by BrownEyedAthena.
Disclaimer: Nothing you recognize is mine. Not the characters or plot or whatever. The first portion of the story is taken directly from OoTP.
"This'll liven you up, Padfoot," said James quietly. "Look who it is…"Sirius' head turned. He had become very still, like a dog that has scented a rabbit.
"All right, Snivellus?" said James loudly.
Snape reacted so fast it was though he had been expecting an attack: Dropping his bag, he plunged his hand inside his robe, and his wand was halfway into the air when James shouted Expelliarmus! ... Snape let out a stream of mixed swearwords and hexes, but his wand being ten feet away nothing happened.
"Wash out your mouth," James said coldly. "Scourgify!"
Pink soap bubbles streamed from Snape's mouth at once' the froth was covering his lips, making him gag, choking him—
"Leave him ALONE!"
James and Sirius looked around. Jame's free hand jumped to his hair again.
It was one of girls from the lake edge. She had thick, dark red hair that fell to her shoulders and startlingly green almond-shaped eyes.
"All right, Evans?" said James, and the tone of his voice was suddenly pleasant, deeper, more mature.
"Leave him alone," Lily repeated. She was looking at James with every sign of great dislike. "What's he done to you?"
"Well, it's more the fact that he exists, if you know what I mean..."
Lily didn't find this funny one bit. "You think you're funny, but you're just an arrogant, bullying toerag, Potter. Let him alone," she said coldly.
"I will if you go out with me, Evans," said James quickly. "Go on...go out with me, and I'll never lay a wand on old Snivelly again."
"I wouldn't go out with you if it was choice between you and the giant squid," said Lily. "You're just as bad as Snape!"
"What?" yelped James. "I'd NEVER call you a – you know what!"
"Messing up your hair because you think it looks cool like you've just got off your broomstick, showing off with that stupid Snitch, walking down corridors and hexing anyone who annoys you just because you can – I'm surprised your broomstick can get off the ground with that fat head on it. You make me SICK."
She turned on her heel and hurried away.
"Evans!" James shouted after her, "Hey EVANS."
But she didn't look back.
That was during James Potter and Lily Evans' fifth year at Hogwarts School of Wizardry. As much as James tried to get Lily Evans to succumb to his boyish charms, the clever witch refused to yield. Lily honestly meant what she said: how Potter made her sick. To her, he was a true beast.
However, Potter persisted. He wanted the girl. And he was determined to get her, no matter what it took.
Seventh year came. Sixth year was the same as fifth—James asked her out everyday, and Lily rejected him everyday. He continued to hex her, or turn her hair blue, or go out of his way to embarrass her and make her life miserable.
Now, Lily was puzzled. She had always thought that Potter was a jerk and a bloody idiot, but suddenly she felt something akin to friendship for him. Whenever she saw him messing up his hair, she no longer thought, "Git." Rather, she thought that he looked cute. Wait, CUTE? She thought that James Potter, the insufferable toerag was cute?
"This must be a mistake," she repeated over and over, as a chant. Maybe this way she would get Potter out of her head. But maybe this would be Jame's chance at one big move. Maybe now he would learn that in order to impress Miss Evans he would have to stop trying to impress her.
James Potter was nervous. He was on his broom, playing Chaser for the Gryffindor Quidditch Team. He so badly wanted Evans to like him, but she still kept turning down his date offers. Scanning the crowd, he caught sight of a girl with bright red hair. She was smiling. He smiled back tentatively at her. Lily looked surprised, then grinned. What a change from the old Potter, she thought. Usually he would have been smirking at her, and trying to impress her by flying around.
James almost fell off his broom in shock. The wonderful Lily Evans just grinned at him. Perhaps Moony, Padfoot and Prongs were right. He would stop pranking her.
After Gryffindor won that Quidditch match, James approached Lily in the Common Room.
"Hey Lily," said James.
"Hi James," she replied, smiling a little.
James fidgeted, and thought, Wow, since when has she called me James and not Potter? He then said, "Will you go to Hogsmeade with me this weekend?"
Lily paused, and then looked him over. He really had changed—he was nicer to people, and had deflated his head. "Yes."
James looked like he was about to faint. He was really scared about dating the girl of his dreams. What if she dumped him? What if she thought that he wasn't good enough? What if he had to stop pranking others to stay in her good graces?
Lily too had an internal dilemma. Was she ready to let go of all her dislike and distrust of James Potter? Sure, he had become more of a gentleman, but he was still a Marauder extraordinaire.
James continued to be arrogant, and would not stop messing around with his hair. By and by, Lily agreed to date James, cautiously at first, and then allowed herself to fall in love with him. As much as James thought that he was going to wake up from a dream, Lily Evans continued to be a major part of his life.
Graduation day came quickly. NEWTs were over, and the future, or life beyond Hogwarts, was about to begin. Lily and James posed for a picture with all their friends by their side, but this picture was different. Lily had a diamond ring on the ring finger of her left hand. They were engaged.
James fidgeted all the way as he and Lily walked to the lake on a beautiful evening in late May. He darted nervous little glances at Lily that he thought were subtle, but were extremely obvious. His left hand was holding Lily's right hand, but he was clenching his right hand in a fist so tight that the knuckles turned white. Lily pretended nothing was amiss, but internally she was worried for her boyfriend.
The couple climbed a hill and sat atop it, with James' arm around Lily. They watched the sun set over the beautiful scenery. The sky was a crimson orange with specks of yellow and pink. Lazy clouds enveloped the sun as it made its nightly farewell beneath the horizon.
Lily murmured, "How lovely the sunset was."
James turned to Lily just as the last few rays of sunlight lingered and said seriously, "Not as lovely as you."
Lily blushed, "You flatter me, James."
James Harry Potter said, " Lily, I never thought I'd be able to get you. But now that I have, I never want to let you go. Lily Evans, will you marry me?"
Lily stared at James in shock as a multitude of thoughts flittered and fluttered through her mind. Was she ready to let him permanently into her life? Was he truly changed? Would he leave her just like he and Sirius used to dump girls without second thought? Lily's doubts slowly evaporated as she gazed into James' chocolate brown eyes. She was ready. "Yes."
Lily Evans stood in front of a mirror and panicked, "Mum, I can't do this! I don't want to yet. What if the world ends tomorrow?" She was wearing a white bridal gown with lily flowers embroidered through them. Her red hear was accented by a tress of green leaves and pale pink flowers.
Lily's mother said, "Oh my darling, every bride is jittery before she says her vows. Just know that love will live on and never end if you have truly found your soul mate. Love is just the next great step you will take in your life."
Mrs. Evans smiled gently at her daughter, while Petunia, a bridesmaid, looked on half disdainfully, but half proudly as well. Looking at Lily decked out all in white brought back memories of their childhood, before the sisters were torn asunder by the news that Lily was a witch. And as much as Petunia tried, she was never able to let the jealousy she felt for her sister out of her system. But she tried, and here she was today, celebrating in the wedding of her younger sister.
Meanwhile, James was fidgeting in the men's dressing room. "Sirius! What if she decides that she does not want me after all? What if she leaves me at the altar? What if—"
"James! Shut up! She won't leave you because she loves you and you've proved to her that she can trust you and love you," replied Sirius wearily. He had heard these fears since James won Lily over. "Oh look, it's time for you to go in. Chin up, bro. Another hour and you'll be James and Lily Potter."
James managed a weak smile. "Sirius---"
"Of course I'm serious! I'm always Sirius remember?"
That got a weak laugh out of James. He walked out of the room and into the magnificent church where Professor Dumbledore would marry him and Lily. Five minutes later, the organ began playing Here Comes the Bride.
The bridesmaids came out first, and then came Lily, looking more exquisite than James had ever seen her, on her father's arm. The procession came to the altar. James was struck dumb.
"Do you, James Harry Potter, take Lily Kathleen Evans to be your lawfully wedded wife?"
"I do."
"Do you, Lily Kathleen Evans, take James Harry Potter to be your lawfully wedded husband?"
Lily breathed, "I do." James' face broke into a wide grin.
"You may kiss the bride." James kissed with all the passion he felt, and barely remembered that they were in public.
After the dinner, James picked Lily up in his arms and Apparated with her to Florence, Italy, for their honeymoon. That night was a night of firsts all around. And in the morning, the sun still rose. It seemed that they were meant to be.
"Honey, I'm home!" exclaimed James Potter.
"I'm in the upstairs spare room," replied Lily.
James bounded up the stairs and into the room where Lily was sitting on a chair in front of a small desk. He kissed her quickly and then looked around.
He blinked. "Lily? What did you do to this room? Why is it pink and blue? Did you move all the furniture around?"
Lily just smiled and said, "I thought it would be nice to have a change of decoration. I moved all the extra boxes downstairs to your office, and I thought that this room would be nice as a nursery."
"Oh, ok then," replied James distractedly. "Wait...did you say nursery? You mean, you're pregnant?" with hope rising in his eyes.
Lily Kathleen Evans Potter stood up, and kissed her husband with all the strength she could muster.
"I'll take it as a yes," said James. "YES! I'm going to be a father!"
"I never expected to have a child with you 4 years ago," murmured Lily. "Who knew that I would be so undeniably wrong?"
James just danced for joy. "I love you, Lily."
"Me too, James. Me too."
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the story, of the Beauty and the Beast of the Wizarding World. And out of that singular union came the most powerful child that Wizardkind had ever known. Even after they died, their love still lives on, in the hearts and minds of the people.