CHAPTER 1:

'You are such an arrogant little stuck up prick James Potter, and I HATE everything that you are.'

The problem was, she didn't hate James Potter, she just didn't understand why he hated her so much that he would continually humiliate her in front of the entire school. He knew she had a short fuse and would blow up at almost everything he said and he did these things, (like today another classic, 'Marry Me Lily Evans' emblazoned on the Gryffindor table) just so that she would yell and hex him, and in the process completely ostracise herself from normal society and be seen as your typical flaming redhead. Why couldn't he see that she didn't want to be bothered and she just wanted to finish school and become a healer so that her time might be better spent helping people in the war… rather than create one of her own?

'Lily! Lily! Are you alright Hun? I saw what he wrote on the table… did you blow up really badly this time? I noticed he wasn't there either…' Marlene one of Lily's closest friends was also one of the only people who understood her frustration at James Potter. She also fully understood her friend's reactions to such things and tried as often as she could to diffuse them.

'Hi Mar….it wasn't that bad… just a bat bogey hex, not enough to keep him away from first period...unfortunately.'
'Must you always hex him Lil? Maybe if you tried turning him down like a normal person he might actually get the picture….' Marlene trailed off after a beyond sceptical look from Lily.
'Maybe if he tried asking me out like a normal person, I might get the opportunity to turn him down like a normal person, did you ever think of that one Mar? It's not like he's asking me out, because he wants to go out, he just knows how to set off my fuse and really really likes doing so…probably just to humiliate me. WHICH I might add, he has done successfully given you, Mary and Remus are my only friends.' Lily replied in an infuriated and ever so sarcastic tone.
'You have other friends Lil, what about Alice and Frank? And you know, I'm not sure that he isn't asking you out because he actually wants to go out with you. Maybe you should find out…'
'You're right, Alice and Frank are my friends too, but they're always together so they hardly count, and I'm choosing to ignore the latter part of your statement.' Smiling, Lily left her friend rolling her eyes at the bottom of the staircase, as she climbed it to go to her first class, Ancient Runes.

Ancient Runes was possibly the most interesting class that Lily took, and it was also her favourite class not least to do with the fact that James Potter was noticeably absent. She shared her desk with one of the other Marauder's, Remus, the only one of the four that seemed remotely normal. The Marauders were the infamous group of 6th year Gryffindor boys who spent their entire lives pulling pranks on the less fortunate and scoring girls. The group consisted of, James Potter (of course), Sirius Black (notorious playboy), Remus Lupin (only decent one) and Peter Pettigrew (weird, short, stumpy one that the others took under their wing). These four boys were what caused all of the trouble at Hogwarts, they barely ever paid attention in class, and yet, James and Sirius were two of the best in their year, Remus would have to be in the top ten and he's a prefect, and well then there's Peter. There has to be a reason they kept him around, but Lily hadn't figured it out yet.

'Hey Remus,'
'Oh Hey Lily, look I'm sorry about James he can be a real dick sometimes, he just doesn't get it and..'
'It's okay Remus, you don't have to apologise for him, I would say that my reaction today was less vicious than normal…maybe I'm getting used to it?' Lily cut him off in sarcastic mortification. Remus snorted, 'Not likely, that was one of the best hexes yet! But don't tell him I said that, he'd kill me for admitting his humiliation…'
'Well it's not likely it's going to come up in conversation now is it?' Smiling in concession Remus and Lily stopped talking and began to pay attention to Professor Vexle, as he started the class.

'That's fascinating what Vexle said about the Runes they found last week in an old cave. I wonder if there'll be any discoveries from it?' Lily was chatting to Remus absent minded about today's class, but she didn't seem to realise his attention was elsewhere until she looked at him.
'Remus? Are you alright, you look anxious all of a sudden…' Following his gaze Lily saw Mary, one of her other close friends heading towards them. Remus and Mary had always liked each other and been close friends, but recently they seemed very distant.
'What? Oh yeah, I'm fine, sorry, I think I'm going to head to the library I guess I'll see you at lunch yeah?' Before waiting for an answer he turned around and practically ran the other way.

'Hey Maz!' Lily called to Mary.
'Hey Lilz! Was that Remus who just ran off in the other direction?'
'Oh yeah…he said he had to go to the library or something…what happened with you two? Everyone thought you were FINALLY going to get together but it just never eventuated.'
'Nothing happened at all, we're fine…I guess he really needed to go to the library.' Mary suspiciously changed topics, 'So how was Runes? Learn anything interesting?' Deciding to let it drop, Lily embraced the subject change and went on a massive spiel about everything that Vexle had told them in class. She did, however, notice the confused look Mary sent towards the library.

Later that day, Mary, Marlene and Lily were sitting in the common room having a laugh at all of the different rumours that were flying around Hogwarts, when the obnoxious sound of Sirius Black's laughter could be heard from across the room and intruded the girls' conversation.

'Mate you can't be serious? That's got to be the worst one yet. As if I would do that, it would be totally humiliating!' Came James' response over Sirius' laughter.
'Oh but I am, in more ways than one' Sirius replied, obviously referring to the 'name pun' with a wink and another chuckle.
'Prongs if you did that, I'm not kidding I would have to de-friend you, I could not allow you to do that to anyone let alone that 'one'' Remus, ever the serious one joined the conversation.
'Aww but come on Moony surely you can appreciate the hilarity in this situation; it would be just too good! What about you Wormtail?'
'Sorry mate but I think I'm going to have to go with Prongs and Moony with this one, maybe next time go slightly within the realms of a possible 'yes' response.'
'Fine, have it your way, but I still think it would be funny.' Sirius pouted in his armchair while James laughed at him and tried to come up with a better idea to entice Lily to say yes to his proposals.

He admitted somewhat sheepishly that his idea this morning had been less than amazing, and had he thought of it when he wasn't so sleep deprived he would have brushed it off in a Nano second. James loved Lily, he didn't know why…well that's not entirely true, but he certainly didn't know how to express it. He'd been trying for months to no avail, but she just wouldn't crack. He had to come up with a new plan to woo her off her feet and allow him to show her his true feelings. Realising that he had been staring at her whilst he was having his little reverie; James shook his head and continued his planning with Remus, Peter, and a slightly less enthused Sirius, before it was time for bed.

Unbeknownst to James, Lily had noticed James staring at her, and whilst she found it a little odd, she put it down to a day dream, a 'staring off in to space' if you will, and continued her banter with her friends, before she too called it a night.