A/N: Hello! I'm Sara and this is my Marauder-era James/Lily fanfiction!

This is NOT in ANY WAY related to "Sixth Year", my other fanfiction. This doesn't mean I'm not continuing "Sixth Year", I will. But this story just caught me and wouldn't leave me alone. Many of the characters that are in "Sixth Year" are also in this (in fact, all of them are) but they are quite different characterizations.

Story is told in both POVs (James' and Lily's).

Hope you enjoy!

Prologue

(Lily Evans)

I sit at the desk farthest to the left, idly staring at the ceiling.

Was that stain always there?

The light spring breeze floats through the only open window in the stuffy room, rustling a few pieces of parchment and hair.

It feels good.

I sigh and readjust my seating so I can see the whole classroom.

Glancing inconspicuously, I see Dorcas bent low over her notebook, scribbling down notes about what I was supposed to be listening to.

It wasn't like I was trying not to pay attention to whatever Bins was saying… but how could I be expected to care about a Goblin revolution when my life had very recently disintegrated into a pile of ashes?

A laugh comes from the back of the room. Instinctually, I turned to the noise. Isabel is shaking, covering her mouth, her eyes blazing. Next to her Paisley Parkinson sits, laughing as well.

She sees me watching her a moment later at narrows her eyes at me. I try to pretend I was just scratching my cheek with my shoulder, but she continues glaring at me. I instantly looked back down on my desk.

It's been a week. A bloody week since everything's happened.

I guess you could say it all started at the end of sixth year.

At the end of sixth year, I had four great best friends.

At the end of sixth year, I didn't have to peak around corners or have to worry about getting hexed by a wanna-be Death Eater.

At the end of sixth year, I had one of the top grades in our year.

And at the end of sixth year, my heart was not shattered into a million tiny pieces.

But sadly, I'm living in the present, and as I'm not in possession of a timeturner (but not for the lack of trying), I'm forced to stay in the suckiness that is April 4, 1977.

Without thinking about it, my eyes skate over to the desk one over from me.

And suddenly, the amazing pair of golden hazel eyes meet mine.

I quickly snap my eyes back down, swallowing thickly.

(James Potter)

She flicks her eyes away, and my heart clenches.

That green…

Merlin I hate this. I'm so close to her, yet farther than I was before.

And if it's possible, my heart stings more when she looks at me now.

Oh Merlin I sound like a girl.

I lean back in my chair, trying to look at anyone but her.

But unfortunately, my eyes keep going straight back to her delicious, dark red hair that seems to always smell of strawberries…

I clutch my head in my hands, shut my eyes tightly. Try to make my mind focus on anything else but her.

Everything fell apart really fast, if I think about it.

Isn't that how it always happens? You finally find your footing, and when you least expect it, someone pulls the rug out from under you.

Padfoot sits next to me, face molded into a seemingly indifferent expression. I glance across the room to where Mooney sits near the front. Wormtail glances back every few seconds worriedly.

I slump forward, putting my elbows on the desk and running a hand through my hair.

How did everything manage to get so fucked?

How did I manage to lose so much?

And when did everything become so bloody complicated?