It actually started off as a joke. It was 5th year and everyone had just arrived at Hogwarts from the summer. After the feast, the marauders were up in their dorm talking about what girls became hot and planning their next prank.
"You know who isn't hideous," James said, suddenly, in between talking about the purple slime or dungbombs they could plant. "Evans." The other three boys grew momentarily silent until Sirius broke down into laughter. James threw a pillow at him. "What?"

"Caught the scent of the flower, have you, Prongs?"

"Of course not. I'm just saying. She doesn't look so much like...oh...like a red haired string bean anymore." His face was red, so he looked down at the quaffed that he was absentmindedly twirling in his hand.

"Mhmm." Sirius said, still smiling. Peter tittered along, and Remus cracked a small half smile. "The rest of us noticed years ago," Sirius continued. "You've just been too much of an ass to see anything beyond a girl who's throwing herself at you."

"Pot, cauldron," James retorted.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Ask her out."

"What? No!" James sat up sharply. He'd said she wasn't ugly, nothing past that.

Sirius returned his glare with a smirk. "I dare you." Dares were kind of their thing. It's how they came up with most of the pranks that they pulled. Each of them thought of absurd jokes, and they would dare each other to see who was stupid enough to do it. James and Sirius were always stupid enough. They never turned down a dare.

"Fine." James finally said, grinning confidently. "It's not like she'll say no, anyway. He turned over in his bed, ending the conversation, while the other boys simply stared at him.

"Do you think he's talking about the same Evans?" Peter whispered. The others shrugged.

That weekend, Lily was reading a muggle book that she'd taken from home beside the lake. She'd asked Severus to come with her, but he'd denied. He'd been stand-offish since they'd been back at school, and Lily noticed the snake tattoo on one of his Slytherin friends' arms. She wasn't sure what to make of him anymore. She heard someone calling her name, and looked up hoping to see Sev, only to find James Potter sauntering her way. She groaned. Loudly.
She didn't fight with Potter, exactly. But she didn't appreciate him either. He and his friends, Black, Lupin, and Pettigrew, made teasing Sev a kind of sport, and she wouldn't put up with it no matter how stupid her friend was being lately. She didn't say anything until Potter was upon her, looking at her expectantly. "Hi," she said shortly.

"Evans!" Potter said, flopping down beside her without asking if she wanted him there. If he had asked, well she could have come up with some excuse. "I've missed you all summer!" James exclaimed.

Lily couldn't help it. She laughed. "I doubt that," she said. Rumors flew about as frequently as flies around garbage when it came to girls and James Potter.

"It's true!"

"If you say so."

"I do," he said breezily.

She simply nodded and turned her attention back to her book, hoping he would get the hint and leave. She should have known better.
He took the book out of her hands. "So, Evans, I thought we could catch up at Hogsmeade next weekend."

"Potter, could I have my book back please?" Lily tried to keep the frustration from her voice, but it wasn't working.

"Not until you say yes," Potter replied.

Lily sighed and put her hand up to her hair, subtly slipping her wand out of where she'd stuck it hastily like a chop stick in her messy bun. "Accio book," she said monotonously, lazily flicking her wand and grabbing the book as it flew to her. She hadn't planned it, but couldn't help the laugh that slipped through her lips when her book slapped Potter in the face, knocking off his glasses in the process. She jumped up while he was preoccupied. "Sorry, Potter," she said trying her hand at an obnoxious smirk like his. "It's a no."