Birthday Wishes

Lily wasn't sure how she felt about James's birthday. In all honesty, she wasn't sure how she felt about James. She didn't hate him now, at any rate – as Head Boy and Girl, they were something like friends. But even though he was a lot less arrogant and annoying these days, she couldn't help feeling that his seventeenth birthday would give James a perfect excuse to re-inflate his head a little. The airy, circular Head's common room was normally Lily's favourite place to be, but she had a feeling that today it would be taken over by the birthday boy and his stupid friends. Still, at least she could have some peace while James was getting ready – styling his precious hair, no doubt…

"Oi! Prongs!"

There was a loud knocking at the door, and Lily went to open it with an expression of resigned irritation already prepared. Only three people at Hogwarts called James 'Prongs', and none of them, with the possible exception of Remus, made Lily's list of welcome guests.

"Morning, Evans!"

Sirius Black stood in the portrait hall. He was pale and handsome, with dark curly hair and wide grey eyes that, out of habit, winked at Lily as he pushed past her into the room.

"Oh," said Lily grumpily, moving aside to let Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew follow him in, "it's you lot."

"Glad to know I still enchant you, Evans," smirked Sirius. He reclined back onto a purple velvet couch, beckoning haughtily to Remus and Peter. "Sit down you two – and you, Evans."

He winked again as she perched on the other end of the couch, as far away from Sirius as possible.

"I suppose you'll be celebrating James's birthday in here, then, Black?"

"Of course – we Marauders like to do things in style, you know."

Sirius waved an nonchalant hand about the room, taking in the book-lined walls, marble busts and silk hangings. Lily rolled her eyes and crossed her arms and legs.

"Brilliant."

"Now really, Evans, there's no need for that tone. I won't let even your delightful presence spoil my Prongsie's special day – and in fact, a little sweetness from you might just make this his best birthday yet."

Lily did not reply, preferring the dignity of huffy silence. She watched through narrowed eyes as Sirius, Remus and Peter whispered over a large stack of presents, looking, Lily personally felt, like three old ladies fussing over their favourite nephew.

"…and I think now's the perfect time," Sirius was saying as Peter nodded excitedly and Remus looked thoughtful, "but Prongs can't know."

"Oi! Prongs can't know what!"

James had appeared from the bathroom, wearing nothing but a fluffy towel with his black hair dripping.

"Keep that big nose out, mate," said Sirius cheerfully, striding across the room to clap James on the back. "And hey – happy birthday!"

"Thanks, Padfoot,"

For once in her life Lily couldn't think of a cutting remark to send James's way. Instead she simply stared at him as he joked around with his friends. He was turning with a look of childish glee to his presents when his eyes fell on Lily, who hastily arranged her features to look as though she didn't want to be there.

James's face flushed a bright red and he instinctively clutched the towel tighter about his waist. He blushed deeper still as he saw Lily's green eyes take in his tanned, Quidditch-toned torso.

"Err," he said.

Lily did not reply. She made no attempt to get up and wish him a happy birthday, as his friends had done. She seemed to have been frozen, except frozen things like ice and snow are pale and white, and Lily was not. She was blushing even brighter than James as she stared at him. A slight smile played about her lips, and James couldn't stop himself from smiling in return. Lily had never smiled at him like that before.

"He has a face, you know, Evans," drawled Sirius, his gaze flicking between the two with idle curiosity.

"Shut up," murmured Lily, not taking her eyes from James.

"Yeah, shut up, Padfoot," echoed James dazedly; he seemed slightly punch-drunk and the friendly shove he gave Sirius actually sent him flying off the sofa.

"Alright, Prongs, keep your towel on," he muttered, adding with a broad smile: "although that might not be the outcome Evans is looking for."

Lily through a book at him; he ducked and it hit Remus instead. This seemed to bring James to his senses.

"Right," he mumbled, "right, well, I'm just going to get dressed, then…"

Sirius, Remus and Peter began to snigger and mutter as James left the room. Well, Lily thought defiantly – let them laugh! She had only reacted just like any other girl would; she had never denied that James was attractive. People might have thought she was repulsed by him, but really it was much more complicated than that. Trouble was, Lily didn't understand the complications any more than anyone else did; her reaction had surprised her just as much as it had surprised Sirius and the others.

When James came back, dressed in a t-shirt and jeans, Lily was standing by the door, waiting for him. To everyone's surprise (and James's frank delight), she gave him a quick hug as she murmured "Happy Birthday." James said nothing, but simply beamed around at everyone. He seemed somehow taller as he set about opening his presents.

"Thanks for the broom compass, Moony, mate – and look what my parents got me!"

"Wow!" said Peter, "a Sneakoscope! Cool!"

"Yes, very cool," said Lily from where she had been sitting apart from them, half-amused, half-exasperated. "Now what about mine?"

The atmosphere in the room changed perceptibly. Sirius, Remus and Peter all fell silent and turned to look at her, but none looked harder than James, who was gazing at Lily like he had never really seen her before.

"You got me a present?" he said quietly.

"Well, a card – here,"

He crossed the room in three paces as she handed him an envelope with fumbling fingers. Apparently she had achieved a state of permanent blushing, now; she was beginning to wish she hadn't bothered with the gesture in the first place. James was standing far too close.

The card was simple, depicting a large bronze hippogriff soaring above green fields. Inside it read:

Dear James,

Happy Birthday.

Love from Lily xxx

James read the card several times, mouthing the words soundlessly to himself. Gruffly, he pulled Lily into him, whispering "thank you" into her soft red hair as he brushed a kiss across her forehead.

"What?" howled Sirius from across the room, breaking the silence. "Evans only gets you a poxy card and she gets a kiss! I got you Quidditch tickets, mate! What else does it take for me to get a little love around here? And no, Wormtail," he added as Peter laughed loudly, "that is not an invitation for you to kiss me."

"For your information, Black," said Lily, laughing herself now, "I have got him a present – and it's worth a lot more than a measly kiss!"

Lily regretted the joke as soon as she made it; she didn't miss the curious sidelong glance James shot at her. Remus raised his eyebrows and even Peter grinned and nudged Sirius, who laughed out loud.

"You're in there, Prongs, mate," he sniggered.

With a slight shake of his head, James ignored him. He took Lily's hands in his own and whispered so the other's couldn't hear:

"What did you get me?"

Lily didn't meet his eyes, but she didn't pull her hands away from his. They were large and warm and slightly calloused from Quidditch.

"I didn't want to say, before," she said in a small, uncertain voice, "until I gave you the card. I wasn't sure if -"

"If I'd want it? Lily, I'd want anything you got me. Always."

She smiled; she couldn't help it. In fact, she smiled more than she ever had before- she was practically laughing as she said:

"Er – it's nothing big, but I got you… this!"

James blinked as she produced a small, pink hairbrush.

"You can't keep walking around like you just came off a broomstick forever," she giggled.

James gave a surprisingly high-pitched scream and leapt away with the skill of a Chaser. Shrieking with laughter, Lily chased him around the room. He was of course a lot stronger and faster than she, but he allowed her to pin him onto the sofa, tickling him. They did not look at the others, wrapped up as they were in the play-fight, but Remus cocked a quizzical eyebrow at Sirius. They, at least, did not miss the charged, intimate atmosphere that made the other three Marauders suddenly spectators, voyeurs. Lily and James squirmed around, their bodies pressed together, their hands touching necks and thighs and other hands.

"Go on," gasped Lily, as James gently swatted her arm away, "please do it. For me."

As before, the mood changed rapidly. James stopped wriggling.

"Of course I will. For you."

Only then did the two seem to realise how close they were. James sat up abruptly and Lily knelt beside him as she carefully began to brush his hair flat. She made quite a show of it, often disregarding the brush and twirling her fingers through his thick, black hair. She leant across him and her long curtain of hair fell unchecked across his face. His warm breath quivered against her neck.

"There," she said finally, placing her hands on either side of his face as she examined the results. Their faces were almost touching.

"You know, I think I liked it more before," she whispered with a breathy giggle that blew across James's nose.

She ran her fingers through it, sticking it up once more.

"Perfect."

Her voice was incredibly soft and James felt rather than heard her say it, as the word brushed against his closed, expectant eyelids. The others, eavesdroppers as they were, did not hear it at all, and maybe they at least, were surprised, even if James seemed to expect it, not even opening his eyes as she leant in. He felt all kinds of perfect flutter against his face as her lips found his.