A/N: Hello, I've read loads of Lily x James stories and really want to try and write one myself. This may be absolute crap but I'm going to try my best. Reviews would be greatly appreciated.
Disclaimer: No, I'm not JK Rowling; I own my books and nothing else.
It's a fine line between love and hate.
Lily Evans hated James Potter.
His arrogant expression, his cruel demeanour, his bullying of her best friend, Severus Snape. Lily couldn't stand young Mr Potter. He and his friends, the "marauders" pushed on Lily's every nerve. Well, Remus Lupin wasn't too bad. He made a good study partner when his friends weren't corrupting him. The others however, were a different story. James Potter and his partner in crime, Sirius Black, were the bane of Lily's existence. Peter Pettigrew, although Lily didn't hate him, annoyed her to no end, with his pathetic hero-worshipping of the two rascals. And to make things worse, Potter was the star of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, meaning the whole school (pardon the Slytherins) adored him. And if you thought things couldn't get any worse, you were wrong. Much to Lily's immense displeasure, Potter insisted on asking her out almost every day. "Want to go to Hogsmeade with me, Evans?" "Hey Lily-flower, would you like to have the great pleasure of snogging me after Charms?" "Evans, .broom cupboard. Right now". These were the sort of things the arrogant toerag would shout down the corridor, at poor Lily. Yes, Lily Evans hated James Potter.
James Potter loved Lily Evans.
It was just a silly crush. That's all it was at first. A silly, schoolboy crush on a pretty girl in his year. But when Lily Evans continued to reject him, something changed. He became determined to woo Lily, to win her heart. Every day, from his third year to his sixth, he attempted to seduce her with a string of cheesy chat-up lines, awful sexual innuendos and flamboyant, over-the-top shows of affection. But for some, unknown reason to James, Evans refused to go on a date with him. All his efforts, all his hard work and determination, couldn't get him one, measly date with Hogwarts's most beautiful redhead. After much sweat, blood and manly tears, James Potter did what he swore he would never do. He gave up. Or at least, that's what he thought he was doing. But Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, Frank Longbottom and generally the entire Hogwarts population knew better. Because James was a chaser. He never gave up, no matter what. And Lily Evans wasn't an ordinary Quaffle. No, she was so much better than that. She was a snitch, James's snitch. And so, with the encouragement of his best friends and after a whole lot of Honeyduke's chocolate, James once again took up the chase. But this time, things were different. He became kind, considerate. He stopped hexing people for the fun of it and began dedicating more time to his studies and to his friends. He was trying to become a better person, not just for Lily, but for himself. And so, after showing her that he had changed and was a better person now, Lily Evans accepted his offer of a date to Hogsmeade. He was completely overwhelmed because this time round, it was different. This was no longer a schoolboy crush. James Potter was in love with Lily Evans.
Eventually, although it was a surprise to no-one, Lily realised she too was in love with James. The hatred, the despising nature, was gone. In its place, as cheesy and cliché as it sounds, was true love.
Because after all, they do say, it's a fine line between love and hate.