Copyright JK Rowling.
James sat in the corner of potions, at the very back desk, absent mindedly twirling his quill between his fingers every so often letting it brush against his cheek.
She wasn't here yet. Lily. 'Probably late' he thought to himself.
She'd never miss potions, Slughorn was her favourite teacher.
He'd made a plan with the Marauders before the lesson, Sirius would go and sit next to Marlene, Lily's usual potions partner and Remus would sit next to Mary, who would have been the second partner option for Lily, leaving her no choice but to come and sit next to him.
That was if she even had intentions of coming to this lesson.
He missed her, yes, they argued inevitably all of the time, and she hated his guts just as much as he loved her. He always wished that one day she'd return those feelings, but 7 years on and not much was looking good.
Slughorn appeared to have set the task for the day because everyone rose in their seats and began setting up their apparatus, he had no clue what to do, he hadn't listened to a word Slughorn had said.
He had no intentions of doing anything in potions today, he only really wanted to speak to Lily who had quite clearly been avoiding him after their previous argument.
One brief comment about her past friendship with Snape that had ended two years ago and all hell had broken loose between them, he knew he shouldn't have mentioned it, but he didn't even think, it just slipped out of his mouth during the easy flow of banter between them both.
She wouldn't accept his apology.
To be honest, James thought she was being immensely over the top. It had been a week and they'd had worse argument than this and where on speaking terms the next day, he hadn't seen her face for a week.
He'd given hope on her even showing up when he looked around the room one last time and caught eye contact with Slughorn who undoubtedly noticed he wasn't working, the professor made his way over to James and spoke.
"Not working are we boy?" The man asked.
"I'm just waiting for Evans to arrive sir, she's my partner."
The professor frowned and glanced around the room, clearly checking for Lily's unexplained absence from his lesson.
"Five more minutes, if she's not here by then you'll have to start on your own." And the professor walked off.
James began to take in the room, watching people. Sirius caught his attention and he began to pretend to grope Marlene McKinnon's arse, or 'legs' as Sirius called her, when she turned around and caught him in the act. From the other side of the room the argument wasn't audible but he could practically imagine what would be said, James chuckled to himself as he watched Marlene grow flustered through annoyance and embarrassment.
"He's a prick." Came a voice from next to him.
He turned, recognising the voice instantly. "Evans!"
She dropped her bag and flopped onto the stool "Are you not planning on doing any work this lesson, Potter?"
He grinned at her. "Slughorn said I could wait for you to arrive."
"Oh, to let me do all the work?"
James shrugged "Eh"
Lily shook her head. "Your plan is failing James."
"Plan?"
"Mm, the one where you try to get me to talk to you because you think I've been avoiding you?" She gestured to his best friends sat next to her best friends.
"But it worked, you're talking to me."
Lily smirked. "But I wasn't avoiding you."
James snorted. "I haven't been blessed with your lovely presence for a week Evans, don't feed me bullshit."
Lily paused. "No one's seen me for a week, I've been back at home so don't contradict what you don't know anything about." She said hotly.
James frowned. "Is everything alright?"
Lily said nothing for at least a minute. "No."
"Oh?" James said, slight question to his tone.
Lily busied herself getting her equipment out "What are we brewing?"
"It's slipped my mind."
Lily sighed and walked to the front of the class to Slughorn, returning a few minutes later with ingredients. "Girding potion." She announced and placed the ingredients on the desk firmly.
"That's the one." James said cockily.
"Mm." Lily raised her brows.
"Y'know, Mary and Marlene never said anything about you being away."
"Why would they?" Lily questioned.
"Because, I've been asking about you." James admitted.
James could've sworn he saw the ends of Lily's mouth twitch, as if preventing a smile, but was that was suddenly executed by a frown that invaded her face.
"I asked them not to say anything to anyone."
"Why?"
"Because it's nobody's business."
"You can tell me, you know I don't tell anyone, you've told me stuff before."
And it was true, when they did their Heads patrols at night, and Lily was tired and her brain was loose, she'd tell James things she hadn't even told her best friends, and true to his word he never brought them up again or told anyone.
"This- this is different, I'm fine." Lily mumbled.
James tried to read her facial expression, it was hard and tense, as if fighting off tears. Tears that where fighting desperately to fall but where being forced back in with all of her might.
She leant across the work bench, picking up a mixing spoon when James placed an affectionate hand on her back.
"You're not okay." He whispered to her.
And she all of sudden crashed her head down onto the desk, using her arms to cover her face, with her silky red hair falling around her, her back was shaking to suggest that she was crying.
James froze, he was really bad with crying girls. 'Thank God we're at the back of the room' James thought to himself.
He decided that stroking her hair might comfort her, girls he'd been with in the past seemed to like that, after a while the crying seemed to have reduced but she kept her head down on the desk.
James glanced around the room for someone to save him from this situation, but everyone was busy with their potion.
She seemed to have stopped crying altogether now.
He slowly wrapped his arm around her waist, and lifted her shoulders up to get her to look at him, but she kept her wrists pressed against her eyes.
"Lily" he said trying to pull at her arms. "What's wrong?"
She quickly whipped her eyes and studied the room, seemingly checking if anyone had seen her, then she turned back to James.
"I don't know." She said an unconvincing lie in her voice.
"Don't give me that, no one cries like that for no reason."
She blinked hard and shook her head. "I-I'm fine."
He moved closer, just inches away from her face, he could smell her sweat perfume and something that was just, Lily. "You can tell me."
She sat back quickly and James saw her swallow hard.
"My parents are gone."
"Gone where?"
She looked at him blankly. "Dead." She said flatly.
James had no idea what to say, she just sort of stared at her.
"I-I'm-I don't know what to say.." James admitted.
Lily shook her tears free. "I'm sorry I didn't need to tell you that, I just haven't had much time to…come to terms with it, it just sort of hit me then, sorry."
"No, don't apologise, it's not your fault, I bet you feel better for getting it out now, don't you?"
Lily gave a small smile. "Sort of, yes." And she went back to brewing the potion.
"Y'know" She said as she chopped up part of a fairy wing. "I'd bottled those tears up."
James smiled, unsure of what to say. "I can do this." He said gesturing towards the potion.
"No, no." Lily waved him away.
"Are you sure, Slughorn will let you go to your dorm if you-"
"JAMES I'M FINE." Lily snapped, quiver in her voice.
James put his hands back, "Sorry." He said quietly.
She didn't speak to him for the rest of potions, and hurried out ahead when Slughorn dismissed them. He'd just have to catch her in the common room later to apologise and check up on her.
But he didn't see her, it was their night to do patrols but he wasn't expecting her to do that either, she'd probably want some time to herself.
So James set off at 10 to do his rounds, stopping of at the head's office to check the timetable for his rounds next week, so he could organise Quidditch training.
Lily was in there curled up in the chair.
"Oh! Sorry" James said and began to leave the room.
"James I'm sorry." Lily said quickly, before he could leave.
He pushed the door back open, "You have nothing to be sorry about."
"I do, you where just being nice."
"I was pitying you, it wasn't a very matey thing of me to do, but I just didn't want you to cry again because it wasn't nice seeing you upset."
"No, James. Trust me; you've nothing to be sorry for. Honestly? I just felt like someone comforting me, and you where there. The past week all I've done is comfort Petunia about it I had hardly any time to let what happened sink in and take time to think about it. I should apologise for making you feel awkward."
"You apologise? No no, I didn't feel awkward at all, it was fine. It was nice."
Lily raised her eyebrows "You said before it wasn't nice."
"Yes, I didn't like to see you upset but it was nice to see that side of you."
Lily gave a small smile. "Er, Thanks."
"Yeah" James said awkwardly, "I better get going, patrols y'know? Kids to bribe, etcetera, etcetra."
"Oh I'm coming." Lily announced and stood.
"Are you sure, I wasn't expecting you to."
"Yes" Lily said simply.
They took off down the corridor and walked in an awkward silence for several minutes.
"How did it happen?" James finally plucked up the courage to ask.
"With my parents?"
James nodded.
"They were killed, in their own beds, Petunia was out at her boyfriends at the time."
"Was it muggles…that did…it?" James asked.
"They won't tell me anything, all I know is they..had gashes on their bodies, so, i-if it where y'know.."
Lily paused. "Death Eaters" she said, tremor in her voice.
"Then they where.."Lily closed her eyes. "Tortured" She said shakily, and looked quickly over to James who pulled her into a warm hug.
"Shh" He said stroking her hair softly.
Lily began to sob, so James pulled her into an empty classroom, still with her wrapped in his arms, he propped himself up against the wall.
"It just makes you really think, you know?" Lily whimpered.
"I know, I know" James said soothingly.
"Like all the people you're with today, gone. I-I feel like I need to let people know-" she cut herself off with a sob.
James rubbed her shoulders reassuringly.
"James, I like you" she whispered.
"Ah, I can be really nice, I'm not as conceited as you think I am."
"No." Lily stopped him. "I really like you."
James frowned, surely he was misinterpreting her.
She was looking at him intensely, and James' heart was thumping against his rib cage, somewhere between his heart and his chest tingled.
Lily's eyes were locked onto his lips.
He was holding her in the perfect position; all he had to do was lean down…
He could smell her scent again, and it made him really happy.
He let his lips brush her cheek where a tear had fallen, kissing it away.
She leaned up, wrapping her arms around his neck, motivating the kiss.
His tongue caressed her lips, and she opened them, granting access.
James was lost in Lily's taste, everything about her that he loved the smell of he could now taste, it was bliss.
He had one hand in her hair and the other just below her waste, keeping her body close to his.
He pulled her closer, she wasn't close enough, he wanted every part of her.
She pulled back breathlessly. "Wow."
He kept hold of her so she'd stay close to him; he pulled her head in and rested it on his chest.
They stayed like that against the wall for a while, until Lily spoke. "We should get back."
James whinged. "No, I like this!"
Lily laughed, and leant up to kissed his cheek. "Come on."
And they walked hand in hand back to the common room, when they got in there it was empty apart from two 5th years sat next to the fire doing some homework.
Lily gave James a smile and turned to go to her dorm.
James grabbed her hand. "Thank you" he said, beaming.
She grinned. "What for?"
"Quite literally making my dream come true" He said.
"Cheesy." She laughed.
"You can't resist it though."
"Mm." She smiled and kissed him on the cheek.
"Goodnight, James."
"Goodnight, Lily."
Drabble ,drabble, drabble, Review?