For five o'clock on a Saturday afternoon, the Gryffindor Common Room was unusually quiet. But, as this was the last Saturday before the Easter Holidays and therefore the last Saturday before the winter term exams, it was understandable that the vast majority of students in the common room were quietly reading or studying their notes. Lily Evans was no exception. She had hidden herself away in her favorite window seat since that morning, only leaving it briefly to eat lunch. Now, as she glanced from the textbook in her hands to the lovely view outside the window, she wished fervently that she did not have a Potions exam on Monday morning. But she did, and so she would have to forgo the pleasures of a walk around the castle grounds until another day.
Or so she thought. James, however, had other plans. He had never been the type of student to spend a lot of time worrying about or studying for his exams, and he did not intend to start now, in the middle of his last year at school. And especially not on a spring day as beautiful as this one. So instead of studying all afternoon, he had been plotting, and now the only missing piece in his plan was Lily. He strode into the Gryffindor Common Room and looked around for a glimpse of her flaming red hair. There was no sign of her. Hoping very much that she had not gone upstairs to her dormitory to study, James paused behind a couch where two younger students were seated and asked them, "Hey, is Lily in here?"
The girl looked up from the wizard comic book she and her friend were reading with a furrowed brow.
"Wha? Er... Somewhere over there I think," she said, waving her hand vaguely in the direction of the other side of the room, by the tower windows.
"Thanks," James said, striding over towards the windows, where he finally caught sight of his girlfriend. "Lily!" he called out as he approached, "What are you up to?"
Hearing a familiar and very welcome voice, Lily looked up from her Potions text, leaned out and peered around the side of her window seat, where she spied James hurrying towards her.
"Hi!" she answered brightly. "Just studying for Potions. Where've you been?"
"Oh I've been out and about," he responded, lounging against the wall beside her seat and smiling down at her. "I've got an idea. Can you drop your stuff for a bit?"
Lily quirked an eyebrow at him, her curiosity piqued.
"Umm sure. Hold on a sec," she said and fumbled around on the window seat for the scrap of parchment she'd been using as a bookmark. Once it was in place, she shut the textbook and looked up at James, asking, "So what's this idea of yours?"
He grinned and said, "Get a jacket, won't you?"
Lily smiled as well, taking this cryptic answer to mean that she would be enjoying a jaunt outdoors after all.
"M'kay. Be right back," she said, sliding off the window seat. She paused just long enough to press a kiss to James' cheek, then hurried upstairs for the requested outerwear. A few minutes later, she returned to James' side, wearing the dark green, wool-lined corduroy jacket that her aunt had given her at Christmas, and looked up at him expectantly.
"Alright, then," he said, reaching for her hand. "Come on, come on."
Lily smiled to herself as she was tugged along toward the door. His enthusiasm was so endearing! "So what's this idea of yours?" she asked as she stepped through the portrait hole.
He grinned down at her, "Wanna go on a date?"
For a moment, she paused and stared at him in mild surprise.
"Now? But it's-" she began, then stopped herself. She had been about to say "It's almost finals week," but the prospect of an evening at James' side was so much more inviting than spending it with her books that she had stopped herself.
"I'd love to," she said instead with a little shrug, comforting herself with the knowledge that she had all of tomorrow to finish reviewing before her Potions exam.
James, of course, knew what sort of brief internal struggle his girlfriend had just endured. He smirked good-naturedly and teased, "Ever the conscientious student. Come on, girl."
As they resumed walking down the corridor, Lily nudged him playfully.
"Someone's got to keep you in check," she said.
"And someone's got to get your head out of those books once in a while," he responded, giving her hand an affectionate squeeze.
"Well you're a very welcome distraction," Lily said truthfully.
James merely laughed and led her down the staircase toward the third floor. Lily, of course, had no idea where they were headed, and as she followed him down the corridor, she toyed with the idea of asking. But then, she reasoned, her darling boyfriend evidently had something up his sleeve, and she didn't really want to ruin the surprise for either of them. A few minutes later, they paused beside the statue of a one-eyed witch. While James fumbled in his pockets for something, Lily looked from him to the statue with one eyebrow raised.
"Hang on a sec," he said, pulling a piece of parchment out of his pocket and examining it intently. His brows furrowed for a moment, then he stuffed the parchment back in his pocket and drew out his wand. Looking down at Lily, he said, "Okay follow me and trust me, all right?"
She nodded in response and watched the interest as James tapped the witch's hump and muttered something she couldn't quite make out. Her interest turned into shock as she watched the hump open and reveal a dark passageway behind it.
"Where does it go?" she asked James, eyes aglow with excitement and curiosity.
"Down," was all he said. "Now please, please hurry." According to the Map, they had only about a minute before Professor Flitwick would pass this way, and James did not want the evening he had planned to be spoiled by a run-in with the diminutive professor.
Rolling her eyes at the cryptic answer, Lily nonetheless obeyed. After peering down into the passageway, she climbed in, only to discover that she had stepped onto a slide, not solid floor. She swallowed a shriek as she slid down to the bottom. Fortunately, the slide was short enough to prevent her from being injured upon landing. Once she found her footing, she pulled out her wand and muttered, "Lumos," so that James would have light to see by when he slid down after her.
With one last glance over his shoulder, James squeezed into the passageway and slid nimbly down to the bottom. The witch's hump slid closed just as he heard footsteps echoing down the corridor floor above them. Grinning and flushed with triumph at having once again snuck out successfully, he turned to Lily and reached for her hand. "All right there?"
"I'm fine," Lily responded, taking his hand and stepping close beside him. "That was a close one, hm?" she commented.
Beaming, James leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to her lips, then straightened and continued walking down the passageway.
"Come on, then," he urged.
Lily followed dutifully along, but couldn't resist teasing him: "So youdidn'tdrag me down here for a secluded snog then?" Even if that had been his plan, she likely wouldn't have complained.
He smirked, "I mean..." Stopping, he tugged her backwards and pulled her flush against his chest before continuing, "all you had to do was ask..."
Giggling, she twined her arms around his neck and said, "That's all it takes?" Rising on tiptoe, she said softly, "Kiss me then, James."
As he was only too happy to oblige, their progress down the passageway was halted for a couple of minutes, until Lily finally remembered that she had been promised a real date this evening. She took a tiny step back and brushed her lips once more against James' before asking, "So.. the passage?"
"What of it?" he mumbled, keeping his arms wrapped tightly around her waist.
Lily smiled and settled her head comfortably onto his shoulder as she prompted, "I still have no idea where it goes."
"Oh were you wanting to go on our date then?" James responded, smiling.
"Mhmmm," she answered. Wriggling her way out of his arms, she grabbed his hand and tugged him along behind her. "C'mon!"
James chuckled to himself as he followed, "Girl, you're quite the fox."
Lily smiled over her shoulder at him and said, without thinking, "But you love me anyway."
"Yeah, I do," he responded frankly. Two long strides later, he reached her side again.
Lily looked sideways at him with a shy, adoring smile, feeling her heart flutter at his words. Sometimes, she still found it hard to believe that she could have the love of someone like James. But the more time they spent together, the fewer and farther between those moments became. And the more certain she became that she felt just as strongly for James as he did for her.
After a few minutes of walking in companionable silence, she remembered something she had been meaning to ask him and said, "James? What are you doing over the Easter hols?"
He considered the question a moment and then responded, "Er.. nothing. I thought I should probably see my Da, as he's on his own, but I dunno if I should stay the whole holiday."
Lily's expression brightened. This was exactly the answer she'd been hoping to get.
"Welll are you free the weekend of April 2?" she asked.
James shrugged and said, "Yeah, sure. Why?"
"I was sort of hoping you could be my date to Petunia's wedding," Lily explained. And then, in case he didn't find the prospect of attending the wedding at all exciting (which, to be fair, she didn't either), she added, "It's going to be an awful weekend anyway, but if you were there..."
His lips twitched in a mischievous little grin as he asked, "Does this mean I get to meet the famous Vermin?"
"James!' Lily protested, but giggled despite herself. "Yes. Butpleasepromise you won't call him that to his face." Despite how much she disliked her future brother-in-law, she did not want to cause a scene during what was supposed to be a happy occasion for him. But it was still amusing to picture the look on his face if he ever heard James call him by that name.
Then, her expression grew more serious as she added one last piece of information, "You'll also get to meet my parents. Well my dad at least. Mum still remembers you from Diagon Alley."
However worried Lily might have been that her request was an imposition on James, she needn't have fretted. He was actually elated. This was, after all, something he'd been hoping would happen for years. He was going to visit Lily Evans - and be introduced to her parents - as her boyfriend! But although his heart was actually jumping for joy inside his chest, he merely smiled and said, "That'd be nice."
"So you'll come then?" she queried, beaming up at him.
"Absolutely," he said and squeezed her hand affectionately.
Flinging her arms around him, Lily hugged him tightly and said, "Thanks. I'll write Mum as soon as we get back and let her know. She'll want plenty of time to clean out the guest room. The wedding's just on Sunday, but you can come for the whole weekend if you want."
James laughed and held her close as she babbled on excitedly.
"Lils, that's not necessary," he joked, "I can just sleep in your room."
She stiffened and pulled back just far enough to meet his eyes. As they hadn't had this particular conversation before, she didn't quite know what to say.
"But we can't- I don't-... my dad will most certainlynotbe okay with that," she stuttered.
To her dismay, James' only response was to burst out laughing at the look on her face. Fortunately, he recognized the scowl beginning to transform her otherwise lovely features and said, "Oh, Lily, come off it. I was only joking."
Lily stilled again, and stopped trying to push herself free of his grip on her.
"Oh. Really?" she asked, after a pause.
"Girl, I want your parents to like me. Not to think I'm trying to get in your pants," James assured her. "Though I wouldn't complain..," he added and winked to show he was just teasing her again. Or at least partially teasing.
Lily blushed, but slid her arms around him again.
"Okay. Good," she said. "I'm really glad you're coming, though."
James smiled and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. A glance at his watch revealed that it was almost dinner time, and they weren't even half way to their destination. Stepping back, he took Lily's hand once more and said, "We'll need to kick up our pace just a bit."
"Where are we going?" she asked as they resumed trudging down the passageway.
"You'll see," was all the reply James would give. As it turned out, the destination he had in mind was Hogsmeade - more specifically, The Three Broomsticks. They spent the next several hours side-by-side in a cozy booth in a back corner of the warm, well-lit pub. By the time they had finished their meals, downed a few butterbeers, and shared a giant slice of gooey chocolate cake, both Lily and James were in very good spirits. Lily had even managed to forget about the exams she was supposed to be studying for, and James was reveling in the triumph of finally having taken her out on a proper Hogsmeade date. They stayed cozied up in their booth, discussing everything from the war to the newest Led Zeppelin album to their friends and classes, as the pub's clientele began to thin.
It was not until they were two of a handful of people left in the room that they left the pub and headed back to the castle. Although James' watch proclaimed that the hour was very late, neither he nor Lily was in a hurry to get back to Gryffindor Tower. As she ambled down the passageway, arm in arm with James, Lily felt as though she were on top of the world. Somehow this evening had solidified a suspicion that had been growing in her heart: that she was deeply, irrevocably in love with James Potter. Even though they hadn't been dating all that long, she could no longer picture her life without him. The past month of their relationship had been like a glorious dream, one that Lily hoped would never have to end.
And right now, with their arms linked and both their lips swollen from their most recent bout of snogging in the dimly-lit passageway, it was easy to believe it never would. Her eyes glowing with happiness, she snuggled closer to James and murmured, "It's been a lovely evening. Thanks for sneaking me out with you."
"I'm glad you had fun," he said, turning his head to smile down at her. "I love you, Lils."
Her heart fluttered again at the adoring look in his eyes, and suddenly she couldn't hold it in any longer. Turning to face him, she clasped both his hands in her own and said softly, "James, I.. I love you too."
There was a moment of utter silence as James studied her intently, and then his face broke into a broad grin.
"C'mere," he said, pulling her close and bending his head to kiss her soundly. Lily sighed happily and looped her arms around his neck as she returned his kiss.
It was several minutes before either of them remembered exactly what time it was and where they were supposed to be heading. Even then, it was Lily who pulled back slightly and murmured with a little laugh, "You know.. if we were on patrols duty right now, we'd have to give ourselves both a detention."
"Oh patrols be damned," James muttered, tugging her close for another kiss.
"But I rather like patrols," she protested, in between kisses. "It means I get you all to myself. For a good two or three hours."
Taking her words as encouragement, James tilted his head and began kissing the soft, warm skin of Lily's neck. She shivered as his lips brushed a particularly sensitive spot and he smirked against her skin, moving his mouth back to hers. James was quite certain he could carry on kissing Lily for several months. Her lips were so soft, so warm, and molded so perfectly against his own. He'd kissed girls before- he'd been the first of his mates to get to that particular milestone- but none quite compared to the feeling of Lily pressed up against him. She always smelled so sweet and felt so smooth under his fingertips. He wanted to touch her and kiss her every minute of forever. Lily reached up and looped her arms around his neck, pulling him a bit aggressively toward her. He grinned against her lips and moved one hand to her back, pulling her fully against his body. She blinked a moment as she felt-oh, Merlin, was that his--?- and blushed furiously, kissing him all the same.
"James," Lily said breathily as she broke apart a good while later, "James, we've got to stop,"
James pressed his cheek to hers. "I know," he acknowledged. "I just don't want to."
"Me either," Lily said, glancing down at her half-open blouse. "But.. we can't- I mean, don't you think we should slow down?"
"No," James said bluntly, a smile curving across his lips. "But I know what you mean, and you're right." He took a deep breath. "Ooh, cold shower time."
Lily giggled, a flush tingeing her cheeks, and then set to straightening her clothes. James made a small sound of protest as she quickly did up the buttons of her shirt, but a brief yet severe look silenced him.
"Now," she said, reaching over to tighten the knot of his tie, "how on earth do we get out of here?
The Fat Lady was entertaining several witches from neighboring portraits when James and Lily approached Gryffindor Tower ten minutes shy of midnight. At first, she was so caught up in conversation with the otehr occupants of her picture frame that she did not notice the somewhat disheveled couple until Lily cleared her throat. The Fat Lady looked up from her card game.
"Oh!" she exclaimed, caught off guard. Her eyes narrowed as she took in the grinning, flushed faces, clasped hands, and the poorly-buttoned blouse adorning the red-haired girl.
"I suppose you'll be wanting in, then?" the Fat Lady asked, her tone carefully ubiquitous.
"Yes, please," Lily answered with a smile.
"And the password?" asked the Fat Lady expectantly.
"Ooh, yes," Lily giggled as James grinned fondly at her, "Spectrospecs."
"In you go, then," said the Fat Lady, swinging forward.
James grinned sheepishly at the portrait as the entered, but she returned his gaze with a preposterous sort of maternal look that made him want to laugh.
Lily's bubbly mood of only moments before began to wane quickly as the twosome approached the stairs.
"Hey, something wrong?" James asked.
Lily shook her head, feeling strangely close to tears.
"I just don't want tonight to end."
James laughed.
"Girl, you've got me as long as you want me- and maybe a bit longer than that. So, that gives at least until April second, yeah?" He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the tip of her nose.
Lily couldn't help but smile as she cuddled close to James.
"I know," she admitted. "It's just- I've never felt this way about anyone before. And tonight has been so... magical." She leaned up to press a kiss to the corner of James' mouth. "I should warn you, I'm afraid I'm going to want you for much, much longer than April second. So don't you plan on going anywhere. Ever."
In lieu of a response, James tilted his head to kiss her mouth.
"Goodnight, love."
Lily smiled.
"I love you too. Goodnight." Quickly, she snuck one more kiss before reluctantly letting go of him. She darted up the stairs and out of sight, and James was left a moment to his thoughts before heading upstairs.
A gagging sound punctured the otherwise still common room. James wheeled around. He could feel his neck flushing, and he hoped that whoever that was hadn't been listening the entire time. Not that he was ashamed, of course, but still, that was private. And, as luck would have it, Sirius was sitting on the grand brocade sofa before the fire, legs propped on the armrest and arm behind his head. He had on his face a look of disgust, and- was that pity?- seemed bursting with something to say.
"What?" James demanded.
Sirius made a small production of sitting upright, avoiding full eye contact with James.
"Just so much... urgh."
James wrinkled his nose.
"O-kay," he said slowly. "Obviously something's bothering you. Spill it, 'cos I'll find out anyway."
Sirius seemed to be wrestling with finding the words to adequately describe his feelings. He chewed on his lip a moment, tossing his hair out of his eyes with a small flick.
"Alright, then," he said, appearing to decide to simply out with it. "I think you've bailed out on us, and I think it's bollocks. Let me finish-" he said as James began to protest "- and I'm not saying this cos I dislike your girlfriend or whatever, but you can't ignore the facts. James, do you know what tomorrow night is?" he asked, but didn't wait for an answer. "Tomorrow night is the full moon, and you didn't show up at our meeting. Which we couldn't have, because we couldn't find you. And then we couldn't find the map to find you. And you didn't have your mirror on you. So Pete and me figured you had some good reason to not show up, like you were in detention or something. But, then, it occurred to me, that you haven't been in detention lately, because you're changed. You'reall grown up, or something. Which is cool, it's all part of it- not for me, of course, but you're the high n' lofty one. But you haven't been acting like any mate of mine. And now,Ihave to sit and listen to you and Evans slobber all over each other instead of hearing from you why you didn't show tonight? That's rubbish, James. Absolute sodding rubbish. Now listen, mate, I'm with you to the end, and all. We're headed to the Academy together. You're my best, and I know that you're head over dick for this girl. Just don't ditch out on us completely, okay?"
"Sirius," James said shaking his head. "Mate, come off it, you know-"
"No, Prongs, the problem is just that. Idoknow, and I was hoping to God and everybody that you wouldn't start up on this. I want to like her, really, I do, but it's going to be a trip if you start picking her over us all the time. Now are you coming tomorrow night, or what?"
"I'll be there," James affirmed, feeling his good mood deflate somewhat as he realized every word Sirius had spoken was true. After a few moments, James and Sirius headed up to the boys' room in relative quiet.
Meanwhile, upstairs in the seventh year girls' dormitory, a very different sort of conversation was taking place. After kissing her boyfriend goodnight, .Lily had walked- floated, rather- back to her room. The minute she opened the door, Marlene and Mary, who had been awaiting her return, pounced.
"And just where haveyoubeen?" Marlene asked, a knowing gleam in her eye.
"I hope none of the Prefects caught their Head Boy and Girl in a broom closet after curfew," Mary teased, eyeing Lily's school blouse with a raised eyebrow.
Neither girl's teasing affected the glowing smile on Lily's face as she said, "I've been out with James. He whisked me off to Hogsmeade earlier this evening." With a few light steps, she reached her four-poster and leaped up onto the neatly made bed, where she promptly flopped on her back and grinned up at the maroon canopy.
"Girls," she proclaimed after a few moments. "I've had the most wonderful evening."
Marlene and Mary glanced at each other, then back to Lily, who had now turned her head to see the little picture of James that stood on her bedside table. The photographic James grinned and winked at her from within the confines of his frame, and Lily responded with a smitten smile.
After watching this exchange, Marlene was certain that something important had happened. She looked back at Mary, nodded in Lily's direction, and both of them bounded onto the foot of her bed.
"All right, Evans. Tell us what's happened," Marlene ordered.
Lily turned her head towards her two best friends.
"He loves me," she said. "He told me a few weeks ago, actually, but I wasn't sure how I felt aboutÉ well about all of that, so I sort of kept it to myself. But I've been thinking about it ever since, and I've realized that I love him too."
She flipped over onto her stomach so that she could see them better and added with a mischievous glint in her eye, "I told him tonight and.. let's just say he was glad to hear I feel the same way."
"Lily!" Marlene exclaimed, sitting straight up and beaming at her best friend. "This is amazing! You and James! Oh!" Her smile morphed into a smirk and she continued, "Itoldyou this would happen."
Mary cut in, "Yeah, we've had this called sinceÉ oh midway through fifth year."
Lily rolled her eyes.
"Yes, you told me. Multiple times. And I'm glad you were right," she said, her expression softening. "I can't imagine loving a better man than James."
"You two really are perfectly suited," Mary said seriously.
Marlene couldn't resist adding, "Yeah, 'cause he's one of the few blokes that can argue right back with our dear, stubborn friend here."
Lily flushed and said fondly, "Shut it, you." Mary giggled both at the truth of the statement and the redhead's reaction to it.
"No but seriously," Lily continued. "D'you remember a few weeks ago when the Prophet wrote about that big Inferi attack? He told me that night that he had decided he was only applying to the Auror Academy. He said those Muggles the Death Eaters targeted could have been my parents. Or me. And that, even if they weren't, he couldn't stomach the thought of just playing Quidditch while innocent people are dying."
The girls were silent for a few moments as they took in this news. It was Mary who finally broke the silence.
"Wow, Lil," she said. "That'sÉ"
"Pretty impressive for a seventeen-year-old boy?" Lily finished for her. "I know. But that's just James for you."
"So now you two are deeply, madly in love," Marlene summarized. "You know what this means, right?" She paused for effect, allowing Lily enough time to glare at her in suspicion that she might mention the "m" word, then answered her own question: "You've simplygotto take him to Petunia's wedding with you. She will positivelydiewith jealousy."
Having been friend with Lily for years, Marlene and Mary had both seen pictures and heard numerous tales of the Dursleys-to-be. Neither girl thought much of the engaged couple, and since neither of them could be there to help Lily suffer through the wedding, they both thought it would be a good idea for James to accompany her.
"Oh don't worry," Lily responded. "I've asked him already. He said he'd come along.OhÉ" And her expression fell as a daunting thought occurred to her.
Mary's brow furrowed and she inquired, "What's wrong?"
"His birthday," was the explanation. "It's less than two weeks away, and I have no idea what I'm getting him."
Mary's expression relaxed considerably.
"Well that's easily solved," she said, and the conversation turned to the less serious matter of brainstorming what sort of presents Lily could purchase until, eventually, all three girls fell asleep.