A/N: Welcome, readers! This is my first FanFic, and I've spent loads of time creating my story. I originally posted this story in 2015, but have recently felt the writing bug again and have gone back through and edited and slightly changed some of the plot. I think the story is stronger and more interesting now. Thank you to all who give it a try, I appreciate it! This FanFic tells the love story of Lily and James Potter during the Marauders Era. I will do my best to post at LEAST once weekly. Feel free to leave comments, reviews or suggestions! I hope you enjoy the first chapter.
Chapter 1
September 12th
Lily
"Seriously Remus, I don't even know how you can stand to be friends with him," I growl to my fellow Head student. I walk angrily down the dark corridor, several feet ahead of Remus, who strides casually behind me.
"He's honestly not that bad, Lily, if you'd just give him a chance—"
"You can't honestly believe I'd ever give James Potter a chance, Remus, after all of the disgusting pranks he's pulled, after all the times he's cat-called me in the hallway," I yell back at him, sending him a glare. "And what was his excuse this time? He and Sirius are very, very familiar with the school rules— that, I'm certain of, as they've broken nearly every single one of them. Yet, we caught them out of bed again, and it's only the second week of term!" I sneer, though relishing in the fact that I got to give Potter another detention.
"Dunno, Lily. I mean, were they really doing anyone any harm…?" Remus shrugs, finally catching up to me as we reach the Gryffindor common room.
"You're impossible, Remus." I glare at him again, my arms folded across my chest.
"You know they're my best friends, Lily— it's not that I approve of them wandering the halls at one in the morning, but—"
"It's starting to sound an awful lot like you do approve, Remus," I say, rolling me eyes, and turning away from him as I head up to the girls' dormitories.
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James
"Lily's fuming over you and Sirius roaming the halls after hours again," Remus tells us as he dons his pajamas after returning from rounds.
"Was she? Did she turn that adorable shade of pink, like she always does when she's angry at me? I ask, smiling as I picture Lily in my mind. Remus throws a pillow at me and makes a face as he climbs into his bed.
"You know, my life would be so much more peaceful with less of her complaining about you and Sirius," Remus says. "Do you ever think about that?"
"Do I ever stop and think of ways I could make your life more peaceful?" I ask. "Nope, I have to say I don't," I snicker.
"You're just hilarious, James," Remus says, mid-yawn.
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Lily
Heading into the dormitory I share with four other Gryffindor girls, I accidentally slam the door harder than I mean to.
"Oi! Lily! It's past midnight, you know," yells my best friend, Marlene McKinnon from her bed.
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to make so much noise," I whisper-yell back.
"What's got your wand in a knot?" Marlene asks, rolling over to look at me.
"Just—"
"Wait, wait, no— let me guess. Is it James Potter?" she asks.
"As a matter of fact—"
"Wow, how ever did I guess?" she says, her sarcasm overly apparent, as she rolls her eyes and falls back onto her pillow.
"I'll have you know, he and Sirius—"
"Were out of bed, causing a ruckus, and you were forced to give them both detentions?" Marlene interrupts.
"Well, yes, as a matter of fact, that's exactly what happened."
"You do realize that Potter sneaks out every time you and Remus are on rounds solely for the purpose of running into you?" Alice Abrams, one of our other roommates, and another one of my best friends, speaks up.
"Why would he purposely try and get detention?" I cry, exasperated at the mere thought.
"He doesn't care what happens, as long as he's getting attention from you!" Alice shouts back. "Seriously, Lily, I don't know when you're going to realize that the two of you are meant to be."
I blush fiercely, thankful that the room is almost pitch black. "That's rubbish," I mutter, finally climbing into my bed.
"Rubbish or not, you know it's true!" Marlene says before we all fall asleep for the night.
The next morning, a surprisingly sunny Sunday, I try my best to wake up before the rest of my friends do, eager to get down to the Great Hall for breakfast before anyone else does. Lately, that's the only way I'm able to eat my breakfast and read the Daily Profit in peace anymore. Ever since Frank Longbottom, another Gryffindor and friend of Remus, Sirius, and James, started dating Alice, our two friend groups had gradually become more and more friendly with one another. This, of course, was highly irritating, as Remus and Frank were the only ones I could stand to be around for more than two minutes.
After running a brush through my hair, I don a casual weekend outfit— a pair of faded jeans and a red sweater— and head downstairs to the Common Room. Fast asleep in one of the deep, comfy arm chairs by the fireplace, is none other than James Potter, who awakens with a jolt as I stride through the room, humming.
"Evans?" he asks, groggily.
"Ugh, not you," I groan, making my way to the door as fast as possible.
"Hey— wait, are you going to breakfast?" he calls, jumping up from the arm chair and following me out.
"Potter, I wanted to eat my breakfast in peace, can't you leave me alone?" I beg, quickening my pace as I make my way down the hallway.
"I won't make a sound, I'll be extremely peaceful," he says, quickly catching up to me. I roll my eyes, but say nothing more as the memory of what Alice and Marlene said last night is still fresh in my mind.
We reach the Great Hall, and James sits across the table from me, still not uttering a word. I glare at him as I reach for a fresh bagel and a small bowl of oatmeal. He smiles back at me, piling an assortment of breakfast foods onto his plate- some eggs, some sausage, three slices of toast, a bowl of cereal, half a bagel, roasted potatoes, and more. My lip curls in disgust.
"How can you possibly stomach all of that so early in the morning?" I ask.
"Shhh, Evans. We're supposed to be having a peaceful breakfast, here," he says, stuffing a forkful of potatoes in his mouth with a smile. His hazel eyes look almost green in the morning sun. I quickly chastise myself for bothering to notice his eyes, and concentrate on buttering my bagel. I don't look up again until I hear a rush of wings, accompanied by a choir of chirps and hoots. The post arrives, and a tawny owl swoops down next to me with this morning's addition of the Daily Profit attached to its leg. I pay the bird, and after taking a bite of stray toast off the table, it leaves. Only moments after opening the paper, my own owl, a gorgeous, curious barn owl arrives, sitting down on the table beside me.
"Athena, what are you doing here?" I ask, running my hand down her white and tan feathered back. She merely hoots in response, lifting up her leg to offer me the letter attached. I untie it, and she, too, helps herself to some breakfast.
"She's beautiful," James comments, nodding toward my owl.
"Thanks," I mutter, opening the letter. It's from my parents. I grab the remnants of my bagel, my hand shaking. "I've got to go— bye," I say to James hurriedly, and rush out of the Great Hall to read my letter in private.
"Lily,
Dad's just finished another round of testing. It's not looking well, but we won't know for sure what's wrong for another week or so. I'll send you a letter back as soon as we find anything out. Dad says not to worry about him, and to keep your thoughts on your studies. We hope you are doing well, and that school is going okay.
With love,
Mum and Dad"
For a moment, I don't react at all. "It's not looking well", mum says. Tears begin to burn in the back of my eyes, and my throat immediately starts to close up. I know in the pit of my stomach that my worst fear is about to become reality— the cancer is back; mum and dad know it as well, but they don't want me to stress out. I speed walk down the hall until I find an empty classroom. I fall into an empty desk, and silent tears trickle out of my eyes.
After my tears are finished, and I'm satisfied that I don't look as if I've been crying, I finally brave the hallway once more. I walk briskly back to the Great Hall, my eyes flickering over the array of students now eating breakfast. When I finally see him, I half walk, half run toward him. The Slytherin table meets me with several sneers and indiscernible shouts, all of which I ignore. When I finally get to Severus, I grab his shoulder, saying nothing. As soon as he sees that it's me, he rises from the table, greeting me silently with his eyes.
"Look, it's Snape's Mudblood girlfriend," Lucious Malfoy sneers in his deep drone of a voice.
"Shut up," Severus mutters, casting a glance back at his friends. "I'll be right back," he mutters, although it doesn't look like anyone is listening, before following me back out of the Great Hall.