Title: Persuasion

Persuasion is a form of social influence. It is the process of guiding oneself toward the adoption of an idea, attitude, or action by rational and symbolic (though not always logical) means.

Rating: T

Author: CherryBlood

Authors Note:

For a long time I have wanted to write a canon Lily and James, those who know my previous works will agree I find that hard to do. This story has come about from many sources of inspiration - attempting to re write my other fics, reading many fics and reading many great books over my break. I cannot write action to save my life - hence there won't be much of Lily and James running through Hogwarts attempting to catch those pesky Slytherins. Not that I don't immensely enjoy those stories, I just won't pretend that I can write interesting action scenes. I will attempt to incorporate the war as much as possible - I just want to write a great love story. I appreciate all feedback, reviews are almost as important to me as air. Maybe a bit more.

Disclaimer: I'm just an English Teacher … and as they say, those who can't do teach. JK owns. Maroon 5 own all the lyrics within this chapter (Until You're Over Me). I own Paris Caden and his Mix-tape. End.

My heart beats fast - I know you're there,

And I pretend like I don't care.

When they were fifteen, Sirius had decided that when James received the highest mark in the class for his Transfiguration essay and a rare, lip-twitch ("It was a proud smile – I saw her tear a bit" James had boasted) from McGonagall, that the Marauders were doomed to hear nothing else but James' gloating for the rest of the day.

He'd gone too far and plastered the essay to Sirius' face with a simple sticking charm. Remus (upset he'd come second highest in the class and received no lip-twitch from McGonagall) suggested Sirius try the jinx that would stick James' tongue to the roof of his mouth, only for a bit of course.

Of course, Remus had read it on the back on the boys' toilet door, and Sirius had misinterpreted Remus' hurried note and James then had no feeling on the right side of this tongue for a week. Peter said he knew how to get rid of it, but was convinced James had borrowed some of his essay – not the other way around, and refused to help.

James would describe his crush on Evans just like that week – just more prolonged, frustrating and pretty damn permanent.

He'd come to the conclusion while brushing his teeth one morning that the crush had resulted just like his numb tongue had resulted from pushing Sirius too far. He enjoyed annoying Evans. She was almost his equal – in retorts and hexes.

Every boy seemed to like Evans, and James liked to think he started that trend. He'd started that joke about her boobs being too big for her body that went around the dormitories. But then the cat-calling and the wolf-whistling and the chocolates sent to her at breakfast were totally everyone else. He wanted to be different, catch her eye – just he was too young and immature to know Evans didn't find hexing Snape as charming as Paris Caden from Ravenclaw's Wizarding Mix-Tape.

But James couldn't tell you what it was that made him feel attracted (and not just that 'pull', but the fluttering in his stomach) toward Evans.

Then James found himself staring a bit too long at her as she reached up in the Potions storeroom to grasp at an ingredient.

He commented on this at lunch that day, while munching on a peanut butter sandwich (his favourite). He was hungry - He'd spent at least twenty minutes of the lesson trying to get Evans to go get him more Flobberworm from the top shelf so he could see her reach up again. Evans did give him two – one splattered on each of his glasses lenses.

"I mean, you guys all wanted to watch her, didn't you?" He'd said, mouth full of sandwich. Sirius and Remus exchanged smirks.

"No mate – that was only you."

"I think you still have Flobberworm on your glasses." Peter said, putting down his own sandwich and turning slightly green.

Hormones, it was put down too, because really the only thing James was interested in Evans for was the fact that she didn't giggle uncontrollably around him, she hexed him back instead of telling on him, and she was cute when she was mad – which he made her often. He was sixteen (and her boobs were a bit big for her slight frame).

But Evans' boobs were far from his mind on the last Hogsmeade visit of the year. James had received a letter from his parents saying they were going to be in the town on some business on that particular day and would he and Sirius like to meet them for a drink?

They looked so much older than James remembered. His father was wheezing slightly and his hands shook as he took out a small silver box and passed it to James. His mother's beam was stifled by a hacking cough. Sirius got up shakily to get them all some tea, James opened the box unsure.

His mother had written, "A treasure for our only treasure" and James smiled as he saw what lay inside. A golden snitch… that was a pocket watch. Its wings were revolving around the small ball conveying the time. It was much more impressive than stealing a snitch, like he had last year. He'd thanked his dad and kissed his mum and left with an unusually quiet Sirius beside him.

"This is excellent, don't you think? Even Evans-"

Sirius had grabbed his forearm and yanked him to a stop with a flash of anger in his eye.

"What is wrong with you?" He asked stern and searching James' exhilarated face. James opened his mouth to retort something about jealousy (even though his parents had thought of Sirius and bought him his own pocket watch with a Gryffindor crest) when Sirius cut across. "They're not well, James. Can't you see? They're trying to tell you and I could tell all that was going through your mind was that day by the lake and how now you can't wait to show that thing off – and especially how to make Evans remotely interested in it – or you, for that matter."

James was silent. The watch was almost burning the hand it was clutched in.

"You know as well as I do that your parents caught that that cold over Christmas and they haven't recovered. Think about something other than Evans, for once, James."

Sirius left him and marched up back to the school, throwing James a sad look over his shoulder.

That night James cried and shook and wheezed just like his father had and hated himself for only thinking about Lily when all his parents were thinking about was him.

He'd ignored her for the rest of their sixth year. Sirius' words had stung him and his parent's conditions had shocked him and he'd never been more focused in his life to get that Head Boy badge and grow up, to prove to his parents their son wanted to make them happy, and proud.

It took no detentions for months, no hexing others in the corridors, no arguing with Evans over theory in Charms (because the way her lip curled up in anger made him feel funny in certain regions), trying his hardest to ignore Sirius' wounded looks as he sat near the more studious in the class, and above all 100% in everything. McGonagall mid stride one afternoon to watch, a little stunned, as James stumbled out the library with a stack of books under both arms.

(I keep denying I'm in love with you,

My routine is getting old.)

He'd got the badge that summer and his mum beamed and cried and didn't cough, and his dad's handshake was so firm and strong and his hands didn't shake and James knew he'd done it. He vowed that day to keep making them happy and proud until the day he died.

It was two weeks before their seventh year at Hogwarts was due to commence and James was in a particularly frustrated mood that day. For nights in a row he had been having the same dream. Or nightmare, James hadn't made up his mind yet. It was summer holidays in these dreams, and for some reason Evans was in his garden and they were in their swimsuits. He kept waking up just as Evans reached behind her neck to pull the straps of her swimsuit.

He had the Marauders coming over later in the day to look forward too, and there would be swimsuits involved, and definitely no boobs to cause James the constant frustration ignoring Evans was causing him.

James had pinned his Head Boy badge in a compromising position on his swim shorts (praying to whoever was listening the back of the badge didn't fall off) and was filling up the glasses of the Marauders with The Virgin-Long-Island-Ice-Tea-Made-By-Mrs-Potter-That-Was-Soon-Deflowered-By-Sirius. The sun was hot and the alcohol had made his head sufficiently fuzzy and his speech was slowly slurring by the minute (and he hadn't thought of Evans for hours!). Peter lay sprawled out on a Li-Lo in the water, drink dangling in one hand - he to was feeling the effects of Sirius' concoction.

"I heard Li – Evans got made Head Girl." He said to James, who was motioning him to come in closer to the edge so he could top his glass up. James arched an eyebrow at him in response – where had Peter been looking to generate such a topic?

Sirius let out a bark of laughter from his spot on the sun lounge, and Remus sat up, interested.

"That's excellent!" He exclaimed, and then turned to James, "You should write to her, James."

Sirius let out another bark of laughter, which caused a glare from James. "And what?" He shot at Remus, spilling drink in his lap as he attempted to sit up, "Ruin all his hard work? Emphasis there on the Har-"

"I have nothing to say to her." James said simply, settling into his own sun lounge.

"Congratulations? Ow!" Offered Peter, which earned an ice cube shot as his head from the Gryffindor Chaser. Remus was fixing James with a pointed stare, and James fiddled with his straw in an attempt to hide from it. He was feeling guilty, he knew what was coming…

"If I were Head Boy-"

"I'm sure Evans has great things planned, I'll just wing it when I talk to her on the first…"

"You're not planning to speak to her until the first?" Remus sounded incredulous and James didn't want to look at him again.

"I haven't spoken to Evans for weeks." James said proudly, ignoring and pushing aside that pull he was feeling in his stomach. "We don't even know if she is Head Girl, you know Peter always fibs."

"Hey!"

"It doesn't matter James, if she is, you won't simply be peers anymore, you will be colleagues, and role models to other students and –"

"I just can't start – I can't talk to her, not yet anyway."

"You do know about the legend about Head Boys and Girls who are single and compatible don't you?" Sirius slurred, brandishing his drink so that the contents sloshed over.

James was feeling flushed and hot and sweaty and set his drink down. He took off his glasses and dived into the pool, successfully unsettling Peter and causing Sirius and Remus to share a look.

James let himself sink to the bottom and shut his eyes. Yes, he did know about the stupid legend, his mother dared to say the same thing. He couldn't start thinking about Evans like he once did again. He wouldn't let himself, legend or not. The dreams and thoughts and the urges to jump her in the Common Room had gotten worse since he'd told himself Lily Evans was a no go.

Instead he thought about the day his mother dropped her favourite vase after feeling a head spin, and stood there staring at it, hopelessly.

Three days later an owl arrived for James, which said, simply

James,

Congratulations

Your Head Girl, L.E.

James almost dropped the parchment in shock. He really wasn't surprised that Evans had made Head Girl. What he couldn't fathom was why Evans suddenly wrote to arrogant, bullying toe-rags.

Authors Note:

In case people are feeling a sense of Déjà vu - This chapter's middle/end was changed as I felt what I wrote before was confusing, and also limited me in where I could go next – at least now I can start from Day One of school :)

I cannot stress enough how much reviews mean to me – if you liked what you read, please let me know. If you didn't, still let me know! I would love feedback to let me know if I should continue, what I'm doing right, what I'm doing wrong and what you'd like to see!

All my love,

CB