AN: All characters and the setting belong to the brilliant JK dialogue from year five belong to JK. Anything not recognized, which is to say the plot belongs to meeee !
--Year One:
It was their last day of their first year when it happened. Lily was lounging on the grounds with Alice and Marlene when she overheard Black talking to James Potter. She had to admit, she did think James was quite cute.
"I dare you to ask Evans out."
"Lily Evans? No way! She's a fun-sucker!"
By this point, Lily was fuming. Never in her eleven years had she ever been so insulted! Just wait until he came over. She chanced a look over at the boys and saw Potter coming straight toward her. He stopped about five feet from her and looked down at his feet.
"Hey, Li-Evans, wanna go out with me?"
"Of course I won't go out with you! You're a mean bully, who doesn't care about anyone's feelings. Now go tell Black you couldn't pull off your dare."
"Yeah, well, I wouldn't go out with you if it was a choice between you and the giant squid!"
--Year Two:
Lily didn't know why they never decided to keep their conversations quiet. Anyone in the Great Hall could hear them.
"James, remember last year when you asked Evans out? Priceless! Did you see the look on her face when you said you'd rather the giant squid?"
James burst into laughter. "That's some of my best work, Sirius-old-pal. Never could have done it without you, mate."
"How 'bout a repeat for old-time's sake?"
Lily watched the both of them saunter over to her this time.
"Wanna go out with me, Evans?" He smiled cheekily.
Without missing a beat she replied, "Not if your life depended on it."
--Year Three:
He was sitting in the Transfiguration classroom; they were in their third week of school. He'd been thinking about her all summer. Twice. She'd rejected him twice! What's with this girl? Sure, he was never serious about asking her out, but she didn't know that. Did she? If she did, then she was just being sore. If she didn't, then she really just didn't like him. That thought worried him. That's when he realized it: he'd fallen for Lily Evans. And he was going to get her, no matter what it took.
At the end of class, he raced through the halls to catch up with her. He tried calling after her, "Evans!" This just seemed to make her walk faster. He ran a hand through his hair and ran faster. He caught her arm as she rounded a corner.
"What is it, Potter?"
"I've been thinking, and I was wondering if you'd really want to go out with me?"
She rolled her eyes. "Go away, Potter."
"No, I'm serious this time, Evans. Do you wanna go out with me?" She looked at him. Her eyes were questioning and unsure. He decided to kick up the charm. "I mean, you can only resist for so long." Her eyes changed then. There was a fire in them. She was mad.
"Go soak your head, prat." With that, she walked away, leaving him alone in the newly deserted hallway.
--Year Four:
It was again the last day of the school year. He was going to ask her out for the fortieth time. They were boarding the Hogwarts Express when he finally spotted her. He followed her into one of the smaller compartments. She didn't even look up as he walked in. "Evans, will you-"
"No."
"Will you go out-"
"No." She wasn't even giving him a chance!
"Evans, would you just hear me out-"
"No."
"Listen to me!"
This was the first time she looked up all the while. She smiled sweetly, "Yes, Potter, what is it?"
"Will you go out with me?" His voice squeaked on the last word.
Her smile turned straight into a glare, "No."
--Year Five:
"Alright, Snivellus?"
This causes a chain of reactions. Snape promptly drops his bag and reaches for his wand. James disarms him. Sirius lets out a bark of laughter and shoots Snape with the Impediment Jinx.
James notices Peter moving to get a better view of the action, Remus is sitting under the beech tree emerced in the Transfiguration text. James glances toward the lake where he know Lily is sitting. He asks, "How'd the exam go, Snivelly?"
"I was watching him, his nose was touching the parchment. There'll be great grease marks all over it, they wont be able to read a word," Sirius replies. This causes our surrounding audience to laugh.
"You—wait! You—wait!"
"Wait for what? What're you gonna do, Snivelly," Sirius jeers, "wipe your nose on us?"
Snape sputters an unintelligible mix of swear words and hexes, prompting James to respond coldly, "Wash out your mouth. Scourgify!" Bubbles start foaming in Snape's mouth.
As he knew he would, James sees Lily step out from the crowd. "Leave him ALONE!"
"Alright, Evans?"
"Leave him alone," she repeats, sending him a glare that makes him shiver. "What's he done to you?"
"Well, it's more the fact that he exists, if you know what I mean…" He realizes too late this is the wrong thing to say. At least it gets a laugh from the crowd.
"You think you're funny. But you're just an arrogant, bullying, toerag, Potter. Leave him alone."
"I will if you go out with me, Evans. Go on…go out with me and I'll never lay a wand on old Snivelly again." James doesn't notice Snape reaching for his wand.
"I wouldn't go out with you if it was a choice between you and the giant squid." Those were his exact words from first year, and it cut him deeply.
--Year Six:
"Hey, Lily!" Lily turned around only to be surprised by who called her name. Potter had never called her by her first name before. It was an unspoken agreement to address each on a strictly last name basis.
"Lily," he repeated, "I have a question for you."
"I'm sorry, Potter, but my answer's still no," she said without the same resentment as the previous years.
"But, Lily-"
"No, Potter."
"Jeez, I missed potions today, and I wanted to know if I could borrow your notes." Lily was awestruck. Borrow her notes? That was his question? Not, 'will you go out with me?'
Weakly, she replied, "Y-yes, Potter, you may."
James gave her a bright smile, "Thanks, Lily." The only thought running through Lily's mind at that moment was, Where is James Potter?
--Year Seven:
He was walking towards Gryffindor Tower. She ran up behind him and jumped on his back, effectively scaring him out of his wits, although he caught her easily.
She spoke, "I have something very important to say." She smiled a dazzling smile. After all these years, James still thought Lily was the most beautiful thing he has and ever will lay his eyes on.
"And what's that, Lily dear?"
"Go out with me." As promised, it was not a question. It was a statement, a command.
He kissed her.
