A/N – This story is my version of how Lily and James' lives played out from their first day at Hogwarts until the extremely tragic day that they died.

It is going to be multi-chaptered fic. It will start out slow at first but pick-up, I promise! I will be going back and forth between James' POV and Lily's POV but it will mainly be James'.

Thoughts will be in italics.

Anything that you recognize is indeed from the beautiful mind of J.K. Rowling, but check the end of the chapter to see where to find the excerpts I used and tweaked slightly.

Now, without further preamble, here is Chapter 1!

September first seems to be taking forever to come around this year, but come it does. For James Potter this means his very first day at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

James stands in front of his mirror double checking his appearance. His mother told him to wear his best Muggle attire for the journey into King's Cross Station and he will change into his Hogwarts robes when he's on the train. He tugs at the blue jumper to make sure it sits right and looks up into the mirror again. He is of average height and weight for an eleven-year-old boy and his hazel eyes shine back at him with excitement behind his wire-rimmed glasses.

"This is it." He tells his reflection. "This is what you've been waiting for."

He nervously tries to flatten his unruly jet black hair, but it's pointless. Grabbing his wand from his dresser he makes his way down to the kitchen. His father had promised him years ago that he would take James to King's Cross Station on his first day via Side-Along Apparition. This, James thinks, is going to be the best day of my life.

"Are you ready Jamie, dear?" his mother asks him trying futilely to tame his hair. James grimaces at the nickname. He always gets annoyed when his mother calls him by these silly names. Jamie or Jamesy or Jimmy… yuck, James thinks.

On one occasion, that James will never forget, he had snapped at his mother for using the names in front of his friends. He had told her that he hated the nickname and it made him feel like a baby. She had nearly cried and his father pulled him aside and told James that he was his mother's "special gift" and that he had to let her use any nickname she wants because they make her happy. So James stopped complaining at the nicknames, they are still annoying, but the way his father spoke that day told him to let it be. James' parents are older than most of his friend's parents, but it doesn't bother him. At eleven your parent's age doesn't seem to matter much.

"More than ready!" he replies excitedly.

His father claps him on the shoulder. "A day of firsts for you James, are you sure you still want to try Side-Along Apparition?"

"Yes. I have been waiting forever for this!" James tells his father bouncing up and down with anticipation.

"Alright then, hold on tight and don't squirm." He instructs and holds out his arm.

James' father is a tall man with grey hair that seems to be just as unruly as James'. He has bright blue eyes and a very strong chin. Most people say that James looks exactly like his father did at his age, except the eyes. He has his mother's eyes. His mother is nearly as tall as his father, just a few centimeters shorter. Her light grey, almost white, hair is always pulled up into a loose bun. She has a smile on her thin face and her eyes sparkle hazel like James' behind her square glasses.

James takes his father's arm and grips tightly waving with his other arm to his mother. She will be Apparating with James' trunk right behind them. With a small turn and a pop he feels his insides begin to compress and his lungs feel like they will be squished, and then it's over. He stumbles slightly when they land and his father steadies him.

"How do you feel son?" James looks up into his father's face and smiles.

"That was brilliant!" Sure it wasn't the most pleasant feeling, but James loves the idea of being able to just disappear in one place and appear in a whole other place in a matter of seconds. No amount of discomfort could take away from how cool that is. He can hardly wait until he can do it on his own.

James' father pushes the trolley carrying his trunk behind them as they walk into the station. James stares at the barrier between Platforms Nine and Ten with excitement. Just behind that wall is Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. The place that holds the train that will take him to a school of magic. The school where his father learned to play Quidditch. The school where his parents met. This place that means so much to them both will surely mean just as much to him. How could it not?

James takes the barrier at a slight run, a bit nervous that he might crash into it, but the next moment he is standing on the platform staring at the scarlet steam engine that will be his ride. James' parents appear behind him and they walk down the platform.

"Martha, darling! Over here!" James turns to see Mrs. Macdonald and her husband standing a few feet away with their adoptive daughter Mary.

James' mother and Mrs. Macdonald have been best friends since before James was born. They both belong to the same clubs and committees and spent quite a bit of time putting together different parties or teas. James used to hate it when his mother would drag him along to such things, always being bored because none of the other women had any children James' age. That was until Mary came along.

Mr. Macdonald works for the Ministry of Magic as a member of the Accidental Magic Reversal Squad and took a call to a Muggle orphanage one day about two years ago. It had been chaos. The skin of three young girls had turned the color of lilac and the matron couldn't explain why. They didn't eat anything funny or get into any chemicals, nor did they have access to any markers or paints. Mr. Macdonald had realized right away what must have happened.

He spotted Mary then, she was sitting alone crying on the swing. When he'd asked her what happened she told him she didn't want to hurt them, just wanted them to stop teasing her about the lilacs she had picked for the potential parents. The other girls had told her she was a freak and no amount of lilacs could ever make someone want to adopt her. She had just wished for them to go away and to stop teasing her and their skin turned lilac.

Mr. Macdonald had been so impressed by the little girl that he said he fell in love instantly. He went home and got Mrs. Macdonald and they came straight back to the orphanage and adopted Mary. They had explained everything to her, about the Wizarding world, what she was and what she could do. James had met her a month or so later, and found her life just as interesting as she found his. He taught her how to ride a broomstick and she taught him how to ice skate. She is his closest friend.

Most of the other children he plays with are Muggles and he always has to be careful about what he says or does around them, so it was a relief when Mary showed up. She's adventurous, outspoken, and often loud. Mary is fun. Unlike the other pure-blood kids his mother forces him to spend time with. All they ever talk about are what nice robes they have and what expensive items they'll need to get for Hogwarts. Strange how people pass their bad habits onto their children. He smiles as his father runs his hand through his messy grey hair. I hope that's the only bad habit I get from dad, he thinks and chuckles to himself.

James waves at Mary as they approach. "Hey Mary, excited?" He asks her.

"Oh yes, very. I could hardly sleep last night. I still can't believe it's real." He smiles at her.

"It's real." He confirms and points to the Hogwarts express as if to prove his point. She nods and they listen for a minute as their parents exchange pleasantries and their mother's start to gossip about what someone named Ellen served at tea the other day.

"Want to grab a compartment?" He asks Mary and she nods. As they are saying goodbye to their parents a gaggle of screaming girls converges on them.

"Mary!" They screech. "Aren't you so excited?"

"I am I can't wait!" The girls giggle and James rolls his eyes, girls can be so tiresome sometimes. Annoyed and unwilling to listen to the nonsense anymore, James heads off to get a compartment on his own. Mary will find him when she is done with all that girly stuff.

He finally finds an empty compartment near the middle of the train and he has a bit of a struggle putting his trunk in the luggage rack. He takes a seat near a window hoping to catch Mary's eye. He sees his parents still chatting with Mary's and sees her still standing with the girls laughing and he sighs. She better hurry up or the train will leave without her. The compartment door slides open and a very handsome boy walks in with his long dark hair falling into his face.

"Room in here for another?" He asks a small smile playing on his lips. James nods and helps the boy put his trunk in the luggage rack. When it's tucked away safely James turns to him.

"I'm James Potter." He states holding out his hand.

"Sirius Black." He says taking James' hand. They sit down opposite each other in the seats closest to the door.

"So how cool is it that we are on our way to Hogwarts?" James asks.

"Very. I've been waiting for years to get here." Sirius says as he lounges across the seat. James waits, thinking that he is going to add to that, but when he doesn't they fall silent for a moment.

James tries to think of something interesting to say when a knock comes at the door. He looks up to see a small girl with vivid red hair that has been pulled into pig tails and bright green eyes that look blood-shot and puffy. On closer examination he sees that her nose is red and he realizes she's been crying. He hates when girls cry. It's even worse than when they giggle or scream. Girls are such babies, Mary cries all the time.

"I was wondering if I could sit in here. The rest of the train is full." She asks in a small defeated voice. James glances at Sirius.

"Uh… sure."He answers and they stand and load her trunk into the luggage rack for her. She thanks them in the same small voice and sits in the seat closest to the window. James watches as she curls her legs under her and lets her head rest on the window as a small tear runs down her cheek. He shoots Sirius a 'what should we do' look and Sirius shrugs as he takes his seat again. James follows suit.

"So, you follow Quidditch?" Sirius asks and they were off talking about their favorite teams and famous games they'd been to while the girl just sits and cries silently by the window. They had nearly forgotten she was there when the compartment door slides open yet again and a rather greasy looking boy steps in, already in his Hogwarts robes. Without as much as a nod or glance in either Sirius or James' direction he takes the seat directly across from the crying red-head. The two begin to talk in soft tones and James wonders vaguely if this greasy boy is the reason for her tears.

"So d'you have any siblings at Hogwarts?" Sirius asks him and James pays no more attention to the pair seated near the window.

He shakes his head and replies. "I'm an only child. What about you?"

"I have a younger brother. He'll be starting next year. He is so jealous." He laughs and James laughs with him. He finds this boy very entertaining. He tells James all sorts of stories about himself and his brother and the kind of trouble the get up to when left alone. James laughs at the boy's stories and realizes that Sirius is the boy version of Mary, fun and just easy to get on with. Even better than Mary though, for he hasn't once cried, screamed or giggled yet.

James is about to ask where he lives in England when Sirius suddenly turns his attention to the pair by the window. The greasy hair boy is saying something about being in Slytherin. This makes James pause. Hadn't he heard from his father for years how Slytherin is the worst house, full of unfriendly and nasty people?

*"Slytherin?" James says turning his head to the boy. "Who wants to be in Slytherin? I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?" James asks looking at Sirius. Sirius frowns back at him.

"My whole family have been in Slytherin." He admits shamefacedly.

"Blimey, and I thought you seemed all right!" James says to him slightly joking. Sirius grins.

"Maybe I'll break the tradition. Where are you heading, if you've got the choice?" Sirius asks interested.

"'Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart!' Like my dad." James answers, holding his arm out as if holding an invisible sword. Sirius nods as the slimy boy makes a small, disparaging noise. James turns on the boy, starting to get really annoyed now. "Got a problem with that?" he asks scathingly.

"No." He replies sneering slightly. "If you'd rather be brawny than brainy – "James does not like this boy's oily voice.

"Where're you hoping to go, seeing as you're neither?" Sirius asks him with a smirk. James roars with laughter at Sirius' words. Yes, he thinks, we will get on very well. Hope he doesn't get sent to Slytherin like the rest of his family.

The red-haired girl, who has been forgotten until now, stands. "Come on Severus, let's find a different compartment." She says in a slightly angry voice and walks out of the compartment. Both Sirius and James mock her as she goes.

The boy follows her quickly and James sticks out his leg to trip him. "See ya Snivellus!" He calls after him sliding the door shut in their wake.*

The rest of the journey passes easily for James, with him and Sirius laughing and carrying on all the while getting to know each other better.

When they arrive at Hogsmeade Station they hear a loud booming voice calling out over the platform. "First years this way!"

James and Sirius' heads turn towards the voice and stop dead in their tracks at the giant that stands before them. They adopt low whispers as they try and decide what might have happened to the man to make him so massive. James can't believe that he is a real giant, for they wouldn't ever let a real giant near a school. The giant then leads them to a lake where James sees ten little boats bobbing by the shore.

"No more than four to a boat!" The giant calls and James spots Mary standing near them and he walks over to her, Sirius following him. They join Mary and a girl James hadn't seen before in a boat and turn around to talk to them.

"Hi Mary, I thought you'd come find me on the train. This is my new friend Sirius, Sirius Black." He tells her.

"Mary Macdonald." She says shaking Sirius' hand confidently. "This is my friend Beth, well Elizabeth, Robins. Her dad works with my dad at the ministry." She tells them and both boys introduce themselves to Beth.

James looks around now as he waits for further instructions. His father told him all he needed to know about the journey, how the boats move with only magic and about the Sorting Hat he will encounter in a short time. He notices the red-haired girl from the train getting into a boat with the greasy boy that he and Sirius dubbed Snivellus. They sat in front of a blonde-haired boy and girl who look as if they could be twins. James chuckles to himself as he sees the blonde girl lean back away from Snivellus looking disgusted.

Soon they were crossing the lake and he his boat mates began pointing out different aspects of the grounds and castle to each other all very excited to finally be there. When the boats stop the giant ushers them into the castle to wait in a room off the main Entrance Hall. James is starting to get really nervous when a severe looking woman enters the room and demands everyone's attention. Her grey hair is pulled up into a tight bun and has a very 'no nonsense' look about her. She introduces herself as Professor McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress. James is certain he won't get on too well with her. She begins telling them how things work at Hogwarts.

After a while she leads them out of the room and through the Entrance Hall into a large room with four long tables and one even larger table at the head of the room. James smiles as he looks up at the starry sky that should be a ceiling. This place is going to be brilliant.

The woman stands next to the stool and unrolls a scroll to read out the names. "Abbott, Danielle." She calls and the blonde haired girl who had shared a boat with Snivellus walks uneasily up to the stool.

"Hufflepuff!" the hat shouts and the girl smiles and heads to the cheering table on the left.

Next is her twin, "Abbott, Dennis" who is also sorted into Hufflepuff.

Then a boy "Avery, William" is the first to become a Slytherin. James can't help but feel like he is an unpleasant boy and as he strides to the table furthest on the right James notices all the people there have the same look of haughtiness.

Now it's Sirius' turn. "Black, Sirius" the women calls and Sirius makes his way to her. The hat sits on his head nearly a minute when finally it calls out "Gryffindor!"

James cheers along with the table furthest to their left as Sirius walks to sit down next to a tall boy with a silver badge on his chest. James stops his clapping at the annoyed look the red-haired girl gives him. He can't help but feel intimidated by her. Why should he though? She's just a small girl. Well, she'll be no fun.

A few others are sorted then, "Evans, Lily" is called and the redhead makes her way to the stool nervously. So that's her name, James thinks, Lily Evans. The hat nearly swallows her too small head as she sits shaking under it.

"Gryffindor!" The hat calls and James groans inwardly and looks over at Snivellus and sees the disappointed look on his face. Well, it might be alright to have such a stick in the mud hanging around if it makes that grease ball unhappy.

James doesn't pay much attention to the other people being sorted until it is Mary's turn. "Gryffindor!" The hat shouts. He can't believe his luck, both Mary and Sirius? This is going to be brilliant. James can hardly wait for his turn.

Finally, "Potter, James" is called and he strides up to the stool with pride. He knows what's coming; he has no doubt in his mind. The hat barely touches his head before it shouts "Gryffindor!" and he heads toward the table he will call home for the rest of his time here at Hogwarts.

Hours later after a wonderful feast and some warnings and a speech from his Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, James stands with Sirius at the back of the line as a tall boy with a shiny silver badge on his chest tells them all about Gryffindor and shows them the quickest way to their common room. He tells them about the Fat Lady and how the password changes every month. As he finishes the tour of the common room he instructs the boys to the left and the girls to their right, and tells them to get some sleep because lessons start the next morning.

James smiles despite himself. He can't wait to meet his other dorm mates. He opens the door and sees the four four-poster beds with Gryffindor hangings set in a half circle around the room. James sees his trunk in front of the second bed from the door and he walks over to it and plops down. "This is going to be brilliant." He says and Sirius agrees from the bed closest to the door.

The door opens and their dorm mates come in. The first is a short mousey boy who still looks nervous the other taller boy had light brown hair and looks a little shabby. The boys make their way to their own beds, the taller on James right and the mousey one to the bed furthest from the door.

"Hello, I'm James Potter." He says introducing himself to the new comers. The shabby boy smiles and shakes James' hand.

"Remus Lupin." He says.

"Sirius Black." Sirius says coming over to shake Remus' hand as well. "And you?" he asks the short mousey haired boy.

"I'm Peter. Peter Pettigrew." He says in a small voice.

-L-3-J-

First year is going well for the Gryffindor boys.

The four of them had practically become best friends over night. James showed them his invisibility cloak that his father had passed down to him as a welcome to Hogwarts gift. His father had given it to him when he first started at Hogwarts. It is somewhat of a tradition in the Potter Family now. One day James would give it to his son on his first day at Hogwarts.

A few weeks into October James decides that it is the perfect time to try out the cloak. He and his dorm mates walk through the empty common room intending to put it on and go out into the night to prowl the castle.

A sharp voice stops them though. "Where do you think you're going?" asks Lily Evans.

"Nowhere, Evans." James calls in answer, cursing himself for not insisting they put the cloak on before entering the common room.

"Yes you are. I demand to know where you are going. It's after curfew. You'll get into trouble, just like when you," she says pointing at Sirius, "made Professor Binns' chalk write 'boring git' every time it touched the black board!"

James can't help but laugh at the memory of their last History of Magic lesson where the teacher, and only ghost professor at Hogwarts, was droning on about useless information when Sirius decided to play a little prank on him. He hadn't gotten into too much trouble as Binns couldn't remember his name, but he did dock Gryffindor ten points.

Remus and Peter begin to laugh at the memory too and Lily crosses her arms over her chest and sets her jaw to show her anger and defiance. "What's it to you?" Sirius asks.

"Yeah, you aren't a prefect. We don't need to answer to you." Remus adds.

Lily huffs in frustration. "Fine, sneak out. I hope you get caught. I'm sure you'll have an easy time explaining to the rest of Gryffindor that we are down by two hundred points because you four just want to act like rebels!" With that she turns on her heel and storms up the girl's staircase.

James lets out a low whistle. "Blimey, Evans really needs to lighten up." The others laugh and James throws the cloak over top them. Making sure it covers all four of them, they leave the portrait hole to explore the castle and with any luck, make some mischief.

The next morning all the students have a good laugh as the caretaker, Argus Filtch, walks along the halls with his new kitten, Mrs. Norris, who now sports brilliantly pink fur. This is how their fame began. Rumors flew around the castle that a group of first year boys had accomplished what most students have wanted to do all year.

James Potter beams as he and his friends stand in the middle of the Great Hall and take credit for the prank. We are going to go down in history as the greatest pranksters Hogwarts has ever seen.

A/N - And so you did James, so you did. Except maybe for the Weasley Twins.

*Excerpt (modified by me to be from James' POV not Snape's) from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
Chapter 33 Pages 671-672 (American Version)

Let me know what you think of the first Chapter. I enjoy reviews, good or bad, it helps with my personal growth.