Melanie POV

I follow Lily and Carly out of the carriage. The two of them are chatting about who knows what. They do that often. Of course they still include Alice and I, but they've been friends since before Hogwarts. Carly used to live by Lily, but moved away a year before they started school. I found my gaze set on James. He was staring at Lily without shame.

"He is really in love with that girl." I whisper to Sirius, who is on my left. "You're telling me! I have to listen to him all summer. 'Have you ever noticed Lily's scent? It's flowery. How do you think she feels about me? Am I important to her? Blah blah blah.'" Says Sirius, in a high pitched whisper. I laugh. "But, why doesn't he give up? Half the female population in the school are practically begging to go out with him." I say, confused.

He flings his arm over my shoulders as we walk through the doors to the entrance hall. "Oh Mel. Love doesn't work that way! Little Prongsy loves Lily-pad and there's nothing anyone can do about it!" Cries Sirius dramatically.
"Oh Sirius, you're never going to change are you?" I ask. He shakes his head. "Nope. Never! I'll always be intelligent and beautiful." He smirks. I roll my eyes. "Don't forget modest." I say sarcastically. "Yes, that too," he says.

Sirius then speeds up a bit to walk with James, leaving me with Remus. "You have wild, obnoxious, idiot friends." I state. He scoffs. "What, and your friends are little angels?" He asks. I sigh, "Yes." I say stubbornly. Remus rolls his eyes at me. "That's completely and utterly untrue," he tells me. "So what? At least my friends aren't self-absorbed prats." I say. "My friends aren't self-absorbed." Remus claims, just as stubbornly. "Sure, that's why Sirius is constantly looking at that little pocket mirror he has. And don't even get me started on how he talks to it." Remus suddenly looks uncomfortable and seems almost relieved to say that Sirius is most definitely self-absorbed. 

"Fine! He stands in front of the mirror for half an hour every day!" Says Remus, exasperatedly. I laugh. "Half an hour? Every day?" He nods. I shake my head. "Oh my." Alice sidles up to us. "What'cha talking about?" She asks. "Remus' idiot friends." I say.

She nods. "They are idiots." Remus rolls his eyes, and speeds up, to walk with James. I turn to Alice. "So, Ali. What was your summer like?" I ask. She blushes faintly, and shrugs. "Same as usual." She mumbles. I smirk. "Right, 'cause Frank usually comes over three times a week." She flushed. "Who told you?" She hisses. "You did, just now." I laugh. "Shut it Mel!" She growled. I laugh even more. This will be a fun year. I can already tell.

Lily POV

Carly keeps talking about something. To be honest, I'm not taking in a word she says. I tuned her out after the first ten minutes. "Lily, are you listening?" I hear. I turn to my right and see Carly. "No," I say, flatly. She sighs. "I knew it." She says. I grin. "Lily," she whines, dragging out the y in my name. "Hmm?" I ask. "You're supposed to pay attention to me. I'm your best friend." I gave her a look that clearly meant something along the lines of 'since when did that mean i respect you'.

"Carls!" Sirius suddenly cries, shoving between us. I raise my eyebrows at him, and move over a bit. "What did you call me?" Asks Carly. "I called you Carls!" He says, like it's obvious. "Sirius, do me a favor?" She asked sweetly. I stifle a laugh because I know what's coming next. "What?" He asks, almost eagerly. "Never, and I mean never, call me that again!" She says very seriously. Sirius looks surprised at her sudden change of demeanor. "Geez woman! No need to get mad!" He says, in a slightly squeaky voice. "Why didn't you warn me Lily?" He whines. "Because I wanted to see that happen!" I reply, in a cheerful tone.

James laughs a bit. I turn, and see that we're standing rather close. I carefully move over a bit. "Come on guys. Are we just going to stand in front of the doors to the great hall, or are we going to actually go in?" Asks Remus. I nod, and push open the doors. The eight of us walk to the Gryffindor table, and sit down; the 'Marauders' on the left side of the table, and Carly, Alice, Melanie and I, on the right side.

I find myself sitting down in the seat across from James. Carly raises her eyebrows at me, but doesn't say anything. Alice sits on my right, across from Peter, and Carly sits on my left, across from Sirius. Melanie sits on Carly's other side, across from Remus.

"Good evening students!" Says a booming voice from the end of the hall. We all turn towards the teachers table, and see Dumbledore standing. "Before we all lose ourselves in our excellent feast, we must sort the first years." Says Dumbledore. We all turn towards the doors, to see professor Mcgonagall, leading a row of about thirty, nervous looking first years. She carries a stool and an old, tattered, brown, hat; the sorting hat.

She puts the stool down and says to the line of obviously anxious first years, "When I call your name, you will come up to the stool, sit down and put the hat on your head. When the sorting hat has told us all what house you belong in, you will join that table." All the first years nod.

"Willson, Eleanor," She calls. A girl with long black hair, and pail skin walks up, shaking from head to toe. She sits on the stool and puts the hat on. Her face contorts at something the hat said. "NO!" She says, out loud. There are a few chuckles throughout the hall.

Finally, the hat says, "RAVENCLAW!" She visibly relaxes, and takes the hat off. "Willson, Carter," Mcgonagall calls out to the hall. A little boy, with short black hair and pail skin, goes up to the stool. He looks very similar to Eleanor. They must be twins or at least related in some way. After only about one minute, the hat shouts. "RAVENCLAW!" The boy smiles a little, and heads to the seat next to his sister. I tune out the rest of the sorting until I hear "Potter, Rose," I jerk my head up and look at James. "My sister," he whispers, but offers no more explanation.

I see a pained, sad look cross his face. I scrunch my eyebrows in confusion. "You okay?" Whispers Sirius, to James. He nods, but doesn't say anything.

I can tell he's lying, but I don't say anything. Not yet anyway. I need to get him to trust me first. Wait, where on earth did that thought come from? Why do I care if he seams upset? It's not like me. "Lil, the sorting is over, let's eat." Says Carly. I nod, and start piling food on my plate, all the while, thinking about why I would care if James Potter is upset.
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Published: 12/23/15

Edited: 12/18/16