Authors Note: I've always wanted to have an attempt at a good diary fic, so here you have it! Following the format of "The Princess Diaries," the crazy series that got me in the mood for such nonsensical psycho-babble. Here you have it, another fan fiction about the growth in James Potter and Lily Evans- from hatred, to dislike, friendship, and then love and all of the adventures in between.

September 2

9:03 PM

Mood: Feeling very awkward.

James Potter smells like pineapple.

I, Lily Evans, can attest to this. And how did I come to acquire such knowledge, one might ask? Well, for me, it was a slightly humiliating experience. I arrived back at Hogwarts, ready for my seventh year and my first as Head Girl, and the welcoming feast droned on- Professor Dumbledore was speaking very depressingly of his fears for the upcoming year- and the sorting hat proceeded to sing the yearly song.

I pushed the singing voice to the back of my head, and took a sudden interest in staring at my shoe. Was the left one that torn up when I put it on this morning? I swear, by Merlin's smallest earlobe that if Oliver chews one more pair of my flats I will skin his fur off.

Well, not really. Ollie is the best cat I've ever had- he just has an attitude problem. A slight one. When I got him at the Owl Emporium he was extremely fat and adorably fluffy. I had to have him immediately- we were kindred spirits after all. Neither of our hair would behave. Thankfully, we have very different weight proportions to our bodies at least- I, for one, can eat an entire water buffalo and not gain a pound (not that I've tried) but he can look at a piece of broccoli and get even more fat. Probably because he doesn't like broccoli.

But Oliver is very frustrating because he eats everything- except broccoli - at such a rate that it doesn't even matter if it is edible. Note: See chewed up left shoe.

Anyways. Coming back to earth now, Lily. Alice is staring. Said Alice, aka best friend of seven years, is currently clapping for some reason. Oh! Crap. Dumbledore. I looked up towards the front of the Great Hall with a meek smile. At least the sorting was over, anyhow.

Dumbledore clapped his hands, signaling the start of the feast, and I grappled with Alice for the nearest drumstick.

"Alice, I love you, but I want that bloody drumstick," I said, wrenching the last of it out of her hand.

"There is an entire bowl of them just down table, Lily. You didn't have to take the one right in front of me!" Alice is annoyed. I can understand- the drumstick was most obviously on her plate, but…

"Why did you take that one anyway?" I swallow the last bite. Chew. Then speak. Chew. Speak. Right.

"Because the bowl of chicken is in front of Potter and you know how much I hate him."

I replied, gesturing pointedly at the Head Boy just down the way. Naturally, Potter had his hand ruffling his hair and was grinning lazily at Sirius Black, sitting across from him. Probably making a stupid joke that Lupin will disapprove of, Pettigrew will not understand, and Sirius will find downright hilarious.

James Potter. The most infuriating, maddening psychopath I had the displeasure of knowing for six years. Seven, if you count this scarcely started term. It wasn't just that James was egotistical by right- he was lavishly rich- it was the things he had done over those years to bring me to hate dislike him.

He hurt my best friend. Scratch that. Ex-best friend, Severus Snape. It doesn't stop with the endless horrors he's put Severus through, he's also had the audacity to ask me out shortly after every one of those experiences, not to mention during every waking moment of my life.

And yet, I can't bring myself to hate him. Potter has this annoying ability to be rather likable despite it all. He comes in a package tied with boyish charm and strikingly good looks. I have yet to meet anyone else who can pull off the 'glasses' look any better than him. And if he ever reads this diary, I will deny it all. I swear.

He comes hip-to-hip with his best friends, the fore mentioned Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, and Sirius Black. All very different people, but somehow the school unit of hilarity, popularity, and attraction. And it freaking pisses me off sometimes.

That's not to say my group of friends gets lost underneath their male bravado. Alice, Marlene, and I do just fine- we're just known in a different way.

Marlene is the slut of the group. Pardon my French. But it's true, she acknowledges it, and she likes it. When you're equipped with such big boobs as she is, you should probably embrace it. Hence, Marlene isn't sitting with us right now, she's over laying across Benjy Fenwick's lap watching him feed her cherries. Lovely. How she scored that one I don't know- Benjy is more shy than Alice. Weird.

Alice is the studious, quiet, motivated, but friendly one. I would never be achieving and 'O' in transfiguration without her. But, being the shy one, she's generally the one who says secretly sarcastic comments under her breath and plots ways to exact her revenge on lesser mortals. (Like anyone who opposes me or Marlene. Thus, she hates James as much as I do. Or, pretends to.)

"Well, Lily, I understand why you hate James so much, really, I do. But he hasn't even touched the chicken. It's not like it has cooties. You're being foolish." She rolls her eyes. I look up, exasperated.

"Alice, you know bloody well if I go over there Potter will find some crazy way to ask me out with a piece of chicken, and I will have to decline, and he will have a comeback and it will take hours. I just want to eat some chicken." God, I really just might hate Potter. Maybe I lied earlier. He's keeping me from chicken. That's the license for hatred.

"Well, you did eat your chicken, and now I am still hungry." Alice looked at me daringly, snatching a heaping spoon of basmati rice off of my plate before I could protest. She then promptly grabbed the entire bowl of chicken away from the Marauders. I laughed heartily, ignoring the spilled rice in my lap and trying to predict what they would do about it.

"Sirius, what is that melodic sound?" Oh crap. James heard me. Eep! Better hide now.

"I don't know, James. It must be an angel." Sirius winks. Damn him for playing along.

"No, Padfoot. It's even better. It's Lily Evans." Ohno ohno ohno! He's getting up. Yes, he's walking this way. Shit. I'm screwed. I make a show of choking on my pumpkin juice and look pleadingly at Alice. She laughs.

"Hey, Evans. I didn't know I had such a profound effect on you." James smirks, starting to sit down next to me. Damn Marlene. Why did she have to not be in her seat? This was the worst possible moment for her to be over with Benjy in Hufflepuff.

"Actually, Potter, I typically do gag when I see you. You shouldn't be surprised anymore." I am so good.

"Touché." Eyebrow arch. "Put your fighting words away, Lily, I just came to talk." He tries to look sincere. I look at him imploringly.

"About what, exactly?" I reply, even though I already know the answer.

"Me and you. Hogsmeade this weekend. Or the next. Whenever you're free." His smile is sincere. Is he still being annoying, or is he trying to be nice? I hate his damn inability to match his actual expressions with his thoughts.

"No, thanks. I'd rather pluck out all of my ear hairs with a dull pair of pliers." Best to remain on the offensive.

James, for once, looks mildly affronted. "You know, Lily, I find that a little rude. If you don't mind, I will be taking that bowl of chicken back now."

Oh no he didn't. *Cue finger snapping motion*

You see, I am Lily Evans. Stubborn as an ass, hungry as a hippo, and crazier than hell. And, being Lily Evans, I do not take kindly to people taking food from me without asking, unless it's Alice or Marlene. Even if they technically had it first.

So, I did what came to mind first. I reached out an arm at the same time as James, screaming "No! You can't!" But his hand was already gripped fast around the bowl and pulling it towards him.

I jerked on it as hard as I could, but he jerked harder, and I fell onto him, tumbling over and over off of the bench and sprawling out onto the stone floor, chicken bits splayed about in our hair.

Silence fell over the Great Hall.

And then the thing I dreaded- laughter. At us. At me. Crap.

Something warm was beneath me. Mhmmm, more chicken? I opened an eye slowly and looked down. There was James, smiling good-naturedly with his arms behind his back.

"Hey, Evans. You okay?" He reached out a hand, pulling a bit of chicken from my hair and looking at me intently. There was something so caring in his look, and so hilarious about the experience that no matter how hard I tried to be angry with him, I couldn't. But I didn't want to give in either- so I just sat there blubbering like an idiot and scrambled off of him.

He was reluctant to let me- I could tell by his arms gripping my back, and I make a pathetic trapped noise, before inhaling. Potter smelled like detergent, wet grass, and… Pineapple? What the?

By now I must have been laying on the floor in the crowded room with Potter for an awkward amount of time, and finally I felt someone pull me up, prying Potter's fingers off.

"Oh, no Lils. Just look at yourself!" Alice was hovering next to me, finally on my feet, and she was cracking up, pulling bits of chicken off of my body.

"Nice one, Prongs! Score the babe right in the middle of the Great Hall! You're more irresistible than I thought!" Sirius was hi-fiving James. Like he'd intended to do it. Yeah, sure, take credit for everything. And now, Black was walking my way with a twisted little grin. Joy.

"Bet you didn't notice that foot in front of you while you were fighting, did you? I amaze myself." Sirius did cause this? He tripped me? It's pain time. I raised a hand to slap him, and a much stronger one stopped me.

"Lily, you don't want to do this. All of the teacher's are watching- and you're the Head Girl. You set the example." Remus. The only Marauder I can stand. He's the more level-headed, sensible one of the group. And I harbored a bit of a crush on him- a few years ago, anyway.

I sagged my shoulders. Remus was right. I said so, and he nodded curtly and backed off, letting go of my arms. Good timing too, because McGonagall was striding this way, lip pursed in a thin line. This never was a good sign.

"Dinner is almost over. You may all return to your common rooms. Enough of a scene has been caused for one night."

Was it so readable that I would have slapped Sirius if it weren't for Remus? I feel grateful to him for stopping me.

The transfiguration teacher left without another word, back to the head table, and I looked apologetically at her. Like Remus said, I was the Head Girl just like Potter was Head Boy, and we had to show some more responsibility.

At this point, Alice had given up all hopes of retrieving the chicken bits from my hair and wordlessly followed me out the door, the eyes of the entire student population following our little group out the door. And I was still furious with Sirius.

Hold it in, hold it in, hold it in, hold it-

"Sirius, why the bloody hell did you trip me?"

So much for holding it in.

The handsome man smirked.

"Now, Lily-flower, if a Marauder told you his motivations and reasoning's behind everything, he wouldn't be a true Marauder. It's in the rule book." He grinned broadly and elbowed James.

"There's a rule book?" Alice inquired. I admit the idea was puzzling. "I thought the point of your little disaster crew was to disobey the rules?"

Sirius looked as though a light bulb should pop over his head at any second.

"Rule number ten says that if the rules do not fit a certain situation, they can be modified to fit the needs of the Marauder in question."

Alice's eyebrows might shoot off the top of her head. "Well, then they aren't rules if they can be broken."

"Au contraire, mademoiselle, rules are only rules because they can be broken."

"I'm just saying your idea is foolish."

James smiled, flashing white teeth. "But Alice, haven't you heard? Marauder's are foolish. Except Remus, of course."

"Prongs, Remus is with us because we're dastardly entertaining. Don't you agree, Peter?"

"Yep. Entertaining."

I didn't know Peter could pronounce that word. Oh well. We arrived at the Grand Staircase. And anyway, I have to hurry up and catch up with Potter for patrol and plan out the next Prefect meeting. Better stop writing now.

Adios, Diary!

September 3

4:37 AM

Mood: Sleepy

Egad. Feels too early to write, but couldn't sleep. Diary calms self. Best to write unimportant facts about patrol before finally falling asleep.

Patrol was unexciting, to say the least. And highly quiet. I did fall on Potter earlier though over a bowl of chicken, so I understand why he might not feel especially talkative. Many people would feel speechless after being trapped beneath a crazy, chicken-covered red head in the scrutiny of that many peers. But, it's not my fault, it's Sirius.

"So, Lily. We have to patrol the dungeons today. Maybe catch some Slytherin's out of bed, eh?"

Hmmm. You know, it's weird how much James smelled like Pineapple? The school doesn't even have it anywhere because Dumbledore is allergic. So why? I don't get it.

Maybe he has pineapple cologne? Or he hangs out with Sirius too much, who is weird enough to have a massive collection of scratch and sniff stickers. Possibly pineapple scent.

"Lily?"

I just don't get it though. How could he smell like my favorite fruit? Does he stalk me to find out insignificant details like that and then utilize them to his advantage?

Or *gasp* did he spray himself with amortentia? No, no, no. Silly idea. Amortentia doesn't have the smell of wet grass for me, anyway. Or laundry detergent for that matter.

"Seriously, Lily, would you pay attention for just one second?"

James moves from my side and stands in front of me, running a hand through his hair in irritation.

"Sorry, Potter." I bite my lip and realize that I have been tuning him out.

"What's up with you anyway?"

He actually looks a little bit concerned. How sweet. Potter has a heart. Actually, I doubt it. He wouldn't have said and done such hurtful things to Severus if he did. Then again, Severus doesn't have a heart either, so what am I saying?

"I've got a lot on my mind."

Like trying to figure out why the hell you smell like tropical fruit. Namely my favorite tropical fruit.

James shuffles his feet. The female mind probably scares him. I know from Marlene that guys generally don't like a lot of psycho-babble and emotional stuff- but maybe James has a soft spot in their? Somewhere?

"Ermm…Like, what?"

How do I answer this? I look at the floor. Maybe the dungeon floor will have a better answer.

"Why do you smell like pineapple?" I have so much tact. Bravo, Lily. Way to scare him.

"What?"

"It's just that the school doesn't offer pineapple, and neither does the train, and it's my favorite fruit so I didn't get why you smell like it, and I couldn't help but notice that you did smell like it when I fell on you and didn't smell chicken just pineapple so I don't get it and-"

"You smelled me?"

James does his arrogant smirk where he thinks he's superior because he surely must have done something right to make me smell him.

"That's not the point, but-"

"Yes, it is so the point!"

"Merlin, I didn't stop and think 'Wow, I'd like to smell Potter today,' I just fell and breathing made me smell and then…Boom. I realized that you smell like pineapple."

"I'm not going to answer that. It's a Marauder's secret." I raised an eyebrow.

"The Marauder rule-book tells you never to tell others why you smell like pineapple?"

"No, I just prefer to remain a mystery. Plus, I was on your mind. So, ha. Point for me."

"Actually, pineapple was on my mind."

"Shush, Lily. Let me win this one."

"Okay."

"…"

"You're just giving up?"

"Yes. Anything to make you stop talking, Potter."

"How rude."

"Yep."

I twiddled my thumbs, happy to have him silent for awhile.

"So. Want to catch some Slytherin's out of bed after hours?"

"Honestly, Potter, you're louder than a herd of Centaurs! Can we please just walk down the hall, back and forth and finish this patrol?"

"Yes."

Silence.

"…"

"You're just giving up?"

"Anything for you, Lily-flower."

"Don't call me Lily-flower."

"You didn't complain when Sirius called you Lily-flower, Lily-flower."

"Has anyone ever told you that you bear a striking resemblance to a five year old?"

"Only my mother. And then she tells me that she loves me. So now you have to."

"No, thanks."

"Fine."

"Fine."

We finally walk in silence, alert for any flash of green and silver, until our two hours are over and we can safely turn around and head back to the head dorms. Upon entering our joint mini-common room I chuck off my chewed-up left shoe and plop down onto the sofa.

"So, Lily. We need to figure out what we're going to do at the Prefect meeting the day after tomorrow. Any ideas?"

James comes and sits next to me, picking up the bowl of chocolates left out by the house elves as a little courtesy treat. He carefully unwraps one and then offers it to me. I shake my head, and he happily eats it.

"I think we need to figure out which prefects are doing which jobs- overseeing detentions, patrolling certain corridors, and what-not."

He nodded in agreement.

"And we need time at the beginning to McGonagall to do her debriefing before we start, obviously her needs and assignments are more important."

"True."

"You know, I honestly thought you might slap Sirius. Or curse him. McGonagall would have killed you, you realize?"

Merlin, why is my body language so readable? I didn't even raise my hand!

"No, I wasn't thinking. Good thing Remus was though."

James doesn't reply for a moment, and plays with the empty candy wrapper for a second. A meow saves him from responding. Oliver comes trotting in on his cat paws, black fur sleek from the moon shining in the window. He ignores me and jumps into James' lap. Lovely.

Potter makes cooing sounds and coddles him to his chest, scratching behind his ears. I can't help but think that if men treated other people as nicely as they treated pets, the world might be a better place.

I yawn finally, picking up Ollie away from him and starting to walk to my half of the dorm.

"Password?"

The portrait of the Italian woman asks, taking a sip of wine and writing on a napkin

"Seposuit Odio Amandi."

I murmur the password selected by Dumbledore. Don't know what it means, but knowing the old man it's probably a type of candy. And, just as I'm about to close the portrait of Adeline behind me, (as seen on her label) James finally pops back up.

"When did you start calling Remus by his first name, but not me by mine?"

I was a little bit taken aback, so I paused with my feet half in and half out of my quarters. Oliver jumped down from my arms and headed straight for his bed.

"I guess when Remus became the only Marauder who didn't drive me crazy."

And as I disappear from his sight, I can still feel James staring at me, as if it was such a terrible thing to call Remus by his name.

Now, looking back, I'm not sure why. It's not like James likes me- he just thinks he does. He actually doesn't even know me when I'm not turning him down. It's the thrill of the chase that eggs him on. Unfortunately. And now, I think I'll finally grab some shut-eye before I have to get up and go to class in a few hours.

'Night.

-Lily

Author's Note:

No, I won't be making any crazy "Give me x amount of reviews or I won't continue!" crap. But please, just for my sake, hit that little button down there? Hoping to update once or twice weekly. Flames are appreciated when constructive. Oh, and next chapter you can expect to meet Marlene and the Prefects! Yes.