Seventh Year: The Defining Moment

Prologue

When They First Met

Lily Evans stared fondly at the scarlet steam engine before her. 'I'm free... free from those vile prisses from elementary school, free from my no-nonsense sister, free from being different... I'm free.'

Lily was by herself. Her parents and her sister, Petunia, had already left. She was a girl of average height, had auburn, shoulder length hair, and almond shaped emerald green eyes. Lily had managed to find an empty compartment and started to lift her trunk, but to her displeasure, she couldn't.

"Need any help?" Lily turned around to see who had spoken. It had been a fairly tall boy with black hair that seemed to go everywhere. An equally tall boy who also had black hair accompanied him, but his was longer and more orderly. Lily also noticed that both of them were VERY good looking.

"Um... yes," Lily managed to say. The two boys easily picked up her trunk and stowed it away into a corner of the compartment.

"By the way," the boy who had first offered to help replied with a smile. "I'm James Potter and my friend here, is Sirius Black."

Lily smiled back and said, "I'm Lily Evans, nice to meet you." Lily climbed into her compartment as James and Sirius waved and walked off to their own.

.:*:.

The door to her compartment was once again slid open by a girl with long blonde hair and dark blue eyes. "Hi," she said. "My name's Mara Thompson. Can I sit here? Everywhere else is full."

"Sure," Lily replied. "My name's Lily Evans." Lily helped Mara pull her trunk and stuff into the compartment. As soon as they were both settled down, the train started to move.

"Hey Lily, what were Sirius and James doing over here earlier," Mara asked as the train left London.

"They were helping me with my trunk," Lily answered. "You know them?"

"Yeah, they live in my neighborhood, well James does, but Sirius is over at his house so much, I know him anyway," Mara replied. "However, even though I don't really know them all that well, I do know how James looks at someone when he likes them, and he was DEFINITELY checking you out!" As soon as she finished saying this, the compartment door was opened by none other than James and Sirius themselves.

"Hi," Lily and Mara said in unison.

"Oh I didn't know you 2 had met. Mara, long time, no see," Sirius said surprised.

"We just wanted to see how you were holding up," James replied to Lily as Sirius and Mara started chatting. Mara shot James an I-know-you-like-her-so-don't-try-and-deny-it look. James turned SLIGHTLY pink and Lily noticed, along with the look Mara had given him. "Well we better be going," James said rather nervously, and he and Sirius left.

"He SO likes you!" Mara half shouted.

Lily laughed at her friend and replied, "You just go on thinking that."

Mara shook her head and remarked, "No, I'm not kidding! He really does like you!"

Lily let a sly grin grace her face as she shot back, "Fine. If James likes me, Sirius obviously likes you!" The two continued on like this for the rest of the ride to school.