AN: This was originally going to be a long, multi-chapter Lily/James fic, but I recently had a much better idea for one. I still really liked this idea, so it's in smaller, further apart flashbacks and it's mostly before Lily likes James. Italics is Lily talking/remembering a story, unless it's obviously for emphasis. R&R, thanks!
"I... uh... well." Her cheeks turned slightly pink. "Well... yes." She smiled slowly.
James' face lit up, ecstatic. In that one instant he went from nervous, to surprised, to sheer happiness. "Really?"
"Yes."
"Wow. Ok. I'll see you around." And I swear he pranced away.
What? Lily? And James? Lily said yes to James? This is amazing. I, Alice Prewett, will write the story of Lily and James. And then, when they grow old, James can tell all their grandkids what an idiot Lily was for six years. And how stupid he was, but I have a feeling that he'll leave that out. Which is why I am writing this down. Being the best friend of Lily Evans, you would expect me to know the whole and truthful story. However, Lily was not entirely honest with me this year (ahem...) and therefore will tell you part of the story. From now on, Lily will be completely honest. Right Lily?
I suppose I should start from the very beginning. It all started during our first ever transfiguration class. Actually Alice, I met him on the train. He insulted Snape, and then we ignored him and left. Ah ha! So it all started when James insulted Lily's slimy git of a friend. Truthfully, I think James was right... Either way, that turned Lily against him. Bad move James.
Anyway, the big story began during our first ever transfiguration class. We were supposed to be turning matches into needles, and Lily was the first one to accomplish anything– her match turned silver. Before McGonagall could notice her, James successfully turned his into an actual needle. Second mistake in two days, James- nobody beats Lily Evans in, well, anything. At this point our dear heroine looked over at our hero and time slowed down. Cheesy music played in Lily's head while James ran his ran through his hair and laughed at some joke Sirius was telling (in slow motion, mind you). She blushed and looked down before anyone noticed her little crush-ALICE! What the hell?- okay, okay. Lily got all competitive, and while she was trying to kill James with her death glare, she accidentally poked her matchstick with her wand and, well, it blew up. Right in our faces. Eyebrows? Gone. First-day-of-school special hairstyles? Even more gone. James, Sirius and Peter picked themselves up, brushed the little dust that had reached that side of the room off their robes, and walked smoothly out of the room.
"Nice going, Evans."
"If you want to make friends, you might want to try not killing them on the first day."
"Yeah! This is Transfiguration, not Blow-stuff-up class."
"Peter, leave the snide comments to us, please."
And so, Lily and James lived their lives, not-so-peacefully, thanks to each other. Any mistake James made, Lily was quick to pounce, and vice versa. I think it was James who first pranked Lily, and that brought things up to a whole new level.
It's breakfast, first year, probably a morning after Lily has soundly beaten James at something and he could see no immediate comeback in sight, and therefore decides to create one. Lily and I are talking, I a little blearily, Lily animatedly about something I had absolutely no interest in at all. ALICE! What? Like you never feel the same way? Well... I suppose so, but I don't tell you. It's been seven years, are you really going to hold it against me? Perhaps.. If I find a reason to. Whatever, moving on. Lily picks up her goblet of pumpkin juice, lifts it to her mouth to drink, and BAM, it splashes all over her face. Well, more like "splish!" not BAM. She gives her glass a funny look, puts it down, and picks up a pastry, which promptly explodes all over her face and robes.
"Practicing some 'Transfiguration' over there, Evans?" James grins wickedly and his wand hand is under the table, looking suspiciously like he just pointed it in our direction.
Lily's pranks were lame, and for some reason (which I now know very well), always ended up with James in his underpants. Not ALWAYS! Okay, most of the time. Not that James really minded. He once got up on the table and sang "God Save the Queen" in his underpants. Or maybe that was because Lily bewitched him to. Nope. That was completely his idea. And this is the man you are currently dating. I wonder if he would do that again, if we asked... Because you can't see him in his underwear otherwise... Shut up!
Hey, you do remember that time you and James were shut in a broom closet overnight? I can't believe I never predicted you and James, even after all these glaring hints. Lily Evans, naughty, naughty girl, slipped James a dirty note saying how devilishly attractive she found him and telling him to meet her in a broom closet on the second floor. Obviously, he did, and someone (we still don't know who), locked the door on the two of them. Of course, when they were done with their 'business,' they both wanted to leave, but couldn't. Oops! Alice. If you can't tell the story, why don't you let me do it? Fine.
It's second or third year, I can't quite remember, and sometime near Christmas, because the Slug Club party was coming up. Some idiot Hufflepuff boy has got it in his head that I am madly in love with him, despite the only two words I've ever said to him are "oops! Pardon!" when I crashed into him running to class once. I've said 'no' more than once to him, but he thinks its because I'm 'playing hard to get' which will make him like me more. My solution: keep as far a distance from him as possible, so we never speak again.
Until he comes waltzing around the corner one day. I run. So long as he doesn't see me, I'm fine.
"Lily!" Damn. There goes that plan. Plan B: hide as soon as possible. In that broom closet right over there. Safety at last.
Uh oh. Someone's coming in here. He's found me. There's nowhere to hide inside a closet, is there?
"Evans? What...?" It's Potter. If possible, even worse.
"Hi Potter. I'm hiding from Nicholas. Sorry if it's ruining some date of yours."
"Actually, I was hiding from McGonagall. I seem to have done something to upset her."
"Existing?"
"Hey. That's not very nice."
"Since when have we been nice to each other?"
"Well, I figured since we're stuck in here..."
"We are not stuck. In fact, I'm leaving now. I'm sure Nicholas is gone now.
"Damn, it's locked. Potter, did you lock it?"
"Why would I do that?"
"I don't know, you think it's funny?"
"It's not funny if I'm stuck in here too."
"Oh. Unlock it then."
"How?"
"The unlocking charm."
"I can't remember it!"
"Well neither can I! That's why I asked you!"
"Looks like we're stuck here then. Might as well take advantage of it, eh Evans?"
"Shut up. I'm going to sleep. Don't bother me unless someone unlocks that door."
Geez Lily, you're such a bore sometimes. Couldn't you at least have tried to get to know him? I thought I knew him. I thought he was a selfish, arrogant boy who didn't know the first thing about being nice. You don't think that anymore, do you? How come? Well, there was this one time in sixth year I overheard him talking to Sirius.
"Padfoot, mate, if it's really getting to you, you should just leave."
"And go where? They're still my family."
"Some family."
"Hey!"
"What? Isn't family supposed to be about unconditional love and support?"
"I suppose you're right. But I'm afraid she'll come after me."
"For what? To cuddle her 'wittle baby sirikins' and say how much she 'weewy wuved him all this time?'"
"Prongs..."
"Oh, you can't be serious..."
"Actually, I am. Always have been."
"Haha, very funny. But look, mate, maybe they're your family by blood, but we're your family now: Peter, Remus, You, and I. Remus is the mommy, I'm the Daddy, and you and Pete are the immature kids."
"Why do I have to be the baby?"
"You're the whiny one."
"I don't whine! I never whine! Why does James get to decide anyway! I wanna decide!" Sirius' voice was rapidly rising in pitch.
"Who doesn't whine?"
"Shut up. Besides, blood is thicker than water."
"But cowards have thin blood."
"Nice one, Prongs. But honestly, I don't know if I could. Where would I even go?"
"My place. You know my parents love you."
"But aren't they really family-oriented?"
"Yeah, but I'm sure they'd understand. I'm not making you decide, but just know that you're always welcome. Always."
"Thanks mate."
"I love you."
"..."
"This just got awkward, didn't it?"
"Yes. Yes it did. Goodnight."
"Goodnight Padfoot."
"Hey James?" He turned before going up the stairs, "I love you too."
I think that might be right when I actually started to like him.