Disclaimer: Anything you recognise is property of JK Rowling.
Autumnal
The zip of her coat caught in her hair.
'Come on! We're going out!'
She looked up at him in quiet disbelief. Her fingers grappled with the zip and it was few moments before her hair was free. He smirked as the curl jumped up to join the other red darts of chaos.
'I beg your pardon?'
He teased her hand into his and pulled. She rose unsteadily, unnerved by both his sudden request and his sudden grasp.
'Let's go out.'
He spun her round, wound his arm around her hip and pressed a kiss onto her pulse-point. They swayed lightly to a song that played in his head and as she twisted under his arm she reached up to kiss his lips.
'So?' His laugh tickled her mouth.
'And why are we going out?'
'And why are we wasting time with daft questions?'
She poked his nose with her little finger.
'Come on, Lily. Look at us! I know that as a redhead it's practically law that you have to be pale, but don't you think you've taken it to extremes? And I've forgotten what people look like when they aren't covered in blood.'
She snorted. He bent down to reclaim her coat and turned her round again. She extended her arms to ease the coat on, accepting her defeat with good grace. He tucked a scarf around her neck and tossed her gloves at her.
'Oi!' The spluttered giggles ruined the effect, but James hadn't seemed alarmed by the stern tone. He continued to their bedroom to retrieve his own jacket and gloves.
'Where you taking?' she called.
The clatter of shoes and hangers and whatever else littered the bottom of their wardrobe was her only response.
'Have you seen my -' His words were cut off by the softness of wool winding its way around his neck. 'Oh! Thanks!'
'Where are we going?'
He readjusted his scarf. 'The park.' He grabbed their wands from the sofa and smiled at her. 'Ready?'
She pulled him to the door.
She pulled him this way and that, making their pathes cross with as many leaves as possible. She enjoyed the brittle defiance of them. Snap snap of her heel and crunch crunch of autumn underfoot. James laughed with every leap she made and she gasped with every puddle he crashed through. Ducks clapped them from the pond, their wings breezing through the air. They stopped to watch them; she twined the end of his scarf around her fingers.
'Which would be better?'
'Hmm?'
She sighed and opened her mouth. The words wouldn't come.
'Lily?'
'I wonder sometimes. Which would be better – flying away or being crushed underfoot.'
He shook his head, twisted their hands together, twisted their bodies into a circle.
Fast. Faster. Faster. Stop.
'Let's just be here,' he murmured. His thumb rubbed her palm. 'Let's just stay here right now. And in half an hour, let's go home and stay there. And then let's stay in tomorrow.'
The ducks looped the pond, teased the tree-tops and landed; the water greeted them with a splash. Once the initial disturbance had faded away and the ripples had found the shore, Lily found the words.
'Yes.' She looked up at him, kissed the corner of his mouth. 'Staying sounds like a very good idea.'
Her hair began to dance with the wind and his socks began to squelch and they stayed where they were.