Chapter 1

Prologue

We all know the differences between James Potter and Lily Evans are many. To sum it up, more than anything in the world, James Potter wanted to go on one date with Lily Evans. More than anything in the world, Lily Evans wanted James Potter to leave her alone. He feared rejection while she feared he would never give up. He was always up for a laugh and she was too, but within reason. He hoped for an exciting year but she was ready for everything to quiet down. He broke far too many rules and served quite a number of detentions. She was a Prefect and had barely served any detentions at all. He hexed people, and as a Prefect, she gave detentions to people who hexed. He was at the top of their class and she was thought to be the brightest witch of her age. He fancied one date in Hogsmeade, but she was utterly repulsed by the idea. He was arrogant and she was stubborn.

While they have their differences, they have one thing in common: their sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was anything but ordinary. Many things would happen that year; letters would be sent, things were realised, and a war beginning to brew.

A year later, James would claim that one hundred and ninety-seven events led up to this. It was amazing, he thought, that one miniscule event would lead to another, creating a domino effect, such as the first piss of the year with his three best friends.

Around the same time, Lily would stubbornly argue that it all began with a letter.

No matter who was correct, we will begin with the first even that the arrogant young man had claimed to start it all.

Communal Pissing

The entire castle was buzzing with excitement for the new term to begin. The Gryffindor Boys' communal bathrooms, however, were unusually loud – louder than anywhere else in the entire school. There was the unmistakable yelp from a red-faced and flustered Remus Lupin, uncontrollable tittering from Peter Pettigrew, and the howling laughter coming from a mischievous Sirius Black. Of course, there was the unmistakable loud voice of one James Potter resonating throughout.

"Oh come on, Moony! Just let me see yours," James guffawed, ruffling his already untidy black hair.

"No, absolutely not," the other cried out, turning the shade of his burgundy tie.

The third boy wiped tears from laughing so hard from his face. "Come on, Moony. Prongs let me see his," he teased, his grey eyes lighting up as another wave of laughter came rolling through.

"Oi, you have nothing to brag about, Padfoot," James snorted. "Mine is bigger."

Peter giggle hysterically and Remus shot the other three a look.

"Wouldn't Lily love to know that piece of information," suggested the smallest of the four, Peter.

"Ha! Try every bird in this school," Sirius snorted, shaking his shaggy black hair out of his eyes.

"Oi, that's Prongs' one true love though," Peter teased.

"Damn straight," James said in a much more serious tone, smacking Sirius upside the head.

"Honestly, you three, we've been in our dorms for five minutes. Don't make me write you up," Remus sighed, his brown hair shaking with his head. He couldn't believe that they were doing this in here.

"Don't make me write you up," Sirius mocked. "Oi, mate, I know you're a Prefect and all, but cut us some slack, we're your mates!"

Remus rolled his brown eyes and led the other three Marauders, as they called themselves, out of the bathroom.

"Speaking of Evans," James piped up. "Did you see her at the Welcoming Feast? She looked fit. The Holiday did her well."

None of the other boys quite knew how to answer. Each had previously experienced the wrong side of agreeing with James and it turning ugly. Lily Evans was a very touchy subject for James.

"Er, yeah, she looked quite nice," Peter quietly ventured to say, a bit on the cautious side.

James stopped and looked at the Prefect, his eyes wide. "I came up with a brilliant plan. You get to work with her all the time, yeah, what with meetings and probably rounds. You two are already close anyway…"

"In a completely platonic way," the other quickly assured. "She's a good mate of mine, no matter."

"Can you help me out," asked James. "Would you mind putting in a good word for me?"

The Prefect sighed once more. "I suppose so." This year, he thought, would certainly not be like the others.

Unkempt

"Why is Potter's hair always so untidy," Lily whispered to her best friend, Marlene McKinnon, as they were walking down the third floor corridor to Defence Against the Dark Arts. "One would think that after five years of hanging around a bloke like Remus Lupin, he'd learn to at least comb it."

Marlene twirled a strand of her blonde hair, trying to form an answer. "I dunno. I've heard that it's rather nice to touch. At least, that's what Samantha Hearst claims."

"First off," said Lily. "Samantha Heart is the biggest slag of our year. Second of all, how the hell would she know? Potter has standards, surprisingly. Granted, they are low ones, but –"

"What are the pair of you talking about," a new voice piped up, causing Lily and Marlene to jump. A jet black haired girl, sporting a Head Girl badge and a grin had sneaked up behind them.

"G'morning, Alice," the ginger greeted. "We were…"

"She was just complaining about James Potter and the lack of effort he puts into his hair."

"It is rather unkempt," the Head Girl agreed. She laughed at the thought and then looked at her watch. "The pair of you are headed to Defence a bit early, aren't you."

"She pulled me along with her," said the blonde. "I was trying to finish my breakfast."

"What happened?"

"Potter was making a beeline for me. I highly doubt that he actually wanted something other than to ask me out. In all honesty, I just want to enjoy my first day back without having to deal with him," Lily sighed dramatically. "You would think the boy could wait a few days."

Alice shook her head and grinned once more, laughing at the dramatics of the year below her. "Well, ladies, I best be off. Frank will be looking for me."

"Oh, I nearly forgot, Alice, congratulations on Head Girl," Lily called out as she watched the girl scurry off.

"Give Frank our best," Marlene yelled.

The two girls rounded another corner until they reached their destination.

"We're here so early," the blonde complained to her mate. "I know you loathe James and love to sit up front, but twenty-five minutes is just a bit ridiculous, Lily."

Lily rolled her eyes and pushed open the door, expecting an empty classroom. To their surprise, however, the classroom was not empty. Instead, one boy sat in there. He was sitting in the front seat – her seat – waiting patiently. The boy turned around to her and grinned.

"Potter, would you please get your bloody arse out of that seat," asked Lily, as she made her way up to the front.

The boy ran his hands through his hair and grinned. "No, I don't think I will. I kind of like it up here," he said, standing up, but still blocking her access to the chair. James had grown even more over the summer, now towering almost a head above the fuming female glaring up at him.

"Move. Now," Lily gritted through her teeth. Her mind was racing, trying to think how Potter got there quicker that she did.

"Honestly Lily, it's just a seat. We can sit behind him," Marlene suggested. "Or you could sit beside him, if you really want to be up in the front." Marlene was personally hoping that both would learn to be able to tolerate each other. Unfortunately her dream had fallen short.

"But…but…" the other girl sputtered, trying to make sense of it all. She could feel the heat in her cheeks rise, surely turning a bright shade of red.

"Alright, Evans?" the bespectacled boy asked ruffling his hair. His hazel eyes flickered down to meet her angry green ones.

"Would you stop running your fingers through your damn hair?" Lily nearly yelled, exasperated. "Honestly, your hair is messy enough without you doing that."

"All right, Evans," said James, smirking. He sat back down in the seat and purposefully ruffled his hair. He turned back to face her. "Better?"

"You are such an arrogant git." At that, she sauntered off, to another seat, still fuming, as other students started to file in.

This was not going to be a quiet year as she had hoped it to be.

Snapping and Snogging

Lily stormed back into the common room, the portrait swinging close swiftly behind her. Her mind was racing. She needed to go somewhere far away from here. She wasn't sorry that she embarrassed him. He deserved. Stupid, arrogant James Potter deserved every hex he had coming, what with strutting like he owns the place, hexing others, and always lying and making up excuses.

She crossed the common room and sat down in one of the big, fluffy armchairs and just tried to escape in thought.

James' lanky shadow soon loomed over her.

"Go away," she said coldly.

"Get up," demanded the boy.

The red head turned around in the chair. "Can I help you?"

James was in a rare state. His hair was more unkempt, and he was furrowing his brow. His facial expression was not of the mostly permanent smirk, but that of a snarl. He was tense, his muscles showed that, and obviously, he was fuming.

"What in the bloody hell is your problem, Evans?"

Lily slowly rose, her green eyes in slits, and turned to face him. "That poor fourth year didn't deserve to be hexed by you. I thought you were a bit more mature than that, Potter."

"Would you rather I hex Severus," the boy sneered.

"I don't care what you do to him. He can fend for himself. However, a fourth year cannot. And you know what; you can stop strutting around like you –"

"I do not strut," James quickly defended. "You better watch out –"

Both of their faces were red from anger and were breathing heavily.

Lily took a step closer to him. "Is that a threat? Are you actually stooping to the level of threats?" She tucked her hair behind her ears, ready to fight some more.

"I cannot win with you," James cried out, exasperated. "I give up!"

"Fabulous," the girl replied. But she knew James didn't mean it. He never did

"Prude," spat James.

"Tosser," Lily growled back.

(Later, Boys Dormitory)

"Did you have another fight with Evans?" the long haired boy asked as James glumly rested on his bed.

The other boy sighed, tossing his Snitch in the air and catching it. He didn't answer; he just kept tossing the little golden ball.

"I don't understand it, mate. You are completely infatuated with her and she would literally choose a giant squid over you. All you do is fight," the blonde boy known as Peter said.

"I don't either, to be honest. I don't understand it one bit. She makes me so angry and I do the same to her. My face gets all red and I let all my fury out on her and she does the same," explained the troubled roommate.

"Hell hath no fury like a woman's scorn," Remus quipped with a small smile on his face.

"That's an awful lot of shite to go through just for a bird," Peter mused, mostly to himself.

"She's not just a bird, she's the bird," sighed James once more. "I just need to get her to realise it." He returned his attention back to his Snitch.

If this were any indication as to how the rest of the year would be, he would probably not stop fighting.

(Around the same time, Girls Dormitory)

Marlene was laying on her bed mindlessly flipping through her Defence book when her fuming redhead of a best mate stormed in, slamming the door shut, and sinking against it. Their other roommates sent her a worried glance.

"Potter problems?" she offered as the other girls resumed gossiping. She walked over and sat next to Lily.

The redhead nodded. "He is just so arrogant. And he's cocky too! He thinks I'm some sort of prize to be won."

Before Marlene could say another word, the group of girls on the other side burst out in giggles and nearly scandalous exclamations.

"Samantha!" one girl exclaimed. "You didn't actually snog James Potter, did you?"

"Of course I did," Samantha bragged. "His hair is so soft. It was the best place to put my hands. He'd do a little groan every time I pulled on it. It was such a turn on for both of us."

(Charms)

James Potter was quite lanky. He had black hair – which, like James – was quite unruly and unkempt. He could be considered attractive if he wasn't so arrogant and cocky. He had glasses, which were always perched crookedly on his nose. He had a nice smile, but he rarely ever showed it. It was normally hidden by a smirk. At the age of sixteen, he was already quite a skilled Quidditch player; he was named captain of the House team. Everyone knew him, and to his three closest friends – the Marauders – he was very loyal. But, he hexed people and lied.

All of these characteristics of this boy were recorded in the back of Lily's head while she was sitting in Charms, sitting next to Remus.

He had a certain air to him, James did. He was so passionate about whatever he was talking about, and at least acted like he genuinely cared about people.

At one point, he had turned around to discuss something quietly with Remus and she found herself staring at him, lost in thought.

"You know, most people consider staring to be quite rude, Evans," James said, interrupting her thoughts. "Luckily, I'm not most people," he added with a wink.

"I have no clue what you're even on about, Potter," she sniffed.

"You know," he said leaning in so that only she could hear. "If you want to snog me, you just need to let me know. Or you can come up and just go at it. Either way is fine by me, really." He gave her one of those looks and smirked.

She rolled her eyes. "Not even in your dreams, Potter."

"I'll let you put your hands in my hair. I know you've been dying to. It's the perfect place to put them while snogging."

"So I've heard.

"And," he added, "It's a real turn on for me." He winked at her and then smirked again.

"Just turn around," Lily demanded, slightly disgusted and a bit flustered.

A/N: June 5,2013: There was no particular reason for me to update this chapter except that I wanted to change the beginning to let it flow a bit better! Next chapter will be up soon, I promise! xoxo Liv