Prologue:
She hated him.
He loved her.
That's the way it was from the start, but one day it all changed. James Potter had tried (in vain) all summer to deny that he was in love with her. Lily Evans, that is. He knew that he LIKED the poor girl (she had been bombarded with so many requests for a date, from the same guy no less) but he would not, COULD NOT, admit he was so completely in love with the girl. The Marauder was afraid of real, honest commitment. Sure, he had liked the same girl for nearly seven years, but he did not want to admit to real, honest love.
Now, on the subject of Lily... She was another matter entirely. She up and HATED the boy that had only ever adored her. Not Snape of course, this is the story of James. To Lily Evans, James Potter was an arrogant toe-rag, as Lily herself exclaimed. Up until that one day.
It was summer and Lily just HAD TO get out of her muggle house. She went to her usual apparition spot and apparated right into Diagon Ally. She was browsing the broom store with no real reason (that she consciously acknowledged). Lily was not one for flying. But James Potter was. And he just happened to be in the same store at the same time, on the same day. They bumped into each other as Lily made to exit and James made to pay for something he was holding. After an awkward, "Oh!" from both of them, it was silent until they said, "How's your summer been?" at the same time. Then, "Go ahead, you first." in the same manner. Then they just laughed. Lily made to leave, but James stopped her mid-tracks saying, "Hey Evans, you didn't answer my question. So how 'bout it? How's your summer been?" Lily smiled and without turning around she replied with a quirk, "You didn't answer my question either." Lily heard the jingle of some money, a quick, "Thank you." and footsteps running to catch up with her. "You first, Evans." James said, ever persistent.
"Nothing's really happened. I miss Hogwarts is all... Your turn."
"Lupin's been having a tough time at home, but nothing too bad. Say, Evans, fancy a butterbeer?" Lily laughed at his ability to go from one subject to another so aptly.
"Can't hurt right?"
But by the time Lily Evans was on her third firewhiskey she was all tears. She had told him every little thing that had happened that summer and how she dearly missed everyone; especially because her brat sister was getting married. "And THAT," ended Lily, slurring her words, "Was how I ended up here." Now, given the current state of inebriation the pretty redhead was in, most men would have taken advantage of her. But fortunately, James' honor (though somewhat tainted) did not allow him to do any such thing. Instead he said, politely of course, "Lily, I reckon we should leave. I'll take you home."
"Oh!" She looked surprised, "But y-you don't know where I live?" she was stuttering and slurring all her words and James was sure she would not be able to apparate home without splinching herself.
"Very well," James said in a tone much like one would use to speak to a small child, "Write down your address and you can side-along." He handed her a napkin and quill he managed to procure from somewhere. She wrote down an address, but James knew it wasn't her own. Still as she leaned onto his shoulder drunkenly he apparated to the address she had written down. (James recognized it was on the same street as Lily's house. Let's not blame the lover boy of stalking, he'd been in love with the girl since their first year at Hogwarts.) The address was just another random house and when James asked Lily where she was going as she walked towards her real house, she said, slowly, "I wanted you t-to walk me." she leaned to hug him, poor girl was obviously going to have a VERY bad hangover tomorrow. "For the pure romantic genius in it of course." she shrugged, as though she didn't feel when James' heart speed up as she leaned on to his chest. "Let's go, shall we." Lily's words were very much slurred so James lead her hand-in-hand to her house, her head on his shoulder the whole time. They said their drunk goodbyes. But when Lily crossed the doorframe into her house, she knew something was missing. Even in her very intoxicated state she knew exactly what was missing so she turned around with a hesitant, "James, I-" but she hadn't expected to see James' face a few mere centimeters from her own.
"I know, Evans. I felt it too." then, without permission he kissed her passionately. And Lily, without realizing the real implications of this one kiss dropped her handbag and wrapped her arms around James' neck. Her fingers were entwined in James' hair when he pushed her against the wall and she let out a small, "oh." he pulled away too soon though. He didn't know what had made him do something so irrational. He banged his fist on the wall near Lily's head and her eyes widened. "Dammit, Lily, I have a girlfriend." but Lily didn't really think her response through when she said, "So? /This/, right now, us, THIS is what you've wanted for so long. Right?" James didn't know what to say. It must have been the alcohol talking because the Lily he knew didn't usually talk like this. He only shook his head.
"Bullshit." Lily said angrily. Although she wouldn't really realize it until tomorrow, she was in love with James Potter. "Of course you want it." and deep down, Lily knew what was going to happen then even if it was the alcohol (which it was NOT), and even if she had no recollection of it by the morning (which she would), and even if she didn't entirely know what she was DOING (which she did) she still did it. Lily Evans pulled on James Potter's tie and practically dragged him behind her, shutting the door, and kissed him. At first she felt a bit of a struggle against her, but after a few seconds James seemed to second-guess himself. "Honestly," he thought to himself, "the girl I've been in love with since forever wants to snog, maybe even shag. I shouldn't be doubting it." as Lily took his hand and led him upstairs, presumably to her room, he noticed (for the first time that night) how amazingly long her legs looked and how the skirt she wore was slightly hitched up on the left side and you could see a fair bit of thigh and. . .
For the first time in the whole summer, James allowed himself to think thoughts like that. Lily smiled and he couldn't help but smile a genuine smile when her face lit up like that. When they reached her room, James (ever the gentleman), asked, "Are you sure?"
"Oh for Merlin's sake James! Shut up. I'm bloody begging you to snog me and you ask, 'are you sure?' Honestly?" so with his usual smirk he pushed her onto her bed. Her eyes got wide with fake innocence "What are you going to do to me, James?" he held his index finger to his lips and whispered "Shh" in her ear as he kissed down her neck. But she didn't really listen to him and said, in a voice barely above a whisper, "Are you going to do dirty things to me, Mr. Potter?" she brought his lips back to hers. He chuckled as he felt her hands slowly undoing the buttons on his shirt. "Of course, Ms. Evans. What else would I ever want to do with you?" and then...
Well, and then Lily woke up to the splash of cold water on her face. "Lily, dear." her mum said, "You passed out. Again. Must be the heat... You really should be drinking more water. I'm going out tonight and won't be back for some time so make sure you drink A LOT of water." Lily wasn't really listening... Unfortunately for Lily she didn't know what part of yesterday was dream and what was reality so she had to try all day and sort it out. Her hard efforts failed miserably. But for Prongs, that is, James, he remembered everything.