Chapter 6: Start
"Sometimes, we don't see certain things until we're ready to see them in a certain way."
Friday, September 19th, 1977
"This color sucks. I'm gonna have to redo my nails," Sarah complained studying her nails.
"Sarah, why don't you do your work, instead of worrying about your nails?" Lily asked her scribbling out part of her charms essay.
"Vanaify! Because, my dear, I am a procrastinator. I procrastinate. That's what I do. Which one do you like better?" Sarah asked holding up two bottles of nail polish, one purple and one blue.
"The blue one," Lily answered.
"Ok," Sarah said and proceeded to put the purple nail polish on her nails.
Sirius and James walked into the Heads' Room.
"Lily? Will you go to Hogsmeade with me?" James asked.
"No. I'm going with Sarah and Lane," Lily replied quickly.
"With Sarah?" Sirius said in mock surprise, "I thought you were going with me, Sarah!"
Sarah laughed and almost knocked over her bottle of nail polish. "Not on your life."
"But you promised me!" he said as he sat down on the couch next to her.
"What? When did I promise you anything?" Sarah asked him.
"After I did this," Sirius said and kissed her.
Sarah pushed him away. "Sirius!" she exclaimed and kicked him in his shin.
"Hey! What was that for!" Sirius yelled in pain.
"For this!" Sarah yelled back and kissed him.
Lily and James laughed at the two and walked out of the Heads' Room. They didn't want to be late for Transfiguration.
"What's up with them two?" James asked her.
"I have no idea," Lily answered.
"I think Sirius fancies her," James said.
"Me too," Lily agreed.
James looked down at his watch, "Ah, we're late."
"Should we just skip it?" Lily asked him.
"Are you seriously suggesting that we skip a class?" James asked her.
"Yeah…what? I didn't feel like taking it today anyways!" Lily laughed.
"Let's go to the kitchens," James suggested, and started to lead her down a corridor.
"OI! JAMES!" Sirius yelled and tackled him to the floor when he caught up with them. "Going to the kitchens without me!"
James grinned. "You looked…busy to me."
Sirius grinned back at him and wrapped his arm around Sarah's waist.
"Get your bloody hands off of me," Sarah said and pried his hands off of her.
Lily moved closer to James as they walked and he put his arm around her. James looked back at Sirius and stuck his tongue out at him.
"That's not fair," Sirius pouted as he stopped walking and crossed his arms over his chest. Lily and James just kept walking, chatting quietly. Sarah sighed and kissed him on the cheek. This seemed to be enough for him, for he started to walk again.
"Just like a little kid," Lily said.
"That needs to grow up," Sarah added. Pierre appeared at the end of the hall, and eyed the group when he passed them.
"What's he doing out of class?" Sirius asked once he passed them.
"Same thing that you're doing," Lily said, "skiving off classes for no reason."
"I do too have a reason, I'm hungry," Sirius said in his defense. "What's yours?"
"I was late to class because somebody had to put on a show," she retorted.
"What a lame excuse," James chucked.
"Hey!" Lily said and swatted at him. "What's yours?"
"I just wanted to be with you," he replied.
"Aw, James, that's so sweet!" Sarah said, and gave Lily the look-how-sweet-he-is-you-should-totally-go-out-with-him look.
Lily just rolled her eyes. You should go out with Sirius, she mouthed back at her.
"Unthinkable!" Sarah cried loudly.
All three of them stared at her.
"What are you doing Sarah? Your big mouth is going to get us caught," Lily whispered. Sarah shrugged.
"What's wrong with you?" James asked her. Sarah shrugged again.
"Do you fancy me?" Sirius asked. Sarah shrugged yet again. They kept on walking. Until they arrived at the portrait of the bowl of fruit. James tickled the pear and led them into the kitchens. They were greeted by a house-elf.
"What an Tibby get for the young masters and misses?" Tibby asked them.
"Do you have ice cream?" Sarah asked.
Tibby nodded.
"Cookies and cream?"
Tibby squeaked, "Yes miss."
"Then I'll have that then," Sarah said happily.
James had rocky road, Lily had strawberry, and Sirius got a banana split. They sat down at a small table.
"I love ice cream," Sarah said, eating a spoonful of hers.
"Me too. Any food really," Sirius said and they all laughed.
James asked, "Do you think McGonagall misses us?"
"No, she's probably relieved," Lily joked.
"We got stuck with them instead," Sarah said and laughed with Lily. James and Sirius pouted, pretending to be hurt.
"We're not that bad," James said.
"No. Not you two. Goofing off until McGonagall yells at you to show her the new spell and you get it on the first try," Lily said.
"I hate Transfiguration," Sarah mentioned.
"Me too. Wait. I thought you were going to be a healer? Do they need Transfiguration?" Lily asked Sarah.
Sarah shrugged. "I'm not sure. I'm still taking it anyways."
"Quidditch try-outs are next Saturday. Are you going out for it?" James asked Sarah.
"Yeah. I hope I make it," Sarah laughed. She had been a chaser ever since 3rd year.
"What about you Lily?" James asked her.
Lily shook her head. "I don't think so."
"Why not?" James asked.
"I'm not a Quidditch person," Lily said.
"You could still try-out. No harm in that," Sirius pointed out.
"Besides, it's our last year. What do you have to loose?" Sarah asked.
"Maybe…" Lily said.
James, Sarah, and Sirius cheered.
Tibby appeared at their table. "Is there anything Tibby can be getting for you?"
"No," Lily said. "We'd better go. I have Arithmancy," Lily said. And they all left to go their separate ways.
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Saturday, September 20th, 1977
Lily was alone with James Potter. She didn't know how it happened exactly. Peter hadn't come at all. Cassidy and Remus were off somewhere. Lane wanted some stink bombs (for Alden's dorm) and Sirius went with here. Sarah had been there, but sometime when she was chatting with James Sarah just disappeared from Lily's side. She was alone at a table with James-Potter- in the Three Broomsticks.
"Our friends deserted us," James said.
"Sad isn't it? Here one moment, gone the next," Lily said. "It's still strange not to see you without Sirius and Remus on either side of you all of the time."
"Sirius is like my right hand. He's my brother. And you never seem to go far with out Sarah."
"She's my best friend. Hogwarts'd be so dull without her.
"I know, right?" Sarah said in a fake high voice as she appeared next to Lily. "Operation: K and T has been set in motion! (A bit.) The target has been chatted up!"
"Operation: K and T?" James asked.
"That's for us to know," Sarah said.
James queried, "What? I won't even find out?"
"Maybe," Lily answered.
"Got to go! I want to see it. Just thought you'd like to know, M.M." Sarah said and walked out of the Three Broomsticks.
"M.M.?" James prompted.
Lily laughed, "Master Mind. Sarah's crazy."
"Master mind? Maybe you could help with some of our plans then," James said.
"Ha. Maybe. You haven't done any pranks in awhile. Why? Did you loose your touch?"
"Never. We're just planning something big."
"Whose idea was it?"
"Sirius' and mine. But Remus made the plan."
"What is it? The plan?"
"I can't tell you. Marauder business. Besides, would you really want to know? You being Head Girl?"
"And you're Head Boy. What difference does it make?" Lily asked.
"I cannot tell you. I would, but then I'd have to kill you, and I really wouldn't want to do that."
"Fine," Lily huffed. "I'm going to go look for Sarah," she said and left James all alone, wishing he had kept his mouth shut.
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Wednesday, September 24th, 1977
Lily and Sarah were watching Lane and Pierre, who were chatting away and walking around the lake together.
"Lily look, Alden is coming out!" Sarah said, pointing to where Alden was exiting the castle with Garret.
"This'll be fun," Lily said sarcastically.
"Isn't that what we want though? For him to see them?" Sarah queried.
"Yeah. I feel sort of bad for him though," Lily said.
"I guess. But he did snog Katie. How would you like that? Besides, it's your plan."
"He looks livid."
"Yes. Poor Lane. Poor Pierre. He has to live with Alden."
"Should we really do this?" Lily asked.
"Yes, Lily. It was your plan. Plus, how will Alden know how Lane felt?"
Lily watched Lane who kept stealing glances at Alden. She liked talking to Pierre, Lily knew that. Alden kept looking at Lane and Pierre, always just missing Lane's eyes. He was angry, upset, hurt. And Lily felt bad. This was her doing. Her fault. She hung her head.
"Lily, stop. Lane is happy. This is her revenge. She wants him back, but she knows he has to suffer. Lily, she's thinking about it. Don't worry," Sarah told her. "Everything'll work out."
"Are you sure?" Lily asked her.
"Yeah. If not, they'll probably turn out better than they were going to be anyways…"
Lily smiled. "That was really random, Sarah."
"I know. I can be quite sage when I want to be."
Lily laughed, "Not often though?"
"No. What's the fun in that? Now sit down and watch as the plot thickens."
"So this is a show now?"
Sarah shrugged, "I guess. What's with you and James?"
"Nothing."
"Lily, you seem to be able to hold a civil conversation with him now."
Lily grinned, "Yeah. Sometimes James isn't that bad."
"LILY! You just SMILED AND called Potter JAMES! THIS IS A HUGE START LILY! I'm so proud of you!" Sarah exclaimed.
"Shut up Sarah before someone hears you," Lily said, tugging on Sarah's skirt to get her to sit down.
"LILY EVANS CALLED JAMES POTTER JAMES!" Sarah yelled at the top of her lungs. Lily buried her hands in her face. She could've sworn she saw a messy-haired hazel-eyed boy with glasses at the entrance to the castle grin before going inside.
A/N:I hate this chapter. It's not great at all, but it does serve its purpose. James and Lily start talking...oooooh...I wonder where that's going to lead to. Lol. Lily even let him put his arm around her...
Anonymous/~luv4books: Sirius dragged Sarah into the boys' dorm, he was trying to explain something to her [which is in upcoming chapters so I can't tell you what it is] and Sarah has a very short attention span, so he locked it so she would pay attention for once. He just wanted her to listen and to help his plan, but she didn't listen to anything he was saying anyways. Sorry about the confusion.
FiddleStix: I can't tell you! Maybe in chapter 10? I'm not quite sure, I haven't written them yet, but I have a time line thing, and I know when I want it to happen and where…just hang in a little longer!