No Longer Children

When all three of them were inside an empty carriage, Bekki and Melanie broke out into smiles. "No need to ask what that was all about," Bekki said, sounding amused. Lily thought her face would burst into flame from the way it was heated. She jammed her hands into the pockets of her robe and felt something hard. She pulled it out to inspect it. It was her Head Girl badge!
"Hey!" she exclaimed. "I can't believe I forgot to tell you guys!"
"Tell us what?" Melanie asked. She grinned suddenly. "Are you pregnant? Who's the father?"
Lily laughed. "I'm not pregnant, Mel. I'm Head Girl!"
In the dim light of the carriage, Lily saw both Bekki's and Melanie's jaws drop. She smiled at the looks on their faces. Suddenly, she wished that she had brought a camera.
"When were you gonna tell us?" Bekki asked when she got over the shock.
"I just forgot, that's all," Lily said, putting the badge back into her pocket.
"I'm proud of you, girl!" Bekki said, clapping Lily on the shoulder.
Lily grinned back at her friend. "Wow," Melanie breathed. "Who's Head Boy?"
"Probably some creep from Slytherin," Bekki said. "Like that Severus Snape guy." Bekki and Melanie both shuddered and then broke out laughing.
"I wouldn't mind that so much," Lily muttered under her breath.
Bekki heard, although she wasn't meant to. "Oh my God!! You're cheating on James already!"
"No, I'm not!" Lily said indignantly. "I just don't think Snape's all that bad."
Melanie and Bekki exchanged silent glances that could have passed for a thousand words.
Lily rolled her eyes and shook her head as the carriage jerked to a halt.
They all stepped out into the darkening grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It was a clear evening, and the setting sun cast shadows on the rich green grass that thrived on the lawn of the school. Lily breathed in deeply, inhaling the sweet scent of the crisp, cool air. She looked up at the castle, towering over both her and her friends.
"Well, here's where our last year starts," Bekki said, gazing up at the castle.
"Let's make a promise right here, okay?" Melanie suggested. "To make this the best year we've had and live every moment we can because if we don't make the most of this now, we'll never get a second chance."
Melanie wasn't too good at her homework, but sure was a good friend. Lily and Bekki smiled at each other, then they joined with Melanie in saying, "I promise." Lily knew that her childhood was over right then and there. She glanced over her shoulder at the path leading off of the grounds, then took a deep breath, took Bekki's outstretched hand and walked with her two friends into the castle, where her final year at Hogwarts would take place.

James sat down at the Gryffindor table in between Sirius and Remus and across from Lily. She had her head turned toward the front of the Great Hall, where the first years were trying on the Sorting Hat. He tried to take everything about her in at once; the way her reddish locks framed her delicate face so perfectly, the way her long eyelashes curled slightly, the way her brilliant green eyes sparkled in the light...
Something had changed inside of her, though, James thought. It was as though something was gone from her, and would never come back. She was still the same Lily he had met almost seven years ago, but something was different in the way she held herself erect. She was different from the Lily he had kissed in the hallway of the Hogwarts Express. Suddenly, a thought came to him. Maybe her childhood was over with, like his. James remembered when he first realized that his childhood was gone. It was when he had stepped out of the carriage just a couple minutes ago and made a promise to himself that he would make this his best year at Hogwarts in every way possible. He smiled to himself. That was what was different. She was no longer a little girl.
James returned his attention to Professor Dumbledore, who was making his annual beginning-of-the-year speech.
"I'd like to congratulate our new students and remind all of you that the Forbidden forest is, indeed, forbidden, to all students, unless otherwise informed. I'd also like to congratulate our new Head Boy and Girl, Mr. James Potter, and Miss Lillian Evans."
James stared across the table at Lily, who was staring straight back at him, then smiled. She smiled back. Her eyes were so...
Sirius slapped James on the back, hard. "Nice job, James! Even though I already knew you were Head Boy, good job!" he said, still slapping James heartily on the back.

James gazed across the table at Lily. Her head was turned toward the front of the Great Hall, where the first years were trying on the Sorting Hat. Her curly reddish locks framed her delicate face perfectly and her brilliant green eyes shimmered in the light of the Hall. James wrenched his attention from Lily and back to what was important.
Dumbledore was beginning to deliver his annual beginning-of-the-year speech.
"I'd like to congratulate all of our new students and wish all of you a good year, and good grades as well," he said. "I'd like to remind all of you that the Forbidden Forest is, indeed, forbidden, to all of you, unless otherwise informed. I'd also like to congratulate our new Head Boy and Girl, Mr. James Potter and Miss Lillian Evans."
James stared across the table at Lily, who was staring right back at him, then smiled. She smiled back.
Sirius clapped James on the back, hard. "Good job," he said jovially. "Even though I already knew you were Head Boy."
"That's about all," Dumbledore said. "Let the feast begin."
And with that, the Great Hall was filled with students, eating drinking, laughing, and talking.