Disclaimer: I own nothing, especially not this mess.
.1.
An anonymous person requested that I write a story where Lily and James are childhood best friends that turn into teenage lovers so I took the liberty to rewrite The Prince's Tale, where James Potter replaces Serverus Snape.
They met in a sunlit and virtually deserted playground. A single huge chimney dominated the skyline, common for a working town like Cokeworth. A boy was playing on the slide alone, surfing it on his belly. His black hair was curly and long enough that it fell over his square shaped glasses. He only looked at his playground companions once or twice.
Two girls were swinging backwards and forewords, trying to get their toes to touch the sky. The younger of the two girls was swinging higher and higher than her sister. They wore the same shirts but they were both different in looks and stature.
"Lily don't do it!" shrieked the elder of the two.
But the dark red haired girl let go of the swing at the very height of it's arc and flew into the air, quite literally flew, launching herself skyward with a great burst of laughter. Instead of crumbling on the playground asphalt she soared like a trapeze artist though the air, staying up far too long and landing far too lightly.
"Mummy told you not too!"
Petunia stopped her swing by dragging the heels of her sandals on the ground, making a crunching grinding sound. Petunia then leapt off the seat, hands on her hips.
"Mummy said you weren't allowed, Lily!"
"But I'm fine," said Lily, still giggling, "Tuney, look at this. Watch what I can do!"
Petunia looked around. The playground was deserted save for the boy in glasses. Lily had picked up a fallen flower from the bush beside the swing set. Petunia advanced, torn between curiosity and disapproval. Lily waited until Petunia was close enough to have a clear view and then held out her palm. The flower sat there, opening and closing its petals, like some bizarre many-lipped oyster.
"Stop it!" Petunia yelled.
"It's not hurting you." Said Lily, but she closed her hand on the blossom and threw it to the ground.
"It's not right," said Petunia, but her eyes followed the flowers flight to the ground and lingered on it, "How'd you do it?" she added, and there was definite longing in her voice.
"It's obvious, isn't it?"
The boy had come over and neither girl had noticed his arrival. Petunia jumped at the sound of his voice and took a few steps towards the swings. Lily, though clearly startled, remained where she was. Lily had never seen the boy before and was intrigued by the outlandish black robe he wore. He had dirt on his long tan nose.
"What's obvious?" asked Lily.
The boy tilted his head and grinned cockily. With a glance at the distant Petunia, hovering by the swings, he lowered his voice and said, "Your different from her."
"What do you mean?"
"You're a witch."
She was affronted by his taunt, "That's not a very nice thing to say to somebody!"
She turned, nose in air, and marched off to stand beside her sister.
The boy called after her, "Ever made anything happen that you can't explain?"
The sisters considered him, united in disapproval, both holding onto one of the swing poles. Lily knew the boy had seen her play with the petals on the flower, so it was obvious she could do things that were unexplainable. Lily's parents had always warned her not to do anything special, in case she was set apart from the other kids in Cokesworth.
The boy continued talking, pushing his glasses up his nose, "You're a witch but there's nothing wrong with that. My mum is a witch. And I'm a wizard."
Petunia's laugh was like cold water.
"Wizard!" she yelped, her courage returned now that she had recovered from the shock of his unexpected appearance. "I know who you are. You're that Potter boy! They live down by the river." She told Lily, and it was evident from her tone that she considered the idea repulsive, "You father is unemployed because he's mad. You must be too, if you think my sister is a witch."
"You're just jealous of her." The boy seemed unbothered by Petunia's wrath, "because you can't do the same things she can because you're a muggle."
Though Petunia did not understand the last word, she didn't like Potter's tone.
"Lily, come on, we're leaving!" she said shrilly. Lily obeyed her sister at once, glaring at the Potter boy as she left through the playground gate.
Petunia assured Lily that the Potter's were a mad family that lived in one of the shacks by the river. Petunia was certain the boy had to be as mad as his parents but even after going home, Lily wondered about what the boy had said.
"He's mad Lily." Petunia told her over and over, "There's no such thing as witches and wizards."
Lily remembered what Petunia had said; the boy lived down by the river. Lily wondered if she'd ever passed his house when she played by the river alone with her magnified glass she'd gotten from her parents for Christmas. The houses over there were mostly run down and very old. Lily lived in town with her family but she didn't think her parent's flat was any better than the houses along the river. At least the old houses by the river had a nice view.
Two days later Lily bit the bullet after school and told her sister she'd forgotten something in her teacher's classroom. Petunia asked if Lily really needed her favorite pen and Lily assured her that she did.
Petunia rolled her eyes, clearly exasperated with her younger sister, "Fine. I'll tell mum you'll be late."
Lily was astounded she got away with her lie but took the chance and made the long way around back to the playground where she'd met the boy. The playground was crowded today, most of the kids hanging there after school. Lily's eyes skirted beyond the swing set to the tree line. She made one last lingering look towards the town before running to the trees.
She followed an old rocky road that led to a few well-spaced shacks on the river edge. The river wasn't clear, it had a cloudy polluted tinge to it, but Lily still thought it was prettier than the fume covered streets she lived on. Lily stared at each house in wonder, hoping to spot the boy and his peculiar family. She made it to the end of the shacks and she was discouraged until she spotted a thick batch of black hair under a thicket of trees.
The boy hadn't spotted her yet. He was dressed in those funny robes that looked warm for the springtime. He was reading from a book, something that she would've never expected from a self-proclaimed wizard. The sunlit river was glittering through the trunks he was leaning against. The shadows cast by the trees made a basin of cool green shade for the boy. Lily had been by this part of the woods many times and was surprised she'd never seen the boy before.
"Hey." Lily shouted gracelessly.
His head shot up at the sound of her voice. When he squinted and realized the girl in front of him was the girl from the playground a huge grin spread across his face. Lily immediately regretted saying anything. His book dropped to the grass and he crossed his legs to feign a casual demeanor.
Lily blurted out, "What's your name?"
"James." He called to her, "And yours?"
"Lily."
The boy smiled even wider, "Well get over here Lily!"
Lily chewed her lower lip but complied, quickly walking over to the boy and plopping down to the grace in front of the boy. He eagerly watched as she placed her backpack on the ground next to her. Some of her books were sticking out and she didn't stop him when he grabbed one (her science book) and stared at the space cover with interest.
"Are you too poor to go to school?" Lily asked sympathetically.
"What?" his hazel eyes shot up at her alarmed, "No, of course not."
"Oh," she flushed red, "I just thought since your dad was unemployed and I haven't seen you before…"
"My dad isn't unemployed and I go to school—or I will when I'm old enough." James told her sincerely, "Wizards don't go to primary school."
"Petunia says wizards don't exist."
The boy seemed surprised by her, "You really believe everything your sister tells you?"
Lily stuck her nose in the air, "I think for myself, thank you very much."
James pushed his glasses up his nose, "You obviously believed what I said, about you being a witch."
"What makes you think that?" asked Lily.
James looked smug, "Because you wouldn't be talking to me if you didn't."
Lily was going to argue with him but instead she let the words she'd been holding in tumble out, "It's just—I always have been able to do weird things like get candy bars from the top shelves and I've never broken a bone in my life even though I've fallen out of trees and my parents just say I'm special but I just hate thinking that—"
"Breathe." The boy said lightheartedly, tossing a few blades of grass at her, "I told you, you're a witch."
Lily pouted, "What about my parents?" she asked, "Wouldn't they tell me that I was a witch?"
"They can't tell you if they're muggles." James told her, "You'll be told when you get your Hogwarts letter."
"My what?"
"Your Hogwarts letter." James illuminated, "Hogwart's is a school for people like you and I."
"People like what?"
"Witches and wizards, weren't you listening?" he rolled his eyes sarcastically and Lily huffed.
"But that's all made up!" Lily exclaimed, "Like in fairytales!"
James raised an eyebrow at her, "What if I can prove it to you?"
"How?" Lily demanded.
James stood up, brushing off his clothes before stooping down to grab his book. Lily stood up too and noticed they were the same height. James was really skinny but Lily liked his smile, it was genuine. James motioned for Lily to follow him and she found herself doing so purely out of curiosity.
"How old are you?" Lily asked as they made their way up a slope and away from a river.
"Nine." James answered, "You?"
"Nine."
James glanced at her over his shoulder, "No way!" he said excitedly, walking backwards to talk with her better, "We'll be in the same year at Hogwarts!"
"Okay." Lily wasn't quite sure how to respond to his enthusiasm, wondering if this was all a game to the strange boy.
A crumbling cottage with vines, grey stones, and square windows appeared in front of them. Lily stopped following the boy. James noticed her silence and crossed his arms.
"What's wrong?"
"You live here?" she murmured, "I thought these flats were deserted."
James shrugged, "Nah, that's just the magic to keep muggles from snooping."
He grabbed her hand and yanked her forward so she couldn't stand in her reservation. Lily's jaw dropped as they passed the stone rock pile surrounding the flat. The house transformed to a two-floor quaint cottage complete with stained glass windows. Lily blinked multiple times to make sure she hadn't imagined it.
"How?" she asked in awe.
"Magic." The boy told her, "Dad does a lot of his potion work here in Cokesworth since our home in Godric's Hollow is too close to other families for him to experiment."
It took introducing Lily to his parents and showing her a magical flying broomstick before she believed him wholeheartedly. The Potter's welcomed Lily into their eclectic home with open arms. James' father was a wizard (who wasn't unemployed) with knobby knees and a warm smile. James' mother was otherworldly with pretty orange shawls and long glossy black hair. They both were delighted to show her the potions Mr. Potter made in the basement. James was ecstatic to show Lily their magic wands.
"You won't get a wand until you get your letter." Mrs. Potter warned Lily, "And you aren't supposed to use your magic outside of school."
James rolled his eyes and told Lily as he walked her back to the playground, "Mum tells me everyday I have to hide my magic."
"Why?"
"Because the muggles can't know about us." James said as if it was obvious, "So you have to keep it a secret that I'm a wizard…and that you're a witch."
Lily kept it a secret from her parents but Petunia ambushed her that night, knowing very well Lily had been gone longer than was necessary for a lost pen at school. Lily admitted she'd gone visit James and Petunia mocked his stories and the idea that there was a whole world of people who could do special things like Lily. Lily had seen too much to listen to her sister and spent her weekend sneaking out of the house after chores to visit James.
They found their way back to the playground together every afternoon. If there were other kids they would play with them but most of the time it was just James and Lily. On one particularly dreary day, James sat on one end of the slide and she sat at the other. The mist settled on Lily's shoulders as James chattered aimlessly.
"...and the Ministry can punish you if you do magic outside school, you get these things called howlers. Dad got one once for a potion malfunction back at the Hollow, it was awesome."
"But I have done magic outside school and I haven't ever gotten a Howler!"
"We're all right. We haven't got wands yet. They let you off when you're a kid and you can't help it. But once you're eleven," he nodded importantly, "and they start training you, then you've got to be careful."
There was a little silence. Lily picked up a fallen twig and twirled it in the air, and she was imagining sparks trailing from it. Then she dropped the twig, leaned in toward the boy, and said, "It is real, isn't it? It's not a joke? Petunia says you're lying to me. Petunia says there isn't a Hogwarts. It is real, isn't it?"
"Of course it's real," said James, sliding down the slide so he ran into her spiritedly, "I wouldn't lie to my friend."
"We're friends?"
"Of course," James said, as if this was determined a long time ago, "And we're gonna go to Hogwart's together and be the best witch and wizard that school has ever seen!"
"Really?" whispered Lily.
"Definitely," said James, "Next summer we'll get our letters, I promise."
"And will it really come by owl?" Lily whispered.
"Normally," said James. "But you're Muggle-born, so mum told me that someone from the school will have to come and explain to your parents."
"Does it make a difference, being Muggle-born?"
"No." he said, "It doesn't make any difference…and if anyone ever tells you that it does...you point me in their direction and I'll beat 'em up."
"You wouldn't hurt anyone," said Lily, narrowing her eyes at James, "Or you'd get detention."
"Detention, shmatention." James' hazel eyes shined, "I'd only be in trouble if I got caught."
Lily pushed him teasingly. They grinned at each other for a few quiet moments before James climbed over her and then stood up and jumped off the slide. He held out his hand to her.
"Come on!" he said impatiently, "I wanna teach you to fly!"
Lily spent so much time at the Potter house that summer; she eventually had to admit to her parents she'd made a friend outside of school. James was invited over for dinner and Petunia was furious that Lily's parents respected the eccentric boy. Lily was sad to learn that James spent the winters away from Cokeworth in a place he called Godric's Hollow but before he left, he gave Lily a giant bear hug.
"Best friends forever?" he asked her with a wide grin.
"Forever." She established, "See you next summer."
James nodded, "Next summer."
The winter seemed to drag on without James' wild stories and Lily thought for a moment she'd imagined all of it. Petunia was happy that the Potter's left. Lily and Petunia began spending time together again. Lily didn't play with her magic around Petunia anymore. Petunia seemed to like her better that way and the winter went by without them arguing…but summer returned and so did James.
James came to the playground after school and waited for Lily to pass by. She practically smothered him with hugs. Petunia left her to walk home alone after that, no matter how many times Lily told her to stay and get to know James. Lily talked with James everyday now. Lily told James about the muggle world and he told her about the wizarding world. They talked about so many wonderful and magical things. James loved the idea of movies and Lily loved the broomstick game called quidditch.
One day James was talking about how he'd have to get Lily one of his quidditch books. Lily wasn't quite listening to James. Lily had stretched out on the leafy ground and was looking up at the canopy of leaves overhead. James was tossing acorns up in the air and catching them easily.
"How was Godric's Hollow?" Lily asked.
"Fine." he said, "I finally did a one eighty speed spin on my broom."
"Did your parents get you a new one for Christmas?" Lily rolled over on her belly and kicked her legs in the air.
James sighed indigently, "No," he seemed bitter still, "Mum said no new broom until I get on a Quidditch team at Hogwarts." He picked up a fistful of leaves and tossed them playfully at Lily, "I hope you make the team with me."
Lily tossed leaves back at him, "I'm nowhere near good a flier as you."
"You're not wrong—hey!" he laughed when she kicked him, "I mean, you're not half bad."
A little smile twisted Lily's mouth, "You're an arrogant toe-rag James Potter."
He didn't believe her accusations at all, "You don't mean that." He said, "You know I can't help being so talented!"
Lily stuck her tongue out at him, "I'd hex you right now if I had a wand."
He grinned cheekily, "I'd count on it."
They were quiet and then Lily's voice fluttered across the still air, "James?"
"Yeah?" he arched an eyebrow at Lily's mystified tone.
"Tell me about the dementors again."
James was sharing her puzzled expression, "What d'you want to know about them for?"
"If I use magic outside school – "
"They wouldn't give you to the dementors for that! Dementors are for people who do really bad stuff. They guard the wizard prison, Azkaban." James explained, "Only really dark wizards go there and you're the nicest person I know, so you'll never go there."
"Thanks James." Lily mumbled, playing with the leaves.
There was a sudden sound behind the duo. Petunia, hiding behind a tree, had lost her footing.
"Tuney!" said Lily, surprise and welcome in her voice.
James looked up lazily but not entirely unkindly, "What d'you want?"
Petunia was breathless, alarmed at being caught.
"Nice glasses." Petunia said unkindly of James square frames that were too large for his thin face, "You get them from the poor house on Crafton Street?"
James stretched a smile, "Nah, I got them from Diagon Alley." He winked at Petunia spitefully; "Only witches and wizards can shop there though so don't go getting any fashion ideas from me."
"James." Lily mumbled in forewarning before turning back to her sister, "want to play with us?"
"Yeah," James weakly showed fake enthusiasm, "That sounds like so much fun."
Petunia, however, was already flushed, "You shouldn't be hanging out with him, Lily."
"He's my best friend." Lily said, sitting up to scowl at her older sister.
Petunia looked snubbed, "I should be your best friend. I'm your sister."
"Tuney!"
But Petunia was running away. Lily groaned and dropped her head in her hands.
"I'm sorry." James apologized, "I know she's been weird and I shouldn't have—"
"No, I'll deal with her." After one last annoyed look, she ran from the little thicket, off after her sister, and only glanced back once to wave at James, "I'll talk to you tomorrow!"
Lily tried to reason with Petunia but it only ended in crying. Their parents threatened to ground both of them if they didn't play nice. They girls only played nice in front of their parents; behind the scenes it was nasty glares and rude words.
The rest of the summer only got worse when Lily finally got her letter from Hogwarts from a very stern witch who introduced herself as Professor McGonagall. Lily's parents were happy to hear that Lily's specialties weren't abnormal (for a witch) and Professor McGonagall was very convincing. Lily told her parents that James was a wizard and they seemed even happier to hear she had a friend close by who was going through the same thing as them. The Potter's brought by some casserole in celebration. Petunia locked herself in her room.
Petunia only spoke to Lily again on platform nine and three quarters before Lily left for school. The two girls stood a little apart from their parents. Lily pleaded with her sister.
"Listen – " She caught her sister's hand and held tight to it, even though Petunia tried to pull it away. "Maybe once I'm there – no, listen, Tuney! Maybe once I'm there, I'll be able to go to Professor Dumbledore and persuade him to change his mind!"
"I don't – want – to – go!" said Petunia, and she dragged her hand back out of her sister's grasp. "You think I want to go to some stupid castle and learn to be a – a..."
Her pale eyes roved over the platform, over the cats mewling in their owners' arms, over the owls, fluttering and hooting at each other in cages, over the students, some already in their long black robes, loading trunks onto the scarlet steam engine or else greeting one another with glad cries after a summer apart.
" – you think I want to be a – a freak?"
Lily's eyes filled with tears as Petunia succeeded in tugging her hand away. "I'm not a freak," said Lily. "That's a horrible thing to say."
"That's where you're going," said Petunia with relish. "A special school for freaks. You and that Potter boy...weirdos, that's what you two are. It's good you're being separated from normal people. It's for our safety."
Lily glanced toward her parents, who were looking around the platform with an air of wholehearted enjoyment, drinking in the scene. Then she looked back at her sister, and her voice was low and fierce.
"You didn't think it was such a freak's school when you wrote to the headmaster and begged him to take you."
Petunia turned scarlet.
"Beg? I didn't beg!"
"I saw his reply. It was very kind."
"You shouldn't have read – " whispered Petunia, "that was my private – how could you – ?"
Lily gave herself away by half-glancing toward where James stood nearby.
Petunia gasped, "That boy found it! You and that boy have been sneaking in my room!"
"No – not sneaking – " Now Lily was on the defensive. "James saw the envelope when he was visiting, and he couldn't believe a Muggle could have contacted Hogwarts, that's all! He says there must be wizards working undercover in the postal service who take care of –"
"Apparently wizards poke their noses in everywhere!" said Petunia, now as pale as she had been flushed. "Freak!" she spat at her sister.
Lily's chest concaved and she bit back her tears. Mr. and Mrs. Evans assumed she was choked up because she was leaving them. Only James knew the real reason she was upset as they got onto the scarlet train together. He had already changed into his school robes and wore a scarlet and gold tie that seemed a little large for him.
"Tuney hates me. Because we saw that letter from Dumbledore."
"I'm sorry."
James seemed uncomfortable as they entered a compartment where there was a boy sitting alone with his head pressed against the window. They fell into a compartment chair and the boy only glanced at them once.
"She's just jealous of you." He divulged, "You know she doesn't mean it, she'll probably write and tell you she's sorry."
"What if she doesn't write?" Lily stated dejectedly.
"Then she's not a very good sister."
Lily sniffed and wiped her eyes.
"But we're going!" he said, unable to suppress the exhilaration in his voice. "This is it! We're off to Hogwarts!"
She nodded, still mopping her eyes, but in spite of herself, she half smiled.
"I hope you're sorted into the same house as me," said James, encouraged that she had brightened a little.
"Sorting?"
One of the boys sharing the compartment, who had shown no interest at all in Lily or James until that point, looked around at the word.
"Where are you hoping to go?" James asked the fair boy, welcoming him into their conversation.
"My whole family have been in Slytherin," he said, "They say it's the best house."
"Blimey," said James, "and I thought you seemed all right!"
The boy grinned, "Maybe I'll break the tradition." Then he asked, "Where are you hoping to be sorted?"
James lifted an invisible sword, "Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart!"
"How many houses are there again?" Lily asked, the names fluttering around in her head.
"Four." James reminded Lily, "Dad was Gryffindor and mum was Hufflepuff."
"Then there's Ravenclaw and Slytherin." The other boy said, "How do you not know the houses?"
"She's muggleborn." James said with a somewhat protective look in Lily's direction.
"I've never met a muggleborn before." The boy's grey eyes scanned her clothes up and down with interest.
"Lily's amazing." James bragged, "She's gonna be top of our class. I guarantee it."
Lily didn't miss the look of surprise on the boy's pale face but it passed quickly. The boy looked back out the window until the snack cart appeared and James excitedly bought them all sweets, eager for Lily to try pepper imps. Lily passed the nameless boy some of her candy and he offered her a smile.
"I'm Lily." She said kindly.
"Sirius." The boy replied, "Thanks for the frogs."
Lily shrugged before turning back to James. He was playing with his wand, newly purchased from Ollivanders. Lily's wand was packed in her trunk but she was excited to take it out. Lily left Sirius and James in the compartment alone together so she could change into her robes once the sun disappeared behind the clouds. She met a few girls in the loo and one of them, named Marlene, followed Lily back to the compartment with the boys.
When they finally made it to the castle, it was even bigger than she'd imagined it. Even James, who had spent months describing the castle to Lily, had his mouth drop open at the sight of it. There were so many kids crowded into the hall that Lily was overwhelmed. She stuck to James' side like glue as the sorting hat began to induct students into their houses.
Professor McGonagall called for Lily early on in the sorting, "Evans, Lily!"
Lily walked forward on trembling legs and sat down upon the rickety stool in the middle of the hall. Professor McGonagall dropped the Sorting Hat onto her head, and barely a second after it had touched her dark red hair, the hat cried, "Gryffindor!"
Lily took off the hat, handed it back to Professor McGonagall, then hurried toward the cheering Gryffindors, but as she went she sent James a pleased grin. Sirius moved up the bench to make room for her. She took one look at him, smiled, and then looked up early to await James' name to be called.
When at last, it was James' turn and the hat called out Gryffindor, Lily cheered loudly and proudly. She hugged James when he came to sit between her and Sirius. James hugged her back before turning back to Sirius.
"Guess you broke tradition, eh?"
"Maybe traditions were made to be broken." Sirius replied back.
Lily ended up sharing her best friend with Sirius after that day. Sirius and James were attached at the hip. They caused trouble together and got their first detentions together when they put baking soda in all the cauldrons during Potions. Lily kept her distance when Sirius and James were up to mischief—she found friends of her own to keep the peace.
A few years passed and James was still her best friend at Hogwarts. They were both heavily involved in their school activities but she could always count on early breakfasts with him. It was one of her favorite parts of the day, mostly because he always had her laughing with his bantering.
"I thought we were supposed to be friends?" James was saying one morning over his eggs, "Best friends?"
"We are, James, but if you make fun of me joining the Slug Club one more time I'm gonna hex you into next week." Lily reached over the table to ruffle his black hair obnoxiously, "Got it?"
"Lily," James said dramatically, "I can't be your best friend if you keep going to Slug Club. A popular quidditch jock such as myself has a reputation to maintain."
"What reputation?" Lily snorted humorlessly, exchanging a doubtful look with their mutual friends.
James explained, "A bad boy reputation that will be tarnished if his best mate Lily Evans is a Teachers Pet Prefect who gives him detention."
"You deserved that detention James. You hexed Aubrey's head to twice its size." Lily exclaimed, "All he did was tell me I have nice eyes."
"Yeah," James said suspiciously, "That's all he said..."
"James you can't assume very guy who asks me out has an hidden agenda to shag me."
James countered, "As your best mate, I get say in who dates you."
"You hate anyone who even show's the slightest interest—"
"I told you to date old Sluggy, he likes you well enough." James said of the Potions Professor who was more than triple Lily's age.
Lily shook her spoon at James, "Don't make me hex you."
"If you hex me then Sirius will have no choice but to hex you in retaliation." James spoke up in favor of Sirius, who looked annoyed at being brought into their early morning bickering.
"How do you know Sirius would take your side?" Lily asked.
"I'd take James' side." Sirius said, unhelpfully, over his coffee mug.
"I'd murder both of you in a duel, with my eyes covered." Lily said shortly and their mates Remus and Peter laughed at her defiant look.
"Too bad perfect Teacher's Pet Prefects can't duel." Sirius scoffed at her challenge.
Lily (who was on the right side of the teachers unlike her mischief making best mate) had gotten the honor of being inducted into the student leadership. It was a role she was proud of, but something that Sirius and James teased her endlessly for. Lily always complained they never made fun of their friend Remus Lupin (who had also gotten Prefect) and Sirius said it was because they liked Remus more than her. Lily had become pro at sparring verbally with Sirius Black.
"That's why I'm not a Prefect." James said, "Because then I couldn't duel the Slytherin's for being arseholes."
Lily rolled her eyes at James, "Keep the competitive streak on the Quidditch pitch, James."
James' smile widened, "You're right Evans," he drawled, "Those Slytherins do hate when I annihilate them on the field."
"Don't you mean when the team annihilates the Slytherins on the field?" Lily asked, poking him in the side, "I don't remember Gryffindor Quidditch being a purely James Potter league."
James poked her back, "You always keep my head on the ground."
Lily wrinkled her nose impishly, "That's what I'm here for."
James winked at Lily before turning back to Sirius to talk about the last quidditch game.
It wasn't until fifth year when Lily started to wonder if her feelings for James weren't entirely platonic. She first questioned it when she came back from a Slug Club meeting and he was lounging on the couch in his quidditch gear eating a cauldron cake. There was nothing special about that position but the way his hair fell into his eyes when he laughed at something Sirius said made Lily's heart skip a beat.
The only problem was, she was certain he drove her mad. Lily stared at him the rest of the night and then didn't stop staring. She noticed the way he ate his vegetables before anything else on his plate at dinner. She noticed how he always played with a stupid snitch he'd nicked out of the quidditch shed. She noticed the way he licked his lips when they went on long walks around the lake together. She noticed that he ruffled his hair to make it look like he'd just gotten off a broom.
It all drove her spare and she was certain James knew it too. He often picked fights with her, as if needing to get a reaction out of her. Sometimes it was just joking, like when he'd tease her for being in Slug Club. Sometimes it was serious and she had to tell him off for being a jerk and hexing another student who got in his way. The only thing that bothered Lily was that fighting with James only made Lily like him more.
It got her heart pumping and blood flowing and she wished she could vent her feelings out another way besides yelling at him.
Unfortunately, James didn't make it easy not to shout at him.
"I can't believe you let him put frog spawn in her hair." Lily was chastising Sirius after potions one day when James had gone storming out of the classroom when Lily had called him a git for putting frogspawn in their friend Mary's hair.
"He wanted to help you cheer her up when he saw she was crying."
"By frog spawning Mary's hair?" Lily exclaimed wildly.
"He was hoping you'd both laugh." Sirius shrugged, "It was a joke, it's just frog spawn."
Lily sighed and pressed her fingers into her forehead, "Why doesn't he think before acting?"
"Well, he always makes a fool of himself when you're around." Sirius chuckled.
"What?" Lily blanched.
"He fancies you," Sirius told her.
"He does not fancy me." She debated, flushing deeply when Sirius sent her a pointed stare.
"He does."
"He's my best friend Sirius."
"No," Sirius argued, "He's my best friend." He nudged her, "He's more than that to you, Evans."
The corridor seemed smaller when James reappeared, looking bashful, when he requested to speak to Lily alone. The hallway was dark and James' eyes glowed from the few torches keeping the hallway from being pitch black. Lily crossed her arms, Sirius' words echoing through her head. She almost believed that James fancied her when he stared at her so eagerly in the dark hallway.
"I was just trying to make her laugh."
He was talking about their friend Mary. Lily's fingernails pressed into her palms as she moved her stare from his face to the stone floor. Mary had cried harder when James put the frogspawn in her pretty brown hair. Mary didn't need to cry; James knew that, it's why he looked so miserable now.
"It wasn't funny." She whispered.
"I said I was sorry." He reminded her awkwardly, "I really did just want to make her laugh, she's been so sad since Mulciber—" his voice trailed off and when she looked up at James she saw he was staring at her with a hard expression.
"What?" she asked, surprised by the sudden toughened stare.
"You'd tell me," he whispered, "You'd tell me if any of the Sytherin's were giving you trouble for being muggleborn, wouldn't you?"
Lily was taken back years past; she was taken back to a sunlit thicket of trees where she'd asked James if it mattered that she was born to two non-magical parents. He'd assured her there was no problem and she knew now that he'd lied to her. She knew he'd tried to protect her then just like he always did now. Lily knew that if she told James about every time she'd been called a mudblood he'd bring the school down to flames with his rage. Lily knew if Sirius told James the number of times he'd caught her wiping away the tears behind James' back—James would be insulted she didn't tell him. Lily knew that even in the dark hallway, James knew the answer to his own question but he couldn't bring himself to admit it.
Lily was as different in the magical world as she'd been in the muggle world.
He took a step closer and wrapped his hands in hers. His forehead pressed against hers. She closed her eyes, listening to the sound of his tranquil breathing.
"I meant what I said when we were kids." He told her gently, "Point me in their direction, I'll hex anyone who even looks at you funny."
She felt her lips curve into a smile, "Not if I hex them first."
"Are you still mad at me?"
Lily pulled her forehead from his so she could look him in the eyes, "Will you do me a favor?"
"Anything."
Her cheeks flushed again when he brought a hand up to her cheeks to brush her dark red hair from her eyes. Her eyes were wide and she wondered how she could go from being boiling mad at James one second, to feeling completely infatuated with him the next.
"When you want to make someone laugh," she said finally, "Maybe don't put frogspawn in their hair?"
"I'll stick to telling my killer jokes." James pledged.
"Maybe not your jokes either," Lily said weakly.
"Why not?" James' voice rose in defense.
The corner of her lips lifted, "They're a little corny."
"Excuse you Evans, but my joke about the wizard and the disappearing barstool gets you every time."
A breathy laugh escaped her chest, "James that's your worst joke."
"You laugh every time!"
She didn't know how to tell James that she laughed at anything that came out of his mouth, even when she was mad at him, she was utterly charmed by him. James just assumed she was always stuck in a spout of giggles when he was around. Sirius saw right through Lily's smiles and chuckles.
"You fancy him too, don't you?"
Sirius confronted Lily one day over the summer when they were shopping together without James in Diagon Alley. Lily neither confirmed nor denied the accusation, she only commented on how the asking price for ginger had gone up a sickle. Sirius snorted indignantly and chucked a giant dragon nut at her. Lily retaliated by squirting his fancy black robes with her pumpkin juice.
On their way back to Cokeworth together Lily admitted, "I don't know how to tell him."
Sirius, who had moved in with James' family after being disowned by his own, walked Lily along the old playground fence line. The summer sun was beating down on Lily's shoulders like it had done the day she'd met James right by the old swing set. The flower bushes had long since died and the swings had long since broken but Lily stilled loved the old play set.
"I think you'll find that he wouldn't mind you telling him that you want to snog the daylights out of him." Sirius promised her.
Lily nudged shoulders with Sirius, "And you'd be okay with that?"
Sirius raised a self-indulgent eyebrow at her, "Evans, I knew the two of you would get together the moment I met you on the train."
She flushed again, "You did not."
"James has always had a crush on you." Sirius argued, "Even back in third year when he dated Angie Stevens he was only going out with her because you were seeing Anthony Weatherly."
Lily had only dated Anthony Weatherly in third year because James didn't ask her to Hogsmede.
Sirius left Lily by her home steps with a piece of advice, "Just snog him already Evans, before I have to shove you both into a room and lock the door."
James met Lily the next morning for their walk along the riverbank. He always took her hand first thing, but let go of it whenever they passed the old playground. Lily counted her steps as they passed the old swing set, waiting for the telltale moment when James' fingers would unclasp from hers.
They didn't.
Lily's eyes looked down at her fingers wrapped in James' fingers. His thumb was rubbing circles on her skin. She stopped before the reached the tree line and tugged on his arm when he kept walking. James stopped to look over his shoulder at her with a dorky smile that lit up his whole face. The sun was shining in his dark black hair; the individual curls seeming to shimmer like they were touched by magic. Lily's eyes traced his straightforward grin. Lily chewed on her lower lip wonderingly.
"What?" he asked, startled by her suddenly change of expression.
Lily swallowed inexplicably before bravely stepping forward. Lily let go of James' hand so she could wrap both arms around his neck. James, puzzled, pulled her into a hug but he snickered into her ear as she gripped him tightly around the shoulders.
"You okay Lily?"
Lily pulled back only to place her nose close to his. His lips were slightly parted as his hazel eyes traced her face. Lily's toes were starting to hurt from standing on them but she wasn't about to let herself drift away from James' mouth. With a tiny little push onto her tiptoes she pressed her lips firmly again his.
James was startled at first by her kiss but quickly reciprocated, leaning towards her so she could put her feet back on the ground. Her fingers wrapped in the messy black hair she used to braid playfully over long chats in the common room. His hands cupped her face in an adoring way that he'd only ever done when wiping tears from her face when she was sad. When Lily pulled back from the kiss James flashed his eyes open.
"What was that for?" he whispered.
"It's obvious, isn't it?" she said.
"What's obvious?" his hazel eyes were wide and calculating.
"I'm in love with you."
I hope you enjoyed this and it was everything you hoped for and more. Love you, bye!
xxx
Petals