1st Year:
She seemed to stand out almost at once. Of course she did, with that bright red hair, those startling emerald eyes, and the first person to call him out on his flaws, when no one had ever done that before. Of course, her sticking out made her his and Sirius's new prank target. But it was all in good nature. James would never really want to hurt her.
2nd Year:
The war was on. The whole castle was entertained by the frequent (and famous) Lily and James fights. James would always storm off to his friends after, and complain about how bloody mental the girl was. Unhinged she was. But the butterflies in his stomach told a different story. Anything to get her to communicate with him. Anything. He'd take what he could get.
3rd Year:
The battle still raged on, James would get cocky; Lily mad, and then the battle would once again start. Sometimes James would win, sometimes Lily. Hogwarts was by now accustomed to hearing shouts and screams down the hall at regular intervals, and Padfoot or Moony would eventually turn up, and drag James away, rolling their eyes all the while.
4th Year:
Ah yes. The year James started to accept the fact that he had a teensy crush on her. Okay it was more than just a teensy crush, but James didn't care. He first asked her out 3 months into term. Of course she'd say yes; when had anyone ever denied him something he wanted? Obviously, he found out, Lily would. She became something of a challenge for him. He'd get that beautiful girl no matter what.
5th Year:
Lily saw herself as exactly that-a challenge. James could stuff him and his "crush" up his arse, she was nothing special, just something he'd dump as soon as she was his, just to day he did. Of course this wasn't really the case, but whenever he tried to explain this to her, it always became a full out brawl. As usual. Then came the end of the year. The year that finally Evans saw the sense to dump Snivellus. At first James was ecstatic. But by the next year, he had begun to notice the changes.
6th Year:
She seemed almost deflated, that beautiful twinkle that James had always loved in her eyes went out. She seemed broken by the fact that her childhood friend had called her such a revolting thing, and had began to doubt everything-even herself. James decided then and there that he would do whatever it took to get that sparkle back in her eyes; that passion back in her voice, Even if it meant begging Snivellus on bended knee to be her friend once more.
7th Year:
The year James plan was put into operation. Well, okay, it was Moony's plan really. He always knew what to do with girls.
Lily noticed the change in James; he no longer cursed anyone for the fun of it, he never asked her out anymore, and he seemed to genuinely care about her. Tentively, Lily began to reach out to him. He made her feel safe, protected, and Lily began to see the light in the world again. James made her feel alive again; he had saved her. James grew warm on the inside every time he'd make her laugh, make her eyes brighten again. And that was all they really needed after than each other. As long as they had that, they could take on the world.