* * * *
September 2, 1976
The next day, Evanna was awoken by a very hyper Summer Williams. It was common knowledge that Summer was a morning person. Which she didn't fully understand. But it was also common knowledge that Summer was a Hufflepuff. So, how she not only got into the common room- again- and got up the dormitories without being noticed, always blew Evanna's mind.
"Wake up, Bestie!" said Summer from her position over Evanna, her red hair getting in Evanna's face, mostly her mouth.
"S-Summer!" Summer jumped off of her as Evanna was spitting out the red stray hairs from her mouth. "What the hell are you doing?"
"You're going to be late for your lessons!" Summer said giggling from on the floor. "It's only the first day, you know."
"Ugh, whatever," Evanna said getting up and stretching her sleepy muscles.
"C'mon!" At that Summer ran over to Evanna's wardrobe and started pulling out what she thought were the best robes, skirt, and button blouse.
Evanna walked over to her dresser and started to brush through her hair.
"Are you still mad at Avery?" Summer asked while now picking out what she thinks is the best tie.
"Not mad," Evanna answered now putting on a layer of mascara. "Just disappointed."
Summer sighed, "Why are you so determined for them to like each other?"
"I don't care if they like each other or not. They don't need to be best friends and skip across the grounds holding hands." Evanna said looking at Summer through the glass in the mirror. "I just don't want to hear Avery complaining about James every time he passes by in the corridor."
"You'll never get him to apologize," said Summer picking out shoes. "You know that Avery is as stubborn as a mule."
"Yeah," Evanna said now turning around to grab her clothes. "It's the Gryffindor in him."
Evanna was thinking about sorting when she was eleven.
She was already sitting down with her newly sorted peers and Avery was called up to sit on the stool in front of Professor McGonagall. He looked nervous but determined. Evanna already had a feeling that this boy would be in Gryffindor.
Young Avery Thomas sat down and McGonagall put the old, worn hat on his head. Avery did not look surprised about the fact that the hat talked to you in your head. Evanna was. It gave her a right scare. He must have been warned. A few seconds later the hat sorted Avery by yelling out to the Great Hall, "GRYFFINDOR!". Avery looked smug as a sauntered over to the maroon and gold-clad side of the hall.
Avery had chosen to sit next to Evanna. "Hello," he said as he stuck out his hand. "I'm Avery Thomas, nice to meet you."
"Hello, I'm Evanna Chase."
"Cool."
And that's when a new friendship was born.
"Evie!" It was Summer.
"Sorry," she said shaking the memory out of her head. "Must've zoned out."
"Let's hurry we're going to be late!"
"Okay, okay!"
A few moments later the two girls exited Evanna's dorm room.
They passed the few people in the common room. It was mostly people who either didn't want breakfast or people who already had breakfast and came back to the quiet commons to prepare for their first lessons of the day.
They climbed out of the portrait hole and made their way down the puzzling moving staircases until they made it to the corridor outside of the Great Hall.
"I feel like this year is going to be different, you know?" Evanna asked Summer as they walked through the large wooden doors.
"Yeah, yeah," Summer said quickly and distracted as they were sitting down on the benches. (Summer usually sat with Evanna at Gryffindor's table during breakfast and lunch) "You know what I was thinking about?"
Evanna sighed, used to her friend being like this, "What, Sum?"
"Why did Potter come and talk to you all of a sudden? You've gone to the same school for the past 5 years."
"Um... I don't know but why does it matter?"
"Well," Summer said as she shrugged her shoulders and was spreading strawberry jam on her toast. "You know how he is. Do you think this could mean something?"
Evanna paused with a piece of bacon right outside of her mouth. "What do you mean?"
"...You know....it's- well it's James Potter isn't it?" She raised her eyebrows suggestively and then she whispered so Evanna had to get in closer. "He's so bloody attractive isn't he?"
Evanna backed away from Summer looking scandalized and a pink blush flooded her cheeks. "I- Summer!"
"Ah, speak of the devil," Summer said looking at the doors.
Sure enough, James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew walked through the doors of the Great Hall looking like they owned the place.
Surprisingly, Evanna found James and Peter sitting right next to her, and next to Summer were Sirius and Remus. 'Weird...' Evanna thought.
Summer's eyes widened and she wiggled her eyebrows. Evanna did her best mom stared at her and she stopped.
"Good morning, ladies!" James exclaimed.
"Hi," said Evanna.
"Good morning," Summer said all while looking smug.
"I don't believe you've been properly introduced to my mates here. No?" James said while looking at Evanna.
"Um, no I don't think so."
"Right, Peter. Sirius. Remus." he said each name as he pointed to the person it belonged to. "This is Miss Evanna Chase."
"Hello," she said to them as she blushed. Summer was almost crying with silent laughter.
"And who are you Miss Giggles?" Sirius asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Summer-," she snorts trying to contain herself. "Williams."
Sirius looked confused as to why Summer was laughing but she was known to have a very contagious laugh so he found himself smiling at her giggling.
At that moment, Avery and Jack walked through the doors and once Avery saw Evanna, he made a bee-line towards where she was sitting. Once he got there, Evanna knew he was there but wouldn't acknowledge him.
"Evie, this is ridiculous!" he said as he sat down on the side where James wasn't sitting. "I'm sorry, okay!"
That was when the Marauders miraculously had the idea to check their schedules and talk about what classes they had together.
Jack sat down beside Summer noticing the excess tears of laughter around her eyes. That's when they started a new conversation as well.
Evanna sighed and said, "Avery, I'm not mad. Just disappointed."
"What, are you, my mother, now?"
Evanna scowled at him and he said, "Right, sorry."
"Look," Avery started. "I'm sorry. You know me. How often am I the first to apologize?"
Evanna sat for a moment. "Fine."
He breathed a sigh of relief and said. "You forgive me?"
"Sure," she continued. "But I'm not the only one you need to apologize to."
Avery paled and flushed red at the same time. "...What?"
Evanna finally looked at Avery and then she looked at James.
"No," he said shaking his head. "No, no. Nope. Nada. Nyet."
"Avery, if you want to get on my good graces you need to acknowledge the problem that you have with Potter."
Avery looked as if he was going to levitate himself out of the Great Hall windows. As the small silence stretched on between the two friends, Avery's shoulders hunched over in defeat.
"Do I have to do it here?" he asked quietly.
"No," Evanna said.
With the deepest sigh of loathing, Avery stood up, looked at James, and said, "Potter,"
James looked up surprised and Avery nodded his head to the doors of the Great Hall then walked out of them. James got up and went to leave when Sirius said, "I'm going with you, Prongs."
"No, no," James said shaking his head. "It's fine, Sirius." Then just to prove his point he smiled. It was an easy smile showing no worry. He left and Evanna was going to go with him but then she realized that this was something Avery Thomas had to do on his own.
Evie then noticed that she hadn't checked her schedule yet. The first class of the day: Potions. She didn't mind. Professor Sluggy wasn't that bad. And besides, he treated her very well. Not that she was proud of that for it was her father's doing that he treated her that way.
Not wanting to think about Edward Chase at the moment she tried to focus on the conversation that Summer and Jack were having. Ugh, but she couldn't.
Why did her father have to destroy and take over every component of her life? It was bad enough he wanted her to take up the family business, which she of course had no intention of doing. Why did-
Her thoughts were interrupted by the feeling of someone sitting on each side of her on the bench.
She looked over and it was Avery. He looked so red, that she almost felt bad.
"Hey, Aves," she said. "Thank you."
She then reached over and hugged him. He was like a brother to her after all. As an only child, she cherished the 'sibling' bonds that she and Avery shared. So naturally, she had to do and tell him things that he probably wouldn't like.
After a few seconds, he reluctantly hugged her back (He secretly loved Evanna's hugs). Avery did have siblings, Matthew and Rebekah. However, Matthew was twenty years old and was a professional Beater for the Chudley Cannons, so needless to say, Avery doesn't see him very often. Rebekah on the other hand is ten years old. So he sees her at home, but obviously not at Hogwarts.
"You're welcome," he mumbled back, his face flushing.
* * * *
After breakfast, Avery, Evanna, Summer, and Jack all headed to their first lessons of the day.
Avery had Potions with Evanna and Summer and Jack had Charms class.
"You ready for the day, Ave?" Evanna asked going to swing an arm around his broad shoulders, but unfortunately for her, he was about a foot above her in height, so she went for around his stomach instead.
Avery made a noise that was between 'harumph' and 'yeah I guess' as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders (which was easy for him to do). Evanna, however, was in a fairly good mood. She usually always was excited on the first day of lessons.
They made their way down into the dungeons to get to good ol' Professor Slughorn's class. It was common knowledge to Evanna that Avery didn't like Professor Slughorn. He was kind to Avery but for some reason, he never invited him to the annual dinner parties he had for his favorites.
As they walked through the dungeon doors, the room was filling up around them, and out of the corner of his eye, Avery could see a flash of red.
Immediately he registered that it was Lily Evans. He leaned away from Evanna, trying to smooth out his hair so ironically, he looked a lot like James for a second there.
"So where do you wanna-" Evie looked over to where Avery was previously standing but when he wasn't there she huffed out a breath of slight annoyance.
Of course, she was happy for Avery that he liked someone, but she also couldn't help feeling a little jealous. She hasn't liked anyone since the Amos Diggory incident.....
So she sat down by herself in the corner of the dank dungeon classroom and got out her new potions book. Professor Slughorn entered the room just after two Gryffindor boys came barreling through the doorway laughing. It was James and Sirius.
Evie sighed. She didn't really have a problem with the boys but they were everywhere she looked lately. Speak of the devils, they plopped down next to her and took out their books.
"Hey, Chase!" James said with excitement. He had the energy of ten Golden Retrievers combined.
"Hi, Potter." She smiled at the boy.
"Chase," Sirius said with the smallest smirk playing on his lips.
"Black," She responded with the same look he gave her.
He shook his head and they both got out their books.
While Professor Slughorn droned on about the new term Evanna's mind couldn't help but wander back to Amos Diggory.
She might've had a crush on the boy when she was in the third year and he was in the fourth. Realistically, she had a giant crush on him and got jealous of any girl that got near him.
It was more of an obsession, as Summer happily pointed out to her every once in a while, so she was constantly reminded that she was a creepy stalker in her third year.
She tried to make her crush on Diggory go away after he confronted her about it in the corridors when his Quidditch practice was finished one day in her fourth year. But alas, her infatuation with the boy never really faded.
And by the way, the said confrontation? Yeah, it was mortifying.
She shuddered just thinking about it.
Evanna was pulled out of her reverie when a finger tapped her on her arm.
"Hey, are you okay?" James asked. "Ol' Sluggy said we're partners for the first term."
"Oh?" Evie didn't even notice. "Wonderful, I'm fine I just got distracted." She laughed but it came out sounding nervous.
"What were you thinking about?" He asked curiously.
"Oh...nothing interesting I guess."
James lifted a brow with a smile curving at his lips.
'You have nice lips.' She said in her head. Until she realized by the look on James's face- which was of pleasant surprise- that she didn't say that in her head at all.
Now a full-out grin spread across his face as he said, "Thanks, Chase."
She blushed and said, "I- um.."
Evanna put her head down on the desk and covered it with her arms. Then she mumbled a few words that James couldn't hear.
"What was that, doll?" He asked with a shit-eating grin on his face.
She lifted her head and said, "I said you're welcome." She then lowered her head back down out of embarrassment and James was laughing so hard his stomach hurt and he had tears in his eyes.
"If it makes you feel any better, Chase, I think you have nice lips, too."
She sighed and muttered, "Thanks..."