A/N: This is going to be a 3 chapter long fic. It's AU and set in Muggle school. It starts from when James and Lily are five years old, and contains snippets from all the way till they are twenty. The first seven scenes correspond to each of their years at Hogwarts, but as they're only eleven by the scene that represents their seventh year, there are a few more scenes after that. This chapter is the whole story from James' point of view. The next one will be Lily's and then an epilogue.

This is also a very different writing style from my usual one, so if you think it doesn't work out, then do leave your feedback. It's written in a he/she way, so James and Lily's name isn't taken unless in dialogue. There might be a little bit of confusion, but I tried to make it as simple as possible.

This story is not beta-ed, but if you think I should get one, then please please let me know!

I want to thank CescaHerondaleMorgenstern13, who encouraged me to write a Jily series. And while it's not exactly what she directed me towards, it is the first step. Thank you so much.

Right, super long A/N, the next ones won't be half as long. Now, onto the story! :)

Five (First Year)

She had hair that was redder than anything he had ever seen before. It was tied back in two pigtails that bounced as she beamed around at everyone excitedly. And when she turned around, he saw that her eyes were the most brilliant shade of green he had ever seen. Emerald, he thought it was called.

He was sitting behind her as the teacher read a story to the class. He couldn't help but wonder how loudly she'd scream if he gave one of her pigtails a small tug. Better yet, would he be able to pull one off?

He gave in to his curiosity, leaning forward slightly to reach her hair. He gave it an experimental pull, before yanking it hard.

A piercing shriek broke the silence.

Six (Second Year)

She was using the exact same crayon he wanted. He strode up to her confidently, and taking a seat next to her, he deftly plucked the yellow crayon out of her hand and began colouring with it. He had expected her to scream and demand that he should give the crayon back, but there was no reaction.

After a few seconds, he couldn't stand the quiet, and took a quick peek at her through his fringe. She was biting her lip in concentration, and was using a red crayon to fill in the spaces.

He felt annoyed at being stumped by a girl, so he reached over and grabbed the crayon from her hand, discarding the old one. When he felt her gaze on him, he smirked slightly, feeling smug at having trounced her.

"I hate you, Potter," she said quietly. She picked up her paper and walked away to go sit next to her slimy friend, Snivellus. (Really, couldn't that boy afford shampoo and tissue papers?)

Her reaction paled in comparison to the rage he had imagined he would enjoy, but it was more effective than anything else she could have done and he felt a small pang of guilt.

He continued colouring for a moment or two, before throwing down the crayon and running out into the playground.

She was simply too odd and unpredictable. No wonder Dad always said women were too complicated to understand.

Seven (Third Year)

Her eyes met his in a fierce glare. "Go away, Potter," she said angrily.

He ran his hand through his hair, like he had seen his father do on multiple occasions. "Let us have a go, Ginger," he smirked, standing with his friends, as she and Snivellus took turns on the slide.

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"No."

"Yes."

"Ha, got you," he said triumphantly, pulling the oldest trick in the book.

She growled in frustration. "Let's go, Sev," she said, pulling Snape away by the hand.

He frowned a little at their connected hands, feeling a little uncomfortable, but not being able to place the feeling.

"Come on, James!" his best friend, Sirius, called.

He turned around, putting all thoughts of a crimson haired girl out of his mind.

Eight (Fourth Year)

He didn't like the new boy much. Too arrogant and conceited, he thought. And what was worse, that boy seemed to get along with Red and Snivellus quite well.

They'd play on the swings and in the sandbox. They always sat next to each other in class. They were always together, but one day Snivellus wasn't there, the boy had the guts to hold hands with her, as they walked around the playground.

He scowled as they smiled adoringly at each other. It was sickening. She shouldn't be friends with anyone other than Snape. It was just wrong.

So when he heard the new boy invite her over to his house for a play-date one day, he immediately asked his mother to drop him off to the house too. Of course he would be allowed to enter the house. No parent ever said no to his innocent puppy dog face.

He smirked as he saw her hands twitch as she obviously fought against the urge to slap him hard. He had known it would be good to have a parent on his side. She didn't dare to take action against him.

The next day at school, she stomped over to him angrily and gave him a hard smack across his left cheek. It turned a glaring shade of red, but when the teacher asked him who the culprit was, he refused to answer.

Because strangely enough, he sort of admired her.

Nine (Fifth Year)

He laughed as Snivellus turned an ugly shade of pink at their taunting. His amusement vanished quickly as he spotted a head full of red locks making her way towards them.

"Alright, Evans?" he asked, ruffling his hair.

"Potter, stop harassing him, this instance!" she spat, green eyes blazing as if on fire.

"Ooh, big word," Sirius teased.

He smirked. "What, Snivellus' not man enough to defend himself. He needs a girl to do it?"

She clicked her tongue angrily. "His name is -"

"I don't need your help, bitch," Snape interrupted.

He felt his eyes widen. She and Snape had been friends since the first day of school. She always stuck up for that prat, even though he had never understood why.

"Don't call her that," he snarled, angrier than he had ever been before. How dare Snape insult her like that! He turned worriedly towards her trying to gauge her reaction.

She gaped at Snape for a few moments, before turning on her heel and running away without another word. He thought he had glimpsed her eyes shining brightly with unshed tears.

A strange sick feeling flooded his stomach, though he would only be able to pinpoint it as guilt many years later.

Ten (Sixth Year)

He was ten when he kissed her for the first time.

He found her crying in a corner of the playground, curled up against a tree trunk. Between her sobbing and tears, she managed to tell him that her sister and her sister's friends had been saying mean things to her. He was filled with unexplainable rage. Only he should be able to tease Lily Evans.

He sat next to her for a while, as she cried against his shoulder. And finally, when the tears wouldn't come anymore, she looked up at him with red rimmed eyes. He could tell she was embarrassed, but still wanted him to do something that would take the pain away.

He couldn't think of anything, except what his mother always did when he was upset. So he pressed his lips to her forehead and then her cheek for a moment, and when he pulled back, he meant to tell her that she should ignore the bullying. They didn't deserve even a second of her attention.

But the dark blush on her cheeks and the timid smile on her lips had rendered him speechless. He had stuttered an excuse, before rushing off to find his friends and trying to forget about this odd instance.

He hadn't had the courage to talk to her after that.

Eleven (Seventh Year)

He hadn't talked to her for almost a year. He still thought she was the prettiest girl he knew, and also the smartest, bravest and kindest. His friends caught him looking at her quite often, and when they teased him about harbouring a crush for her, he always replied honestly. He didn't like her that way, but he would love to be friends with her.

So when one day she looked up at him and gave him the same smile from the time under the tree, he couldn't resist approaching her.

"Friends?" he asked tentatively.

A wide smile spread over his lips when she beamed happily at him and agreed to his offer.

They had been friends ever since.

Fifteen

He didn't know how to act around her anymore. After years of being friends and finally shifting to best friends, it was shocking when he realised he had fallen for her. At least now he knew why he never liked her boyfriends, or why an unexplainable feeling of anger consumed him when he saw her with her latest catch.

He gulped a little nervously as she smiled and waved at him, as she walked by with a group of friends. It's just her; she's only my friend, he tried to reason with himself, but his feelings would not be quelled.

When he told his friends, they had simply shrugged and taken it in their stride. He was taken aback when they said they had been expecting it. He didn't think his feelings had been that obvious - wouldn't he have noticed their prescence sooner if they were?

He skittered around her for a week or so, until she finally snapped and demanded to know what was wrong. He stammered, mumbling something incoherent, before scampering away.

He took better care to hide his feelings after that.

Sixteen

He couldn't understand what was wrong with her. All of a sudden, she had begun acting very strange and a permanent blush seemed to cover her cheeks. His friends laughed and told him that she had probably realised that she was in love with him. His cheeks had burned, as he had dismissed that theory straight away.

"Lily, have I done something wrong?" he asked tentatively, one day. Somehow he frequently managed to find ways to make her blow her top, although they always managed to get over their small arguments.

She muttered a small no, letting her hair fall like a curtain between them. He frowned. Girls always did that when they wanted to avoid a certain topic. It gave them an unfair advantage over boys, he grumbled to himself.

He didn't have to worry for long, because not even a week later, she was back to normal and smiling brightly around him. Except for a few awkward instances where he looked up at her to find her staring at him, or vice versa, things went back to the way they were before.

Seventeen

"I don't understand what the problem with him is," he heard her voice say as he passed an empty classroom. He paused, wondering if there was someone bothering her.

He couldn't make out what her soft-spoken friend, Emmaline Vance said, but her words after that caused him to go into shock. "Why would James think that? I think it's obvious to him and everyone else that I'm bloody in love with him. And Remus insists James likes me back too, but I'm really beginning to doubt that."

His heart hammered violently. She was in love with him. It was unbelievable. He jolted back into his senses as he heard footsteps making their way towards the door

He quickly opened it and strode in. There was a shocked and embarrassed expression on her face. He knew she realised he had heard her words.

"Can I talk to Lily for a minute, Emmaline," he asked, not taking his eyes off her.

"Sure," Emmaline squeaked, shutting the door behind her.

"So, Lily," he drawled.

She glared at him. "Don't act like I'm the oblivious one here!"

"Fine," he conceded after a moment. "The less oblivious one is the one who fell first. You first."

She gave him a defiant look, before saying, "Last year."

He reeled in shock. "A year! And you didn't think of telling me?"

"What was I supposed to say? Oh, James, my best friend since we were eleven, I've fallen in love with you! That would have just messed things up, you know it! Well, I was right, wasn't I? You are the blinder one."

He gave a small chuckle. "Two years."

Her eyes widened. "Two! And you didn't think of telling me?"

He shrugged. "You didn't even return my feeling till last year. I think I'm excused."

She glowered at him, not admitting that he was right.

There was silence for a moment.

She frowned. "Well, what are you waiting for now?"

He opened and closed his mouth like a fish out of water, before sputtering, "Nothing."

He moved swiftly towards her, and pinning her between the desk and himself, he said, "Just one thing."

"Yes?" she breathed.

"James?" the door burst open letting in his friends.

"Oh, are we interrupting something," Sirius smirked suggestively, as Remus rolled his eyes and pulled him out by the arm.

He turned back to her.

"Maybe later," she giggled. "The mood's kind of ruined now."

He sighed wistfully. He couldn't wait for next time.

Next up, Lily's point of view of this whole series of events. It's almost done, so it won't take too long hopefully. :)

Please review, it's so important for me to know if I've delivered the idea in this style of writing properly!

-Sana