Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for the characters I make up.

Prologue:

Since she was little, Lily Evans had always been after the perfect life. She wanted it all. The perfect job, a nice house in the country with a white picket fence and a wonderful husband who she loved. However, as she grew older and wiser, Lily realized that some things weren't meant to be. Especially the part about a husband who loved her.

Debra Evans, mother to Lily and Petunia Evans, was what the gossiping neighbors would call a "broken woman". Her husband, whom Debra thought she was in love with at the ripe age of 19, was a cruel person. He had a serious drinking problem and often cheated on Debra. When Lily was just seven years old, he left them forever. Lily would always secretly wish that her father would come back one day, as a wonderful person, and her family would be perfect, but sadly, that wish never came true.

Three years later, the sadness inflicted upon her from her husband's departure caught up with Debra. She committed suicide, leaving Lily and Petunia all alone in the world. They were taken by Social Services and were sent to live with their grandparents, Jeannie and Charles Evans (A/N: father's side). Life was fine with Jeannie and Charles. They were loving, caring people who took good care of Lily and Petunia.

At this point, after seeing what happened to her parents' marriage, Lily no longer believed in love and she was no longer after the perfect life. Now, all she wanted was to prove to the world that she wasn't a screw-up. She immersed herself in her studies and isolated herself from the world.

When she was 11, Lily Evans was in for a surprise when she received a letter from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Charles and Jeannie were a little uncertain, but nevertheless, allowed her to go. Lily saw this as the perfect opportunity to start over, at a school where no one knew what her family was like or what she had been through.

To her dismay, the people at Hogwarts were just like everyone else. Although this time it wasn't due to her family problems, many looked down on Lily because her parents were muggles, or non-magic. But, everybody wasn't like this. It was mainly the people from the house, of which there were four, called Slytherin. Lily was determined not to let this stop her. She was hard working and very studious, which paid off as she was named number one in the class, year after year.

In her third year, Lily, like all hormone-driven thirteen year olds, began feeling attracted to members of the opposite sex. However, still feeling sadness about her mother's death, Lily vowed to stay away from boys. Unfortunately, her two best friends Tessa and Ashley did not do the same.

As the years went by, Lily saw both of them come home after dates, sometimes happy, sometimes upset. When they broke up with their boyfriends, she saw the hurt in their eyes and promised herself that she would never let it happen to her. She observed how much damage a little thing called love could cause.

Now, Lily was a very good-looking girl with her long red hair and striking green eyes. She received many date offers and politely refused them all. Tessa and Ashley begged her to give all the handsome boys who asked her out a chance. Lily always found a way to redirect the conversation away from the topic and avoid the subject. After years of begging, Tessa and Ashley finally gave up and chose to accept that that was just the way Lily was.

In her seventh and final year at Hogwarts, Lily begins to reconsider the decision she made. A certain raven-haired boy helps her to see that love can be a truly wonderful thing. He helps her to come out of her shell and face her fears. This is the story of Lily Evans and James Potter...

A/N: Review!! I really want to see whether I am doing a good job or not! Constructive criticism is appreciated!