FOREWORD:

I don't own the characters or the setting. I own nothing in this story. The amazing woman who has that honor is J.K. Rowling.

James and Lily are amazing characters. I love them, and I will probably write a lot more fanfics about them in future.

The story begins in a dark alley in Hogsmeade. Lily is bound to a cold stone wall by thick chains, and Severus Snape is preparing to torture her. He has begun work for the Death Eaters, and his hatred of Muggles is growing. It is only worsened by the fact that he is a half-blood, and he would be exiled from the Death Eaters if they found out (even though a lot of them are half-bloods too, even Voldemort himself... filthy hypocrites). He is nervous, and Lily is taunting him.

"I'll kill you. I swear to fucking God I'll kill you!"

"You wouldn't," she sneered, eyes gleaming with superiority. "Don't lie to me, Snivellus. You're nothing more than a coward. Now let me go."

"DON'T CALL ME A COWARD! I am the Dark Lord's favorite. I alone am trusted with tasks of the most dangerous sort. . . I am NOT a coward. . ."

"Oh, sure. We all know how dangerous it is to boycott bathing, but I don't see how that could possibly help Voldydork or whatever the hell his name is."

"Muffliato," he muttered, looking around wildly. "CRUCIO!"

Her limbs twisted inward, burning as though a fire had been lit beneath them. She screamed in agony, but it seemed that no one but Snape could hear her. He kept her like this for several minutes, and when he finally stopped, she was barely conscious.

"That ought to teach you not to insult the Dark Lord, and not to befoul the idea of him with your foul Mudblood tongue."

She panted, her face the same color as her long crimson hair.

He muttered something about "stupid Mudblood bitch," and she was instantly revived, white-hot fury flowing through her veins.

"You must fit right in with this Dark Lord character. You always were far too unoriginal to do anything yourself. Always copying my notes in Potions, afraid Slughorn would see what an idiot you are. . . stealing my spells and taking credit for them . . . You must be so glad to have someone smarter and stronger to cling to again. You're pathetic."

"SHUT UP!"

She laughed coldly, her face twitching where it had been hit by flecks of cold saliva. She was quite afraid, but there was no way to get out of this situation, so she may as well use the opportunity to tell Snape how she really felt about him. Lily Evans was no coward.

"I reckon Potter was right about you."

"Don't you dare bring that up, Evans."

"Stop being such a coward, it's really unattractive. Everything about you is unattractive; I guess that's why no one will go out with you. Or maybe it's your personality-"

"CRUCIO!"

The pain was back, and her screams once again filled the alley. But this time, they were joined by frantic, racing footsteps. The resonating steps brought hope and anticipation to Lily, and her heart seemed to join their steady beat.

"Who's there?"

Snape turned around, and faced the direction opposite from where the steps were coming. Lily, hyperventilating, stifled a derisive sneer.

However, she couldn't hide the gasp that escaped her when someone charged down Snape and sent him flying across the alley. That someone had messy, jet-black hair. . .

James Potter didn't need a wand to cause damage to the slimeball lying beneath him. He punched him repeatedly, Snape blubbering and gurgling beneath his fists. "Don't… ever… mess… with… Lily… Evans… AGAIN!"

Lily didn't bother to tell him off. She just watched, her mind somewhere between amusement and vexation (but closer to amusement).
James finally stopped when his arms began to ache. He gave Snape a brutal kick in the head and turned to Lily.

"Are you all right?" His hair was even untidier than normal.

"That jerk used an Unforgivable on me, but there shouldn't be any permanent damage." She was still breathing fast, and her face was covered in cold sweat.

"He WHAT?"

James took his wand and performed a series of violent and messy curses on Snape. He stopped when Lily screamed, "No, he'll die if you keep that up!"

"I don't care."

"Well, I do. You're not going to go to Azkaban over that imbecile."

"Yeah right, you care."

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

"You hate me! I see the way you glare at me, and the way you tell me off for every little thing."

"I glare at you because you're doing something wrong! And I tell you off because you're doing something wrong! Potter, I'm a Prefect, it's my job. And you're a student, can't you obey the rules just once?"

"And what were you doing tied to a wall with this creep?"

Lily couldn't resist laughing when she saw the disgusted look on James's face.

"Nothing like that, you prat! I was up at the Three Broomsticks having a butterbeer, and I think Snivellus might've slipped something in it. I guess I passed out, and next thing I knew I was in this alley being spat on."

"I really ought to kill him."

"No, you really ought not to."

There was a silence, because no one could think of anything to say. It really was an awkward moment: Lily was bound to a wall, Snape was lying on the cold ground in a bloody heap, and James was cleaning his glasses.

"Erm… could you get me down? This is really starting to get uncomfortable."

"Of course. Uh. . ." It was even more awkward as he grasped her around the waist. He waved his wand, and she was unstuck from the wall. He stood her on the ground, blushing.

"I'm going to report him for using an Unforgivable Curse."

"Potter, no."

He eyed her suspiciously.

"I'm not under the Imperius Curse or anything, I just don't want you to invite the fury of his friends! I really believe this idiot's in cahoots with Voltagelord or whatever. If he goes to Azkaban, they'll come after us."

"Evans, you can't let him get away with this just because you're afraid of the Death Eaters."

"Oh, that's what they're called, Death Eaters? And I'm not afraid, I just don't particularly want to invite a clan of violent, idiotic bigots to my house. And he won't get away, look at him! He's about to die over there! Isn't that punishment enough?"

James sighed. "I suppose so, if that's what you want…"

"Okay, then. Let's… erm… tidy him up, then erase his memory."

"Can't I leave him with the wondrous parting gift of knowing that I kicked his ass?"

"No. He'll go running to Dumbledore, and you'll get expelled."

"Actually, I don't think he'd go running to Dumbledore. He wouldn't want anyone to know about this."

"But he'd be furious at you!"

"He already is. I promised not to report him, and now you can promise not to erase his memory."

"I really don't know about this…"

"Oh, come on."

"Oh, okay then."

Lily muttered several spells and before long, Snape was back to his usual self.

"He'll be coming to soon, we'd better go."

"Walk back with me?"

Lily looked at James's outstretched arm, and thought, 'Well, he really has been mature lately, and he didn't once beg me to go out with him.'

"Okay, James."

He beamed at her.

"So I'm not Potter anymore?"

"As long as I'm not Evans anymore."

They walked back to Hogwarts together, and Snape eventually got there.

A little over a month later, they went on their first official date.

Sadly, less than three years afterward, their lives were tragically extinguished by Voldemort. He had come to their house in search of their young son, Harry, after being told of a prophecy by Severus Snape. Snape had jumped at the chance to finally exact revenge on the Potters.