a/n: WRITTEN for the contest by mikki105. The challenge was to write a HP next-gen fic with the theme "the accidental kiss". I decided to elaborate and tweak the scene from my fic "Changes" where Trinity almost kisses James. Naturally, the 'almost' turned into a 'it actually happened'. Please read and enjoy, and as always, review!

Kiss on a Train

They were starting to slow down. Trinity could feel the Hogwarts Express decelerating, the squeak of the brakes signaling their approach to King's Cross Station. Her best girl friend, Emmy, was snoozing, head leaning back against the seat, tight black curls spilling over her shoulders. The dark-haired girl was snoring faintly, her mouth parted slightly in sleep. Next to Emmy, a tall boy dozed as well. Andrew 's reddish-brown hair flopped over his forehead, rustling as he breathed. Suddenly, Andrew gave a particularly loud snore, breaking the peaceful silence of the compartment.

A laugh followed the previous disturbance, coming from the boy sitting next to Trinity. James Potter was her best friend in the whole wide world. And even though it sounded childish, it was true. They'd been best friends since first year. She was sorted into Gryffindor, and at that time was dismayed. How could she, a Malfoy, be in Gryffindor? Her twin brother had been put in Slytherin – why was she different? She didn't want to be different.

But James changed her mind. He was the first person to befriend her, and before long they became thick as thieves. His constant enthusiasm and upbeat nature, along with his outgoingness, complemented her personality perfectly. He balanced out her shy, reserved character, and even her pessimism. There was no person in the world she enjoyed being with more.

Trinity pulled her long, pale hair out of her face as she turned to look at James. He was still snickering at Andrew, a broad grin spread across his handsome face. His blue eyes crinkled at the corners, and Trinity allowed herself a moment to admire his profile. He really was gorgeous. Which made keeping her secret all the more difficult.

She liked James. She might even love him, if she were to truly be honest with herself.

"Trinity?" a tenor voice broke her thoughts.

She jerked slightly, realizing that James now looked at her, and had caught her staring. Instantly, the girl felt her cheeks heat up in embarrassment, and ducked her head.

"Is something up?" James tried again, leaning in slightly in his concern.

"I, uh..." she struggled to explain. At that moment, the train shuddered to a stop, and Andrew jerked awake. His accidentally elbowed Emmy, who also awoke, groaning and mumbling. This, of course, sent James back into howls of laughter and gave Trinity a chance to compose herself.

By the time her face had cooled and her heart rate had slowed, Emmy and Andrew had their bags and James (almost) finished laughing.

"Bye, guys," Emmy smiled as she lugged her things to the compartment door. "See you next year!"

"Don't remind me!" Trinity exclaimed, hugging her friend. "It's our last."

"We will hang out this summer," Emmy stated in her sternest voice. "All of us. Together."

"Of course," James chimed in from his seat, a trace of laughter lingering in his voice.

"Good. I'm going to hold you to – ack!" the brunette screeched suddenly as one of her bags slipped from her grasp.

"I got it," Andrew bent down to rescue the bag, easily able to keep a hold of both it and his own luggage. "I'll help you."

"Thanks," Emmy smiled up at him in relief. Trinity stood, hugging both of her friends tightly before they left. James rose as well, giving Emmy a normal hug and Andrew the man-hug. Trinity watched in amusement as the two boys clapped each other on the back, neither one willing to admit they'd miss the other over the break.

"Boys," Trinity said, shaking her head. Emmy laughed, and she and Andrew headed out.

"Don't forget to stay in touch!" she called out.

Trinity smiled, turning back to James.

"Well, shall we?" she asked.

"Of course, my lady," James replied with a theatrical bow. The blonde smiled and reached out to ruffle his dark hair.

"Goof ball," she accused, reaching for the racks on which they had put their trunks.

"But I'm your favorite goof ball," James smirked, easily hoisting his own things down from the rack. In addition to being ridiculously handsome, James was covered in lean muscle from Quidditch. Trinity avoided staring at him again by looking at her trunk as she replied, "naturally."

Bracing herself, she yanked on the handle of her luggage, prepared for it to fall. Instead, it stuck and her hand slipped, causing her to stagger backwards suddenly.

James caught her before she could smack into the other side of the narrow compartment.

"I think it's stuck," he smirked as he propped her upright. "You can try again though. It was very entertaining to watch."

Trinity mock-glared at him. "Thank you, James," she deadpanned.

"Aw, I'm just kidding," he laughed, ignoring her sarcasm altogether. "Here, let me try."

She stepped aside to give him room, watching as he tried to tug it the same way she had. It didn't give the first time, so James tried again and Trinity leaned in towards the spectacle. The second time, he lost his grip, falling back just as she had.

Trinity tried to stop him, as he had done for her, but all she only managed to get knocked into by her friend, and they ended up in a disorganized heap on the floor.

"Ow. You okay, Trin?" James asked as he got back to his feet. He grabbed her hands and hauled her to her feet, even as she chuckled.

"Obviously, that was a bad idea," she laughed, turning a cunning gaze toward her stuck trunk.

"Agreed. Any ideas?" he asked, considering the trunk with an intensity equal to her own.

"Perhaps if we both tried pulling it?" she suggested. James nodded, so they clasped the handle of the monstrosity simultaneously. Suddenly, Trinity was hyper-aware of where her hand touched James' – which was actually a large portion. There wasn't enough room for their hands to be side by side, so James' hand was partially covering her own.

"On three," he directed. "One, two...three!"

With a dreadful squeal of protest as it grated across the rack, the trunk slid free, and between the two of them, James and Trinity managed to catch it before it hit the ground. They set it down together, and Trinity looked across to James to see him smiling at her, satisfied with their victory.

"Thanks, James,"she stated, moving to hug her friend. She felt his warm, lean arms wrap across her back even as hers did the same. She felt his warm breath ruffle the top of her scalp, and also felt one of his hands play absently with the end of a strand of her hair. After a prolonged moment, Trinity pulled back. She grinned at him, and in a moment of impulsiveness, heart aflutter, decided to kiss his cheek before they parted for the summer. So she leaned in, rising up on her toes, closing her eyes just as she kissed his cheek.

Except she didn't. Instead, her lips were pressed against James'.

Trinity noticed this, and her eyes shot open in surprise. James' own eyes, only inches from hers, were just as wide and shocked, and they both recoiled at the same moment. His face was just as red as she knew her own was, and they avoided each other's eyes.

"I turned to say that-"

"I meant to kiss your cheek,"

They spoke simultaneously, trying to explain their predicament to the other, afraid of rejection. Trinity wasn't sure who was to blame – her for getting her mouth that close to his face, or James for turning his head at just the wrong moment. One thing she did know – she didn't entirely hate that it happened.

Kissing James was extraordinarily pleasant, even if it was for a split second.

"Sorry," she apologized, ignoring her own feelings in order to restore a sense of normalcy.

"No, no, it's my bad too," James choked out. Trinity was amazed – she'd rarely ever seen such a slip in his cool, charming composure.

"Yeah, uh...see you later," she mumbled, hastily grabbing her trunk and turning, intent on slipping out of the compartment as soon as possible. Even now, her cheeks were still aflame with embarrassment.

"Trin!Trinity, wait!" James burst out suddenly, grabbing her by the elbow. She dropped her trunk, turning around to face her best friend hesitantly, unsure what to expect.

Whatever she was expecting, it was certainly not for James to cup her face with his hands and press his lips to hers in a very deliberate manner. His hands then moved to press against her back, drawing her close until their bodies were flush against each other. Trinity's moved her hands, previously trapped between their chests, to wind around the back of James' neck as she kissed him back.

His breath tasted like coffee and just a hint of chocolate, and his warm, strong arms felt like home. But what made the kiss perfect, for her, was that with her arms slung around his neck, she could feel his pulse, which was just as elevated as her own. To her, that meant he was just as nervous and excited and thrilled as she was.

When they finally broke apart, loosening their hold on one another, Jame smiled down at her. He pressed another kiss to her lips, this time much more gentle, before hugging her tightly, resting his chin on the top of her head. Trinity closed her eyes, reveling in the embrace.

Even though all this had been brought on by a simple mistake, this – she and James, them – was no accident.