"James! Your Hogwarts letter is here!"
"One second mum!"
James Fleamont Potter had just turned 11 and had been awaiting this day for years. He had heard about Hogwarts from his parents and it was finally time for him to see it for himself this year on September 1st and he could hardly wait. As he read his letter, he smiled, he wanted to get on the Quidditch team as soon as he could. He knew he had to wait until second year to get on, but at least he could still bring his own broom.
At King's Cross he saw a young red-haired girl about the same age as he was, holding a cart, a wand, and she had an owl in a cage just like he did. He walked over and heard her mumbling, "How do I get on again? It should be right here."
"Platform 93/4 right?"
The girl turned around and gasped. "Yeah, how do you get on?"
"Well," James said, "there's the boring way and then there's the cool way. The boring approach is to run at it with your stuff. The cool way is to just lean against it and you'll fall right through. Want help the first time?"
"Yeah, have you done it before?"
"No, my mum's a witch and my dad's a wizard. They told me."
"Oh, I have non-magical parents."
"That's ok. Come over here."
As she came over he took her hand and led her over to the wall and they leaned against the wall facing each other with their hands that were not near the wall still clasped.
"3!"
"2!"
"1!"
On one he leaned farther and they slid sideways into the wall. As they came out, they saw the Hogwarts Express in all of its glory, and walked together towards the back of the train where they loaded their belongings aside from their owls, which they set free to fly ahead, and their robes, which they would change into later. "What's your name?" James asked. "Lily Evans, yours?"
"James Potter."
"Nice to meet you James."
"Likewise Lily. Well I've got to go meet my friends. See you at Hogwarts!"
"Wait! I-"
But James had already gotten on the train and Lily saw him go to the left and decided to follow him and meet his friends. As she neared one compartment she stopped and listened in.
"So, what's the holdup? Meet someone?"
"Actually, yes I did. Helped her onto the platform." Lily heard James say.
"Muggleborn then?"
"Yeah"
"So is she cute?" She heard someone say in a sing-song voice.
"One word. Redhead."
"Oh."
"James, you are a goner. I swear, that Potter curse always lands them the best and we Blacks have to settle for terrible people."
Lily blushed. It sounded like James was into her or at least found her to be-wait why was her hair brought up?
"Yeah, well, I might ask her out later, we'll see. If she's nice and has a good heart I will, and I will 'till she says yes. If she isn't, I'll die single Sirius, and the Potter line will die out since my parents can't have another child."
She started to move away when she heard someone say, "Hey is that her?"
She came over to them and waved. "H-h-hi James!"
"James she's blushing, I think she likes you!"
"Nah, she's just probably embarrassed at being caught, Remus."
She knew James was right, but she couldn't help but ask herself, was this 'Remus' also a bit right?
At the halloween feast, James pranked the Slytherins by turning all their hair either Red or Gold. Everyone in the hall burst out in laughter, even the teachers, including Slughorn, the head of Slytherin house.
On Valentine's day, James sent her a card and he also asked her out in front of the whole school at breakfast. She was so shocked that she didn't say anything. It must have been too long, because she saw James's smile fall and she realized that he thought she didn't want to. Before she could rectify that mistake, he looked confused for a second, then, thoroughly embarrassed, James ran from the hall. She didn't understand.
"Way to go Evans!" Remus said, "He'd finally worked up the nerve to ask you, he's been nervous all year and last night he kept us all awake wondering if you'd say no. You didn't even answer him at all, which is always taken as a no. You stood there, not saying anything for over a minute before he ran from the hall. You couldn't even be nice enough to say no, which would be nice and then everyone would just know you don't want to. You just left him there and embarrassed him in front of the whole entire school!"
Lily didn't know what to say to that, she fully deserved that, even though she had been meaning to say yes. All four of the Marauders left the hall in search of James.
In their second year on the platform before they got on he asked again and, not hearing what he had, she just asked, "What do you want?!" She saw him walk off again and only then realized what he must have asked her. "James, wait!" But it was too late, He was already gone.
Third year he asked on the train and she just said, "I don't want to talk to you." Not even looking up. "Fine! I'll leave you be then." Her head snapped up from the book she was reading, but his back was all she saw before he slammed the compartment door on her.
Fourth year he asked her at the end of dinner after everyone had been sorted. She didn't even hear him speak and he walked away again, Lily not even knowing that he truly believed she hated him, since the only times she ever talked to him were in potions working together on a potion, where her answers and questions were curt, and when he asked her out every year.
Fifth year, she waited for him to ask her out again, fully intending to say yes this time. But he never did. As a prefect, he was always on duty and as Quidditch captain he was always planning practices. Valentines day passed, and she couldn't take it. He was withdrawn, not raising his hand in class, he was always speed walking everywhere as if he wanted to be left alone from even his friends, and he hadn't asked her out at all. Lily couldn't take it. She walked up to Remus, Sirius, and Peter.
"What's going on with James? He's acting like there's a dementor constantly around him, he doesn't raise his hand in classes, not even Transfiguration, which I know for a fact is his best class, and he hardly talks to anyone. He hasn't even asked me out this year which is also strange, he's asked every single year on or before Valentine's Day."
"Well, he hasn't asked you out because he thinks you outright hate him-"
"Actually Remus, I was looking forward to it this year. I've always wanted to say yes, but I was stunned the first time so I didn't say anything, the second time I didn't realize realize what he said until he walked off, and I also realize I shouldn't have been so harsh asking him what he wanted, third year I thought he was someone else, and last year I didn't even realize he had spoken at all I was too busy eating. I told myself, 'this year Lily, you have to say yes' but I didn't get the chance because he hasn't asked."
"Well," said Sirius, "sounds to me like you should tell him that and then ask him out. But that isn't the most important thing right now. The first part of what you wanted to know is serious."
"I swear that Joke isn't funny any-"
"I'm being deadly serious right now so don't interrupt me. His parents died on September 2nd, which is why he's been acting like that all year. Voldemort himself sent a letter to James. Seven words. I'm coming for you James Fleamont Potter."
"Oh. My. God. I'm going to find him right now, where is he?"
Sirius handed her a piece of parchment.
"Tap it with your wand and say, 'I solemnly swear I am up to no good' to activate it and when you're done tap it again and say, 'mischief managed' don't worry, it's just a map."
Lily thanked them and activated the marauders map. She saw James on the 7th floor, and then disappeared.
"Wha-"
"Room of Requirement. Known to the house elves here as The Come and Go Room. Pace three times right where he was and think of what you want it to be each time you pass it and you'll get a room that suits your needs. In this case just think, 'I need to find James Fleamont Potter,' and yes you need to use his full name."
"Got it"
Looking at the map she found herself and started to run up to the seventh floor. When she found James, he was cutting himself using Diffindo and when he saw her he pointed his wand at her and disarmed herand used her wand to cast a spell directly at his heart. "Sectumsempra!" He shouted. She tried using Episkey to heal him, but only the cuts from the Diffindo charms healed and he continued to bleed out. She saw black veins on his arms, before she had time to understand what it was, he passed out from blood loss. She cast a patronus to tell his friends what happened and received one back immediately. She heard Sirius's voice begin speaking. We are on our way, the counter curse is Vulnera Sanentur.
When they arrived with McGonagall, they found Lily crying into James's chest and whispering, "I didn't even get to tell you I love you," over and over again. Standing up Lily swore she would kill Voldemort for pushing James to this and cursed herself inwardly for being so stupid and not telling him she loved him.
"I'm going to go kill Voldemort for this and I won't hesitate to use unforgivables!"
To everyone's surprise, it was McGonagall who spoke up and said, "I wouldn't expect you to hesitate. The four of us and Madame Pomphrey will transport him to St. Mungos. And Lily, at least use the Cruciatus curse on Voldemort, will you?"
"Thank you Professor."
Lily found Voldemort after a month of searching.
"You drove the man I love to a place where he attemtpted suicide Voldemort. I'll kill you."
"Ah, so Pettigrew did indeed do it properly. Although I will have to punish him, he said you despised him. No matter, I can't let you get away Lily Tina Evans, if you were to kiss Potter it would end the Bloodlust potion, and I can't have that. Avada Ke-"
Voldemort didn't get a chance to finish the spell, and would never cast one again. Lily had disarmed him and used legilimency to see if his monologue was true, and unfortunately, it was.
"Thanks for telling me all this information Tom Marvolo Riddle!" Lily said in a cheerful voice.
Pointing both wands at him she shouted, "MAXIMUM CRUCIATI DUPLICI!"
Voldemort doubled over in pain and began to curl into the fetal position. Using Imperio, she made him stand up and he shrieked in agony. Without lifting the torture he was feeling, she cried, ''cor et mentem perdere!" After seeing him lose his mind and mumble gibberish, she said in a low dangerous voice, "igni sanguine." His blood became fire and destroyed him and his body.
She vanished his ashes into oblivion.
"James!"
Lily went over and he tried to strangle her but she kissed him on the lips and his eyes cleared. He looked terrified.
"Lils, I'm sorry I didn't mean to-"
"What did you call me?" Lily asked innocently.
"Lils. Did you not like it?"
"No, not at all. I love it. But," at this she turned to Sirius and Remus and spoke in a low tone that let them know she meant business, "it is only for James to use. If you two use it, I'll hex you into next week! Got it?" They nodded their heads so quickly it was comical and made James, Lily, McGonagall, and Peter laugh. Lily turned to Peter with hatred in her eyes. "As for YOU Pettigrew," she said in a cold voice, "Ignari." Peter fell unconscious. She pointed her wand at his left arm and his sleeve burned away to reveal the dark mark.
"Professor, Sirius, Remus, do you guys want to watch how I killed Voldemort?"
"Absolutely!" They all said with exuberance.
"Jamie?" She asked, using her pet name for James. She remembered the conversation. It was just after she asked him to go out with her and he said yes.
"Why do I need a pet name?"
"Because you gave me one. Lils, remember?"
"Yeah, but why 'Jamie?' Jamesie is fine. So is 'Prongs.' So why Jamie?"
"Because I like it. Plus, I could think of many you could have given me!"
Back in the present, she looked at James.
"Sure Lils, I want to see how my beautiful and amazing fiance killed Tom Marvolo He-who-has-two-many-hyphens-in-his-name Riddle."
After they watched the memory, they all had stunned faces on their faces. McGonagall had the faintest smile on her face. "Soon-to-be Mrs. Potter, what did those spells mean or even do for that matter?"
"I'll tell you one day. Maybe after you finally accept our offer to be Godmother to Harry James Potter when he is born."
"Ok, I give in. I'll accept. He will be the most loved child that ever lived. I assume he will be absolutely adorable, given who his parents are, you that don't you, you two? I swear, he might have your eyes Lily, as green is a recessive eye color and I'm pretty sure James is a carrier of the recessive allele, and his hair will be as untamable as yours James. Although, I certainly hope he doesn't get into as many detentions as you did during your first four years at Hogwarts, and pray he doesn't inherit your vision as well James!" saying the last part with a laugh.
"Hey! My vision is better now, we made the potion, remember?"
"Honey, I made that potion, remember?" Said Lily with raised eyebrows.
"Yes, Lils."
Lily Tina Evans leaned over and kissed her soon-to-be-husband. She relaxed as did he. Years later, they would tell Hadrian James Potter (who went by Harry) and Ginevra Molly Potter nee Weasley (who went by Ginny, or Gin, but only Harry could call her that without getting the Bat-Bogey Hex) about how they got together and how much alike they looked to the two of them, and how glad they were that Ginny went out with him in their first year, because that meant they could show Harry's girlfriend Harry's baby pictures sooner than they had anticipated.