Disclaimer: Meh, you know the drill. What looks like JKR's is JKR's, what looks like mine is mine.

A/N: Texasisforlobsters - Thanks! I'm glad you liked it so much... actually, I have Chapter 3 done already and half of Chapter 4 and I know my whole plot so I just have to put everything together... lol, I hope you all won't have to wait too long. School is a killer.

Babigirl2246 - I'm glad you liked how it went. Despite the cliché-ness of it, it does occur that James gives up, but only temporarily. And as you can guess, poor little Lily-poo was behind the give-up-already-Potter thing. And she rues it laughs evilly

KLLRS - Lol, I hope I didn't go overboard with Mona's insensitivity, but that's one of the things that stand out about her apart from her sarcastic sense of humor. She does have a softer side, especially when it comes to her friends. You'll see that side in many chapters to come :)

Wren Craven - Omg, thanks! My ego is now very over-stuffed, but I'm not complaining I'm glad you liked the split personality part too, because some people might find that really weird. But weird is fun. I can't wait to take a look at your work, and I promise I'll review.


Chapter 2: First Attempt


After much contemplating, Lily decided with a sigh to try to get along with James. And maybe let slip how great it would be if he deflated his head a little. One night in the Gryffindor girls' dorm, she confided her decision with Mona and Phyllis.

"WHAT?! Lily, have you gone mad?!" Mona gasped. Again, she wasn't exactly the most understanding person Lily knew. However, Phyllis was beaming.

"Oh, that's great Lily! You're right, maybe befriending James will let him change," Phyllis said, delighted. Mona rounded on the blonde, dark eyes wide.

"Come on now, Phyl, you're not still on the peace thing, are you?" she said, exasperated. Phyllis didn't answer her. Instead, she spoke again to Lily.

"Don't worry, Lily, I'll do whatever I can to help. I'm behind your decision one hundred percent." The petite blonde grinned again. Lily smiled gratefully.

"Thanks, Phyl. At least I have one friend who's being supportive."

Lily stared at Mona hard. The ravenhead's eyebrows shot up and there was a long silence. Suddenly, Mona signed in resignation, indicating surrender.

"Even though I can't say that's what I'd choose, you're still my best friend Lil, so I guess I'm with you and Phyl on this one. But don't get carried away, okay? Change takes time," Mona said, with a softness she didn't usually have.

"Thanks, you two. So where to begin?"


The next morning at breakfast, while the Marauders were all eagerly deciding on their plans for next week's full moon, James saw a certain redhead heading her way towards them upon entering the Great Hall.

"Potter. Black. Pettigrew. Lupin." she said, acknowledging them each with a greeting nod. The four Marauders stared up at her. "Mind if I sit here?" she said, nodding at the unoccupied seat beside James.

"Um, hey Evans," Sirius said slowly. "Why?"

"Yeah. Why? Got another rejection?" James said brutally. Obviously he hadn't forgiven her for the Great Hall display. Lily's brilliantly green eyes flickered with hurt.

"Well ... all right. Stupid me for thinking that you could actually have a heart!" she said heatedly before making to walk off. James shook his head hurriedly.

"NO! No, sorry! Yeah, come and sit with us." He scooted over a bit more. Smiling faintly, Lily sat down beside him.

"So ... here to kiss and make up, Evans?" James teased. A playful slap on his arm was her answer. Sirius, Remus, and Peter exchanged surprised looks.

"So, Lily, what brought you to sit with us?" Remus asked her politely. He was the only Marauder that Lily allowed to call her by her first name.

"I just thought that maybe I could get to know you all better. You know, to stop future displays." She eyed James particularly. He squirmed.

They continued on more amiable talk, from James mostly. After breakfast or so, the rest of the Marauders felt more comfortable talking to Lily and decided to enter the conversation. To the great surprise of Mona, Phyllis, and the Marauders, Lily decided to walk with James to their classes.

But these mutual feelings of respect didn't last long.


Outside and on their way to Care of Magical Creatures, Severus Snape snuck up behind Lily and James and attempted to curse James. He had actually managed a bleeding slash on James's right cheek before he whipped around and knocked him over with "Impedimenta!" Lily let out a startled shriek and fell onto the damp earth.

"What the - !" she exclaimed, looking wildly over at a mightily pissed-off James to a vengeful-looking Snape. "What was that for?" she asked incredulously to the Slytherin. "And you," she said, rounding on James, "don't you think you were going over the top there? It's just a slash." James offered her a hand to get up, but she scowled and got up herself without help.

"Sod off, Potter, I can get up on my own, thank you very much. Now what's going on?" But James was already raising his wand and aiming it at Snape, who was glaring daggers at him. Lily shoved James's wand hand down.

"What do you all think you're doing?"

"But, Lily –"

"EVANS."

"All right, Evans, you –"

Lily shook her flaming-red head in angry surrender.

"I don't know why I try," she fumed. "Forget it. Just forget it. I've got to go and meet Mona and Phyllis for class. I can walk to the clearing on my own." And she stalked away to Mona and Phyllis, who were just standing there bemused near the edge of the clearing.

"What happened?" Phyllis said anxiously. Mona just shook her head disdainfully at the naïve blonde.

"You can't tell when it's over, can you Phyllis?"

"I wasn't talking to you, Mo, I was talking to LILY. So what happened?" she added to the grumpy redhead.

Lily snorted derisively, confirming Mona's suspicions.

"Potter and Snape started dueling and I accidentally got into the middle of it. Stupid gits, aren't they?" She was steadily getting redder in her fury as she began taking notes of the Crup Professor Kettleburn was bringing out. Mona nodded in agreement while Phyllis went quiet.

"Evans!" called out a familiar voice from somewhere behind Lily. Lily sighed and pretended to ignore it. Her temper was resurfacing itself again. She furiously scribbled her sketch of the Crup to avoid looking at anybody in particular.

"Evans!"

No response from Lily. Phyllis, however, turned and smiled sweetly at James, who was hurrying up to the padding.

"Hullo, James. How are you –" But she was cut off by a scathing Mona.

"Is it true you and that greasy-haired Slytherin started dueling? Who won?" said the ravenhead. James shrugged that off.

"It doesn't matter. All that matters is Evans."

This sweet statement got Phyllis, Mona, and Lily quiet, including some other students lingering nearby. Some students catcalled and whistled appreciatively.

"What are you talking about?" Lily said with a forced and deadly calm, finally turning around to face James. He watched her coolly, his expression hard to read.

"I mean, you stormed off over there when I was about to apologize."

"Apologize?" Lily said incredulously. Phyllis and Mona were wide-eyed. James Potter, apologize?! This bemused and touched Lily deeply.

"Yes, apologize. I'm sorry I was acting like a total jerk over there, I'm sorry I got you into it involuntarily, and I'm just... sorry. Forgive me?" His voice was rich and sincere, while his hazel eyes shone with a softness the great James Potter rarely revealed. Lily wondered why he couldn't show this side of him so often. However, she kept her mask up and upheld her dignity.

"That's quite all right, Potter. I forgive you. Now would you please go? You're drawing attention."

As Lily turned back to her Crup sketch, she didn't notice James's hurt expression and the incredulous ones on her friends' and classmates' faces. Clearly, she hadn't thought twice before using such a calm tone that it was almost cold – and was literally chilling after a sweet apology like that.


After Care of Magical Creatures, Mona and Phyllis each took one of Lily's arms and roughly hauled her behind a small clump of trees. Each wore an uncharacteristic expression of severity and stared at her sharply. Baffled, Lily stared back at them blankly.

"What?" she asked.

"Lily, ARE – YOU – CRAZY?" Mona seethed, trembling as though desiring to shake the sense into the stubborn redhead. Phyllis gave Mona a pointed glance, but also looked at Lily incredulously.

"Be sensible, Mo, and don't hurt her. Lily, you don't know what you did, do you?" Phyllis said. Mona glared at her. Lily just stared blankly back. What was this, she thought desperately. Are they holding me ransom?

"Let me go," Lily snapped. Mona and Phyllis only held her against the tree tighter.

"No," Mona said simply, her eyes flashing. Phyllis continued talking.

"Do you know how often James Potter, Quidditch King and Nightmare of the Slytherins, apologizes? No, I suppose you don't. Rarely, almost never! And back there, he practically reduced himself into your slave. And what do you do? 'Oh, I forgive you, now go away, you're drawing attention,' Not only would that hurt for the average guy, but when it comes to James Potter it hurts ten times as bad. He's not used to that. And it would hurt about twenty times more, considering how sincere and humble he was when apologizing. Actually, Lily, I wouldn't be surprised if he gave up on you today. Any normal guy would."

There was a stunned silence. Lily stopped struggling and just stared at Phyllis, guilt and remorse shining through her eyes, darkening their emerald glow. Phyllis and Mona exchanged sad glances and let go of Lily, but Lily didn't move. She just stood there, scavenging for a solution.

Her head shot up. She knew doing this would probably stain her fiery reputation forever, but she couldn't stand hurting Potter this bad. It was hard to have that on your conscience.

"Thanks, Phyl," she said hurriedly, before dashing off into the grounds. Mona and Phyllis stared after her, dumbstruck, not even bothering to follow her.

"And after all that, Phyl, that's all she says," Mona said uncomprehendingly. Phyllis just shook her head, a few of her platinum blonde tresses falling onto her face.

Lily continued running, searching frantically for a dark-haired boy with tousled hair. "Potter! POTTER!"

Heads turned and several eyes stared at Lily, some just blank and others full of scorn. Some random Hufflepuff girls glared at her as she crossed the grounds. Knowing they were a part of James' female fan club, she ignored them.

Think, Lily, where would he be? Lily thought, stopping her run to take a breath and think. With his Marauders... by the lake!

And so Lily ran to the lake.


She was right. James was there, sitting under a tree with Peter, Remus, and Sirius. The last three were talking animatedly while James stared at the water. He didn't even look up and when he Lily approach, although Sirius, Remus, and Peter stopped talking at the sight of her.

"Potter! There you are! Look, if you would listen..." Lily trailed off, gazing at him. He was ignoring her, just staring at the surface of the lake.

"Hello? Potter? Are you giving me the silent – "

But she was cut off by James, who was fuming. "Evans, who do you think you are? You scream at me for getting you into a small duel, then shrug me off when I apologize! And now you run over here, probably looking for forgiveness. What are you going to do next, slap me for trying to do your bidding?"

SLAP.

Sirius', Remus', and Peter's jaws all dropped in shock, even if they knew that was coming. Despite his pink cheek, James didn't even look at Lily. He barely flinched, but just stared relentlessly at the lake. Lily was livid.

"JAMES POTTER. If you would take a second to listen to me, then you'd understand. I am sorry. I ran over here to tell you that, but nooo, my apologies don't matter. But I won't dignify your rambling with my own sentiments. I'll say what I came here to say. I AM SORRY. Sorry for hurting you daily, sorry for hurting you twenty times as bad today, and sorry that you had to like someone like me. Don't forgive me if you don't want to, because I understand. Go ahead and give up on me, I know you want to. I'll act like I don't care, if by some off-chance I do."

Words said, she ramped across the grounds to meet Phyllis and Mona for their next classes.


James couldn't move. He wasn't surprised when Lily slapped him, knowing that her dragon-like temper was steadily rising while he spoke. But Lily's speech... he was wordless. Did she really care if he gave up on her? She was sorry that he I liked her?

James nearly cricked his neck as he turned to stare at her. She was already stalking off, clearly in a huff. Despite himself, he smiled. She was so lovely in a temper, giving off a sort of strength and defiance that he could never find among his female fan clubs. He felt his friends' eyes on him, but he didn't care.

Would Lily really care if he would give up on her?

Yes she would, he thought ecstatically, without a doubt. Lily cared.

A/N: Forgive me if you found the ransom thing with Lily a bit strange, but it was fun to write. Really fun. It brings memories. But anyway, everything here is kind of rushed, sorry for that, but I was pressed on time. The good news is that I've got Chapter 3 ready to upload and half of Chapter 3 free for editing. 3 and a half out of 36 chapters. Gosh, I need to pick up the pace...

So review! Please!