After breakfast, James, Sirius, Remus and Peter headed for their first lesson of the day, Transfiguration. As they were climbing the stairs, James tried to flatten his untidy black hair that had made it their business to stick up at the back.
“How do I look?” he asked.
“Like a prat!” said Sirius promptly.
“Oh no! I think you look very nice, James,” said Peter.
“Peter, it’s a relief that you and I don’t think alike,” said Sirius in a solemn voice. Peter scowled at him as the others laughed.
“Why are you concerned about your looks all of a sudden?” said Remus, eyeing James suspiciously.
“Just asking,” said James quickly, before Sirius could answer. He tried to make his tone casual as he foraged for a change in the topic, “Do you think Hufflepuff will win against Slytherin next week?”
“They have a chance if the brainless gits in Slytherin don’t play dirty,” said Sirius. “By the way, James, we have a detention tonight. They might give us separate ones so don’t forget to carry your mirror. You’d forgotten it last time and it spoilt everything.”
“I won’t,” started James, “It wasn’t my fault…”
Remus interrupted him, “Can’t you two stop playing pranks for a while?” Seeing the incredulous looks on their faces he hastily added, “I mean do it so you won’t be detected. You could get chucked out you know.”
“But what’s the fun in playing a prank if you don’t take the credit for it?” demanded Sirius.
Remus rolled his eyes, “You’ll want to hurry before you land yourself in another detention,” he said, “for coming late to class.”
The four entered the classroom. Sirius began walking towards their usual desk at the back when to his astonishment he saw James heading to the front and taking a seat in the second row. He discerned the cause immediately - Lily Evans was seated right in front of James. Sirius looked around and saw Remus and Peter, still at the door, gaping at James. Sirius hurried over to them as Remus whispered.
“What’s up with James?”
“He’s in love,” said Sirius, restraining himself from rolling his eyes.
“James? In love? With whom?” spluttered Remus.
Sirius was about to answer when McGonagall’s voice made them jump, “Are you three waiting for Eternity?”
James grinned as his friends took places next to him. Sirius however scowled back.
“Did you have to sit here? You knew we were gonna plan our next prank in this class. You ruined everything,” said Sirius, trying to ignore Peter who was eating the peanuts left on their desk by somebody and was offering Sirius one.
James was saved the necessity of answering when Professor McGonagall started class.
“Today you will be transfiguring peanuts into goblets. You have already done transfiguration of animals into goblets, but a peanut being much smaller requires some concentration and practice. Watch me do it,” she said and pointing her wand at the peanut spoke the incantation and turned it into a goblet.
“Your peanuts have already been kept on your desks. Please begin now,” she said.
Peter groaned.
“Is there a problem?” she asked, turning to look at him.
He was almost shaking as he answered, “I ate mine.”
“And ours too,” pointed out Sirius. The entire class was laughing now.
Professor McGonagall glared at Peter and said, “You abysmally foolish boy! I don’t understand how you manage to look dim-witted on every occasion.” She conjured four peanuts for them and moved around to watch them work.
James stared at Lily as she pointed her wand at the peanut and said, “Ferverto.” She managed to transfigure it on her second try and sat talking to her friends who were still struggling with the peanut.
“What is wrong with you, James?” said Sirius, exasperated.
“Nothing,” said James quickly, tearing his gaze away from Lily. “Er- we’re supposed to turn this into a goblet?” he said looking at his peanut. On his other side Remus finally succeeded on his fourth try.
“Oh no! McGonagall!” said Sirius out of the corner of his mouth and pointing his wand at the peanut, muttered, “Ferverto,” turning it into a goblet.
“Still didn’t get it, Potter?” said McGonagall surprised as she came to their table. James saw Lily turning around to look.
“Oh no, Professor. Been waiting for you,” smiled James and after transfiguring his peanut into a beautiful goblet he filled it magically with wine and handed it to her. She was impressed.
“Good!” she said and moved over to Peter who was down on all fours searching for his peanut that had fallen on the ground and desperately hoping that the powdery substance near Sirius’ foot was not a once-intact peanut.
After lessons, everyone was relaxing in the common room. James went up to the dormitory to get his Two-Way mirror. He was coming down with it when he glanced at his reflection in it. His hair was sticking up as usual. He knew Lily was in the common room and he wanted to look really good so he tried to make his hair as civil as possible. He had to give it up as a bad job ten minutes later and in frustration, rumpled up his hair entirely. To his utter surprise the look suited him! His hair looked windswept as though he had just got off a broomstick. He grinned as he stood admiring himself in the mirror when to his horror, he saw that his black hair had turned brown, his glasses had disappeared, his hazel eyes had changed colour. When comprehension caught up with his senses he realized that the face grinning up at him from the mirror was Sirius’.
“What are you doing?” said Sirius.
“I’m coming to the common room. We don’t have detention until nine, right?” inquired James.
“Yeah. At nine we have to meet McGonagall in her office and she asked us not to bring wands along.”
“Right-o,” said James stowing the mirror in his pocket.
He came down and saw Remus, Sirius and Peter seated in armchairs near the fire. Lily was seated not far from them, watching her friends play wizard chess. James took the empty chair next to Remus and noticed his friends staring at his hair.
“Sirius told us you had done something to your hair to make it better but I hadn’t believed him. So how did you finally conquer your hair?” asked Remus.
“You know me, there is nothing I can’t do,” said James, beaming and running a hand through his hair and ruffling them again.
“Shut up!” said Sirius and Remus together.
James sat quietly and watched the chess match between Alice Andrews and Melody Brown. He didn’t know Remus was looking at him.
“Do you really love Evans?” Remus questioned him.
“Oh! Er- Sirius told you?” said James.
“Of course.”
“Should I ask her out?” said James.
“Do you think she’ll go out with you? I mean, I heard she shouted a lot at you.”
“That was only because I had frozen Snivelly. I’m sure if I impress her a bit, she’ll be more than willing to go out with me,” James said confidently. “Watch me,” he said, looking at Remus’ hesitant face.
James walked over to Lily’s friends and said, “Hi.”
Alice and Melody replied, Lily however didn’t look up. He drew up a chair and, sitting next to Alice, asked her to move her rook four places in front. Alice analyzed the move and beaming, ordered her rook to move. That got her into a winning position.
“That’s not fair!” said Melody. “It’s two against one.”
“I’ll help you,” said Lily and joined the game. James couldn’t have hoped for better. He smiled at her but she just gave him a suspicious look. He saw her eyes travel to his hair before turning to the game and he grinned to himself.
James and Alice won the game. Lily scowled as she saw the pair fire sparks into the air to celebrate their victory.
“It’s okay,” James said to her, “don’t get so upset. Not everyone is good at everything they do.”
She raised her eyebrows and said, “If you want a real game, Potter, then play with me, one-to-one.”
“With pleasure,” said James happily.
The game culminated in the draw. James was really impressed by the way Lily played. He thought now was the chance to speak to her.
Stretching out his hand for her to shake he said, “You already know me.”
“Yeah. Who doesn’t know you, James Potter,” said Lily without taking his hand, “the biggest spoilt brat of the century.”
“Is that good or bad?” said James innocently.
“She grows prettier and prettier everyday,” said James to Sirius, watching Lily do her homework in the common room.
“Really? How come I see no difference?” said Sirius in a bored voice.
“Good. I don’t even want you to,” said James.
“Did you see the notice board? First Hogsmeade trip this weekend,” said Remus excitedly, coming towards them.
Sirius whooped, “Excellent! I’d been waiting for this. I can’t wait to go to that place. I heard it’s really good. James, why don’t we plan something spectacular for the weekend?”
“I’ve already got a plan,” said James. Sirius clapped him on the back, thoroughly overjoyed and asked what the plan was.
“I’m gonna ask Evans out,” said James. Remus burst out laughing at the look on Sirius’ face.
“But, James, I didn’t get the impression that she wants to go out with you. She didn’t even speak to you properly yesterday,” said Remus.
“She was just cross yesterday because she didn’t win the chess match. I’m sure she won’t turn me down. Not James Potter!”
“Evans! Hey Evans!” called James, catching up with her as she left the breakfast table.
“Yes, Potter?” she asked.
“It’s Hogsmeade trip this weekend and I was wondering if “ er- you want to go out with me.”
Lily looked at him in surprise.
“You think I’m stupid enough to give you a chance to get back at me for what I did to you in front of Snape?” she asked him.
“What are you talking about?”
“I’m not dumb Potter. Everyone knows what you do to people who annoy you. I certainly had interfered in the duel between you and Snape. But I’m not going to give you a chance to take revenge and hex me.”
“Can I ever hex you?” said James incredulously. “And I only hex people who deserve it.”
“Yeah. Right. What about the Ravenclaw beater you hexed because he hit a bludger at you like he was supposed to?”
“That hurt, okay?”
“It was meant to!” she continued. “And what about the Slytherin third year’s hair you turned green -”
James grinned.
“You seem to know a lot about me. But the point is, do you want to go out with me?”
“You? I’d rather go with Severus Snape!” Lily screamed and stomped off.
“She turned me down,” said James, still in shocked disbelief.
“You probably hurried, that’s all,” said Remus trying to make him feel better and throwing a disgusted look at Sirius who was sniggering uncontrollably.
“She said she likes Snivelly!” moaned James.
“She “ what?” said Sirius shocked. “Can anyone like Snivelly? James I don’t think you should go after her, mate. Anyone who favours the slime ball has got to have a serious problem.”
“Shut up, Sirius! James, she probably didn’t mean it. She just said it to “ I dunno, not go out with you,” said Remus. “I’m sure she doesn’t like Snape.”
But James was totally unconvinced. Hadn’t Lily Evans stood up for Snivelly in the corridor when James had frozen him? Snivelly knew James loved Lily. He was right there when James had been talking to Sirius. He groaned at the thought of Snape going out with the only girl he loved.
“Snivelly?” he thought miserably. “Why him of all the people?”
Desperation, Determination, Deliberation by james_fever
Chapter Notes: The beginning between young Lily Evans and James Potter.