The life and lies of Lily Evans and James Potter

The very first moment I laid eyes on James Andrew Potter, I both loathed and loved him.

But I mostly loathed him.

I was 11 years old, alone and confused—well, not really. The truth was, I was a Muggleborn first year trying to find her way into "Platform 9 and ¾". I had left my parents behind when the two of them had tried to ask a police officer where the platform was. When I glanced back, the two were gone.

Well, then.

I approached a column labeled "9" and looked over at the column labeled "10". In between there was a brick column (unlabeled) that was slightly over towards column 10. If it was labeled it would be labeled 9 and ½…or 9 and ¾ I walked over to the column and was prodding it with my toe when a boy appeared out of nowhere.

He was handsome, to say the least. Tall, lean, and muscular even at eleven, he had a shaggy bunch on black hair that stuck up messily. He was wearing a loose T-shirt and jeans, and seemed totally comfortable in them. Maybe he's a Muggleborn, like you.

He looked me up and down and said casually, "I was wondering who was blocking the entrance."

Those were the first words James Potter ever said to me. I looked him straight in the eye to get my point across, but found myself lost in his gaze. He had glasses, but behind them he had hazel eyes; ones with thick, black eyelashes across brownish eyes flecked with green and gold. He had a challenging twinkle in them, like he was teasing me but so much more. His expression changed when a flash of annoyance crossed my eyes when I recalled his earlier statement. He looked, at first, regretful, but then he looked—proud? Excited? No…he looked energized.

I internally scolded myself for staring at him like some love struck fool (which I was not!) and said,

"Excuse me?"

He stared into my eyes a moment to long before shaking himself.

"You heard me, either move it or lose it. You're not the only fool in the world, but I bet you'd be prime minister of the Fool's Club."

I rolled my eyes. By this point I had figured out three things: 1) this boy was a Hogwarts student, just like me; 2) I didn't like him; 3) the entrance to Platform 9 & ¾ was this barrier; 4) James Potter was cute.

Wait, WHAT?! The rational part of my brain screamed.

You heard me, my hormone riddled brain told me smugly. He's cuuuuute.

Shut up

Admit it

Shut up!

You know it's true!

I was annoyed with Potter for being a prat—yes, an admittedly cute prat, annoyed with me for thinking so, annoyed with the magical world in general (why must the entrance be so vague? There wasn't a word in the letter) and mostly annoyed with myself for being annoyed!

Frustrated and annoyed, I pushed him out of my way and stormed towards the barrier. "How do you get in? Tell me!"

Potter held up his hands in surrender. "I'll tell you if—" he grinned at me. "If you buy me eleven chocolate frogs."

"No," I spat. "Tell me."

"Ah ah ah," Potter shook a finger at me. "Promise."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"No."

"Yes." I stuttered when I realized what I had said. "I mean, yes I'll promise to kiss—I mean kick—you're a-r-s—"

"Such foul language," Potter tut-tutted. His smile turned leering. "You can kiss me whenever you feel like it." He turned, saluted me, and walked right through the barrier, leaving me to growl in anger. Great. Just great. Now I was frustrated, annoyed and angry.

What was up with me? I had never acted this way! There had been a boy in my primary school that had been a real prat, and we argued daily, but I had never felt so much…anticipation? Like I was waiting for out next argument.

This settled it; I was officially ill.

"Potter!" I yelled, causing many heads to look my way. "I. Hate. You!"

••••••••••••••••••

James' POV

The moment I saw Lily Autumn Evans, I fell head over heels in love with her, all though my 11 year old self didn't realize it.

I was leaning against the entrance to Platform 9 and ¾, waiting for it to be eleven already, so I could go to Hogwarts, when I realized that there seemed to be something prodding my foot.

Odd.

I walked through the barrier only to find an absolutely gorgeous girl with fiery red hair and a willowy frame prodding a toe through the barrier.

I looked her up and down. Even at my pre-adolescent stage, my stomach seemed to…flutter?...when I looked at her.

What the hell was wrong with me? I couldn't help but wonder at the time. In order to squash those disturbing feelings, I pasted my cockiest (and most devilishly handsome) grin on my face and cleared my throat. Time to see what this girl was made out of.

"I was wondering who was blocking the entrance." Those were my first words to the love of my life, and I know I will forever regret them.

The girl looked up and stared me in the eyes, and that flutter in my stomach came back with a vengeance.

Those eyes were beautiful. They were big (but not overly big), and a vibrant, emerald green shone out from behind curly, long, thick eyelashes. I can only imagine what I looked like, staring into her eyes. I didn't see the rest of her, not really. I only saw the eyes, and the annoyance that I had caused shadowed behind.

Strangely, the annoyance seemed to brighten a mischievous twinkle in them, and once that twinkle shone and dipped, I shivered and straightened up. All I knew right then was that whoever this girl was, I wanted to see her eyes again with a twinkle that I had caused shining bright.

"Excuse me?" The girl's voice snapped me back to reality.

"You heard me, either move it or lose it. You're not the only fool in the world, but I bet you'd be prime minister of the Fool's Club." I said snottily, eager to see the look in her eyes. She didn't disappoint me. She gave an eye roll worthy on my 16-year-old cousin, Molly, and turned away. She seemed to be arguing with herself, presumable about me given the way she snuck peeks at me every two minutes.

She seemed to be getting more and more annoyed, and I decided to back off before I completely enraged her.

She finally turned, glared at me, shoved me out of the way and stomped towards the entrance. "How do you get in? Tell me!"

I held up my hands in surrender, willing my mouth to do the same. . "I'll tell you if—" I flashed her my trademark smile. "If you buy me eleven chocolate frogs."

Oops! I had to fight the urge to clasp my hands over my mouth and apologize. Why had I said that? What if she was poor?

The girl absolutely glared at me, and the sight was glorious.

"No," she spat. "Tell me."

I was about to just shut up and tell her already when I noticed she looked so alive. I felt so proud of myself for getting that look on her face that I shook a finger at her.

"Ah ah ah," I told her. "Promise."

"No." She said staunchly.

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"No." I sneakily said. I prayed it would work. It rarely worked on my family anymore, but maybe on novices…

"Yes," the girl said triumphantly, before realizing what she had said. That simple word told me a lot about her, even through I didn't know it immediately. It told me that she was a proud girl who would stick to her opinion even if it meant disagreeing with me until the day we died.

I grinned at her, and she stuttered when she realized what she had said. .

"I mean, yes I'll promise to kiss—I mean kick—you're a-r-s—"

I laughed internally. For some reason, I enjoyed the sight of her flustered. Something was wrong with me, but I was enjoying it.

"Such foul language," I tut-tutted. My smile turned leering. I decided to test her. "You can kiss me whenever you feel like it." I turned, saluted her, and slowly and deliberately walked through the entrance.

What was wrong with me? I internally reviewed the scene in my head. I didn't even know her name, but I had just spent 10 minutes teasing a beautiful girl.

Life was definitely confusing.

"I will find out your name," I whispered to myself. "And when I do, you'll never forget James Potter."

•••••••••

After about fifteen minutes of goodbyes, I, Lily Autumn Evans, was boarding my very first Hogwarts train ride. I remember nervously boarding the gleaming red train, hoping I'd find friends.

Sighing in relief, I found an empty compartment and loaded my stuff in it. I'll find friends at school, I reasoned. Why shouldn't I spend some time alone to get ready?

I convinced myself that being alone was perfectly fine, and I settled down with a book and a WWW (Wizarding World Wireless) bought from Diagon Alley. I had just settled myself down when a throat clearing made me look up.

A pretty Indian girl was standing nervously at the doorway. "Hello?"

"Oh, hi." I said lamely. I winced. Oh, hi. Could you get anymore lame?

The girl grinned shyly. "I'm a first year; Aliya Patil. Is this compartment taken? Everywhere else is full."

Come on, Lily. Be inviting. "Sure, come on in," I smiled at Aliya. "I'm Lily Evans."

Aliya sat down opposite from me. "Are you a first year, too?"

"Yes," I said, rolling my eyes. "I'm a 'ickle firstie' all right."

Aliya laughed, a pretty tinkling laugh. She's going to be a looker, I thought internally. Aliya already had large, soulful dark eyes and a slim frame. "I'm Muggleborn, so this whole thing is so confusing! I stood outside the entrance to the platform for about 10 minutes, before I ran into some Wizarding family. The Weasley's, I think they were. A huge, red-headed lot that was loud, noisy and, well, loud."

"Red-heads?" I asked, feeling my own scarlet tresses. "Poor them."

"I love your hair!" Aliya immediately protested. She then blushed. "Sorry."

"No, thank you," I grinned and remembered her earlier statement. "I'm Muggleborn, too. I stood in front on the entrance for a while until a prat named Potter made me promise to buy him chocolate or he wouldn't let me in."

She laughed again, and my new friend and I passed the most of the train ride in enjoyable conversation.

About halfway through, Potter appeared in the doorway, smirking at me.

"The trolley's coming," he told me. "Wait and see."

"So? Why should I care if you want to stuff your fat face with food?"

"Because, dear girl," Potter waggled his fingers at me. "Because you owe me chocolate frogs."

"Sure," I said dismissively. "I'll be sure to track down some of your brothers, dip them in chocolate, and stuff them in your mouth."

Aliya grinned at me. "Nice one, Lily."

"Anything from the trolley, dears?" A jolly, plumb lady stopped by the compartment pushing a snack-laden trolley.

"She'll have thirteen chocolate frogs," Potter pointed at me. "She'll also have two packets of Bertie Bott's and some pastries, and some licorice wands."

"Sure, dear," the trolley lady unloaded some candy off the cart and mentally tallied it all up. "That'll be two galleon, thirteen sickles and eight knuts."

"What? I don't want all that," I protested. I glared at Potter. "Our agreement was eleven chocolate frogs, not all the pastries and licorice!"

"You forgot the Bertie Bott's, and anyway those aren't for me. They're for you. As beautiful as your slim body is, we wouldn't want you wasting away, now would we?"

Then, as if he realized what he said, Potter flushed a deep red that was strangely becoming.

Aliya had a hand over her mouth and was staring between Potter and I as though she just figured out something. (I can't imagine what.)

As for me, well, I was trying to figure out if Potter had just called me beautiful and slim. Two magic words, as every girl knows. As much as I hated him, he couldn't…fancy me, could he? Oh, please, no! I'd never had a boy fancy me before.

I stared at Potter in shock, and he grinned through his blush. "Well, you are pretty, Lily. Huh. It fits you. Delicate, unique and pretty." Then, he turned to the grinning trolley lady (she winked at me with a knowing smile) and said, "I'll pay for it all, except for eleven chocolate frogs."

"Sure, dearie." She rattled off some price, but I wasn't listening. I was still staring at Potter.

"Lily? Lily, did you hear me? You have to pay!" Aliya was shaking me, but my mind was whirring.

The arguing. "When a boy likes you at your age, they won't just say it. They'll argue with you and pretend to hate you, but sometimes they'll compliment you without meaning to," Mum had told me before I had left. "Just write me about him and I'll tell you what he feels."

The eye-smolders. "If a boy likes you, he'll give you hints. Look at his eyes, Lily. The eyes are the windows to the soul." Aunt Rose told me laughingly.

The fast exits. "If a boy becomes embarrassed, he'll say some remark and leave. It always happened to me, Lils. I always knew how to clear a room and I expect you will too." My favorite cousin, Becky, who was seventeen years old always gave me this kind of humorous advice.

Did Potter somehow fancy me, even though we barely knew each other?

And, more importantly, did I fancy him?

Nah. I didn't even like him, let alone like like him.

Right?

•••••••••••

I never worried too much about making friends. I somehow always knew what to say to make someone smile, so it was with a confident strut that I boarded the train.

I quickly found a compartment at the front of the train (I needed to know when the trolley would come so I could go get my chocolate frogs) but it was full.

Damn, I cursed. With a cocky smile I strutted into the compartment and pretended to be surprised to see the five inside. I looked tall for my age, and people always said I could pass for at least thirteen. Hopefully these kids were only second years, if not first (I hoped they weren't third years) so I could intimidate them into leaving.

"What the hell are you doing in my compartment!" I said haughtily. I glared around, hoping upon hope that they weren't third years; because if they were…I didn't think they'd like someone younger then them telling them off. "How old are you?"

"We're second years, and I didn't know this was your compartment. We've been sitting her since first year," one of the boys answered. He peered at my face. "How old are you, eleven? You "get the hell" out of our compartment!"

The other four boys sniggered. I concentrated hard and discretely pointed my wand at the window. "Revilio!" I said loudly, and when all the boys turned their heads to look, I cast my first spell. "Scribio Writium, Potter." I whispered the spell, praying it would work.

It half did. A beaten 'Potter' appeared, but it winked out. The boys sniggered again.

"Get out, ickle firstie," the first boy said. He shook his head. "Can't even cast a spell."

My eyes narrowed, I made a hand-gesture that my mom would've fainted at and exited grandly.

"Nice try," a boy leaning against the wall told me. "The prats."

"Thanks. I was hoping they'd think I was older," I told his dispiritedly, joining him on the wall. "Now I don't have a compartment."

"Same here. You a first year?" the boy asked. I turned and looked at him. He had a mischievous, rebellious look in him that I liked. With a head of shaggy black hair and a lanky, tall body he looked a bit like me.

"Yeah, unfortunately. You?" I asked the nameless boy. Today's the day for conversations with complete strangers, I thought idly.

"Yeah," he sighed. "I'm Sirius Black, heir to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, blah-blah-blah."

I grinned. I'd always thought all that 'Noble and Most Ancient House of ---' nonsense was just that: nonsense, and I was glad to see someone agreed. We could be friends. "I'm James Potter, heir to the Noble and Most Royal House of Potter, snore-snore-snore. Nice to meet you."

He snorted. "Mate, this is sad. Two obviously handsome boys like us reduced to this," Sirius pretended to wipe a tear from his eye. "Having conversations out here while prats like them sit in there." He indicated the compartment that I had been thrown out of.

"Yeah," I sighed.

"Too bad…" Sirius said thoughtfully.

"What?"

"Too bad we can't do something."

"Like…"

"Well…" Sirius gave me a mischievous look, and I suddenly knew what he meant. How many times had I worn that same look?

"This means…"

"Prank time!" we chorused together, and high-fived.

"What'cha got?" I said, grinning. "I have Dungbombs in my trunk, but my mum found all my other stuff."

"I have Zit-Inducing Powder from Zonko's," said Sirius slowly.

"I think I have a Magically Balancing Bucket," I said just as slowly as he did, and when he looked at me I knew our minds had crossed the same path.

A couple minutes later, we were discussing how to get the bucket up and filled with powder without anyone seeing when I remembered something. "Wait!" I dug through my trunk and came out with my most prized possession.

It was a cloak, but not just any cloak. Silvery and soft, the cloak shined. Sirius dropped my bucket in shock when he saw it, and no more words were needed.

"Two words: Invisibility Cloak's are wicked!" Sirius said softly three minutes later as we stood under the cloak as two prefects passed.

"That's four words," I said.

"So? 'Two words' sounds cooler then 'four words'."

"Touché," I conceded. "Okay, you get the plan?"

"Yeah. You got our trunks ready?"

"Yeah. Okay, go!" I whispered, and Sirius slipped out of the Cloak and, avoiding the trunks, threw open the door of the compartment opposite us.

"Hello, little boys," Sirius said tauntingly as he walked in.

"Excuse me?" The same boy who had spoken up when I walked in challenged Sirius.

"You heard me," he said disdainfully, and suddenly he took a deep breath and threw the Dungbombs at them.

"What the hell?!" As one, the group ran for the doors and tripped over our trunks. I snickered with laughter as they triggered the bucket (invisible string, comes free with the bonus bucket) and the Zit-Inducing Power spilled all over them.

Let's just say that they weren't pleased.

A little later when I saw the trolley lady come out of her special trolley, I stood up and grinned. I was going to see the Green-Eyed Girl. I threw some money at Sirius, told him an abbreviated story of my bargain (he thought it was hilarious) and I ran out to find the girl. Luckily for me, she was merely two compartments down.

I felt strangely excited and nervous about this meeting, which was very strange for James Potter.

Green-Eyed Girl (GEG) looked up as I entered, and she gave a dismissive eye-roll to a pretty Indian girl sitting next to her.

"The trolley's coming," I told her. Way to state the obvious, Potter. "Wait and see."

"So? Why should I care if you want to stuff your fat face with food?" G.E.G answered spiritedly. She narrowed her eyes at me challengingly.

"Because, dear girl," 'Dear girl'? What the heck was wrong with me? "Because you owe me chocolate frogs."

"Sure," she said, waving it off. "I'll be sure to track down some of your brothers, dip them in chocolate, and stuff them in your mouth."

I winced internally, not letting my smooth look of boredom falter. I was a master at keeping a straight face, if I may say so myself.

The Indian girl grinned at G.E.G. "Good one, Lily."

Ah-hah! Lily. Lily, Lily, Lily. I took in her vibrant hair and startling green eyes and smiled. It suited her.

"Anything from the trolley, dears?" A jolly, plumb lady stopped by the compartment pushing a snack-laden trolley as if on cue. Lily looked suspiciously at me for a moment before starting to shake her head.

It won't be that easy to get rid of James Potter. "

I spoke up, flashing the lady a charming and innocent smile. "She'll have thirteen chocolate frogs," I pointed very clearly at Lily. "She'll also have two packets of Bertie Bott's and some pastries, and some licorice wands." I added, thinking about how tiny she was. It wouldn't hurt to see some fat on those bones. (Note to self: NEVER EVER EVER say those words to a female. NEVER).

"Sure, dear," the trolley lady tilted her head and tallied all the food. "That'll be two galleon, thirteen sickles and eight knuts."

"What? I don't want all that," Lily protested. She glared at me and I felt a prick of fear. "Our agreement was eleven chocolate frogs, not all the pastries and licorice!"

"You forgot the Bertie Bott's," I told her smugly. "And anyway those aren't for me. They're for you. As beautiful as your slim body is, we wouldn't want you wasting away, now would we?"

Oh Merlin I did not just say that. Oh Merlin help me! My bored look vanished and I flushed a deep red in embarrassment. What had come over me? I'd never fancied a girl, never said anyone was pretty, let alone beautiful, and why had I said that about her body?

I needed the floor to open up and swallow me, immediately.

I didn't think about the calculating smile on Lily's friend's face, or the knowing one on the trolley lady's. All I saw were Lily's bright emerald eyes, staring at mine with surprise.

Figuring it was time to leave, now, I tried to pretend I had meant to say that. Little did I know I would later become a real charmer who regularly chatted up girls before lunch?

"Well, you are pretty, Lily. Huh. It fits you. Delicate, unique and pretty." I groaned to myself. What was I getting myself into? It was time to leave, and fast. ""I'll pay for it all, except for eleven chocolate frogs."

The knowing look the trolley lady gave me was enough to make me want to crawl out of my skin. I nodded at Lily's friend, who told Lily to pay repeatedly before just paying herself.

"She'll pay me back. Aliya, by the way." Lily's friend—Aliya—told me, grinning at her friend. Lily was staring into space, eyes wide as she processed something. "What's up with you two?"

"What? Oh, nothing. Nothing at all. Got to go, nice meeting you, goodbye," I stuttered, smiling feebly before practically running out of the place. Way to be smooth, Potter.

Unfortunately, I wasn't quick enough to miss Aliya mutter to herself, "Sure there's nothing going on."

Was there? Did I, James Potter, fanc—I couldn't bear to think the word—Lily?

No.

Of course not.

Those fluttery feeling were just nerves, I decided. They'll go away.

Right?

••••••••••••

A/N: That's the first installment of Lily and James' life's! I know that James' train scene was nearly twice the length of Lily's, but I wanted to show him meeting Sirius in a Marauder way, and I thought pranking was appropriate.

I'm willing to edit my story, and change it…all you need to do is ask. I didn't really like James' P.O.V of the trolley scene…do you guys think I'm moving the story a little fast? I figured that after Hogwarts the Marauders will form, and in their second year James and Lily will fall into a hate/hate relationship to cover up their feelings. What do you think?

I'm really sorry about all the spelling/grammar errors! If you spot any, tell me!

I know that James/Lily are a bit...mature...but eleven year olds are weird like that. I have an eleven year old cousin (girl) who's "absolutely and positively hopelessly in love with Andrew." They're eleven. And "dating."

So, they THINK they're being mature...but no.

PLEASE REVIEW, even if it's flames! Reviews make my day!