Okay, I've never written James/Lily ever. I'm more of a seasoned dramione expert :) (Not really...in fact not at all...)
But I just recently read one, reading this pair and I think I fell in love. Yes, I'm aware by canon they both become head-prefects and Lily starts dating him in 7th year. I'm also aware she and Snape stop being friends in the fifth, and James had harboured an unrequited crush on her since who knows when.
BUT for the sake of trying to make this semi- original with a lil drama (I love drama, me!)-
James has NOT harboured an unrequited crush since who knows when.
Snape and Lily are still friends...
They're both in 7th year though, so keep that in mind :)
Oh but I will keep true to the fact that James falls in love with Lily, before Lily fell in love with James
1. Meet the Marauders
Lily Evans stood awkwardly on Platform 9 and 3 quarters before her mother and father. Both of them were smiling but the entire source of tension instead came from her younger sister, Petunia. As Lily attempted to bid farewell to her sister, Petunia looked down haughtily from her nose and crossed her arms.
"Hasn't she gone yet?" she asked her parents frostily.
Lily bit her lip, telling herself that what Petunia did anymore, had no affect on her. But yet the quell of pain was hard to staunch as Lily's mother kissed her on both cheeks and her father clapped her fondly around the back. "Bye mum, bye dad," she said softly before hesitating. "Bye Petunia."
Petunia sniffed and turned away entirely.
On the train, Lily made sure to find an empty compartment to deposit her bags before making her way up to the prefect compartment. Having discovered a head-girl badge in her post one summers evening, she couldn't wait to return back to Hogwarts, the place she had considered home these past few years.
These past few summers, sitting opposite Petunia during mealtimes had almost become painful. Year by year, the animosity would fester and grow, and Lily was shocked to find one supper-time Petunia actually ask, "Ask her to pass the salt, dad."
To be reduced from Lily to her had been an unexpected blow she should've seen coming.
Lily changed into her dress robes swiftly from her muggle clothes before embarking along the long trek to the prefect cabin. To her surprise one boy was already lounging within it, when she pulled open the door. A tall, handsome boy that had become known to many people as suceedingly arrogant and vile to match.
She thought of her best friend, Severus, and the treatment he had to suffer through James and the rest of the marauders hands. The only thing that stopped her from taking them down a peg or two was Severus's reaction if he found out that he'd been defended by a girl. As much as she loved him, Severus seemed to have a violent disposition when it came to defending his own pride.
Bile rose in her throat.
"Hallo Evans," James greeted her as he looked up from the make-shift snitch he was so intent on capturing and releasing. He paused for a while, as if expecting for her to greet him back like old friends though he'd probably forget her face the moment he stepped out of this room. Nobody went against James Potter's words in Hogwarts. Him and the marauders combined ruled the mere corridors she walked down.
Everybody respected them. Anybody who didn't, had a nasty way of ending up stranded in an unplesant situation. Be it, being attacked by a giant spider in the forest to having your trousers rip through an energetic session of Quidditch. It depended on the severity of the crime.
Biting back a scathing retort, Lily smiled unhappily instead. "Hello Potter. What brings you to the prefect compartment?"
James puffed out his chest arrogantly, clearly glad that someone had asked him that very question. "I'm head-boy, Evans," he paused for a beat before smirking. "Why else would I be here?"
Lily was aghast. Surely not! Not James. His very name conjured up images of a little runt of a rule-breaker back in first year. Why, Filch had files upon files upon the boy. True James had shot up in the summer during fifth year, and was long past being considered a runt. But just because he didn't get into trouble anymore didn't mean he was perfect! In fact, that made Lily even more suspicious.
Potter and his little motley crew must have fine-tuned their rule-breaking without getting caught.
The sheer injustice of it all!
This new turn of events was just going to give James more power and an even bigger ego. Like she didn't suffer enough already. The very thought was enough to make Lily sit peculiarly opposite him and stare determinedly out the window, until the first batch of prefects waded in chattering excitedly.
"Remember prefects, when we are handed responsibilty we must take care not to abuse it."
Lily shot a pointed glare in James's direction but nobody caught it, except the few who was staring up at her in rapt attention. However as the meeting drew to a close, and James finally woke up from the slumber he had slipped into, all her handiwork was destroyed when he cheerily parted, "Never forget, rules are made to be broken!" and then proceeded to wink at two fifth-year prefects, whom promptly giggled and fluttered their eyelashes.
Lily wanted to kill them all.
"James!" she hissed, feeling exasperated. "We're meant to be setting an example here! Not convincing them to become like you."
The majority of the throes had vanished by now, with Potter taking the rear end. When he head Lily's voice though, he tensed by the door before reaching out and slamming the bolt home. Only the pair now was left in the carriage, just like it was meant to be. He turned to face her, and suddenly the air seemed to be compressing, overbearing. His lean frame filled the doorway and Lily realized with panic there was no way to escape.
....But he wouldn't try any funny business, would he?
"What did you say?" he asked quietly. James face was void of all emotion. Instead he regarded the pretty red-head before him shrivel into her frayed robes with wide emerald eyes.
Wide. Emerald. Eyes.
Although Lily considered herself a bright enough witch to deal with most situations, the one that had befallen her was most tragic. If she repeated what she had to say, there was a good chance she'd be packing up her bags before the week was up. Say nothing, and she had to swallow her pride and imagine him dead instead.
Lily opted for the latter.
But this proved the wrong thing to do, when James took another demanding step, towering over the shorter girl. "What. Did. You. Say?"
"I-Uh-"
His close presence was disconcerting. Especially since the intoxicating smell of fresh grass and golden summer sunsets drifted from his skin. He smelt like the outdoors, so clean and pure and mesmerising. James must have spent the whole summer playing quidditch. The way his arms were nicely toned and pert made Lily feel angry that he was so very handsome to fuel his arrogance. Why couldn't he be rotten and black on the outside, like he was on the inside?
She wanted to scream I hate you! But instead took the high-road and apologised.
"I'm sorry, James. You must have misheard me. I was merely saying what a prime example you are. Because truly," she bit her lip as she said this. "You are."
He seemed to accept her version of events, the guileless smirk that had wooed many a girl falling back into place. Lily understood then, that what she had witnessed earlier was a darker side to James that he wished to shield from the rest of the world. She was never to repeat this incident in fear of another one replacing it.
She hated him just a little more because of this.
"Later, Evans. I trust I will see you at the sorting feast?"
Lily nodded. What else could she do? Scream at him till he considered her enough of a threat to deal with?
No, no and no again.
However if Lily had known that within twenty-four hours her whole world would be ripped from under her feet, as James Potter vowed to erase Lily Evans from his map, she would've called him back there and then and delivered a satisfying blow to the nose.
But alas, she did not and this made all the difference as she travelled past the compartments, briefly pausing outside James's, where he was entertaining an entirely enthralled Pettigrew as Sirius Black and Remus Lupin looked on, before making her way to find Severus. The boy who would surely cause her to smile and laugh again at what had turned out to be one of the gloomiest days of her life.
(It's not over yet, Evans.) Reviews will be fantabulous! Should I continue this farce of a story??