Hey guys! This is going to be a long one, and I really hope you enjoy it! Shout out to TheSassySasquatch123, TG (my editor), and HL for supporting me SOOO MUCH in this and sharing my love for HP! Love you guys.

Enjoy! :)

Anyone who claimed that time brought upon wisdom or whatever was a complete and utter lunatic. All that this disguised demon called "time" did was bring the Seventh year closer to their NEWTs and graduation from Hogwarts... along with quite the irritating tick tick as each and every second elapsed. Honestly, what idiot came up with such a horrid concept? What was the mere purpose of it? What would this demonic creator (a madman, no doubt) achieve from such an invention? Nothing- absolutely nothing unless it was a well-deserved blow in the gut...

At least, this was what James Potter thought as he sat next to his one and only Lily Evans one particular Sunday night. For days and months and years now, he had developed a rather potent infatuation with her... though it was quite conspicuous that it was not a mutual relationship. Not that James let it bother him too much...

He studied her adorable expression as she flipped through her Charms textbook, her eyebrows scrunched in frustration. His eyes slowly made their way from her flaming red hair, which was sprawled messily across her shoulders, down to her emerald green eyes and high cheekbones, to her...

"Potter? Are you all right?" Lily had looked up from her Charms essay and was eyeing him warily, obviously having noticed his spellbound expression.

"Idiot," James chided himself. He chuckled back in response, quickly recovering from his daze. "Oh, er... Quidditch, Head boy stuff, Binns droning on about- what was it again... Goblin Wars? eh, whatever- tires a poor soul out."

Lily peered back at him with a queried look, suspecting that he wasn't telling the truth and seeing past his facade of cavalier poise, but she gazed back at her Charms paper once more and began scribbling away furiously.

The two of them sat together in the Gryffindor Common Room in silence for what seemed like hours- Lily diligently working on her essay and James chewing on the back of his quill, sneaking quick glances at her- until, finally, Lily cried,"DONE!", throwing her quill and parchment down in a triumphant manner.

James, startled by the outburst, jolted up, nearly knocking over his own paper (which had a grand total of two words- his name- and a rather "detailed" drawing of the girl in front of him). Quickly grasping a firm hold of his sheet and crumpling it up, he cried,"Dammit Evans! You nearly gave this poor soul a heart attack!"

"That wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing..." Lily muttered under her breath.

James chuckled and reached over to snag Lily's now-completed essay, pretending not to notice the I-will-slaughter-you-in-your-sleep type of glare Lily was sending his way.

He took his time skimming over her paper before saying,"You know, Lils, I would definitely give you full score for this."

Lily's emerald green eyes widened in disbelief at his irregular show of kindness as she sputtered,"Really... and uh, why... why would that be, Potter?", emphasizing the last word with a self-conscious, steely tone.

James grinned his unparalleled smile, flashing his flawless teeth as his eyes glinted playfully. "Because I'd never be able to bear ten whole pages of this blather, Evans. Did you plan on writing a textbook, or is this actually your version of an essay?" he chortled. "I think I might even be feeling slight sorrow for the teachers-"

Lily's jaw dropped as she cut him off, roaring,"JAMES POTTER- YOU TWAT- HOW DARE YOU! YOU'LL NEVER UNDERSTAND, YOU LAZY GIT! AS IF YOU WOULD CARE TO ACTUALLY COMPLIMENT ME! YOU. ARE. SO. INFURIATING! UGHHHH!" She stood up to leave as James's hand shot out and clasped her arm.

She swiveled her head towards him, practically hissing.

"NO! Er, Lils... sorry... I was just kidding! I'm sorry, don't leave," he managed, daring a quick, sheepish glance at Lily.

She rolled her eyes and tried unlatching her arm from his, but he only tightened his grip.

"I swear, Lily, I was only joking. We all know how smart, hard-working, amazing, beaut-" James caught himself, blushing, but quickly recovered and continued. "You always put your best into everything, no matter what... and you're right, I could never even think about doing that. I mean, come on- you're practically perfect." He managed to offer her a rueful smile, hoping that the warm tinge in his cheeks was not what he thought it was.

Sighing to himself, James wondered if his perfect Lily Evans would ever see him as he saw her, if she would ever love him with her very soul as he did her.

Lily still looked hesitant, caution dancing in her eyes, but she sat back down.

"You better not be mocking me, Potter," she muttered. "Everyone thinks you're Mr. Perfect- Marauder, Quidditch captain, excellent student... and on top of that, you charm practically every teacher and girl there is."

James quirked at eyebrow at her.

"Except for me, of course!" she quickly added, flushing. "I can see straight through your stupid glamour to your arrogance and vanity! You don't care about a single girl you date! You just love the "thrill" of it. You'll dump her as soon as the fun's over and you actually have to uphold some commitment!"

Lily was glaring daggers at this point, challenging James to contradict her.

Wisely, he kept shut.

"That's right, Potter! You won't just get away with using girls as you please- at least, not me!" Lily spat, a rush of pride invigorating her.

After a long moment of silence, James grinned and quipped,"So... who do you like, then, Evans?"

Lily gaped at him in disbelief. "Wha- oh MERLIN, Potter. WERE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO A THING I SAID? I don't give a damn what others think of you, but in my mind, you will always be nothing but a self-absorbed git! You're impossible, you know that?"

She jumped up, throwing him a nasty look before storming off to her dorm. James sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Yeah... I know..." James whispered as he closed his eyes and leaned his head against his palm. He knew he was being an arrogant bastard. He knew he was pissing Lily off. He knew Lily couldn't stand his haughty pretense... but he just couldn't control himself. Every time Lily was there, it was as if all his senses just crept right out of him...not an iota of judgement left. He had to appear calm, collected, and witty to cover the fact that just the sight of her drove him into a mad frenzy... his palms sweating, his heart a jackhammer in his chest, his stomach practically eating itself...

James was about to get up and leave until he noticed that Lily had left her thesis- er, essay- on the couch. He picked it up and traced each word with a gentle finger, admiring her perfect penmanship. He smiled as he tucked the essay into his robe and trudged back to his dorm. Thinking of all the dreams he would have- how differently the night may have gone if he hadn't been such a prick, his mind filled with the gorgeous Lily smiling at him, leaning close, brushing a strand of hair away from his face...

How might his life been if he had spared her a thought in their first few years at Hogwarts... back when he thought of Lily as nothing more than a redheaded bookworm. James chuckled. How things had changed... since the day he found his heart fluttering when Lily's cheeks tinged pink in anger at his foolish pranks, the day he no longer saw her crimson hair as a mass of fire- but as delicate, tranquil rubicund waves, the day he realized that he actually enjoyed her witty remarks and reluctant smiles...

His gaze shifted down to the essay tucked neatly away in his robe, and a plan- a ruddy dangerous plan, but a plan nonetheless- fabricated in his mind. He grinned.