The strange boy that had burst into her compartment on the Hogwarts Express was shoving his noisy owl up on the luggage rack overhead. Lily watched as he fought with the cage to fit in the small space. "Quiet Bubo," the boy told the bird, and tugged a pair of robes out of his bookbag, covering the cage with them quickly. He looked down and caught Lily's eyes. "Sorry," he said, and he set himself down onto the bench across from her. "He's not used to being shut up in his cage like this."
"It's alright," Lily replied, wiping her eyes. "He's a bird." She shrugged. She turned to look out the window again. She could see her family. Her mum and dad were still waving goodbye to her cheerfully, but Petunia had set her arms crossed over her chest, a scowl on her face. Lily pressed her palm to the glass again. Petunia's words were still burning her emotions like hot coals. She swallowed back the disappointment. She wished Severus, wherever he was, would hurry up onto the train and come find her. More than anything else, she craved his company. She felt as though she were heartbroken, and needed to be reminded of her excitement.
"I'm James, by the way," said the boy. "James Potter."
"Lily Evans," she answered without looking at him.
He was quiet a moment, then, "Are you okay?" he asked.
She looked over at him.
"Just - because you're crying," he pointed out. He had a kind, worried look in his eyes as he watched her.
Lily was about to reply when the door opened again and another boy walked in. "Can I sit in here?" the new boy asked.
"Sure," James replied without seeking Lily's opinion. The boy settled himself onto the seat beside Lily. "I'm James," he said.
"I'm Sirius," replied the new boy.
"About what?" James asked.
"No - not serious," the answered, "Sirius. It's my name. Sirius Black."
"Oh," James nodded, "Got it." He opened his bookbag and pulled out a magazine and a couple licorice wands. He held out the licorice wands to Sirius and Lily. Lily shook her head, but Sirius grabbed hold of one of the wands and bit off the tip eagerly. "D'ya like Quidditch?" James asked.
"Love it," Sirius replied.
The boys started talking about sports and Lily returned to her own worries, staring out the window. Suddenly the train wheezed and a fresh plume of grey-white steam clouded Platform 9¾, obscuring the family left behind, waving goodbye to the students. The engine lurched and suddenly Kings Cross station was rolling away. Lily stood up, pressing her nose flat to the glass, watching as the train slowly pulled out from the platform. Her heart thumped against her ribs and she gasped, watching until her family was lost in the steam. She felt a lump rise in her throat as she fell back onto the bench seat and covered her eyes, crying.
"Is she alright?" Sirius whispered.
"Dunno," James replied quietly, "I asked her but she didn't say what the matter was."
Lily looked up to answer them, but her eyes landed on a figure beyond the window, passing by the compartment. "Severus!" she called, her heart already lightening by just seeing him.
The door opened and Severus Snape stepped into the room. "There you are!" he said, "I've been looking everywhere --"
Sirius made a face as Severus stepped around him and tossed his bag to the floor, settling onto the bench next to James, facing Lily. Above him, Bubo shrieked as the train shuddered over a crossing and the luggage all shifted. Severus looked up, then turned back to Lily, suddenly noticing for the first time that she was crying. "Are you alright?" He inched closer to the edge of his seat and wiped a thumb over her eyes gently.
James was still rambling about Quidditch and broomsticks, but Sirius didn't seem to be listening, he was staring at Severus, but Severus had eyes only for Lily.
"I don't want to talk to you," Lily choked.
Severus looked hurt and withdrew his palm from her cheek. "Why not?" he asked, frowning.
"Tuney h-hates me," whimpered Lily. "Because we saw that letter from Dumbledore." Hot tears began rolling once more down her cheeks. The month before, Petunia had written to Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts, begging him to allow her to come along with Lily to the magic school, but Dumbledore had replied that Hogwarts was a school only for those who could perform magic and Petunia was not magical and therefore could not come to Hogwarts. When Lily had told Petunia what she'd seen, Petunia had become very angry and accused Lily of spying and called her a freak in a vicious tone that sizzled against Lily's heart worse than any burn could've done.
"And we only just got her to stop blubbering," muttered James.
Severus glowered at James, but turned back to Lily quickly. "So what?" he asked.
Lily's face hardened. "So she's my sister!" she cried. Petunia was so much more than just a sister, too. She was a best friend. It had been the hardest part of finding out that she was a witch, the separation that it had driven between her and her twin. Petunia was just so jealous! Lily felt so frustrated. If she had the power to give part of her magic to Petunia, she would have, just to make Petunia happy. But there was nothing Lily could do. Petunia was simply not a witch.
"So she's only a --" Severus caught himself before he could say 'muggle'. Quickly, he leaned forward and grabbed hold of Lily's hands. "But we're going!" he said, excitement bubbling in his voice, "This is it! We're off to Hogwarts!"
The exhilaration in his voice was insuppressible and extremely contagious. Lily smiled in spite of herself as she mopped her tears from her face with the corners of the witches robes she'd already pulled on.
"You'd better be in Slytherin," said Severus excitedly, "Then we'll be toge--"
"Slytherin?" James said from the corner, making a face of disapproval. He laughed, "Who wants to be in Slytherin?" he asked. Then he turned to Sirius, a wobbling grin upon his face, "I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?"
Sirius, who'd still been staring at Severus, snapped to attention at the question. Despite James's smile, he didn't smile back. "My whole family's been in Slytherin," he replied.
"Blimey!" cried James, eyebrows climbing his forehead, "and I thought you seemed alright!"
This made Sirius grin. Severus was frowning severely, and Lily glanced between the boys, following the conversation as though she were watching a tennis match, an unsure look on her face.
"Maybe I'll break the tradition," Sirius said boastfully to James. "Where are you heading, if you've got the choice?"
James stood, his maroon and gold sneakers proudly on display as he brandished an imaginary sword. "Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart!" he shouted, "Just like my dad."
Severus snorted.
All three of the others in the compartment turned to look at Severus.
"Got a problem with that?" James demanded, offended by the expression playing across Severus's face.
"No," said Severus with a shrug. Normally, he was a quiet boy. His sudden attitude was surprising to Lily, who'd only ever seen him be more on the reserved side. He had a sneer playing on his face now, though, that she'd never seen there before this encounter with the Potter boy. "If you'd rather be brawny than brainy..."
Sirius laughed, "Where're you hoping to go, seeing as you're neither?"
James roared with laugher.
Lily leaped to her feet. She wasn't sure how she'd thought moments before that James had been a nice boy. To think she'd been on the verge of talking to him about her worries if Sirius hadn't interrupted them! He probably would've made fun of her - the big bully. She scowled at him, anger radiating from her as though she were putting off heat. "Come on, Severus," she snapped, glaring directly into James's eyes. "Let's find another compartment."
"Ooo-oooh," Sirius laughed, grinning mockingly at Severus.
James smirked.
Lily grabbed hold of Severus's hand and pulled him to the door. Severus stumbled as they stepped into the hall and he turned and glowered back at James. "See ya, Snivellus!" called Sirius, and again James and Sirius burst into laughter as the door slammed shut behind them.
Severus, steeled by the old nickname, the embarrassment of the trip to visit the House of Black with Eileen earlier in the year flushing him right up the neck and turning his face red. "C'mon," he said, attempting to tug Lily down the train car, "I think I saw my cousin Lucius Malfoy in a compartment down this way," he said. "He's in Seventh Year - he's Head Boy. We'll tell him they're acting up down here and he'll probably come punish them like they deserve!" His voice was eager.
Lily glanced back and saw the two boys in the compartment they'd just left divvying up chocolate frogs and other snacks James was pulling from his bag. "Okay, yeah, let's go," Lily replied, and she followed Severus down the aisles to another compartment down the way.