Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, this fanfiction is purely for the enjoyment of myself and other Harry Potter fans. It is not affiliated with JK Rowling and all characters and settings belong to her, unless not mentioned in the books.

Chapter 1- Friends and Firewhiskey

"For the last time, guys, my constantly yelling at Potter is not,I repeat not, an attempt to disguise my infatuation with him! It is simply because I find him very, very annoying! Always have, always will. Seriously, how much Firewhiskey have you had? I mean, just because we're of age now…" Lily Evans, newly appointed Head Girl of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, rolled her eyes at her two best friends, who were sitting next to her at the bar at the Leaky Cauldron.

"Aw come on Lils! Why is it you're the only one who can't see how perfect you two are? And don't change the subject, although you really should lighten up, you're not properly Head Girl yet" teased the girl sitting on her left, a raven haired girl by the name Marlene McKinnon. "Anyway…" she continued. "It's not even as though you hate him any more, it's more of a ….mutual dislike? Nah, Potter's obsessively in love with you, any fool can see that…more of a…come on Al, help me out! It's more of a…"

"Friendly enmity?" suggested Alice Noble, who was sitting on Lily's other side. She was a half-blood-her dad was muggleborn whereas her mum was one of the Prewetts, one of the oldest wizarding families. Marlene, on the other hand, was a pureblood and Lily was muggleborn-no-one else in her family was magical, although her parents had been thrilled when she got her letter.

"Friendly enmity?" Marlene scoffed. " Doesn't that contradict itself? Kinda rhymes though…friendly enmity, friendly enmity, friendly enmity…" She caught Alice's eye and they both dissolved into giggles. Lily sighed and rolled her eyes but the giggling was infectious and the Firewhiskey must have gone to her head because before long, she had joined in her friends hysterical laughter. It felt good to let go, to laugh to the exclusion of everything else, like they had done when they were younger, before they became aware that the stuff of nightmares could actually be real.

A/N: I know this chapter is pathetically small, it looked a lot longer when it was scrawled across a page of A4! They get longer, promise.