Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling, I don't own anything in the Harry Potter Universe… unfortunately.

A/N: Opening and ending line from Juno inspired me. Writing this it came out different than I imagined.

It Started With a Chair

It was love at first sight for Lily Evans. It was in the perfect position; close to the fire but not too close so that she would be too hot. It had an extremely worn look about it, but not too worn so all of the stuffing was out. It had clearly been the favorite for quite a number of students in Gryffindor. The only way she could possibly love it more is if it was as comfortable as it looked. On her second day in school she decided to test it.

She went over to the chair by the fire and sat. It was as though time stopped. It was official, this was the one.

James Potter noticed the girl he had met on the train in the common room. Their first meeting was not the best because of Snivellus and he hadn't talked to her all through her first day. One thing he knew for sure about her was that she was a know-it-all. She knew every answer to every question that was asked in classes. James didn't like know-it-alls and he certainly didn't like know-it-alls who were friends with Slytherins.

He watched her walk over to the chair and look it over. He saw her sit. A look of elation dawned on her face. She was content and he found himself smiling. Why was he smiling? He didn't like this girl. He shook his head and started smiling again this time a different kind of smile.

"Oi, Sirius, I found a way we could get the Evans girl. You know the one from the train?"

For the next week it seemed to Lily that her chair was always occupied. That mean boy from the train, Potter, and his equally mean friend, Black, were always in that area. Lily had enough; she needed that chair. It was the only thing that made her really feel safe, she was so anxious being away from her family and learning about things she never knew existed. She cracked on the eighth straight day and went up to the boy. She hoped he wouldn't recognize her and they could start over.

"Excuse me, would you mind if I sit there… please?"

"Oh hello Evans, yes I would mind seeing as I'm already sitting here, I guess you'll just have to go do homework and pine after Snivellus elsewhere."

Lily stormed away, not before yelling "arrogant berk" and kicking James in the shin for good measure.

The next day Lily had a plan. She rushed through dinner as fast as she could so she would be the first one to the common room... the first one to the chair. People began to trickle in to the common room, about a quarter of an hour later one of her roommates asked to sit with her and study together. This was how she made her second real friend at Hogwarts, Marlene Mickinnon.

James entered the common room and made for the chair but Evans had already occupied it. She was good he had to admit.

Their first year continued in this way. One would try to get to the chair first. They would argue over who should have the chair; sometimes prefects had to break it up.

Their second year began and day one James got to the chair first. He etched his name in one of the wooden legs.

"Potter, you are defiling my chair with your name."

James looked up abruptly to see Evans leaning against the side of the chair. He looked toward his three friends for support. Sirius had gotten bored with tormenting her toward the end of last year. Remus was actually friends with her. And Peter, well Peter tended to agree with the side that was most likely to win.

"It's not your chair Evans I don't see your name on it", he snapped.

"Clearly those glasses don't do anything for your eyesight."

As James examined the other three legs he noticed she had written her name on the back left one. He began to scratch it off.

"Don't worry, I fixed it. Your name is no longer there. Did you need anything else Evans? Don't you have someone else you can go and bother?"

Lily opened her mouth to retort when Marlene put her hand on Lily's shoulder and steered her away. James couldn't believe his own emotions. He was actually upset that Lily didn't fight with him. Shouldn't he be happy that she just left him alone?

Their second year meshed in to their third with just as many fights over the chair as their first year had. Except that James had tried to seek Lily out in the corridors to argue. The rest of the marauders called him obsessed with Lily. He didn't realize why he would do this to her, with her, until the middle of third year when it just kind of came out and he knew it sounded right as he was saying it.

James was trying to sit on Lily as she was sitting in the chair. He had gotten a bad grade on a potions exam and he needed the chair to think.

"Get off me, Potter!"

"I need the chair Evans, I need to think."

"Find your own chair this one is mine."

"Move your arse, Evans."

He finally got in a good enough position to shove her off. She landed on the floor with thump, got up and started sweeping off her robes.

"You arrogant, stupid, big-headed, bullying – ugh get up, I was there first."

"I'll get up if you go to Hogsmeade with me this weekend."

It got very quiet around them. Nobody was expecting that. Lily was taken aback; whatever she was expecting him to say it was not that. "I – What... No." She said this very fast, her cheeks going red.

Now it was James turn to be shocked, "Why not?"

"I just told you why." Then she walked away slightly perplexed, slightly angry, and frankly slightly grossed out.

She thought after she said no the first time James Potter would get the hint like any normal boy. However, James Potter was not a normal boy and his crush on Lily was not a normal crush. Now that he knew why he was so obsessed with seeing her and arguing with her he doubled his efforts. Third and fourth year contained some of the most vicious rows Hogwarts has seen in years. Several times in fourth year they had dueled. Well, not exactly dueled Lily had pulled her wand out and hexed James. He just needed his wand to protect himself.

Lily was sitting in the chair toward the end of fourth year when James started walking toward her. He opened his mouth to speak but before he could say anything Lily said, "No, I will not go out with you".

"You didn't even give me the chance to ask Lily-Love."

"Don't call me that, it's Evans to you. And I knew you were going to ask so I saved you the trouble and rejected you from the start. I honestly don't know why you bother, Potter, you know I'm never going to go out with you. Or can your simple brain not possibly comprehend the meaning of the word no? I don't really know how I can explain it in simpler terms but I shall try", she looked at James and started speaking slowly and loudly, making the proper gestures with her hands, " You, James, me, Lily", she said pointing. "You and me are never ever ever ever ever ever ever ever EVER going to be together. Get it now, can you understand?"

James will never know what possessed him to say the next thing he said and as the words came out he immediately wished he could swallow them.

"You are such a frigid bitch, Evans."

Wands, papers, and various other objects flew that evening.

At the beginning of fifth year James found out his parents were ill. It wasn't deadly, yet. But because of their old age the cure would be too dangerous for them. He needed the chair, he needed comfort. He still asked Lily out after their fight. Nothing changed there.

He couldn't fall asleep he decided to go down to the common room to sit in the chair and read for a while. Lily was there staring at the fire. Both of them inwardly groaned when they noticed each other.

"Listen, Potter—"

But she was cut off. "I'm not here to ask you out Lily I just... I need the chair... please?"

She really looked at him. He looked so sad, so lost, so broken. She got up and gave him the chair and sat opposite him.

"Are you alright?"

"I'll be fine. I just… couldn't sleep." He finished lamely.

He mussed the back of his hair and she bit her lip to keep from saying something. James couldn't believe this was actually happening. He and Lily were actually conversing, not rowing, not dueling; they were being civilized. "I actually, er, came down here to read, but if you are up and you want to talk or something..."

She thought for a bit. "Okay", she said, "but you have to promise not to ask me out, deal?"

"Deal", it came out as a sigh.

"So, Lily, what brings you down here at one o'clock in the morning?"

"Dorcus's snores are as loud as a chain saw. If I don't fall asleep before her I have to come down here and stare in to the fire until I get tired enough to try again."

"A chain what?"

Lily laughed, "A chain saw is a muggle tool used to chop wood and stuff. The point is that it's really loud."

James had never heard Lily's laughter directed at him unless it was sarcastic. It was beautiful.

"Plus, Severus and I got in to a row. I feel like I don't even know him anymore." Why did she just say that? Why is she telling him these things? She felt stupid after saying it but she couldn't talk to anyone else about it. Her roommates wouldn't listen when she talked about him especially after what his friend Mulciber did to Mary three weeks ago. James surprised her.

"I'm sorry", he said and he looked like he actually meant it.

"Yeah right", Lily scoffed.

"No really, I don't like when you are upset. Plus you are only supposed to row with me."

She looked thoughtful, "You know, James, we don't have to row. We could just be normal. We could just be like this."

"This isn't what I want, Lily."

"You don't even know what you want. You don't even know me."

"I do know you; I know all the details about you. I know how you like your eggs and what jam you use for your toast. I know your favorite book is Pride and Prejudice by some muggle woman, and you call it a 'classic'. I know that when you have the time in the morning you wear your hair straight and when you don't it's naturally wavy. I know that your favorite animal is a doe. I know that you have a soft spot for dogs. I know that you can't remember for the life of you which step to skip on the second floor east corridor stairs so you make extra time to get to charms so you can take a different route. I know that you have known Snape since before you came to Hogwarts. I know that your favorite sweet is acid pops. I know that when you find something truly funny you let out a giant laugh that might shake the room and that though that laugh is never directed toward me, I get so happy that you are that happy."

Lily stared at him, her mouth slightly open.

"Look", he continued, "if you can really only offer us being normal, or friendly, then I'll take what I can get. But you should know I'm not going to stop liking you and wanting to be with you. And I know we will be together someday."

Lily was shaking her head slightly but she was smirking which James took as a good sign.

"Alright", she said, "Friends?" She put her hand out to shake his.

"Friends", he was smiling. His hand felt warm around hers, she felt the sudden urge to hold his other hand. She must really be tired, then.

They ended their conversation and went up to their dormitories for the night. Being friends was odd at first. It was odd because of how easy it was to go from being enemies to friends. James would still ask her out and tease her but instead of getting angry about it she would laugh it off. As long as he was being nice and not really picking on anyone she was okay with him. Of course he had a slight relapse at the end of fifth year which caused Lily and Severus to fall out for good.

Lily could not believe him either of them. She thought he had changed or at least grown up a bit but he was still the bullying arse she knew he was all along. She fled to the dormitory the echo of Severus's 'Mudblood' ringing in her ears. She walked in and next to her bed was the chair. She didn't even question it she collapsed on to it and cried until she exhausted herself. She notices a note pinned to the top of the chair.

Lils,
I was wrong and I am so sorry.
Please forgive me.

James

Forgive him? If he thought a stupid note and the stupid chair would act as some sort of apology he had another thing coming. She needed someone to yell at and scram at and Potter was the perfect candidate, after all this was partially his fault. She stomped out of the dormitory and down the stairs like she was on a mission. She scanned the common room for any sight of him when she saw his untidy black hair poking up over a coffee table. He was sitting on the floor where the chair usually is with his head in his hands. His friends were around him, comforting him. Lily scoffed. He was the one that was wrong after all.

She heard him as she was walking closer.

"Why did I do that? I'm so mad at myself. Merlin Lily is never going to forgive me. Just as everything was going okay too…"

"Sorry, mate", it was Sirius, "You just let him get the better of you this time. If Lily knew the things he was saying about Moony the day before she wouldn't blame you."

"Yea, well it's not like we can tell her."

Remus looked ashamed and mumbled an apology.

"Come off it Moony you are not at fault here. It's me, all me, I'm so damn stupid. She is right I am an arrogant, selfish-"

"No you aren't James." Lily couldn't keep quiet any longer seeing him look this defeated made her feel bad. Even she had to admit that her friendship with Severus was rocky this year. Plus, it sounded like James was defending his friend, what she tried to do for Severus and what he didn't do in return.

"You aren't selfish or arrogant. And I quite like your hair all mussed like it is. I'm sorry for yelling at you."

As though this settled everything the five friends Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, Prongs, and Lily walked down to dinner together. James whispered to Lily as they were making their way there.

"You know, I was just loaning you my chair, I expect it back by tomorrow."

Lily smirked, "Don't worry, my chair will be back in its rightful place."

And they laughed.

Sixth year began and James minimized his advances on Lily to once a week and that slowly turned in to once a month. He assumed the role of protector and very close friend. In fact, she told him almost everything. He felt something deeper than like for her only he could never tell her, he just assumed she still wanted nothing to do with him romantically. He was wrong she started to come to terms with wanting to be with him after they spent Valentine's Day together, neither one had realized it was Valentine's Day until almost dinner. They just spent it like it was any other day, in their spot in the common room surrounded by their friends. They both sat in the chair side by side and slightly squished. James had his arm around Lily and she was slightly leaned in to him her head resting on his shoulder when Sirius said, "I never thought I would see the day that Lily would willingly spend Valentine's Day with Prongs."

James went red and Lily started laughing, "I didn't even know it was Valentine's Day."

James hadn't asked her out since before Christmas break. Lily had assumed he lost interest and was content with being just friends. She was fine with that until Valentine's Day. After that she started to feel deeper for him and she tried denying it. At the end of sixth year Lily questioned him about it, just to see if she was right in thinking that he didn't want to be with her only to find out she was wrong.

"I'm just waiting till you are ready to accept your feelings for me, Lils."

She wasn't, not yet anyway, but she knew and he knew she would be soon.

Their seventh year started with Lily finding out James was her counterpart in their headship. Everyone thought Dumbledore was crazy for awarding James with the Head Boy badge. They weren't thinking about James in the past two years; they were thinking about James before then. Lily was the only one who didn't seem surprised with Dumbledore's decision. Everything ran smoothly for the first couple weeks. It seemed like Lily and James were made to work together; the complimented each other perfectly. James didn't push Lily about the conversation they had at the end of last year. In October Lily received a letter from her sister.

Lily,
I am getting married to a wonderful man, Vernon, you met him before. Mother made me write to you to announce this. However, she cannot and will not make me invite you to the wedding. I don't want you and your freakish ways to ruin my most special and perfect day. Well, now you know so you won't be shocked when you come home to find I am not there.

Petunia

Lily was angry. She was beyond angry, she was enraged. She knew that her and Petunia were not on good terms by any means, but to completely write Lily out of her life was just cruel. She folded the letter and ripped it then put those pieces together and ripped them and again and again until the pieces were too small to rip any more. She threw them in to the fire. She had completely forgotten about the people around her as she went to sit in the chair. She ended up sitting on James.

"Get up James."

"No"

"Yes"

"Make me"

"Ugh, you know, I really can't stand you sometimes. You say how much I mean to you but it is quite obvious that this chair means more if you can't even let the girl you supposedly like sit in the chair."

"Whoa... Fine Lils have the chair."

"No, no, you know what? It's not about the bloody chair it was never about the chair, James it's that you always have to have everything, like you deserve everything, like you feel entitled to everything. And everyone around here owes you something because you are you."

"Thankfully oh perfect Head Girl Lily of mine you have been there to keep me grounded. With your 'I'm too good for you' attitude. You are right though, apparently I can't have everything you have made that perfectly clear for the past 6 years", he growled, "So, take the bloody chair Evans, I don't even think I want it anymore."

Feeling guilty now, the hurt was evident in his eyes. Knowing he was right and she had said the wrong thing she sighed and said, "James, sit in the chair."

"I don't want to sit in the damned chair anymore; I'm done with that chair. I'm going to find a better, nicer, non-argumentative chair that doesn't have a stick up its rear."

Lily groaned, "The chair really doesn't want that. The chair had a very long, very bad day. Please sit back down in the chair."

"No?" She knew his resolve was cracking because it came out as more of a question than firm defiance.

"Please I want you to have the chair, the chair wants you."

"The chair wants me? Really? What does the chair want from me,to torture me some more because the chair will never truly be mine?"

"The chair wants to be with you and wants you to know that the she is sorry. And that you do deserve everything you want. And she is ready to give that to you if you want."

"Lils…" He seemed uncertain.

"Well that's what the chair wants so if that's what you want too then you can come find me up in the dorm."

"Lily, will you…"

Lily looked up hoping that he was going to ask her out again so she could finally say yes.

"…sit on the chair with me?"

She looked down, that was not the question she was hoping for but started toward him all the same.

"And go to Hogsmeade with me this weekend?"

Her head snapped up. He was grinning and uncertain grin. She jumped in to his arms kissing him and he toppled over on to the chair.