Disclaimer: Not mine. It's that simple.

The First Time

All of the first years were standing in a line waiting to be sorted. James Potter was in the line like all the others, but he wasn't paying as much attention to the sorting. He was watching a red headed girl he had met on the train. He had learned that her name was Lily Evans, and that he liked her. A lot. Unfortunately he ad also discovered that she didn't like him.

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He remembered how it had happened so clearly. He had walked into her compartment on the train to find a boy whose name he had afterwards learned was Severus Snape calling a redhead names like mudblood. He had of course taken immediate action, putting Snape, or Snivellus as he had dubbed the other boy in a leg bind. He then looked up and his hazel eyes met the amazingly beautiful green pools that the redhead had in place of eyes. At the moment their eyes met it was as though he had a sudden understanding of the girl's soul. In that second he knew he had found the girl he would love forever. He could have stood there forever staring into her eyes.

The girl however had other ideas. She cried angrily "why did you do that?!! He did nothing at all to you did he?" James was still staring and the girl clearly did NOT appreciate his attention. She angrily told him "stop staring at me" when he did not respond to her words she screamed "FIRST YOU HAD BETTER STOP STARING AT ME, THEN YOU CAN TAKE THE SPELL OF THIS BOY BECAUSE HE DIDN'T EVEN DO ANYTHING."

That caught his attention and he stopped staring at the girl's eyes. He looked at her in surprise and yelped, "Didn't do anything! What do you mean? He called you a-a-a. The M word!"

"You mean mudblood? Is that a bad word? I've never even heard it before. So what! I don't care if he calls me names. That's no reason to hurt him. It makes you as bad as him! Any way what does mudblood mean?

James stared at her in consternation. She had just said mudblood not once, but twice. It was a word his parents had told him he should never, ever, say. She was clearly muggleborn and he should explain what it meant. "That word is something some pureblood wizards call muggleborns. It means dirty blood and it's a really bad insult. Only wizards who think that they are better because of their blood use it. I won't take the spell off of him because he shouldn't have called you that! Your blood doesn't matter! There are plenty of purebloods that don't care about blood. I'm one of them." He explained and proudly puffed out his chest, expecting her to be impressed.

Unfortunately for him, she wasn't. She said, "As happy as I am that you aren't going to call me a mudblood, you still shouldn't have done that. If you won't take it off of him, then I will!" with that she lifted the spell and looked up at him as if surprised that James was still there. "Well? Why are you still here?"

James started, realizing that he'd been staring again. "I wanted to know what your name was. I'm James Potter, pureblood." He was nervous as he said it. He already liked this girl a lot, and she appeared to have the temper that redheads were so famous for. And he thought miserably, She hates me.

"You want to know my name?" The girl was clearly amused, and for a moment James was afraid that she wouldn't tell him. He had to know. But then she said "Lily Evans, muggleborn, as you obviously guessed. Good bye Potter."

James left in a daze wondering if the beautiful girl would be in his house. Soon afterwards he had met another first year. His name was Sirius Black, and he and James hit it off instantly. When James told him about the girl, little did Sirius know that it would be the first of many rants about Lily Evans.

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"Black, Sirius." McGonagall calling out the name of his new best friend brought James back to reality. He tore his eyes from Evans to watch his friend. He knew how nervous his friend was that he'd be sorted into Slytherin like the rest of his family. James watched with bated breath as Sirius sat on the stool with the hat on his head. He waited for the hat to call out which house his friend would be in. Then "GRYFFINDOR" screamed the hat. James applauded loudly along with the Gryffindor table. Once Sirius was seated James's eyes went back to watching the Redheaded Lily Evans.

When Lily was sorted into Gryffindor James was elated. He was sure he'd be in that house, after all, both of his parents had been. James zoned out again after the Lily Evans was sorted. He thought to himself that Lily Evans was a beautiful name.

When James was called up to be sorted the hat cried "GRYFFINDOR" mere instants after touching his head. He immediately went to sit with Sirius and they started talking.

Now, you must understand that James was interested in things other than Lily at Hogwarts; the lovely, perfect, amazing spectacular girl had simply surprised him. He was also excited by the prospect of pranking and exploring and learning magic. He knew that he and Sirius would be the most amazing pranksters in Hogwarts history.

Knowing this it is no surprise that their conversation soon turned to the first prank they would do. They were just deciding that Snivellus (James had shared the name with Sirius, who thought that it was hilarious) would be a perfect target when James felt a tap on his shoulder.

It was Lily. "You can't do that. He didn't do any thing to you! Why do you hate him so much? Just leave him alone." She said angrily. It was clear that she had heard their conversation.

"Well, he didn't do anything exactly, but he did call you a-a-a, well a you-know-what, and he's a Slytherin. He deserves what he gets," explained James with Sirius nodding his head vigorously all the while.

Judging by the look on Lily's face she didn't like his explanation. The words that came out of her mouth a moment later absolutely confirmed it. "You know what James Potter? You absolutely disgust me. You hardly even know the boy, but just because he used a word you don't like and is in Slytherin house you decide to prank him. And by what I heard that's a nasty prank!"

James almost thought he could see sparks flying from her eyes. He thought she looked very beautiful when she was angry. Then before he knew words were coming out of his mouth with out his consent "Evans, do you want to go out with me?" He asked. He knew it had been a mistake as soon as he looked into her spectacularly green eyes. If he had thought she looked angry before, now she was furious. Her eyes were filled with hatred and anger.

Lily pulled her new wand out of her robes and said in a low, dangerous voice "wingardium leviosa." James's pumpkin juice rose into the air. Moving her wand slowly and with great control Lily moved the cup so that it was above James's head. Then she let it drop. "That is your answer. I hope that your tiny brain can figure it out." She then walked over to sit with another first year Gryffindor, Alice.

James looked at Sirius and said, "So you think that was a no? Still looking on the bright side she remembered my name."

Sirius laughed. "I suppose she did remember your name, but I'd say that was a no. It sounds like she hates you!" he replied to his friend.

James looked over at Lily longingly then turned back to his friend and said, "now, about that prank."

Author's note: Did you like it? Yes, no? Please tell me. This is my first story, so please try to be nice, but honest.