Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns the Harry Potter Series and its characters. The only thing I own is this plot and the characters I created.

Miss Elisabeth3 proudly presents…

Taking Chances

Chapter 1: All Tangled Up

Lily's POV

I was walking down the hallways of Hogwarts, holding out my wand, which was levitating about fifty books around me. It was just about sunset and I was helping the teachers by returning their books they had used to the library. It was a very peaceful walk up until I reached the huge oak doors that led to the library.

Three people emerged from the shadows by the door. Two were like big gorillas, the other, a skinny, greasy git.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the goody-two-shoes Mudblood." One of the gorillas sneered.

"Filthy Mudblood doesn't even deserve that wand she's holding, we ought to teach her a lesson." The other gorilla drawled.

"Avery. Nott. Snape." I glared at the gorillas in turn before glaring at the git behind them. The same git who used to be my best friend but now is a traitor and enemy. "Nice to see you too. But I can't stay long, I'm a little busy now." I glanced at the books I was levitating behind me.

"We won't keep you long then." Avery sneered. He flicked his wand and suddenly, my shoelaces grew in length and wrapped around me. They were wounding itself around my legs and bound my arms together. I toppled down and was hit with the fifty books I was levitating. Ouch! That'll leave bruises in the morning.

Nott was raising his wand, he was about to shoot a hex at me when…

"STUPIFY!"

Nott falls to the ground frozen. "What the hell?" Avery yells.

I turn my head to see…

"Don't ever call her a Mudblood." James Potter hissed. He was standing a few feet behind me with his wand raised and his eyes blazing with rage. I've never seen an angry Potter, a scary sight indeed.

"Well if it isn't Potty. Came here to save your filthy Mudblood girlfriend? Oh wait! She hates you!" Avery taunted. "Well-"

He was cut off and fell with a thud. Potter had stupified him before he could utter another syllable. He looked a Snape.

"What's the point in saving her? She hates you! You're just a-" Snape began. But then he too fell to the ground stupified.

I looked at Potter in shock. James Christopher Potter, that arrogant toe rag, who thinks he's all that and pranks people for no reason, not to mention asks me out many annoying times, just saved me. I mean, he would have done that to anyone, I'm sure. He's done that loads of times, I've it seen myself. But why is he doing this?

"You alright Evans?" Potter said as he approached me. He kneeled down and started untying me.

"What? Oh, yeah. Thanks." I said as I got up, finally freed from my shoelaces. Well did that sound weird.

I watched in silence as he shrunk my shoelaces to their regular size. He charmed all of the books to float to the library. I watched the books go in one by one in silence.

"Well, your shoelaces are back to normal. I'll go to Dumbledore and report what happened here. I'll see you later Evans." Potter said. He started to walk away.

"Wait!" I ran to catch up with him; he took long strides since he was a bit tall.

He spun around to look at me, "What's up, Evans?"

"Thanks James for helping me out." I gave him a quick hug. I smiled at his shocked face.

"You," he slightly stuttered. "You just called me James and hugged me!"

I just grinned at him. "I'll see you around James!" I started to walk away from him.

"Hey Lily! Wanna go out with me?" He yelled across the hallway.

I turned around and smiled and called out, "Not this time, James." His face fell so I quickly added, "How about friends for now?"

He smiled at me, his eyes twinkling and said, "Sure, friends for now. But I assure you, you'll say yes to me soon."

I smiled back at him and laughed, "Maybe. See you later, James."

As I turned the corner, I saw him talking to someone I couldn't see, he looked very happy.

James' POV

"I can't believe it! Lily Evans just called me James, hugged me, and asked if we should just be friends for now!" I said excitedly. I knew I had the biggest grin on my face.

"She didn't even insult me or physically hurt me or anything when I asked her out. She just simply declined and asked if we could be friends!" I said as I watched her red hair disappear around the corner. "For now!" I added. That means maybe we could be more than friends.

"I'm shocked myself mate. She didn't explode on you like she did when you helped her last year." Sirius Black said. He appeared out of nowhere with my other friend Peter Pettigrew. He tossed me my invisibility cloak.

"I'm shocked myself Padfoot. But this is the happiest I've been," I whooped.

"Even happier than last Christmas when you got the new Silver Arrow 2000?"

"Yeah." I couldn't stop grinning; this was a big improvement with my relationship with Lily.

"Wormtail? What's the matter mate?" I looked at my short friend. His mouth was hanging open and was frozen in shocked.

"Prongs, I think he's in shocked. He hasn't moved or said anything since Evans hugged you," Sirius prodded Peter who squirmed.

"The world's ending!" Peter squeaked.

"Why you say that, Wormy?" Sirius chuckled.

"Evans would never do any of that," He sputtered.

"You know, he does have a point. Evans would never do that. Did you Confund her or something, Prongsie?"

"I'd never do that to her!" I exclaimed.

It was true; I'd never do that to Lily Evans. Sure I'd prank her but I would never hex, not even Confund her!

"Come on, Moony's waiting. We have to get to him before the moon's up," Sirius said. He grabbed my Invisibility Cloak and threw it over the three of us. We instantly became invisible and headed out to the grounds.

One thought rang in my head as I transformed into a stag, I might have a chance with Lily Evans!

Lily's POV

I looked out the window of the Gryffindor Tower and looked down to the grounds. I saw a magnificent stag appear out of nowhere with two canine likes creatures and what appeared to be a rat. Seeing them frolic, yes frolic, around under the full moon made me think of James. Oh wow, did I really think that?

Well, James and I are now friends. James… he's a good friend to everyone (except to the Slytherins, but they aren't a nice bunch anyways). He's helpful and has a good sense of humor. He makes everyone laugh and his pranks (the ones that don't hurt people) are quite genius. Oh gosh, am I really thinking about—no. I am not.

But after the incident by the library… Maybe I should give him a chance…

An Author's Note—July 14, 2010

Dear Reader,

As some of you might have noticed, this first chapter sounds a bit familiar. Well, if you have read my one-shot, All Tangled Up, you would have realized that I have used the one-shot as the first chapter of this story.

Anyways…

I absolutely, positively love getting positive reviews. Reviews make me smile (: However, I must add that this is my first story I have written and posted on FanFiction. So please, do not send any hateful reviews. Though it is fine if you send me any corrections in my grammar. I really don't mind. I enjoy reading feedback from other readers. Thank you for reading and please review.

With Lot's of Love and Laughter,

~Elisabeth

P.S. I forgot to include my friend Missy. She let me use her ideas and stories. She's the best and my twin sister! Not really… We're not even sisters! We're just really close best friends.

P.P.S. Thanks to jusTaSunshiNeygIrl, OliveTreeHugger, .Alice and Rachel-Not for reviewing the One-shot, All Tangled Up. (the first three are the reason why I'm continuing the one-shot) So thanks!