An idea I thought up in the shower, feeling sorry about the fact I don't own a bath.
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It was raining. James and Lily crashed through the door of the Potter manor, water from their clothes and hair splashing the inside of the hallway. James had his hand unsteadily on Lily's back, as if he couldn't quite believe where it had wandered to, guiding her into his home. She laughed, "Two almost fully formed witches and wizards and neither of us could think of a simple water repellent charm!"
James clapped a hand to his forehead and then dragged it through his soaking hair, "The impervius charm!" He exclaimed, with a cheeky grin that he thought of it first.
"You might have remembered that ten minutes ago, Potter!" Lily chastised, bumping him a little with her hip, "It's not like I wanted to get this wet!"
James winked at Lily, she sighed good-naturedly and rolled her eyes. They walked further into James' home and Lily eyed the expanse of obviously expensive items with a little apprehension. She thought about her modest semi-detached muggle home, but quickly put any thoughts of it being substandard to one side. James noticed her look; "I happen to feel this is all a bit pretentious. The staff are decent though…" Lily's eyes widened, "Kidding!"
"Funny boy," She scowled, feeling slightly guilty as every time she moved droplets of water hit the polished floor and everything surrounding her, "So Mr Potter, what do you plan on doing with me now you've got me here. I mean I'm sure it was your adolescent dream of course," Lily jested, laughing at his guilty expression.
"We could, erm, get something to eat… We do have a house elf who cooks for us, and I know how you feel about that but she's more like a member of the family. We pay her and give her all the time off she wants and we-"
"Your bath!" Lily suddenly stopped, staring through a door at a large bath very much like the ones from school.
He stared at her, confused by the sudden excitement, "Yes, most people have one. They clean you and…"
"Well I don't have one, we just have a shower at home. The last time I had a decent bath was at Hogwarts. In fact I feel like I need one now just to get all this rainwater out of my hair." She explained, ruffling her hair for emphasis.
"Um, you're welcome to use it if you like?" James responded awkwardly, unsure of how to respond.
"Could I really?" Lily asked, "Oh but that's a bit weird, isn't it? Who goes on a second date with a guy and then just takes a bath at his house?"
"Someone who's dating a guy who forgets the impervius charm in the rain?" James smirked; remembering her adorable, bemused expression when the raindrops started to fall.
"I don't want to leave you waiting for me on your own, though. You could sit in the bathroom with me and we could talk? Strictly pg of course."
James gulped, "If, well, if that's what you want."
Before Lily could get her precious bath, James went about lot of faffing around get her towels and his sister's hair products to use. Everything seemed a little laboured and awkward because the pair were not yet at a comfortable point in their relationship, having seen each other only twice in the month since their first kiss on the last day of sixth year.
It was a moment which was built up to all year. Lily started to see a different side to James after her friendship with Severus had come to an end, without his constant badmouthing of the Marauders and James' timely maturing that James and Lily really started to see eye to eye. They began to pair up in lessons (much to Sirius' disgust), sit together for meals and even visited Hogsmeade together (as friends, of course). Finally on the last day of term, during the annual Gryffindor end of year party, it happened. They stepped out of the common room into the empty corridor for some air and Lily kissed him, James never having the guts to make a real move on the girl he'd fancied since forever. It was short, sweet and full of the passion a kiss which sparked such a historic love story should have.
They hadn't even kissed again, in fact they'd both been excessively chaste and respectful ever since, each almost daring the other to make the next move. Like an elaborate game of wizarding chess.
"Well." Lily stood next to the steaming bath, glancing quickly at the boy standing a little too far from her.
"Well…" He responded, eyes flickering between the bath and Lily nervously.
"Turn your back!" She laughed, diffusing the tension "No peeking while I get undressed, okay?"
"Okay," He muttered, turning away to examine a hand towel with great enthusiasm. One thread of cotton, two thread of cotton… He stopped short when the reflection of pale skin in the mirror caught his eye. Lily Evans is naked in this room, she is completely naked behind me; this is everything I've ever wanted. He tried not to look at the steamed up mirror, feeling blood rush to his cheeks.
Something splashed behind him, "Okay, you can look now."
James turned to see her, in his bath. Not that anything was visible but her shoulders and head, due to the copious amount of multi coloured bubbles that populated the water. "Oh, okay," He slid down the wall and sat on the tiled floor, his head resting on a towel warmer for much needed support.
"This is nice," Lily sighed. The room fell eerily silent, only the sound the water splashing around Lily could be heard. "So, erm, is Sirius not in?"
Just what I want. James grumbled at the thought of his notoriously charming friend, who'd moved in with the Potter's a year earlier after a separation from the Black family name. "He's out with someone. Marlene I think."
"Marlene?" Lily questioned, splashing the water around her, "I didn't know they were seeing each other."
James laughed, "He's seeing practically the whole student body."
"Not me," She quipped, holding James' gaze with a quietly intense look.
"Good," He murmured, just loud enough for Lily to hear.
A more comfortable silence fell as Lily rubbed various lotions into her skin, and James tried not to stare too much at her exposed areas.
"Have you got your Hogwarts letter yet?" Lily enquired.
"No, have you?"
"No. I wonder who'll be the head students."
James snorted, "Come on Lily, I think we know who head girl will be!"
"Alice?" She suggested innocently.
"You're excessively humble." James grumbled, "Imagine if I got head boy, or Sirius, I think McGonagall would have a fit!"
"I don't know, I don't see any reason you wouldn't get it!"
"Too kind, I think 78 detentions over six years is reason enough."
"78? Wow. But most of those were early on, I'm sure this year you've had less than ten! Plus you have other redeeming qualities.." Lily considered, looking at James intently.
James fluttered his eyes mockingly, "What are my redeeming qualities then?"
"You're kind." She responded, "You always look after the younger students. You're thoughtful and hardworking. Plus you've been tied with me for top in most classes this year!"
"Oh," James flushed red again, smiling bashfully, "I wasn't actually expecting you to answer that seriously."
She met his eyes quickly and then dropped her gaze, "I like you James. I really do think you're a decent person."
Lily avoided his gawp, feeling embarrassed by saying so much. Seeking an escape she pulled her hair out of the band it was secured in and ducked under the warm, sweet smelling water. James stared at where she'd disappeared in shock, never having anticipated her saying anything like this to him. He suddenly felt self-conscious, wiping the lenses of his glasses on his muggle jeans and ruffling his now-dry hair. Suddenly Lily resurfaced, pushing her auburn hair out of her face and gasping for air. James watched how her hair fell down her bare back, unable to tear his eyes away from her glistening form. She looked at him apprehensively, a nervous smile crinkling the skin around her eyes.
"Your, erm," James stood up and moved closer to Lily, "makeup, it's…"
"Has it gone everywhere?"
Lily's face was streaked with mascara lines, most girls would look ridiculous like this but James found it incredibly endearing.
"Yeah. Come here-" He knelt at the edge of the bath and reached a hand out, attempting to wipe the black from under her eyes and only succeeding in smudging it across her face, "Oh, it won't come off."
"Do you have any face wipes?"
"No, mum might but I wouldn't know where." James continued to try to remove the mess from her face. With her eyes still closed, Lily tried with all her might to ignore the feeling of James' warm breath on her face, his hands on her cheek.
He laughed at the mess he'd made, admiring how beautiful she was even in that moment.
"James?" Lily breathed, suddenly unable to take it more. She opened her eyes for a second and pulled herself up so she could lift her lips to his. Somehow this kiss was even more powerful than their first one; deep and sensual, heating up both their bodies. James forgot everything about being respectful, cupping her cheek in one hand and pulling her bare body closer with the other, the feeling of having her pressed up against him made him moan a little. Before they either of them were ready their lips moved apart, resting their foreheads together and panting for much need air. Lily laughed breathlessly.
"What?" James whispered and Lily could feel the word against her lips.
"I'm just thinking," Lily's green eyes met James' brown ones with an intense gaze, "About how much I want to pull you into this bath, clothes and all."
"What about no clothes?" He joked, flickering his eyes south cheekily.
Lily hit him softly with a grin and pulled him in for another kiss.
..
I'm trying to get back into writing again, so feedback would be much appreciated. In fact this idea was originally for a multi-chapter story but I wasn't sure what the reception would be, so let me know, I guess.