Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters you recognize.
Chapter 1
James said good bye to his parents and quickly stepped through the barrier to platform 9 ¾ for his seventh and last year at Hogwarts. As soon as the bright crimson train came into view, James knew this was going to be the best year yet. His intense hazel eyes grazed the platform for any sign of his three best friends Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew. What he found instead was a head of beautiful auburn hair that could only belong to one person, Lily Evans. Just thinking about made his heart start racing and a hand shot subconsciously to his raven black hair.
Lily, his crush for almost five years was standing right before him. James could never pin point the exact moment that he fell for her only that he did and hard. It started out as a little second year crush but somehow over the next four years it escalated to something more. Although he would never admit it to anyone, he was pretty sure that he loved her. He loved the mellowness of her voice, though it was rarely like that around him, her snappy temper, but what first caught his attention, were her eyes. Her gorgeous eyes were filled with emotion although he rarely saw any emotion other than hatred. James's thoughts and daydreams were cut short by a yelling in his ear.
"OY! Lover boy! …Prongs! …JAMES!" Sirius screamed in James's ear. James snapped out of his daydream and whipped his head around. It slammed into Sirius head, who stumbled. "God Prongs! That hurt!" Sirius stated wincing slightly
"Well then don't scream in my ear!" James cried in pain, "Why were you screaming anyway?" James gripped the side of his head willing for the splitting headache to go away.
"You didn't answer me before! Plus, I saw you with that stupid smile on your face that could only mean one thing. You were daydreaming about Lily. Something had to be done!" Sirius said exasperated.
"I was not daydreaming about Lily! I was simply thinking about how good this year is going to be and about our start of the term prank." James stated in what he hoped was a nonchalant voice. Sirius narrowed his eyes at James before glancing over his shoulder.
"MOONY!" Sirius shouted right in James's ear again. James smacked him on the back of the head. "Ow! Hey Moony, how are you holding up?"
Remus raised his eyebrows slightly at the question; his faintly graying hair was slightly longer than James remembered and his face covered in more scratches. "How do you think Padfoot?" Remus tapered off sadly.
James saw the hopelessness in his friend's eyes and his heart filled with compassion. "Well, we're here now. Any thoughts on the beginning of the year prank?" James asked, trying to improve the mood.
"No, but it could be a bigger problem than we thought, because I wasn't picked for Head Boy." Remus said, not at all sad about the decision. James looked down not really wanting his friends to know that he was this year's Head Boy.
"You weren't?!" Sirius cried, "Now how the hell are we going to get away with all of our pranks?! Damn… I wonder who got picked," Sirius thought out loud.
"I did," James tried to say as quiet as possible. Sirius heard him and laughed, but when he realized James wasn't laughing with him, and his eyes practically popped out of his head.
"You were what?!" Sirius stated staring intently at James.
"I got picked for Head Boy," James said in the same quiet voice. Sirius shook his head and did a little victory dance. "Stop embarrassing yourself, Padfoot. I wonder who the Head Girl is," James stated thoughtfully.
"Isn't it obvious?" Remus stated knowingly, "What girl was a prefect last year, is always at the top of the class, and hates troublemakers such as us?" Remus said all of this staring intently at James. Then it clicked in James's head and a huge smile appeared across his face, not even trying to hide it.
"Lily," James said airily. Sharing a bathroom and a common room with Lily made this the best year ever, James thought
"Still love her, James?" Sirius asked, looking slyly at the expression on his best friend's face.
"No!" James said a little too quickly. "I was never loved her! Besides, I think I am actually over her," James lied. Remus, of course, knew better than that and saw right through James's façade. Sirius, however, threw the comment aside.
"Good! So, you won't care that she is right over there, kissing her boyfriend," Remus replied. James turned around so fast, it nearly gave him whiplash. There she was, kissing her boyfriend of two years, Amos Diggory. Jealousy surged throughout James's body. His hands clenched into fists, but he knew that he could beat Diggory within an inch of his life and that would only worsen his 'relationship' with Lily. Somehow, he would have to show Lily that he could be a nice guy. 'Maybe we should just start out as friends' James thought to himself, 'but how?'