"James, did you know that some people think you've been following me around like a love sick puppy for the better part of our magical education?" Lily asked one evening, while they were sitting in the empty common room.

"What?"

"I'm serious—don't say it, do not say that I am Lily not Sirius." The boy next to her opened his mouth a few times, unintentionally appearing as if he were imitating a fish. "They think you've had this ginormous crush on me since, well… since forever, really. And that you've been following me around. Isn't that funny?"

Her boyfriend stared at her, dumbfounded.

"But… I only started fancying you in fourth year. I mean sure you were cute before that, but I was too invested in, you know other things."

"What things?" She smiled cuddling closer to him.

"Nothing much," he smirked, "just your regular manly stuff."

"Sure, manly stuff" her smirk was mischievous, her hand pulling his arm tighter around her waist, "like researching and studying super advanced magic, plus attempting slightly illegal things?"

James chuckled, pressing his lips to the top of Lily's head for a quick kiss. "More or less. But then I fell behind with actual school work, and there was this really fit bird in my year."

"Was there now?"

"Sure was. And I asked her to help a mate because apparently Charms aren't as easy if you don't pay attention for two whole months."

She started scraping her nails lightly on his forearm, drawing shapes on the soft skin. "Mhm. So she helped you?"

"Yes. Reluctantly so. She threw her notes at me and ordered I copy all of them—two months' worth of notes, mind you—in one evening and return them by ten o'clock."

"And you did what?"

"I may or may not have been an overly confident git. And I may have disregarded the order," Lily chuckled, "and then she may have jinxed me with a really powerful jelly legs jinx the next morning. And vanished my eyebrows, Evans!"

The red head's laughter echoed through the empty common room. She pulled away from his embrace, "That was the most hilarious thing. Ever!"

"I didn't have any eyebrows for a week. A week!" James protested. "McGonagall told me, after ducking 10 points from you and giving you one evening of some easy detention, that I had it coming. Easy cursing people when you are teacher's pet."

"Oh, don't be so grumpy about it." She smiled, returning to her previous position, cuddled up to his left side.

"She forbade Madam Pomfrey from growing them back."

Lily's laughter echoed once again, "Oh, and what? Mr. Animagus couldn't grow them back on his own?"

"It's really not funny, Lily", he said trying to keep a straight face.

"I can see you, you know. The corners of your lips are twitching upwards, you are amused James Potter."

A smile escaped him, "Maybe a little, but only because you look adorable in my jumper."

"So, you started fancying me because I jinxed you?" She asked, incredulous.

James shrugged, "Mostly. You are also very fit."

"And then you followed me around like a lovesick puppy!"

"I did not, I was very manly about the whole fancying business."

"You were a complete arse." She smacked him lightly on the chest.

"First of all, ouch—"

She cut him off, "That can't have hurt."

"Emotional pain is the worst, Lil. I can't believe you would just hit me." He retorted, biting his lip as a smirk grew on his face.

"Sod off, Potter."

"As I was saying, ouch. And I was not an arse. I was probably highly intolerable. A bullying toerag. A slight git? But an arse? Never."

The girl sighed. "You were immature. And you were awful to… you know."

The boy sighed, too. "I know. But he did deserve it. Now. I was just taking care to hand it out preliminarily."

"Using big words are we? Does it makes us feel smart?"

"I use everything big," he winked, she rolled her eyes, "because I am the greatest. And smartest. Also, stop thinking about it, your earthly mission is not to save the lost souls from going down the wrong path. You didn't owe him anything, he was supposed to be your friend." James paused. "And he chose not to be that anymore. He is an arse. I'm not going to say I am sorry about anything."

"James—"

"No, he was the same as I was. It wasn't me picking on him, it was me jinxing him and him hexing me when my back was turned. My father first told me to 'cease that kind of behaviour', but when the—the arse!—hexed me while my back was turned at the end of second grade he told me to hit back."

"James Fleamont Alexander Marcellus Potter, defend the family name," she spoke in a deep voice.

"Sounds about right, to be honest."

"So, you weren't following me around like a lovesick puppy?"

"I don't know where people got the notion."

"They also think you asked me out at least once a week." She poked him in the ribs and he squirmed.

"Stop it," James swatted her hands away, grasping both her wrists in his right hand, "Once a week, hmmm. Well, I would say I asked you out quarterly."

She struggled against his grasp, "Oh, for sure. Seasonally."

"It definitely wasn't once a week, who could handle that much rejection?"

"You handled it fine."

James pursed his lips, "That's mean."

She sat in his lap, "You're still alive, as far as I can tell."

"But my ego," he pulled her closer, "it has been wounded."

Narrowed green eyes stared back at dark brown ones, "Your ego is just fine, darling."

"Your face is just fine, too… darling." Lily shifted, now straddling his waist, a small smile playing on her lips.

"Fine?" She pretended offense. "Simply fine?" She pulled away the farthest she could from him.

"Come back. Your face is the most beautiful face. Your hair is flawless, you have cute freckles, and you will fall down if you lean back any further."

"I was a gymnast before Hogwarts, I can handle myself," was her retort before she playfully poked out her tongue.

"A gymnast, I know," James winked grabbing her by the waist and pulling her back towards him, "I'd rather handle you myself, dear. Also, put that tongue away, you immature child."

She smiled, biting her lip, leaning closer, their faces inches apart, "Okay. I'll put it away. Alright."

A breathy chuckle fell from his lips, "There, now we beha—"

Lily's lips came crashing down on James' and she took his bottom lip between her teeth, biting lightly. "Shush, or I will hex your eyebrows off. Now come here," her voice was barely a whisper, her hands already tangling in messy dark hair as she vanished the distance between their lips once again.