A/N: This is my submission for the "seasons" prompt for Jily Week on Tumblr. Enjoy!
It is autumn of their third year when he first notices her in a different way.
She's sitting by the lake with her hair down, a few locks on the side clipped back. She's not wearing her robes or her shoes, and her feet are in the water. But it's so cold out, he thinks.
"Lily," one of her friends from Ravenclaw calls.
She turns her head, and the dying rays of the sun give off a golden, fiery aura around her red hair.
James doesn't really understand why he can't look away-it's only his Housemate. He always knew she was pretty, and this isn't the first time he's seen her in the fall.
She laughs at something her Ravenclaw friend says and throws her head back as she does. James' heart gives a leap.
"Are you even listening to me?" Sirius says irritably, and James realises he's been talking this entire time.
"No," he answers, still watching this girl. "Hey, does Evans look... different to you?"
"Evans?" Sirius says. "No... not really. Why?"
James doesn't answer. He's busy trying to find out the reason himself.
It's winter of his fourth year he finally understands what is going on.
She is wrapping a present and giggling to herself. James walks over and asks her what she's doing.
"I'm giving this present to my mum," she says. "It's a set of singing teacups. She's going to open it and say something like 'Oh, Lily, this is wonderful! Let's have tea right now,' and then she'll pour tea in it, and then-then it'll start to sing!"
Lily is doubled over in laughter. James has a funny look on his face.
When she sees this, Lily explains, "It's just-just the design is one she really fancies, and-"
Fancies. That's it. He's about to open his mouth and say, I fancy you, but then he realises what he is doing.
He can't possibly tell her. What if she says no, what if she is disgusted and never wants to speak with her again, what if, what if, what if.
James knows his thoughts aren't very Gryffindor, but he can't help it. He's never been more frightened of anything in his life.
It's spring of his fifty year he acts on his feelings.
Exams are over, thank Merlin. James has always been a good student, but dear Morgana, how did his Professors expect them to ace every class when they all assign four-foot long essays at the same time?
James can't even remember how it starts, the fight with Snape. James remembers himself asking Lily out in the stupidest way possible-"I will if you go out with me, Evans." For God's sake, he didn't even use her real name.
If she had said yes? he asks himself. What would you tell your grand-kids? It all started when I blackmailed your Grandma Lily...
James is so sorry for what he did, but Lily isn't hearing any of it. She's been in her dormitory since yesterday, and her fellow fifth-year, Bridget Ells, warned him not to even try sending Lily an owl, and to just let the poor girl grieve in peace, okay?
"She'll come around," Sirius has been talking him since yesterday. Remus has been oddly quiet.
As James watches her eat dinner down the Gryffindor table, with her best mates Charlotte Jones and Olivia Turpin, when he finally speaks.
"You messed up, James," he says. "I mean you really, really messed up."
He doesn't have to tell him. "I know."
It is summer of his third year out of Hogwarts when he holds their son in his arms. Lily is drinking tea in bed, mumbling to herself. Her red hair is sticking to her face, and she doesn't glow like in autumn, or laugh like in winter, or even say anything like in that dreadful, dreadful spring. But as James looks back and forth from the tired eyes of his wife and the innocent eyes of his newborn child, he thinks there has never been a better time of year.
A/N: I'd love to hear what you did/didn't like about this fic, so if you could review, that'd be great!