James asked politely.

Two of them shook their heads, one didn't even look up from his book when Alice sat beside him. 

The conversation was exciting and loud between James and Sirius, talk of magic and flying, professors and ptions, the girls were included at some points. They learnt that the names of the three boys were: Peter Pettigrew, Frank Longbottom and Remus Lupin.

This day on the train would, a little way down the road, be a very important occasion for all of the first years in the carriage. It was the day the marauders met. 

- James - 

In the carriage on the way to Hogwarts James felt happy, not that he'd felt upset at home, just lonely with only his parents for company. He couldn't wait to start learning. True, he was nervous about the sorting, but he had good friends already, he trusted they'd stick together.

But most of all James was excited, he couldn't wait to help Lily learn to fly, he questioned why this meant so much to him as he looked up into her green eyes and felt his stomach lurch as she smiled, he grinned back and started a debate between them all about the sorting.