AN: Hi! This is my first time writing on this website. I've also published the same story on HPFF, in case any of you see it there. Anyway, please let me know how you like it! This is my second (and hopefully more successful) attempt at writing a fic. Naturally, I chose my favourite canon pairing. Okay, now read on!

-B

It had been a while since any of them had seen the sun even though summer was well underway. But on the morning of 15 July, 1978, Lily Evans awoke to witness the brightest morning of that year. Whatever little fear she had at the back of her mind cleared as the sky opened up and the sunlight streamed through her windows, wrapping her in its warm embrace. From where she lay on her bed, she could see a beautiful white dress hung near the window and she smiled to herself as she thought about how Lily Evans was soon going to be Lily Potter.

It was a beautiful morning, a reprieve from the past month's grey mornings. She felt a chill go down her spine as she thought about the mist that had seemed to engulf all of England as the dementors swarmed all over the country leaving the population in a state of unexplained despair. She was glad she wasn't there; glad James had whisked her away for a little ceremony in the French Riviera. It was just one weekend, but she decided to indulge her five-year-old self and didn't fight against him giving her a fairytale wedding. Their families and friends deserved a small celebration, a break from the grim atmosphere that gripped the entire nation.

Pushing thoughts about the impending war from her mind, she walked over to the window that displayed the beauty of Cote D'Azur, and took a deep breath. She put the kettle on and absentmindedly sat down on the bed and started to think about the events of the previous year. She smiled a little as she thought back to one year ago and how different everything had been then.

"Potter!" She'd screamed, though the reason for yelling this particular name was quite different that time. She'd seen Avery aim a curse at his turned back and James Potter was a little too late in responding to her voice because his first thought was to think about what he'd done to warrant a shout from Evans again. In a split second, her wand was out and right before the curse reached Potter, she'd cast a particularly strong shield charm that sent Avery flying backwards into a wall.

James was quite confused as he turned around to find Avery lying in a crumpled heap near the door to the Transfiguration classroom. He looked up to see Lily there with her wand in her hand, her green eyes seemed to be blazing with fury as she walked up to Avery, gave him detention and docked 30 points from Slytherin for an unprovoked attack. He ran a hand through his hair nervously as she approached him and said, "You really ought to watch your back, Potter! You're playing Quidditch tomorrow, the last thing we want right now is to see the Captain in the hospital wing." He was dumbstruck, didn't know what to say. Evans, Lily Evans, had just saved him from what was probably, quite a serious curse given who had cast it and was advising him to stay safe because she didn't want him to sit out a Quidditch match.

As she looked at him expectantly waiting for his reply, Avery walked up to them, having dusted himself off and muttered "Filthy mudblood" as he shoved past her angrily. James' wand was out and pointing at the base of his jaw before he'd gotten the whole word out.

"What did you say?" He asked, angrily.

"Just the truth," Avery smirked knowing he had gotten the reaction he was hoping for.

Lily walked towards James and said, "Let it go, it doesn't matter."

"It matters."

"Potter, I'm telling you, let it go."

"No, I am not letting it go."

"Why are you so insufferable? Can't you just let it be?"

"Yeah, listen to your mudblood whore, blood traitor." Avery said as he spat in Lily's direction.

Before James could react, Avery was on the floor, clutching his sides as tentacles seemed to be growing out of abdomen and back. Dumbstruck for the second time that day, he turned his attention towards Evans and saw fury in her eyes for the second time within a few minutes. This time though, she remained angry when she looked at him.

"I don't need you saving me every time someone says something. It may have escaped your notice, but I am perfectly capable of handling myself." He'd heard that from her a million times, he knew she didn't need saving, the evidence lay at his feet, but she didn't know why that word riled him up so much. He sighed, "I'm sorry, Evans. It's just… that word."

Her features softened a little as she said, "I know and thank you. But I'd rather not hex everyone that calls me that and I wouldn't want you to either. Now, I'm going to go report this to Professor McGonagall, and maybe talk myself out of a detention."

With that, she turned on her heel and walked inside the Transfiguration classroom outside which the ordeal had taken place. A crowd seemed to have gathered around him and Filch came running with Mrs. Norris at his heels. "Magic in the corridors! I will report you to Professor McGonagall, come with me, Potter!"

"There will be no need for that, Mr. Filch. I have spoken with Miss Evans here and this incident will be handled. If you could please accompany Mr. Avery to the hospital wing, thank you." McGonagall turned to Lily, "I will be reporting this event to Professor Slughorn and Professor Dumbledore, Miss Evans. We do not tolerate such slurs. However, given that you are a Prefect, I hope you refrain from using such extreme methods of retaliation next time. Now head on to class, both of you."

James and Lily were heading to Charms when James said, "Thanks, Evans. I owe you one."

"Don't worry about it. Where's the rest of your posse though? It's odd to see you roaming the corridors alone."

Potter ran a hand through his hair, a habit that seemed to have annoyed Lily to no end, but somehow didn't seem too bad today as he looked at her, his hazel eyes twinkling behind his glasses and his hair a mess at the top of his head. He shrugged, "I had to head down to the Quidditch pitch early to grab my bag that I'd left behind yesterday and you know how hard it is to convince three adolescent boys to leave breakfast early."

She smiled a little. He said, "It's odd to see you not annoyed with me. Not that I mind."

"It's hard to be annoyed at you when someone else is doing the hexing."

He smiled to himself as he opened the class door for her and she walked in before him. His friends were already there, and they whistled as he entered the classroom with her. She rolled her eyes at them and walked over to where her friends were sitting.

"From what I can see, James looks okay today, in fact he looks positively radiant." Marlene McKinnon remarked as Lily took out some parchment and a quill.

"Your point being?"

"Well, you walked in together… and a Potter and Evans interaction without an argument is unheard of," Dorcas Meadowes piped in.

"It's not that rare! And Avery was about to hex him in the corridors and he had his back turned so I may have helped him out…"

"Lily Evans helping James out? Now that is unheard of for sure." Dorcas grinned.

"Shut up," she said, lightly pushing her shoulder. "He just needed help, plus I only did it so you wouldn't lose the Quidditch final tomorrow."

"Or maybe you're starting to see he's grown up a lot this year and keeping up with that cat and mouse game you both seemed to have played for the last six years has become quite tiring." Just then, Professor Flitwick started to talk about the lesson for the day and Lily was saved the need to respond to her best friends.

As Professor Flitwick started talking about Bubblehead Charms, Lily's mind wandered off and she started to think about what Dorcas had said. Maybe he had grown up, there certainly had not been as many pranks this year. Of course, there was still an odd detention here and there but ever since he had received the Quidditch Captain post at the beginning of that year, something seemed to have changed.

Good for him, she thought to herself as she started taking notes for the appropriate wand movements for the Bubblehead Charm.

Across the classroom, James found himself staring at Lily. Her mind seemed to have wandered off as she stared at the wall with a blank expression.

"Oi, Prongs, how come Evans didn't hex you today?" Sirius asked James as Professor Flitwick divided them into pairs to practice.

"Dunno, mate. In fact, she saved me from Avery's hex today. I had my back turned when that snake threw a hex at me. Most likely to injure me before tomorrow's match against Slytherin."

"Hold on, she saved you?" Peter piped in.

Remus rolled his eyes at Peter, "Of course she did. Lily would never stand for an unprovoked attack."

"Maybe you should ask her out again, what if she likes you now!" Sirius chucked a quill at Peter and said, "That's so stupid, Wormy. She's only just started to be civil to him because he didn't spend the whole year asking her out. Prongs, I feel like it's time to broaden your horizons a bit. Evans is clearly not interested. Besides, due to reasons completely beyond me, girls seem to have taken to you ever since you started wearing that shiny badge on your robes. Amber Green seemed to be quite smitten, ask her out at the victory party tomorrow."

James thought about Sirius' suggestion for a couple of moments before saying, "You know what? Yeah, I'll do it after the match tomorrow."

Sirius clapped him on his back and Remus grinned at him, happy to see his friend moving on from a girl who didn't seem to return his feelings.

Across the room, Lily successfully caste the Bubblehead Charm, being the first one in the room to do so, earning Gryffindor 20 points. She didn't notice James Potter's eyes staring at her as he made a resolution to finally move on from her.

AN: Helloooo! Love it, hate it? Review it, so I know!