first year.

Lily has to stop for a moment to catch her breath. Hogwarts is like something out of a fairy tale, with soaring spires and stern-faced gargoyles perched atop Gothic arches. The corridors inside are easily wide enough to fit seven or eight grown men shoulder to shoulder, and high enough for two Hagrids to stand straight up. Daylight streams through enormous open windows that somehow prevent the fall chill from slipping in along with the light.

"Amazing, huh." Severus smiles at her, eyes bright behind a few errant strands of ink dark hair.

Lily returns the smile with twice the warmth. "Yeah. Yeah, it is."

"Coming through!" Two boys push through the crowd, robes flapping behind them. Professor McGonagall's shrill voice follows them, shouting threats and point deductions.

Severus jumps to the side, but Lily is a few seconds too slow. One of the boys catches her with his shoulders and she tumbles to the ground, dropping her books.

"Hey!" Severus yells, full of righteous anger. "You say sorry to her right now!"

The boy turns on his heel and flashes a mischievous but apologetic smile. Lily, with a kernel of annoyance, recognizes him as the asshole from the train, the one who'd made fun of Severus. By the expression on Severus' face, he remembers the boy as well.

"Sorry," says the boy, sounding genuinely contrite. "Didn't mean to hit you." He turns to Severus, and the smile turns mocking. "No need to get your panties in a twist, Snivellus. I'm sure she can take care of herself."

Severus flushes bright red. Lily jumps to her feet and glares. "That was unnecessary, Potter!"

Potter lifts a shoulder in a dismissive shrug. "All I'm saying is that you're Gryffindor. You don't need some dirty Slytherin looking out for you."

"Who 'looks out for me' is none of your concern," Lily hisses. "Leave Severus and I alone."

Potter grins, and his casual, unaffected manner is somehow more infuriating than if he'd gotten mad. "Hey, he was the one who asked me to apologize."

"Go away," Severus snaps, still red as a beet.

Potter's smile widens, and he looks back at Lily. "See ya around, Evans."

Lily frowns. "Hopefully not."

second year.

Dear Mum and Dad,

It's so good to be back at school! Of course, I'm missing you every day. But there's so much to do and learn here, I could never be bored! Potions is by far my favorite class, though that may be because Professor Slughorn has a soft spot for me. He calls me 'gifted in the art of potioneering'. Severus is also a natural, but despite Slughorn being Head of Slytherin, he seems to prefer me. Not that Severus minds, of course. I don't think he'd care if Slughorn hated or loved him; he's that sort of boy.

Mary and I have been exploring the school more and more. You wouldn't believe the size of the place, Dad. It's an architectural wonder! Or, as Dumbledore says, simply a feat of magic. The things one can do with the right spells… I don't think there's ever an upward limit, if you apply yourself.

The only drawback is, of course, the Marauders. That's what they call themselves now, Mum; isn't it stupid? James Potter and his idiotic group of friends. They snuck into the girls' dormitory last night and charmed Yvonne Cray's hair bright green! She's been in the infirmary for all of today trying to reverse it. James and Sirius were the perpetrators, as usual, and Peter and Remus were the admiring sidekicks. The way people lap up their immature nonsense makes me sick to my stomach, honestly. Doesn't anyone realize they're just a bunch of babies?

Anyways, I've got to wrap this up. It's almost midnight here. Dad, I hope you're enjoying the full moon tonight; it's especially beautiful without clouds to hide it. Don't get too caught up in all that Astrology nonsense, though. I took the class and can tell you it's a load of garbage.

Give my love to Petunia, though I expect it will mean nothing to her. Tell her I'll send back some sweets.

All my love,

Lily

As Lily lifts her quill from the parchment, satisfied with the clean swoop of her y, voices rise from the stairs to the commons. Everyone else is in bed, and she's tucked herself out of sight in an armchair so as to avoid disturbing anyone with the light from her wand.

"Nox," she whispers as the voices grow louder.

"We're pushing it really late," hisses one.

"'M sorry!" another replies. "The prefects were snogging for twenty minutes straight and nothing I did made them move."

Lily freezes in place, heart thudding against her chest. She knows those voices, as well as she knows her own. Though, admittedly, she's never heard James Potter and Sirius Black sound so serious.

"Remus, you're- you're not going to change now, right?"

Peter Pettigrew, Lily thinks.

"No."

Remus Lupin. He sounds awful, Lily realizes. His voice is hoarse and exhausted. He hadn't looked great during classes that day either.

What is going on?

James appears in the common room first, dressed in a dark sweatshirt and jeans. He glances around and, apparently not seeing anyone, ushers the other boys forward.

"What time is it?" Sirius asks, voice low.

"11:50," Peter responds.

James curses. "Everyone, get under the cloak. Remus, you good?"

Lily sees Remus' shadow on the wall give a quick nod. As she watches, the other three boys gather around James as he pulls something from a pocket. The next moment, all four of them have vanished from sight.

James Potter's Invisibility Cloak. She's heard rumors about it but never seen it. She'd figured it was some cloak with a charm on it, but this… this is different. This is true invisibility, beyond what ordinary magic can cause.

For the second time, Lily wonders, what is going on?

third year.

"Evans!"

Lily, one foot in the Potion's classroom, groans. So close. If she'd only been a few seconds faster, had closed the door behind her, she would've escaped. Now, she has to pay the price.

"Evans!" James Potter pushes his way through the crowd, face plastering with that familiar, ever-present, shit-eating grin. For some girls, it's swoonworthy. For Lily, it's the stuff of nightmares.

As usual, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew are right on James' heels. With a synchronized, clearly orchestrated movement, they all wave their wands. Bouquets of flowers sprout in midair and rain down, scattering petals everywhere. Lily is confused for a heartbeat before she realizes what flowers they are.

"Lilies, petunias, and my personal favorite: peonies!" James announces.

Lily turns her face away, panicked. She's allergic to peonies; James knows that. Obviously, says a little voice inside her mind. He included them and the petunias especially to drive you over the edge.

"Potter!" she coughs out. "Potter, you prick!"

"You don't like them?" Sirius calls from behind her, voice syrupy sweet and dripping with false concern. "Jamesy dear picked them himself!"

Lily opens her mouth to respond but coughs again instead.

"Can't… breathe…!" she gasps. "I… can't…breathe!"

"What's happening to her?" James asks. "Mary, you said her allergy was minor!"

Mary MacDonald stands beside him, flummoxed. "I thought it was!"

"Well, clearly not!" hisses Remus.

Peter tugs at James' sleeve. "James… James, we have to get out of here… we can't get caught, James… please..."

Spineless, Lily thinks as she continues to cough.

"What is going on here!" Slughorn strides through the doors of the Potions classroom, robes fluttering behind him. "Lily! Lily dear, what's happened!"

"P-" Lily doubles over, gripping her stomach and wheezing. "Peonies… allergic… Potter!"

Slughorn turns to the Marauders, expression conflicted. "James, what's the meaning of this?"

"Sir," Remus says, cutting James off before he can speak. "Sir, it was all a misunderstanding-"

"Yes, yes," Slughorn interrupts, barely looking at Remus. "Well, misunderstanding or not, you've posed a serious risk to Miss Evan's health. Thirty points from Gryffindor, and detention for all four of you tonight. James, Sirius, I regret to do this to such beloved students of mine-"

At this, Sirius snorts.

"But it simply can't be helped," Slughorn continues. "Miss Evans here looks near to death. Regardless of whether this was a prank or a courting, you've risked her life. Now, hurry along to your next classes from some other, less lenient teacher comes along. Go on!"

The crowd leaves with the Marauders. The attitude is significantly more tense than it had been; for a second, there'd been real panic.

Lily watches them go, hiding a smile. Serves them right. As Slughorn walks over to her, she straightens up.

"Lily? How are you feeling? Do you need me to take you to the infirmary?"

Lily smiles. "No, I'm fine. Just a mild allergic reaction."

Slughorn's eyebrows furrow. "It didn't look so small to me."

"Trust me, Professor," Lily says. "I'm perfectly fine."

"So…" Slughorn looks around at the flowers. "You aren't really allergic?"

She shrugs. "Only slightly. And only if I put them on my skin. Truthfully, Professor, Potter's been bugging me for a while; I just wanted to get him back."

"Ah." Slughorn nods slowly. "How… resourceful. Yes. Good work, Miss Evans." He regards her for a moment, expression somewhat conflicted. "You… have Potions now, yes?"

"That's right, Professor."

"Well, come in, then."

Lily's smile widens. "Thank you, Professor."

fourth year.

"For the last time, Potter," Lily snaps, "the answer is no."

James, undeterred, flashes a smile at her. "Oh, don't be like that."

"Excuse me?"

"It's Hogsmeade weekend, Evans, live a little! Drink a little Firewhiskey, snog a few guys, go out with a James Potter…"

Lily scowls. "Over my dead body."

"That can be arranged," Sirius chimes in brightly. James silences him with a look.

"Come on, Evans," he says coaxingly. "What's the big deal? You're single, I'm single, you're hot, I'm hot… it all works out."

Lily drags her hands through her hair, suppressing the urge to scream. "A couple things, Potter, before you get your hopes up. First, I'd never date anyone who refuses to call me by my first name. Second, you're insufferably arrogant and misogynistic, and despite what you may think, it's not attractive. Third, your track record with girls shows me you'll have no respect or commitment to me, so why would I bother? And this isn't even the half of it."

James stared at her, visibly stunned. A second of silence holds between them, as delicate as a thread of spider silk, until Sirius' roar of laughter snaps it in two.

"Oh," Sirius gasps through guffaws, "oh, she told you, Prongs, she really did. That was fucking gold."

The crowd that's formed around them laughs too, but James doesn't. His eyes are wide, raw, maybe even a little vulnerable- it throws Lily off a bit, and she starts to wonder if she was a little too harsh.

Before the guilt can really get to her, she turns on her heel and heads down the hallway. Severus, who'd been smoldering silently in the corner, joins her. "Good job," he tells her. "Potter needed that. I can't believe he'd ever think he has a chance with you-"

"Oh, stop, Severus," Lily interrupts wearily. "I really can't do this right now. I'll see you at breakfast tomorrow."

Severus stops in his tracks, expression twisted with innocent hurt. "Lily-"

"Goodnight, Severus."

fifth year.

"Lily. Lily, he's staring at you again."

Lily tugs at a loose strand of hair and stares down at her book with almost aggressive focus. "So?"

Mary leans against the arm of the armchair and smirks. "It's kind of cute, actually."

"It's fake. He just wants me as another notch on his belt."

"What if it's not like that?" Mary leans forward, looking intently at Lily's face. "I've never seen him so fixed on someone before. Like, ever. Did you see his expression yesterday when Dennis DuPort asked you out?"

Lily rolls her eyes. "Why would I have? I was too busy turning down Dennis DuPort."

"He looked terrified." Mary cackles. "Like he'd break in two if you'd said yes."

"Rubbish." Lily closes her book with a decisive snap. "James Potter only wants me for a one night fuck so he can say he's shagged the entire female population of Hogwarts."

"That's not true," Mary argues. "You're mixing him up with Sirius. Haven't you noticed James has stopped messing around and flirting aimlessly with everything breathing since you yelled at him last year?"

"That means nothing," Lily says weakly.

"Bullshit." Mary leans back with a triumphant smile. "You know what it means. The Great And Incorrigible James Potter is being reformed by none other than Lily Evans. When you think about it, it makes perfect sense."

"Excuse me?"

Mary's smile widens. "You're the only one who doesn't put up with his shit. It all fits."

Lily groans. "Fuck off for two seconds, would you? Stop analyzing everything; it probably means nothing."

"Okay, Negative Nancy." Mary settles back into her chair. "I'm right, and you'll realize it one day and thank me forever."

sixth year.

Lily has never wanted to shoot herself more.

Slughorn's parties are generally intolerable, but this year's Christmas gala is, somehow, even worse than normal. Bushels of mistletoe hang from every doorway and inch of ceiling, guarded by house elves ready to catch unsuspecting couples. Every drink has been spiked with a healthy dose of love potion, made evident by the seventeen engagements already declared in the party's first hour. Celestina Warbeck croons nonsensical lovesick garbage from invisible speakers, her voice entirely too audible from even the most remote corners of the room.

Lily sits in the corner, gripping a glass of no-doubt charmed champagne with white knuckles. Her date, Zachary Millen, ditched her long ago for some blonde in a see-through dress. Lily regards her own purple cocktail dress and feels the familiar curdle of self-loathing in her stomach. If she'd had longer legs, a prettier figure, different color hair, less freckles…

"Not enjoying yourself?"

James, hair tousled and suit jacket conspicuously absent, leans against the wall next to Lily and crosses his long legs. She can't ignore the way he's grown into his height; features that had once been disproportional or out of place now fit perfectly. He's model worthy, the kind of guy she might have cut pictures out of and pasted them on her wall, in a different life.

"That obvious?" she asks in response.

James smiles. "Given that you look like you'd thank me if I murdered you right now, yes."

Lily laughs and hands a passing house elf her glass of champagne. "It's not that I don't like Professor Slughorn… I just don't like parties."

"Where's your date?" James gestures vaguely. "That… Hufflepuff keeper?"

Lily snorts. "Zachary is off feeling some veela cousin's tits."

James raises an eyebrow. "His loss."

"Not really."

"What?"

Lily exhales sharply. "I mean, I don't blame him. Why settle for me when he could have that?"

James barks out a laugh. "You can't be serious."

"I am."

"Lily-" here James turns to look at her, expression more serious than she's seen in a while. "Have you seen yourself? He's got to be a special kind of idiot not to want you."

Lily scoffs. "Thanks, but I don't need flattery right now."

"It's not-" James kneels down and look her straight in the eye. "It's not flattery. Believe me, it's not. You're one of the most amazing people I've ever met; you're smart, you're funny, you're singularly focused and determined beyond anything I've ever thought possible. You intimidated me for so long because you- you're just incredible. It's unbelievable. If I could turn whatever it is that makes you so undeterrable into some kind of potion, I'd be rich."

Lily stares at him, speechless. The noise of the party has dulled to a low roar in her ears; all she can hear are James' words ringing in her mind.

"And then you go and become the prettiest girl in the school," James continues, voice softer now. "And really, what was I going to do? I wanted you more than I've ever wanted anyone, and the fact that you didn't just acquiesce to my demands made me want you even more. You made me into a better person, because that's the kind of guy you were looking for. You did that. If there's a single guy out there who thinks you aren't one of the most amazing people he's met, then he's an idiot. If there's a single guy out there who doesn't think he'd be the luckiest man on Earth with you, he's an idiot."

Lily's mind whirls, phrases and words flashing through her conscience as she tries to make sense of it all. "You…" she begins, "you… wanted me?"

"Want," James corrects with a small smile. "Since the day we met, I think. But I only came to terms with it in fourth year."

"So…" Lily says slowly. "All those times you asked me out… that wasn't some kind of prank? You weren't just messing around?"

James's eyes are so fond it almost hurts her to look at them. "Not once."

"James…"

James interrupts her. "Lily Evans," he says softly. "Beautiful, intelligent, perfect Lily Evans. Will you go out with me?"

seventh year.

"Fifteen!" the crowd chants. "Fourteen! Thirteen!"

Lily sips lightly at her Butterbeer and smiles. It's moments before an old year eclipses into a new one, before they take their first steps towards the rest of their lives. The people around her she's knows as well as she knows herself. They are her best friends, her staunchest supporters, shoulders she's cried on, lips she's kissed, arms that have held her in her darkest moments. They are her magical family, a home away from home, and she loves them as much as she's ever loved anything.

"Thirteen! Twelve!"

Arms circle her waist and she laughs. "Hi, James."

For a moment, there's a feather-light pressure on her head as James presses a kiss there. "Hi, Lily."

"Eleven! Ten! Nine! Eight!"

"I'm glad I met you," Lily says.

James chuckles. "Not as glad I am."

"Seven! Six! Five! Four!"

"I'm going to be with you forever."

"Wouldn't have it any other way."

"Three!"

"These were the best years of my life."

"Mine, too."

"Two!"

"I love you."

"One!"

"I love you, too."

"Happy New Year!"