Written for the lovely levins18 who requested Jily in a thunderstorm. Hope this lives up to your expectations lovebug! Happy Jily Death Day!

The Lightening Strike

Thunderclouds rolled across the valley, rumbling and tumbling like quidditch players in the midst of a heavy and heated match. Trees rustled like owls were roosting on their heavy branches. The grass tickled the bare feet of two students who had fallen asleep on the expansive Hogwarts grounds while working on classwork in the warm weekend sun. It was unseasonably warm for September and finally a cold front was rolling in, bringing with it a storm that made Goosebumps rise on James Potter's skin as he opened his eyes to the darkening field that lay before him and the castle.

Under his arms, his discarded cloak was ruffled from his nap. On his face, James' glasses were lopsided and slightly bent from sleeping on his stomach. James noted the darkening sky and the rustling leaves with keen eyes. As an animagus he had the ability to turn into a stag at a moments notice and as such his inner animal could easily sense the bad storm coming like a freight train towards the castle. James' nose twitched as he placed his glasses steady on his face. Resting atop his book bag were the new Prefect schedules, finished only moments before he and his companion had drifted off.

James' eyes shifted to Lily Evans and his heart momentarily skipped a beat. She was still fast asleep, on her side facing James. She was the one who had fallen asleep first, complaining that she hadn't slept well the night before after her rounds. Lily's small fist was curled into his cloak and her other hand was grasped firmly against her chest, still holding her favorite quill. A smile formed on James' face as he considered her. Her deep auburn hair, long from summer growth, was fanned out and creating a dark halo around her head. James knew if her large eyes opened he'd only see green as enchanting as an emerald gem.

Although they'd been just friends for years, James had never felt so close with a girl in his entire life. In fact, he didn't know any girl at Hogwarts who would willingly fall asleep outside so close to the forbidden forest but Lily was brave and favored the darkening trees to the stuffy castle. Hagrid's pumpkin patch was only feet away, the giant orange bulbs almost ready for harvest.

Lily sighed contently in her sleep and James felt a rush of warm affection for the girl. As much time as he could have probably spent just watching her sleep so soundly, not a care in the world, he knew Lily would prefer the dry castle to the wet grounds. Gently, he pressed his fingertips against her hand.

"Lily," he crooned, pushing softly against her hand to wake her, "Evans, wake up."

Her eyes flashed open and once again James was left wonderstruck at her beauty. Lily rolled onto her back and her eyes closed again as she stretched, throwing her arms above her head. She moaned and groaned as she moved, like every moment awake ached. James smiled as she mumbled to herself, clearly not a fan of being woken up. James was reminded of his mother's cat in the mornings.

"There's a storm coming." He told her and she opened one eye inquisitively.

"A storm?" she sat up, both eyes taking in the darkening clouds reaching for the blue sky above them.

James chuckled a bit and at her questioning look he bent forward and grabbed a wayward leaf stuck in her hair. She stared at it in his palm and he blew on it, blowing it right at her face. She winced as the leaf hit her nose and James winked at her. Lily flushed before starting to gather her things. James got to he knees, ignoring the pointed look she'd given him, and pulled his cloak off the ground to wrap around his body again.

"I haven't slept that well in weeks." She admitted to him as she placed the prefect schedule atop his bag into her own blue book bag, "I must've been tired."

"I certainly was." James replied, "All these nightly rounds, loads of homework, and quidditch practice...It's a wonder I don't fall asleep in History."

Lily stopped fussing with her things to look pitifully at him, "Merlin, James. When do you have time to sleep?"

James didn't even bother looking sheepish when he replied facetiously as he buttoned up his cloak, "When I'm with you."

A small smile fluttered her features, "Spaz," she chucked a stick in his direction that bounced off his chest, "I was serious."

James yawned as he stood up, slinging his bag over his shoulder and offering his hand down to Lily who stared up at him. Lily took his outstretched hand to be pulled up off the ground but then she dropped his grip hastily. They walked side-by-side back to the castle, as the skies around them grew darker and darker. James couldn't help noticing every time their hands brushed because it sent a wave of shock through his body like lightening.

"If you need to cut back on Head Duties I can-" Lily began but James sent her a look that caused her to backtrack, "I'm just saying James, being Head Boy and Quidditch Captain is a endeavor most wouldn't take."

"I think I can handle it Lily." James told his fellow Head Girl with a keen stare, "I'm not incompetent."

She looked annoyed, "I never said you were incompetent."

"You didn't have too." James rolled his eyes as thunder rolled through the clouds behind them, "I can tell you're worried that I took on too much this term. I was offered Head Boy and I chose to honor the compromise."

"You didn't have to accept Head Boy." Lily disputed, "You could've just stuck to what you do best."

James stopped his stride and glared down at her when she stopped too, "Do what I do best?"

He didn't mean to sound so harsh, or to raise his tone, but it was too late. Lily's eyebrows rose on her forehead at his tenor. As well as Lily and James got along; they were both quick with their words. Lily's eyebrows furrowed, as she seemed to have realized she made an error.

"I only meant that you didn't have to take on so much, not that you aren't a good Head Boy."

"I'm sure you would've rathered Gideon Grey as Head Boy." James mumbled moodily of the Ravenclaw wizard chess champion who had been a shoe in for Head Boy.

"Gideon Grey is a idiot." Lily flat lined, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at James, "Stop pouting, I didn't mean to wound your pride."

Lily had no idea how much her opinion meant to James—or how much her words for or against him impacted his daily life. James' best friend Sirius supposed James simply cared for Evans' opinion because she was a good girl and well liked by everyone. Lily and James hadn't always been close friends, it was only in the past year and a half that they'd been friends who share dinner and laugh over a card game.

Lily had once had an entirely different opinion about James. She'd once said she'd rather go on a date with the school's giant squid than go anywhere with him. She was always quick to tell him when he was acting incorrigible. She also cheered him on during his quidditch matches. She's also the one who helped him figure out prefect rounds when he'd stepped in for Remus last year.

Lily could see right through James and that's why he trusted her opinion because despite seeing the worst in him—Lily also saw the best in him.

Perhaps his more-than-platonic feelings for Lily were making him uneasy about working so closely with her. Perhaps James was worried that one day she might wake up and remember James as she had seen him before their blossoming friendship.

James stood up taller and ruffled his hair, "Come on," he said, nodding his head to the castle, "Before it starts raining."

Lily followed, both of them wallowing in their own thoughts. James knew she hadn't meant to sound like she thought that he was incapable of being a good Head Boy with all his other extracurricular activities. Lily simply knew how to rile his up and knew how to aim at every single fear in his head. He was worried to death that he'd be a horrible Head Boy and Dumbledore would regret ever picking James. Not to mention James was also afraid of losing his winning streak as a captain for the Gryffindor quidditch team and letting down everyone at school.

Lily still had her arms crossed and she looked wrapped up in her own little world. James sighed, capturing Lily's attention. He grinned and wrapped an arm around her shoulders pulling her in for an awkward half hug.

"Sorry for raising my voice." He told her graciously.

"S'ok." She muttered, her face half turned into his chest.

"I just don't want you thinking I can't do this." He told her as they reached the steps of the castle.

Lily lifted her face so she could stare into his eyes, squinting with concern, "And I don't want you thinking that I'll think any less of you if you have to drop a night or two of rounds." She placed her hand on his shoulder.

James shifted uncomfortably, and scuffed his shoe on the steps. He didn't like the way she was staring at him. Besides his best mates, James was pretty sure Lily Evans was the only other person in the castle who could see right through his posterior charming and confident personality.

Lily frowned as James stared at their trainer laces, "You don't normally care what other people think of you, why start now?"

The sky around them was dark now, the thunder rolled in and James could feel his hair stand on end as the breeze swirled around their ankles. Lily had her arms wrapped around herself. She wasn't wearing a cloak like James. Since it was the weekend she liked to wear her muggle clothing. Her sweater was a thin pink button down that did little in the way of protecting her from the chilly wind sweeping through the Hogwarts valley.

James ripped his own cloak off and wrapped it around her shoulders, "I don't know."

The wind cut right through his summer robes. He calculated her look, so trusting of him even after their small argument.

"Yes you do," she reasoned clasping his cloak shut without saying thank you, "I've known you for seven years. What's wrong, James?"

The words that had formed in his head over the summer since the moment the Head Boy badge fell out of the letter from Hogwarts tumbled out of his mouth with embarrassment and a cringe, "What if I'm a shit Head Boy?"

Lily rolled her eyes, not taking pity in him in the slightest, "Please Potter, you've got bloody student leader taped to your forehead. If you weren't a good leader you would've never made quidditch captain or have done all those excess rounds last year for Remus Lupin when he was sick."

"I'm serious Evans." James moaned grabbing her by the wrist when she tried to turn and enter the castle, "I might be good at whipping quidditch players into shape and helping out my friends but I have no idea how to follow the rules let alone enforce them."

"You aren't fifteen years old anymore James." Lily's hand reached out from underneath the cloak and brushed his arm warmly as she smiled at him, "you certainly follow the rules now more than you ever did back then."

James had an ugly grimace, thinking about how wrong Lily was about that. He'd spent the night before last running around with a werewolf in the forbidden forest with his other mates. That was definitely not by the book. In fact it wasn't even breaking the rules a little bit, James could go to prison for being an unregistered animagus. And it was true, while he'd stopped randomly jinxing whoever pissed him off; he still got into fights in the hallways sometimes.

"I sneak in Hogsmede." He reminded her, "I get into fights. I'm not exactly a walking poster boy for school rules."

Lily's green eyes glazed over as she remembered his most recent one that she had walked into at the start of term. Her face matched her hair, likely because it was a sore subject for the both of them. James' fists curled and lightening struck behind them. Lily jumped closer to him, her hand brushing against his.

James stared down at Lily, the wind was blowing her hair, and clear droplets started falling around them slowly and then all at once. Lily's mouth opened in shock and she looked up just as lightening struck across their sky again. It lit up the dark world like a star and James just stared in awe at Lily as she took in the thunderstorm in her own special way. Her face had been lit up by the lightening, pale white against her dark hair that was plastering to her skin and shoulders quickly.

The rain was falling so hard that Lily was all he could see. Lily's white smile was infectious and her laughter pealed like bells over the rolling thunder. It was cold and dark but he felt warm and light as she held out her hands to the air and accepted the torrential downpour that had caught them in the midst of their heart to heart.

He found himself laughing with her as they ran quickly under the eves of the castle doors, dripping wet. James' hair was falling into his face and he brushed it back as he pulled her closer to him out of the storm. Lily's hand fell on his chest and she was still laughing as she looked up at him with adoration.

"James you don't give yourself enough credit." She said fiercely, "Firstly, you might get into fights but more often than not you are protecting someone, not bullying them. Secondly, you sneak into Hogsmede just like every other seventh year kid at Hogwarts. So forgive me for not calling up Dumbledore right now and ordering him to revoke your privileges."

James knew they should get inside but Lily was so close and so warm he was in a trance from her. Lily was smiling up at him like she had been smiling at the thunderstorm—like he was a force she didn't dare try to reckon with. Like he was a storm that she accepted willingly and lovingly because she was ready to embrace his sudden rainfall and bright flashes of light.

Lily leaned up on her tiptoes and brushed his hair away from his forehead, "Thirdly—and Merlin knows you'll hold this against me forever but—I wouldn't want to be Head Girl with anybody else."

James supposed he ought to have spoken first, before reaching for her face with both of his hands to pull her in for a kiss, but Lily didn't seem to mind. Her arms looped around his neck, her fingers wrapping in the wet hair at the base of his neck as their lips met. It was a wet kiss, lips brushing chastely as the rain poured around them but James felt electricity surge through his body when she broke away and leaned her forehead against his.

Her fingers played with the hair at the nape of his neck like the wind playing with this robes around his ankles. Her wet red hair was rubbing against his cheek and smelled vaguely like summer strawberries. Lily pulled away simply so she could stare at him with bright eyes, caught up in the rush of their first kiss.

James let his thumb run from her temple to her cheek before speaking, "Thank you." He whispered.

Lily pulled back her arms from his neck and placed her hands on his chest with a stern look in her eyes, "Promise you'll tell me if you need to cut back on rounds."

He nodded, "As long as you make a habit of complimenting me so much."

Lily screwed up her face, playfully angry, "I knew you'd hold it again me, you conceited arse."

James couldn't resist winking at her, "If I knew you were so readily available to hand them out…"

Lily curled one of her hands into a fist against his chest and nudged him with it, "Just as you are so readily available to hand out snogs..."

"Only if you continue complimenting me." James answered wittily.

"Git."

Thunder rolled around them as James wrapped one of his arms around her waist to bring her flush up against him, "You wouldn't want to be Head Girl with anyone else."

Lily smiled and shivered against his hold, "We should go inside, it's getting chilly and you don't have a cloak."

James shrugged, "I don't care where we go, long as we go together and it's discreet so you can keep flattering me..."

Lily laughed and kicked him lightly with her foot, "Isn't it time you sweet-talk me?"

James hummed concomitantly as he opened the doors to the castle and they stumbled inside, hands wrapped together as their clothes dripped water onto the entranceway floor. It was a Sunday so most students were in the dorms, the hallway was empty as Lily and James made their way to the fireplace at the end of the entranceway. They stood next to the crackling flames as Lily pulled out her wand and started to try and dry them but James could've cared less about their clothes.

James grabbed her by the waist again and pulled her into him with a wicked grin.

"I—" but whatever Lily was going to say was broken by him leaning down to push his lips up against hers with vivid eagerness.

Lily didn't bother to argue and instead sunk into his arms, her lips moving against his with added zeal as the fire crackled behind them. James brushed her wet hair back as he let his lips move from her mouth to her cheek, to her neck, and back to her mouth when she stubbornly purred his name. They were still soaked from the thunderstorm but they were both smiling as their lips met over and over with an eagerness only encouraged by the sound of falling rain and cracks of thunder and lightening.