Chapter 1: Fifth Year

It was fall. The leaves on the trees in the Forbidden Forest were changing to beautiful reds and yellows, the air was crisp with slight breezes making the leaves fall around the grounds, and every night there was apple strudel and pumpkin pastries for dessert in the Great Hall. This season was Lily's favorite and she spent as much time as possible on the grounds studying or just watching the giant squid making lazy ripples in the lake. Unfortunately there was one other person who seemed to be outside every time she was.

James Potter.

There he is again! She thought agitatedly, slamming one of her potions textbooks closed. He was sitting under one of the large trees by the lake, tossing a snitch up in the air only to catch it again before it had a chance to fly away. With him was Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew. They seemed to be his constant companions.

Lily glared in his direction only to find him staring at her. She locked eyes with him, daring him to look away. When he didn't, Lily huffed in frustration and gathered the rest of her books, shutting them with a bit more force than was necessary. She glanced back again as she stood up. James was still staring at her. It seemed he hadn't looked away once, as Sirius and Peter were now chasing the escaped snitch around; Sirius having fun with it while Peter huffed his way around the large tree.

"What nerve!" Lily said loudly as she headed back up to the castle, stomping up the stairs towards the library. "Why was he staring at me? The stupid, arrogant-"

"Anyone I know?"

Lily spun on the spot, dropping her books, but not bending to retrieve them. James Potter stood in front of her, a sly grin on his face.

"Here, let me help." James bent to pick up some of Lily's potions notes, but before he had a grip on them Lily smacked his hand sharply causing him to withdraw his arm.

"I can manage!" She snapped, her red hair falling into her eyes as she gathered her things. "Why don't you go and find some first years to torment and leave me alone?"

James paid no attention to her attempts to insult him, instead bending again to help Lily with her books. She grabbed the last scrolls from his grip and stood, still glaring at him.

"Why were you staring at me? And why did you follow me?" She asked, her eyes narrowing. James shrugged.

"I dunno…" He scratched his head, seeming to actually ponder the answer to her question as if he didn't know the answer himself. Finally he answered: "Why not?"

Lily rolled her eyes and began walking up the stairs again, praying James would stay on the stairs and leave her alone.

"Because it's creepy and annoying!" She called behind her.

"Creepy and annoying?" James repeated, following her up the stairs. "Hmm… I'd say more charming and attractive." He shot Lily a grin. Lily huffed and walked quickly into the library.

"Would you stop following me?" She whispered as James trailed close behind her towards one of the large oak tables.

"Who says I'm following you? I happen to be in here to study!" James sat in the chair across from Lily, who was ignoring him and organizing her scrolls on the table in front of her.

"See, I'm a responsible student!" James continued in a whisper. "Who are you to keep me from my studies?" Finally Lily looked up at him.

"Right. A 'responsible student' who studies without books."

"Ah, but we're in a library, full of books!"

"Very insightful." Lily retorted, opening her potions book. "Why don't you go find one of those books and leave me alone?" James didn't respond. He pushed his glasses up his nose and ran a hand through his hair.

"Go out with me."

Lily paused in the middle of scratching difficult potions equations on her scroll, and looked up at him.

"What?"

"Go out with me." James smiled again, running his hand through his already messy hair. "You're here, I'm here, let's go out." Lily stared at him for a moment, her jaw slightly open.

"You are unbelievable!" She shouted, her hand slamming down on the oak table. The whispered conversations around them stopped and everyone turned to face the pair as Madame Pince leaned around a book shelf to shush them pointedly. Lily turned pink and looked down at her notes again, but James seemed unperturbed by the attention. He winked at a group of first year girls who were staring at him, and they erupted into a bout of giggles. Lily shoved her work into her bag hurriedly, not even waiting for the ink to dry, and left the library.

"Hey! Evans! Wait!" James shouted, running after her, the angry cries of "Quiet!" from Madame Pince echoing down the hall behind him. James caught up to her as she waited for the stairs to change.

"Just hear me out, okay?"

Lily sighed, exhausted, and then faced the annoyance behind her.

"What could you possibly have to say to me that is so urgent you can't leave me alone?" The stairs changed and Lily began walking up them, James still standing on the landing. James stood still for a moment before shouting after her:

"You have really beautiful eyes! Did you know that?"

Lily paused for half a second, surprised, then shook her head and continued towards Gryffindor Tower. James watched her go and smiled to himself.

"So she didn't say yes. Big deal." He said to himself, shrugging. "There's always tomorrow." James smiled crookedly, then walked back out to the big tree where his friends were waiting for him.