**PLEASE CORRECT ALL MY MISTAKES**

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Alohomora  /əˌloʊhəˈmɔərə/
Spell
1. used to open and/or unlock doors closed in a muggle way

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Lily had never seen the Hogwarts Express so empty.

Sure, there were students inside the train, but it wasn't that usual chaos of kids jumping in the train on the last moment, families bringing the forgotten things to the students before the train leaves, boys trying to find a seat with someone of their same age, the steam increasing the chaos and making everyone feel like in a fairytale.

It was different now. There were a few students going up and down, leaving their trunks under the seats and eventually just looking through the window waiting for other students to come in. Lily had never seen it like that. Almost every year, she would wait until the last minute to say goodbye to her parents and would be one of the last to get on the train.

There had been only two exceptions.

The first one was in her very first year of school. She didn't know anything, and even if Severus had told her everything he knew, she had to admit she was scared. Now, she remembered how she was sitting by the window, crying in silence for all the things her sister had said to her a minute before. She had accorded with Severus they would meet in this exact compartment, the third at the left. But he wasn't coming. Instead, a raven, messy haired boy had came in. He had said a shy hi and introduced himself as James Potter.

James Fleamont Potter, he had said his name was. And Lily didn't know it at that moment, but that would be the name of the most annoying boy in all Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for the following five years. James Potter. The Marauder, the Quidditch Captain, the one that had asked her out every damn hour of every damn day in all five damn years. James bloody Potter. Fortunately, in sixth year he had changed a bit. A bit. A tiny, little bit. He only asked her out on Hogsmeade weekends, so Lily could actually have some time alone. And she had to admit it, not having him pop up every two seconds with a new stupid pickup line for her was a really good thing.

After that, they had both sat in silence waiting for someone to cut off the awkwardness in the compartment. That someone was Sirius Black.

Sirius Orion Black. That handsome, manly and bad boy almost all girls had fallen for. James Potter's best mate. Another Marauder, beater in the Gryffindor Quidditch team, the one you will find every Friday night in a broom closet. Last year, Lily had found out that he wasn't the idiot she thought he was, but she hadn't forgaven him–yet.

Sirius had entered the compartment with a grin on his face, and had easily started a conversation with James about Quidditch, that the eleven year old Lily had followed closely without actually saying anything.

Then, he came in. Severus Snape. Lily's best mate at that moment, a Slytherin wannabe that was maybe too much into the dark arts. But at the moment, he was Lily's only friend, and the boy she would have done everything for.

And there she had it, all in one compartment in her first year, the three boys that would cause her the biggest burdens, all sitting in a compartment on the Hogwarts Express.

The second exception was the one happening in Lily's seventh year, her very last one. Of course, that was very different from the first one. Now, she had her own friends, was confident, and wasn't friends with Severus anymore. And now, she was hoping not to see any of these three boys during the ride.

In fact, she was headed to the Prefect's compartment, trying to think what she should say to them and constantly avoiding the Head Boy topic in her thoughts. She had received a letter from Professor Dumbledore saying that she had been chosen as the Head Girl, and that she would have to meet the Head Boy ten minutes before the train leaves to decide what they should say to the Prefects.

Finally she found the searched compartment.

Just as she was going to open the door, she hesitated. Who was going to be inside? Maybe Remus Lupin? That would actually be nice. Or Hugo Hardcore? Honestly, Lily didn't mind this Hufflepuff prefect, as far as she knew, he was a nice guy, but she hadn't talked to him. She didn't want to be with David Corbyn, that arrogant Ravenclaw that had told her she was wrong in an Ancient Runes essay back in fourth year. But please, don't make it be Severus. Please. She crossed her fingers and confidently opened the door.

What she found inside was all but the expected.

"James Potter." She said.  She couldn't believe it. Did the guy actually think this prank was funny? Well, it wasn't. "What are you doing here?" She asked in an accusing tone.

James smirked at her surprise. Lily stared at him from bottom to top. He wasn't wearing his uniform yet, he had just some trousers and an AC/DC T-shirt, and some black trainers. His black raven hair was as messy as always, as if he had just got off his broom, and Lily wondered if he had done it on purpose. He was looking at her with a look of amusement through his glasses, and it pissed her off the way he had to actually look down because he was as tall as a tower.

"The same as you, Evans." He said, shrugging. "Head Boy duties, aren't they?"

Lily shook her head, confused. "What?"

"Merlin, you don't know it, do you?" He chuckled. Truth being told, James didn't know she had no idea of him being the Head of all the Prefects. Sure, it was funny to see her confused face, but he had guessed that Remus or Sirius would have told her. Of course, knowing his best mates as he knew them, he should have guessed they would keep it a secret for her, so he decided to enjoy the situation as the Marauder he was. "Well, big news of the day! I'm Head boy!" He said, obviously not expecting her to believe him.

And she didn't. "Oh, seriously?" She said, (Not me trying too hard not to make a pun out of this...) "Are you sure you didn't, I don't know, stole it from Remus?"

James laughed. "You're not believing this, are you, Evans?" He liked the way she was pressing her lips against each other, probably thinking of what could be happening right now. He wondered if there was a possibility that she could actually like the idea of them working together. Surely not. Well, he was used to it, he thought sadly. And besides, it was his fault for being an idiot for the past years.

"Of course I'm not!" She answered.

"What about I give you the proof?" He said, handing her a piece of parchment she read very carefully. Finally, she gave it back to him. "Is this enough for you?" James asked calmly, trying to sound like the school's Headmaster, whose calmness was amazing to him.

"What if you made it up?" She said as an answer.

"Then why isn't the 'actual' Head Boy here?" He argued back.

"Because you're not letting him in." She firmly declared.

"And what would be the fun of this prank?" Pointed out James.

"I don't know!" She almost shouted. "But you're Marauders, you seem to think everything is funny!"

"Okay, Evans, can you just trust me on this?" James said, deciding they should have some Head Meeting talk before all the prefects come in. Lily shut up and let him talk. "Listen, the Prefects are about to come, and you better teach me how it goes, 'cause I don't know a shit about it and Remus decided it'd be funny not to tell me what am I supposed to do. So, I swear, if this is a prank, I'll never talk to you again. Do you like this deal? But now, please, can we just focus on Head Peeps talk?"

He had said all that without having any pause, and when he finished, silence was made. Lily seemed to be reflecting.

"Okay." She said at least. "I take the deal." And she smirked. James smiled too. "Okay, so basically what we have to say to them is when the patrols will be so that they can say when they can or cannot be there. We also have to explain all the rules to the new prefects, but I think you know the rules pretty well, for all the work you do to avoid breaking them. Also, we have to tell them how to change the passwords of the common rooms and all the 'do not abuse of your power' talk. And that's pretty much it."

Just as she was finishing, a girl and a boy already dressed up with the uniform came in with two shy 'hello's. Lily told them to sit down while they waited for the others. Soon, all the other prefects were there (with the exception of Severus, and Lily guessed he was not a Prefect anymore, she didn't know why), sitting and waiting for them to talk. She noticed Regulus Black was there as a Slytherin Prefect, Sirius Black's brother.

Lily started. She explained some things vaguely, because she had always known she wasn't good for public talkings. She looked at James for help, and he quickly came in, giving them some kind of tough talk, helping it with some of his own failed Marauder adventures as examples, and explaining perfectly everything that Lily had just said. The girl was completely shocked by the maturity of his speech.

"And that's it, I guess. Evans, is there something I've forgotten?" He asked her.

"No, you said it all." She answered. "So, you can go now. Remember, Hardcore and Wright, you have patrols now. The others, you know when you have to go."

"Yeah, go have some fun now that you can break rules!" James said, smirking as the Prefects were leaving, Remus smiling at him, and Lily again couldn't help but noticing Regulus had a shocked and scared face on, she wondered why.

"Potter! And I thought you were doing right..." Lily said, making James chuckle.

"So, I was doing right..." He smirked, and then changed into a honest smile as he asked, "You really think so?"

"Well, just see how made for being a leader you are... it's in your blood!"

"Emergency, doc', there is an emergency!" He shouted, grinning and showing the fun and dramatic boy that Lily had never met before, and she guessed that was the private part of him he hid under that smirk and player attitude. "Lily Evans has said a good thing about me! There's something wrong!"

Lily laughed. "Don't get used to it, Potter."

"Well, I should probably be going now," He said, walking to the door and shrugging, "Padfoot would start to worry otherwise" Lily started going out too. Just as they were starting to walk to the opposite sides of the train, James called her. "Evans!" He said, making her turn around, "You know... if you feel uncomfortable with me being Head Boy and all this... you can just say it and we'll make Remus be the one. I never wanted to be Head Boy anyways."

Lily could see herself smiling at the boy's sentence. "It's okay Potter, honestly. I really think you can finally grow up now that you have some duties." She shrugged.

"Hey!" He said, "I've always had duties!" Lily gave him a questioning look. "Yeah!" He defended himself, "As a Quidditch Captain, as a Marauder, and just by being James Potter! Don't you think it's difficult to have such a good reputation?"

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, Potter." She said, before starting to walk again to find the compartment her friends where.

James stood up looking at her walk for a few seconds, he shook his head and turned around to go find his best mates in the last compartment of the train.

**********

When he opened the door he was assaulted by an overdramatic Sirius.

"Prongs!" He said while hugging him like he had just come out of hell, "You survived! What did they do to you?! Do you have any scars, marks, any proof we can use later at the court?" He started analysing his body as if he had to find something.

James laughed. "Can you try not to be so dramatic next time?" He said, "I think you've scared Wormtail."

Wormtail was the nickname they had given the other of his best mate, Peter Pettigrew. Peter was a shy and quiet boy when with other people, and maybe not the best known Marauder, but when he was with the four of them he was as prankster as the others. He was shorter than them, and had a round, small face that could be filled with a grin whenever he was really having fun. For now, but, he just let out an offended 'Hey!', recalling all the times Sirius being dramatic had actually scared him.

"Come on Wormy, you know we've got the right to blame you for that!" Entered the conversation a smirking Remus.

Remus Lupin was the other one of the group of four friends. He was the only of them that actually cared about school and his studies, but that didn't stop him from being a sarcastic, prankster and intelligent person. He was a Gryffindor Prefect, which had created a 'you betrayed us' argument back in fifth year, before the other three discovered all the good things having a Prefect in the gang could mean. He was also a werewolf, which had made all three of the others become Animagus, and gave him his nickname–Moony.

"Just because I once thought Progns was dead doesn't mean–" Tried to defend himself Peter, but was cut off by James, who jumped in the conversation playing the offended role.

"Excuse me?" He half-shouted, laughing "You thought I was dead! Just because I was sleeping!"

"In Wormtail's defence, I did a pretty great job with the act," Said Sirius.

"Exactly!" Continued Peter while James sat down next to Sirius. "Plus, it was the first time you didn't snore! I had the right to think you were dead!"

"I don't–"

"Yes, you do Prongs. There's no use in denying it." Said Remus.

"Aw, come on!" The Head Boy complained, without any good results. Seeing that the conversation was over, Sirius decided to jump into the important question:

"So, any big plans for our welcoming prank?" Remus and James shook their heads. "Prongs?! From Moony I expected it, but, you? Evans did do something on you, didn't she? I can't believe it. What are you, the good boy, now?"

"Come on Padfood," Tried to explain himself James, "I'm Head Boy now. We will, of course, prank, but I suggest we don't do it that often, so when we do prank, we make a big show and nobody will be expecting it. What d'you think, Moony?"

"I agree with Prongs." Remus said, "We have to think fun, big, good pranks and let go of the small and cute nobody cares about. Wormtail?"

"I vote like Moony. Plus, they will all be expecting a prank, right? So our prank will be not to prank them."

Sirius shook his head at Peter's opinion and dramatically crossed his arms.

"You guys are not fun."

**********

Lily opened the door of his compartment to find her two best friends trying (and failing) to catch a chocolate frog that had just escaped from one of the boxes.

The little frog jumped into her hand and she closed it, then opened it and started eating the chocolate, making the two other girls shout 'Lily!' and then started bombarding her with questions.

"Geez, calm down girls, I'll answer, yes, but one by one." She laughed. "Raise your hands when you want to speak and wait until I say your name." She said, and the others laughed at her imitation of the Ancient Runes teacher.

"You found out who was the Head Boy?" Asked Alice, anxious to know her reaction.

Alice Perwett had been one of Lily's best friends since the middle of first year, and was probably one of the best friends you could ever dream of. She was kind, nice and sweet, but also funny, competitive and a hard working person. Her dating life was perhaps the easiest one, she had only dated one guy, Frank Longbottom, and had fallen in love with him. But not with all of her heart, because she always had a free spot reserved for her friends.

"You knew it was him all along, and didn't tell me!" Lily said as an answer. "But why did they choose him anyway? He wasn't a Prefect."

"Yeah, but he's a good leader, Quidditch Captain, knows all the school, is good with words, pretty good looking, has a nice reputation and knows how to put people in their place. Plus, everybody respects him." Pointed out Marlene, listing the things with her fingers.

Marlene McKinnon was the first Gryffindor friend she had made, and probably the one she knew better. She was a way too overdramatic girl who loved Quidditch and skipping classes, and hated studying and boring things. Lily considered she was the opposite as her, but they say different poles attract, don't they? As the most popular girl of the three, she had dated almost every boy there was at Hogwarts, and she had  no trouble flirting–at all.

"I think you went too far on the 'good looking' part." Pointed out Lily.

"Aw, come on Lils, you know he's not that bad looking!" Teased her Marlene, who, like Alice, loved seeing Lily frustrated about James.

"Yeah, but he's not that good looking either!" She defended her opinion.

"Lily dear, you need to accept that he is handsome." Joined Alice, laughing at her two friends' discussion.

"Alice! You were supposed to be on my side! Don't you have a boyfriend?"

"Yes," Alice answered, "and he agrees that James Potter is, infact, one of the most well looking guys in Hogwarts."

"You're making Black jealous" Lily said, chuckling. She loved the little boy-arguments she and her friends had.

"We never said he wasn't in Potter's category" Pointed out Marlene.

"Shove off, you two" Said Lily with a smile and sat down taking a Bertie Boot.

The train ride to Hogwarts was always one of her favorite parts.

**********

The train stopped. The Hogsmeade Station was full of steam that made the night mood feel cozy but cold at the same time. Rubeus Hagrid, the half-giant gamekeeper of Hogwarts, waiting with a torch for the first years to come down. Ten meters away from the lake, carriages pulled by nothing were waiting for all the other teenagers to take them in order to arrive at the castle, where the amazing welcome feast was taking place.

All the students came down, turning the calm into sudden chaos that didn't last for long. The Marauders themselves got a carriage shared with some third years, and Lily and her friends sat with a group of Ravenclaws. The Thestrals, invisible creatures that were pulling the carriages, quickly walked to the beautiful castle of Hogwarts, and let the students pass through the big, old doors that kept the building safe.

Inside, they walked into the Great Hall, which amazed them as always. Small, yellow candles were hanging from nowhere, and the ceiling was showing a wonderful sky full of stars that were brighter than ever, today that the moon wasn't showing. After sorting all the young first years into their houses, the Headmaster Dumbledore introduced them with one of his short, confusing, speeches that led to the expected food the house elves proudly prepared for them. The students ate until their stomachs were full, and even more, because they all knew Hogwarts' food was the best there was.

Professor Dumbledore clarified some things to the new students and reminded the old ones of some rules they shouldn't break, and then told the Prefects to show the first years where their dorms were. Everyone followed his instructions, pretty tired after all this ride there. Lily was going to go to bed too until a hand stopped her.

"Evans." James said behind her, making her turn around. "Professor McGonagall wanted to tell us something. I think we should go, if we don't want to make her mad on the first day of the year."

"Okay then," She said, and told Marlene and Alice to go without her.

James led her to where the Professor was, just next to the door, away from the multi houses chaos. Lily had always loved Professor McGonagall. Sure, she was a bit tough with her students and wanted them to learn fast, but she was fair, and that was a thing Lily admired a lot.

"Hello, Mss. Evans, Mr. Potter." The teacher said, and both the Head Boy and Girls greeted her a good evening and a good night ("But it's already night!" "Won't you shut up and let her explain, Potter?"). Minerva shighed.  "Congratulations on being named Head Boy and Girl, respectively. Now, if you have read the letter I sent you, you must already know all the rules you must follow and I am sure you will do as said. The reason I called you here is not that one though." She started, "As you may know, there is a secret room–although someone, like Mr. Potter and his friends already know where it is– reserved exclusively to the Heads of the school. It is, of course, optional, if it could feel uncomfortable for both of you to get a shared common room. If you want to get that dorm, it is a quiet place that could help you study in peace for your NEWTs and have a calm year. Now, I must know if you want it or not, so I can ask the elfs to prepare it that way you can sleep in it tomorrow. I'll now leave you alone, and tell me what you have decided tomorrow morning." And she left the hall.

"Well, that was quick." James pointed out. "What do you say, Evans? Is it too much to be with me the whole year?"

"I don't know..." Said Lily,  "It could be cool to study there, since in the library I always get distracted."

"And think of all the parties we could do...!" Added James dreamingly, as if he was already there.

"You only think of the fun, don't you Potter?" Smirked Evans.

"Well, I am not a Marauder for nothing, Evans." James said, "So what d'you say, Ev–can I call you Ev?– do we move there?"

"I say if you don't call me Ev, we can perfectly try to be friends for a year in order to have a room for our own."

"Okay, Mss. Evans, as you want. I shall say it to Professor McGonagall, then."

"It's Lily, if you may. And don't, ever, try to use Mss. Evans with me. Oh, and if we have to stay together, you better not ask me out every bloody day." Lily said, and stormed out of the room, leaving James alone.

"And I had always thought Sirius was the dramatic of the year." He sighed, and went to bed too, thinking that was the best way to unlock the year he could have thought of.

***********

So that was the first actual chapter...!

Did someone actually read it all? Cause 4000 words, even I was to lazy to reread it one more time before posting it lol

What do you think? I actually am proud of the marauders' part, since it's somehow difficult to portrait them well (I mean such wonderful personalities are not that usual, y'know?)

Question: how long do you like the chapters? 2000 words? More? Less? This was around 4000 words, but I'll make the next ones about 2000... tell me how  long would you like them :)

Also if some of you have ideas or something ( I am sure you don't, but I don't lose anything on asking xd) just tell me!

Bye byeeee :)