Everything was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt

It began to snow on November 25th, 1977. Lily, born in the winter, loved when it snowed. As a child she would run out into the backyard and twirl around in the soft flurries. She would catch it upon her tongue and the palm of her hand as it glided down. It would melt instantly when it made contact with the warmth of her body, but she didn't care.

She felt more alive in winter than she did any other time of the year. Lily loved the crisp air that always turned her nose bright red and reminded her of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. She loved that things were always so quiet outdoors during that time. She could actually sit there and think and feel peaceful.

And that's exactly what she was doing right now. The snow was falling around her in large flakes and she sat there next to the lake deep in her own thoughts. It was getting dark, but Lily took little notice. She barely even acknowledged that she was hungry. She just couldn't leave that spot even if You-Know-Who himself approached her. She wouldn't even notice him.

Lily was too busy thinking about James. It was strange. This was something that she would never think she would do. But she noticed the process has been steadily creeping up on her. He crept up on her.

She didn't understand how or why. Maybe it was because he changed so much. She didn't honestly know. He was mature, but still had his boyish qualities about him. He gave her space. He tried to just be her friend. It was strange. And Lily couldn't wrap her mind around it completely yet.

When she found out that James Potter was going to be Head Boy alongside her, she prepared herself for him and his friends to go gallivanting around the school and exploiting his power as Head, but he hadn't. He was responsible, sensible, willing…Lily could go on forever naming things that James Potter was now.

And that was what perplexed her. She was seeing these things about him that she never had before and she wondered to herself often if he was always like this or if this was a recent change. And she felt ashamed of herself. She told the skinny, bespectacled git to shove off for some many years that she only knew him as, James Potter: Prankster and Mischief Maker Extraordinaire. Nothing more, nothing less. It was maddening.

And she felt ridiculous. She was willing to get to know this new James, but was unwilling to see past everything to get to know the old one. She knew he was young and immature, but so was everyone else when they were 15. But two summers has seemed to mature the boy Lily thought it would be impossible to tame.

And Lily found herself in class, in the common room, during Head duties, and et cetera watching his every move. Watching the way his hazel eyes—that were more green than brown—lit up whenever something amused him. Or when he runs his hands through his hair when he gets nervous, bored, or just when he generally feels like it. Lily thought the action subconscious by now. James Potter was utterly complex and Lily never realized.

But now, her eyes were wide open and she could see him more clearly than she ever had. And seeing him, really seeing him was actually nice.

Lily was so consumed with thoughts of James that she didn't hear someone approach and sit down next to her. She didn't feel their leg accidently bump against hers as they sat crossed-legged. Lily didn't notice when they called her name over and over again to get her attention.

Lily finally noticed when the person shook her leg violent. She blinked several times and looked around at her surroundings before she turned to her right and saw him. It was as if her thoughts summoned him. There he was. The skinny, bespectacled git that was no longer skinny and now built with a bit more muscle, but still bespectacled, was sitting next to her. Plaguing her waking life as well as her wandering mind. He's always been there.

"You've been out here for a long time," he said without preamble.

"Have I? I've lost track of the time."

He gave her the smirk that she was now becoming fond of. "I figured. You missed dinner, but since I am a responsible, respectable Head Boy, I brought you something. If you can't remember when to come in and eat like a proper, respectable, and responsible Head Girl, then I must make sure you eat anyway since I'm responsible and respectable," he said as he handed a fork and a plate with her favorites on it.

Lily looked at him for a moment. She couldn't believe it—him. "Thank you. You didn't have to. I would have come in eventually. It is starting to get cold and I would have just gone down to the kitchens and got something, but thank you," Lily rambled.

"No need to thank me. It was the least I could do. You did cover for me during the meeting last week," James said as he ruffled his hair and started taking off his cloak and draped it around Lily's shoulders.

Lily felt a blush rise to her cheeks. "Thank you, but you don't have to."

"I know I don't have to, but I can see you're cold. What are mates for?"

"But you'll get cold."

"I won't. I promise," he said giving her quick smile.

They were quiet for awhile, Lily eating her dinner and James staring up into the cloudy, dark sky.

"How did you know I was out here?" Lily asked breaking the silence.

"I wouldn't be a responsible and respectable Head if I didn't know where the Head Girl was at all times. You never know when an emergency may arise and what would I do if I couldn't find you?" He shrugged.

Lily continued to eat and look at the sky. The snow had stopped falling and she could see the clouds floating away towards the north. It was comfortable sitting there in the nippy weather with James. They didn't have to say much. If this moment happened years ago, James would probably fill it with nonsense until she told him to sod off, but now. Now things were truly different.

She was glad to have him around, to not fill those comfortable silences with useless words. They grew up, he grew up. And she was now willing to put everything behind them and get to know this James, be it new or old she did not know, but she wasn't going to let that stop her. In that moment, she could get used to holding comfortable silences with him. She was willing to see him as possible more than just a mate. If he would still have her, that is.

Author's Note: I felt like writing a Limes one-shot and listening to Mewithyou helped me with the title. I hoped you like it! Review.