Chapter One: Years 1-3
By headupintheclouds
Part 1Year One
Lily Evans walked off the train, looking a lot more confident than she felt.
She'd sat alone on the train, as almost everyone knew someone already. She knew she should have tried to find someone, but she'd been too afraid.
She walked alone to the boats, and got in one with a group of people she would label as 'outcasts'.
They slowly sailed across the murky lake, which she would grow to love. She gazed out at her new home, less than impressed. "That tower is crumbling, practically about to fall down!" she thought menacingly. But she knew it wasn't true.
When they reached Hogwart's, she gazed up at it, and although it seemed to welcome her, she braced herself. She walked alone in the front, and prepared to be sorted.
She had, of course, tried to read up on Hogwart's but ended up having to borrow a book she found abandoned on a shelf in her compartment. It was called Hogwarts: A History, and she brushed up on her new home. She thought she'd most likely be a Ravenclaw, or a Hufflepuff, although she secretly yearned for Gryffindor. She was pretty clever, but Hufflepuff was for the faint of heart, in her mind, and she figured that she would be sorted there.
She looked around to see two boys taunting the first years, and walked up to them.
"What are you doing?" she asked earnestly, cocking an eyebrow at them.
"Stay out of this," said a handsome black-haired boy.
"Why aren't you in the Hall with everyone but the first years?" she asked again, earning a frustrated sigh from the other one. He was a good deal less good looking, in Lily's mind, with an arrogant air that had bothered Lily from the first. He had messy black hair and hazel eyes, and was aiming his wand at a terrified looking blonde-haired girl.
"We ARE first years!" he exclaimed gleefully, now staring interestedly at Lily.
" Who are you then?" she asked, tipping her head to her side. She felt her red hair spill over her shoulder.
"James Potter," he said, moving his non-wand arm toward her. He obviously wanted to shake hands, but Lily stepped back.
"Sirius Black!" said the handsome one, not glancing at Lily.
Lily was about to admonish them, but a pretty woman stepped up and began saying shrilly, "Prepare to be sorted. We're ready for you."
They stepped into the Hall and walked between two tables. Lily felt the whole eyes of the Hall focusing on the first years, and blushed. It was an endearing quality she had learned to hate. It gave her emotions away too easily.
Lily watched as her terrified new classmates staggered up to a patched old hat, and got sorted. She didn't pay particular attention, but noticed that Sirius Black had been sorted into Gryffindor. All too soon, her name was called. She stepped up evenly, but her foot caught on those dastardly robes, and she slipped. She almost saved herself, but slipped again and landed on the floor.
The entire Hall tried to control their laughter, only the Slytherin table laughing without reserve.
She got up, not bothering to brush herself off, and sat down on a stool. The hat was placed on her head.
It didn't seem to do much thinking, and said nothing to her. She wondered why, as it had seemed as if other students had had conversations with the hat, and she knew it could talk.
She waited for the dreaded words, but to her surprise, the hat yelled, "GRYFFINDOR!"
She got down, giving the hat back and, careful not to trip this time, walked over to the Gryffindor table. She sat on the corner, waiting. She glanced around the Hall dreamily, beginning to love the surroundings.
She suddenly jerked awake to hear, "Potter, James" and he jauntily stepped up.
It called 'Gryffindor' seemingly before touching his head, and he walked over, and sat close to Lily, to her horror. She kept scooting over, but he would always scoot a little closer.
A girl, Elizabeth, and a couple other girls met Lily, but 'Lizzy' was clearly her favorite, because as soon as she sat down (across from Lily), she yelled at James, "Give the girl some room!"
Part 2
Year Two
"We Won!" exclaimed Sirius brightly, raising his pumpkin juice over his head, "We actually beat Slytherin!"
"First time in forty-two years," said Lily dully. Quidditch hadn't interested her since James had begun playing. In first year, she'd found it mildly entertaining, at least in idea, but then, of course, the mighty James Potter made chaser, and she never heard the end of it from him.
"So there were two bludgers, both tailing me, and I caught a glimpse of something golden. Trouble was, that git from Slytherin, Gunther Flint, saw it too. So, with two bludgers still on my tail, I pulled into a death defying swoop, aiming straight at the ground," said James Potter arrogantly to his slew of first and second year girls, who listened in rapt silence.
He was about to begin again when a girl asked, "Weren't you SCARED?"
He shrugged, "No. Anyway, I urged my broom to go faster, as Flint was about a yard in front of me, and then, I finally caught it, pulling out of the dive JUST before…" he trailed off vaguely, and the girls gasped, then sighed. They all fawned on him.
"And then you woke up and realized what an arrogant prat you are," Lily muttered bitterly. Lizzy and Lily's only male friend, Remus Lupin laughed quietly, which got James to glance over.
Lily had inconspicuously joined the dinner table while James had been describing his most recent feat to his pathetic fan club. He winked at Lily, causing her to shudder.
She took a finally swig of pumpkin juice from her goblet, then got up swiftly from the table.
"Where are you going?" asked Remus.
"To the library," replied Lily, glaring at James.
"Allow me to escort you, flower," James said, getting up and offering here his arm. The girls he'd been with all shot her looks of jealousy and hostility.
"Actually," she said, pulling up Lizzy, who'd been deep in conversation with Sarah, their other friend, "Lizzy is."
"I am?" she asked. Lily kicked and she thought for a second, then another to make Lily sweat all the more. "Yeah, I am." She said after a moment, earning a grateful smile from Lily.
They left swiftly, James watching Lily's red hair sway behind her.
Sirius nudged him softly, "You got it bad, mate." He stated, laughing. James glared at him, then turned back to his fan club to explain the most recent prank he'd pulled on Herch, the Potions master.
Part 3
Year Three
"The first Hogsmeade weekend is coming up, Lil," said Danielle, poking her in the ribs and pointing over at James Potter. Lily shrugged and glared over at him, realizing what Danielle was saying.
"Why would I want to go with that arrogant git?" she asked, halfway bemused at the idea.
"You know you want to," teased Danielle, nudging her again.
"Mmhmm. As much as I'd like to go with Malfoy," Lily said.
"Ooo, here he comes," said Danielle, who was smiling and waving James over. James entire posse began to get up as well, but he waved them back.
"Erm…" aid Danielle awkwardly, "I have to go… study. See you Lily!" And with that, she sprang away, despite Lily's efforts. Danielle giggled inwardly as she turned to walk away. However, James was too quick, popping up whenever she turned away. Finally, Danielle observed, Lily sat down, frustrated. James followed suit.
"So, flower," James began cockily. Ever since this had started annoying her in second year, James had been calling her 'flower'. "There's a Hogsmeade weekend coming up, and I was thinking…"
"No, Potter, you weren't thinking. You never think." Said Lily calmly.
"Would you like to go?" James pushed on. Lily didn't even answer, just got up and walked away, leaving a slightly saddened James alone. He'd been trying different approaches since the summer, when he'd found Lily'd gotten her permission slip signed.
First he'd just sent letters, which Lily had almost agreed to, but then remembered how fake Potter could be. After she got the 34th, she started to think it wasn't cute anymore, as did her father.
Then, on the train, he'd tried to sit with her, and given her a present, a book. Lily hadn't had the chance to read it, because, to prove a point (Lily couldn't remember which one), to James, she'd thrown it out the train's window.
After that, there were countless verbal offers, which lasted all of a week. Every day. After every class. At every meal. James finally realized THAT wasn't going anywhere, and had started trying to be romantic.
He'd somehow gotten about 5 dozen roses, and had them placed on Lily's bed, and in the center was a thoughtful card, sprayed with lily-scented perfume. Lily had almost given in here, but when she realized that he'd written the same compliment as she'd read in a book several weeks earlier, and had told Lizzy about. Obviously, Potter had been listening.
Then, he'd started singing a Muggle love song outside her window. This might have gotten Lily as well, except for the fact that James really couldn't sing. It woke up her whole dorm, and, needless to say, that was the only attempt he made that way.
He'd started to become very unoriginal of late, just asking her again. And again. Time after bloody time.