A/N - I do not own ANY of these characters. This is in James and Lily's seventh year, when they're good friends but just not dating. Lily hangs out around the Marauders a lot.
The crisp October wind blew across the grounds of Hogwarts as many students made their way pack from the Quidditch pitch. Gryffindor had just won against Ravenclaw in the first match off the year , and boy was James Potter ever happy, Lily Evans had noticed. He was grinning from ear to ear as he walked with one arm slung over Lily's shoulders and the other around his best mate's, Sirius. Lily was decked out in James's Gryffindor sweater, where as James wore a t-shirt and pants, due to already having changed in the locker room.
"Gryffindor! Gryffindor!" He chanted, as if he were drunk off winning.
"Calm down, Potter, it was just a match, after all." Lily joked, laughing.
"Just a match? It was a battle of the God's." James ruffled Lily's ginger locks, both eyebrows raised.
"Whatever you say, good game." She grinned.
The party of Gryffindors made their way to the common room, where streamers hung and music played. Fire whiskey and various sorts of treats sat on tables, and red and gold glitter thrown every where.
"Remus and Peter did a bloody brilliant job!" Sirius exclaimed, pushing his way through the other Gryffindors in an attempt to get himself a mug of fire whiskey.
Lily looked up at James, scowling. "James! There are first years here! We absolutely cannot have alcohol around them, it's -"
"Calm down, Evans. It's not like we're gonna let the sods get into the booze!" James shouted over the music, dropping his arm from her shoulders and heading off to join Sirius, leaving Lily distraught with her arms folded across her chest. "Damn it." She muttered.
In the next fifteen minutes, Lily sent most of the fourth years and under up to their dorms, the population of Gryffindors decreasing. When she was finished, she sat on a chair by the fire, appointing herself to make sure no one drinks too much or breaks any bones. She was flickering her glances at James, and he was also, but they just hadn't caught each other at the right moment.
Finally, finally, James caught Lily's eye, but she quickly blushed and looked away, her ginger locks creating a curtain as she looked the other way. James took a swig of his fire whiskey before handing it to Padfoot.
"Evans, y'shouldn't be spending the party alone," James said as he approached her, holding out his hand for her to take.
"I'm just making sure that everyone doesn't die, is all." Her pale cheeks tinged pink as she looked up at James.
"C'mon, Lily, dance with me!" He begged, extending his hand again.
"You're drunk."
"Hey! I can hold my liquor, unlike Black over there." James gestured to where Sirius walked, or stumbled, rather, over to Marlene MacKinnon, where he started to flirt her up, making obscene gestures with his hands.
"'Suppose." Lily said, biting her lip.
"So what d'ya say, Evans?" James asked again.
"Fine." Lily said, taking his outstretched hand and allowed him to pull her up and led her over to where the older Gryffindors danced and drank. James grabbed both of her hands then, twirling her in circles as the music played.
After dancing for a good 15 minutes, Lily was about to sit down before Remus switched the record onto a slower song, giving James a thumbs up when Lily wasn't looking.
"C'mon, Evans, one last song." James begged.
"To a slow song?"
"Yes." James said, and pulled Lily close and took her wrists, putting them on his shoulders before wrapping his arms around her waist and starting to move to the music. "Just like this." He showed her, grinning.
Lily returned that grin, looking into James's eyes as her fingers locked behind his neck.
"You did really well in the game today." Lily said, repeating her compliment from earlier.
"Ta." James merely responded before pulling her closer. "Would you punch me if I kissed you right now?" He asked, raising a brow.
"We won't know until you try, yeah?"
With that, James kissed Lily softly, his hands staying where they were. Surprisingly, Lily didn't pull away, but kissed him back.
Once Lily finally did pull back, he smiled. "No punching?" He asked.
"No punching." Lily declared, pulling him in for another kiss.
The rest is history.