It was the end of their sixth year, but something never changed. Take Lily Evans, the best prefect Hogwarts had seen in some years. At the moment, she was doing her prefect duties, maintaining order in the corridors. Her counter part, Remus Lupin, however was MIA, presumably with the Marauders goofing off with some soon to be ex-first year students. They all seemed to have the same mentality.
"Lily, really, come in here and spend a few minutes with us," James Potter teased as he leaned carelessly back, his feet propped on the seat across from his.
"I have a job to do, and so do you, Remus, if you care to remember," Lily said bossily. Remus cracked an apologetic smile and stood.
"Right," Remus said. Sirius Black pulled him back down.
"Damn, Lils, let the kids have some fun," Sirius joked laughing.
"You know, Sirius, life isn't all about fun and games," Lily said as she turned and left the compartment and headed to where she knew Alice was hanging out with their friends Drena and Sheridan. Lily flung the door open wordlessly and threw herself in the spare seat that they had saved for her.
"Problems, Lily?" Alice said bemused by the exasperated look on Lily's face.
"Same old problem, different day," Lily groaned. She put her face in her hands. "How in the hell am I supposed to survive an entire summer under Potter's roof?"
"Easy, don't. Stay with me for the summer," Alice said quickly. Lily looked at her and shook her head.
"You know that I can't. If I want to go to Hogwarts next year, I have to earn money over the summer," Lily said as she pulled her face out of her hands. "Petunia's being a real prat about money since she married that awful man, Vernon."
"I can't believe she would cut you off," Drena said as she filed her nails.
"She hates me," Lily said quietly. "Ever since Dumbledore told her that she just didn't have what
it takes to be a student at Hogwarts."
"If your parents knew she was going to be this way, they would have made better arrangements," Sheridan said.
Lily nodded.
"But they didn't. Petunia was always the greatest little actress," Lily said as she crossed her arms. She made a face. "It just doesn't seem fair. First, my parents up and die on me in my fifth year, and the Petunia decides that she just isn't going to contribute to my abnormality and let me have my seventh year at Hogwarts. It's just not fair."
"Why don't you just tell James to pay your expenses?" Sheridan asked. She looked up from her nail filing. "The boy is crazy for you and you know he would."
"Sheridan, really," Lily exclaimed shaking her head. "Of course I won't be doing that. Lily Evans needs help from no one."
"Now we are talking about oneself in the third person?" Alice remarked as she shook her head at Lily.
"No, I am just saying I am not going to ask or tell him anything. I am just going to keep my head low and get my work done," Lily said. "Dumbledore and Mrs. Potter arranged for my working for the entire summer to pay for my final year."
"Does James even know his parents hired you?" Sheridan asked curiously.
"Why would he care? He is going to be off with his friends all summer holiday, doing whatever seventeen year old boys do," Lily said as she stood. She glanced around the compartment at her friends. "I have double patrolling to do since Remus Lupin is caught up with his idiot friends."
"Bye Lily," the girls called waving as Lily exited the compartment. Once the door was closed Drena turned to Sheridan and Alice.
"Who wants to bet by the end of the summer, we have a letter from Lily telling us the two of them are dating?" Drena challenged.
"You are on, say a month's worth of Transfiguration homework?" Sheridan said shaking Drena's hand.
"How about you, Alice?" Drena asked. Alice shook her head.
"Lily is my best friend, guys. I can't bet against her like this," Alice said quietly. A smirk crossed her face. "But, I would be willing to keep both of you updated, seeing as Lily and I are weekly pen-pals in the summer."
"Fair enough, and there are no rules," Drena said.
"Sure, go and try to tip the scales in your favor. I don't think that there is anything you can do to make James less repulsive to Lily," Sheridan said. Alice smirked again and returned to reading her magazine. She wasn't about to get into it with Drena and Sheridan about Lily and James.
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