Author's Note: Yeah, yeah, title's a little stupid… I couldn't think of anything else. This is my second Lily/James fic. The Marauders are in it, of course. In this one, I won't go all the way to their deaths (my first L/J fic was so sad…).

Title: Love and Flashbacks

Rating: PG

Spoilers: Erm… Possibly.

Summary: Lily and James remember the events that led to their romance.

Disclaimer: As much as I'd love to own Harry Potter and its characters, I don't.

Setting: This story takes place when the Marauders are at Hogwarts.

*** = setting change

*~*= begin flashback

~~~ = another flashback

~*~ = end flashback

[…] = time

italics = emphasis

~The Beginning~

"Lily, please go out with me?" James Potter shook his head. The sixteen-year-old boy was in his room, trying to decide how to ask Lily Evans to go out with him. "Lily, we've known each other for a long time… No, that's no good. Too cliché. Lily, want to go out with me? Umm… Hey, Lily, what do you say about going on a date with me? Uh… Hey, you. Go out with me."

"Hey, Prongs. Talking to yourself? You realize that's a sign of insanity, don't you?"

James turned around to see his best friend Sirius Black standing there with a grin on his face. "No, Padfoot. I'm just trying to think of the best way to ask Lily to go out with me."

"Jeez, you haven't asked her yet? I asked Koren (AN: Yeah, it's kind of an odd name, but it is a name, and I like it.) out yesterday."

"You didn't tell me that."

"Well, you looked kind of preoccupied."

"Oh."

"Uh huh. Look, just ask her. I'm sure she'll—"

"Hey guys. What's up?" Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew had come into the room.

"Jamsie's practicing ways to ask Lily out."

"Shut up, Padfoot. And don't call me Jamsie."

Remus looked at James. "You haven't asked her yet? You've had all summer to think about it."

"Like you can talk. You've had a crush on Charlotte Davis since forever and you still haven't said more than a simple sentence to her."

Remus blushed. "That's different."

"No, it's not. It's exactly the same, and you know it."

The brown-haired boy stayed silent, knowing his friend was right.

"Aha. You see? I'm right, aren't I?"

"Yeah, Prongs, whatever." Remus sighed.

Peter, the one of the group who just didn't seem to fit, spoke up. "So have you decided how to ask Lily, James?"

"No," James replied, his voice muffled, as he sat down on his bed with his head in his hands.

Sirius sat down next to him and patted him on the back. "Come on, James. It's not that hard. Just go up to her. Say, 'Lily, will you go out with me?' and hope she says yes."

James looked at him. "What if she doesn't? We haven't always gotten along, you know."

*~*

[1st year]

James slid open the compartment door to find two girls sitting there. "Who are you?"

"Who are you?" asked the red-haired girl.

"I asked you first."

She sighed. "Lily Evans. And this is Charlotte—"

"—Davis," the other girl finished for her.

"I'm James Potter and this is my friend Sirius Black," he said, gesturing to the boy behind him. Sirius peeked over James's shoulder and waved at the two girls.

"Well, are we quite done with the introductions, because we were talking," Lily said, gesturing to herself and the girl across from her.

"Okay, okay. Sheesh." He turned to look at Sirius. "Are we quite done with the introductions, because we were talking," he said, mocking Lily.

"What did you say?"

"What did you say?" James replied, still mimicking the redhead.

"Forget it," Lily huffed.

"Forget it."

Lily got up and pushed the boy with the glasses out of the compartment. "And stay out!" She turned and glared at Sirius.

"Okay, I'm going." He slipped past her to help his friend up.

~~~

Unfortunately for both Lily and James, they ended up having to share a boat on the customary boat ride to Hogwarts.

Lily and James glared at each other as the boats started moving.

"Just ignore him," Charlotte whispered to Lily.

"Looks like the redhead can't control her own temper," James muttered.

Lily closed her eyes and counted to ten.

Sirius whispered to James, "Uh… James, I don't think you should say stuff about her when she's two feet away from you."

"Why not? What's she gonna do to me?"

Lily looked at him. "This," she said as she pushed him out of the boat.

James surfaced and climbed back into the boat, dripping wet. Lily had a smirk on her face, while Charlotte and Sirius looked very amused.

~*~

"Yeah, but she's gotten used to you over the years."

Remus said, "Look, James, you'll never know unless you ask her."

"I can't."

"Why not?" Peter asked.

"I just can't."

"Come on, Prongs. Be a man," Sirius told him.

"I don't have to be a man for two more years. That's when I turn eighteen," James replied.

"You know what I mean."

"Yeah." James sighed and laid down on his bed to stare at the ceiling. "Maybe I should just ask her."

"That's what we've been saying!"

"Okay. I'll ask her… tomorrow."

The other Marauders groaned. "Come on, James," Remus said as they pulled their friend to his feet.

"Yeah, you're going to ask Lily now," Sirius said, pushing James out the door.

"Wait, what? Hey, stop!" James protested.

"Nuh uh. You're going to ask her to go out with you right now."

"Hey, wait for me!" Peter exclaimed as he followed them downstairs.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Author's Note: Uh… I really don't know what happened. My fingers just started typing while my brain wasn't paying attention… I'll get the next chapter up soon (that means two days), I promise. If I don't, you can throw rotten tomatoes at me in a review, okay?