Lily and James:

Love at First Sight? Maybe Not.

"Potter! James Potter!" Lily Evans screeched across the courtyard at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. "Come back here! Don't just leave, you coward!"

James Potter did NOT appreciate being called a coward. The seeker of the Gryffindor House Quidditch team, he was scared of hardly anything, least of all a skinny little girl bent on protecting her slimy little friend.

"Merlin's Beard, calm down Evans, I'm coming," James said, turning and walking back across the courtyard. It seemed most of the people had stopped their conversations to watch this encounter.

"Leave Severus alone! What has he ever done to you?" Lily's eyes were bright with rage as she pointed to the greasy boy, now struggling to get back up from the ground where James and his friends, Sirius, Remus and Peter, had left him.

"Let's see," James said in a mock playful voice. "Well, Mr. Tattletale over there seems to have a nasty habit of turning us into Dumbledore for every step we take!" Several people laugh, and Severus' ears turned a guilty shade of pink, though he kept his eyes on the ground.

"Well, you should just..." Lily began, but she was interrupted by Severus, who had turned his icy glare on her.

"Lily, just leave it! I don't need to be protected by a – a MUDBLOOD!" As Severus yelled this, several people gasped, and Lily's face flushed. James couldn't help feeling a little sorry for her, but at least he wouldn't have to be lectured by her… again. Lily turned oh her heel and stormed up to the Gryffindor Common Room. Severus was still standing in the courtyard as she reached it. He seemed to be shocked at the words that had come from his mouth.

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As James was leaving the Common Room late that night, Invisibility Cloak in hand, he heard a sniffle coming from the corner of the room. He looked over to see Lily Evans, red eyes and tear streaked face, sitting on the window sill, looking out the rainy window. James had known Lily for a while, but he had never seen her like this. She was either studious or angry when they were near each other. He had never seen this side of her before. Overcome with a strange feeling of compassion, James crossed back to where Lily was sitting, leaving his Invisibility Cloak in a chair nearby. When Lily saw James approaching, she struggled to regain her composer. James was still wonder what he should say as he seated him self on the sill. "Hey," he decided.

"What do you want, Potter?" Lily tried to put up an angry front, but she was much too sad.

"Why are you so sad?" James found himself asking. "It is because of what Snape said?" Lily nodded solemnly.

"I don't know what his problem is," Lily confided. "He never acted like that before. He's supposed to be my best friend!"

"I'm really sorry, Lily," James said, leaning over and touching her hand.

Before today, he had never realized how pretty she was. Her dark red hair was pulled back, off her face, and her green eyes stared into his. He was suddenly very conscious of how fast his heart was beating, somewhere in the region of his Adam's apple. "That was a ruddy thing of Snape to say. You don't deserve that."

"Thank you James," Lily said, looking up through her lashes, making his heart beat faster still. "It was very kind of you to come over."

"It was no problem. I better be going though," Although he did not want to, he knew Sirius would be waiting for him. "I'll see you later?" He finished hopefully.

"Of course," Lily answered, smiling slightly. "I better be off to bed too, though I supposed you're off to somewhere else."

"Right you are," James said, turning toward the portrait hole. When he was almost out, he heard, "Wait, James!"

"Yes?" James said, his heart picking up again.

"You forgot this," Lily said, handing him his cloak.

"Oh, thanks," He turned to leave again, but Lily grabbed his hand. She stood on her tip toes and lightly kissed him on the lips.

"Goodnight," Lily said, hurrying up the stairs.

James was so completely caught of guard; he stumbled back up to his dormitory, entirely forgetting about Sirius, who was waiting for him, somewhere on the grounds. James lay on his bed, still fully clothed. For that night, and the rest of the nights of James Potter's life, his last thoughts before he drifted to sleep, were of Lily Evans.