Author's Note: Hi, everyone! Happy 2019!

I hope you enjoy this little story of mine.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything except the storyline.

Lily Evans's head still suffered the remnants of a hangover the moment she stepped foot into the Great Hall that early morning. The Gryffindors have once again bagged the Quidditch Cup for the second year running care of their esteemed captain, James Potter, and have partied until the break of dawn in the Gryffindor Common Room. Lily was surprised that they haven't heard a peep from McGonagall all night. James and his partner-in-crime, Sirius Black, took the liberty of hosting the party themselves and came equipped with an insurmountable amount of alcohol that reeked of regrets and bad decisions.

Lily came down to the Common Room a bit later than the rest, having been called up to Dumbledore's office for an impromptu meeting about suspected students being involved with the Death Eaters after the game. Neither of them had the heart to bring James in and dampen his excellent mood. Her fiery red hair was held up by a gold ribbon to show her House pride. She wore a turtleneck dress that ended just above her knees and made every boy's head turn towards her direction, but she paid them no mind as she sauntered over to the table where all the drinks stood. She was in the middle of opening a bottle of Butterbeer when an arm suddenly snaked around her shoulders. She would've shrugged it off if it weren't for the familiar scent of his cologne.

The handsome Head Boy had on a maroon jumper and dark jeans with his hair all wild and his wired spectacles slightly askew. He had a silly grin on his face when her green eyes met his hazel ones, and she tried to ignore the jump her heart made at his proximity.

"All right, Evans?" James tipped his head in greeting.

His breath told her he already had a bit too much Firewhiskey.

"Easy on the alcohol there, Captain," Lily chided with a laugh, taking his glass from his hand and taking a sip instead of drinking her Butterbeer. "You don't want to influence the little ones."

"The little ones can handle themselves," James waved off her concern. His arm was still around her shoulders, and she felt warm all over. It was probably the Firewhiskey. "I have been trying to find you all evening. Where have you been?"

Underneath the curiosity in his eyes was the worry she was expecting. He had been particularly protective of her since her unfortunate encounter with some Slytherins during one of her evening rounds that ended with her in the Hospital Wing. James was livid. Instead of answering his question directly, Lily chose to give him a charming smile and tease him.

"James Potter worrying about little old me at a party where he is the man of the hour?" she asked, tipping her head up higher. "I have to say I find myself a bit flattered."

His eyebrow quirked at her response. He leaned in closer and Lily found herself holding her breath. "Oh, come off it, Evans," he murmured with his eyes sparkling. "You know I'd rather be with you than be in a room packed with admirers. The latter drains me."

She couldn't conceal her amusement. "Humility becomes you, Potter."

"I try," James winked, taking back his glass and finishing the contents in one gulp.

Lily's eyes quickly noticed his shaking hand before it disappeared and raised an eyebrow in curiosity. The euphoria and the confidence she saw in the pitch earlier was long gone and in their place was an unease that was not common in James Potter's body language.

Lily placed a hand on his chest to bring back his attention to her. "Is everything all right?"

James gave her an unconvincing smile. "I can never get anything past you, can't I?"

She tossed her hair back to make him laugh and earned a chuckle. "It happens to be one of my best qualities."

He was about to reply when something behind her caught his eye and made his smile quickly fade away. Lily followed his line of sight and found Amelia Abbott standing by the entrance surrounded by a couple of girlfriends. Amelia had her eyes trained sharply on the two of them and was sporting an ugly sneer. Her friends were mirroring the same expression and were whispering nastily to one another. Lily had to keep herself from smiling before she turned back to face him again.

"You do realize you're making me a target for your girlfriend and her posse," she told him before shrugging his arm off her shoulders. She didn't miss the disappointment that crossed his features.

James raised his forefinger from his glass. "She is not my girlfriend. Never was."

"Then why is she looking at me like I've killed her cat?" Lily asked him as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Because apparently, there are women who do not understand the concept of a fling," James muttered. "A couple of rendezvous that may or may not involve snogging does not automatically make two people in a relationship."

"Sirius has definitely rubbed off on you," Lily remarked in disappointment. "And I highly doubt there's no snogging involved in your meetings. Not when the two of you have somuch to talk about."

James grinned at her sarcasm, and she felt triumphant seeing his smile. "There's a reason why I keep you around, Evans."

"Funny, I've always been under the impression that I was the one tolerating you," she smirked, making him laugh. He was pouring himself another glass of Firewhiskey when she finally connected the dots. "And let me guess, she's the reason why you're acting strange."

There was a dark look that crossed his expression at her words and his tone turned dangerously quiet when he told her, "She crossed a line. And I have very little tolerance for small-minded people."

Lily found herself suddenly very interested. "What did she say?"

James had a small smirk playing on his lips, a feature that appeared whenever he finds himself with the upper hand. "If I tell you, will you tell me where you've been earlier?"

Lily prided herself on being a headstrong woman, one who doesn't sway easily to the persuasions of others. But being on the receiving end of James's eyes sending her that look, a look that held the power to make her heart skip a beat sometimes, she cannot say no. She can never really say no to him. She let out a sigh before muttering a quiet, "Not here."

Lily found herself sitting near the edge of the Astronomy Tower's top floor with her back leaning against the steel railing and her right shoulder brushing James's. There was a breeze coming from the sea that made them cast heating charms on one another, but the bottle of Firewhiskey they shared had helped warming them up just fine. Lily had tears in her eyes from her laughter, and James was holding his stomach as he suffered from his own laughing fits.

"I did not!" Lily cried. Her ponytail had loosened, and her cheeks had turned red from the alcohol. "You were the one who suggested we set his cloak on fire!"

"Well, I had no idea that you were acutally considering it!" James fired back.

Lily laughed. "I've considered maiming him. Setting his cloak on fire was a lighter punishment than what I was planning."

"And everyone reckons I'm the bad influence in our relationship."

Lily only shoved him in response, and her sudden movement caused the ribbon in her hair to finally fall off.

"Though, I still cannot believe you gave that damn Aubrey the time of day when you've never once considered any of my invitations," James shook his head in disappointment. "I know I don't look like much, but I do know how to plan an evening out."

"It's not as though you've given me a proper chance to take your offers seriously," Lily shot back immediately. "Not when you've been snogging girls left and right."

"You may be mistaking me for Sirius there, love," James grinned up at her. She only rolled her eyes before taking another sip of the strong beverage. "And I didn't know you've been following my love life."

She quickly swallowed the drink to respond, and it burned all the way down. "You flatter yourself too much," she coughed out. When he wiggled his eyebrows playfully, she hit him in the chest. "Shut it!"

James laughed, "I didn't say anything!"

"You were thinking it. Loudly."

He nudged her shoulder. "I didn't know you're a Legilimens now, Lil."

The mere mention of Legilimency sobered her up almost immediately and reminded her of an old friend who happened to be departing the Headmaster's office the same time she had arrived. Severus mirrored her surprised expression when they faced each other at the entrance of Dumbledore's office, but he was quick to turn his face back to his usual blank façade. He gave her a curt nod before leaving her there with a greeting barely off her lips. After her draining talk with Dumbledore, she cannot help but worry Severus might be the one who betrayed his housemates and was in some kind of trouble that prompted him to run to Dumbledore for help.

"You all right?"

James's warm hand covered hers that was resting on her lap and jolted her out of her thoughts. Remembering Severus sent the feeling of cold water running down her spine, her heart never fully healing after his betrayal all those years ago. She told herself it was the cold that made her scoot closer to James's warmth, but deep down it was the numbing feeling of loneliness that made her seek his comfort.

James was quiet the moment she leaned her head against his shoulder, but he never removed his hand from hers. "After the game, McGonagall approached me and told me that Dumbledore wanted to speak with me in his office," Lily told him. "Someone had come forward with a list of names, a list of students who are suspected to be associated with the Death Eaters. He wants us to keep an eye on them."

When she mentioned the Dark Lord's followers, James tightened his hold on her hand, and she was grateful for the comfort it provided. "Why didn't you tell me? I could've gone with you," he scolded her as she stared down at their hands. "There are two Head Students, Lily, not one."

"I know," she replied defensively. "But there were so many people in the pitch. I couldn't find you."

If James didn't believe her lie, his demeanor made no indication of it. Instead, his jaw clenched as he asked, "Were they on the list? The people who hurt you."

Lily felt as defeated as she did in Dumbledore's office. "No. No, they weren't."

As quickly as it came, James's warmth was suddenly stripped away from her side as he stood up. Lily watched him exhale his frustration and run his hands through his already messy hair, wanting nothing more than to take all his fears and anxieties away. When he leaned his hip against the steel railing with his eyes staring out at the dark horizon, she followed him up and stood beside him.

"What else did Dumbledore say?" he asked without looking at her.

Lily sighed, tucking her hair behind her ear, "Well, naming students as potential Death Eaters is a serious accusation, but Dumbledore says he trusts his source."

"Do you know who his source is?"

His hazel eyes bore holes on the side of her face. "I'm not sure," she answered him quietly. "I don't want to name anyone I suspect without substantial proof."

"But you suspect someone," he stated more than asked, tearing his eyes away from her. Lily was certain they were both thinking of the same person.

Talking about dark wizard wannabes lurking amongst them in the hallways of their supposedly safe school made her feel impossibly tired. Lily blamed the Firewhiskey for her sudden brazenness as she pulled his arm to place it back around her shoulders, feeling a bit selfish for using him to feel comforted in the midst of all the uncertainty she has been feeling, but she found that he was the only one who can provide her what she needed.

"Can we talk about something else?" she asked softly. "You did promise to tell me what Abbott said if I told you where I've been."

James shifted behind her, and his arm around her shoulders fell down to her waist and pulled her closer. Lily held her breath and hoped that he couldn't feel her heart racing. "All right," he murmured in her ear, sending another kind of shiver down her spine. He was quiet for a few seconds before he continued to say, "You know all this leaning is starting to make me think, Evans."

Lily felt all of her senses overwhelmed by him: his body pressing against hers, his hot breath in her ear, and his faint cologne making her head swirl. She felt all the air trapped in her lungs as she whispered albeit shakily, "You're thinking? That cannot possibly be good."

James chuckled. "Contrary to popular belief, Evans, I always think. Especially about you."

She kept her voice leveled despite her heart beating in her ears. "I thought we were talking about Amelia."

He let out a small sigh. "Amelia and I had a huge row. We both said some nasty things, and she called you a name I'd rather not say," he simply stated, like he was talking about the weather. "She's jealous, you see. She's under the impression that you, Lily Evans, are trying to steal me away from her."

Their conversation had started to toe the line towards dangerous territory. "Is that so?" she asked quietly.

"What are your thoughts on that, Head Girl?" he asked, his tone gentler than she has ever heard.

Lily steeled her nerves, knowing that there will be no better time to tell him how she feels, and turned around to face him. His hands shifted to grasp the railings behind her, caging her between his arms, and he has never been closer. Her thoughts were running wild and she tried to clear her head, but it was a little hard to do so with him looking at her thatway. Her eyes darted from his down to his lips before going back up again.

"Well, she's not completely wrong," Lily murmured.

James's lips twitched slightly as he fought a smile, and hope bloomed inside Lily's chest at the sight. "Really?"

"Really," she breathed out, fighting her own smile. "Although she is wrong about the stealing part."

The little crease between his eyebrows appeared. "What do you mean?"

"I wasn't doing anything of the sort," Lily told him, placing a hand on his chest. "I was simply waiting."

Slowly, a brilliant smile formed on his face and she cannot help but mirror it. "Waiting for what?"

"For you to come to your senses," Lily explained with humor lacing her tone, reaching up to wrap her arms around his neck. "You have always been a bit daft."

James laughed, looking absolutely delighted that his hazel eyes shined behind his glasses. "Oh, Lily, Lily, Lily," he breathed out her name like a prayer as he pulled her into a warm embrace. Lily wrapped her arms around him just as tightly and couldn't stop smiling. "You have no idea how long I have been waiting for this."

She felt his heart beating in time with her own. "I think I can imagine."

Lily plopped down unceremoniously beside Alice Prewett who was in the middle of reading a letter as she ate her breakfast. Mary MacDonald was sitting across from them and was pouring herself some pumpkin juice when her eyes sharpened at the arrival of her roommate who was absent in their dormitory the night before. Lily avoided her eyes as she took some toast and began to butter it, knowing that she was about to be fired some incriminating questions that she'd rather not answer.

Alice looked up from her letter and announced, "I think Frank Longbottom just asked me out."

Mary spit out her pumpkin juice, and Lily tried to hide her amusement as she muttered a quick cleaning spell.

"Frank Longbottom? As in AurorFrank Longbottom?" Mary asked as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

Alice raised the letter in her hand. "Do you know any other Frank Longbottoms?"

"Well, I personally think it's brilliant, Alice," Lily offered with a bright smile before taking a bite of her toast. "Go answer him."

"I will in just a minute," Alice folded the letter neatly back into its envelope and placed it inside her bag. She then turned towards Lily with a sly grin. "So where were you last night?"

"We saw you sneaking off with Potter during the party," Mary added unhelpfully before eating a forkful of eggs.

Lily kept her voice neutral. "He needed to escape Abbott, that's all."

Mary snorted. "Abbott was certainly not happy seeing you two off to shag somewhere in the castle."

Lily's face warmed almost immediately and made Mary's eyes widen comically. "No."

Alice glanced over at her. "What?"

"You and James Potter," Mary gasped in delight. "Lily Evans!"

Alice's eyes shot back at Lily. "You and Potter shagged?"

Mary let out a squeal that intensified Lily's headache. "It's finally happening!"

"Keep it down!" Lily hissed. "And we did not shag. James is a complete gentleman."

Alice nudged her shoulder. "So he's James now, huh?"

"Are you two officially together now?" Mary pressed. "Because I have a few Galleons to collect."

Before Lily could respond, Mary's attention was diverted to someone behind her. "Hi, ladies. Lily," James's voice greeted and she failed to hide her smile. He pressed a sweet kiss on the side of her head as he placed a vial with clear liquid inside in front of her. "This is for your head."

Lily beamed up at him. "Thank you."

He grinned before planting a swift kiss on her lips. "The others are waiting for me. Reckon they won't be too happy if I sat here with you. They'll think I'm replacing them."

"And we wouldn't want that," Lily said, risking a glance over to the Marauders who were sitting a few meters away from them. Remus had a knowing smile on his face, Peter looked surprised, while Sirius looked almost wolfish in his amusement. And deep down, she knew they will all get along just fine.

"No, we do not," James confirmed, his smile never leaving his handsome features. "I'll see you later."

After giving her wink that made her heart skip a beat, James walked away. Lily unabashedly watched him with warmth spreading throughout her body, knowing that that fine specimen was hers and hers only. When she turned her attention back to her friends, Mary looked like the cat who caught the canary.

"Tell us everything."

fin.

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