Lily still remembered it like yesterday. When she ran through the corridors to her dormitory after her fall out with her then best friend – Sev – Snape. She sighed and rolled her eyes, only thinking about that memory made a lump form at the back of her throat. It was also the time when she had told James Potter that she would rather go out with the giant squid than with him. She was glad that school year was over, and she got to go home soon after the incident. Getting a chance to ignore both Snape and Potter.

She had spent most of the summer in her room, crying, which made her parents very worried. When Snape had come over that summer, Lily remember shutting the door in his face. After telling him not to visit her anymore. Since she had chosen the path he desired, and she had chosen hers.

In the middle of summer, one night, Lily had received a letter via an unknown owl which was as dark as the night. She remembered opening that letter. And at first, she did not recognize the handwriting. She went ahead to read the letter, almost half asleep.

'Evans,' the letter read. 'I am so sorry what happened that day after O.W.L.S. I never intended it to advance to that level. Neither did I want you to get caught up in everything. I have spent most of my time since then thinking that you must be hurting still. Perhaps still crying, and I hate to think that I am the reason you are crying, or that you are crying at all. I will make sure it never happens again and though you might not forgive me ever, I hope someday you stop hating me.'

The letter was not signed but Lily knew exactly who wrote it. She couldn't believe that James Potter was actually apologizing. The guy she considered nothing more than an arrogant, bullying, toerag. The same James Potter who would always annoy her by trying to flirt with her and show off.

At first Lily considered not responding to the letter. But she couldn't hold herself back from pulling out a small parchment and her quill.

She wrote back, 'James, it isn't completely your fault what happened that day. Though I do hope you mend your ways.

Lily.'

Trying the parchment to the owl's tiny legs, Lily watched the owl take flight. It disappeared in the darkness over the horizon.

When Lily wok up the next day, she believed she might have imagined the whole situation. James Potter sending her the letter and apologizing in the letter? Until she felt herself holding something in her hand. She realised that she had fallen asleep holding the letter James Potter had sent her!

Lily still kept the letter hidden in her possession. Though she couldn't figure out why she could never get herself to throw it away. The first actual, civil, conversation she ever had with James Potter.

Lily hated to admit but she waited for the rest of the summer for James to respond. But the letter she was waiting for never came. She found herself lying in her bed, late at night, looking out the window. Waiting for the dark owl to approach her, which never came. She found herself questioning why she was waiting for a letter from James Potter? She also found herself thinking if she had been too harsh on James Potter when she asked him to mend his ways?

The day she had to board Hogwarts Express for her next year, Lily had been enthusiastic. Much to the surprise of her parents and herself. Given that she had returned inconsolable the previous year.

She was hoping for a better school year. And given that she would not be wasting her time defending Snape. And she believed she could be enjoying a lot more with her friends. Who had been as worried about Lily.

After the prefects meeting on board Hogwarts Express. Where a smiling Remus Lupin greeted Lily. She settled with her friends Dorcas, Mary and Alice in the compartment they had occupied.

She watched as James Potter, and his three of his friends, walked past their compartment. James had looked at Lily as he was walking past and stopped dead in his tracks. He opened his mouth as if to say something, while his hands reached forward to open the door of the compartment. And Lily hated that her heart almost leaped and she had to hold herself back from spring up from her seat. But James had lowered his gaze, dropping his hands to his side, looking at his shoes. He turned his face straight ahead and walked away from Lily and her friends.

"What was that about?" Dorcas mumbled in a low voice. Lily noticed that all her friends were exchanging puzzled glances.

"Looked like he was coming in to see Lily," Alice shrugged, and Lily dropped her gaze.

"Why didn't he? He has never stopped before," Dorcas was right of course. James would always run his long fingers through his dark hair and smile. He would say 'Alright there, Evans?' but not today.

"I guess he has finally wrapped his head around the fact that Lily is not interested in him," Mary sighed.

Lily bit her lower lip and then looked up with a smile. "I am looking forward to this school year," she said, in a delightful manner.

It seemed as if she was finally getting her biggest wish fulfilled. James Potter was no longer planning on bothering her. But then why was she not as happy as she thought she would be? Her friends exchanged glances before they agreed with her. And all the awkward silence faded away once the banter started between the girls.

During the feast in the Great Hall, Lily sat with her friends at the Gryffindor table. Her back towards the Slytherin table, ignoring Snape. She didn't want to talk to him, look at him or talk about him and it seemed that he was happy with his crowd – Lily was happy for him.

When James and his friends finally came to the Great Hall, Lily shifted her gaze on her food in front of her. For the second time in the first day back to school, James stopped right in front of Lily. He opened his mouth but closed it in an instant. And without as much as a smile, he walked away, shoving his hands in the pockets of his robe. This time, everyone noticed it. Though none of Lily's friends said anything about James's behaviour.

Lily looked at James from the corner of her eyes. The Marauders were talking to the first year Gryffindors after the sorting ceremony. Rather than pulling any pranks like they usually would. They were answering their excited questions and comforting the shy 11-year olds.

What had happened to the James Potter Lily had seen growing up in this very hall? He looked so different – not in physical aspect – James had not changed one bit over the summer. Only a – heart-warming smile replaced his annoying smirk.

'Heart-warming?!' Lily's eyes grew wide; her own thoughts shocked Lily.

James turned his head in Lily's direction. And when he looked straight in her eyes, heat started rising to Lily's cheeks and she looked away in an instant. Not daring to look his way the entire evening after that.

"You all go ahead; I will meet you in the common room," Lily told her friends after dinner.

"Alright," Alice smiled, getting up from the bench, with Dorcas and Mary following her lead. Waving at Lily, they walked away to the common room.

Lily was going to escort the new Gryffindor students to the common room with Remus Lupin. Their duty as Gryffindor prefects.

"Hello Lily," a soft voice spoke from behind her.

"Remus," Lily smiled, getting up from the bench and straightening her robes.

"How was summer? I didn't get a chance to speak with you on the train," Remus asked with a small smile.

"Summer was great," Lily answered, shrugging.

"Shall we?" Remus asked, and Lily noticed a group of new Gryffindor students looking at Remus and her. She nodded in an instant.

"This way please," Remus instructed the first years, his voice soft. Lily joined Remus as they led the first years through the Grand Hall to the Gryffindor common room.

The astonished look on the first-year students face was priceless. It made Lily grin as she watched them pointing towards the moving painting or the staircase.

"Be careful now, the stairs like to change," She said, eyes gleaming as she looked over her shoulder.

She remembered her own reaction the first time she walked through those corridors. And next year would be her last time. The thought alone made her frown, and she pushed it away. She didn't want to frown the first day she was back at Hogwarts.

It was surreal to her – this whole world – even though she has been a part of it for six years. She could not believe that a world like this existed, let alone that she was a part of it, no matter how insignificant. And the painful end to fifth year didn't overshadow the happy times in a place she felt she belonged.

Hogwarts was her home and she treasured being there. As a matter of fact she treasured that place more than her home. Everyone treated her as a normal person rather than as a freak, like back at home. And although there was a war going on right now, she would never give up Hogwarts only to be safe.

"This is the Gryffindor common room," Remus started explaining the first-year students. The first years looked astonished as they entered the common room. But his voice faded in the background when Lily's eyes fell on a certain black-haired boy.

He was sitting with his friends on the couch as usual. This time it wasn't this boy who caught Lily looking at himself. Rather it was Peter, who at first, smiled at Lily and then in a subtle manner gestured Sirius to follow his gaze.

"Oi Evans!" Sirius smirked, bringing Lily out of her trance.

James threw a dirty glance at Sirius. "I mean, Hi Evans," Sirius corrected himself, without dropping the smirk.

James and Sirius's reaction baffled Lily and for a moment didn't know what to do. She thought it was better if she would drop her gaze and focus on her duties rather than the pranksters.

"Mind if I ask you something?" Remus asked Lily. They were walking back to the common room after patrolling the corridors for the last time for the night.

"Sure, go on," Lily smiled, looking up at Remus.

"I noticed you were looking at James," Remus started. 'Shit!' Lily thought to herself, "Are you waiting for him to talk to you?" he asked.

How does Remus Lupin always know what was the other person thinking?

"No!" the words tumbled out of Lily's mouth as soon as Remus finished his question. And much to Lily's dismay, it did not sound convincing at all.

Lily had to look away before her cheeks turned the same colour as her hair. "He – seems different," Lily confessed in a low voice.

"Because he is not talking to you?" Remus jested, making Lily shake her head as rolled her eyes, trying to supress a smile.

"No, he is not joking around," Lily replied after a brief pause.

"He would not go around hexing anyone," Remus stated, looking straight ahead. His hands in the pocket of his trousers.

"Why? He used to enjoy doing that," Lily sighed, much to her surprise, her voice sounded accusatory. She immediately felt guilty about sounding that way. "I didn't mean –" she started correcting herself.

"He did enjoy pranking people," Remus nodded, chuckling. "Do you believe people can grow up?" Remus asked after a pause.

"Of course," Lily nodded; her brows creased together. But could James Potter grow out of his habit of being arrogant and a show off?

"James is not the same person you have known until now," Remus said. "In fact, he has always been very different from what you see on the outside. But he has matured even more." Remus had tremendous respect in his voice for his best friend. It made Lily curious about what did she not know about James Potter? What was it about him that made Remus so grateful for him to be his friend?

"So, you mean he is not a prat?" Lily jested, trying to keep her curiosity under check.

"He might be arrogant, but he is not a prat," a playful smirk played on Remus's lips, which was a very rare sight. "And his heart is always in the right place," Remus completed in a matter-of-fact.

Lily and Remus had become good friends since last year. When they started their prefect duties together. He was the only one of James's friends that addressed Lily by her first name and who Lily addressed by his first name. He was the only one who was not annoying to Lily and was friendlier than the rest.

"Well, Good night," Lily said once they reached the common room. The other students had already dispersed from there.

"Good night Lily," Remus responded. The two of them proceeded to climb the stairs on the opposite end of the common room leading to their rooms.

A/N: Hey Readers,

This is my first attempt at writing a Harry Potter fanfiction. I was initially going to write a one-shot but I got inspired to write more. Please support it till the end.

Thanks!

-JT