Disclaimer: Everything here (except for any characters that don't sound familiar) belongs to the spectacular JK Rowling.
Chapter 1: Irritating Boys and Good Best Friends
Yes, Lily decided, James Potter was a jerk. She watched him now from the Gryffindor Quidditch stands. Pupils were gathered around him in droves. He had just won another victory for Gryffindor, and wasn't he lapping up the praise! Lily was sitting in the stands by herself, the only Gryffindor who refused to inflate James Potters head any further than it already was.
"Arrogant toe-rang." She said under her breath.
James Potter ran his hand through his already windswept hair. He couldn't help grinning from ear to ear. He'd won the match for Gryffindor again! Gryffindors gathered round him patting him on the back and congratulating him. There was just one problem. Where was Evans? Wasn't she pleased for him? She'd probably be too shy to congratulate him, James decided. Well, there was no need for shyness! He told the encircling Gryffindors to give him some room and took off on his broom. There she was, sitting in the stands all by herself. James couldn't help smiling to himself. What a loner!
He heard people ooh-ing and ahh-ing from below him and did a complicated twirl in the air for their benefit... but mostly for Lily's. He sped towards her and stopped in an impressive (or so he thought) air skid. Lily raised her eyebrows and sighed.
"If you think that impresses me, it doesn't."
James ignored her, "Why aren't you down there cheering with your fellow housemates? Where's your team spirit?"
Lily rolled her eyes, " I must have left it back in Gryffindor tower. Please excuse me while I go get it." She rose from the stands to get away from James.
"Okay!" James called, "You can congratulate me later!" Then he added, "In whatever way you see fit!"
Lily didn't turn but waved her hand out behind her.
James flew back down to the awaiting crowd.
"He's so full of himself, don't you think?"
"Hmm hmm..."
"I swear, if his head gets any bigger then they'll have to pop it with a needle.' Lily laughed, "That would be funny."
"Right..."
Lily and her friend Ursula (Url for short) where in the Library studying.
"So..." Lily looked around for a topic to talk about. She got bored rather quickly when revising for Potions. They had a mock N.E.W.T.S test coming up and Ursula and Lily had wanted to revise as much as they could. "Are you coming to Hogsmeade this weekend?"
Ursula looked up from her book. "Yes! I told you yes!" Ursula was the type who hated to start a test and not be prepared. Lily had been trying to dodge looking at her book for the past half-hour and was seriously beginning to grate on Ursula's nerves.
"Sorry Url." She sighed. "You know how I hate potions. Thank God Professor Orman doesn't take us for exams." Professor Orman, the Potions Professor, was known to have a prejudice against muggleborns. Lily drummed her fingers on the table distractedly. "Did I ever tell you about Hitler? He was prejudice against the Jews. It was around in the 1940's, when Hitler came into power, and at first he was quite good leader...." Lily was all ready to tell Ursula the story of Hitler when James Potter came in. Lily abruptly stopped talking and narrowed her eyes.
"What is he doing in here?"
Ursula looked up. "Well I don't know Lily! Looking for a book maybe? It is a library, he is a pupil, and he does have a right to be here!"
"I know. Sorry. I'll stop unintentionally annoying you now. I'm revising." Lily looked down at her book and didn't talk again until James came over.
"Alright Evans?"
"Potter. Go away. We're working here."
Ursula snorted. "Working my arse! You just got down to it a minute ago!"
Lily reddened. "Yes, well! I'm doing it now, aren't I? And I need all my concentration. Potter, please leave."
James grinned and pulled up a chair. "Sorry Evans, but you're not the only one who need's to revise." With that he dug into his bag and pulled out what must have been his (very messy) notes. Lily stared at him incredulously. He took no notice of her and started reading.
"Fine." She muttered.
Lily had the urge to point out how messy his handwriting was but resisted and started reading her Potions book. Unfortunately, she found within a minute or so that she was finding it hard to concentrate. She could hear James's regulated breathing as if he were right next to her and the fact that he was there and so close was putting her on edge. She was getting more and more irritated by the second and decided she would probably find it easier to revise in her room. She gathered up her things and made to leave.
"Url, I think I'll revise better in my room, you know, so I can't get distracted."
"Why Lily," James inquired, "Who is distracting you?"
Lily gave him a death glare and told Ursula she'd see her later on.
James waited until Lily had left the library and immediately stopped working. "Why doesn't Lily like being around me?"
Ursula looked up from her book. "What makes you think that?"
James pretended to ponder it, "Oh, maybe because she leaves my presence as soon as I arrive? Like she did just now?"
Ursula sighed. "James I really don't think you should be asking me this. I think you should ask Lily if you really want to know."
James laughed sarcastically, "She wouldn't be around long enough to answer! I just don't get her. I don't know what I've done wrong. I'm always nice to her, I stick up for her, I'm good at Quidditch and school and...everything!"
Ursula looked at him, annoyed. It didn't look as if she was going to get any work done. 'Well that's the first thing that you do wrong."
"What?"
"You KNOW how good you are at things and, well, James, you come across as really cocky."
James stared at her in outrage. "Sirius said something about that, but I don't think I'm cocky. I'm confident. There's a difference." James folded his arms, "I thought Lily would be smart enough to see that."
Ursula shrugged. "I think... maybe it's because Lily's came from a background where she's learned to be humble and kind to everyone. You are, in a way, everything she's been brought up to not be."
James showed no sign of understanding and Ursula elaborated,
"Like when you go hexing people in the corridors. If you ever want to get Lily to go out with you, then hexing people in the corridors to impress her is NOT the way to do it. She, and I for that matter, think that just because you can do something, then doesn't mean you should boast about it in such a manner as hurting people."
"I don't hurt people. They always find it funny when I do something to them!"
"Oh please. How would you feel if you had just been given spaghetti hair in front of half the school? In front of Lily, for that matter? Everyone's laughing at you and it would seem stupid to make a big deal out of it. So what do you do? You laugh."
"I never meant to hurt people..."
"Never meant to, but whether you realise it or not you do."
"Right, so that's the first thing I have to do. Stop hexing people for the fun of it."
"And why is that?" Ursula prompted.
"Because it doesn't impress Lily and it hurts people. What else?"
"Actually James, I really need to revise..."
"You can't! You have to help me! You're Lily's best friend, who better to ask? Look, I'm obviously getting no-where by doing what I'm doing now, and I honestly have no idea what I should be doing, so please help me."
"Another time."
James shook his head in desperation, "It's our last year at Hogwarts and I want to get Lily to like me as soon as possible. Please, I'll... I'll get you a date with Sirius!"
Ursula threw a disgusted look at him, "You can't bribe me with a date from your idiot friend."
"You're the first one that's said no..."
"James, tomorrow. I'll meet you here tomorrow and we can go over what you need to change. Right now I need to revise."
"Fine. Thanks Ursula. Lily's got a good friend with you." With that James got his things and exited the Library.
Ursula smiled to herself. "Don't I know it."