Lily Flower

Chapter One: Lily Things

"Lily flower, flower of my soul, of my world, of my –"

"Potter. Go away. And don't come back until you've actually learned how to be a semi-decent poet."

"Does this mean you won't go out with me?"

"Yes, Potter. That's exactly what it means."

"But Lilykins-" before James had another chance to try and stun Lily with his glorious poetic ness, she had stomped off. James resolved to become a better poet.

James turned to Sirius. "Why does she always do that?" he complained.

"I dunno, mate, PMS?" Sirius suggested.

"But how could Lily have PMS every single time I ask her out?" James asked.

"It's just one of those Lily Things." Sirius said.

James sighed.

Lily Things were unexplainable things that Lily Evans did.

For instance, turning down James Potter's repeated offers to take Lily to Hogsmeade. No one in her, or his, right mind turned down James Potter. It was most definitely a Lily Thing.

Girls loved James. Guys loved James. Teachers loved James.

So why didn't Lily love James? It was one of the unsolved mysteries of the world. One that James was constantly trying to uncover.

James couldn't understand why Lily wouldn't go out with him. He was, after all, a devilishly handsome, charming, funny, person to be around. Not to mention his famed Quidditch Skills.

And yet, for some reason, Lily thought he was an arrogant, annoying, childish… creature.

What was the sense in that?

James knew that Lily would eventually come to him. She just needed a little convincing.

"James!" Remus called from the entrance of the Gryffindor Common Room. "Time for class! You don't want to be late!"

"No," James muttered. "You don't want to be late."

James brightened considerably when he realized that Lily was in his transfiguration class. He hurried to catch up with Remus, Sirius, and Peter.

"You are late. Again." McGonagall's words were stern as always.

"Sorry Professor. My watch is a few minutes slow." Remus quickly answered before any of his friends could answer for them. James and Sirius' lines, however funny, never got them out of detention.

"5 points from Gryffindor. You may take your seats." McGonagall nodded curtly to the Marauders.

Sirius made a face and mouthed to James. "How come she always lets him off easy?"

James shrugged as he scanned the class for Lily. Ah. There she was, looking totally hot and sitting next to Ted Tonks, a light brown-haired Gryffindor. No worries then. Tonks was hardly James' competition.

James took a seat next to Sirius.

"This is boring." Sirius said as soon as James sat down. "Let's play How-Many-Seconds!"

Remus whacked Sirius' head with a book. "If you paid attention in class, not only would it solve your boredom problem, but it would also keep you from getting in trouble, which you do every time you play that ridiculous game you and James made up!"

"The object of How-Many-Seconds is to see how many seconds you can goof off for without getting in trouble." James pointed out.

Remus opened his mouth and then shut it: His brilliance was totally wasted on the rest of the Marauders. So instead of giving a long and complicated reply, Remus settled for whacking Sirius' head again with the book.

"Ow!" Sirius exclaimed loudly. "That hurt!" he waved his hand in the air.

"You walked into that one, mate," whispered James into Remus' ear. Remus groaned.

"Yes?" McGonagall turned her disapproving stare onto Sirius.

"Remus just hit me!" Sirius complained.

"Does this have anything to do with subject we're working on?" asked Professor McGonagall.

"Well, see, -"

James put his feet up on the desk and leaned back to watch the show.

Lily relaxed back on her favorite chair in the Common Room and sighed happily. She'd just completed all her homework due tomorrow, which meant that tomorrow she could start working on her homework for the next few days. That way, by the weekend she would be homework free!

"It's my turn! I claimed it first!" Mallory said.

"But she promised me!" argued Garrett.

"Did not"

"Did too"

"Did not"

"Did too"

"I have an idea, let's ask her and then we'll see who's really right!"

Mallory and Garrett who were part of Lily's circle of Gryffindor friends entered the Gryffindor Common Room and stopped in front of Lily.

"Lily, tell her that you promised me!" Garrett said.

"But I claimed it first! So it doesn't matter whether or not she promised you, because I claimed it!"

"She's just making that up so she gets to go first!" Garrett pointed a finger accusingly at Mallory.

"Did not! Remember, this morning at breakfast, I told you "I claim it first!" She's mine!" Mallory pointed at Lily and tossed her long brown hair.

"What are you two talking about?" Lily asked, frustrated.

"HOMEWORK!" both Mallory and Garrett said at the same time.

"Oh."

"So…" Mallory asked.

"So what?"

"So who's going first?" Garret asked impatiently.

"Does it really matter?" asked Lily. "Both of you hand me your homework, and I'll return it by dinner."

"Okay, fine." Garrett handed his homework over to Lily. "But who won! Did you or did you not promise to do my homework first!"

"You two are so juvenile sometimes." Lily shook her head.

"She's stalling!" Garrett turned to Mallory triumphantly. "That means that I won and she just doesn't want to admit it because you're her best friend!"

"No! What it really means is that she just doesn't want to tell you the truth –that you lost- because she doesn't want to hear you whine and burst into tears."

"I never whine! And I never burst into tears!" Garrett whined.

"Do too!"

"Do not!"

"Do too!"

"Do not!"

Lily had learned long ago to tune them out. They could go on for hours arguing. And if they didn't have anything to argue about, they argued about not arguing.

Homework was Garrett and Mallory's favorite thing to argue about. It was their tradition. Just as it had been an established tradition since Second Year for Lily to help her friends with their Potions homework, and for them to help her with Herbology and Astronomy homework; both of which she was currently failing.

"So how was transfiguration?" Mallory abruptly changed the subject.

"Okay. Black and Potter were, as usual, total ass holes, Lupin, as usual, did nothing to stop it, and Pettigrew, as usual, cheered both Black and Potter on. All in all, it was a usual Transfiguration class. Why?"

"Just wondering. I'd overhead Black boasted how he'd gotten detention for the next three days…"

"Serves him right." muttered Lily.

"I only wish it had been longer. Like a year. Imagine… a whole year without seeing Black… Or Potter… or Pettigrew…" Mallory said dreamily.

"That would be heaven," Lily laughed.

"You two are so obsessed with hating those guys." Garrett said in disgust.

"Uh uh. Don't you start ragging on us for hating the Marauders!" Mallory held her arms out as if trying to ward him off.

"I'm not saying the Marauders aren't jerks, but you are obsessing a little too much about them." Garrett said.

As Mallory opened her mouth to retaliate, Lily picked up a book and started reading. They would get her attention when they were done arguing.

"The fact remains, Padfoot, that I, the Great and Terrible Prongs, still hold the longest record in How-Many-Seconds." James nicely explained to Sirius.

"Mmm." Sirius made a noise of grudging consent. "But my performance today was still pretty good wasn't it?" Sirius grinned cockily.

"It was indeed, Padfoot, it was indeed… You only got three days worth of detention, and that was on McGonagall's watch."

"Lily Evans, coming this way." Remus yawned sleepily not caring at all that James was either 1. About to make an utter fool of himself 2. About to get into a huge argument with Lily or 3. Both of the above. Remus would have bet a large sum of galleons that it was #3.

And there she was. Lily Evans. Looking as gorgeous as ever.

"Yo Evans!" James called out as his vision of loveliness passed by.

Lily would have continued walking past Potter and the Marauders if Mallory, Garrett and her friend Olivia hadn't stopped and turned to confront Potter.

"Ignore him. He's being a prick as always." Lily tried grabbing her friends' arms and tugging them back but it was no use. Olivia, Garrett, and Mallory strode over to where the Marauders were standing.

"Do you have something to say to Lily?" Garrett crossed his arms and stared up threateningly at James.

Seeing them, Lily almost laughed out loud.

There was Garrett, who didn't reach over 5'2, pulling the tough-act on James Potter who was not only over 6' feet, but was also Captain of the Gryffindor quidditch team and had muscles to show for it.

James looked unnerved though. "Um, yeah. Yeah, I do." James ran his hand nervously through his hair. He had -of course- thought of absolutely nothing to say to Lily.

"Well? We're waiting?" Garrett tapped his foot impatiently.

"Will you hold on for a moment!" snapped Sirius. "James is obviously trying to think!"

James silently groaned. Sirius was not helping one bit.

"Trying, being the key word of that sentence." Mallory said.

"I have better things to do today." Lily said disgustedly, turning away.

"Like what?" James said snidely. He couldn't help it! Seriously, he couldn't! James had been at a loss of what to say, and out had popped—

"Like what! More important things than you, that's for sure!" Lily exclaimed angrily.

"For you information I have incredibly important things to do today." James lied.

"Oh yes," Lily said sarcastically. "I forgot about your busy schedule. Hexing every person that crosses your path, taunting First Years, and meeting with the James Potter Fan Club… it's a wonder you ever find time to admire yourself in the mirror."

"At least I have fun in life. You're always Little Miss Stuck Up Prude." James watched as Lily's face turned bright red and knew he had struck a nerve.

WHACK!

James didn't have time to dodge Lily's slap.

Ouch. That hurt.

"James. James are you all right?" Remus asked worriedly.

A rather stunned James was gingerly touching his face and wincing where Lily had slapped him.

"Atta girl Lily!" Garrett cheered.

"Thank you." Lily looked –and felt- rather self-satisfied. "Now, may we please go? As I said before, I have things to do today!" Lily stomped off.

Garrett made a 'who-understands-girls' face at Sirius, Remus, and James before turning to follow Mallory, Olivia, and Lily.

First chapter! Tell me what you think!

Rachel aka SilverTiger

ps. For any of you who've read my other story Could it be Love, this is not related in any way! This story takes place in Hogwarts with new friends, new adventures and new stories to be told! On the subject, of Could it be Love, though, I am thinking about a short sequel... But I haven't decided yet.

Thank you for reading my first chapter! Please review!