Disclaimer: Harry Potter does not belong to me. All rights go to JK Rowling/Warner Bros. I do not profit in any way.

Letters to Potter

01/09/71

Dear Messy Haired Boy on the train,

Stop picking on my friend, Sev. You think you're so big and clever, but you're not impressing anyone. Just go away, will you? No-one needs your opinions rammed down their throats.

09/10/71

Potter,

Honestly. I told you to leave Sev alone (...well... I didn't give you the letter, obviously. But still). It's no-one's fault but your own that he cursed you like that.

I hope you've learnt your lesson.

Evans

14/10/71

You really thought you'd be able to get into the Quidditch team in first year, Potter? Dear Merlin. Nobody has gotten in at eleven years old in years. If you'd bothered to listen, you'd have heard that First Years aren't allowed brooms anyway, so please stop complaining about how unfair McGonagall is for confiscating it to the whole common room. You should have read the rules.

If you can read, that is.

Evans

20/10/71

Potter,

I suppose you think that was funny? Using a knotting jinx on Sev's shoelaces? Honestly. No-one was amused by your antics in the slightest. Grow. Up.

Evans

31/10/71

Potter,

When you asked me whether I wanted a trick or treat, and I didn't reply, that did not mean trick. That meant that I was ignoring your presence.

I did not want to be pelted with wet toilet paper balls, and neither did Sev.

I knew I always hated Halloween for a reason.

Evans

7/01/72

Potter,

It was nice to get away from you for a while.

Shame I'm back now.

Evans

P.S. ENCHANTING SNOWBALLS TO HIT SEV EVERY TEN MINUTES, PERIODICALLY, IS NOT FUNNY.

14/02/72

Potter,

I hate you.

Evans

23/05/72

Potter,

Can you not see there are people trying to study here, Potter?

Foreign concept to you and your tagalongs, I know, but would it really be so difficult to take your horseplay elsewhere?

Evans

P.S. Marlene agrees with me!

01/09/72

Potter,

Here we are again, then. I'd almost forgotten how incessantly annoying you were.

Evans

05/10/72

Potter,

You just came over to see what I was writing. You didn't see the half-finished letter about my annoyance with you bullying Sev, but it came pretty close.

I'm going to stop writing to you. It's a waste of time. You'll never see them, and you'll never change.

I'll just be mature and ignore you.

Evans

14/02/75

Potter,

I said I was going to stop this, way back in second year. But...

Umm...

Did that just happen?

Valentine's Gift to Evans: A Poem by James Potter

Evans, you're dishy,

Though you wouldn't admity.

I think you're fine,

So your company to Hogsmeade should be mine.

Go out with me, Evans,

I'll pray to the heavens.

Yes... as much as I hate to admit it... I think it did.

You are a prat.

And a crap poet.

I hope my screwing it up and throwing the parchment back at that arrogant smirking face of yours was answer enough.

And then off you went to duel with Sev.

I hate you.

Truly.

22/04/75

"Go out with me, Evans?"

"No."

25/04/75

"Go out with me, Evans?"

"No."

29/04/75

"Go out with me, Evans?"

"No."

05/05/75

"Go out with me, Evans?"

"No."

10/05/75

"Fancy a trip to Hogsmeade, Evans? I promise you we'd have far more fun than you and Snivelly ever could... if you know what I mean."

There's no point complaining about those carefully placed boils, Potter. Yes, it might make certain activities painful for you, but I'm sure you could find other ways to entertain yourself.

You deserved every last one.

Bastard.

28/06/75

I... umm...

I don't really know what to say.

Today, I lost my best friend.

I'd say it was your fault - I suppose, directly, it was.

But I knew this was coming for a long time.

Why the bloody hell am I writing this.

Probably because I'm shut up in my dormitory, and I don't want to talk to anyone - least of all you or Snape - at all.

I'm hurt and angry.

I didn't want to think that he thought that way.

Silly, naive Lily Evans, eh?

03/09/76

Potter,

Did you just... open the door for me?

Show me a genuine smile rather than your self-satisfied smirk?

Are you feeling alright?

Hit by a bludger in the back of the head or something?

I think you'd fit in well at St. Mungos.

Evans

16/10/76

Potter,

Sixth year has had an awfully strange effect on you.

You haven't cursed anyone since term started. You're polite. The suggestive comments aren't gone, but have been turned down, certainly. The same could be said for the pranks.

You haven't asked me out once since that encounter with Snape.

I guess you got over me.

Which is... good.

Good.

Evans

22/10/76

Potter,

Did I just hear what I thought I did?

You want to be friends?

Friends?

Not friends with benefits, or friends who share saliva?

Real friends?

Like Marlene and I?

Really?

Of course not.

Don't be ridiculous, Potter.

Evans

23/10/76

Potter,

Am I imagining things, or did I say 'No,' to the whole 'let's be friends!' thing only yesterday?

What makes you think I've reconsidered since then?

And how dare you call me unreasonable, flashing those hazel eyes at me.

I am not the unreasonable one.

You are.

Glad we have that settled.

Evans

24/10/76

Potter,

Of all the things I could say about you, faulting your persistence isn't one.

Fine. I'll be friends.

But you are on a probationary period.

One toe out of line, and you're back to enemyville, mate.

Cheers,

Evans

26/10/76

Apparently part of this 'friends' thing is calling each other by our first names.

"You don't go calling Marlene 'McKinnon' do you, Lily."

"I do when she annoys me. And you annoy me all the time, Potter."

"James."

"Potter."

"Lily."

"Evans."

"Whatever you say, Lily."

"I hate you, Potter."

31/10/76

James Potter, I cannot believe you tried that again.

"Trick or treat?" you said.

Remembering the incident from first year, I triumphantly answered, "Treat!"

And then you kissed me on the cheek.

I slapped you.

And then you laughed and put an arm around my shoulder as we went to sit down at the Gryffindor table.

I was cross.

And I might have laughed a bit, too.

But that's only because your laughter is contagious.

25/12/76

Merry Christmas, bane of my existence!

It's pathetic, but I miss you.

I miss you, I miss Marlene, I miss Alice and Mary. I even miss bloody Black.

Is it time to go back to Hogwarts yet?

30/01/77

James,

The teachers are already on at us about revising for NEWTs. Already! They're not even till next year.

I asked you to kill me, and you courteously asked me which method I would prefer.

I considered, and told you that a quick Adava would do the trick. Quick and painless.

At least, I hope so.

There isn't really anyone around to tell us otherwise.

You laughed and told me to loosen up, that exams weren't for ages.

I informed you that not all of us can pass exams with top marks without revising.

You told me to shut up, and that I was the brightest in our year.

Although that was a blatant lie, it did make me shut up, so I guess it achieved its purpose.

You're alright sometimes, you know.

Lily

14/02/77

James,

Why on earth are you going to Hogsmeade with Marty Wilkinson? Everyone knows all she wants is a quick shag, no strings attached.

Unless... uhh... that's all you want, too.

Okay, I didn't want those mental images.

Do whatever you like.

It's not like I'm your mother.

Go and catch some disease from that trollop.

See if I care.

Lily

17/02/77

I'm not pissed off with you.

Stop asking me why I am, you wanker.

...

So what if I am. It's none of your business.

Hmph.

20/02/77

James,

Seeing as you've dropped Marty like she's infected (not a bad judgement), I've decided to rekindle our friendship.

I was simply concerned, like a good friend should be.

You're welcome.

Lily

17/04/77

I cannot believe you just swam in the Black Lake, Potter.

I don't care if it was a dare from Sirius.

You'll get frostbite.

Don't blame me when one of those brilliantly shaped arms has to be amputated.

...I mean... just arms.

Regular arms.

Nothing special.

(How the hell do you get muscles from Quidditch, anyway? Pfft.)

20/06/77

James,

NOOOOO DON'T MAKE ME GO HOME.

I truly do not want to attend Petunia's wedding to her waste-of-good-oxygen boyfriend.

Fiancée.

Ugh.

Lily x

31/07/77

James Potter, you are a fabulous human being, did you know that?

Turning up at Tuney's wedding? Priceless.

Getting Sirius to dance with her? Even more so.

Dancing with me?

It was alright, I suppose.

...

Lily x

01/09/77

You are in trouble, Mister.

What the hell possessed you to keep your Head Boyship a secret, hmm? Even when I told you about me getting Head Girl?

You're a prat.

But I suppose you're not really in trouble at all.

I'm too relieved about not having to do rounds with Snape or Mulciber.

You'll do.

Lily x

07/09/77

James,

I didn't know that rounds could be fun! Honestly. Usually they're completely rubbish.

You're a pretty amazing bloke, James Potter. I've never known someone to make me laugh like you do.

Not that I'd tell you that. I prefer you without the inflated head, thank you very much.

Lily x

20/09/77

James,

I am in equal parts amazed and so, so proud of you.

Finding Snape and his lot in an abandoned Potions classroom while we patrolled? That was the ultimate opportunity for you to abuse your power.

But you didn't.

You fairly docked twenty points each for being out after curfew, and sent them off to bed with the promise of a detention if we caught them again.

You handled it perfectly.

Lily x

05/10/77

James,

I should probably disapprove of you and the Marauders setting off wet-start fireworks in the Great Hall at dinner, but...

It is bonfire night, after all.

I could have sworn Dumbledore winked at you lot, too.

And you call me a teacher's pet.

You looked like you were expecting me to blow up any minute, though.

So when I didn't, I assume the relief was what spurred you to throw an arm around my shoulders, and right in front of everyone sitting at our table, kiss my forehead.

Right on the temple.

I mean, that was the only motivation.

You were just glad about my being a good sport.

Right?

Lily x

25/10/77

Did that just happen?

Did you...

I thought we were over this, James! I thought we were friends.

What the hell prompted you to ask me to Hogsmeade? Have you lost your mind? Can you not remember all the cutting rejections I struck you with back in the day?

Oh, Merlin, I gave you a swift reminder, didn't I.

It was automatic. Like clockwork.

But you looked so different this time.

Your face when I cut into you with my words keeps swimming before my eyes. You looked completely broken.

Broken?

Please don't say I broke you, James. You're impossible to break. You're relentless. Insults bounce straight off you.

I never wanted to break you.

26/10/77

James,

You're ignoring me. Why are you ignoring me?

You won't even look at me.

I can't stand it.

Please just let me talk to you.

Lily

26/10/77

James,

Well, that was unexpected.

I got you to look at me, anyway.

I cornered you as you were coming out of the Gryffindor changing rooms after Quidditch Practice.

You looked surprised to see me there in the dimming twilight. I suppose I couldn't blame you.

From the looks of it, you'd just gotten out of a long shower. All your teammates had left the changing rooms ages before, but still I waited.

You looked damn irresistible.

It wasn't my fault really, with you standing there in the half-light, your t-shirt clinging to every inch of your damp skin, your hair an unruly mop as usual.

What was a girl to say but, "Go out with me, James?"

And what was a boy to do but to stand there shocked dumb, and say, "What?"

Then your blank mask cracked, and you grinned like the maniac that I know you are.

After that, we didn't say much more, because our lips were... otherwise occupied.

I assume that was an acceptance.

Lily x

31/10/77

James,

That was the perfect end to a perfect date.

I can't believe I'm saying it, but you just became my boyfriend, and I couldn't be happier.

The Hogwarts Rumour Mill is going to have a field day.

Thank you for today, James Potter.

I certainly don't hate you anymore.

I don't hate Halloween anymore, either.

02/10/81

James,

We just found my letters to you when we were cleaning out the attic to find that old book you wanted for Harry.

We had a good laugh at our early relationship. You were such a prat, you know that?

You said you wished I'd given them to you.

I reminded you that probably would have had disastrous consequences at the time.

You said you liked letters.

So here I am, writing you another.

The only difference being that I'm actually going to give you this one.

So here's to us, James. Here's to our son.

We may be trapped up in an old dusty cottage, and I know you're getting restless, but things could be worse. We still have each other, and we have Harry.

And I am forever grateful for you both.

You're my husband, James. You know this, but I'll say it anyway, because I know you'll never tire of hearing it.

I love you.

I love everything about you, even when you piss me off to high heavens.

Come what may, I'll never stop loving you.

I have hope. Hope that one day Harry will be free. We'll be free.

It's Halloween this month. You know I love Halloween.

I hope next year, we can take our son trick-or-treating.

Keep hoping, love. It's all we can do.

Love always,

Potter

A/N: Hi, guys. Long time no see, I know. There is a reason for that: Camp NaNoWriMo. (Google it.)

I finished my 50,000 words, so celebrations abound!

I hope you liked this, it's a different style from my usual, but it was fun to write.

Let me know what you thought, and I'll love you forever.

Thanks!

Abi xx