Wrote this for Bekeyboo's birthday! I hope you guys like it!

1. Peter

Lily never liked Peter Pettigrew anyhow. He was short and strange and had a way of looking at her that made her want to go take a shower.

It was the beginning of sixth year, and Lily had been through the summer in a one bathroom house with no tub, so she had been dying to return to school and the Prefect's bathrooom. Finally that moment had come, and the lavender-scented bath was ready and heated to just the right temperature. Sinking into it... was like heaven.

Until she heard a click.

"Colloshoo!" Lily exclaimed.

"My feet!" squeaked a familiar squirrely voice from somewhere in the bathroom.

"Accio invisibility cloak." demanded Lily as she wrapped herself in a towel. That damned Peter. That damned, perverted Peter and his damned camera. "Hello, Peter."

"Er, hello! Lily! What are you doing here?"

"Now, Peter, first of all, you're an asshole."

Peter snickered to himself, snorting once.

"Second, we both know where this is headed. That camera is mine, and then you may choose from either the sardines hex or the scalping hex."

"Scalp me, baby."

Then Peter got on his tip toes and, without warning, shoved his lips against Lily's.

And then Lily hexed him twice.

(James, later on, would want to murder Peter, but still desperately ask "So, what happened to the camera?")

Lily still hates that Peter, and she always will.

2. Sirius

No one realized that Lily Evans, from her second year to her sixth year, had a crush on Sirius. It wasn't an enormous crush (she turned her nose up at the girls who doodled their initials plus "SB" in their textbooks), but it was substantial enough that she had to fervently deny it. He was just... he had that long black hair and those piercing blue eyes and he acted so cool around Hogwarts that she just had to like him, just a little bit.

Everyone liked him just a little bit, though, and that was the problem.

It was at the Hallowe'en feast, sixth year, that Lily's secret crush ended.

Lily was a bit preoccupied at the time. Yes, she absolutely adored the little chocolates in the jack-o-lantern foil and the sugar-dusted pastries, but she had her first essay in Divination due the next morning which she had been putting off in favor of her Herbology homework. She was trying to eat quickly so that maybe she could sneak out of the feast and back to her dorm to work. Stuff, chew, swallow, stuff, chew, swallow...

Over the rim of the black cauldron centerpiece, her eyes locked with Sirius', and suddenly Lily felt nauseous. She looked away, chewing on a piece of fudge with a bit more care as she felt her cheeks heat. Sirius had looked at her, first of all, which was a revelation in itself because out of all of those four boys he was the only one who really didn't seem to care about her one way or the other. But not only that: she had been scarfing down food at the time.

Lily cleaned the remaining chocolate from her teeth with her tongue, thoroughly humiliated. She glanced down at her pale hands, limp on the table, fork and knife still held in them like weapons.

"Lily?"

Lily jumped, startled. Sirius was sitting across from her, dark bangs throwing his eyes into shadow. "Hi, Sirius." she forced out before the silence could become awkward.

His face was completely emotionless and calm. She shifted nervously in her seat, not daring to pick up a piece of food because here he was, talking to her... He made a motion that she should come closer, as if he were to whisper something in her ear. She glanced at the other kids around them but no one seemed to be paying attention.

She stood up a bit in order to lean over the table.

Their faces were inches apart and he wasn't saying anything.

"Yes, Sirius? What is it?" she asked.

His fingers went to her cheek, pulling her farther forward. "I've got something for you."

"What?" Lily stared hard into his eyes but he was offering nothing.

"Close your eyes." he whispered.

She did, and felt his hot breath on her face, and heard the children talking all around them.

Something smooth slid between her lips. Something sweet.

Something... chocolate.

"You missed one." he grinned toothily, and then James, Remus, and Peter were there, laughing hysterically.

Indignant, Lily spat the chocolate into her palm and threw it at Sirius, narrowly missing his laughing face. "You bastard!" she screamed. Now the other children were paying attention, and some were laughing even though they had no idea what had occurred.

(James, when he saw the tears in Lily Evan's eyes, stopped laughing.)

Lily ran out of the hall. She now hated that Sirius, and never did finish that essay.

3. Remus

Nearing the second half of sixth year, Lily became friends with Remus. They already sort of knew each other from being Prefects, but that had always been awkward and false. Their real friendship started sort of by accident; both of their partners in Charms class were sick (sneezing sparks, as Lily had heard), and so they worked together. At first Lily was opposed to the idea, because this was Remus Lupin, and he was one of those boys, but after a few botched-up banishing spells she figured it would only be the right thing to do to take the soft-spoken (and partly injured) boy out for a Butterbeer in Hogsmeade.

(And no, it was not strange for Lily to take someone out for a drink in order to patch things over. She had picked it up when she was much younger, when her mother wasn't around, and her father took her out to lunch when he met with business partners. "Food can solve anything." he told her.)

She discovered that Remus hated History of Magic just as much as she did, and neither he nor she thought that the Head Boy was fit for the job, and they both were indifferent to Celestina Warbeck songs. They both loved playing in the snow, they both were intimidated by the Quidditch players, and they both wondered about the sanity of the Herbology teacher. They had so much in common, and they had the greatest conversations during the weeks leading up to Christmas.

One day, in The Three Broomsticks, they were sitting in their usual nook in the back with the big window. Lily remembers that on that day she wore her dark grey sweater, the one with the collar that made her neck look especially long.

"You know, Remus, Christmas is coming up and all... I have no idea what to get my parents. I mean, they love all of this wizard stuff, but whenever I bring them something magic my sister throws a fit..."

"Mmhmm..." Remus mumbled his agreement. He was transfixed by the falling snow outside. The bright white of it all shined in his eyes and lit up his face.

Lily sat up in her seat and took a sip from her hot Butterbeer. "Remus, how's your mum doing?"

He sat up and stared at her, the strangest expression on his face. "Pardon?"

"Well I heard she was sick. That's why you keep going home every once in awhile, right?"

"Oh." he said, deflating, turning back to the snow. "Yeah, no, she's fine."

"Hmm. What're you going to get her for Christmas?" Lily asked, naturally interested.

He turned away from the snow again, face becoming serious. "Lily," said Remus. He stared at her, dark grey eyes meeting vibrant green.

It was absolutely out of nowhere and caught her completely off guard: suddenly, he was kissing her. Their lips met and his were cold and a little chapped due to the temperature, but the kiss was nice and soft and sweet.

"Yeah." said Lily when she broke away, setting down her Butterbeer. "Yeah, okay." She kissed him again, fingers moving to the back of his head, to his feathery light brown hair to pull him closer, deeper. Her other arm went around his back to grasp the cottony fabric of his jumper. He was hesitant and she was in charge but it was lovely nonetheless, until-

"Hey, Lily!" Madame Rosmerta called good-naturedly from the bar, "You kids are cute and all, but there'll be no snogging!"

Lily broke away from Remus, who met her eyes but said nothing. She smiled at him, kissed him once more really quick, and got up, leaving a sickle or two on the table and exiting the inn grinning.

She leaped into the snow (because, remember, Lily loves playing in the snow).

Someone grabbed her arm and began dragging her away from the inn. "Hey!" she yelled, "What are you doing?" She identified her captor as Potter, which made her all the more annoyed. Out of instinct, she pinched his shoulder as hard as she could. With a yelp, he let go. "What are you doing?" she repeated.

"What am I doing? What are YOU doing, Evans!" James yelled. He pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance, "Kissing Remus... Merlin, how could you be so irresponsible?"

"What the hell are you talking about, Potter?" Lily hated this boy.

James stared at her, snow falling into his hair and melting on his face. "Just..." he whispered, "Remus... he..."

"What? Remus what?"

"He..." James bit his lower lip, "Uh..."

"Well, James, if you have nothing intelligent to say-" Lily turned on her heel and began walking back towards the inn.

"He's got a fetish!" yelled James.

Lily turned back around. "A... fetish." she repeated dubiously.

"Y-yeah, well, he's got this sort of obsession with... with... with your hair! He loves your red hair; can't get enough of it!" James exclaimed, "And he's... he's lying to you to get close to you."

"Oh my God, James, you're full of it!" Lily screamed at him.

When she turned around, she saw Remus there under the awning outside the Three Broomsticks. He glanced outside distastefully at the weather before pulling out an umbrella.

(James would later comfort a hysterical Remus after the rejection, because Remus had been lying to get close to Lily but that was because he liked Lily, and he couldn't help that he was a werewolf, and would he never be able to kiss a girl?)

Lily now hated that Remus, and the taste of Butterbeer.

4. Severus

Lily had loved Severus all of her life until the end of sixth year. They had always been together, like brother and sister, since they were too young to even know...

On the second to last day of sixth year, Severus gave Lily a ring, and asked her to stay with him. And on the last day of sixth year, Lily sat on a bench in the courtyard holding that ring and contemplating whether or not she should accept. Because Lily was not the kind of person to say yes without thinking of the consequences. Not after sixth year.

It was a beautiful ring, sterling silver with deep red garnet jewels in it- her birthstone. Severus had said that there was a biblical story associated with garnet, that Noah hung garnet on the ark to light his way through the dark and stormy nights. And then Severus had given her this look.

"Hey, Evans!" James bounced onto the bench, jubilant. "Sirius found this pink powdery thing at Zonko's the other day and I ate... What's that?"

Lily smiled fondly down at the ring. "It's a ring, Potter."

"I realize that, Evans. Does it have some sort of significance, perhaps?"

"Not sure yet." She stopped smiling and put the ring back in it's case, holding it in her hands. "James, if someone really loved you, would you try to love them back? Even if you don't love them now... would you try your best to love them? If they loved you so much?"

James leaned back on the bench, fingers messing with his robes (because it was far too hot out for him to be wearing robes). And he thought and thought. Lily looked over at him, studied his face, his dark black curls. And then he said, "No."

Lily frowned, "No?"

"No. Not if I didn't love them back. If." He rolled his head to her and locked eyes with her. "If." he repeated.

"Yeah, you're probably right. James." She stood up and left the bench.

"Lily." James said.

Lily found Severus in the hall by the window with a stricken look on his face.

"Why were you talking to Potter?" demanded Severus.

"Severus..." Lily ignored him, "The ring is beautiful, but..."

"Why were you with Potter?"

She had to steel herself for this, for breaking her best friend's heart. It was not so hard, she found, and then she knew she was a witch. After tears throughout the whole year, it was time for someone else to have a turn.

"I don't love you, Severus. But I'm flattered."

"But! Lily!" Severus grabbed her arm, and when she turned he kissed her.

She pushed him away and ran.

(James doesn't have to help Severus. So he doesn't.)

Lily doesn't hate him, nor Potter. She hates herself.

5. James

"Lily!" called James when he tumbled onto platform 9 ¾. On his luggage cart, on top of his suitcases, there was some sort of box covered by a thick black sheet. The box was making some strange noises, for a box. "Lily!" he called again, looking everywhere for her.

He wouldn't find her for a long while; she was already on the train. Lily was always the first on the train, because she always felt as if school couldn't arrive soon enough.

She needed to escape from the muggle world as quickly as possible. Plus, her parents wanted to avoid the traffic leaving King's Cross.

On this day, Lily was reading a novel her mother gave her. It was one of those beach reads, something she wouldn't have to pay attention to. It was about love, because weren't they all?

Sixth year had been long and emotional for Lily. Hopefully Seventh wouldn't be as bad.

Four minutes before the train was scheduled to leave, she heard someone knock at the compartment door. This was curious- it couldn't be Severus. She had alienated him sufficiently, he wouldn't be here.

"Lily? Are you in there?"

Lily opened the door with one hand, eyes still focused on her book because making eye contact with James was deadly. "Yeah, Potter, what do you want?"

James had arrived on platform 9 ¾ with every intention of kissing Lily. "Just wondering if I could sit with you for the ride, you know." He was holding the box from before.

"Sure." Lily mumbled passively. Her book wasn't really all that interesting, but she didn't want to talk to James.

James wasn't so sure he wanted to talk to Lily. He began tapping on the window with his fingernail. Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-

"Potter?"

"Yeah?"

"Stop."

"Hey, Evans." James stopped tapping on the window and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Last year was a bit crazy, huh?"

"Sure, whatever." said Lily. She flipped a page and crossed her legs.

James began tapping his feet. "So, yeah. Crazy. Insane. Wouldn't want that to happen again..."

Lily didn't respond.

"Lily, I got you something." James blurted out. He couldn't handle his nerves anymore.

Lily sat up and closed her book, setting it next to her on the seat. "You got me something?"

"I got you something." he confirmed, face a mixture of solemnity and apprehension.

Lily was speechless. "Why?"

"Just... just 'cause I know that Snivellus messed up with the ring and all, and 'cause you don't like him that way and he ruined your friendship... but I figured that since we weren't really friends in the first place, so..." James turned around to pick up the box.

As he began to unwrap the box, Lily asked him, "So, you're asking me out?"

"Yeah I guess so. But I'm not proposing or anything. I mean, you're never supposed to tell a girl you like her, it makes you look like an idiot- but..." He took the cover off of the box. There was a silver cage, and, inside, something was flying.

"What is it?" asked Lily curiously, awestruck for many reasons. James Potter had just asked her out.

"It's a panflute." offered James. "It plays itself. I mean, I was going to get you a toad but then the guy in the shop said that might not be the best idea..."

Lily giggled. The panflute began playing. The sound had a wonderful airy quality, and the reeds themselves were colorfully decorated. But Lily wasn't focused on the flute, because here was James Potter and he had asked her out.

She kissed him. His lips were smooth and sweet, and his hair was knotted but soft. As things became heated, James pulled away.

"Lily?"

"Yeah?"

"That was my first kiss."

(James would never understand why Lily found that so funny.)

Lily loved that James Potter.

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