James and Lily: It Took A While

Chapter the Third

Chapter Three

~~~~~~~~~~

The second the train pulled into the station, I jumped up and reached above my head to grab my trunk. Before I could elevate to the tips of my toes, (after all these years I was still unable to reach the shelf with ease), James Potter had pulled it down for me.

"Thought I'd save myself from getting hit in the head with your trunk, Evans."

I rolled my eyes and paid him a sarcastic 'Thanks, Potter' before bolting out of the compartment, dodging Bailey's foot for a third time that day, and leaving Remus in the dust. I figured it I iced him out for a few days he'd feel bad that he hadn't warned me about my book being destroyed and apologize.

I dashed over to the carriages and began directing second years into them. The second years had never ridden in the carriages before, and this year it was my turn to help them get one. I pointed the confused ones into the carriages and comforted the few who could see the Thestrals, assuring them that it was perfectly okay and that they weren't going insane. I couldn't see them, but I'd learned all about them in Care of Magical Creatures.

After practically shoving the last group of second years into a carriage, I grabbed my trunk and headed to the last remaining carriage. I jumped inside, pulling my luggage on behind me.

"Quiet, quiet!"

My head snapped up so fast I thought for sure my neck would break.

I had jumped right into the car of three irritated Slytherins who clearly didn't appreciate being interrupted-Avery, Mulciber, and SEV.

I shook my head. He's not Sev anymore, Lily, I thought. Snape. He is Snape.

I earned myself a glare each from Avery and Mulciber, but received an extra from Sev-Snape. From Snape.

I looked out the window and put a stupid-girl look on my face, hoping they'd resume their Top Secret Meeting, but I knew it wouldn't work. Snape wasn't an idiot. Avery or Mulciber-maybe. But Se-Snape, never.

"So Snape, what's the plan?"

"Shut UP you imbecile!"

Yep. Snape wasn't gonna let me hear anything.

"But-"

"We'll talk LATER," Snape said firmly.

So he was the leader.

I couldn't wait to tell Remus.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Anyways, I have so much to tell you! Something AMAZING happened this summer!"

"Do tell!" I said.

Elle and I were in the midst of a group of seventh year Gryffindors in the Great Hall. She was recounting her entire summer to me. Elle likes to talk, but she doesn't have many friends, so she unloads ALL of it on me. I don't mind, but jeez that girl could talk my ears off!

"Okay well I met this guy..."

Sadie and Isabelle immediately leaned in to listen to the gossip. We were friends with them, just not great friends.

"He's nice, and sweet, and caring. He even likes me style!"

Elle had an interesting fashion sense. Nerdy glasses, stripey socks, funny earrings. She liked to express herself through color, especially. Right now, she had on a pair of bright green glasses, some koala earrings, and an extremely high side ponytail.

"Really?!" Sadie exclaimed.

"Yep!"

"Where does he go to school? Surely not Hogwarts," I said.

"Welllllllll..."

"What?" Sadie, Isabelle, and I chorused.

"He's a..."

We leaned in even closer.

"Muggle!" And she buried her head in her hands.

I felt my mouth drop open, and witnessed Sadie and Isabelle's dropping to the feet. Seeing how this fact had bothering Elle all summer, I immediately clamped my mouth shut and smiled. "That's great, Elle!"

She kept her head in her hands.

"But how did you meet a muggle and get to know him?" Isabelle interrogated.

"You know my dads a muggle and my moms a witch. I'm half-blood! I was out in the muggle world with my dad when I met him and we talked and met up a few times this summer. I really like him, even if he is a muggle." Elle's face retreated back into her hands.

"Elle that's great. Some of us, at least, have to marry muggles, or we'd all have died out! Your parents are half-blood, your mom married a muggle. It's fine. I think it's great." I reached across the table and patted her arm.

Sadie and Isabelle clamped their mouths shut again and helped me in boosting Elle back into her happy self. After a mere minute, Elle was jabbering away about something else, but I wasn't paying attention. Professor Dumbledore had just stood up.

"Students! Welcome or welcome back to another hopefully great year at Hogwarts! I trust your journey here was easy and enjoyable."

Yeah I wish, I thought. Across the table from me, Elle looked like she felt the same way about her journey here as I did.

"I hope your year is pleasurable and safe. We all know the dark forces are at work outside in the Wizarding world, and I am placing my trust in each and every one of you in this hall that you will report anything suspicious and stay away from anything dark. Now off to bed with you!"

Dumbledore was right. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was at large outside of school. He hadn't done anything out in the open, but reports had reached Ministry years and they had been continually warning people about the dark forces in the Daily Prophet, which I had a subscription to. I hadn't mentioned any of this to my parents because they would be freaked out and wouldn't want me to come to school anymore.

"Hey Lily come on, the first years," Remus said, giving me an apologetic/let's be friends again look.

I ignored him, but I did get up and head for the doors to the entrance hall. Professor McGonagall had told me that the password to Gryffindor tower was dragon heartstring.

"First years!" I called. "First years over here please!"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

As soon as I had pointed most of the first years up the marble staircase, where Remus would take over, I headed over to one last straggler.

"Gryffindor tower it up that staircase. Just go straight up it where another boy will be waiting for you. The password is dragon heartstring," I told her, gently pushing her in the right direction.

By then I was the last one in the entrance hall, so I hurried up the marble stairs and down the first corridor in the direction of the tower. I turned onto the second corridor only to stop in my tracks and retreat behind a tapestry of some sort of dragon-animal thing.

It was Snape, Avery, and Mulciber, and standing about two floors above where they were supposed to be. They were in a dark corner, and speaking in hushed tones I could barely make out.

"What could we do to prove ourselves?" Mulciber asked.

"I'm still working that out, you dolt. Just be patient. We have all year. The time will come when we'll be praised and well known among all," Snape whispered. "Come on, I'm not sure if there are any more Gryffindors left to come up here. We should go or Dillon and Mark will wonder where we are."

I watched as they quietly walked back down the corridor.

WHAT were they up to?