This story is dedicated to: Cam, Ella, Lys, Ellen and Nura
1
Nura Sheidaee opened the door to find James Potter and Sirius Black on the door step, Sirius leaning against the wall casually, brushing a lock of hair out of his eyes, while James was sitting on the rail, one eyebrow raised in amusement. She grinned, rolling her eyes, and stepped aside, allowing her oldest friend and his adoptive brother into the house.
It was the beginning of the last two weeks of the summer holidays, September 1st approaching, and the three teenagers longed to be back at school, Hogwarts, where they would be facing their final year. The summer, while freeing them of teachers and homework, separated them from their dorm mates and brought a wave of boredom.
'So what's going on Nunu?' asked James, using his childhood nickname for her, a nickname which drove her insane. She glared at him, managing to look fierce, even though she was several inches shorter than his 6 foot 1. While glaring at him, she noticed how he had changed over the summer. He had grown 2 inches taller, and moved with less cockiness and more… grace, making it seem as though he thought about where to place each step carefully in the short amount of time that it left the ground. He still had the same black hair that stuck up all over the place, which he encouraged, and the same twinkling hazel eyes hidden behind his wire-framed glasses.
'Don't call me Nunu, James, you know I hate it.'
'Oh, he knows, that's why he does it,' replied Sirius, sweeping Nura into a friendly hug. Sirius Black lived at the Potters house, and had done so since the summer before 5th Year, after being unable to ignore the numerous insults that were thrown at him, about himself and his friends. Looking at him now, she noticed the changes he had gone through as well. His locks of black hair had grown longer, so they occasionally fell into his eyes. He too had grown an inch, and was now 6 feet tall, only an inch shorter than James, but with a slightly more muscled build. His grey eyes shone with confidence, as did his stance.
'So Nura, have you worked up the courage to ask our dear friend Moony out?' questioned James, referring to another of his dorm mates, Remus Lupin. Together, James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew made a group named the Marauders. Nura rolled her eyes and ignored the question. Together the three of them walked up the stairs to Nura's room to try to beat the boredom back with planning, teasing, laughing and just talking. As the two hours mark passed, Seruh, Nura's mother came up with a worried expression on her face.
'James, your father just flooed. You and Sirius need to get home right away.' The two best friends paled, and arose quickly, Nura joining them. As the two young men walked the short distance returning them to their house, located at the other end of the street, Nura stood on her front porch, her dark brown hair moving slightly in the breeze, pale brown skin, showing ancestry from eastern Asia, glowing in the afternoon sun, and deep brown eyes letting her worry be easily known to the world.
On the morning of her birthday, Lily Evan's untied the strings that held her post to the two official looking owls sitting on her desk. Once the letter was untied, the brown barn owl flew off without hesitation, leaving a grey barn owl behind. The grey bird held its leg out obediently while Lily concentrated on the tangle of string that someone must have decided would do as a knot. Once the newspaper was removed, Lily placed a few bronze Knuts in the pouch and allowed the owl to glide out the window.
Lily glanced at the newspaper before throwing it on her bed, the headline of Dark Mark Appears Again putting her off. She sighed, and carefully opening her Hogwarts letter, smiled fondly at the green ink that signified a new year of school. Lily tipped the envelope upside down, and gasped. Sitting on her bed, next too three pieces of parchment, a ticket and the newspaper, was a shiny red and gold badge with HG written over it. She admired it for a moment, and then picked up the pieces of parchment. The top piece was just the usual letter telling her that the term started September first and that her book list was attached. The second piece was the book list itself, but the third piece is what interested her. It was a letter outlining her Head Girl duties.
Dear Miss Evans,
As your Head of House, I am pleased to name you Head Girl for the following year. This is a great honor, and you expected to treat it as such, and fulfill your duties. You will be required to patrol the corridors twice a week with the Head Boy, on Wednesdays and Saturdays, attend prefect meetings, organize the school dances and Hogsmeade weekends and set a good example for all students.
In addition, you are able to deduct house points and give detentions for any breaking of the school rules, and you get a private common room, dorm and bathroom which you share with the Head Boy.
Happy Holidays,
Professor McGonagall
With a calm smile on her face, Lily walked down the stairs, into the dining room, where her mother and father sat at the oak table, sipping their tea as if there wasn't a small pile of brightly colored birthday presents in the centre.
'Morning Mum, morning Dad.' They both smiled up at her, and stood up to embrace her.
'Happy Birthday Flower,' said her father, Richard, pulling her into a bear hug. He was 6 foot 3 and had a solid build, as well as the emerald green eyes that lily had inherited, and brown hair.
'Happy Birthday Lily,' said her mother, Sarah, wrapping her arms around her husband and daughter. She had warm brown eyes and red hair that ran in soft waves all the way down her back. Apart from her eyes, Lily looked exactly like her mother, both 5 feet and 4 inches tall. 'When are your friends arriving?'
'Alice and Claire are arriving around 11, and Nura should be here in about 20 minutes,' said Lily, stepping out of her fathers embrace and sitting in the chair closest to her. Sarah moved into the kitchen to make some breakfast while Richard sat down and watched his daughter begin to unwrap her presents. From her mother and father, she got a gold watch, with an etching of a lily on the face. From her sister, Petunia, she got a few cheap hair ties, and from her grandparents, she received some hand-knitted gloves, and, surprisingly, a book labeled Animagi with a note from her grandfather saying he found it in a cardboard box and thought she might enjoy it, although it seemed he thought it to be a fictional book.
Nura arrived with three gifts, one from her, one from James, and one from Sirius. Lily opened Nura's first, and found a box full of Honeydukes chocolate. She laughed, and hugged her best friend, before opening the small package from James. On the top was a note, which she read first.
Happy Birthday
Congratulations
Sorry
From James
P.S. beware Sirius's gift
Lily raised an eyebrow at Nura, who motioned for her to open the box. Inside was a silver necklace with a small gold lily hanging off it, matching her new watch. Nura smiled at her friend confusion, and elaborated.
'He told me it was a congratulations on getting Head Girl and sorry about harassing you all those years,' she said this with a laugh, and then sobered up, her expression growing grim. 'I'm worried about him Lily, when he delivered it this morning, he didn't smile once. In fact, he barely looked at me.' Lily was surprised at this, but pushed it aside, after all, Potter wasn't exactly her friend.
'What does he mean 'beware Sirius's gift'? What has Black done this time?' Nura shrugged, and handed the parcel over. Lily unwrapped it, and found a small box, about the size of one use to hold a ring. However, when Lily opened it, a lion's roar shook her house. Lily slammed the box shut, and Sarah and Richard rushed into the hallway to find Nura doubled over laughing and Lily scowling at a box in her palm.