[𝖉𝖎𝖘𝖈𝖔𝖓𝖙𝖎𝖓𝖚𝖊𝖉] 𝕹𝖔𝖙 𝖄𝖔𝖚! - 𝕬 𝖏𝖎𝖑𝖞 𝖋𝖆𝖓𝖎𝖋𝖈

chapter 21 - the final cross

september 1, 1976

king's cross station, london 

Lily POV 

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I really am not looking forward to today. It's the final time I'll be boarding the Hogwarts Express to Hogwarts, my home where I'm not a freak, but a normal witch. One last time, I hug my loving parents goodbye while Petunia sticks her nose in the air and doesn't say a word. It's to be expected at this point. Petunia has succeeded at cutting me out completely. I walk away from my family and see Alice, Marlene, Mary and Dorcas. 

"LILY!" Alice cries, flinging herself onto me in a hug. 

"Hey Ally!" I say happily, hugging her back. Everyone joined into the hug. It was nice. Like a little love bundle. 

"Can't believe it's our last year." Dorcas said sadly as we let go of each other. 

"It'll be so lonely." I said in agreement. 

"But you'll have James." Marlene said, smirking. 

I wrinkled my nose in disgust. "Uh, no I won't, thank you very much."

"Whatever." Marlene said sarcastically.  

"I um, actually have news for you guys." I said. 

"You're not pregnant, right?" Mary said cautiously, making all of us laugh. 

"Uh, as if. No, actually. I'm Head Girl." I said, smiling uncertainly. 

"Whoa." Marlene and Alice said together.

"Sadly, I have to sit in my own compartment with whoever is Head Boy for most of the ride to Hogwarts." I say sadly.

Before anyone can say anything, we hear a loud bell, signaling that the train is leaving in 10 minutes. 

"Well, we'll see you later Lily." Dorcas said as we parted and I went tho the front of the train. I entered the train and found my compartment. Seemed just like the regular compartments, except it was bigger and the seats were made of a soft velvet. Setting my trunk down, I pulled out a book and began reading. It was sometime after the train left when I heard the compartment door open. 

In the threshold of the door was a grinning James Potter. 

"This is the Head's compartment, and I'm not Sirius, Remus, or Peter." I say sarcastically. 

"Actually, I'm Head Boy." James replies, closing the door and sitting across from me. 

"No you're not." I say in disbelief. Had Dumbledore lost it? James Potter, Head Boy? His detention records took up two thirds of Filch's office. He couldn't  be Head Boy. It should be Remus. James wasn't even a prefect. 

"Yes, I am." James said patiently, removing his red and gold Quiddich jumper to reveal a Head Boy badge pinned to his collared shirt. "Guess I'm stuck with you." 

I wrinkled my nose. When's he gonna ask me to go out with him? My bet is in the next five minutes. However, the next hour goes by without a word spoken to each other. I'm beginning to think that's he's asleep until I see him stand up and look briefly at his watch. 

"We have to go meet with the prefects now. C'mon Lily." James says, extending a hand to me. I shake my head and follow him out of the compartment. 

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- time skip - 

I trudge into Alice, Marlene, Mary, and Dorcas' compartment about an hour later. 

"Hey Head Girl." Alice said. 

"Who's Head Boy?" Mary asked.

"James." I say as I sit down. "I also have my own room, apparently. But you guys can sleepover on weekends-"

Marlene cut me off. "JAMES FLEABAG POTTER IS HEAD BOY?!" 

"Thought it was Fleamont, but it works. Yeah, seems like Dumbledore's lost it a bit." I agree. 

"How many times has he asked you out today?" Alice asked. 

"None actually. It's been nice." I say sarcastically. 

We continue to talk about a lot of different things for the rest of the journey. It's raining when we arrive at Hogwarts. I hold my hands over my head in an attempt to stay dry, but to no avail. Until I feel something above me that shields me from the rain. Looking up, I see James holding his cloak above me. 

"Thanks, James." I say, taken aback and this gentlemanly gesture.  

"No problem, love." James says, smiling gently. 

"Cut it with the PDA guys!" Remus calls from his carriage. 

"If you haven't noticed, Sirius and Marlene are snogging." James yells back. Remus looks over and gags before turning away quickly. "Let's find a carriage. Clearly, our friends are tad bit busy."

I nod and follow James. "You don't have to do this, you know?" I say quietly. Why was I all of a sudden listening to James? And why am I now so nervous around him? James shrugs and we find an empty carriage. Is he okay? He seems so mature. 

And I kinda like it. 

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author's note 

sorry for the short chapter!

stay safe + stay alive 

-mar ♡