A/N: Nothing about this, except the plot, is mine.
OH, and also, this is a story BOOK, it'll have chapters, it's not a one-shot,
so this, is only chapter one. (: Enjoy.
"I don't need help from filthy little Mudbloods like her!"
Everyone seemed to freeze in that moment. The smirk previously on James' face vanished into a look of down-right shock. Sirius's eyes widened, Pettigrew looked from Lily to Snape, and Remus dropped the book he was reading. Lily took a step backwards as if he were some disgusting creature.
"What did you call me?" she whispered.
Snape shook his head, now more embarrassed than he had been before. "Lily, I-"
Lily snatched up her bag off the ground and hit him with it, Severus recoiled, holding the place on his shoulder were she had struck him.
Then she hit him with it again shoving him at the same time before spinning around on her heels, dropping her bag, and covering her mouth from the loud, very audible, sob that escaped her lips.
She'd hoped no one had noticed but all of the Marauders had their eyes wearily on her.
Peter looks terrified, Sirius and Remus both worried, except James, he was staring at Severus still; Glaring, really.
She nearly crumbled right there in front of them, but one more fleeting second and she ran for it, though they could all hear her sobs as she went.
"Congratulations," James said dropping his hands back to his sides, "You just lost the only person that actually gave a damn about you."
He turned to his friends and said, "I'm going to go find her." He lifted her back over his shoulder and walked quickly in her direction.
It didn't take him long to find her, she was in the pumpkin patches near Hagrid's hut. She was sitting leaned forward, her elbows on her knees, her head resting in her hands. Her hair falling like a curtain around her face, but James could tell, getting closer, that she was crying for her shoulders were shaking slightly.
She looked up when she heard him coming her face instantly turning icy, "What do you want?"
James held his hands up in surrender, "I mean no harm, I swear. I'm just returning your bag." He took it and lightly sat it at her feet.
There was a moment of silence in which case Lily wiped her eyes and ran a hand through her hair, "Thank you." She said curtly, she knew she should be angry at him but she just wasn't.
She looked up into his face, it was the first time she'd been able to look at him without immediately rolling her eyes at whatever arrogant thing he'd said then. But now he was silent, just looking at her tear-soaked face.
Lily took in his features, despite his messy brown hair, though obviously very unkempt it fit him well, his round wire-rimmed glasses that actually were quite adorable on him, he had very warm, friendly dark brown eyes, light-colored freckles sprinkled across his cheeks and nose.
James also took the time to take in Lily's up-close features as well, her eyes, though everyone knew they were the brightest green around, had flecks of brown and blue in them, making them look almost Iridescent, she had freckles across her cheeks and perfect button nose.
Lily took a deep breath, blushing slightly and looking away.
"Sorry," James said now, "I'll leave you alone," He said though made no sign of going.
Lily laughed quietly, "It's alright, you can stay."
Only then did she realize she wasn't crying anymore and shortly after that she realized what had made her cry in the first place. She blinked, feeling the tears coming back, "No." She shook her head quickly, "No, you should go."
James nodded and stood up slowly before backing away and walking off. Lily slid off the hay stack they'd been sitting on onto the ground, collapsing in her tears again.
She didn't want to be alone but moreover she didn't want James to see her so weak, but then next thing she knew someone's hand was on her shoulder; she knew it wasn't Severus because his hands were always cold, this hand was rather warm.
The owner of the hand slid their entire arm around her and sat down beside her, gently pulling her into a hug. Lily let herself cry on their shirt, whoever it was didn't seem to mind for they gently still, rocked her back and forth and stroked her hair slowly.
When Lily finally stopped crying she looked up at her sweet savior, James wiped her eyes for her, she jumped to her feet quickly, knocking him sideways; "You came back." She said; it was meant to be a question.
James sat up his legs out in front of him, he looped his arms around them, looking up at Lily, "I'm not heartless, Lily."
"Yes." She said before she could stop herself, "You are."
James laughed, "That's a great thing to say to the guy who just-"
"Oh, don't you start acting like a hero." She interrupted him, she was mad now, mad at what she wasn't entirely sure but she was perfectly okay with taking it out on the most arrogant man she knew.
James got up to his feet and stook a step towards her his face calm, "Lily-"
"No! No, you're not going to start playing mister nice guy. You think you're so cool, think you're so amazing, James. Well, you're wrong, you're arrogant, loud, ANNOYING," She spat, she wasn't making any sense, and she knew it but she didn't care, she couldn't shut herself up, "He never would've said that if you hadn't provoked him, this is all YOUR fault!"
She wanted him to yell back, to fight with her, to tell her she was being irrational, but he just stood there with his hands in his slacks pockets, Lily stood there staring at him, her breathing heavy, "Why aren't you yelling back?" She asked hopelessly. Severus would've yelled back, but as soon as she thought that she cringed, no longer able to cry over him, but more than finding the thought of him sickening.
"Why would I fight with you when I know you're right?" James said giving her a slight shrug.
She stared at him, completely bewildered, "Wh-what?"
James laughed quietly, "My dad taught me never to yell back at anybody if what they were saying is true;" He paused, "But he also says that if what they're saying IS wrong, don't let them forget it."
Lily had to laugh, which she did, and once she started she couldn't stop, it became so bad that she was rolling on the ground gasping for air. When she finally calmed herself down James was sitting on the edge of the hay stack, his feet on either side of her shoulders, grinning down at her.
"Better?" he asked, helping her to her feet.
"Much," she said, dusting herself off. She sat down beside him and exhaled, "You said I was right."
He nodded, "Because you were."
"So…" she said, slightly smirking, her eyes completely curious, "You're telling me, you're fully aware that you're arrogant, loud…and annoying?"
He laughed, "I wouldn't exactly use those words, but yea, I guess wa-"
"What words would you use then, James?" she asked, he could help but notice how his pulse quickened slightly when she said his name.
He cleared his throat, "Well, I'd say confident."
Lily laughed again, he did love the sound of that, "Confident?" Lily asked, her eyebrows raised.
James nodded, "Confident. When you think about it, Most confident people are arrogant, because they know they're confident, loud, because they don't care what people think, and well, annoying because everyone KNOWS they don't care."
She laughed again, "I'm confident, and I promise I'm not any of those things."
James grinned, "You're being arrogant by SAYING you're not any of those things."
At that Lily was stumped, she crossed her arms over her chest, narrowing her eyes at him.
"And…I did provoke him…Snape, but he still shouldn't have said it. It was uncalled for. I don't care how angry he was- and I'd say that if it was someone else too."
She looked down nodding;
and then it was raining, no not just raining, but pouring.
Lily screamed and started laughing, James grabbed her hand and pulled her into the shelter of the greenhouse which had a glass roof so the plants got sunlight; the rain, from inside there, was in stereo booming against every surface of the outside, it sounded as if it would break.
Lily closed her eyes, listening, James watched her.
She exhaled and hugged him round his torso tightly, her head on his chest.
It had taken him completely by surprise making him hesitate before hugging her back. He loved the smell of her, Flowery, like a lily, with a slight hint of cinnamon, and now rain.
"Thank you," She said simply, her voice muffled in his robes.
"For what?" He asked, still hugging her, she lifted her head from his chest and looked up at him, "Everything."