Unofficial Portkey Archive

First Year

James Potter glanced around the platform, the hand in his pocket playing idly with the snitch that he'd nicked from his father's quidditch set. Although James would never admit it to anybody, even his best friend Sirius Black, he was a little nervous about going away to Hogwarts for school. He had taken the snitch thinking that he would be okay if he just brought with him some reminder of the hours he'd spent playing quidditch in the yard with his dad. He pulled the tiny golden ball out to inspect it, admiring, as always, the delicate flutter of the silver wings and the way that the light glinted off of the perfectly spherical body and he was just congratulating himself on the fact that nobody had noticed he'd taken it when-

"James!" his mother cried in exasperation.

Uh-oh.

He quickly tried to hide the snitch, but it was too late. "Your father will have your neck if he finds out that you nicked that from his Quidditch set. Hand that snitch over right this instant!"

James winced, and reluctantly handed over the Snitch, trying not to think about what school would be like without that reminder from home. "Sorry," he mumbled, though, if he were being truthful, he wasn't sorry in the least that he'd taken it-only that he'd gotten caught.

He should have left it in his pocket until he was safely on the train. His mother didn't miss much, and he should have known she'd realize right away that he'd taken it from his dad's set.

He didn't have long to dwell on it, however, for his thoughts were interrupted by an excited shout.

"Hey Jamey-poo!" a familiar voice exclaimed, and James whirled around quickly in excitement, grinning widely at the sight of his best friend bounding toward him, black hair flopping into his eyes.

"Call me that at school, and I'll make sure that everyone knows about your mum's nickname for you, Sirikins," he retorted, giving Sirius a small shove.

A feeling of relief washing over him as he realized that he would still be taking something from home with him, in the form of Sirius, who was better than a snitch any day! He glanced up, looking around to see if there was anyone else he knew on the platform, and his gaze landed on a vision that he was certain to remember for the rest of his life.

Standing directly across from James, watching him, was a small, red-headed girl. She looked slightly overwhelmed, and didn't appear to have any adults with her. Her deep-green eyes met his, and James felt his breath catch in his throat as a flush crept across her cheeks. She was gorgeous. He couldn't remember ever having known a girl that took his breath away like this one did.

She's beautiful.

Right, right… Potter charm.

James grinned, and winked at the girl, turning on the Potter charm like his dad had taught him. Her flush deepened, and she turned quickly away, but it was a moment before James could take his eyes off of her.

"Siri," he said earnestly, "I've just found the girl I'm going to marry."

Since the moment I spotted you
I've walked around with little wings on my shoes
My stomach's filled with the butterflies
And it's alright

Was it the end of their first term at Hogwarts already? James could hardly believe that they were already back on Platform 9 & 3/4s in London, saying goodbye to one another for the summer. It had been an amazing year, and he had so many fond memories that he was finding it hard to pick just one. Of course, it hadn't been all smooth sailing. For one thing, he and the girl he was going to marry-though she didn't know it just yet-had stumbled across a dark wizard's plans for immortality and had nearly been killed trying to stop him. They'd been successful, and the ordeal had even gotten Lily to be nice to him, a situation that he'd thought to be nearly impossible up until that point.

Despite the fact that he was head over heals in love with Lily, she didn't exactly feel the same way about him. Or at least, she claimed not to feel the same way about him. He sort of suspected that she wasn't being completely truthful about her feelings when she was yelling at him, and telling all and sundry that he was an annoying git. There were a few reasons that James suspected that Lily liked him more than she let on-or liked him at all, actually. To start with, he and the other Marauders, as he and his three best friends, Sirius, Remus, and Peter had decided to call themselves, had played a trick on Lily and her two friends, whom they'd dubbed "the Gryffindor Princesses". They'd bewitched their curtains to flash "Princesses Drool, Marauders Rule", and he had it on very good authority that she'd decided to leave the message on the curtains, even after the princesses had discovered the counter-charm. According to his source, Lily had left it up because it had become "as much a part of Gryffindor" as any of the princesses were, but James knew better. She'd left it up to have a constant reminder of him around. That was his theory, anyway, though Sirius, Remus and Peter liked to laugh at him when he said it.

The other reason that James was certain that Lily liked him was something that he hadn't told anyone except Sirius. He'd gotten Lily to allow him to help her in her worst class, Transfiguration, by betting that if he helped her, and she still scored worse than he did, he would leave her alone for good. He tended to forget about that part of the bet, however, because he had had no intention of allowing himself to lose. The bet proved that she liked him, in his opinion, because she'd agreed that if she beat him on the Transfiguration final, she would give him a kiss, and she'd never have agreed to that if she didn't like him. There was too great of a risk that she would lose.

He'd made certain that she beat him-losing to Lily Evans on a Transfiguration exam was nothing because of the reward that lay in store for him. Of course, James hadn't really scored worse than her. Sirius had simply transfigured her score when she looked at it to make her think that she had. He didn't feel too guilty about tricking her like that, though. After all, he knew the truth, didn't he? It was his responsibility to make her see it!

"Looks like you lost the bet, Remmy," Peter said, hiking his backpack up on his shoulder and holding out his hand to Remus. "Lily didn't kiss him."

"Don't pay up just yet, Remmy," James advised, looking around the platform. His eyes landed on Lily. He faltered for a moment.

It's now or never buddy!

She's about to go through the barrier. Say something!

"Hey Evans!" he called out, smiling as Lily Evans turned around to face him, a look of bewilderment in her beautiful green eyes.

I'd have used her first name. You ARE going to ask her to kiss you, after all. First name just seems appropriate in this instance.

Where was that idea 10 seconds ago? Thanks for nothing!

"My parents are waiting, Potter," she admonished James, though he didn't believe for one second that she was actually irritated with him.

"Relax Evans," James drawled. "This won't take long."

Well…go on! Say it!

Quit rushing me!

He took a deep breath, trying to summon the Potter charm, and ignore the Cornish pixies that had started to dance a waltz in his stomach. She was staring at him, her eyes alight with curiosity.

Say it!

Then why are you still standing there, grinning at her?

He had to admit he was right. He'd put off asking her to pay up on their bet long enough. Now was his last chance.

Be cool.

Got it. Cool…cool…

"Youowemeakiss," he said, trying to sound smooth, but the words came tumbling out all at once, so that he barely understood himself. He flushed slightly, but determinedly kept his smile fixed in place.

Why is it you never take my advice!

Shut up! Let's see you do any better.

A blank look came across Lily's face, and James groaned inwardly.

She doesn't remember! You'll have to tell her.

Of course. Tell her. Wait a minute. TELL her???? She was supposed to REMEMBER!

Well, she doesn't, Romeo. Explain it to her. And try not to stumble on your words this time.

If he could have, James would have stuck his tongue out at the voice. Talk about an annoying git! He refused to acknowledge that by calling the voice names, he was insulting himself, and instead focused on Lily.

"Our bet? You scored one point higher on Transfiguration than I did," James reminded Lily.

James heard Sirius snort behind him, and wanted to yell at him to shut up, but if he had, it would have given away to Lily the fact that he'd cheated a little on their bet, and he couldn't let her find out now, not now that he was so close to finally getting his kiss.

I'll tell her someday. Maybe after she'd agrees to be my wife.

Shut up!

Lily blinked, and the waltzing cornish pixies in his stomach switched to a feverish tango.

She looks so cute right now.

"I forgot about that," she said, after what seemed like an eternity, but in point of fact was really only a second or two.

"Yes," he said, and he could feel his cheeks growing hotter as she approached. "I rather thought you might."

Lily reached where he was standing, and his breath caught in his throat as she leaned over and brushed her lips against his cheek.

I'm the luckiest man alive.

His cheek was burning where she'd kissed him, and he reached up and touched it softly with his fingers. "She kissed me," he said in a daze. The entire world around him had ceased to exist, and for the moment, he was completely alone with his memory of her kiss.

Bouncing around from cloud to cloud
I get the feeling like I'm never gonna come down
If I said I didn't like it then you know I lied