From Hating, To Liking, To Loving James Potter

I do not own Harry Potter!

3 July, 1978

Dear Lily,

Your eyes are as green as the prettiest of emeralds,

Your hair shines like fire in the sun.

In you I see,

Who I want to be.

Please Evans,

Will you go out with me?

Love,

James

Lily read over the letter several times. How could this be the same idiotic git she knew during her time at Hogwarts? No, James Potter had changed. Even so, some things would never be different, such as James hatred towards Severus. Maybe she could start to overlook that one fault about him. How much could one little night out do? Finding a quill and parchment, she started to write a response.

5 July, 1978

Dear James,

Yes to that date. Meet me at the Three Broomsticks at six o'clock next Saturday.

Yours Truly,

Lily

James checked his watch again. And again. It was 6:05. Where was Lily Evans?

Then out the window, he saw her striding down the street, men turning in her direction.

Walking into the crowded bar, Lily joined James at the table where he was holding a soda with cheery syrup for her, and a firewhiskey for him.

"Hello, Potter," said Lily smoothly and smiling, sitting down and picking up her soda, since James had slid it towards her.

"Good evening Evans," returning her smile, James drank a bit then set down his drink.

"Evans, I really like you," started James. To Lily it sounded rehearsed, which she thought was cute. James continued, "You've been my one and only love at first sight. You were my crush all through those seven years I sat staring at you during classes. And all those girls I dated back in sixth and seventh year were to make you jealous. In school, I must admit that I was a-"

"Complete arrogant, idiotic, horrible, filthy, evil, stupid moron," suggested Lily.

"Exactly. And since I was such a stupid moron, I want to apologize for...for..." it seemed to cause James great pain to say the next few words, "for ever annoying and tormenting Snivell- Snape."

He suddenly found the wooden table very interesting and started to stare at it, his overlong bangs falling over his glasses. Lily lifted his head and kissed him on the lips. Looking James straight in the eyes, she whispered,

"You don't need to prove to your love to me, James Potter, but I feel I might have to prove mine to you."

"I'll take your word for it," James whispered back.

They kissed again.

"HE'S HERE!" yelled Sirius Black, jumping up from the kitchen where he, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew were waiting for James. In Animagus form, Sirius lunged at James, knocking him over.

"I can't breathe," gasped James, Padfoot standing on his chest. He got off and transformed back to human. Moony and Wormtail came out, each holding two beers.

"Whoa...guys..." said James, eyeing the alcohol.

"Oh please," said Lupin, "One of them is for you and the other is Sirius'."

"I've had enough," announced James when Lupin held out the bottle for him.

"Well, don't want you drunk," said Sirius, lazily lying down on the sofa.

"Oh look who's talking!" laughed Remus, "The person who gets himself drunk every night."

"I do not get myself drunk every night!" argued Sirius.

"You do when there's hot chicks around," pointed out Pettigrew.

Sirius did not deny this and merely changed the subject. Turning towards James, he said, "How many times did you kiss her?"

"Uh..." replied James. He hadn't exactly noticed.

"He lost count, bless his soul," sing-singed Lupin. James rolled his eyes.

"Did you say the speech you kept making us listen to?" asked Peter.

"Yes. I added something though," answered James.

"And that is...?" questioned Remus.

"I apologized for annoying and tormenting Snivellus," muttered James, uncertain of how they were going to respond.

Sirius fell off the couch in over exaggerated shock, joining Peter and Remus in exclaiming, "YOU DID WHAT?!"

Sirius turned into the Drama King that he was, "But that's a Marauders' Rule! I mean...but...HOW COULD YOU?! Why would you betray us, your best friends!..."

On Lily's and James' second outing, he had taken her to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor and Lily was giggling uncontrollably as James told her about Sirius' reaction the night before.

"... falls onto the floor, all three them yell at me then Sirius screams at me for about two hours. He would have gone on longer if he didn't lose his voice," tears of laughter started in James' eyes from the memory still fresh in his mind.

While Lily tried to catch her breath, James examined his black licorice ice cream. "You know, this looks the old Eel Eye flavor they used to sell here."

"That was the most disgusting thing ever!" Lily made a face.

"I once made a deal with Sirius. During first year, here in Diagon Alley, he got that stupid barn owl. Bellatrix Lestrange was with us, she was Miss Black back then, and I vividly remember Sirius naming that damn owl salad Salazar. You could imagine how pleases Bella was thinking that Sirius was showing some signs of being a prejudice pure-blood. I knew better; he only liked the name, not the person. Anyways, I thought we should give it a nickname. It was hooting its head off, wouldn't shut up. So, I got so annoyed at it that I came up with the nickname 'Salad'. Don't ask me why. Maybe it was because it would drive Sirius crazy. So I said, 'if I eat the Eel Eye at Floreans, we call the thing Salad'. Sirius, being as hard headed as he was, didn't think I'd do it. Well, it's been called Salad to this day. He never forgave me," James chuckled.

"I remember that owl. You used to borrow him to send me love letters late at night. And it pecked at my window forever if I didn't read them. Used to drive Katherine, Abigail, Rachel and I insane. Speaking of Katherine, has Sirius asked her out yet?" questioned Lily.

"Nope. Been trying to work up the courage to ask her since fifth year. Took Abigail out instead. Thought it would make Kat jealous. Didn't work," said James.

Sighing contently, Lily said, "Weird we're not going back home."

"You mean heaven?" asked James.

"That's Hogwarts," agreed Lily.

Seven dates seemed long enough. A romantic song started to play in the restrauant they were having dinner, and James watched as Lily started to listen to the meaningful lyrics. He knew it was time. Getting down on one knee and pulling out a ring, he had no idea what was going to happen next.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today, in the sight of God, and these witnesses, to join together this man and this woman..."

That man and that woman were James Potter and Lily Evans, who were once just a stuck up school boy and a favored student. From the first time he saw her, that first day on the Hogwarts Express, he knew he loved her. It started out as just a crush, and turned into something much more. Now they were getting married, and the end would be the only thing that could seperated them.

"Do you, James Christopher Potter, take this woman to be they wedded wife, to love her through sickness and through health, until death forever do your part?"

"I do."

"Do you, Lily Marie Evans, take this man to be they wedded husband, to love him through sickness and through health, until death forever do your part?"

She didn't answer the pastor with an 'I do". Not even an 'I will'. Her reply wasn't even two words long. Just a simple, powerful, single-worded sentence.

"Always."