Chapter One

Summary: He thought she hated him. She thought she was just bragging rights. He kept missing his chances. She was running away scared. A story of love that follows Lily and James from 6th year until graduation. R/R!

Disclaimer: So no one sues me, I'm not JKR, I could never compare to JKR and you all know that. She is the almighty goddess of all things Harry Potter/magic. Her riches are not mine. Enjoy!

"The late 1600's were a particular difficult time for the magical community. Goblin rebellions were at an all time high and muggle persecutions were happening more often. In 1692, governments met together and created International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy. At first these new policies were resisted…"

"It's amazing how Binns can drone on and on and never realize there's a class full of students drooling off into space"Sirius wrote on a piece of parchment and passed it to James, who was sharing a desk with him.

Smirking, James wrote back and passed it quickly to Sirius, continuing his doodle on his page of "notes". So far he had come up with a couple new Quidditch plays, which he intended on showing Gina Davies, the Gryffindor Quidditch captain, later at practice, a detailed drawing of the Marauders next prank, and in the corner, barely visible, an elaborate lily. James began drawing the pollen in the center of the lily, every now and then glancing across the room to the person his mind was on.

Lily Amara Evans was the smartest and most wanted girl in school. Although she was desired by 97 percent of the male populous, she wasn't showy, scandalous, or anything remotely like a scarlet woman. It was her kindness and her natural beauty that was a magnet for any guy, not to mention she was very slender and fit.

One particular guy had chased after Lily Evans for six years, ever since their first day of school when they were eleven. He loved her thick red hair and her sparkling emerald eyes. He loved the way her uniform fit her better than any other girl in school and the way she walked as if she floated on air. He especially loved it when he got her so mad that her eyes flashed dangerously and her breath came out shorter and quicker because she was telling him off. And when he did witness her smile, he wanted to melt right into her.

Eyes darting discretely from his paper to the gorgeous redhead, James Harold Potter thought about everything he loved about Lily Evans. Even though the only words they've ever exchanged were full of mocking or dislike, James was head over heels in love with her. He knew they were meant to be together, knew it ever since the first day he laid eyes on her. Of course there was the small yet well-known fact that Lily absolutely despised everything about James.

But the course of love never did run smooth, James thought to himself, quoting unthinkingly from "A Midsummer's Nights Dream". Remus had given him that and Romeo and Juliet to read, in hopes to improve his knowledge of romance, and to broaden his vocabulary. Instead, James had quoted lines from it whenever he was around Lily. His plan was that she would hear how romantic he was and love the fact he knew about muggle literature, but instead she quoted back the nastier sides of Shakespeare's works.

James looked up once more and analyzed Lily a little bit longer. She was the only one in the classroom even attempting to take notes, but it seemed she was fighting a loosing battle. Lily had her legs crossed, tapping her right foot almost spasmodically in order to keep her from drifting into sleep. She was leaning to the left, her head resting in her left hand as her right slowly wrote down key points. Her eyes were half closed, yet James could still see the vibrant emerald of her eyes, and her lips were slightly parted, making James' heart beat faster.

Sirius' snigger broke him out of his trance, James looked over at his best friend who quirked an eyebrow, his eyes dancing with mirth. James just rolled his eyes and continued doodling, this time drawing Snape suspended upside down by his ankle.

That was when James really realized just how much Lily hated him, about four months ago at the end of their fifth year. The Marauders were outside, enjoying the completion of O.W.L.'s. Lily was by the lake with her friends, Rita Garbunkal and Aurelia Moore, and as usual James was attempting to impress her from afar. Sirius said he was bored and James spotted Snape, one of their regular victims.

"All right, Snivellus?" James asked loudly, with Sirius right behind him.

Like any victim of Sirius and James', Snape reacted quickly, dropping his book bag and diving his hand into his robe pockets for his wand. But James was much more graceful and shouted, "Expelliarmus!" with ease.

Snape's wand sailed behind him and just as he was going to grab it, Sirius laughed his bark-like laugh and said, "Impedimenta!" Snape was knocked off his feet; many students stopped their previous activities to turn and watch the ritual that occurred usually everyday.

James and Sirius advanced on the panting Snape lying defenselessly on the ground. James kept looking back at the lake, hoping Lily would start watching. Peter was getting over-excited, as he usually did, and was almost pouncing over Remus to see the fight better.

"How'd the exam go, Snivelly?" James asked.

"I was watching him, his nose was touching the parchment," Sirius replied, his words sharp and dripping with hate. "There'll be great grease marks all over it, they won't be able to read a word."

Many people laughed, as usual, and James heard Peter's squeal of laughter. James almost rolled his eyes in response to Peter's eagerness; sometimes he didn't know why they put up with him. Snape was struggling to move, but the jinx hadn't worn off yet and looked as if he was moving through a fog. "You—wait," Snape struggled, "You—wait…"

"Wait for what?" said Sirius coolly. "What're you going to do, Snivelly, wipe your nose on us?"

Snape let out a stream of foul words as he tried to curse them without his wand, but was unsuccessful. "Wash out your mouth," James said coldly, eyes darting back to Lily by the lakeside. "Scourgify!"

Snape's mouth filled instantly with bright pink soap bubbles, making him look like a rabid Valentine's Day dog. The bubbles were beginning to choke him and James considered lifting the curse, but everyone was laughing so much. Well, not everyone. "Leave him ALONE!" someone's voice yelled from behind the scene.

James and Sirius turned and saw Lily standing there. James ran a hand through his hair, almost as a reflex, as he did whenever Lily came around. "All right, Evans?" said James in the most mature voice he could muster, switching from brutality to charm in a second.

"Leave him alone," Lily repeated, looking at him in disgust. "What's he done to you?"

"Well," James began, "it's more the fact that he exists, if you know what I mean…"

Almost everybody laughed at this, with the exception of Remus and Lily. "You think you're funny," Lily said coldly, "but you're just an arrogant, bullying toerag, Potter. Leave him alone."

James saw his opportunity, the past year he was making desperate attempts, and now was another one of those times. "I will if you go out with me, Evans," James said quickly. "Go on…Go out with me, and I'll never lay a wand on old Snivelly again."

"I wouldn't go out with you if it was a choice between you and the giant squid," Lily retorted.

"Bad luck, Prongs," Sirius said briskly, turning around to face Snape. James was still staring at Lily when Sirius yelled, "OY!"

James turned, lifting his wand, but he wasn't fast enough. After being blinded by a flash of light from Snape's wand, a searing pain ran through his cheek. Immediately after, James flicked his wand and in another flash of light Snape was hanging upside down in the air by his ankle. Gravity worked it's magic to make his robes fall over his head to reveal almost sickly white legs and a pair of graying underpants. James, Sirius, and Peter roared with laughter, along with many others outside. James saw Lily's furious expression twitch for just a moment, as if she was going to let out a smile, but instead said, "Let him down!"

"Certainly," James complied, jerking his wand upward. Snape fell but was up in a second, robes still revealing most of his leg, and was ready for the counter attack. But Sirius beat him to it. "Pertrificus Totalus!"

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Lily shouted, pulling out her own wand. James and Sirius exchanged a quick, frightened glance; Lily was lethal with her wand.

"Ah, Evans, don't make me hex you," James said, hoping to deter away from his own fear.

"Take the curse off him, then!"

Sighing, James once again complied and muttered the counter curse. "There you go," James said. "You're lucky Evans was here, Snivellus—"

"I don't need help from filthy little Mudbloods like her!" Snape interrupted nastily.

James blood boiled as Lily said coolly, "Fine, I won't bother you in the future. And I'd wash your pants if I were you, Snivellus."

"Apologize to Evans!" James roared, his wand pointed at Snape, ready to make it so he could never bear children.

"I don't want you to make him apologize," Lily shouted, rounding on James. "You're just as bas as he is…"

"What?" James yelped, hurt that she would say that. "I'd NEVER call you a—you-know-what!"

"Messing up your hair because you think it looks cool to like you've just got off your broomstick, showing off with that stupid Snitch, walking down corridors and hexing anyone who annoys you just because you can—I'm surprised your broomstick can get off the ground with that fat head on it. You make me SICK." And with her speech, she turned and hurried away.

"Evans! Hey, EVANS!" James shouted, but she didn't look back. "What is it with her?" James asked as casually as he could, like what she said didn't put a large gouge in his pride, but he didn't think he was so successful.

"Reading between the lines, I'd say she thinks you're a bit conceited, mate," Sirius replied.

James just couldn't believe that, he was in no way conceited, it wasn't his fault everybody thought great things about him. "Right," he said furiously, "right—"

In a flash Snape was once again hanging upside down and James taunted him for a good twenty minutes, mostly to get back at Lily, even if she wasn't there to see it. But after all the fun was over (Professor Sprout broke up the torments immediately, giving Sirius and James detention), James went looking for Lily, wanting to explain why Snape deserved the torment and to make it clear he was just trying to defend her.

Lily was in the common room, reading a book in the corner. James ruffled his hair for good measure, then stopped suddenly, remembering what she had said about it. But she doesn't know what she's talking about…James had thought to himself and walked over to Lily, grinning cheekily. "All right, Evans?"

Barely looking up, Lily's eyes narrowed dangerously. "What do you want?" Lily spat. "Are you here to find some other innocent student to embarrass?

"Look," James began heatedly, but Lily interrupted him.

"If you're here to explain what an arse Snape is and how he deserved what you did to him, you don't have to waste your breath," Lily didn't look up from her book as she spoke. "I know he's a git, but that doesn't justify you and your stupid friends attacking him for no reason, making him defenseless. If you want to be childish and fight with him, don't be a coward and at least let him have his wand."

A little shocked, James didn't say anything for a minute, then took a breath to speak again, but Lily cut him off once more. "I don't want to hear any damn excuses. And I don't want to hear another attempt to ask me out. I will never go out with you and you know why. I've told you countless times why I don't like you and why I will never like you."

Finally snapping her book shut, Lily pushed past James to make her way up to her dorm. "You might want to get that cut checked out on your cheek, it looks positively gruesome. But it is an improvement on how you normally look."

Yes, Miss Lily Evans could be positively vicious. Even though he was completely nice to her and didn't play any more pranks for the remainder of the year, that didn't seem good enough.

James felt something being shoved under his elbow and saw Sirius was passing him another note. It read, "So what's the game plan this year for conquering the ice queen Lily Evans?"

Thinking a moment, James responded with, "Whatever it takes, even if I have to kiss and make up with Snivellus just to make her satisfied."

As Sirius read it, his handsome features grimaced. He wrote back, "That's just wrong, mate, don't even joke about that. Disgusting."

But James thought this year would be the year she fell for him. He hadn't had much luck with this notion in the past, but he knew this year would be different.

Author Notes: Yay I started it finally! Yes, most of the flashback was JKR's writing from Order of the Phoenix, but I tried to change the wording around so it was from James' POV and to make it more like my own writing.

Okay, I'm not done planning this story out yet, but I have all of 6th year and the summer afterwards planned. But I need ideas for seventh year of things for our main characters to do. So if you have any suggestions, I would be happy to use them and I will credit you with the idea at the beginning of the chapter.

R/R!