Hey guys! I cannot believe it was nearly four years ago when I posted this first chapter! I'm working on editing, so hopefully you can enjoy a better written story.

Update: I added this prologue. I think it's worth the read :)

The Special Two

Prologue

There comes a time in your life when you're forced to look back on everything that has happened and try to make sense of how it led you to where you are now.

Sometimes causality makes the pieces fit together flawlessly. Other times, it seems like disjointed fragments that will never fit together.

That's when you start looking for the things you might have missed. Subtle signs you could have overlooked, even blatant cues that seemed to be foreshadowing your fate.

They say hindsight is always 20/20. Well you see that now. And what's worse? You're left picking up the pieces and stuck trying to deal with knowing what you could have done differently.

But the bottom line is this: everyone has a story. Some are happier than others, some more devastating. I prefer to put ours under the second category: a tragedy. But we do what we can. We have to. And we tell our story to you, not only in hopes that you'll get a kick out of our good times and a cry out of our bad, but so that you can grow with us. Feel our heartache, learn the forces of good and evil, understand love. And loss.

So we'll begin, almost a year ago. We had no idea what the year held in store for us. But we hoped it was lots of laughter, joy, and love. How naïve we were…

Chapter 1

Lily Evans stared out of the passenger side window of her mother's car in deep thought. As they neared King's Cross Station, where she was due to board the Hogwarts Express, she wondered what surprises her final year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry would have waiting for her. This past year had been wonderful, full of good marks and outings with her best friends…but also arguments with James Potter. She gritted her teeth.

Oh, Potter. That stupid Potter with his stupid standy-uppy hair, his stupid fan base, and his stupid, stupid ego. Goodness, she couldn't even bear to think of him. They were always arguing, and, until a few months earlier, he was constantly asking her out. She tried to put him out of her mind, so as to avoid agitating herself further before even stepping foot into the magical world. Instead she listened to her mum blabber on about how her baby girl was growing up, and how she would miss her.

Lily caught sight of the train station, and inhaled deeply, to prepare herself to say farewell to the muggle world for one last year.

"Lillian, here we are."

"Take care of yourself, mum."

Her mother smiled softly. "I will. Goodbye, dear. Write when you are settled in."

"Goodbye."

Lily walked toward Platform 9 ¾ slowly, trying not to think that this could well be the last time she boarded the train as a Hogwarts student.

She lugged her trunk through the barrier and hoisted it into a spot on the luggage compartment. She then turned her back to the Hogwarts Express, in search of her two best friends.

Instead of locating Emily and Anna, who should she find looking straight back into her eyes but Potter? Potter and his entourage. 'The Marauders' they were called, named for their renowned troublemaking. James Potter, best Quidditch Chaser Hogwarts had seen in many years, Sirius Black, Gryffindor's resident knock-out and charmer (though he could get a run for his money against Anna's skills), Remus Lupin, one of the most intelligent, sensitive souls Lily knew, and Peter Pettigrew, the more distant, tag-along, were the founding members, eternal troublemakers and best friends.

Lily jumped, not having been prepared to have to come face-to-face with James quite so early, and muttered, "What a wonderful beginning to my day."

James grinned slightly, and ran his fingers through his messy black hair.

"Good morning to you too, Lily," he replied. He shocked everyone within a ten mile radius by using her first name.

Sirius choked on the Bertie Bott's Bean he was eating, and Remus pretended to faint. Lily started at James a minute, bewildered at his diction, before continuing.

She shook it off, ignoring the choking boy and the boy sprawled on the floor. "I was just looking for Anna and Emily. Seen them?" She looked around anxiously.

Sirius pointed to his left; still having a choking fit on his Bertie Bott.

Lily looked over to see Anna's trademark auburn hair hurrying toward her. Of course Sirius would have been keeping an eye out for her. He practically had an Anna Radar.

Darting through the crowd, Anna flew into Lily's arms, leaving her trunk behind, and Sirius, still coughing, tossed it easily onto the train as she and Lily continued to hug and squeal.

"I should probably take care of this," Anna said, letting go of her best girl friend, and moving to hit Sirius on the back. The half-chewed bean promptly came flying out of his mouth and straight into Remus'.

"Bull's eye!" James called, throwing up his arms. Lily bent down to help up a madly spitting Remus.

"Ew."

When Sirius was done laughing at him, he turned around and cried, "Anna Banana!" He opened his arms to the 5' beauty.

"I missed you, Sirius!" she squealed as he spun her around in a bear hug.

Anna and Sirius were very close friends, and had been for years. They attempted dating a few years back, but it failed, for reasons unknown to Lily, Emily, and the other Marauders. Lily often envied the close relationship they had. Although she loved her best friends, what Anna and Sirius had was so intense, so effortless, that she had no choice but to stand in awe every now and then when she saw them together.

"We should go find a place to sit," Remus noted, gesturing toward the train that was starting up.

"Em better hurry," Anna mentioned, though without a trace of concern in her voice, because she knew that Emily's family had chronic tardiness syndrome. With her having five brothers and two sisters, all magical, three under the age of being able to control their powers, it was almost inevitable that Emily would be late for everything.

The marauders began to look for a place to sit (though not having much trouble, because each compartment they passed, people were sliding over to make room for them), but Lily called out to her former Prefect partner, "Remus, we should probably check out the Head Compartment soon."

The boys stopped walking and Remus slowly turned around, a strange mixture of amusement and sadness on his face.

"Hey Lily, you aren't going to believe this one…"

"How could he be made Head Boy? Surely Dumbledore knows of his irresponsibility and immaturity! And I have to work with him all year long?" Lily ranted, stepping on to the train.

Anna and the recently arrived Emily nodded. "And share a dorm with him," Emily noted.

Lily shot her the infamous Lily Evans Death Glare.

If looks could kill, the Lily Evans Death Glare would have you fried and served up on a platter to the Giant Squid. Twice.

"He's not all that bad," Anna tried convincing her, as they made their way to where the Marauders were seated. After all, Anna and James were close friends, and though she agreed that he could be as annoying as a garden gnome, she never was too irked over the flaws Lily was constantly aggravated about. But she didn't push her luck trying to get Lily to see things her way.

"Oh yes, he is," Lily said, sliding open the door to the compartment.

"Oh, hello Emily," Remus said to the brunette who was sneaking glances at Sirius.

"Hi Remus. Hello, Sirius," she blushed as he gave her a small smile from the corner where he was talking to James.

Lily tried to ignore everything else that was going on. She put a straight face on and bitterly asked, "You ready, Potter?" She marched out of the compartment without waiting for his answer, slamming the door a little too hard before he could exit. The glass quivered as she stormed off, clenching her fists and not looking forward to the rest of the train ride.