My attempt at the Lily/James story that has been much abused by many a fanfic author. Hope I don't screw it up too much - let me know what you think! Just a warning that it's going to be a bit slow moving at the start in terms of the L/J relationship, but if you like details, and a realistic view on how these two very different people got together, then this is for you! Keep reading for drama, laughter, tears, and Death Eaters.

UPLOADS WEEKLY. Promise.

NOTE: I just British English, so 'realise'='realize', and 'colour'='color' and so on. Just thought I'd point that out because the last time I wrote something I got told by numerous people I had bad spelling...

Re-upload: I found the original first chapter that I typed up a while back and thought I'd lost. It's combined with the old chapter 1, so you can read if you like but its not a must for the story to make sense :)

Chapter 1.

Lily Evans was not amused. The first week back at Hogwarts had been running smoothly – she had been kidding herself that it was because of her exceptional talent at carrying out Head Girl duties – until this mishap; a huge, foul mishap in the form of a pile of dung that stretched from one side of the narrow corridor to the other. The dank, unmoving air in the dungeon worsened the stench till it was almost overpowering; Lily had the sleeve of her robe pushed firmly against her nose and mouth while muttering spell after frustrated spell to try and clear it up. Her initial "scourgify" had no effect, as did her next cleaning spell.

She was going to kill him. He was Head Boy for Merlin's sake! This feeling of exasperation and heightened annoyance was familiar to Lily; six years with James Potter – spoilt, big-headed, pig-headed, toe-rag of a being – ensured that. Right now it was worse than ever. If Dumbledore didn't regret appointing him Head Boy after this incident, she didn't know what would. This was immaturity at its peak.

A deep grating sound of stone against stone echoed through the corridor as the hidden door opposite the great pile of dung opened and out stepped a Slytherin fifth-year. She wrinkled her nose at the stench and approached slowly.

"What are you doing?" she exclaimed, glaring at Lily as if it were her fault. Lily had come here on the request of another Slytherin who had come up to her, breathless and asking for help in the dungeons. She had been expecting a fight of some sort, but when she had rushed down to the dungeons this was the 'emergency' that faced her.

"Trying to clean up this mess for you is what," Lily snapped back.

Okay, so that wasn't her best Head Girl response, but she was frustrated and stunk of dung and felt like the smell had been absorbed into her skin and no amount of scrubbing would wash it off.

"Hurry up!" screeched the girl. "It stinks!"

Lily bit back a snappy remark and aimed another cleaning charm at it. Nothing.

"I'm late for class already!"

"You're welcome to go around."

The girl looked appalled. The only patches of the flagstone floor you could see were on the outskirts of the pile right up against the walls, and even then you'd get a generous amount on your shoe.

The door to the Slytherin common room opened again and a pair of first year boys stepped out. "Ewww," they chorused.

Lily tried her best to keep from sighing.

This time she aimed a vanishing spell at it, which turned the dung a fluorescent purple. A lightbulb went off in her head. She mentally scoured last year's Charms textbook – she had the answer, it was in the back of her head, all she had to do was-

"I knew making a Mudblood Head Girl was a stupid idea," someone muttered darkly behind her.

Lily froze at that, and whipped around, her face red with indignation and anger. "What did you call me?"

It was Avery, a burly seventh-year Slytherin. He was a nasty piece of work, always sneering and turning his nose up at muggle-borns with his pure-blood superiority.

"Nothing," he said as he met her fierce gaze.

"Yeah, mummy says Mudbloods are all stupid," crowed one of the little boys from the other side.

"Detention!" she yelled, and pointed her wand at him, then back around at Avery. She desperately wanted to hex the living daylights out of them, but detention would have to do.

"You two. You do not use that word. And mummy is wrong," she added to the boy.

She looked away as his eyes welled with tears as soon as she had given him detention – it was probably his first ever. Oh well, he deserved it, the little bugger, as Kate would say.

With a flourish, she executed an intricate vanishing spell, and the Great Dung Pile Of The Slytherin Dorms was gone. Potter had sure put a lot of effort into this one – all the more reason to hex him till the flying cows came home. She was about to storm off when a piece of parchment materialised directly above where the manure had been. Lily snatched it as it floated down and read: HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY.

Angrily she scrunched it in her fist and stalked off past Avery who gave her a look of disgust, round the corner and up the stairs, not slacking in pace as her anger propelled her on her mission to find Potter – Potter the dead man.

xxxxxxxxxx

"Dumbledore is a prick." James Potter exclaimed this as he came in and slammed his books down on the table next to where Remus was reading in the common room. Sirius, who was lounging across a large couch, chuckled.

Remus looked up from his book. "Yes, but he's a very clever prick."

James pushed Sirius' legs out of the way and flopped down. "Making me Head Boy! He knows I never wanted it – he could've given it to anyone. Hec, Lockie Hamling would've wet his panties in joy if he got made Head Boy-"

Peter Pettigrew, from his place near the fire, snickered. James continued, "and he gives it to me of all people. I can't be James, I have to be Head Boy. Professor Mulburry is giving me the googly eyed treatment like I'm her star student – the old bag hated me last year."

"Isn't that a good thing?" asked Peter.

"No, it is not a good thing," said James. "It's like I suddenly became James Squeaky-Clean Potter overnight. Like I'm not a Marauder anymore."

Remus returned to his book, muttering, "Yes, yes, very clever."

He sighed. "You're not being much help, Moony."

James really did think that having a girlfriend had gotten to Remus' head. He had met someone during the holidays - a witch by the name of Sarah, attending another wizarding school. Although he'd been trying not to show it, Remus' excitement had clearly shown in his face as he tried to 'casually' mention it to them.

"And everyone seems to think my parents bribed Dumbledore," James continued. "Because, again, why the hell would he make me Head Boy?"

"At least you get to spend time with Evans," said Sirius.

"Yeah..." James admitted. He grinned. "Guess that balances it."

"You know, you haven't asked her out in a while..." Sirius put on an expression of mock concern. "You haven't given up on her, have you?"

"Never," said James, and Sirius smirked.

"I think she likes you better when you're not saying anything," teased Remus.

"It's fun though," James argued back.

Sirius laughed, and Remus couldn't help but crack a grin at that. They all held many fond memories of James' various proposals, and Lily's various reactions to each of them, the intensity depending on the outlandish-ness of each. Such as the time he had asked her on a date to Hogsmeade by having a floating toy gnome follow her round most of the morning serenading her - she had cursed it back to him so that it repeatedly knocked on the back of his head for the rest of the day.

Suddenly, an angry female voice reverberated around the common room, making the four boys jump. "POTTER!"

James' hand unconsciously leapt to his hair for a second, a slow smile spreading across his face as he turned to face a highly irritated-looking Lily Evans. "Yes, Evans?"

"Head Boy!" she almost shrieked. "You're Head Boy!"

"Indeed," said James with a curt nod. The others watched this exchange with bemused expressions.

Lily aimed a scrunched piece of parchment at his head, which James initially flinched back from but caught with one hand. This seemed to infuriate her more.

"I can't believe it, I thought it would mean something to you. Is this all a joke to you?"

"Evans, what are you-?"

"The shit! The pile of shit in the dungeons!" she said, and James could definitely catch a whiff of something off Lily that was not the flowery perfume she usually wore. "That was you, was it not?"

James looked down at the scrap of parchment. HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY, said the swirly letters. He frowned. "I don't know what you're on about, Evans, what-"

"It was me," interrupted Sirius.

"You?" said Lily, rounding on Sirius.

Sirius didn't even flinch. Brave man.

"Yeah," said Sirius casually, a smirk playing on his lips. "Well, Peter and I. James had nothing to do with it, so don't get your panties in a twist over the Head Boy thing, he's being a good boy this year."

James gritted his teeth. An annual Marauder prank on the Slytherins without including him? He'd have a talk to Sirius about it later - after the fiery beast Lily transformed into when she got angry was gone, of course.

James watched with mild amusement as he saw Lily momentarily lost for words. Then she said, "Detention! You and Pettigrew both!" And without a second glance back at James, she stormed back out of the common room.

Sirius whistled as the portrait entrance swung shut. "It's obviously her time of the month."

Remus was shaking his head. "Padfoot, you really oughta lay off the pranks a bit this year."

"And why is that, Moony? Because Prongsie here is Head Boy?"

"That's not going to change anything," said James firmly, while Remus sighed.

"Especially since Evans looks so very fine when she's all riled up like that," said Sirius.

James shot him a look, to which Sirius raised both his palms up in a defensive gesture. "Alright, just saying. You know I'm not into her anyway. King is more my type of girl."

He was referring to Kate King, fellow Gryffindor and friend of Lily Evans. Indeed, she was Sirius' type of girl - long, dark hair, smouldering dark eyes, and a willowy figure. Not that Sirius had ever had any objection to buxom and blonde, either.

"I heard she's dating Dillon Finch," said Peter.

"That Hufflepuff twat?" exclaimed Sirius.

Peter shrugged. "I just heard..."

Sirius shook his head and tutted. "Such a waste."

James was only half listening to this conversation - it was nothing he had not heard before. Sirius and Kate's on-off relationship had been a part of their lives since fifth year, and James had no doubt they'd get back together by the end of the month, 'Hufflepuff twat' or no 'Hufflepuff twat'.

"Thanks a lot, Padfoot," said James. "Now I'm going to have to deal with Evans monster all week."

Sirius just grinned at him. "She's feisty when she's angry. You can thank me later."

James aimed a cushion from the couch he was on at Sirius' head, which he easily dodged. "Now I'm going to have to apologise," James said with a groan.

xxxxxxxxxx

"Hey, Evans."

Potter again. Lily Evans sighed inwardly and picked up the mug of pumpkin juice she had been enjoying with her breakfast cereal in the Great Hall before he had addressed her. "What?" she said, not bothering to turn around.

"Do you have a raisin?"

"No." She took a swig of juice.

"How 'bout a date?"

Lily choked and almost sprayed over Kate - who was laughing at his lame pick up line, and at Lily's reaction - sitting opposite her. Some best friend.

"Please tell me you're not serious?" She turned around to face him.

James stood there with his silly lopsided grin and annoyingly twinkly hazel eyes. "Dead serious."

Lily really could not be bothered thinking of a witty remark today. It had taken her an hour of soaking in the Prefects bathtub last night to rid herself of the stench of dung, and although she knew it was not truly his fault, she still felt acutely annoyed at him.

"No, thank you." She was trying a new tactic this year: be concise but polite. And never, ever, lose your temper (with the exception of last night). He seemed to enjoy it more when she did.

"Hah, I was only kidding, Evans. Don't be such a grump," he said. Lily rolled her eyes. "See you round, Lily-flower." And with that he walked off to join his friends further down the table.

"That has got to be the most corniest line yet," crowed Kate, happily munching away on her toast.

"Aww, cheer up Lily-flower," said Alice beside her in false sympathy. She was grinning to Kate all the while.

Lily gave an exaggerated sigh of frustration and shook her head. "Honestly, that boy... He is -"

"- so in love with you," finished Alice.

"No," retorted Lily, pointing her finger at Alice, and then Kate. "Not love. Infatuated with a side of creepy obsession, more like."

This was a fitting description of James' feelings for Lily. At least, from her point of view. Over the past six years at Hogwarts he had managed to get on her nerves every day without fail. It had started off with tormenting her in first year, whether it be pulling her pigtails or dying her hair green. Then it had moved on to loud exclamations of his undying love for her whenever they were in a crowded room. Most recently, however - most recently being fifth year and most of last - it was his arrogant assumptions that she would like him, that she just had to because he was in the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain and half the female population swooned at his very presence, that infuriated her. Now it seemed he had retreated back to embarrassing presentations of his affections.

"I still cannot believe Dumbledore made him Head Boy," said Lily.

"We know, we know," said Kate. "But who knows - this could be good for you two."

She smiled brightly when Lily glared at her.

xxxxxxxxxx

James was mentally kicking himself as he made his way towards his friends and distanced himself from yet another foot-in-mouth encounter with Lily. He had only been meaning to apologise on behalf of Sirius, honestly. But his resolve to talk to her like a normal person and not the incredible goddess that she was had broken as he approached her and saw that her gorgeous dark red hair was down today instead of swept into its usual practical bun. He had been doing well all week; opening doors for her, only speaking when spoken to, in a calm and polite way (he had to imagine her face was Wormtail's to do so). But that hair. That hair. That long, deep scarlet hair that always came undone from its pins and fell over her emerald, almond-shaped eyes before being swiped back behind her ears along with a cute look of annoyance across her delicate features had long since tormented him with its lustrous beauty. On weekends it was let out of its confines and would shine, gloriously fiery in the light. Sirius found this interesting, because, "When a girl like that has her hair down, she's letting go of her inhibitions. You should only talk to her in the weekends, mate."

James highly doubted that, and ignored his advice. Just like he did most of Sirius' advice. Although, he had to admit, Sirius Black had girl psychology down to an art, if the endless string of dates he went on were any indication.

He should have realised today, however, that having her hair down meant she was not in the mood for a chat as she had probably been in a hurry this morning and was now flustered and annoyed. Not that she ever was particularly in the mood when it came to James Potter. Today had been worse, though, when she had shut him down by using her 'be polite' tactic. He hated it when she was polite to him. It meant he hadn't affected her at all, when all he wanted to do was affect her so much he'd drive her right into his arms. Or so that was the Grand Plan.

Contrary to popular opinion, James Potter had not always liked Lily Evans from day one. In fact, on day one at Hogwarts when he had met her in Potions and she had been the know-it-all, having read the entire tome of Magical Drafts and Potions before term began, he had put her down as an annoying book worm. Albeit with nice hair.

Throughout that year and the next, her outspoken teachers-pet ways in class had irritated him and he began his pranks on Lily Evans, which always turned out to be good fun when at the end she would come storming after him, cheeks red with anger and green eyes narrowed. However, some time during third year those green eyes and those red cheeks became appealing to him. He had finally let Remus talk him into ceasing the pranks in fifth year, as Remus and Lily had become friends when they were both appointed as the Gryffindor prefects. But his attention to her had not wavered - much to her disappointment.

Just then Kate King walked past the group, along with her friends. Her and Sirius' eyes met, and she gave him a wink. He gave her a curt nod and his trademark twitch of a smile and a crinkling of those stormy grey eyes girls swooned at. Kate merely smirked and kept walking.

Throughout this exchange James was watching Lily pass by. She seemed to be very intently observing a stray thread on the sleeve of her uniform robe. James sighed and went back to his breakfast. Lily Evans would have to wait, no doubt in anticipation, for further romantic antics of the incorrigible James Potter.