COOKIE: Opening Salvo, Chapter 1
As I have mentioned, I am working on a Marauders-era fic trilogy about the original rise of Voldemort and his subsequent defeat by the original Order of the Phoenix. The first fic is called "Opening Salvo," and is set in the Maurauders (and Lily's) 7th year. There's a prophecy, action, friendship, and eventually some romance. I'm not quite done with Chapter 1, but here's a cookie for all two of you that are waiting with breath that is bated.
She had seen a three-ring circus once, with her parents and Petunia before she received her Hogwarts letter. It travelled lazily up and down the countryside that summer, advertising the world's strongest man next to fierce-looking lions and agile Chinese tumblers.
She imagined James as a ringmaster, brandishing a chair and whip while Sirius and Remus swished their tails insolently at his feet. He was brash and irreverent and cocky, and no matter how hard Lily tried, she could never look away. He was in the center ring, and he knew it.
Lily could not see the Great Hall without him in it. Every picture in her mind's eye featured James in the foreground, running his hands through his already messy hair, copying Remus' homework, horsing about with Sirius under the baleful glare of Severus Snape.
He was everywhere, strutting through the tables in his Quidditch gear before a game, chewing on the end of a quill while Sirius mainlined pumpkin juice, watching her from across the Gryffindor table. His face was always wreathed with gold and red, and his eyes always made her feel like firecrackers were popping in her blood. He drove Lily crazy, and he knew it.
Seventh year started out no differently than it always had, with her mum and dad kissing her goodbye outside Platform 9 and 3/4, Petunia sulking in the car and refusing to see her off. Lily pushed her cart through the barrier and nearly collided with Peter Pettigrew, who was hanging back to watch Sirius Black and James Potter levitating their trunks for the awestruck first years that hung about them like a fan club.
"You'd think they were a rock band and not just barely seventeen and out from the underage magic ban," said Remus Lupin at her elbow, the corners of his mouth turned up in a slight smile as he watched the antics of his best friends.
"Hello, Remus," said Lily, reaching up to fold him in a quick hug. Of all the Gryffindor boys, Remus was her favorite. He was intelligent and quick, sometimes quiet but always kind. He did not torment her like James and Sirius had done since they'd been small, and she always felt like he tried his best to keep them in check. His best, of course, was never enough, but she appreciated the gesture.
"Hello Lily," he replied, hugging her back. "It's good to see you."
"It's good to be seen," she joked, letting her eyes wander over the scene on the platform. She could scarcely believe that this was the last time she'd stand waiting for the train to begin another year at Hogwarts.
"I think Mr. Potter over there agrees with you," Remus laughed, noticing James' eyes light up as they landed on Lily.
She sighed in annoyance, seeing James gesture to Sirius and let his trunk unceremoniously drop to the ground, nearly squashing an errant first year in the process.
"Why, Miss Evans, I do believe you grow more lovely with each passing year," said James smoothly, tossing his head so that his hair fell in messy waves about his face. He took her hand in his, making as if to kiss it, but Lily snatched it away from him and held it close to her own chest.
"I've survived seven years without your lips landing anywhere on my body, Potter, and I intend to continue that winning streak," Lily snapped, her green eyes flashing at him in the afternoon sun. "Besides, you'll do well to remember that you should treat the Head Girl with respect." She pushed her hair back over her shoulders to better showcase the shining gold badge that was pinned high on her robes. "I don't want to have to take house points for you being fresh before we ever get on the train."
James' smile changed from teasing to sly in an instant. "Well, Miss Evans, I suppose you'll do well to remember that the Head Girl should also be respectful to those she's working in close quarters with." He moved his Gryffindor scarf to the side to show off another golden badge very similar to Lily's. "I do so look forward to this year.'
Lily's eyes widened in astonishment. "James Potter, Head Boy? That is...ridiculous! Clearly a mistake in the owl post. Either that, or Dumbledore and McGonagall have gone barking mad! You weren't even a PREFECT last year!"
Minerva McGonagall turned to look at Lily from her post next to the Hogwarts Express, amusement clearly written between the lines of her austere expression. "I quite assure you that I have all my faculties about me, Miss Evans," she said sternly, fighting the smile twitching at the corners of her lips. "Don't you and Mr. Potter have a Prefects' meeting you should be attending to in the lead car?"
"HONESTLY!" Lily grabbed her schoolbag and marched towards the train, her auburn hair streaming behind her like a Gryffindor banner. She breezed past McGonagall, who fixed her eyes firmly on James.
"Mr. Potter...I believe you should be following her. And I suggest you keep your hands to yourself lest you find yourself in detention before the Sorting Feast even begins." She turned and swept into the train after a group of first years, leaving the Marauders standing dumbfounded on the platform.
"Potter, are you in for it now," breathed Sirius. "We're not going to get away with a bloody thing this year."
"I think you forget that I am Head Boy, Padfoot," said James. "I suspect we'll get away with quite a lot, thanks to their lack of scruples in assigning me the post."
"If Lily doesn't kill you first," laughed Remus. "My money's on or before the first Hogsmeade weekend. You in, Wormtail?"
Peter snickered. "I bet ten knuts he doesn't even get past the Sorting Feast."
James looked put out as he gathered up his things and started for the train. "It wounds me deeply that you have so little faith in me, my friends," he said, affecting a sad pout.
"It's not that we have so little faith in you, my boy," said Sirius. "It's just that you've never learned one of life's key lessons..."
"Never take the piss out of a redhead," the boys chorused together.
"Especially when she's Head Girl," said Peter.
"Especially when she's Lily Evans," said Remus. "You're playing with fire there, Prongs."
"And I look forward to getting burned," grinned James, climbing onto the train. "This is going to be a great year."
She had seen a three-ring circus once, with her parents and Petunia before she received her Hogwarts letter. It travelled lazily up and down the countryside that summer, advertising the world's strongest man next to fierce-looking lions and agile Chinese tumblers.
She imagined James as a ringmaster, brandishing a chair and whip while Sirius and Remus swished their tails insolently at his feet. He was brash and irreverent and cocky, and no matter how hard Lily tried, she could never look away. He was in the center ring, and he knew it.
Lily could not see the Great Hall without him in it. Every picture in her mind's eye featured James in the foreground, running his hands through his already messy hair, copying Remus' homework, horsing about with Sirius under the baleful glare of Severus Snape.
He was everywhere, strutting through the tables in his Quidditch gear before a game, chewing on the end of a quill while Sirius mainlined pumpkin juice, watching her from across the Gryffindor table. His face was always wreathed with gold and red, and his eyes always made her feel like firecrackers were popping in her blood. He drove Lily crazy, and he knew it.
Seventh year started out no differently than it always had, with her mum and dad kissing her goodbye outside Platform 9 and 3/4, Petunia sulking in the car and refusing to see her off. Lily pushed her cart through the barrier and nearly collided with Peter Pettigrew, who was hanging back to watch Sirius Black and James Potter levitating their trunks for the awestruck first years that hung about them like a fan club.
"You'd think they were a rock band and not just barely seventeen and out from the underage magic ban," said Remus Lupin at her elbow, the corners of his mouth turned up in a slight smile as he watched the antics of his best friends.
"Hello, Remus," said Lily, reaching up to fold him in a quick hug. Of all the Gryffindor boys, Remus was her favorite. He was intelligent and quick, sometimes quiet but always kind. He did not torment her like James and Sirius had done since they'd been small, and she always felt like he tried his best to keep them in check. His best, of course, was never enough, but she appreciated the gesture.
"Hello Lily," he replied, hugging her back. "It's good to see you."
"It's good to be seen," she joked, letting her eyes wander over the scene on the platform. She could scarcely believe that this was the last time she'd stand waiting for the train to begin another year at Hogwarts.
"I think Mr. Potter over there agrees with you," Remus laughed, noticing James' eyes light up as they landed on Lily.
She sighed in annoyance, seeing James gesture to Sirius and let his trunk unceremoniously drop to the ground, nearly squashing an errant first year in the process.
"Why, Miss Evans, I do believe you grow more lovely with each passing year," said James smoothly, tossing his head so that his hair fell in messy waves about his face. He took her hand in his, making as if to kiss it, but Lily snatched it away from him and held it close to her own chest.
"I've survived seven years without your lips landing anywhere on my body, Potter, and I intend to continue that winning streak," Lily snapped, her green eyes flashing at him in the afternoon sun. "Besides, you'll do well to remember that you should treat the Head Girl with respect." She pushed her hair back over her shoulders to better showcase the shining gold badge that was pinned high on her robes. "I don't want to have to take house points for you being fresh before we ever get on the train."
James' smile changed from teasing to sly in an instant. "Well, Miss Evans, I suppose you'll do well to remember that the Head Girl should also be respectful to those she's working in close quarters with." He moved his Gryffindor scarf to the side to show off another golden badge very similar to Lily's. "I do so look forward to this year.'
Lily's eyes widened in astonishment. "James Potter, Head Boy? That is...ridiculous! Clearly a mistake in the owl post. Either that, or Dumbledore and McGonagall have gone barking mad! You weren't even a PREFECT last year!"
Minerva McGonagall turned to look at Lily from her post next to the Hogwarts Express, amusement clearly written between the lines of her austere expression. "I quite assure you that I have all my faculties about me, Miss Evans," she said sternly, fighting the smile twitching at the corners of her lips. "Don't you and Mr. Potter have a Prefects' meeting you should be attending to in the lead car?"
"HONESTLY!" Lily grabbed her schoolbag and marched towards the train, her auburn hair streaming behind her like a Gryffindor banner. She breezed past McGonagall, who fixed her eyes firmly on James.
"Mr. Potter...I believe you should be following her. And I suggest you keep your hands to yourself lest you find yourself in detention before the Sorting Feast even begins." She turned and swept into the train after a group of first years, leaving the Marauders standing dumbfounded on the platform.
"Potter, are you in for it now," breathed Sirius. "We're not going to get away with a bloody thing this year."
"I think you forget that I am Head Boy, Padfoot," said James. "I suspect we'll get away with quite a lot, thanks to their lack of scruples in assigning me the post."
"If Lily doesn't kill you first," laughed Remus. "My money's on or before the first Hogsmeade weekend. You in, Wormtail?"
Peter snickered. "I bet ten knuts he doesn't even get past the Sorting Feast."
James looked put out as he gathered up his things and started for the train. "It wounds me deeply that you have so little faith in me, my friends," he said, affecting a sad pout.
"It's not that we have so little faith in you, my boy," said Sirius. "It's just that you've never learned one of life's key lessons..."
"Never take the piss out of a redhead," the boys chorused together.
"Especially when she's Head Girl," said Peter.
"Especially when she's Lily Evans," said Remus. "You're playing with fire there, Prongs."
"And I look forward to getting burned," grinned James, climbing onto the train. "This is going to be a great year."