Hello, everyone! After doing some heavy book 5 re-reading, I got sudden inspiration for a HP fanfic. So, here it is. Reviews are much appreciated, as is CONSTRUCTIVE crit.

Please enjoy!

CHAPTER REVISED ON 12/29.

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The Not-So-Secret life of Lily Evans

Chapter one: The Strangeness of Mr. Potter

A girl stepped up to the wall between platforms 9 and 10, her hands tightly gripping the handle of her trolley. She turned to wave goodbye to her family. Her mother blew her a few kisses and her father waved back excitedly; her younger sister, however, scowled from where she stood, squashed between sappy parents.

"Have a great year at school, Lily!" Dad called.

"You'll be home for the holidays, won't you, dear?" Mum asked worriedly.

"Of course, Mum! I'll write to you often, okay? I'm going to be late! Goodbye!" Lily said, and pushed her cart through the wall before her mother could fuss more. Honestly, they went through this every year!

Lily Evans was a 15 year old girl, returning to Hogwarts and the magical world for her fifth year of studies. Yes, studies were this girl's pride and joy. She didn't care for boys, like all her friends did. Who needed boys? There were BOOKS out there that she hadn't even read yet!

She had spent most of her summer scourging the local library (a Muggle one, of course. She was a Muggle-born child.) and now she could read some wizard books for a change.

The part she didn't spend reading? Oh, she was sleeping, or being subject to torture by her sister Petunia and her girl-cousins. The torture? A MAKEOVER.

As soon as Lily's braces were removed from her teeth ("Thank goodness," Lily had sighed. "Those braces kept setting off the alarms at the library entrance!"), her cousins had come to visit for the summer holidays. They insisted she throw out her thick glasses in exchange for contact lenses, and that she take better care of her beautiful dark red hair. And the makeup? ("Well, what they don't know won't hurt them.." Lily said as she stuffed the eyeliner and mascara at the very bottom of her trunk while packing.) She had no intention of ever touching the stuff again. It was going into the wastebasket the moment she unpacked at Hogwarts.

Lily had also grown quite a bit during the summer. She needed all new robes and clothes for the school year as she had outgrown just about all her clothes. Not that she cared. Clothes are such materialistic things.. They're only for covering your body, for heaven's sake!

But Lily did like her changed appearance, despite how much she disliked Petunia. The two had never got along well, but for once Petunia set aside their differences so that her sister's appearance would be more.. decent. Lily was older now, and a few years ago, she would have protested to no end, but now she wanted to be noticed. Probably more than just a bookworm and an outstanding student.

Platform 9 and 3/4 was bustling with activity, as usual. Students were rushing to meet their friends and grab compartments and say goodbye to their parents, all before the train left. Lily didn't have very many friends. She only had one close friend at Hogwarts, Celina, a fellow 5 th year Gryffindor, and even so, she divided her time frequently between Lily and Sirius Black, another Gryffindor, who was practically her boyfriend. Sirius usually got the bigger half of Celina's time.

Lily sighed and pushed her cart down to the Hogwarts Express and began to unload her cart, by using the levitating charm to save her some much-needed energy. For reading, of course.

Just as she had followed her trunk into the train corridor, someone dived headlong under it, smashing into her shins. Losing her concentration, Lily's trunk fell heavily onto the boy with a great "THUD".

"Ooomph---" he muttered as it fell on him, the breath instantly pushed out of his lungs.

"Oh my goodness! Are you----"

"Nice catch, James," someone laughed. It was Sirius, who (although Lily would never admit it) was extremely good-looking with his long, dark hair that fringed his equally dark eyes. He was accompanied by the rest of his posse: Remus Lupin, a skinny boy with blue eyes and brown hair, and Peter Pettigrew, a shy boy short and small for his age, with mouse-like facial features..

Of course, Celina was there also, smirking as she held her precious black kitty, Apollo, very closely. Celina was a very pretty girl; she was tall, thin, had milk-pale skin, silver hair, and steely gray eyes. It was obvious why she and Sirius hung out together so much. She had a cool attitude most of the time, somewhat adventurous and bold. But even so, Celina was a kind person, and would be willing to talk with Lily for hours on end if she wanted to.

"Oh. It's YOU," Lily scoffed, regarding Mr. James Potter with a look of loathing. She despised him. Potter was SUCH a show-off. And he was extremely rude. He regularly pulled pranks with his friends upon people. People like Lily, who was a frequent victim. And why did he NEVER comb his hair? It was so untidy..

James pushed the trunk off him, holding up a ball proudly in the air. Thankfully, the trunk's contents did not spill onto the floor. Lily's precious books were in there!

He got up off the floor, rubbing his head.. or was it tousling his hair?

Lily rolled her eyes. "Maybe if you would stop showing off for once, Potter, you could see where you're going.." She grumpily straightened her trunk, trying to keep her long hair from getting in her eyes.

"Umm.. who are you?" James asked, turning his head and concentrating as if he were trying to remember something important.

"What, did my trunk hit your thick head so hard you received amnesia, now?" Lily replied coldly. "Honestly, Potter----"

"Lily?" asked Celina. "Is that you?"

"Last time I checked, yes," Lily replied, eyeing her friend suspiciously.

"OH MY GOD!" Celina exclaimed, rushing over. "You look so different! I love what you did with your hair!!"

"I didn't do ANYthing with---" Lily began, but was interrupted by loud train whistles. The Hogwarts Express was setting off.

"Oh! I'm supposed to be at the prefect's compartment!" Lupin said. "I hope no one noticed.. I'll catch you guys later!" he said hurriedly before rushing off

"Later, Remus," Sirius called after him. "The train's starting to move. We should get a compartment as well."

Celina dragged Lily along with her, much to her dismay. She did NOT want to be stuck in the same compartment as that pig-headed, pompous, egotistical----

"Lemme get your trunks for you," James said, fishing out his wand from his pocket.

Lily gaped at him, speechless. Was he really..? No. Watch, he's going to blow it up right here in front of every----

"Sit down, Lil. We have SO much to talk about!!" Celina said excitedly. They were inside the compartment already. Peter sat by the window, his mousy face gazing out the glass. Sirius sat opposite him, reserving the seat next to him for Celina. She sat in her designated seat and pulled Lily down on her other side, already chatting animatedly as she stroked her cat lovingly.

James had finished stacking Lily's trunks in the corner, with the owl perched in its cage on top, preening his feathers carefully. Potter sat next to Peter, which was just across from Lily..

"So, like I was saying, the whole trip to Egypt was SUCH a drag because of it.. and the JEWELRY was absolutely HORRID, too. Ugh," Celina droned. "So, how was your summer? You've changed quite a lot!"

"Horrible. Don't even ask. I had my braces taken off, finally. And mum made me get rid of my glasses. I have to wear these annoying contact lenses.."

"Contact lenses? What are those?" Celina asked, having come from a wizarding family.

"They're these things that go right onto your eye.." Lily began.

"You have to stick things in your eyes?" Sirius asked, raising an eyebrow. He and the others had been listening intently. "What for?"

Sighing, Lily had to explain. Peter and Sirius seemed grossed out by the end. James and Celina were fascinated.

"I think I'd prefer the glasses," Peter piped up. Sirius mimed someone accidentally poking their eye out and having to chase it down.

The conversing soon died out, along with the daylight as the sun sank in the passing hills. Sirius and Celina were currently engaged in flirting shamelessly with each other, while Peter snored in his corner by the window. Lily had already begun rereading The Standard Book of Spells: Grade 5, while James tossed around the ball he had. Well, for a while anyway. He soon grew bored, and started watching Lily's book reading session.

"Having fun, Evans?"

"Hmm..? Sure, sure.." she replied distractedly.

"Learn anything exciting?"

"No..Of course not.."

James scoffed. "Are you listening, Evans?" he asked, leaning over and snapping his fingers a few times in front of her face, her nose pressed so perilously close to her book.

"What?" she asked, snapping her book shut and looking rather irritated.

"You'll mess up your eyes having that book so close to your face," James informed her, speaking very clearly this time.

"They're messed up already," Lily scoffed. "Go away."

James was bored again after a few minutes. He decided not to bother Lily further after she shot him a particularly nasty glare when he asked if she wanted to play wizard chess with him. One more look like that could have set the corner of his robes on fire..

"Hey, Padfoot! You wanna play?" James asked hopefully.

Sirius grinned. "Only if you wanna get creamed, Prongs."

"Bring it on!" James challenged him, whipping out his chess board. The pieces hurried to their respectful spaces on the board, shouting PG-rated insults at each other; James was white, Sirius was black. HAHA! Get it?! XD Ah, I kill myself..

What was this nonsense about Padfoot and Prongs? Did they have some sort of secret silverware society? Lily eyed them carefully over her book for a while, making sure no one noticed her. Sirius's bishop had kicked James's rook off the board. Celina cheered for Sirius and booed James at appropriate times, while Apollo regarded the moving pieces vigilantly through slit golden eyes.

"Are you sure you don't want to watch, Evans?" Potter inquired, grinning.

Merlin! He saw her! "Er.. I have to.. erm.. study," Lily said feebly, hiding behind her book once more. Her face felt hot.. why was that? Maybe she WAS too close to the book..

"School hasn't even started!" Sirius exclaimed incredulously.

"But, it's OWL year---" Lily protested, snatching her book back from James's summoning spell.

"Oh, lighten up, Lily. Have some fun before the work begins," Celina said, nudging her arm playfully.

"Fine," Lily sighed. She couldn't get any reading done anyway, so maybe a little chess wouldn't hurt..

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Okay, first chapter was kinda long, sorry. I started typing this and didn't bother to break it into chapters then.. I couldn't break it sooner, really.

I mean, "Siriusly" ..

Don't ask.

Just review!

mwah!