Valancy

I thought very, very hard about it and I believe that Lily had been in love with James long before he “matured” in seventh year. James’ growth was the bare minimum of changes. Not messing around with other people with stupid jinxes is standard behaviour, not a huge telltale of someone’s principles or something to build attraction on.

He became less arrogant and annoying. That’s not this huge transformation and show of great character. Thats the bare minimum. He probably already had positive traits that Lily did recognise (if she can recognise the good in Snape, I believe she did in James too), but she was smart and had enough self discipline to not go out with him if he was acting very foolish and immature. Bare minimum of changes and marrying him a year later makes me think she was already in love with him. He seems like he makes her very happy.

I believe Snape suspected Lily was attracted to James because of that time he deviated their conversation about his behaviour to complain about James and he told her he wasn’t going to let her go out with him and let him totally embarrass her. He tried to put her off from that idea. Snape was probing Lily about her feelings about James because he believed she might be attracted to him as well and felt worried. He was so happy when she insulted him.

She also pays far more attention to him than to his friends in Snape’s worst memory. She only talks to him in that scene. Not his idiot friend who’s also doing a bad thing or the prefect who’s being useless, or even her best friend who’s been embarrassed in front of people.