The 17 Step Plan To Become Lily Potter

Step One: Become Enemies With James Potter

❀ word count: 976 ❀

The Hogwarts Express
1971
First Year

"This seat taken?"

Lily glanced up from her sketchbook and looked at the boy standing in the doorway of the train compartment. He was about her height, maybe a half inch shorter, with circular glasses and messy black hair. He wore plain blue jeans, a white tank top, and an unbuttoned green, plaid flannel.

She took one look at his boisterous grin and knew right away that he was trouble, but she was ready for the conversation to be over, so she nodded to the seat across from her.

The boy grinned even wider. "Thanks!" He tossed his trunk onto the luggage rack and dropped onto the seat across from her. The two eleven year olds sat in silence for a while, The boy becoming more fidgety and bored as the minutes passed. Finally, when he started humming random verses of songs, Lily sighed and closed her sketchbook.

"I'm Lily Evans, and you are?"

"James Potter." James grinned and stuck out his hand for Lily to shake. Lily shook it, only hesitating for a second beforehand. After another couple minutes of awkward silence, during which James stared at Lily and Lily pretended not to notice, James gestured to Lily's sketchbook, which was still closed in her lap, and said, "What're you drawing?"

"Nothing," Lily put a protective hand over her sketchbook, "just sketching."

"Can I see?" James reached for her sketchbook and Lily jerked backward. She had never shown anyone her sketches before, not even her best friend, and had no intent to show them to this strange boy.

"No!"

"Oh come on," James grinned and reached forward again. "Just one? I'm sure they're wonderful."

"I said no!"

Just then, the door to the compartment slid open quietly and another boy sat next to Lily, completely disregarding James. Lily's face lit up as he sat next to her, forgetting about James for the moment.

"Sev! Can you believe it? We're going to Hogwarts!"

"I know!" The boy, Severus, smiled shyly. "You better be in Slytherin with me."

Across the compartment, James snorted, causing both Lily and Severus to jump.

"I'm sure you'd much rather be in Gryffindor, right Lily?"

This time, Severus snorted. "Sure, if you'd rather be brawny than brainy."

James smirked and crossed his arms in a condescending way. "Well then, where are you going? Seeing as you're neither."

Lily scoffed and stood up, grabbing her luggage and Severus' wrist, as James laughed at his own joke.

"And I thought maybe we could be friends." Lily shook her head and sighed, walking towards the door. James' face fell when he realized she wasn't amused.

"Lily, wait-"

Lily shut the door, cutting off James' sentence, then turned to Severus.

"I'm so sorry about him, Sev, I-"

"It's okay, Lily, really," Severus smiled sadly at Lily. "You don't have to apologize for him."

Lily smiled back and let go of his wrist. "Let's go find a better compartment, shall we?"

❀

The Opening Feast, Hogwarts
1971
First Year