Strange, dear, but true, dear, when I'm close to you dear, the stars fill the sky. So in love with you am I.

Midway through 7th year

Dear Diary,

Oh, who am I kidding? We all know whom I'm really talking to in here.

Dear James,

I still find it incredibly strange that I'm in love with you. After all, I hate you. Or hated you. But I never did, not really. Well, maybe sometimes, when you had humiliated me in front of the entire school or bullied Severus or done something stupid. So I guess, yeah, I did hate you most of the time. You always loved me, I get that now. It took me a while, but the messages you were sending me were mixed, at best. I mean, you'd hex my best friend, then turn around and declare your undying love. You can forgive me for being a bit confused.

And then this year. How do I even start on this year? Well, when I heard you were Head Boy, I threw a fit. I guess you heard about that. I was thinking I'd have to do all the work, plus cleaning up all your messes. And then I got to school and you were responsible and working hard and didn't ask me out or flirt with me and you were nice. Do you have any idea how much that meant to me? It's been a long time since someone has been flat out nice to me. I figured that you'd learned your lesson, that maybe we could be friendly. But you…you've been so cool to me this year. Almost hostile, even. I'm used to seeing that in Sirius – I'm sure he must hate me for how much of your attention I've stolen and also, you know, how I've treated you. Now, though, you're the one who's always being polite, professional, and downright infuriatingly dispassionate. Oh, we're friends, in theory, but there's something in you that's holding back. Sometimes, if I'm feeling imaginative, I think that it's just that you don't want me to hurt you again, that it's your love holding you back.

But the path of true love never did run smooth, right? And ours is true love – at least, it had the chance of being that. I'm just afraid I was too late in realizing what was obvious to you from the beginning. Something tells me I'm not too late, that you still love me, though. Why else would you have stayed single all through this year? And I do sometimes see glimpses of the old James, the one who loved me. Loves me. Truly loves me, fairy tale loves me. I swear, when you sat down next to me tonight, the clouds parted and the ceiling filled with stars. We'll figure all this out and be dating by the end of the year, I'm sure of it.

Love,

Lily

Even without you, my arms fold about you. You know, darling, why. So in love with you am I.

6th year

"What do you think, Prongs?" Sirius turned to his friend.

"James." Remus hit James on the arm. "You're doing it again."

"Huh?" Startled, James looked up from his daze. "Doing what?"

"Staring at Evans and rubbing your arms," Remus said. "It's creepy."

"Oh." Self-consciously, James unfolded his arms and made an effort to be part of the conversation. "What are you talking about again?"

A few minutes later…

"Oi, Potter!" James' head snapped to attention, his signature smirk automatically spreading across his face.

"Yes, my Lily flower?"

She rolled her eyes. "Stop staring at me. It's creepy."

"Told you," Remus whispered.

James ignored him. "You know I'd do anything to please you, my love," he said, gesturing dramatically. "But I can't."

"And why not?" Lily demanded.

"Oh, you know why, darling!"

"You're mad," Sirius said as James sat back down.

"Nah," James said. "I'm just in love."

In love with the night mysterious, the night when you first were there.

Near the end of 7th year

"Lily?"

"Go away."

James ignored her plea and sat down. Lily was curled up against the base of the astronomy tower, still in her school robes. Tentatively, he slipped an arm around her shoulders. "Anyone I can hex for you?"

She gave a watery laugh and leaned into him. "I wish," she whispered.

"Just give me a name," he told her.

"Petunia Evans. Soon to be Dursley."

"Your sister?"

Lily nodded. "I have to go to the wedding."

James frowned. "But isn't it good she's inviting you?"

"She didn't. I just got a letter from my parents assuming I'd be there, followed by a panicked one from Petunia telling me how to behave."

"I'll curse her so badly she won't know what hit her," James promised. A cloud had settled on his brow, and he looked so absolutely furious that Lily couldn't help but give a little laugh.

"I'll be okay," she said. "But thanks." She snuggled closer to him.

In love with my joy delirious, when I knew that you could care.

James was loath to break the silence, worried that it might somehow ruin this perfect moment, but, of course, his mouth had different plans. "So you're going?"

"I don't really have a choice. We'll probably try to get along for our parents' sake – that's what we usually do. We manage most summers."

"Do you at least like the bloke?"

"Vernon?" Lily snorted. "Merlin, no. Petunia's been intolerable this last year because of him. And he doesn't know about this," she said, gesturing to the grounds. "So I can't do magic."

"None of your friends are spending the summer?"

"Not this year." Lily hesitated, then asked, "Are you busy?"

James shrugged. "Not really. Sirius is with us, of course, and Remus and Peter are arriving about a month in."

"Could you get away for a day?"

"Sure." She can't mean what I think she means, he thought frantically.

"Would…would you come? To the wedding, I mean? With me?"

His arms tightened around her. "Of course," he said with far more calm than he felt.

But she wasn't finished. "As a date?" was her last question.

"As a…" Words failed him. "Are you asking me out?"

She smiled shyly. "Maybe?"

With an incredulous laugh, he pulled her head to his chest and buried his face in her hair. "Is that a yes?" she mumbled.

"Are you kidding me? I've been waiting for this for six years!"

She pulled back and looked straight at him, her brilliant green eyes sparkling with joy. "Good," she said, and kissed him.

It was the first happiest night of his life. (That night, in bed, he dreamed of the ones to come.)

So taunt me.

3rd year

"EXCUSE ME!" Sirius got up on his chair and banged his spoon against his glass, splashing pumpkin juice everywhere. "MAY I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE? I NOW HAVE THE HONOR OF PRESENTING TO YOU THE ONE AND ONLY JAMES POTTER!"

James sprang to his feet, pulling out a guitar. He strummed it dramatically and hollered, "This song is dedicated to the love of my life, LILY EVANS!"

Lily grabbed Severus' good arm (not the one James had broken the day before) and out of the Great Hall before he could get any further.

And hurt me.

"I would rather date the giant squid."

"The only way I'll ever go to Hogsmede with you is if you drag my dead body there."

"Oh, bugger off already."

"Will you stop stalking me?"

"Pertificus Totalus!"

"It was his fault, Professor, you know how he is."

He never showed it, but every word stung.

Deceive me.

1st year: "Hey, Evans, you're pretty."

2nd year: "Please, Lily?"

"Leave me alone."

3rd year: "Evans! Did you get your Hogsmede form signed? You'll come with me, right?"

"You wish."

4th year: "I love you."

"I hate you."

5th year: "Any other girl would pay to be in your shoes!"

"So go ask some other girl."

"But I don't love anyone else like I love you!"

6th year: "Want me to hex Snape for you?"

"You're going to do it whatever I say."

"I'll hex him extra hard if you ask nicely."

"Can I punch him?"

"Sure!"

"You have yourself a deal."

"Seal it with a kiss?"

"Actually, you know what, forget Snape. I'll punch you."

"Ow! Lily!"

7th year: "You know you like him."

"For the last time, Alice, we're just friends."

"So you won't care that he's dating McKinnon?"

"What? That's not possible."

"It's true. I saw them come into breakfast together. And look, there they are, eating each other's faces off."

Desert me.

4th year

"Are you okay?"

"Huh?" Lily's face swam in front of James' face. Squint as he might, he couldn't get her in focus.

"Here." She pushed his glasses onto his nose, not ungently. "Can you sit up?"

As he struggled to do so, he became aware of an intense throbbing in his arm. "What happened?"

"You got hit by a bludger. Sirius went after the guy who hit it, and…well…he and Peter ended up in the Headmaster's office, I think."

"Remus?"

She looked at him worriedly. "He's still in the hospital wing, remember?"

James groaned. "Right."

"Mr. Potter!" Professor McGonagall hurried to his side. "Come along, we've got to get you to the hospital wing."

"Lily?" he asked as soon as he was on his feet. He had been injured in Quidditch before, but this took the prize. Still, all he could think of was how angelic Lily had looked as she peered down at him.

"What about Miss Evans?" McGonagall asked.

"Where'd she go?"

McGonagall frowned. "Back to her friends, I believe. Now come on, Potter."

As he left the Quidditch field, James saw Lily laughing with Snape. "What happened to him?" Snape was asking her.

"Oh, I don't know," she said carelessly. "Does it matter? He'll be out of our hair for a week now."

He blamed his stinging eyes on his arm.

I'm yours till I die. So in love with you am I.

"Do you, James Potter, take this woman, Lily Evans, to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do."

"Do you, Lily Evans, take this man, James Potter, to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do."

"I now pronounce you man and wife. Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. and Mrs. Potter!"

So taunt me.

6th Year

"LILY! Lilylilylilylilylily! Let's play charades!" With a bound, Alice pounced on Lily's chair, dragging her to her feet.

Lily wrenched herself away from her friend. "We've got a huge Transfig test tomorrow!"

"So?"Alice said, making a face. "You've been studying for hours. C'mon, please?"

"Fine," Lily said, throwing down her book. "But I get to go first."

"Okay," Alice agreed.

With a grin, Lily began to strut about, running her hand through her hair. Abruptly, she "saw" herself (really a tree) and threw herself at it, going down on one knee.

Alice laughed. "Could you be more obvious? It's Potter."

Lily gave an extravagant bow. "But of course!" she cried. "Who else is that arrogant?"

And hurt me.

Midway through 5th year

James was tired. Sirius and Peter had landed themselves in detention, so he had been forced to help Remus by himself. Glaring at the full moon (How dare it look so beautiful when it ruined his best friend's life?) he slipped back into the castle, fully intending to go straight to bed. But Lily Evans had another plan.

"There you are," she said as he made his way into the common room. Squinting at her, James saw that her eyes were red and puffy (though no less beautiful for it). Her wand was drawn, and it looked as if she had been stewing in her hatred for a while. "What did you do to him?"

"Huh?"

"Don't play innocent, Potter, she snarled. "What. Did. You. Do. To. Him?"

"Snivillus?"

"Yes," she said. "Severus."

"Aw, come on, Evans, it was just a prank."

"Just a prank?" Her eyes flashed dangerously. "He's in the Hospital Wing, Potter!"

Maybe it was because he was tired. Maybe it was because he, too, had a friend in the Hospital Wing tonight. Maybe it was because he had been asking her out for four and a half years now, and he was getting sick of being rejected. Maybe it was because deep down underneath everything, he was just a fifteen year old boy who could only take so much. But whatever the reason, James lost it. "Why do you care?" he hissed at her. "Huh? He's just a bloody Death Eater. You say I bully people, but at least I haven't caused permanent injury. Look what his pals did to MacDonald! He's going to join You-Know-Who as soon as he graduates, you know that. And then he'll kill you and everyone like you without a second thought. So why do you care?"

"If it were Black, you'd be out for the culprit's blood."

"That's different," he said. "Sirius is my best friend."

"And Severus is mine! I know it's hard for your brain to comprehend, but whatever else he may or may not be, Sev is my friend."

"He's a Death Eater! He's just going to hurt you in the end, Lily, you know that."

"Funny," she said. "He says the same thing about you."

"I'd never hurt you!"

"You just did, Potter. You hurt him, you hurt me. You hurt me, I hurt you. It's that simple. If he's not completely better by lunch tomorrow, you are going to be hexed within an inch of your life. Be grateful I'm not doing it now."

As she swept up the stairs, James only could stare after her and swear under his breath.

Deceive me.

Midway through 7th year

"Hey, Lily, what are you doing tomorrow?"

She shrugged. "Nothing much."

"Nothing much?" James said. "It's a Hogsmede weekend. Aren't you going?"

She shrugged. "Maybe. I've got a lot of homework."

"Aw, c'mon, Lily! You can do that on Sunday. That's why we have Sundays. Saturday is for fun. Pleaseeeee? You said yesterday you needed a new quill, and we have to stop by Scrivenshaft's anyway. Sirius trashed all our stuff."

"Thanks, but I think I'll skip. I've got a bunch of stuff I've got to do here."

"Fine," James huffed. Fool that he was, he believed her. He assumed the rumours weren't true and moved on with his life. Which made it all the worst the next day when he saw Lily entering Madame Puddifoot's with Amos Diggory.

Desert me.

"Lily, take Harry and go! It's him!"

"What about you?"

"I'll try to hold him off – just go!"

Her heart pounding in her chest, Lily grabbed her son and dashed for the stairs. It wasn't until she was at the top that her mind caught up with her brain and she fully realized exactly what was happening. She started back down the stairs, intent on helping her husband.

"Mama?" Harry asked. Lily stopped, suddenly remembering her son. Downstairs, she heard a high, cold laugh.

"Avada Kedavra!"

The flash of green light made Lily's eyes hurt. She flew into Harry's bedroom and practically threw Harry into his crib. Reaching for her wand, she realized she had left it downstairs. She dashed about the room, stacking piece after piece of furniture in front of the door, hoping for a miracle, something, anything, to prevent what she knew was inevitable, praying that she had misheard, that he had uttered some other curse, because James couldn't be dead, he couldn't be because then what was the point of living, if James was gone?

The door was knocked open, and Lily scurried back to Harry's crib and gathered him into her arms. "I love you, Harry. Daddy loves you. Remember that." A wave of his wand, and the furniture she had thrown against the door flew to the side. With a shriek, she dropped Harry into his crib. "Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry," she was chanting, half to herself. If James was dead (and James had to be dead, because how else could he be here) then maybe it was best that she died, too. But Harry? He was just a baby. He shouldn't have to die, not yet.

"Stand aside, you silly girl," he sneered. "Stand aside, now."

She was still chanting, "Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead…"

"This is your last warning."

"Not Harry! Please…have mercy…have mercy…not Harry! Not Harry! Please – I'll do anything..."

"Stand aside. Stand aside, girl!"

There was another flash of green light, and Lily fell to the ground, lifeless.

I'm yours till I die.

James died distraught that he couldn't save his love. Lily died glad she would soon be with hers.

So in love, so in love, so in love with you, my love, am I.

A/N: This was long, and rambly, and all in all, not my best work. But the song which, by the way, belongs 100% to Cole Porter and is from his fantastic play Kiss Me Kate (and James, Lily, etc belong entirely to JKR), wouldn't get out of my head, and this is the result. There will be a second chapter up soon (hopefully by the end of the day) that will be the reprise, from Snape's POV. Thanks for reading, and I'll love you forever and ever if you review.