Identity of "that awful boy"

[kamion53]

No: HPFGUIDX 183115

When reading Order of the Phoenix it never occured to me for one
moment that Snape could be the one behind "that aweful boy." I was
reading it with the other four released books all at once and as fast
as possible, so much passed by me at that time.

Only after Half-Blood Prince the idea started to form that it could
be possible, Slughorn's reference to Lily as Potions genius could
have formed the alliance between Lily and Severus, but I did not
take it very much serious. The consequence would be that the whole
marriage between Lily and James was something like:
"Nasty arrogant rich kid snatched La Belle d'Ecole before the nose
of ugly bookish nerd." And just for the sake of nagging him, not for
loving the lass. It was a current joke among Snapofiles.

So when it actually turned out, that Snape loved Lilly I sort of felt
teased with a cheap trick.

But even accepting the canon, it does not sit well with me.
We are told that James loved Lily, but we are shown that Severus
loved her in a more direct way. James loving Lily becomes a sort of
hear-say and that is not enough. JKR left a huge gap by not showing
what made Lilly changed her opinion about James from being an
arrogant toerag to the one she wanted to share her life ( and death)
with. You almost start to believe she became pregnant at the
Graduation Party, were it not that, that was a year before the actual
conception.

kamion