I'm here for you; always.
Summary: Being seventeen is never as easy as it appears. Somehow, through trauma and horror, love seems to sprout between the most unlikely of pairs. But it had always been undeniable; the passion between both Lily and James had always been there.
Genre and Rating: Romance and Angst. Rating M, just to be safe.
Disclaimer: For fuck's sake, people. If I had invented Harry Potter, would I still be writing fan-fictions?
Chapter 1: I want to know you.
"Get your freakish arse down here, now!" A shrill voice called up the stairs, a rapping then heard as the impatient young woman drummed her fingers on the stair rail. "Vernon's waiting. I don't want to be late because of you!"
It was then that another girl appeared at the top of the stairs, lugging a heavy trunk behind her. She was considerably pretty, especially in comparison to the woman at the bottom of the stairs. Nothing special, with dark red hair, recently cut to her shoulders, and startlingly green eyes. The two simple features were enough to pick the youth out in a crowd. As she passed her sister, she stopped for a moment, staring stonily at the bony, pallid figure in front of her.
"Just…Just shut up, Petunia." She said, shaking her head. Petunia stood there dumbfounded, watching her sister walk out the front door, her trunk dragging along the carpet.
"Lily! Petunia, dears, move it along, now…" A woman called from the front seat of the family car. "You're both going to be late if we don't leave soon."
Throwing her trunk into the backseat of the car, she quickly climbed into the passengers' seat before Petunia had the chance. As her sister clambered into the backseat, next to her trunk, Lily smirked over her shoulder so her mother couldn't see.
"Mum!" Petunia whined, sounding rather like a spoiled little child. "Why does that…freak get to sit in the front seat? I'm older!"
"Nonsense Petunia. Lily got here first; she can sit in the front seat." Mrs. Evans said, starting the car and pulling out of the driveway. The eldest of the two daughters remained in a huff throughout the whole drive, slumped down against the window with her arms folded over her stomach. She even waited in the car, hurrying into the front seat as Lily stepped out of the car and bade her mother farewell. Swinging a backpack over her shoulder, and adjusting the handle to her trunk in one hand, she gave her mother a quick one armed hug and walked off towards the barrier. She even stopped half-way to the magical brick wall, turning to wave sarcastically at her prude sister and receiving nothing but a glare in return. Oh, how she loved her family.
"G'bye, mum." James Potter muttered lazily, standing with his arms folding against the brick wall.
"Don't blow up any toilets, or set any rooms on fire or –"
"G'bye mum." He repeated.
"…No more swimming in the lake, last year, you came home with a horrible head cold that took forever to get rid of. More than once, your father suggested that I take your temperature the old-fashioned way, just to give you what you deserve. You know, when you stick the thermometer up your – "
"Mum!" James interrupted impatiently "I get it. I'll stay out of trouble."
His mother smiled warmly and brought him into a tight, motherly hug. "I know, I know you will. 'Specially now that you're Head Boy, hmm?" she told him proudly as she pulled away.
"G'bye, mum." He said, yet again as he began to walk away, this time, receiving a wave in return. He lugged his trunk onto the Hogwarts Express, dragging it along behind him as he looked for a compartment. All of them seemed to be rather full, groups of students laughing and chattering in each. He continued walking down the corridor, glancing through the window of every door until he finally spotted a familiar face through one. His best friend, Sirius Black was sitting by the window, his girlfriend Anna sitting in his lap. And across from them, sat another girl by the name of Tyler. She watched the two, a sickened look upon her face as Sirius and Anna seemed to be glued by the lips. As James slid the compartment door open, Tyler looked joyous and thankful that she would have a decent human being to talk to. As he sat down next to the desperate girl, he slid his trunk under his feet and propped them on top.
"'Lo, there Padfoot." James said casually, smiling at his friend and running a hand through his messy black hair.
Sirius raised a hand as his greeting, still holding his trophy girlfriend close to him and not prying his lips away.
Tyler was still staring at them, revolted. "What took you so bloody long?" she asked, turning to James.
The boy grinned "Mother had some rules to set." He said, with a slight nod of his head.
Tyler nodded "I've been waiting for some one decent to talk to for half an hour, now." She said brushing her short, blond hair away from her eyes.
"What, Sirius hasn't been much company?" he asked, quirking a sarcastic eyebrow as the door behind them swung open again. A tall, slender redhead was standing in the doorway, handle of her trunk in one hand, the other holding the door open.
Lily stared over at her friend as she sat next to James Potter. James Potter, and it wasn't a well-kept secret that the muggle-born loathed the boy.
He looked different…she found herself thinking…Different…
"Hey, Lily." Tyler beamed up at her friend.
"'Lo." She mumbled quietly, adjusted her backpack on her shoulder.
"'Ello, Lily" James said, looking up at her and trying a light smile.
Taken aback, Lily felt her lips curve upwards slightly. "Hello." She said, sitting down beside the window, next to Tyler.
It was known throughout the school that Lily Evans had always been the focus of James Potter's attention, despite the numerous girlfriends that James has dated. It was also known throughout the school that Lily detested his womanizing ways. The fact that he had a new girlfriend every second week was almost enough to make her breakfast force itself up her throat. Yum.
And she just didn't understand why he liked her, so. She was nothing special. An average, rather boring if she did say so herself, red-haired, green-eyed seventeen year old.
Yet, in James' eyes she was the most beautiful person in the entire world, the smartest, most perfect young woman in the universe. The object of his desire, his focus of attention and she had been ever since third year. There was just something about the way her dark, red hair lay just against her shoulders. And something about the way her eyes would grow darker and lighter, and remain beautiful, no matter what her mood was. Oh, how he thought she was perfect.
Lily looked away from the window, as the train began to roll out of the platform and found the James' eyes were still on her. She waved at him lightly, her fingers curved in a graceful manner. He suddenly snapped out of his reverie and looked down at his feet, a faint tinge of red bubbling in his cheeks. Lily found that she couldn't help but smile, as her gaze slowly returned to out the window.