Disclaimer: I do not own the setting, or the characters. I am a poor uni student. I am not J. K. Rowling. I own nothing but these words in this order.

From the instant that she'd discovered the meaning of love, understood it as a concept, she'd never believed what everyone told her she would feel.

She never believed in love at first sight. Lust at first sight, yes, but she believed that you couldn't love someone who you didn't know.

She didn't believe that there would be fireworks when they first kissed.

She didn't believe there'd be tingles when they touched.

She didn't believe that when they moved close together for that first time that they would fit like a puzzle piece.

She never believed any of the lies that anyone told her about love.

Why should she?

Her mother and father, whilst perfectly happy together during her entire childhood, still had fights.

They'd still argued about silly things, petty things. They hadn't been a perfect fairytale couple like the stories wanted you to believe would come for you.

But they were happy.

What more could you want?

And that, in fact, was all Lily Evans wanted.

She just wanted a man who would put up with her through her worst moments, tell her exactly when she was in the wrong, and who would love her, without all the fairytale bullshit.

She just wanted to be happy.

That's why she ignored the love that had been in front of her for half of her life.

Because he, well, he believed in fairy tales.

He was a romantic.

He believed in true, everlasting love.

He believed in soul mates, and love at first sight.

He believed that with the first touch there would be a connection, the joining to two souls.

He believed that the world would stop when they first kissed. He believed in fireworks.

He believed everything that was opposite to her beliefs.

And he never hesitated to tell her that.

From the first moment he'd seen her, he'd been in love with her.

From the first time they'd spoken, he'd told her that.

And the first time they argued so loudly that the teachers had to break them up, well, that was the first time he'd said they were soul mates.

He never failed to believe that everything would work out between them eventually, because they were all there was for each other.

His parents, gone so often from home, but always together, were to him, the perfect example of fairytale love.

The look in their eyes when they touched, their single-mindedness in each others presence, that was all it took for him to believe in absolute, eternal love.

Because really, why would you settle for something less than that?

Why would you settle for someone less, when you can have someone who is the moon and the sun and all the stars in the sky?

He'd always believe that there was one person for everyone.

James Potter believed.

He believed that Lily Evans was the one.

It took Lily forever to realize what was right in front of her.

And it didn't happen overnight. After 5th year, after their deafening fight at the end of semester, they avoided each other.

Lily because she couldn't stand his proclamations of never-ending love.

James because he could no longer put himself through her constant denials.

But slowly, so very slowly, they became friends.

I suppose, if you had a pick a moment, a single moment, when this change began, it would start with Remus.

Remus Lupin was a fellow classmate, a quiet, studious man who had become fast friends with James in first year, and had instantly become a Marauder along with Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew.

Remus Lupin was also a study friend of Lily's, and had been since early third year, when they'd come across each other in the library.

They were also prefects together.

Remus and Lily always studied together in the library.

And James, in his 6th year attempt to 'calm down', not remembering Remus studied with the girl he, James Potter, was avoiding, went to study with his friend in the library.

Remus, being the quiet, yet intelligent and incredibly scheming, young gentleman that he was, said nothing.

They walked into the library, backs aching from the weight of the textbooks carried in their school bags.

Remus looked around for the familiar face, and saw her sitting at their usual table. She was surrounded by notes and books causing a disorganized mess of information. At the time she seemed to be searching for something. He changed direction to walk to her table.

"Hello Lily" he said softly when he reached her.

She looked up, apparently startled, though he doubted she was. She'd known he was planning to meet her here.

"Oh, Remus, there you are!" her friendly smile flickered slightly as she caught sight of the young man who had followed her friend, but she pulled her lips into the semblance of a smile out of politeness. "Potter" she nodded in his direction.

James nodded back, feeling out of place.

Remus spared a glance at his friend, and saw, despite the outward appearance of calm, the agitation that was almost a nervous breakdown in the making.

"Got room?" he asked Lily.

She immediately started moving some of her paperwork out of the way whilst saying "Of course, take a seat, don't mind the mess." She smiled a friendly smile at Remus, before shooting a glance at his companion, then looked back at him. "You should know by now to just move my shit out of the way."

Remus smiled. "Of course" he picked up a piece of parchment and looking at it. "Uh, Lily, I think you need this." He handed it to her.

Her eyes skimmed it, then she glanced gratefully at him. "Oh, thank you! How did you know? This was exactly what I was looking for."

He nodded, taking a seat beside her.

James, mildly awkward, took a seat beside him.

They worked together in silence for about 10 minutes, before an almost silent hiss escaped from James' lips.

Lily and Remus both looked up, startled out of focus.

"What's the matter?" Remus asked.

"I've run out of parchment" James replied, sounding exasperated.

"Oh." Remus replied. "I don't think I have any spare." He turned to Lily. "Do you have any?"

She nodded rapidly. "Of course, hang on" She rummaged through her notes for a moment then "Aha!" She held up a blank piece of parchment for the boys to see, before holding it out towards James.

He took it, feeling slightly shell-shocked. "Th-Thank you." He managed to say.

She smiled at him, feeling like she'd done her good deed for the day. "No problem, Potter."

James was dazed from that smile for the rest of the day. That was the first true smile she'd ever given him.

As the year progressed, that one library study meeting turned into two. The two turned into three. The three into four, and this continued until James was joining Lily and Remus in the library every day.

But still, no one would have dared suggest that they were friends, even then.

They only really talked about study, and on those rare occasions when they weren't, they were more talking to Remus than each other.

And Remus, the sly man that he was, was getting frustrated.

He had these two great friends, who were loyal, enthusiastic, funny and bloody brilliant. Who had the potential of a dynamic relationship if they just put their past behind them, but instead they were being bloody blind.

And honestly, he'd had enough.

And he wasn't the only one.

"I swear, if that boy comments one more time, ONE more time, about how beautiful Lily is when she concentrates, I am going to take his tongue and shove it SO far up his backside he won't be able to make a single sound - let alone talk!" The tall, scruffy-haired teenager raged.

Remus smiled. "If you need any help, Padfoot, you know who to ask."

Sirius took a deep breath. "Okay, but what do we do?"

"Nothing" A female voice interrupted.

Sirius spun around to face the intruder. He came face to face with a girl called Alice Fortescue. Alice was a fifth year girl, in contrast to their sixth year selves, who was a close friend of Lily Evans, despite the age difference.

"What do you mean, 'nothing'?" Sirius demanded, making it sound like it was the stupidest thing he'd heard all year, which, perhaps in his mind it was.

"I mean – nothing. You're not going to do anything." Her lips pursed together and she tilted her head to one side. "If there's one thing I learnt from my cousin, it's not to interfere with relationships." Alice's cousin was Molly Prewett, a woman three years older than Alice, who was just out of school but still well known throughout the school as being a failed matchmaker.

"Besides..." Alice continued after a moment. "We're friends, right? Right?" She looked questioningly at the boys.

"Of course!" They answered simultaneously. And it was true. Alice had been befriended by the Marauders after they'd caught some Slytherin purebloods tormenting her when she was a second year because she was from a family of 'blood traitors'.

"And Lily knows that, right?"

"Yeah, of course, everyone knows." Sirius answered.

"We-ell... what do friends do?" She asked, pointedly.

The boys looked at each other questioningly. Then looked back at her. "I dunno... what do they do?" Sirius replied.

Alice smiled smugly. "They sit together at meals."

Sirius gaped at her. Remus' eyes shone with amusement and success. "You're brilliant!"

She grinned. "I know."

She turned, flipping her hair, then turned her head back. "I'll see you guys at dinner." She started to turn her head back, then stopped and moved it back to look at them again. "Oh, and boys? I'd stop talking about this stuff in the common room if I were you."

Perhaps I should explain. Lily Evans and Alice Fortescue always sat together at meals. It just happened to be the main time of the day that they could spend time together, since they weren't in any classes and Alice, although studious, seemed to have developed a fear of the library sometime during third year.

And no matter who Alice sat with, Lily would always be there, right beside her.

So, indeed, Alice was fairly brilliant, and she was in fact not doing nothing about the situation despite her proclamations that she wouldn't interfere in relationships. I suppose we should be glad that matchmaking skills are not inheritable, otherwise things could have gone remarkably down hill from this point.

However things did not. The young couple, although not yet a couple, took sitting with each other at meals remarkably well.

And things certainly started to get interesting.

Lily walked into the Great Hall with Alice by her side. She started walking in the direction they always went, to the very end of the Gryffindor table, as far from the Marauders as they could get, due now mainly to habit.

Alice had other ideas. She put a hand on Lily's elbow and started guiding her to the other end of the table. To the Marauders.

Lily looked at her questioningly.

Alice hurried to explain. "I know you no longer hate them, and they are my friends. Please?"

Lily nodded, slowly. "Okay" A pause, "But I didn't ever hate them. Not really."

Alice nodded thoughtfully, "You have been hanging around James sometimes now, haven't you?"

Lily murmured her assent.

"So you really don't mind"

Lily shook her head. "Its fine Alice, I'll cope."

They walked together to the Marauders.

"Hey guys!" Alice exclaimed cheerfully.

The boys looked up "Hey Alice!" they exclaimed in surprised tones. Alice mentally noted to congratulate them on their acting skills later. Their eyes simultaneously slide past her.

"Hey Lily." Remus spoke first.

She smiled, warmly. "Remus" she turned her head to Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew and her smiled slipped slightly. "Black. Pettigrew." She gave them each a nod which they returned. She turned her eyes to James Potter. "James." She gave him a shy smile.

He gave a big smile in return "Hi Lily"

Her smile widened as she moved to take a seat next to Remus.

The group went quiet for a moment, before Alice, who was seated beside Sirius and was opposite to Lily, took note of the awkwardness and dragged Sirius into conversation about Quidditch.

Remus gave James, who was seated next to him, an incomprehensible look before turning the other way to talk to Lily.

"So did you hear, Lily?"

She raised her eyes questioningly and tilted her head. "Hear what exactly?"

"About the Ministry of Magic raising the ban."

Comprehension flooded into her face. "Oh, to allow Muggle objects to be enchanted? Yeah I heard. It's pretty nifty, I think."

Sirius interrupted. "Yeah, now I can get a flying ve-hicle now!"

Lily's mouth twitched into a smile. "The 'h' is silent, Black, but yeah."

"Oh... " Sirius replied, looking slightly embarrassed.

Lily continued speaking to him. "Anyway, what gave you that idea? I can't imagine Sirius Black flying through the air in a convertible, aren't you more of a broom person?"

"Convertible?" He asked.

She bit her lip. "You know what a car is?"

He nodded.

"Well a convertible is a car which has a top that can be folded back. It's so on fair weathered days you can have the wind in your hair." She explained.

"Oh." He nodded. "Well then no, I wouldn't like a convertible. And I do like brooms, I would just like a mode of transport for the not 'fair weathered days'"

She nodded thinking. "But in that case, why not just apparate?

He frowned. "I suppose I could, but then you take away the sensation of flying. And sometimes flying is exactly the kind of therapy one needs."

She pondered his statement carefully. "I suppose you have a point." There was a pause. "You could just do a charm to not be affected by wind or rain"

He shook his head. "Tried it... many times. You just end up with only a certain section protected and not the rest, or the broom."

"Oh." She eyes went unfocused as she concentrated on a solution. Unconsciously, one of her hands reached up to play with her mouth. "Aha!" She exclaimed, pointing at Sirius with the hand that was at her mouth. "You charm yourself, don't you?"

Remus interrupted with a snide comment. "He's the only one he can charm, certainly."

Sirius threw him a glare, before answering Lily. "Of course I do"

"Why not charm the broom, make it protect anything that is connected to it. Or the vehicle, whatever you're - Merlin! I just had the best image." She looked at Sirius with a look of awe. "Sirius Black on A MOTORCYCLE!" She let out a breath. "That would be so hot."

There was a stunned silence wherein Alice was trying her hardest not to giggle at the looks on the boys faces.

"What?" Lily questioned. She looked around at them all. "I'm not saying I'd want him or anything." She added a side note to Sirius "No offense or anything, you're not my type" In response, he just shrugged so she continued "I just think that he'd be able to charm a lot more ladies with a motorbike." Still no one spoke. Her shoulders slumped slightly. "I mean, come on... it's a motorbike."

Sirius broke through the silence that followed with a stage whisper, loud enough for the entire group to hear. "What is this so called 'Motorbike' and where can I get one?"

Everyone laughed.

After the laughter died down, James leaned towards Lily, and in stage whisper past Remus said "I wouldn't tell him if I were you. It'll just give him ideas."

Lily looked over Remus at him with eyes still laughing and responded "I think it's a bit late for that warning, actually."

He grinned. "Yeah, you could be right." He put on a mock angry face, pointed his finger in her direction and said. "Young lady, I think you are a bad influence on my Sirius. I don't know if I can trust him with you ever again."

She smirked. "Your Sirius." She put her hands up in defeat. "I'll back off. Wouldn't want to come between the two of you."

Sirius frowned at James. "Prongs... you're making them think I'm gaayyyy."

"Them?" Alice inquired.

Sirius smiled, and gestured to Alice and Lily "The lovely ladies at the table."

Alice shook her head, all the while smiling. "You're incorrigible."

He smiled "I have no idea what that means, but thank you!"

Everyone laughed again, before, without a moment's awkward pause, the conversations broke off again into the same two groups.

"How are you getting along with Slughorns essay, Lily?" Remus asked her.

She shrugged, "Oh you know, I've done all my research I just don't know where to start. I mean, what can you really say about bezoar that hasn't been said before?"

James interrupted "How about the properties it provides as a talisman hanging around the neck? That's barely mentioned in most books."

Lily nodded. "Yes, but because of that, not much is known about it - the one writer who goes into detail about it, always swore that wrackspurts were invading his house. How reliable is that?"

"Ah, great uncle Alfred… Yeah, he was a bit of a nutter, wasn't he Sirius?"

Sirius turned back to the conversation at the sound of his name. "What?"

"Great uncle Alfred. Nutter. Yes?"

"Oh Merlin, yes! Crazy little blighter, he was. Remember the merpeople? Oh that was a laugh!"

"Had a bugger of a temper too, as I remember" James responded, scratching his head mock embarrassedly.

"Good times" Sirius responded with a smirk.

Lily's eye's twinkled with laughter "Do I want to know?"

Remus shook his head, grinning all the time. "Let's just say that James was never welcome back into his house"

She gave a chortle. "I can imagine that"

James shrugged, grinning from ear to ear at her.

And just like that, any feelings of awkwardness between the two of them were left behind.

Lily and Alice began sitting with the boys everyday, as well as Lily's evening study sessions with James and Remus.

Lily and James became friends fast, sitting together at meals, in class, studying together, walking to class together, relaxing by the lake together. However, they were always surrounded by the rest of the group and Alice, and were never alone.

Their friends were scheming though, as they always seemed to be. This time seemed more active, as their last schemes had worked quite well so far.

They were scheming, to set them up to spend an evening alone together.

And then, in late June, they set their plan in motion.

James and Remus were walking to the library together to meet with Lily for study.

James was slightly ahead of Remus as he reached to open the library door. As he was stepping through, with Remus on his heels, a shout stopped them in their tracks.

"Remus!"

They turned to see Frank Longbottom running up towards them.

"Yes?" Remus asked, sounding confused.

"Madam Renalds wants to see you. Something about a potion you forgot to take with you when you went to see her?"

"Ah, thanks Frank." He turned to James. "I'll be back later, go on without me."

James nodded. "Have fun!" He said, smirking, he knew that Remus hated the nurse.

He walked into the library, not knowing that if he'd waited a moment more, he'd have seen Remus shake Franks hand with a nod.

"Hey Lily." He said as he took a seat next to her.

She looked up with a smile. "Hey James." A pause. "Where's Remus."

"Hospital wing."

An eyebrow raised "Is he sick again?"

"No, I don't think so. Just a precaution, I guess"

"I know, James."

"What?" he asked confused.

"I know about Remus."

James tensed. "What do you mean?"

She sighed. "You know what I mean." She looked around. "Come on, lets go for a walk" She stood up and started packing away her stuff.

He stood up so fast he almost knocked his chair over.

She looked up and smiled reassuringly at him, before lifting her bag onto her shoulder and walking towards the library door. As she reached the door, she looked back to see that he hadn't followed her. "You coming?"

He hurried after her.

Lily stopped walking once they'd reached the lake and turned swiftly to face him.

"James. I know Remus is..." she paused to throw an uneasy glance around her. Satisfied that they were alone, she continued. "a werewolf."

Even though he'd known what was coming, his eyes widened. "H-how?" he choked out.

She sighed, looking down. "It wasn't all that hard - sick every month, around the full moon. His boggart. Easy deduction. Also, didn't help that Sev-" her eyes closed momentarily, as if in pain, "Snape spent most of his time trying to convince me of it."

"Have you- do you- I mean..." he trailed off.

She bit her lip, nervously. "I haven't told anyone that I know - not even Remus. I was worried how he'd take it, actually." She raised her eyes to stare into his. "Would he mind?"

James gave a hoarse laugh. "Mind? That you know? Bloody hell, Lily!"

She looked confused. "What?"

"You don't realize how happy he'll be to know that you don't hate him? To know you don't think he's a monster?"

She gaped. "A monster? Remus? Why-, how could he think like that?"

James gave another terse laugh. "It's Remus."

She shook her head, wonderingly. "That silly, silly boy." She looked piercingly at James. "You've tried to make him see otherwise, of course."

He wasn't sure if it was a statement or a question, so he just tilted his head in affirmation.

She smiled. "You know, you're more than twice the man I thought you were."

His eyes once more widened, this time in complete shock. "I-uh-good?"

She grinned. "Oh James"

Unfortunately, for the schemers, this interaction (whilst bringing the two much closer together) did not result in a romantic relationship.

Suddenly, James and Lily were best friends (almost, Sirius and Alice still came out on top) and they did everything together.

Suddenly, they were everything to each other (well, almost everything).

Suddenly, they were as close as two peas in a pod.

But that was it.

"Alice, why aren't they together already?" Whined Sirius.

Alice shook her head. "I dunno, Sirius, I dunno." She closed her eyes for a moment, as if exhausted. "Why won't he just ask her out already?"

Sirius sighed. "Because he's not going to do anything that could ruin this." He stared intently into her eyes. "Do you understand how much he's done to get to this point?"

She ran her hand through her hair, frustrated. "Of course I do, Black! I understand! I just - argh!" She stood up, abruptly. "I have to talk to Lily."

"Alice!" Remus called after her.

She turned to face him. "Yes?"

"Don't ruin this for him." He pleaded.

She gave a bright smile. "Of course not."

Lily was walking down the charms corridor, her bag slung haphazardly over her left shoulder. She was alone, a feeling she wasn't quite used to anymore, James was almost always with her. She smiled a little at that thought.

"Lily! There you are!"

She turned abruptly, the smile never leaving her face. Unconsciously, she raised a hand to brush a lock of hair out of her face. "Hey James."

"Where you headed?" He asked, striding to reach her.

She paused a moment, watching him, before nodding her head behind her. "Outside. To the lake." she answered, an elusive tone to her voice.

He finally reached her, but stopped at her tone. "Have fun." He said, almost making it a question.

She smiled affectionately at him. "I will if you join me."

A grinned emerged on his face. "Well lets go then." He said, excitedly lacing his arm through hers.

Her breath caught for a moment, as he began to almost drag her through the corridors to get to the lake.

They reached the lake and James flopped onto the ground. He gazed up at her.

She turned her back on him, still standing. "James?" She questioned.

"Yes, Lily?"

"I'm sorry"

His brow creased in confusion. "For what?"

"For everything I said to you." She turned to face him. "None of it was true, James. None."

The expression of confusion grew. "What do you mean?"

Her glance drifted to gaze at the castle. "I never hated you. And well - you WERE a bully, and arrogant, but I never thought that you were as bad as - well... someone who'd call me - THAT." She turned her gaze onto him. "I just hated - I hated the fact that you could be so much more than that." Her eyes flicked closed momentarily. "I hated that you were wasting your potential."

James nodded absentmindedly, focusing on what she'd just said. "And now?" He asked, almost fearfully.

She smiled at him affectionately again. "And now, you're everything I could have hoped for."

His eyes widened, hope shining in them. He raised himself off the ground, and came towards her. "Lily"

"Yes James?" She replied, unconsciously taking a step closer to him.

"Go out with me?" He asked, biting his lip nervously.

"Yes, James."

As she pressed her body close to his, he could have sworn he felt the feeling like the puzzle was finally complete.

And as their lips met, he saw fireworks.

And as they pulled away from that first kiss, which he knew was the first of an entire lifetime of kisses, he felt tingling in his lips and knew that this feeling would never fade.

Because he knew that this was true, everlasting love.

His love at first sight had become two intertwined souls just like he'd always believed it would.

Lily, on the other hand, felt nothing.

Well, nothing except an honest, pure kiss. There was no completeness. No tingles. No fireworks.

It was an expression of their love and nothing else.

So yes, for her it might not have been love at first sight.

She might not feel tingles running through her body every time they touch like everyone always said she should.

But that's okay.

She knows she loves him and he loves her. She knows they'll be together, probably till the day they die.

Besides, she never believed in those things anyway.