Disclaimer: It's JK Rowling's characters and world, I'm just playing with it. It's all hers, not mine.

First Trip

"Prats!" Lily hisses.

She lets the compartment door slam shut as she and Severus exit, stifling the rude boys' laughter.

Two stupid boys shouldn't rile her up, but she's still too flustered from her fight with Petunia to control her temper.

"Well, whatever house I'm in," she tells Severus as they push through the crowd, "I hope they aren't in it."

Severus snickers his agreement.

Glad for the distraction from her sister troubles, however temporary, Lily laughs too.

They head down the hall, checking compartment after compartment, getting turned away by older students in each, until finally, Lily sighs.

"If we find one with first years, we're staying," she tells Severus. They aren't likely to find an empty compartment, and she does want to make new friends. What better way to do that than by riding to school together?

Severus' mouth turns down, clearly unhappy at the prospect, but he doesn't protest. He really can't.

Finally, Lily pulls open the last door on the right side of the car. Inside, a clutch of girls are giggling, faced all pink and eyes bright with laughter. They quiet when Lily and Severus peak in, all stare at the newcomers.

Severus starts to back out, but Lily grabs his sleeve and stops him, gives him a warning look. These are fellow first years. They're staying.

"Hullo." She smiles as brightly as she can, wishing Severus would attempt to not look so sullen. "I'm Lily, and this is Severus. May we join you?"

A girl with a mass of blonde hair, yellow bows tied in it, and a pinched face looks them over, eyes flickering with disdain as she appraises Severus' appearance. She's clearly not impressed, shakes her head.

"We're full up," she tells them, her smile not even remotely genuine. "You'll have to find somewhere else."

Lily starts to point out the empty seats, but gets cut off by a dark haired girl standing with her back to the window, snorting in disbelief.

"Bollocks, Ether. I'm only looking for Jamie and I'm taking him," she jerks her thumb at a shabbily dressed boy sitting to the right of her, "with me. There's plenty of room."

The boy, peaky and dull haired, seems a bit alarmed. From the looks of it, he hadn't been told he was being escorted from the compartment.

The blonde, Ether, shoots the dark haired girl a look of pure venom. "Thanks for pointing it out, Adelaide."

"Oh, you are most welcome," the girl, Adelaide, replies, her smile as cool as Ether's.

Adelaide raises her hand in a small wave to the other occupants of the room, a small, mousy haired girl and a tall girl with elegant golden ringlets.

"Nice meeting you, Mary. See you in a bit then, Marlene."

Reaching over their heads, she pulls down a battered looking trunk, looks at the boy, and jerks her head toward the hall.

"Up you get. I think Jamie's that'a way."

She leaves a second later, the ragged looking boy trailing after her and his trunk.

Smiling so brightly her cheeks hurt, Lily hoists her trunk up into the storage, in the spot vacated by the boy's luggage, the helps Severus lodge his beside hers before stepping back to the door and looking around hopefully.

For a long moment the compartment is quiet, only the rowdy shouts from the corridor keeping them from silence.

Ether simply stares at them, clearly not willing to move, but the other two seem a bit confused, frozen and waiting for someone, anyone, to make the first move.

Finally, after someone slams into the door, the glass creaking ominously, the girl with golden ringlets pops up and gestures for the other two to sit.

"So sorry, I-er-I'm not…" She smiles, a bit unsure, but seems genuine. "Please, have a seat."

Taking in her appearance, Lily almost giggles. She's a bit like an overgrown doll.

Her clothing is all pinks and whites, a poofy skirt with hearts embroidered along the hem, and a white Alice band with pink roses traced on it. Still, she seems nice enough.

"Well," she begins, straightening her pink skirt down as she settles in beside Ether, still smiling. "I'm Marlene McKinnon. Your names are Lily and Septimus you say?"

"Severus," Severus all but growls. Lily flinches. He hates when people get his name wrong. "Severus Snape."

"And Lily Evans," Lily adds quickly, hoping to forge past the slip with his name.

"Are you both muggleborn as well?" The mousy girl asks, leaning forward, eager expression on her face.

Lily gestures to herself and nods. "I am. Sev isn't."

The girl looks delighted, practically bouncing on her seat. "Me too! My name's Mary, Mary MacDonald."

Ether looks Severus up and down, her eyes narrowed, cataloging the shabby state of his robes and the battered trainers on his feet, still clearly unimpressed.

"You're a half-blood then. Snape is no wizarding name I've ever heard of." She looks at Lily with a chilly smile. "Not that it matters. I'm a Blishwick though."

Somehow, though, Lily feels it matters a great deal to Ether Blishwick.

#######

Things slowly thaw between the girls as the train chugs on.

Mary chatters excitedly about all the new things she's seen, rattling on and on about everything from Diagon Alley to the platform. Discovering she was a witch was a shock, much more than it had been for Lily, as she'd not had any forewarning or help.

"I always thought I was just maddeningly unlucky," she confesses.

Learning that all the odd things always happening around her weren't due to bad luck, but in fact strange powers, was nothing short of an absolute relief.

Ether and Marlene aren't quite as excited to discuss their letters and trip to gather school supplies.

They're purebloods, so there was no shock, just expectation. Besides that, both girls had older family members that they'd gone with in years past. It was as unexceptionable as a Tuesday to them, or at least that's how Ether makes it seem.

"I tried to get mother to order my robes through the catalog," Ether tells them, sighing and rolling her eyes. "It's so...old fashioned, to have to go to the Alley for them."

"I-Oh, yes," Marlene agrees, nods and chews her lip in thought, watching Ether for guidance. "Old fashioned."

Mary's expression falls.

Sitting up straighter, Lily cuts in.

"I thought it was fun." She smiles, remembering the old woman who'd done her fitting, the magical measuring tape and the excitement of her first proper pair of witch's robes. "I've never had a fitting before, so it was a bit of an adventure."

Mary brightens after that, chiming it with more things she'd enjoyed during her trip to Diagon Alley.

Finally, once Mary and Lily have exhausted every detail of their first trip to Diagon Alley, with the occasional explanation or insight from Marlene, they move on, start discussing their families.

"My dad's a plumber," Mary tells them. "He and mum are still not quite sure what to make of all this."

Marlene frowns. "He works with plumbs?"

Ether makes a face. "Does he make jams?"

Mary and Lily spend the next thirty minutes explaining plumbing and the need for specialized workers to service it.

"He has to do all that...without magic?" Marlene asks, looking horrified. "That's mad."

"That's disgusting," Ether adds.

"It's a really important job," Mary defends him.

Lily nods, remembering when her dad had tried to fix the leak in the tap in the kitchen. It had been nothing short of a disaster and ended up costing them more in the end.

"Plumbers really are quite important," Lily quickly agrees, earning a beaming grin from Mary.

"Well, my family breeds hippogriffs," Ether tells them, lofty expression on her pinched face. "We've been top world breeders for centuries."

Lily and Mary exchange baffled looks.

"We-What's a hippo-grif?" Lily delicately asks.

Ether smiles smugly.

"They're really magnificent. Do you have your school books handy? It's best just to see them."

Taking her advice, Lily digs out her school books and searches until she finds the elusive creatures.

"They're beautiful," Mary murmurs, eyes scanning the creatures in Lily's book, fingers running over the wings and beaks of the moving illustrations.

"They're magnificent," Ether tells them again, looking pleased for the first time.

"My great aunt was a kneezle breeder," Marlene chimes in, looking thrilled to have something to add to the conversation.

Ether rolls her eyes, her unimpressed expression slipping back into place.

"Kneezles are nothing to hippogriffs." She smiles waspishly at Lily, as though they're sharing a great joke. "Hippogriffs are brilliant, kneezles are just glorified cats."

Marlene's cheeks turn pink and she mumbles something to herself before Mary begins flipping through the book, looking for kneezles.

"Is that what your family does then, breeds needles?"

"Kneezles," Marlene gently corrects her, still looking downcast. "Er-no, actually, we have an antiquities business."

She traces her fingers along one of the hearts on her dress.

"The McKinnons have been dealing in rare magical items since the 13th century. We are the most trusted for all your verification of authenticity on rare magical items." She shrugs. "That's what the wireless commercial says anyways."

Her eyes drop back to her lap.

"It's really boring," she admits.

Lily laughs. "Are you mad? That sounds brilliant."

Spending days surrounded by ancient artifacts, trading and examining them….

"It's got to be so fascinating," she adds as Marlene's smile reappears.

"Well…" Marlene gnaws at her lip. "It can be...but mostly it's a lot of research and proving lines of ownership."

Turning to Severus, eager to ask him if he's ever visited one of the McKinnon shops with his mum, Lily's smile fades as she finds him staring out the window, pointedly ignoring the conversation going on around him.

"Sev," she whispers. "Sev, come on. Talk."

"I don't want to," he grumbles back, not pulling his eyes from the window.

She's about to ask him why not, when a witch pushing a cart loaded down with sweets opens their door, distracting her.

"Treats, girls?"

Lily jumps up, right behind Mary, both excited for the next new thing.

They examine each and every treat, marveling at the variety, ask the witch about everything before making their selection. Ether and Marlene, on the other hand, simply pick their favorites.

Lily passes Severus a chocolate frog with a small smile. His lips twitch as he hesitantly takes it.

"Just talk," she quietly tells him, hoping the sweet will help him warm to their compartment mates.

His expression shifts back into a glare in response.

"So you two grew up together then?" Marlene asks, picking through a bag of Bertie's Every Flavored Beans, making a face as she nibbles on one before tossing it back in the bag.

"We grew up on the same street," Lily explains. "He's the one who told me I was a witch."

"Must be nice," Mary sighs, biting her lip. "Going in with a friend."

"Most of us aren't going in with friends," Marlene reminds her, patting her hand kindly. "We're all on the same rug."

Lily's nose scrunches up as she looks between Marlene and Ether.

"What about you and Ether?"

Ether frowns, picks up one of her Cauldron Cakes.

"We've met." She examines the pastry closer. "We run into each other at functions, balls are a bit out of fashion though, shopping sometimes, at the Ministry…but unless your parents make a real effort then you really are just with family mostly."

Marlene nods in agreement, eyes wide and sincere. "I've never actually talked to Ether before today."

Looking relieved that she won't be the only lonely first year, Mary picks up a package with a chocolate frog on it.

"Do they really jump?"

"Yeah, but that's not why people get them. They've got cards in them, see?" Marlene explains, pulling a card from the wrapper, holding up Circe smiling out the frame. "You collect them, trade them...my brothers have most of them, I think."

Opening hers, Lily finds Merlin sleeping in the corner.

She studies it for a minute, unable to keep the smile from her face at the wonder of it, only drawn from it by one of the girls squealing.

"Oh-get it! Get it!"

Severus has apparently opened his treat, and the chocolate frog has jumped from its wrapper, narrowly missing Ether in its bid for escape.

The girls shriek and giggle as they try to chase it down. They smear chocolate on the seats and windows, yelping as they tumble over one another. Finally, it bounces off Mary's head just as the compartment door slides open.

The dark haired girl from earlier steps in, catching the frog just before it hits her in her face.

She blinks, examining the frog in a mild sort of way, before holding it out. "Someone lose this?"

"It's Severus'," Mary offers, helpfully pointing to the now sweaty and scowling Severus.

Not missing a beat, the girl tosses the now stilled frog to him.

He just barely manages to catch it, the melting chocolate making it slippery, and several flecks splatter onto his cheek as he glares at her.

Her eyes trace over the chocolate strewn compartment, the smears and splatters, before she shoots Severus a sharp look.

"I'd think twice before eating it. No telling what it bounced in."

Severus glares in response, squeezes the frog so tightly one of the melting legs falls off and flops feebly on the floor.

She doesn't seem to care, just watches it for a moment before sighing.

The shabbily dressed boy is no longer with her, and Lily wonders where he's gone.

The girl leans against the door, now firmly shut behind her, surveying the mess critically.

"Decided to stay here then, Adelaide?" Mary asks, trying to clean the chocolate from her hands.

"Yeah, needed a break. Those great duffers are having an exploding snaps tourney and I'm rather fond of m'eyebrows."

"Found him then?" Ether asks, eyeing the trainers sticking out from under Adelaide's baggy trouser disdainfully.

"Couldn't lose 'im if I tried."

She walks to the window and peers out before turning and snatching up Marlene's bag of beans and pulling out a painfully pink one.

Ether huffs. "You could've stayed with us the whole trip."

Adelaide glances around, grimacing.

"And be covered in chocolate? No thank you."

She glances at Lily and Severus, not so much curious, but interested.

"Yer the two from earlier," she points out. "Ether didn't put you off?"

Ether huffs, but Marlene grins.

"This is Lily Evans and Severus Snape," she quickly introduces them.

Adelaide pops a red bean in her mouth and grunts. "Oh yeah. Addy. Adelaide Widdershins."

She finally sighs, waves a hand at Ether.

"Budge over, I'm sittin' there."

Shooting Adelaide a reproachful look, Ether moves over minimally, just enough for another person to squeeze in.

Unperturbed, Adelaide flops down, grinning obnoxiously as she settles firmly in the seat.

"Muggleborns then?" She asks, popping another bean in her mouth.

"Just me," Lily quickly answers. "Sev's mum is a witch."

Adelaide examines another bean, sniffs it and apparently finds it offensive, tossing it back in the bag and fishing out another.

"Oh? That's nice." She hands the beans back to Marlene. "You got yourself a rough bag there, Kinny."

Marlene takes the bag and sighs, forces a smile as she turns back to Lily.

"Addy's mum is a Healer. She actually does know quite a few people."

Adelaide nods but doesn't elaborate.

"When should we get in our robes?" Mary finally asks, eyeing the darkening landscape speeding by the window. "Soon?"

Ether scowls up at the rack with her trunk. "They're so ugly. I can't wait until we have our house colors on them."

Lily cringes, glances at Severus, remembering the last discussion of houses. He's still glaring out the window though, oblivious to the conversation.

"Why? So you can look like a bee?" Adelaide snickers.

Ether shoots a filthy look, crosses her arms and grumbles, but doesn't retaliate, not even when Adelaide gives her a good natured shove.

"Oh, Ether, don't pout. Could be worse."

Marlene nods sharply. "Just imagine, you could end up in Slytherin!"

"Dreadful," Adelaide agrees, her tone faux-genuine as she rolls her eyes.

Severus spins in his seat, his face screwed up in fury, teeth bared. Apparently he was listening after all.

"What's wrong with Slytherin?" He snaps.

Mary scoots back, presses herself to the wall, eyeing Severus warily as the other three girls stare back in silence.

Lily winces, preparing for another row.

"Sev's mum-she was in Slytherin," Lily explains. She glances at him, still teetering on furious, before continuing. "Er-What's wrong with Slytherin?"

This house business is turning out to be a bit of a mess. One person railing against it was an opinion, two, three, and four...it's a bit worrisome.

"Well," Marlene begins, cautiously glancing at Severus, wary of another outburst. "Well, you see...they're not-well, not really-"

"They're not nice," Ether finishes for her, arms still crossed as she looks at Lily. "And they only take purebloods, so you won't get stuck there anyways."

"She can so," Several snarls, teeth bared.

He gets to his feet and reaches for his trunk, his robes flying and hitting Adelaide in the eye.

"Come on Lily," he commands her, grabbing her by the elbow and pulling her up. "Let's go find another comp-"

"Oh, sit down, yeh great baby," Adelaide cuts him off, still rubbing her eye. "They're just houses. Stupid thing to have a fit need to calm down."

Lily nods in agreement, sitting back down and fixing Severus in a stern glare. She isn't leaving.

Adelaide sits back, shrugs.

"And we're halfway to Hogwarts, you're not likely to find another compartment anyways."

Grinding his teeth, Severus huffs, but after a moment, flops back into his seat, refusing to look at the girls.

Forcing a smile, Lily gives them all a reassuring nod, but the tension hangs over them until Mary opens her last chocolate frog and it leaps away.

"Are they always so difficult?" She asks as the frog jumps off Ether's shoe, leaving a chocolate smudge across her toes.

No one answers, but judging by the exasperated looks they exchange, Lily doubts it.

"You'll get the hang of it," Adelaide assures her as she deftly catches the frog, hands it back, wipes the chocolate off on the leg of her trousers. "They're slippery little buggers."

A weak smile manages to tick up at the edges of Mary's mouth and Lily grins.

Maybe not everyone at Hogwarts will be completely awful.