1st Year:

"What is Quidditch?" Lily Evans asked, confused and hating it. Every day she was introduced to something new and every day someone gave her a disdainful look and rolled her eyes at her lack of knowledge. How could she not know what Bertie Botts Every Flavoured Beans was? Didn't she know that Chocolate Frogs actually jumped? Of course portraits could move and talk to her, what was she, daft? And now, Lily thought, cheeks flaming as her fellow 1st year Gryffindors stared at her in open dismay, she could add not knowing what Quidditch was to her growing list of "Wizarding Things I Need To Know About And Don't."

"Are you for real Evans?" Black demanded, "You've really never heard of Quidditch before?"

"Well Professor Dumbledore mentioned it at the beginning of the year, but I don't –"Lily began to explain before Sirius interrupted her with a loud laugh.

"How could you never have heard of Quidditch before?" Lily's cheeks were bright red and she could feel tears starting to prick her eyes. I won't cry, she told herself determinedly, it's not your fault you don't know. What did she care if her fellow classmates were staring at her like she'd grown a third head, or were laughing at her? Again. She couldn't help that she was Muggleborn, or that Sev hadn't told her about Quidditch.

She was jerked out of her pep talk when Sirius waved his hands in front of her face. "Hello? Evans? Did you hear a word I said?"

Lily shook her head, biting her lip as the laughter started up again. "I'm sorry," she stammered, feeling very stupid and little. "Could you repeat that?"

Sirius grinned and folded his arms in front of his chest, looking very smug. She was suddenly reminded of when she first met Black on the train to Hogwarts. He'd been insufferably arrogant then, along with his little sidekick James Potter. Actually, Lily realized, eyes narrowing suspiciously, it was very odd to see Sirius without James at his side, joining in on the taunting. She was wondering where he was when she heard, with a sinking heart, his voice pipe up from the back of the crowd as he pushed his way through "What's this? Evans doesn't know what Quidditch is?"

Lily groaned and rolled her eyes. She wasn't sure how, since she was normally a cheerful, easy going type of girl, but James Potter and his smirk and messy hair and stupid glasses made her furious. Just the sound of his voice put her on edge, ready for battle. They had gotten off on the wrong foot months ago, when they had picked on Sev for absolutely no reason on the train to school! Ok, so she would admit he was a little odd looking and not very clean, but that didn't make him any less of a wonderful person. James had made his way through the crowd by now and was standing next to Black, looking as smug as his friend. "That's right," Lily answered, glaring at James, "I don't know what Quidditch is. I'm a Muggleborn remember."

"How could we forget?" James shared a look with Sirius, who instantly starting shrieking in a high pitched voice, "OH MY GOODNESS THE PORTRAITS ARE TALKING!" The crowd around them started giggling as Sirius cowered behind James.

Anger and humiliation burned in Lily's stomach and she felt the familiar prick of tears, now born out of frustration. "You two think you're so clever!" she fumed, folding her arms, "but you're not! You're nothing more then…then…big nosed bullies!"

Sirius straightened and moved to James' side and they both smirked at her, James pushing his glasses back up his nose. "Quidditch is only the best sport in the entire world Evans," James responded, ignoring her insult and glares. "Everyone in the Wizarding world follows it. You play it on brooms, and there's Chasers and Beaters and a Keeper and of course, the Seeker." James grinned lazily. "Seeker is my position; I'll be playing it next year."

Lily blinked. "You already know you have the position?"

James and Sirius exchanged another amused glance. This was really starting to get on Lily's nerves and she found her hands clenching into fists. "Well…not really," James drawled, "there will be try outs next year. But…I'm really good. Better then anyone else in this school."

Lily's mouth dropped at the blatant arrogance being displayed before her. Sirius was grinning and all the other 1st years were smiling too, but Lily couldn't bring herself to smile at such big headedness. "You – I can't believe – you'll only be twelve!" she spluttered. "I don't know what the Speaker – "("Seeker!" James corrected, annoyed), "does, but surely the older students will have much more talent and experience then you!"

James looked a little uncomfortable at this, but Sirius rolled his eyes and snorted. "You didn't even know what Quidditch was till a minute ago Evans, so why don't you keep your big mouth shut and your opinions to yourself?"

Lily opened her mouth to retort, but James spoke before she could get the words out. "Come and watch the game with us," James winked at her, holding out an arm, "come on," he urged at her horrified expression, "you were on your way down to the match with us anyway, if you watch it with me and Sirius, we can explain it to you. Then you'll love it just as much as I do – no one else could explain it as well as me anyway."

Lily had been considering taking James up on his offer until he added that last part. Her eyes flashed angrily and she stuck her nose up in the air. "In your dreams Potter," she spat, "I'd rather be dead then watch Quidditch with you and your lackey. Besides," she sniffed, "I was only on my way with the others because I didn't know what we were going to watch, but now that I know," she gave Sirius and James her best disparaging look, "that buffoons like you worship Quidditch, I'm not interested." And with that she turned on her heel, shoved her way through the crowd and stormed back off to the castle.

"What's a lackey?" James asked, watching Lily leave with a puzzled expression.

"Who says buffoon?" Sirius demanded, scowling at Lily's retreating form. They both shrugged.

2nd Year:

"What do you mean you're not coming?" James stood before a small red headed girl, mouth open in shock.

"It's quite clear what I mean, Potter." The girl answered, not looking up from the heavy book resting in her lap.

"But…but Evans!" James gestured around the empty Common Room. "Everyone is going to this match! It's the final! Gryffindor vs. Slytherin! Our House's honour is at stake! We could win the House Cup!"

Lily made a noise which showed exactly how she felt about the high stakes of the upcoming Quidditch match and deliberately turned a page of her book.

James let out a groan, grasping at his messy black hair in agony. "Evans! It's bad enough that you hang around all the time with that grease ball Snape! Do you want people to think that you're a Slytherin lover? A House traitor? Don't you care about what the rest of the girls say about you?"

"Not really, no!" Lily snapped, though the faint blush on her cheeks said otherwise. "Sev is my best friend no matter what House a hat put him in. You have friends in other Houses, why can't I?" She glared up at James mulishly.

"It's a little different" James retorted, "since my friends are all in Ravenclaw and aren't Dark Wizards in training!"

Lily's mouth fell open in outrage. "This is ridiculous!" she exploded, sitting up straighter in her chair, "I don't have to answer to you or to anyone about who my friends are, or what I choose to spend my time doing on a Saturday. I don't CARE if there's a Quidditch match, I don't CARE if we might win the House Cup and I definitely don't CARE what you have to say about it, James Potter, so just BUTT OUT!"

She slammed her book shut and made to storm off to the dormitory but James grabbed hold of her arm. "Evans, come on, don't be stupid. Just come to the match with me and forget about Snape. He won't mind if you cheer on your House."

Lily eyed James suspiciously, surprised that he had worked out exactly why she hadn't wanted to go to the game. Sev had been devastated when she had been Sorted into Gryffindor and it had taken her months to convince him that she wasn't going to ditch him for her Housemates. She knew he still didn't fully believe her and as a show of loyalty towards him, Lily had decided she wouldn't go any Gryffindor/Slytherin match.

"Why are you so interested if I come to the game or not?" Lily demanded, trying to pry James' hand off her arm.

"Because – stop pinching! – because it's the final match and it's going to be a really good one and I know you like Quidditch – ow! Evans! Stop it! – and it's not fair that you have to miss out just because of some whiney git – BLOODY HELL!" James roared, dropping her arm. He rubbed his knuckles, glaring at Lily, who was glowering at him. "You didn't have to bite me!" he accused.

"He's not a whiney git!" Lily cried, stamping her foot in frustration. "I wish you and Black would just leave him alone! He can't help the way he looks and he's never done anything to you –"

"Never done anything to me?" James repeated, incredulous. "What about all the times he's tried to hex me?"

"You provoke him!" Lily's hands flew to her hips, her face scrunched up in fury, "You and Black and Peter! You're always making fun of him and it's not fair! It's not right."

"He deserves it." James muttered, still rubbing his sore hand.

"He does NOT!" Lily shrieked. "Ooh!" She was so tempted to throw something at his stupid head. "Just go to the game Potter." She grabbed her book off the armchair. "I'm not coming with you, all right, so you can stop trying."

James watched her disappear up the staircase, furious at her, furious at Snape and furious at himself for mucking everything up again.

3rd Year:

"You're coming to watch me play, right?" James directed his query at Lily, who was, as usual, sitting by the fireplace, a thick textbook on her lap. She had kept quiet during the mass exodus of the Gryffindor Common Room, all who, for some inexplicable reason, had gotten up with the rest of the team and had made their way down to breakfast. James was the last to leave, Sirius, Remus and Peter hovering near the Portrait Hole.

"Oh are you playing today?" Lily responded, sounding shocked. "You should have let me know earlier, I would have cleared out my busy schedule."

"But I did let you know…"James answered, frowning with confusion.

"Mate, she's being sarcastic." Peter whispered and James noticed her smirk. He glared.

James had been bragging about his place on the Gryffindor Quidditch team nonstop since he made the position. He only let off bragging to start announcing his very first game was coming up and that everyone should come watch the game to see Slytherin get smashed. This had, not surprisingly, angered the Slytherins, who had taken it upon themselves to attack the Gryffindor team as much as possible. This was the main reason why the entire Gryffindor House had accompanied the team down to breakfast – as a giant bodyguard.

"Are you coming?" he demanded, deciding to let that little jab go. He ruffled his hair and grinned at her.

She raked her eyes over him with marked disinterest and rolled her eyes. "No." She turned back to her book.

"Great, cause you'd really miss out – wait, what?" he frowned, glaring at Remus as he snickered. "Why?" James cried, devastated.

Lily shrugged and pointedly turned a page in her book. This was oddly familiar to James, who had a sinking feeling they'd had a similar argument before and he had come out on bottom.

"Is this about Snapey again?" James spat, as the memory of the last time he'd been in the Common Room asking if Lily was going to come to a match or not surfaced. "Just come watch the game anyway, your boyfriend won't care."

Sirius and Peter starting sniggering.

Lily glared at all four of them, brushing her hair out of her face. "He's not my boyfriend," she corrected, "and it has nothing to do with Sev and everything to do with you, James Potter."

"Afraid you might not be able to control yourself if you see me playing, right?" James gave her a smug grin.

Lily's mouth twitched into a smile, but she still rolled her eyes. "Afraid I might not be able to control my up chuck reflex perhaps."

James grinned at her, ruffling his hair again. His friends were now outright laughing at him and he gave them the finger good naturedly. "Come on Evans," he was in earnest now, all thoughts of teasing put behind him. "Come watch the game. You won't regret it, I'm a great Chaser."

Lily's forehead creased and she looked confused. "I thought you played Seeker."

James flushed and scratched his head. "Er…well when I went for tryouts they said they already had a decent Seeker, so I tried out for Chaser instead. But it's not a problem," he said brightly, "because the Seeker graduates this year, so I'll try for that position again next year."

Lily's eyebrows arched and she looked unconvinced. "I don't watch Quidditch for just one player Potter." She paused, "no matter how good that player may or not be". James decided to take that as a compliment and preened. Lily almost smiled again, and looked back to her book, sighing. "I'm not going Potter."

"Evans!" James holds out her name for as long as he can, face turning red as he ran out of air. Remus was rolling his eyes, half way out the portrait hole.

"Prongs let it go!" Peter tugged on his arm, "you'll be late if you don't hurry."

"But…" he cast one last look at Lily, whose face was so close to her book that her nose was almost touching the pages and sighed. "Fine. But there better be some bloody good food down there, because I'm starving."

The boy's casual banter faded as they left the Common Room and Lily closed her book with a snap, wishing, for the first time, that she could just forget about Sev and go down and watch the match.

4th Year

"Last match of the year Evans," James beckoned his finger at the small girl huddled in an armchair, "you know you don't want to miss it."

The three boys waiting for him at the portrait hole tapped their feet impatiently or sighed pointedly, pretending to check their watches. They knew by now that Evans wouldn't watch a Gryffindor vs. Slytherin match, just as they knew that James wouldn't be able to resist asking her to come, and when she inevitably refused, torment her about it.

Lily, as always, ignored James and deliberately settled herself more firmly in her cushy chair.

"Padfoot," James called over his shoulder, eyes narrowing, "tell Evans here why she should come to the Quidditch game."

"Quidditch is the king of all sports and it should be mandatory for every student to attend every game," Sirius recited, looking beyond bored as he stared up at the ceiling. James nodded along with every statement, "Without Quidditch, there would be no meaning to Hogwarts or life in general. Quidditch is a metaphor for the great battle of the Houses in our esteemed school and therefore should be treated with respect and dignity. Today's final game between the mighty Gryffindor and the sneaky Slytherin is much more than a school yard sports match, it is a battle against good and evil. Do you support good or evil Evans, do you?"

Sirius had said all this very quickly, in one breathless monotone and when he finished he gave James a blistering glare. James was completely oblivious to his mate's annoyance and was instead beaming at Lily.

Lily, however, hadn't had her emotions stirred by Sirius' speech, as was James' intention. She wasn't leaping to her feet and exclaiming that she had been wrong all these years and that James had been right. She wasn't rushing down to the Quidditch pitch, promising that she'd be cheering only for James. She was, instead, gaping, taking it in turns to stare at first James, still beaming, then at Sirius, who was looking very put out. "You lot are completely mad." She pronounced, giving James look of utter disgust before turning back to her book.

James began spluttering, and looked beseechingly at the three boys behind him. Remus was hiding a grin behind his hand and Peter was struggling not to laugh. Sirius was refusing to meet James' eyes, annoyed. "Evans!" he begged, turning back to the girl when he realized his mates weren't going to help him. "Come on! You do know you've never been to a Gryffindor/Slytherin match right?"

"Really?" Lily exclaimed, feigning shock, "I had no idea! Thanks for pointing that out to me Potter."

James frowned, "How could you not have –"

"Sarcasm!" Remus hissed and James blushed, ruffling his hair and grinning sheepishly.

Lily was smiling at James, clearly proud of herself. "You fall for that every time Potter," Lily smirked, "I'm beginning to think you're a bit daft."

"Only beginning?" James retorted, matching her smirk, "so you admit that you think I'm dashingly clever and witty?"

Lily blinked and then laughed. "Only you, Potter, would be able to get a compliment out of someone calling you daft." She said this with an almost fond tone, rolling her eyes and returning to her book.

James stood there for a few blessed moments of silence, trying to work out if Lily was annoyed at him. A silent conversation between the four marauders followed; James lifted his eyebrows (is the silly bird annoyed at me or what?). All three boys shrugged (No idea mate, you're on your own). James lifts his hands in the universal sign of "what the hell do I do now?" Sirius waggled his eyebrows (snog her silly).Peter shook his head frantically (no, don't do that, you'll end up in the Hospital Wing and then you'll miss out on the game!). Remus cocked his head towards the Portrait Hole, eyebrows raised, (leave the poor girl alone and come down to breakfast like everyone else). James scowled at Remus. (And leave without Evans giving in? Not on your life.)

While this had been happening, Lily was watching the four of them closely, wondering why on earth they were all standing there waggling their eyebrows and shaking their heads. Boys! She thought with disgust and was just about to turn back to her book when James finally decided upon a course of action.

"What do you do when the games on anyway Evans?" James demanded, folding his arms, "you can't just stay up here by yourself."

Lily's eyebrows rose and she gazed coolly at James over the top of her book. "And if I did stay here by myself, what would you do about it?"

James paused, frowning. Coming from any other girl, he would think she was flirting with him, but this was Lily Evans, perfect Lily Evans and Lily Evans did not flirt with James Potter. She shouted at him, rolled her eyes at him, sometimes they shared a joke and a smile and if he was very lucky they would have a decent conversation, but most of their interactions was limited to her being disapproving and he being falsely contrite. But if she was flirting, James thought, an excited flutter beginning in his stomach, then he shouldn't pass up the opportunity.

"Well –"he hedged, shooting a pleading glance at his three mates who all deliberately looked away.

Lily snorted and closed her book with a decisive snap. "Don't worry your pretty head about it Potter, I don't really want an answer." If she looked a little disappointed, James put it down to the fact that she hadn't had a chance to tell him off properly yet. "I'm off to meet Sev at the library."

James frowned. "But you haven't had breakfast yet."

"I'm not hungry."

"But…you haven't had breakfast yet!"

Lily looked very confused. "I know, but I'm not hungry."

James' frown deepened and he started jiggling his left foot. He opened his mouth and then closed it quickly, a rather pained expression on his face.

"Right," Peter's voice broke the awkward silence and he bustled forward, taking a hold of James' arm. "Evans, we're going down to breakfast, you can come if you want."

Sirius' protesting grumble turned into a squeak as Remus ground his heel into his foot, glaring at him.

"Er…" Lily looked at Peter, who was waiting expectantly, then James, who was bright red, to Sirius, glaring and Remus, who was sniggering quietly. "No, I think I'll be right. I have to meet Sev soon anyway."

"Great!" Sirius grinned and bounced forward, dragging James out by the other arm. "Make sure you don't get too close to Sev Evans, you might end up catching whatever disease he has."

Lily's eyes flashed angrily and she jumped to her feet, whipping her wand out but the four boys barreled out of the Common Room before she had a chance to do more than glare impressively at them.

"It's a sad day," Peter admonished, as they made their way down to breakfast, "when I need to ask a girl out for you Prongs."

"Shove it Wormtail." James muttered.

5th Year

Lily stiffened as something warm and fuzzy wrapped around her neck and she whipped her head around, squeaking in surprise when she realised she was entirely too close to a pair of sparkling hazel eyes.

"Potter!" she gasped, falling back in her chair. "What are you doing?" She told her fluttering heart to calm down immediately and promised her flip flopping stomach that if it didn't stop that this instant, there'd be trouble.

James grinned and continued to wrap the warm and fuzzy thing – his scarf, Lily saw – around her neck.

"I have my own scarf," Lily snapped, tugging on the tightly wound object, "and it's too hot to be wearing this in the Common Room anyway."

James' lips quirked up in a small smile and he straightened, long body half hidden behind the back of her arm chair. He gently pulled on one end of the scarf, the nervous, determined look in his eyes making Lily swallow.

"What if you didn't wear it in the Common Room?" his voice was quiet and his fingers were nervously tapping on the back of the armchair.

"Where else would I wear it?" She tried to sound snappy and annoyed, as if she had a multitude of other much more important things to attend to, but much to her frustration, she sounded breathy and well, as if she was flirting with him.

James, unexpectedly, turned a bright red and he ruffled his hair. "To watch me play Quidditch today." He was watching her hopefully, struggling to look composed, but he was chewing on his lips and looked a little feverish.

Of all the things she had thought he would say this wasn't it. She blinked and joined him in blushing. "Oh. Like a date?" she asked stupidly, unable to think of anything more sensible to say.

"Yes. Well, no, watching me wouldn't be part of the date, but you wearing my scarf would be and then we could, you know, go for a walk afterwards around the lake or..." Now he was staring at the floor, ears burning.

"Oh." She repeated, a smile slowly spreading across her face. She had never thought that James Potter, Hogwarts Golden Boy, Trouble Maker and Object of Female Desires would ever ask her out, and she had never thought that she would be seriously considering saying yes if he had. She studied him, a small crease on her forehead as she quickly ran through the pros and cons of saying yes, of saying no, of giving a maybe. Then, with a sinking feeling, she remembered that there was no possibility of her going to watch James play Quidditch as a date.

"I can't." She answered, completely miserable.

"Right." His head jerked up and the embarrassment and dwindling hope in his expression made her even more upset. "Is it because of all the times I teased you? Or how I give you a hard time? I won't do that anymore if you go out with me, promise, and I'll – "

She couldn't help but giggle at the earnest way he was promising her to never get in trouble ever again, because she knew he could never keep such a promise. "No, no, it's...it's just that it's a Gryffindor/Slytherin match and you know that –"

"Oh right," the little boy smile faded and was quickly replaced by a sneer. "I forgot about your boyfriend and his stupid ego."

"He's not my boyfriend!" Lily snapped, "and I don't think it's his ego that's the problem here!"

"Oh really? Then what is the problem Evans? It's not my fault that your 'best friend' is a slimy little git who follows you around like a, like a lost dog, trying to get into your pants – "

"Sev has never!" Lily gasped, deeply offended but James spoke straight over her protests.

"and if you don't see the way he stares at you, drooling, then it's not my fault! He has no right to even look at you, let alone talk to you, the dirty little bastard. He's so deep in the Dark Arts I'm surprised he hasn't -"

"Stop it!" Lily shouted, leaping to her feet and glaring at James. "What gives you the right to say those kinds of things about Sev? You don't even know him –"

"And neither do you!" James roared. Those few Gryffindors who hadn't yet left for breakfast were now openly staring at the pair. "You think you know him so well but what if I told you that he spends all his spare time with Avery and his cronies, what if I told you that he was teaching them Dark spells, that they practiced the Unforgivables on rats in the dungeons. He called Davey Gudgeon a filthy – you know what yesterday. Are you really so stupid that you think he doesn't call you the same thing?" He hissed this last part in a low whisper, suddenly aware of the crowd they had attracted.

"I know all that!" Lily retorted, tears welling up in her eyes, "I'm not stupid, I know all that! But I know Sev, and I know he'd never hurt me, he'd never call me a Mudblood, he doesn't think of me that way –"

"But it's alright for him to call everyone else that?"

"No, of course not!" Lily scrubbed at her eyes and tried to breathe evenly, but the rush of hatred and frustration was too strong.

"He doesn't deserve you Lily." James said bitterly, scowling darkly.

"Oh and I suppose you do?" Lily snapped back, glaring at the boy in front of her.

"Yes! I'm better than he is –"

"Oh! You are unbelievable!" Lily shrieked, giving up on trying to stay mature and control her impulse to wring his neck. "You insufferable –" she ripped at the scarf he'd so carefully wound her neck, "arrogant," another loop came undone, "JERK!" with the last word she flung his scarf back at his face and ran to the dormitory stairs.

6th Year

"No, Potter, I won't come to the match. I don't want to see you play Chaser, I know that you're the best player in the history of the entire universe and I don't care that I'll be the only person not there."

After making this pronouncement, Lily closed her book, shoved it in her book bag and stood up, making her way towards the Girls Dormitory.

"Evans – Lily, please wait." James hurried after her, glad, for once, that the Common Room was empty.

Lily ignored his pleas and sped up, hitching her book bag higher on her shoulder.

"Lily, please! Just come to the match, ok, I get it, you didn't want to go before because of Sniv- Snape, but you're not friends anymore and there's no reason not to come."

Lily's breath hitched and she turned. "You don't get it," she was so quiet James wasn't sure if he really heard her, or if he was just making up what she said. "If you really understood, you wouldn't ask me to go."

"What's not to understand?" James took a few hesitant steps forward. "Snape said something awful to you and you aren't friends with him anymore. The only reason you didn't go to Slytherin/Gryffindor matches was because of some misguided sense of loyalty to Snape, but that doesn't matter anymore. You're free to go to the match now."

"You make it sound like I was a princess locked in a tower," Lily said with a humourless laugh. "It's not that simple."

"It is that simple." James hesitated, and then gently took hold of her shoulder. "Come with me," he said quietly, "come with me to the match and forget about Snape."

"James," she whispered, "have you ever lost a friend?"

James considered giving her a flippant answer, an attempt to lighten the mood, but he looked at her, properly, and saw the dark circles under her eyes, the unshed tears, the deep sadness, and knew that he couldn't do that to her. So he thought about how he had four great friends, best friends, brothers really, which had never left him in anyway. He thought of Sirius, of his great betrayal of Remus, of how he had acted rashly and with no consideration for the rest of them. He thought about the long weeks where they weren't brothers anymore, but something else and about how painful it had been, how it felt like those weeks weren't real. He thought about how even though Sirius hadn't been there, he had Remus and Peter. And then he thought about Lily, who only had Sev as a close friend, who was friendly and talkative to everyone, but didn't have anyone else to turn to when she was sad. He thought about how much harder it would have been if Sirius had called him a Blood Traitor and if Sirius had been his only friend.

"No. At least, not in the way you have." He swallowed the impulse to add a nasty remark about Snape.

"It's been almost a year," she confided, "and I still miss him. We knew each other since we were children, you know, before Hogwarts. He's always been my best friend." She paused and James squeezed her shoulder. "We're at war, and he chose his side." Her lips trembled and James' heart ached for her. "But I still miss him."

There was silence in which the crackling from the fireplace was loud and Lily took a deep shuddering breath. She then turned her gaze to James' hand, which was still resting on her shoulder. Her eyebrows raised and James quickly took it off, holding it behind his back. He was blushing furiously, he knew, but he couldn't help himself. Around Lily, everything made him blush.

"I know it's not logical," Lily said, attempting a smile, "and I know that you won't understand, but I can't go to the game. It doesn't seem right."

"Alright," James had agreed, probably for the first time in his life, with something that he didn't think was right.

Lily looked as startled as he felt and her smile widened. "This time last year," Lily's grin grew stronger, turning cheeky, "you were giving me your scarf and asking me out on a date."

James blushed even harder and started wishing for the floor to open up under him. She would bring that up. "Would you come with me if I asked you out on a date now Lily?"

Lily's grin slid off her face and her eyes widened. "I – well, I don't think that would be-"

James forced a smile onto his face and laughed. Lily let out a little laugh before joining him. She was so relieved that it was a joke that she didn't notice that his laughter was forced, that the smile didn't quite reach his eyes.

"I'm sorry Potter, for burdening you with all that."

"It's not a burden Lily. I mean it." He added firmly when she opened her mouth to protest.

He gave her a small smile, which she tentatively returned. "I have to go; I need food before the match. You know, star Chaser and all..." he shrugged and Lily nodded.

"Good luck." She hesitated. "I want to hear exactly how the match went though," she waggled her finger at him. "Mind you don't forget, or I'll be very disappointed Mr Potter."

James grinned and ruffled his hair. "I'll tell you at tonight's victory party."

She laughed lightly and started up the stairs. "Confident as always Potter."

He watched her go, unsure if she was referring to the game or to the victory party.

7th Year

Lily waited in her usual armchair, with her usual book open on her lap. It was the final Gryffindor/Slytherin match of her school career. It was the last Quidditch Final she would ever see. It was the last time, she thought with a small sigh, which James Potter would try to convince her to watch said match. She wondered if he knew, if he had any inkling, that ever since 4th year she had deliberately sat in the same chair, waiting for him to come and ask her. She had told herself that if he had ever asked nicely enough, she would agree to go watch him and, afterwards, if Gryffindor won, go onto the pitch and snog him senseless. She had come so close to saying yes in 5th year, before his arrogant side had come out in full glory and 6th year had been an emotional disaster. She was glad that the only person who had ever suspected she had feelings for James was Remus, and she knew he would never say anything.

Today, she told herself, today I will say yes to James when he asks if I'm coming to the match, I will tell him that I go for him and when his team wins the match, I will run onto the pitch and snog him for all he's worth.

A wonderful plan, she thought, grumpy, if only the stupid boy would actually come down stairs and talk to me.

There was movement on the stairs and Lily's head snapped towards them, eyes lighting up when she saw it was James who made their way down them. She instantly busied herself with her book, waiting impatiently for him to make his way over to her, as was tradition. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him pause a few paces from her chair, then move on.

"James!" She called out almost before she realised she'd done it.

He froze, shoulders stiffening. "Lily."

"How are you feeling about the game?" She sat up straighter in her chair, closing her book with a decisive snap.

"Great. The team's been practicing really hard." He still hadn't turned to her.

"Good." She gave his back her best grin and then scowled at it when he still didn't move towards her.

He started to walk towards the portrait hole again and Lily's stomach flopped in a very unpleasant manner. He wasn't going to ask her. Their last year, and he wasn't going to ask her.

"James!" she called, pushing herself out of her chair. He stopped again and she took a few steps towards him. No one else had come down from the dormitories yet and Lily was intensely grateful. "Don't you have something to ask me?"

James spun to face her, scowling fiercely. "Don't Lily. This isn't a game for me. This isn't some silly tradition. I won't be...I won't let you...just stop it."

"James," she reached out a hand towards him, and then pulled it back to her chest. "I feel like a Mills & Boon character." She laughed and when he stared stonily at her, the smile fell from her face. "James, please. I know it's not a game for you. It's not a game for me either."

"So you know what I meant when I asked you to come watch me play every year?"

Lily hesitated. "Not every year...but after 5th year it was difficult not to notice."

"Since 4th year, Lily," James said quietly, glaring. "I've fancied you since 4th year. I wanted to ask you to come with me then, but you were so stubborn about not being hungry. In 5th year I finally screwed up the courage to ask you and you threw my scarf back at my face and in 6th year you laughed at me."

"And this year?" Lily smiled tremulously.

"This year," he responded, "I decided I wouldn't bother asking, because you so clearly weren't interested. This year, I decided I would play my last Quidditch game at Hogwarts without feeling rejected and morose because you had, once again, said no and chosen Snape over me."

He looked at her steadily, the only indication of emotion the clenched fists at his side.

Lily took a deep, calming breath and grinned at him, putting one hand on her hip. "Don't be a prat. You have to ask me, it's our tradition."

"Lily!" he exploded, striding towards her, "are you completely daft? I just told you this wasn't a game or a tradition for me! This is serious."

"And I told you that it wasn't a game for me either! Please James, just ask."

James' eyes roved over her face, studying the blush, the chewed lips, the pleading expression and sighed. "I'm going to regret this," he muttered, but the grin on her face after he said this made him hope. "So, Evans," he gave her the best attempt of his normal cocky grin. It was a little lopsided and it didn't quite reach his eyes, but Lily answered it with her own cheeky smile, "are you coming this year to watch my play?"

Lily took a step and placed a hand on her hip, looking James up and down. "Perhaps," her eyes were twinkling and James couldn't help but smile back, "I have heard, from a very reliable source after all, that you're the best Chaser in the entire universe."

James chuckled and pulled his scarf from around his neck, clasping it tightly in his hands. "Lily, you have to understand. I mean this. If you're only mucking about with me..."

"Come on James," she whispered, "just trust me."

The corners of his lips quirked up in his first real smile of the day and he gently wrapped his scarf around her neck as she watched him, smiling. He tugged on the end of it and ruffled his hair. "So," he swallowed, "would you come watch me play Slytherin today Lily Evans?"

"Like a date?" she winked at him.

His grin widened and he pretended to think about it. "Well, yes, but, you see, not so much the watching me play part. It'd be the part afterwards, when we walk around the lake together that would be the date."

"Oh, it all makes sense now." She pursed her lips and frowned, tapping her mouth with a finger thoughtfully. "Would it be part of the date if I snogged you senseless on the Quidditch pitch?"

James' mouth fell open and he blushed a bright red. "I...well I suppose..."

"It's only if you win the match, mind," Lily was blushing just as furiously, but still managed to keep her voice light, "so make sure you win."

A stunned smile appeared on James' face and his eyes lit up. Lily was staggered by the sheer amount of joy in that expression, but she supposed the same slightly stunned look was mirrored on her face. Lily was just beginning to wonder if James was going to be content to beam at her forever when he startled her by letting out a loud whoop. He pulled her towards him and her face was squashed into his chest as his arms wrapped around her tightly for a moment before he let her go. She stumbled slightly at the sudden change and before she had a chance to fully recover, James was racing off towards the portrait hole.

"Make sure you keep that scarf on," he called over his shoulder. Lily was grinning so hard she thought her cheeks would break, but no matter how much she tried she couldn't make it leave.

"Make sure you win." She responded, laughing as he winked at her and disappeared.

James did win the match; as if he could lose, with an incentive like that, and Lily did indeed race down to the Quidditch pitch after the game and snog James Potter senseless, like she had always planned. It was, she decided as the crowd around them cheered and wolf whistled, the perfect match.

A/N: MERRY CHRISTMAS TASHA27!! This one is for you – I had so much fun writing this story and I only hope that it lives up to your expectations I changed the original idea a little, so instead of Lily never having been to a Quidditch match, it was a Slytherin/Gryffindor match, I hope you don't mind. This is a giant, huge, overwhelming thank you for all the lovely reviews you leave on my stories and the support you give me. It really does mean so much to me!

R&R, let me know what you guys think of this (I think it might be the longest thing I've ever written!) and excuse any mistakes, its past midnight here, but I'm determined to get this fic up before I go to bed! There might be some minor changes made tomorrow when I'm fully awake ;)