Disclaimer: I do not own any of the stories to come, nor am I one of the authors. They are all excellent writers and deserve due credit. The following stories are carefully selected from the hundreds of Lily/James fics I have read, selected for their writing style, grammar, plot, and interesting-ness. - for lack of a better word…sorry =.=
Story Title: Dorm Room
Author: Rabiscar
Category*: Romance/Humor
Summary: In six chapters, "Dorm Room" tells the tale of how Lily and James get together. It's short and sweet, with good grammar and vocabulary. Beginning with a fluffy scene in Gryffindor Tower, the story progresses on to their developing friendship and ends with a tense encounter between our lovely protagonists. If you're looking for a light and charming read, this is it. There are no outstanding errors to throw you off, nor is there excess fluff. Although the story is a commonly used one- how James and Lily get together- it is a remarkably praise-worthy interpretation.
Characters:
~Lily- She is the main character in this story, and is the one who finally caves and admits to James that he's her "somebody." She is described to have red curls and the all so familiar fiery temper. Fortunately, she is not a Mary-Sue, waiting for James to mature and show his devotion to her perfect self. Lily is guilty of what Sirius accuses her of, (playing with James' feelings), although not as badly as the former believed.
~James- Our gentlemanly sweetheart, James evokes pity for himself from the reader, yet does not sound pathetically lovesick- quite a commendable achievement. (Kudos to Rabiscar.) His attempts to make Lily notice him come off as silly at first, but once his true intentions are revealed, one can only say, "Awwwwwwwwww..."
~Sirius- The ever infuriating best mate, he stays true to his animagus form, loyal to those that he loves. Trying to get James and Lily together, he attempts to keep the former grounded to reality and not get crushed yet again while struggling to persuade the latter to admit to her feelings.
~Mary and Dorcas- These two girls are minor characters; Lily's kooky friends. Although the story would have been just fine without their presence, they add a bemusing yet charming feel to the last chapter, what with their teasing and quaint terminology.
Note: I will not include all characters. Just the main ones and those that stand out as particularly interesting.
Uniqueness: The use of the word "unicorn" as a euphemism for "virgin" was definitely something I've not seen in a story until now. It makes sense however, as unicorns are beautifully pure. The first scene, with James carrying Lily to bed, is one I have seen before, but not in Gryffindor Tower. The added detail of where James sleeps instead is also one unique to this story.
*by "category", I mean the category the story is classified as on this site