Fireworks
He knows she's recovering from yet another battle whose invisible scars run through her mind in ugly lines forever. He has seen her fight just a little longer each day with the boy she'd once called her best friend and is fed up of the wedge that it has managed to throw into his relationship with Lily. James decides that he's had enough, that it's time to rekindle the flames through sparks that had never really sizzled out.
Which is how James finds himself walking to the third floor corridor at midnight, following the map as it shows him Lily's footsteps pacing outside the Prefect's bathroom. He creeps through the shadows till he just behind her and then closes her eyes from the back, momentarily snatching her sight away.
"Hey!" She begins, but he swiftly places a finger over her lips.
"Evans," he whispers deliciously her muscles relax as they recognise his touch.
"James!" His heart flips a little at the surprising amount of enthusiasm in her voice and he kisses her impulsively.
"Come out with me, baby," he says, tugging at her hand and already dragging her away from the corridor. She resists at first, mumbling about duties and responsibilities to the house but he promises her that the Gryffindors can survive a night without their brave Head Girl to look after them.
She grins at the manner in which he rationalises for their little excursion but allows herself to be pulled away; she can literally feel the worry an tension zoom out of her mind, if only for a little while and she is actually grateful for the temporary pleasures of denial.
"Where are we going, exactly?" she asks with slight concern as he leads her towards the main doors but he only smiles in response.
"Just a minute longer, Lils." He walks her out of the castle and towards the Black Lake, and she eventually realises he's planned the entire thing with way more precision than she expected. There's a flowery mat on the ground upon which a large picnic basket and flask were perched, and she looks at him with glowing eyes.
"How…where…I mean, how could - " He silences her with a soft kiss that deepens as the seconds tick into minutes, holding her close and never willing to let go.
They part reluctantly and James gallantly pours a mug of hot chocolate for her before doing the same for himself and bushes slightly as she snuggles up against him, content.
"Don't close your eyes just yet," he urges as he points to the sky.
It explodes in a magnificent shower of red and gold, the colours chasing each other across the sky in a soundless display of splendour. His eyes burned like liquid gold and her hair shone scarlet as they kissed, lost for just a moment in a word of their own.
"I just wanted to say I love you," he whispers against her lips.
She nods.
"I love you, too."
Entered in:
The Het-Tastic Drabble-Athon Competition, prompt #5: shadow
The Battle of the Houses, prompt #3 using 'gold' and 'red' (entry 1)
The 25 Days of Christmas Competition, prompt: hot chocolate
Danie's Song Inspiration Challenge, song: 'Maybe Tonight' - The Summer Set
Broaden Your Horizons Challenge (Romance) - OTP
After Midnight Challenge