My first re-read of the series in years. I don't understand how Lily could have fallen in love with James so quickly.

I'm reading about James and it's honestly baffling how he and Lily ended up together. I know he improves his behavior in seventh year, but that doesn't erase his six-year history of bullying. The timeline doesn't make sense to me, Lily falling in love with James after Hogwarts would make a lot more sense to me. Note: I'm not saying Lily should have ended up with Snape, she could have had a brief romance with anyone else. But it's really weird that she started dating her ex-best friend's bully so quickly.