It was a crisp October night, and the grounds of Hogwarts were bathed in silver light. The Marauders were up to something. Anyone paying attention might've seen them sneaking around in the shadows, but with Filch and Peeves otherwise occupied, the boys felt pretty confident in their mission.
James, Sirius, and Peter were huddled in the corner of the Gryffindor common room, stuffing a knapsack with random "supplies" they'd managed to "borrow" (no matter what Filch's record book might say otherwise).
"Are you sure Lupin's going to like this?" Peter whispered nervously, glancing over at James.
"Oh, he'll love it," James assured him, waving a set of glittering fairy lights in Peter's face. "He'll cry manly tears of gratitude. And besides, you know it's full moon tomorrow night. Moony's been through enough transformations alone. It's high time we did something epic for him!"
"Epic," Sirius repeated, rolling his eyes but grinning. "Exactly what every werewolf wants—a stash of Honeydukes sweets and a collection of, what, James—wildflower-scented candles?"
"Shut it, Padfoot," James grumbled, stuffing the candles into the knapsack. "It's ambiance. Trust me."
Just as they were preparing to slip out, however, an unexpected voice made them all freeze.
"And what exactly do you three think you're doing?" Lily Evans asked, arms crossed, eyebrow raised, with her friend Mary MacDonald peering over her shoulder, equally skeptical.
"Oh, nothing, Evans!" James stammered, attempting to block her view of their stash. He tried his best to act casual, although "acting casual" was not his forte.
Mary rolled her eyes. "Whenever Potter says 'nothing,' you know it's trouble."
"Trouble? Me?" James grinned, giving Lily his best "I'm-so-innocent" look. "Never."
"Come off it, Potter," Lily snapped. "What are you up to? Planning another of your ridiculous pranks?"
Sirius piped up, looking only mildly offended. "Evans, honestly, we'd never prank Remus. This is… uh…" He hesitated, looking to James for help.
"It's… a group project!" James said quickly, nodding as if he believed it. "For, um, our 'Care for our Fellow Classmates' project. You know, very Hogwarts-approved."
Lily and Mary exchanged a look, and then Lily fixed her stare back on James. "I don't believe you for a second."
Realizing that Lily and Mary wouldn't let them off the hook so easily, James quickly changed tactics.
"Fine, Evans," he said, straightening up with a serious expression. "If you must know, we're sneaking out for… educational purposes. Wouldn't you want your fellow Gryffindors to be… er, well-rounded?"
Peter, sensing that this was heading nowhere fast, panicked and added, "Yeah, and… we're learning about the importance of moon phases… for our Herbology assignment! Very important to know!"
Lily's face softened—only a little. She was too sharp to miss that this was nonsense, but maybe there was something more going on. She was about to press them further when Mary grabbed her arm.
"Come on, Lils," Mary whispered, watching Sirius attempt to stuff a broomstick into the overflowing knapsack. "It's probably just some boyish nonsense. Let's just go back upstairs."
But Lily wasn't ready to let it go. "Right," she said slowly, eyeing James. "Well, if it's educational, then you won't mind if Mary and I tag along."
James's eyes widened. "Evans… tagging along?"
Despite James's protests and Sirius's resigned sighs, Lily and Mary tagged along, trailing behind the Marauders as they ventured toward the Whomping Willow.
"You're not actually going into the forest, are you?" Lily asked, her voice betraying a mixture of annoyance and genuine concern. "You'll get yourselves killed."
"Evans, please," Sirius drawled. "We've been doing this for ages. Besides, it's not us we're worried about. We're on a… noble mission."
"Noble?" Mary scoffed. "And just how noble can a mission be when it involves breaking about fifty school rules?"
James grinned. "Sixty-two, to be precise. But who's counting?"
They finally reached the clearing near the Shrieking Shack, where Remus was waiting, his usual anxious look replaced with confusion as he saw Lily and Mary.
"What… why are they here?" he asked, glancing at James.
"Funny story," James muttered, throwing Lily an exasperated look. "They insisted on coming."
Lily crossed her arms. "We wanted to make sure you lot weren't up to something ridiculous."
But as she looked at Remus, she noticed the shadows under his eyes, the way his hands trembled slightly. Her expression softened.
"So… what's the real reason you're here?" she asked, quieter now.
Remus opened his mouth to explain, but Sirius cut in. "Never mind that. Tonight, Remus, we're here to make things easier for you. Now, sit down and let's get started with… the Full Moon Festivities!"
The Marauders, with Lily and Mary reluctantly pitching in, quickly set up their little "surprise." They strung the fairy lights around some trees, scattered the sweets, and even lit the wildflower candles, Remus' favourite plant (Sirius had rolled his eyes but helped anyway).
"Wow," Remus said, slightly bewildered as he looked around. "You really went all out."
"Nothing but the best for our Moony," James said proudly.
"Yeah," Sirius added. "And when I say 'the best,' I mean the best Honeydukes clearance items James could smuggle."
"He did what?!" exclaimed Lily.
Remus tried to laugh, though his voice was thick with emotion. "Thank you, all of you."
Lily, surprised by the sincerity in Remus's voice, gave James a sidelong glance, suddenly feeling that maybe he wasn't as shallow as she'd thought.
"Potter… this was really thoughtful of you," she said, a little awkwardly.
James looked back at her, visibly touched. "Thanks, Evans. Means a lot, really."
The group settled down, and as the moonlight streamed through the trees, the Marauders raised their wands and made an oath together.
"No matter what," James started, his voice steady, "we'll always be here for each other."
"For Remus," Sirius added silently for only his boys to hear, "and each other."
And as they all finished the oath, Lily caught James's eye. In that moment, under the gentle glow of the almost-full moon, she saw him for who he truly was: a loyal, brave friend. Maybe, just maybe, he wasn't so bad.
The following weeks saw James Potter transformed—or, rather, trying very hard to appear transformed—in the presence of Lily Evans. Having impressed her with the Full Moon surprise, he couldn't resist testing his newfound advantage every chance he got. And if that meant shamelessly chasing her around the corridors of Hogwarts with ridiculous lines and boyish pranks? So be it.
One frosty November morning, Lily was just about to slip out of the Great Hall when James appeared, blocking her way with an exaggerated bow.
"Why, Evans," he said, pushing his glasses up with a wink. "Fancy seeing you here, brightening up the entire castle."
Lily narrowed her eyes. "Potter, I'm here every morning. It's breakfast. You do know how that works, right?"
"Touché," he grinned, undeterred. "But see, I'm hoping you'll sit with me today. Maybe feed me a bit of toast? I'd do the same for you, obviously."
"Obviously," Lily repeated, lips twitching in amusement. "Unfortunately, I'm only feeding people who need it—and you clearly have plenty of cheek to keep you sustained."
"Ouch!" James feigned a dramatic stumble backward, clutching his chest. "Harsh, Evans. But I love it. Shall I come by for more insults later?"
"If it means you'll leave me alone now," she quipped, sidestepping him.
As she walked away, James called after her, "I'm free at seven if you'd like to practice any more witty comebacks!"
Without turning, she raised a hand and gave him a very pointed thumbs-down.
Sirius, who'd watched the entire exchange with a mix of amusement and pride, strolled over to clap James on the shoulder. "Smooth, Prongs. You're really wearing her down…slowly. Very slowly."
In an effort to "accidentally" bump into Lily, James took to frequenting the library—a place he usually avoided at all costs. He was just settling into a chair by the window when he spotted Lily, her nose buried in a large tome on Advanced Potion-Making.
"Evans!" he whispered, plopping down in the seat across from her. "Fancy seeing you here!"
Lily sighed, not even glancing up. "It's a library, Potter. Not your personal dating agency."
"Pity. But I hear that studying is also a way to bond," he replied, leaning in with a smirk.
Lily finally looked up, eyebrow raised. "And, what exactly do you need help with, Mr. I-don't-know-the-first-thing-about-Potions?"
"Everything, I suppose," James shrugged, clearly enjoying himself. "Just…start from the beginning?"
"Oh, the beginning? Easy," Lily said, fighting a smirk of her own. She slid her open book towards him. "Page one. 'Be very, very patient, especially if you're incompetent.'"
James winced, laughing. "Ouch, Evans. You're killing me. And yet, I still want to learn… from the best, naturally."
At this, Lily gave him a small, reluctant smile. "Fine. We'll start with the absolute basics—if you can keep up."
Word had begun to spread around Gryffindor House that James Potter was "a changed man" because of Lily Evans. Naturally, this was a source of endless jokes among the Marauders.
"So, Prongs," Sirius said, strutting into the common room one evening, "when are you planning to profess your undying love to Evans? By owl? Singing telegram? Or my personal favorite, public humiliation?"
James rolled his eyes but grinned. "Actually, Padfoot, I was thinking about something much more subtle."
"James? Subtle?" Remus snorted, setting down his book. "This, I've got to see."
"Oh, come on!" James said, mockingly hurt. "I can be subtle! In fact, I'll ask her to Hogsmeade this weekend without embarrassing anyone. Evans won't even see it coming."
"Not a chance," Peter muttered.
The very next morning, James spotted Lily in the corridor and, channeling what he imagined to be his "subtle" persona, walked up to her.
"Evans!" he said, grinning widely, "You, me, Hogsmeade this weekend? Say yes and make it easy on us both."
She blinked, momentarily thrown off. "You know, Potter, you have the charm of a blast-ended skrewt."
James only laughed. "If that's what it takes to get your attention, Evans, I'll gladly be a skrewt."
Against her better judgment, Lily found herself walking alongside James in Hogsmeade that Saturday. She really didn't know why.
"So, let me get this straight," she said, narrowing her eyes as they approached Honeydukes. "This isn't a date."
"Absolutely not," he replied, though his smirk suggested otherwise. "This is a… a friendly outing. A chance for us to engage in polite conversation without the usual sarcastic remarks."
Lily shot him a sidelong look. "Polite conversation? From you? I give it five minutes."
"Evans," James said, feigning offense, "I'm hurt. I can be very proper."
The two of them strolled through the aisles of Honeydukes, filling small bags with their favorite sweets. At one point, Lily caught him sneaking extra peppermint toads into her bag, seeing they were her favorite.
"Potter," she sighed, "are you actually trying to be thoughtful?"
He gave her a sheepish grin. "I know, shocking, isn't it?"
As they walked out of Honeydukes, James glanced over at her, his expression more genuine than usual. "You know, Evans, you're not so bad."
"Oh, and here I thought you were utterly smitten," she replied, a teasing glint in her eyes.
James shrugged. "Smitten? Maybe. But I'm also relentless."
Lily laughed despite herself, and for the first time, she didn't mind James's persistence quite as much.
It was well into spring, and while Lily still gave James plenty of sarcastic quips, everyone in Gryffindor knew that she'd softened toward him. One evening, while she was walking down to the Quidditch pitch to watch Gryffindor's practice, she found James waiting there.
"Evans!" he said, running a hand through his hair. "What a coincidence."
She rolled her eyes but couldn't hide her smirk. "Potter, if you think I don't know you're just hanging around, hoping I'll sit and watch you practice, you're even more hopeless than I thought."
He grinned, stepping closer. "Maybe. Or maybe I just knew you'd come out here to be swept off your feet by my, er, dashing broom skills."
"More like hoping I won't trip over your giant ego," she shot back, but there was a warmth to her voice now that softened the words.
James leaned in, suddenly looking a bit more serious. "I like a challenge, Evans. And you… you're the best one I've ever had."
Lily's cheeks flushed as she met his gaze, her voice softened. "Fine, Potter. Maybe you're not all bad. But don't get too cocky."
"I won't," he promised, grinning as they walked together down toward the Quidditch pitch.
The next few months passed in a blur of stolen glances and casual meetings "by coincidence." Gryffindor House buzzed with the growing rumor that "Evans and Potter might actually be a thing." Lily, however, was steadfast in her denials, much to the Marauders' amusement.
It was near the end of their sixth year when Gryffindor faced Slytherin in the final Quidditch match of the season. The excitement in the castle was electric, and the stands were packed with students decked out in their house colors. The Gryffindors were counting on James to deliver the win, and even Lily found herself swept up in the excitement, joining her friends in the stands, decked out in red and gold.
As James soared above the pitch, he couldn't resist glancing over at the stands, his eyes quickly finding Lily. She was cheering alongside her friends, her hair catching the sunlight. His heart skipped a beat, and he nearly missed spotting the Quaffle aimed his way, dodging it just in time.
Sirius, who had noticed James's near-blunder, zoomed by him, calling out, "Eyes on the game, lover boy!"
With a final burst of energy, James led Gryffindor to a narrow victory, catching the Snitch just moments before Slytherin could. As the team descended to the ground, the Gryffindor crowd erupted, pouring onto the pitch to celebrate. Amid the chaos, James spotted Lily making her way toward him.
"Nice catch, Potter," she said, trying to sound casual, though there was a glimmer of pride in her eyes.
"Thanks, Evans," he replied, grinning as he tried to catch his breath. "Glad you were here to see it."
As the rest of the Gryffindors cheered around them, he reached out and took her hand, the world suddenly feeling very still and quiet.
"Lily, I... I think I've loved you since forever," he blurted out, barely able to believe his own words. "And I know I'm ridiculous sometimes, but I'd really like to keep being ridiculous with you."
Lily's cheeks flushed, and for once, she had no clever retort. She squeezed his hand, smiling softly. "Well, Potter, it seems like I've got my work cut out for me."
With that, she leaned in and kissed him, right in the middle of the pitch, while Gryffindor's victory cheers rang out around them.
The Marauders whooped, and even Sirius, though he rolled his eyes, was grinning from ear to ear. The two of them stood there, lost in their own little world as the celebration continued around them.
It was the beginning of something new, and in that moment, they both felt it—a spark that would burn through even the darkest of times.