It was Sunday afternoon, and most of the students were spending the breezy, summer day milling around the grounds. Some second years were splashing around in the shallow edge of the Great Lake, enjoying the uncharacteristically warm water lapping around their bare legs; a group of fourth years were lounging in the wavering shade of the trees; the Hufflepuff quidditch team were lazily practising on the pitch, their full robes ditched for casual attire. The dim library was abandoned, as well as the great hall, and for the most part, the common rooms were empty too. Everyone was out enjoying the idyllic weather. Everyone except Lily Evans. Rather than outside, feeling the sun on her skin and the breeze in her hair, Lily was sat cross legged on her bed, a tower of dusty textbooks piled on her bedside table, a hardback copy of 'A Brief Summary of the History of the Ministry Of Magic' resting open on her lap. Parchment and quills were scattered across her bed. A heavy sigh escaped her as a long piece of her fiery hair fell into her face and she pushed it back for what must have been the hundredth time that hour. Her eyes fell back into the steady rhythm of reading the same paragraph over again for the sixth time, the information still refusing to take root in her brain.

Lily was so absorbed in concentrating on trying to concentrate that she didn't hear the smooth, slick voice of her hazel eyed boyfriend, nor did she acknowledge his sigh, and it took her several seconds of staring at her lap to realise that he'd gently prised her delicate hands from the edges of the textbook and dropped it onto the pile next to her. She looked up at him as he took her hands and pulled her up off the bed. Her face contorted as she felt the pins and needles in her legs as they punished her for sitting in the same position for the last three hours.

"James- what are you doing? How did you even get up here?"

"Never you mind" he smiled and winked at her.

"I need to-"

"Shh."

He reached up behind her head and removed the various bobbles and clips that were holding her hair back, throwing them down onto the bed one by one. When her hair cascaded down her back he ran his slender hands through it, before lifting a hand to cup her jaw, his fingers slipping onto her neck and behind her ear, to turn her head up to face him, away from staring guiltily at the pile of books.

"You need to have a rest. You're going to drive yourself mad." He soothed.

"But our NEWTs are only a few weeks away now, and professor Binns said that I could boost my grade just by reading the extra material."

"Sitting cooped up in here all day isn't going to do you any good. I'm sure you can spare a couple of hours." He took her hands and began to back away from bed, a crooked smile erupting on his face when Lily followed him, albeit with a concerned look.

"What if I brought a book outs-"

"No."

She huffed an indignant sigh and followed him to the top of the staircase. She only remembered the magical properties of the girls staircase once James had already wrapped an arm tightly around her waist and stepped onto the first step, pulling her down after him when it transformed into a stone slide. He smiled, charmed by her surprised squeal, and rather pleased with himself for having managed to get her this far. They landed in an ungainly pile, from which James jumped up, and enthusiastically pulled Lily up too.

"Where exactly is it that we're going?" She quirkier an eyebrow. He smiled even wider, always having found that one of her most endearing habits.

"Nowhere specific... Just, out." He replied, lacing his fingers between hers and walking towards the common room door.

As they stepped out of the large wooden front doors, Lily visibly relaxed. The gentle summer sun illuminated her pale skin. The mild breeze pushed James' cool button down shirt against his body, hinting at the quidditch enhanced muscles she knew were there. They walked in silence until they reached their favourite tree. It was an oak, close to the edge of the lake but away from the cluster of trees that were usually surrounded by other students. James flopped down by the sturdy roots and pulled Lily down after him, where she landed unceremoniously in his lap. She flushed lightly and attempted to shift off him, but his hands slid around her waist and clasped together, keeping her pinned to him, as he rested his head on her shoulder.

"James," she smiled, her mood already rapidly improving, "I would prefer to sit next to you, if you wouldn't mind." He pouted, but removed his hands and let her slide onto the grass beside him.

"That one looks like a teapot" Lily mused as she watched the puffy white clouds drift above them. She was now lying on her back in the grass with her ankles crossed and her head resting on James' lap. He was taking the opportunity to study her face. Every curve, every freckle, her bone structure, her eyelashes. He smiled contently as he watched her chest rise and fall with every breath she took. The leaves rustled above their heads, casting a mottled shadow on her freckled face.

"Mm" he mumbled in agreement as he absent-mindedly played with a lock of her thick hair.

"You aren't even looking!" She accused as she looked up at his angular face.

"Sorry. Couldn't take my eyes away from your lovely face, you see." Lily rolled her eyes at his cliché line. "What?" He grinned, "It's true!"

"I'll never understand you, James Potter."

"Well let us try and help you unravel the mysterious workings of my brain," he twirled a lock of her hair around his index finger and unwound it again before continuing. "Ask me anything." She bit the inside of her lip as she contemplated which question to ask first.

"Why do you like me?" He straightened a little. That he wasn't expecting.

"Well, why wouldn't I? You're perfect." Her nose crinkled at the mushy compliment.

"Specifically" she probed further. "Like, what attracted your attention in the first place?"

"The little things." He said, without a moments pause. She raised an eyebrow questionably. "You know, the little things you do, your quirky little habits. You're completely oblivious to them, but they're incredibly charming." The little crooked smile appeared again. He began to trace the creases on her palm with his index finger.

"Such as?" She probed further.

"Such as... How you always have bacon at breakfast, but you only ever have an even number of rashers... And you have to stand on your tiptoes to reach the good shelves in the library... And when you're embarrassed, you glance to the left... Your hands go cold when you're nervous... When you're deep in thought, you tap your fingers, and it's always the same rhythm... You like to be the last girl from your dorm to go to bed- I still haven't figured out why... You only drink pumpkin juice on Saturdays... You always cross you fingers under the desk when you add the last ingredient to a potion... What else? Oh! You blink when you cast a spell, every time." He'd been staring across the water as he'd listed so he wouldn't be distracted by her face, but he looked down at her now. Her eyes had welled up and James smiled uneasily at the emotion he didn't understand.

"I can't... I can't believe you noticed that much about me. I didn't know it was possible to notice that much about me!" He laughed nervously.

"Sorry if it freaks you out-"

"Freaks me out? It's probably the sweetest thing I've ever heard! I mean I knew you used to stare but-"

"I still stare." James interjected.

"Why?" She probed further.

"I like watching you. It relaxes me." She smiled. He leant forward and kissed her forehead. Students had started to lazily mill back up towards the castle for lunch.

"Are you going to admit I was right yet?"

"About?"

"About you needing a break"

"Ah. You were absolutely right." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Can we go for lunch yet?" James' stomach rumbled loudly. She lifted a hand and pressed the back of it against his stomach muscles.

"Can't you wait? It'll take every last bit of energy I have to walk back up there." She opened her eyes wide and pouted.

"Have it your way."

Lily, convinced she'd been allowed to spend more time relaxing, closed her eyes once again, but as soon as she began to concentrate on relaxing each of her muscles one at a time, the ground disappeared from beneath her as James stood them both up and threw her over his shoulder, striding towards the castle.

"James!" She squealed, kicking her legs wildly.

"You said you didn't want to walk back up, now you don't have to. What can I say? I'm a problem solver." He smirked, knowing the trouble he'd be in when he put her down. Lily flopped against James' back and let him carry her until they got to the doors of the great hall. There, he set her back on her feet and immediately took hold of her hands, holding her at arms length as if she were about to spontaneously combust.

"I'm not going to do anything, calm down." He relaxed and pulled her against his chest, his arms snaking around her back. "I'd better get something to eat and then I can get back to revising." She added with a sigh.

"I'll test you!" He grinned, as he leant forward to gently brush his lips to hers.

"No, you go outside and-"

"No, it'll be no fun without you!" He declared. Lily smiled weakly.

"Alright then, but-" she was cut off by his rumbling stomach. James kissed her cheek and took her hand, leading her into the great hall to sit at the Gryffindor bench, where a rainbow of delicious treats were waiting them.