Story: I Saw Sparks
Author: Megasaurus
A/N: Hey everyone :) I hope you enjoy my new story...and if you do, please make a review! And if you don't but you have ideas to make it better, I'm all ears!

Chapter One

"I'm in love with you."

This was the first sentence James Potter said to me in his pre-adolescent, cracking voice of an eleven year old, at the time. It was a phrase that I would become accustomed to over the years. Whether it was during class, in the Great Hall during supper or even at three o'clock in the morning when his owl would deliver a note that declared his love for me, it had become a part of my everyday life. Not that I didn't answer his bold statement with a rude look, an owl post that replied in, "Go shove something sharp up your arse" or the silent treatment.

When he first declared that introductory sentence into my ear, I turned around on the spot in my armchair in the Gryffindor commonroom to get a better look at my admirer.

Standing there was a young boy who appeared to be even a few inches shorter than I was, with a shock of messy coal-coloured hair that instantly made my fingers itch to pull a comb through it. He had a pair of glasses on and wore a crooked smile on his face.

I snorted out loud in disbelief. This was my new lover boy? But I guess it's to be expected when someone pulls lines like, 'I'm in love with you'. Its right up there with, 'Are those moon-pants you're wearing? Because your butt is out of this world!'

However, I decided I wanted to hear what he had to say.

"Why?" I asked simply.

He leaned down closer to me, resting his arm on my chair. "You're gorgeous," he replied, as if this covered everything. I raised an eyebrow and watched his taken-back reaction from my own. "And your personality. Love it."

He seemed so confident in his answer even though it was the first time we had ever made contact. I pointed that out to him.

"But who says I haven't been watching you, Lily Evans?" he whispered, but scrambled to rephrase what he said after I gave him an alarmed look. "What I mean to say is you're in three of my classes and you stick out. Haven't you noticed me?"

"Nope," I replied bluntly.

He cocked an eyebrow. "Well Lily. Expect to be seeing more James Potter from this day forward." I watched as a stupid grin filled his face. Within the first five seconds of our entire conversation, I knew I didn't like him.

Over the years, my dislike for James Potter fluctuated, just like the weather. There would be days when even his mere presence would be unbearable and put me in a ripping and downcast mood, just like a rumbling storm. Then there would be rare days where he would be much less of an annoyance, and I could actually stay sane in his company. Those were the warm, dangle-your-feet-in-the-lake days.

However, this day was one of those violently stormy days when the lightning struck whole trees to the ground and the thunder clapped so loudly it made your eardrums scream in pain. Today was the first day of my seventh year. The first day of the entire year that I would have to endure sharing my own living space, at Hogwarts, with James Potter. To put it lightly, I was completely and utterly unimpressed and disgruntled that I would be sharing a bathroom and common room with a pig. Not to mention that there was a doorway that led straight from my bedroom to his. I'd have to find a more complicated charm to put on it that repelled basic unlocking.

"I honestly think that Professor Dumbledore deliberately put that door there," I declared to my friend Annabelle, with one hand pointed accusingly at the stupid thing.

She tossed her head of thick blond hair to one side in a thoughtful way. "You know," she started in her strong northern accent, "most people our age would think of that door as heaven sent." She grinned a blindingly white smile as I gave her my infamous 'you're a moron, Potter' look, which I gave him daily.

"But seriously", she started again, "do you know how many girls from our school would have seizures over the thought of this door's significance? Maybe even a small minority of guys?"

I laughed out loud. Annabelle always had a way of bringing out the funnier sides of bad situations. "Whatever the deal is, if Potter abuses the use of that hellish door, I'm heading straight to Professor Dumbledore's office to get it permanently removed."

"Then expect yourself to be heading there within," she paused and studied the new clock hanging over my desk. "Oh, let's say fifteen seconds."

As if waiting for his cue, the door that led in between bedrooms flew open, and in strolled James Potter with his shameless gang of cronies at his sides. The only one who stayed in the doorway was Remus Lupin, politely standing back from his uninvited friends.

Sirius Black paced the room, is if admiring its handiwork, while Peter Pettigrew followed in his shadow. James, however, plopped right down beside me and wrapped and arm around my shoulders.

"Lily, love. What a fantastic year our old pal Dumbledore has made up for us. Our own commonroom, a shared bathroom and adjoining bedrooms! He couldn't have been more accommodating with our Head duties."

"On the other hand Prongs," Sirius said, winking at Annabelle, "he could have made one big bedroom to share. That would have been much more accommodating."

I made a retching noise in reply and pushed James's arm off of me. "Did I even invite you into my room? Or are you just assuming that it's always going to be an open door for you?"

His arm was draped back over me before I could stop him. "Just so you know, my door will always be wide open for you." He raised his eyebrows suggestively and Sirius gave a hoot of laughter. After Sirius's response, Peter felt that it was appropriate to snicker.

Annabelle got up from the bed and began to push Sirius and Peter out through the door. "Okay, I think we've had enough out of you." She turned her head, nodding it at James. "C'mon, James, before Lily rips that arm out of your socket."

I could feel him tighten his grip around my shoulder. I cringed and looked at Remus for help. He was the only sane friend of Potter's that I got along famously with. I actually considered him to be one of my closest friends. He never took part in their daft pranks, had a level-headed personality and never contributed to the sexual innuendos Sirius always had ready on the tip of his tongue.

"Annabelle's right, Prongs," he said as he pushed his fringe out of his red-rimmed eyes, "I think you're dangerously close to having a visit to the Hospital Wing."

Instead of taking his best friend's knowledgeable advice, he turned to me and said, "It just so happens that Lily and I have some Head duties to attend to that Professor Dumbledore himself has just informed me with." I sighed. Immediately I felt some sort of pressure seep into my temples that always caused a line to appear between my eyebrows. This is what happened when I dreaded something. Something that caused me to become instantly annoyed and snappy, something that was always connected with Potter. I closed my eyes and tried to inhale a large breath of air through my nose.

"What are we to do," I muttered.

"We have to give the grand tour of the school to some new exchange student. I think her name is Beau. To be honest, I wasn't paying much attention. I was thinking up different ways we could sneak off into a broom closet to snog." I could hear a burst of laughter from inside Potter's room along with the sound of Annabelle smacking someone, most likely Sirius. Remus gave an apologetic look and closed the door after waving goodbye.

***

I followed Potter down to the Entrance Hall where we were to meet Beau, the new student. From what Dumbledore told James, she was sorted by the sorting hat into Gryffindor while in Dumbledore's office. "Maybe she will be gorgeous and have a dazzling personality," I said to Potter, who was walking a few steps ahead of me. I decided to walk behind him after he had made a comment about my bum in these trousers. Now I had a clear view of his swaggering walk that showed off every ounce of his big-headedness. "That way you'll hopefully leave me alone for once and give me some peace." Potter stopped in his tracks and turned slowly around. He stood there, facing me with what seemed like an astonished look. His hazel eyes had gone flat – the usual sparkle that accompanied them had disappeared. His lips were pulled into small frown, causing his dimples to relax. I was so shocked by his sudden change in character that I caught myself holding my breath. I had never encountered a look like this in all my James Potter days. He stepped forward, his shoulders drooping. I felt a tug in my chest as he carefully looked at me.

"Is that what you really want," he asked, "for me to just leave you alone? Give up trying?" He took another step forward, starting to reach out to me. I was still too taken off guard to become mad. But then again, anger wasn't the emotion I was feeling. It was pity.

"Lily," he started again. "I can honestly say that I mean it with my whole heart when I tell you that I love -"

"Hello."

We were both so startled by the third voice that we both jumped. We turned to see a tall, blond male student standing a few feet behind Potter. I didn't recognize him, and with a face like his, there was no way I wouldn't remember it. He was tall and toned with a strong jaw line and eyes that were a strange, sea foam green colour. I was never one to drool just over good looks but in this case, I melted on the spot. I didn't even want to think about how readable my face was at the moment. Every thought about this guy was definitely showing on it.

This had to be the new student. Beau wasn't a girl. Potter had made a mistake when he was half-listening to his orders.

"Hey," I managed to stammer, "You must be Beau. I'm Lily Evans." I felt my heart in my throat. I looked over at Potter, waiting for his introduction. Instead I found him gazing at me with that same look, but even more intense. His skin looked pale in the dim light and I realized he was clenching his fists into balls. His eyebrows were deeply furrowed as he took in my flushed and clear outward show. He knew what I had been thinking, and he was not taking it well. It may have even made things worse when Beau strode over to me, lifted one of my trembling hands to his mouth and pressed it lightly to his warm lips. As he looked up at me, smiling, with his shocking eyes, I felt another pair of distressed eyes piercing me in my peripheral vision.