The Pranking Wars
Author's Note: Hey everybody! This is new fic that I decided to start. I have so far not had much attention with Harry Potter and the Curse of the Gypsy, but this story can help explain some of the things in that story if you have read it. This is year one through their deaths for Lily and James. It has an interesting way of looking at Lily, and I hope you like it. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not nor have I ever owned Harry Potter or any character from these books. I own the plot of this story, and Cassy Reed. That is it. Okay, got that? Now you can't sue me.
Chapter One
"The Hogwarts Express." James said in disgust as he looked at the train billowing steam. "Ready to go and make a 'wizard' out of me, as my dad said. Like I'm going to be Minister of Magic." He snorted, pushing a strand of messy black hair out of his eyes.
"Hey, it won't be too bad." The boy standing next to him replied. "I hear that they have great food. And Donovan told me that the house-elves would get anything for you, if you just ask 'em. They can be found behind a large basket of fruit, I heard." He grinned eagerly. "I can't wait."
"You would be food obsessed, Sirius. What is it with you and lunch? I would rather live on bread and water than have old McGonagall breathing down my neck." He stretched his shoulders as if he could already feel it.
"Hey, I'm sure she isn't around twenty-four, seven. We'll find time to have a little fun. Just wait and see." Sirius yawned widely. "I just hope we don't have to get up this early everyday."
"You call waking up at seven early? What a crock. I'm the one who lives in a mansion...why won't my parents allow me to be idle rich? You're the poor guy and you have less chores than I do!" James sneered at Sirius, who grinned merrily.
"Oh, come on, James. You know you skimp on chores whenever you can get one of your house-elves to do it for you. And why would I want to be rich? I can just take anything I want from you. And nobody expects me to be respectable." James rolled his eyes, pulling his chest to the train."
"Oh, Sirius, what a riot you are. Do you have to be so funny? I think I might burst a blood vessel if you make me laugh anymore than I am already." He said sarcastically. Sirius downed the last of his candy and chased after James to catch up.
"Oh, come on, James! You know I'm the funnier one of us two! You are just jealous of my superior talents. Now bow to me!" James stopped abruptly, causing Sirius to stumble and fall forward onto his trunk, which rolled freely until it crashed into a young redheaded witch who was talking to a couple of third years. She cried out in anger as she toppled over, and turned to glare at the duo.
"What was that all about?" she yelled, picking herself up off the ground. "You dorks! Are you trying to kill somebody?" She scowled at them as the two people she had been talking to laughed, watching the confrontation.
"Geez..." Sirius muttered as James jogged up and skidded to a stop next to them, panting. "You'd think I hexed you or something."
"I have a right mind to hex you!" she said menacingly, narrowing her dark blue eyes. "You could have really hurt somebody, you know?" She shrugged her shoulders. "Be more careful, next time, all right?"
"Hey, I'm sorry! It isn't like I did it on purpose!" Sirius said, raising his hands in the air. His dark eyes glimmered with humor.
"No, you didn't." She sneered. "Of course not. I bet somebody like you doesn't have the brain to do something like that on purpose. What did you trip for? Forget how to tie your shoelaces, did you?"
"Why you...you...I said I was sorry!" he said loudly, fuming.
"Well, I'm not sorry! Just don't do anything else, all right? I don't want to deal with a half wit for the rest of the year." She growled.
She walked off stormily, calling after her friends. James watched as a short, plump girl leaned out to talk for a moment. She had vibrant red hair, and appeared to be in her seventh year. "What a crank." Sirius muttered. "Too bad we're already on her bad side. I think she would have been a lot of fun."
James shook his head. "Still under the notion that school might turn out to be fun, Sirius? I think you are gravely mistaken." He scowled darkly. "If I put just one toe out of line, dad will send me as large a howler as he can fit without giving the owl a heart problem."
Sirius laughed loudly. "Then we'll just have to make sure that nobody finds out it was us causing trouble, right James?"
He grinned madly. "Right, Sirius."
*********************************************************
"Are you going to be all right, Lily? I know that this is what you want, but I'm just so afraid that you aren't going to be happy..."
"Mum!" Lily frowned, looking around. "I'll be fine. The letter told me everything I needed to know...about magic and things. I promise that I won't do anything dangerous. REALLY!"
"Honey, I know. I just worry, that's all. Petunia does too, dear. She loves you, you know. I just don't think she knows how to tell you, that is all."
"Of course, mum." Lily sighed. She wouldn't bother to correct her mother. Petunia hated Lily, of course. But she would never tell her mother. She had high hopes for both her girls, not just Lily.
"Do you know everything you need to know, dear? You have all your money and everything? That place, Diagon Alley, you got everything you needed from there?"
"I got everything from my list." She said wearily. "Don't worry. I'll be fine, mum. And I'll be back home before you know it."
"Yes, I know darling. It's just hard, is all, to see my youngest girl leaving me. And for a school of...magic! It's a lot to think about, my little flower." Lily smiled softly at the old nickname.
"Of course. But it's fifteen till eleven. The train leaves soon. Go on...I'll be fine." Her mother sighed and brushed a strand of rich red hair from Lily's face.
"All right. Write me as soon as you can, Lily. Your father, too. We'll miss having you around. The house will be so much quieter." She gave Lily a hasty kiss on the cheek before she turned to go.
"I promise I'll be fine!" Lily called after her. Before realizing she was already in a bit of trouble. She glanced hastily around at the wall between platforms nine and ten, where Platform Nine and Three-Quarters should have been. There was nothing there. A quick glance about left her quite confused. She didn't see anybody her age, and there weren't any guards that she believed could tell her what to do.
'Could this all be a joke?' she thought to herself. Panic rose slightly in her stomach. 'What if there really aren't such things as witches and wizards? But who would do such a thing to me?' She calmed herself, remembering that she had tried a few spells already, at home, for safe measure. They had all worked, and she knew that there was no way a prank could have left her able to turn a feather into a ceramic bird and back again.
She glanced about once more, before she noticed a young boy around her age standing near the wall. She listened closely to their conversation, uncomfortably aware that it was meant to be private.
"Remus, you have to be careful, now...no funny business, you could hurt somebody...now, do everything Dumbledore tells you, and you'll be fine...Hogwarts is really the safest place you could be, dear..."
"Hogwarts." She whispered, the fear in her stomach subsiding. She waited a moment while the sandy-haired boy's parents finished talking to him and, when she was sure that she could not overhear anything potentially embarrassing, she made her way over.
"Pardon me," she asked in what she hoped was her most congenial tone. All three of them looked up. She blushed brightly. "I was just wondering...well, I'm going to Hogwarts and my parent's never went there, so I don't really..."
"Don't know how to get in dear?" The boy's mother said, smiling. "Well, Remus is about to board the train. Why don't you come with us? We'll get you on safely."
"Thanks." She pushed her trunk beside Remus, smiling.
"So you're a muggle-born?" Remus asked thoughtfully. "You're really lucky to be getting to go to Hogwarts, you know. It's a top-rate institution for young witches and wizards..."
"Founded more than a thousand years ago by the four founders, who each produced a house of their own name," Lily quoted automatically.
"And now run by Albus Dumbledore, Order of Merlin, First Class." Remus grinned smugly. "Hogwarts: A History?"
"Chapter three!" Lily smiled, as they both began laughing. They came up to the wall between the two platforms and Lily shook her head. "How do we get through here?" She asked Remus' parents, remembering the brick one had to tap to enter Diagon Alley.
"Oh, the wall is visible enough, but it isn't solid." His father said. "Just go through at a bit of a run, and you should come out on the other side all right." He pointed at it. "A new thing, it is. Back in my day, you had to floo into a giant fireplace they had back there." He shuddered. "Horrid thing. They invented this for all the muggle-borns that are being let into Hogwarts, who aren't connected to the network."
Lily nodded. "Interesting. So I just...run at it?"
He nodded. "Yep. You and Remus can go at the same time. We'll come behind you." Remus smiled at her, his sky blue eyes twinkling merrily.
"All right, then? Let's go?" He began jogging at Lily's side as they headed towards the wall. Lily felt a prickle of anxiety at her skin and pressed her eyes shut. She could imagine the wall crashing on her any second, she could feel it coming nearer, and suddenly...
Nothing. She glanced up at the shining scarlet engine, panting slightly. THE HOGWARTS EXPRESS was written on its side in high, glittering gold letters. She turned to look at him. "It's incredible." She said softly.
"Yeah. I thought I'd never get to go to Hogwarts." Remus said, looking at it. He turned to Lily and thoughtfully dusted his hand off on his jeans before offering to Lily. "Remus Lupin." He said. "This is my first year at Hogwarts, too."
"Lily Evans." She shook his hand before they both turned to look at his parents, who had just stepped through the wall.
"Remus, I think you better get on. Remember what we were saying earlier. Be careful." His mother warned before turning to Lily. "You take care of yourself, dear. I hope you enjoy yourself." She waved to them with Remus as they walked side by side to the crowded train, creeping through the mass of people.
They stepped on. Remus quickly shoved his trunk into an overhead compartment and helped Lily as she struggled with hers. "Thanks." She muttered, blushing. She cursed herself for feeling like such a fool.
"Come on, Lily. Let's go find an empty compartment. There's few people on here that...well, I just don't want to see them when I am in such a good mood." She followed Remus down the compartments, which were filled with many people from their age to the oldest seventh years. Finally, near the very end, they found one that was vacant. Lily stretched into her seat and sighed.
"Are you nervous?" she asked Remus when he sat across from him. He smiled quietly at her.
"I'm going to the best school in the world. All my family has been in Gryffindor, and they all expect that I should be, too. Professor Dumbledore has been kind enough to let me into Hogwarts, so...yes, I'm petrified." He laughed, turning to look out the window. His parent's had gone.
"At least you have a magical background." Lily muttered. "I never even knew about anything like this before I got my letter. Well, except for one time when I accidentally made my teacher start speaking German, when he'd never spoken a word of it in his life. We had an exchange student. He was quite surprised." Remus snorted.
"Well, that's nothing. I once caused my mother's best china to melt. It turned into syrup. She was more than a little irritated at me." He muttered, causing Lily to laugh loudly. They settled in and began recounting various events of the past twelve years of their lives. Lily finally felt something that had been missing from her life for the past twelve years. Somebody who knew how she felt, and had been through the things she went through. A friend.
************************************************************************
Sirius and James looked at each other as the train began to move. "You know, this might not be so bad." James muttered amusedly. "If that redhead snipes at you for the rest of the year like that. You really need somebody to teach you a lesson, Sirius."
"If she tries to get under my skin, I'll...I'll turn her into a wombat!" Sirius said proudly, showing James his wand. "Don't you doubt me."
"A wombat, Sirius?" James snorted. "Is that what you come up with? I bet that took you a while to come up with. Leave the insults to me, Sirius. Seven years of your humor and I'd be willing to bet that she's the one who will end up turning you into some odd creature."
Sirius scowled. "All right, a pig then. She would make a good pig."
"A pig? Well, that's not a wombat. But please don't tell me you're going to develop a pig obsession." James snorted. "That would be just plain weird."
"What do you think I am going to do? Run around screaming 'Attack of the Lopsided Flying Pigs'? Even I'm not that weird." Sirius snorted. (Tribute to Jasmine Black----pig obsessions are always funny.)
"Yeah, yeah. Listen, Sirius, why don't we go and find that girl? You really should apologize." James said.
"Or I could have a little fun with her." He sneered. "She was a positive shrew, you know..."
James sighed as he stood. He knew his friend, and what he was capable of doing. James was fond of pranks, though. He would see what he had planned. "Come on then, Sirius." He said. "Let's go find her."
"Where did she get on?" Sirius muttered as they made their way from compartment to compartment with no sign of the redhead.
"Near the back, I think." James said, squinting down the apartment. He thought with annoyance that his parents were right-by the end of the year he might need glasses. "Come on," he said finally. "I think I see her." He and Sirius made their way down the compartments, filled with students merrily chatting and arguing. They finally stepped into one near the end, which was empty except for a redheaded girl and a boy she was talking to, who they could not see.
"Well, well. If it isn't the shrew." Sirius said loudly. The girl stilled for a moment. Sirius came up behind her. "Listen chick, if you think that you can get away with what you said to me earlier, I think you might have another thing coming. I don't take anything from anybody..."
"Erm...I think you might have the wrong person." She said softly as she turned. Sirius went pale as he looked her. Her dark green eyes glimmered with a mixture of amusement and annoyance.
"Oh...sorry, I...well..." he turned quickly to his friend. "James! You idiot! Can't you see? That wasn't her!"
"I'm aware of that!" James hissed back. "It isn't my fault! All I saw was red hair! Come on, Sirius. It was your idea to find her in the first place." He raked a hand through his hair, causing it to stand up more than ever.
Suddenly, the boy that had been talking to Lily stood up and narrowed his eyes. "James? Sirius?" They stopped their argument and turned to him. Twin evil smiles passed over their faces.
"Loopy, is it really you?" Sirius said darkly. "We've missed you." He walked forward and grabbed his left arm. James walked up and grabbed the other.
"Yeah," he said humorously. "I mean, it's been so boring around home without you around to see every once in a while, to chat with..."
"Or to torture,"
"To hang out with,"
"Or torture..." Sirius said again darkly.
"Hey, stop it, will you?" Remus said angrily. "Don't you ever grow up? I would think that by now you would at least act your age and not your IQ!" He said, trying to pull away from them.
"Ooh, original." Sirius snorted. "I thought for sure you might actually come up with something that hasn't been around for fifty years...
James chuckled. "Loopy, you really do make things too easy. Now, you see, it isn't like we meant to come here and torture you...we might have left you alone..."
"Yeah." Lily interjected. "You came here to torture some poor girl. Really, are you mad or something?"
Sirius and James dropped Remus' arms and frowned. "Oh, come on. Remus is an old friend of ours. He used to live near us, until his parent's moved away."
"Just give us a moment to catch up on a year's worth of lost time, why don't you Red?" James said cheerfully. "Go and buy yourself a Pumpkin Pasty or something."
"Can't you just leave us alone?" Lily said angrily. "You know, you're starting to get on my nerves."
"Watch out, Sirius." James muttered. "These redheads have tempers. I have a feeling if this one got angry, she'd be worse than that one out there."
"WILL YOU STOP TALKING ABOUT ME LIKE I'M NOT HERE?!?" Lily shouted. "Or are you going to make me do something I am really going to regret?"
"Lily, this is none of your business." Remus said quietly. "Why don't you just go? I can handle these two..."
"Come on! You don't want to get a detention on your first day at school, do you?" she asked, glaring at Sirius and James. "I get the feeling that these two aren't worth the trouble."
Remus looked at her calmly and then back again at Sirius and James. "All right." He said simply as he followed her out of the compartment. The two boys looked at each other for a moment.
"I don't know if we should have done that, James." Said Sirius quietly. "We've already made more enemies than we can count." He sighed. "I think this is definitely going to be an interesting year."
************************************************************************
Hello! I hope you like my new fan fiction. Don't think that this is going to be a typical Lily/James love/hate story. That will all change next chapter, but you will just have to wait and see!
Thanks to all for reading! ~Megx~
Author's Note: Hey everybody! This is new fic that I decided to start. I have so far not had much attention with Harry Potter and the Curse of the Gypsy, but this story can help explain some of the things in that story if you have read it. This is year one through their deaths for Lily and James. It has an interesting way of looking at Lily, and I hope you like it. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not nor have I ever owned Harry Potter or any character from these books. I own the plot of this story, and Cassy Reed. That is it. Okay, got that? Now you can't sue me.
Chapter One
"The Hogwarts Express." James said in disgust as he looked at the train billowing steam. "Ready to go and make a 'wizard' out of me, as my dad said. Like I'm going to be Minister of Magic." He snorted, pushing a strand of messy black hair out of his eyes.
"Hey, it won't be too bad." The boy standing next to him replied. "I hear that they have great food. And Donovan told me that the house-elves would get anything for you, if you just ask 'em. They can be found behind a large basket of fruit, I heard." He grinned eagerly. "I can't wait."
"You would be food obsessed, Sirius. What is it with you and lunch? I would rather live on bread and water than have old McGonagall breathing down my neck." He stretched his shoulders as if he could already feel it.
"Hey, I'm sure she isn't around twenty-four, seven. We'll find time to have a little fun. Just wait and see." Sirius yawned widely. "I just hope we don't have to get up this early everyday."
"You call waking up at seven early? What a crock. I'm the one who lives in a mansion...why won't my parents allow me to be idle rich? You're the poor guy and you have less chores than I do!" James sneered at Sirius, who grinned merrily.
"Oh, come on, James. You know you skimp on chores whenever you can get one of your house-elves to do it for you. And why would I want to be rich? I can just take anything I want from you. And nobody expects me to be respectable." James rolled his eyes, pulling his chest to the train."
"Oh, Sirius, what a riot you are. Do you have to be so funny? I think I might burst a blood vessel if you make me laugh anymore than I am already." He said sarcastically. Sirius downed the last of his candy and chased after James to catch up.
"Oh, come on, James! You know I'm the funnier one of us two! You are just jealous of my superior talents. Now bow to me!" James stopped abruptly, causing Sirius to stumble and fall forward onto his trunk, which rolled freely until it crashed into a young redheaded witch who was talking to a couple of third years. She cried out in anger as she toppled over, and turned to glare at the duo.
"What was that all about?" she yelled, picking herself up off the ground. "You dorks! Are you trying to kill somebody?" She scowled at them as the two people she had been talking to laughed, watching the confrontation.
"Geez..." Sirius muttered as James jogged up and skidded to a stop next to them, panting. "You'd think I hexed you or something."
"I have a right mind to hex you!" she said menacingly, narrowing her dark blue eyes. "You could have really hurt somebody, you know?" She shrugged her shoulders. "Be more careful, next time, all right?"
"Hey, I'm sorry! It isn't like I did it on purpose!" Sirius said, raising his hands in the air. His dark eyes glimmered with humor.
"No, you didn't." She sneered. "Of course not. I bet somebody like you doesn't have the brain to do something like that on purpose. What did you trip for? Forget how to tie your shoelaces, did you?"
"Why you...you...I said I was sorry!" he said loudly, fuming.
"Well, I'm not sorry! Just don't do anything else, all right? I don't want to deal with a half wit for the rest of the year." She growled.
She walked off stormily, calling after her friends. James watched as a short, plump girl leaned out to talk for a moment. She had vibrant red hair, and appeared to be in her seventh year. "What a crank." Sirius muttered. "Too bad we're already on her bad side. I think she would have been a lot of fun."
James shook his head. "Still under the notion that school might turn out to be fun, Sirius? I think you are gravely mistaken." He scowled darkly. "If I put just one toe out of line, dad will send me as large a howler as he can fit without giving the owl a heart problem."
Sirius laughed loudly. "Then we'll just have to make sure that nobody finds out it was us causing trouble, right James?"
He grinned madly. "Right, Sirius."
*********************************************************
"Are you going to be all right, Lily? I know that this is what you want, but I'm just so afraid that you aren't going to be happy..."
"Mum!" Lily frowned, looking around. "I'll be fine. The letter told me everything I needed to know...about magic and things. I promise that I won't do anything dangerous. REALLY!"
"Honey, I know. I just worry, that's all. Petunia does too, dear. She loves you, you know. I just don't think she knows how to tell you, that is all."
"Of course, mum." Lily sighed. She wouldn't bother to correct her mother. Petunia hated Lily, of course. But she would never tell her mother. She had high hopes for both her girls, not just Lily.
"Do you know everything you need to know, dear? You have all your money and everything? That place, Diagon Alley, you got everything you needed from there?"
"I got everything from my list." She said wearily. "Don't worry. I'll be fine, mum. And I'll be back home before you know it."
"Yes, I know darling. It's just hard, is all, to see my youngest girl leaving me. And for a school of...magic! It's a lot to think about, my little flower." Lily smiled softly at the old nickname.
"Of course. But it's fifteen till eleven. The train leaves soon. Go on...I'll be fine." Her mother sighed and brushed a strand of rich red hair from Lily's face.
"All right. Write me as soon as you can, Lily. Your father, too. We'll miss having you around. The house will be so much quieter." She gave Lily a hasty kiss on the cheek before she turned to go.
"I promise I'll be fine!" Lily called after her. Before realizing she was already in a bit of trouble. She glanced hastily around at the wall between platforms nine and ten, where Platform Nine and Three-Quarters should have been. There was nothing there. A quick glance about left her quite confused. She didn't see anybody her age, and there weren't any guards that she believed could tell her what to do.
'Could this all be a joke?' she thought to herself. Panic rose slightly in her stomach. 'What if there really aren't such things as witches and wizards? But who would do such a thing to me?' She calmed herself, remembering that she had tried a few spells already, at home, for safe measure. They had all worked, and she knew that there was no way a prank could have left her able to turn a feather into a ceramic bird and back again.
She glanced about once more, before she noticed a young boy around her age standing near the wall. She listened closely to their conversation, uncomfortably aware that it was meant to be private.
"Remus, you have to be careful, now...no funny business, you could hurt somebody...now, do everything Dumbledore tells you, and you'll be fine...Hogwarts is really the safest place you could be, dear..."
"Hogwarts." She whispered, the fear in her stomach subsiding. She waited a moment while the sandy-haired boy's parents finished talking to him and, when she was sure that she could not overhear anything potentially embarrassing, she made her way over.
"Pardon me," she asked in what she hoped was her most congenial tone. All three of them looked up. She blushed brightly. "I was just wondering...well, I'm going to Hogwarts and my parent's never went there, so I don't really..."
"Don't know how to get in dear?" The boy's mother said, smiling. "Well, Remus is about to board the train. Why don't you come with us? We'll get you on safely."
"Thanks." She pushed her trunk beside Remus, smiling.
"So you're a muggle-born?" Remus asked thoughtfully. "You're really lucky to be getting to go to Hogwarts, you know. It's a top-rate institution for young witches and wizards..."
"Founded more than a thousand years ago by the four founders, who each produced a house of their own name," Lily quoted automatically.
"And now run by Albus Dumbledore, Order of Merlin, First Class." Remus grinned smugly. "Hogwarts: A History?"
"Chapter three!" Lily smiled, as they both began laughing. They came up to the wall between the two platforms and Lily shook her head. "How do we get through here?" She asked Remus' parents, remembering the brick one had to tap to enter Diagon Alley.
"Oh, the wall is visible enough, but it isn't solid." His father said. "Just go through at a bit of a run, and you should come out on the other side all right." He pointed at it. "A new thing, it is. Back in my day, you had to floo into a giant fireplace they had back there." He shuddered. "Horrid thing. They invented this for all the muggle-borns that are being let into Hogwarts, who aren't connected to the network."
Lily nodded. "Interesting. So I just...run at it?"
He nodded. "Yep. You and Remus can go at the same time. We'll come behind you." Remus smiled at her, his sky blue eyes twinkling merrily.
"All right, then? Let's go?" He began jogging at Lily's side as they headed towards the wall. Lily felt a prickle of anxiety at her skin and pressed her eyes shut. She could imagine the wall crashing on her any second, she could feel it coming nearer, and suddenly...
Nothing. She glanced up at the shining scarlet engine, panting slightly. THE HOGWARTS EXPRESS was written on its side in high, glittering gold letters. She turned to look at him. "It's incredible." She said softly.
"Yeah. I thought I'd never get to go to Hogwarts." Remus said, looking at it. He turned to Lily and thoughtfully dusted his hand off on his jeans before offering to Lily. "Remus Lupin." He said. "This is my first year at Hogwarts, too."
"Lily Evans." She shook his hand before they both turned to look at his parents, who had just stepped through the wall.
"Remus, I think you better get on. Remember what we were saying earlier. Be careful." His mother warned before turning to Lily. "You take care of yourself, dear. I hope you enjoy yourself." She waved to them with Remus as they walked side by side to the crowded train, creeping through the mass of people.
They stepped on. Remus quickly shoved his trunk into an overhead compartment and helped Lily as she struggled with hers. "Thanks." She muttered, blushing. She cursed herself for feeling like such a fool.
"Come on, Lily. Let's go find an empty compartment. There's few people on here that...well, I just don't want to see them when I am in such a good mood." She followed Remus down the compartments, which were filled with many people from their age to the oldest seventh years. Finally, near the very end, they found one that was vacant. Lily stretched into her seat and sighed.
"Are you nervous?" she asked Remus when he sat across from him. He smiled quietly at her.
"I'm going to the best school in the world. All my family has been in Gryffindor, and they all expect that I should be, too. Professor Dumbledore has been kind enough to let me into Hogwarts, so...yes, I'm petrified." He laughed, turning to look out the window. His parent's had gone.
"At least you have a magical background." Lily muttered. "I never even knew about anything like this before I got my letter. Well, except for one time when I accidentally made my teacher start speaking German, when he'd never spoken a word of it in his life. We had an exchange student. He was quite surprised." Remus snorted.
"Well, that's nothing. I once caused my mother's best china to melt. It turned into syrup. She was more than a little irritated at me." He muttered, causing Lily to laugh loudly. They settled in and began recounting various events of the past twelve years of their lives. Lily finally felt something that had been missing from her life for the past twelve years. Somebody who knew how she felt, and had been through the things she went through. A friend.
************************************************************************
Sirius and James looked at each other as the train began to move. "You know, this might not be so bad." James muttered amusedly. "If that redhead snipes at you for the rest of the year like that. You really need somebody to teach you a lesson, Sirius."
"If she tries to get under my skin, I'll...I'll turn her into a wombat!" Sirius said proudly, showing James his wand. "Don't you doubt me."
"A wombat, Sirius?" James snorted. "Is that what you come up with? I bet that took you a while to come up with. Leave the insults to me, Sirius. Seven years of your humor and I'd be willing to bet that she's the one who will end up turning you into some odd creature."
Sirius scowled. "All right, a pig then. She would make a good pig."
"A pig? Well, that's not a wombat. But please don't tell me you're going to develop a pig obsession." James snorted. "That would be just plain weird."
"What do you think I am going to do? Run around screaming 'Attack of the Lopsided Flying Pigs'? Even I'm not that weird." Sirius snorted. (Tribute to Jasmine Black----pig obsessions are always funny.)
"Yeah, yeah. Listen, Sirius, why don't we go and find that girl? You really should apologize." James said.
"Or I could have a little fun with her." He sneered. "She was a positive shrew, you know..."
James sighed as he stood. He knew his friend, and what he was capable of doing. James was fond of pranks, though. He would see what he had planned. "Come on then, Sirius." He said. "Let's go find her."
"Where did she get on?" Sirius muttered as they made their way from compartment to compartment with no sign of the redhead.
"Near the back, I think." James said, squinting down the apartment. He thought with annoyance that his parents were right-by the end of the year he might need glasses. "Come on," he said finally. "I think I see her." He and Sirius made their way down the compartments, filled with students merrily chatting and arguing. They finally stepped into one near the end, which was empty except for a redheaded girl and a boy she was talking to, who they could not see.
"Well, well. If it isn't the shrew." Sirius said loudly. The girl stilled for a moment. Sirius came up behind her. "Listen chick, if you think that you can get away with what you said to me earlier, I think you might have another thing coming. I don't take anything from anybody..."
"Erm...I think you might have the wrong person." She said softly as she turned. Sirius went pale as he looked her. Her dark green eyes glimmered with a mixture of amusement and annoyance.
"Oh...sorry, I...well..." he turned quickly to his friend. "James! You idiot! Can't you see? That wasn't her!"
"I'm aware of that!" James hissed back. "It isn't my fault! All I saw was red hair! Come on, Sirius. It was your idea to find her in the first place." He raked a hand through his hair, causing it to stand up more than ever.
Suddenly, the boy that had been talking to Lily stood up and narrowed his eyes. "James? Sirius?" They stopped their argument and turned to him. Twin evil smiles passed over their faces.
"Loopy, is it really you?" Sirius said darkly. "We've missed you." He walked forward and grabbed his left arm. James walked up and grabbed the other.
"Yeah," he said humorously. "I mean, it's been so boring around home without you around to see every once in a while, to chat with..."
"Or to torture,"
"To hang out with,"
"Or torture..." Sirius said again darkly.
"Hey, stop it, will you?" Remus said angrily. "Don't you ever grow up? I would think that by now you would at least act your age and not your IQ!" He said, trying to pull away from them.
"Ooh, original." Sirius snorted. "I thought for sure you might actually come up with something that hasn't been around for fifty years...
James chuckled. "Loopy, you really do make things too easy. Now, you see, it isn't like we meant to come here and torture you...we might have left you alone..."
"Yeah." Lily interjected. "You came here to torture some poor girl. Really, are you mad or something?"
Sirius and James dropped Remus' arms and frowned. "Oh, come on. Remus is an old friend of ours. He used to live near us, until his parent's moved away."
"Just give us a moment to catch up on a year's worth of lost time, why don't you Red?" James said cheerfully. "Go and buy yourself a Pumpkin Pasty or something."
"Can't you just leave us alone?" Lily said angrily. "You know, you're starting to get on my nerves."
"Watch out, Sirius." James muttered. "These redheads have tempers. I have a feeling if this one got angry, she'd be worse than that one out there."
"WILL YOU STOP TALKING ABOUT ME LIKE I'M NOT HERE?!?" Lily shouted. "Or are you going to make me do something I am really going to regret?"
"Lily, this is none of your business." Remus said quietly. "Why don't you just go? I can handle these two..."
"Come on! You don't want to get a detention on your first day at school, do you?" she asked, glaring at Sirius and James. "I get the feeling that these two aren't worth the trouble."
Remus looked at her calmly and then back again at Sirius and James. "All right." He said simply as he followed her out of the compartment. The two boys looked at each other for a moment.
"I don't know if we should have done that, James." Said Sirius quietly. "We've already made more enemies than we can count." He sighed. "I think this is definitely going to be an interesting year."
************************************************************************
Hello! I hope you like my new fan fiction. Don't think that this is going to be a typical Lily/James love/hate story. That will all change next chapter, but you will just have to wait and see!
Thanks to all for reading! ~Megx~